Chapter 384

Oliver and Marie made a visit to a hotel, exactly as he had promised, to indulge in cookies, cake, and ice cream.

The hotel was conveniently located near the market and bore the name "Crossroad."

"Crossroad Hotel... The ladies at the Angels House mentioned that the desserts here are quite good," Oliver remarked as he settled at a table, guided there by the courteous staff, and perused the menu.

"Angels House?"

"Yes. I received various kinds of help from the ladies working there. Like makeup techniques, manners, etiquette, dance, and conversational skills."

"Ah..."

Marie found herself at a loss for words and simply let out a sigh. The idea that Oliver was acquainted with such women was difficult for her to fathom, leaving her with an unsettling feeling.

Consequently, Marie couldn't even bring herself to peruse the menu she held in her hand.

"..."

"Marie."

"Yes? Yes, master."

"Have you decided on the menu?"

"Ah... I'm sorry, I haven't decided yet. I don't know what to eat."

Oliver recalled the guidance he had received from the women at the Angels House.

"Um... if it's alright with you, may I order for you?"

Upon hearing Oliver's offer, Marie nodded appreciatively.

With Marie's approval, Oliver promptly signaled a waiter.

"Can we get some tea, milk, chocolate cake, and chocolate cookies?"

As he placed the order, Oliver remembered the ladies at the Angels House praising the chocolate cake here as the best.

A well-dressed waiter quickly arrived with a tray bearing the requested items.

"Thank you, George."

Checking the waiter's name tag, Oliver handed him a tip, and the waiter responded with a gracious smile befitting the gesture.

"Please call me if you need anything."

"Yes, thank you."

Once the waiter departed, only Oliver and Marie remained.

Marie regarded Oliver, who had effortlessly ordered and tipped, with a curious yet unfamiliar gaze.

Sensing Marie's scrutiny, Oliver chose to act as if he hadn't noticed. He picked up a cookie from the silver platter, broke it in half, and dipped one piece into the cup of milk before him, savoring the taste.

It had a flavor, but it wasn't the taste Oliver had anticipated.

'Is it only in dreams that I can taste that?'

Oliver recollected the dream he had recently, one that was fading from memory even though not much time had passed.

"Do you have any concerns?" Marie, who had been studying Oliver's expression, inquired. Oliver shook his head, indicating 'no.'

"Is that so?"

"Yes. So don't worry, Marie, and please try some cake."

"Ah, yes..."

Following Oliver's suggestion, Marie used her fork to cut a piece of the decadent chocolate cake and sampled it.

"It's delicious."

"I'm glad to hear that. Shall we take some cake or cookies to go?"

Marie appeared as though she wanted to say something but hesitated. After a moment, she spoke up.

"Do you often visit hotels like this, Master?"

"Dave."

"Pardon?"

"Could you call me Dave? I'm using that name for now, and also the term 'Master' is a bit conspicuous."

If Marie had been her usual self, she might have retorted with a 'how dare I'However, under the influence of Oliver's gentle yet resolute demeanor, she simply nodded.

"Ah... Understood."

"Thank you. And to answer your question, I don't frequently use facilities like this, but it is true that I have used them a few times. Especially when doing solver work."

"Oh, I see."

"Yes, I've had to use them a few times in the course of my work as a solver."

"I heard about you being a solver afterward, Mas... ah, I mean Dave."

Oliver briefly contemplated silencing his ringing phone but abandoned the idea. Marie had already compromised once, and he didn't want to disrupt the flow of their conversation.

"The first time I used a hotel was when I was running an errand for Master."

"Really?"

"I'm talking about Master Joseph. The man who took Marie and me in."

"Ah... Yes."

"He told me to come to Landa with some money. He took me to a hotel, bought me some fish dishes, and talked to me about various things."

"What... did he talk about?"

"He told me that the greatest skill of a warlock is desire, and then shared his own past, how he decided to become a powerful warlock. Marie, do you know anything about it?"

Marie shook her head. Joseph was a person who kept much of himself hidden, and not many knew about his background.

"He said it was because he visited a hotel when he was young."

"A hotel?"

"Yes. He was moved because he didn't know the world had such wonderful places. At the same time, he felt sad, thinking that he would never get to experience such a world if things remained the same. So, he aspired to become a powerful warlock."

"What a petty desire."

Marie spoke with a hint of disdain.

Yet, she might not have been in a position to judge. She had initially sought strength through black magic but later aided many people, albeit based on misguided beliefs.

'It's time to correct that,' Oliver thought as he continued.

"You're right. Whatever it is, it is a desire. However, he was also sincere in his dream? Goal? Aspiration? He never gave up even until the end, always yearning."

Oliver recalled the beautiful light that Joseph emitted just before his passing, a radiance that transcended even death itself.

'Like Mr. Duncan and Mr. Shamus.'

"So, I don't consider personal desires as trivial. What matters is the will. That's why I allowed Marie to worship me as a God."

"I'm thankful to you, Dave."

"There's no need to thank me. Strictly speaking, I didn't permit it so much as I questioned whether I had the right to stop you. I've mentioned this before, right?"

Marie nodded slowly.

When Oliver first encountered Marie and confronted her in Landa, he had spoken about this.

"Looking at what Marie has done, the religion you had created, and seeing the people who rely on it, I've learned a lot. That's why I permitted it, wondering whether I had the right to stop it."

"You have the right, Dave, because you are our god."

Marie referred to him as a god.

Oliver regarded her intently as he savored his chocolate cookies and milk.

"Marie."

"Yes..."

"You asked earlier if I was leaving, right?"

"Yes."

Marie's eyes sparkled as she replied. Eventually, she expressed herself with a hint of remorse.

"Ah... If I've been a nuisance to Dave, I'm sorry. I was just too scared..."

"Don't worry. I'm neither annoyed nor angry."

Oliver spoke while holding Marie's trembling hand. In that moment, Marie's trembling subsided, and her face radiated with joy.

The advice from the staff at Angels House, to hold a woman's hand or embrace her when she trembled, seemed to be on point.

"Is that really true?"

"Yes, absolutely. And let me formally apologize again for leaving abruptly in the past. I was irresponsible when I was in charge back then. I'm really sorry, even though it's late."

Marie was taken aback, unsure of how to respond. She hadn't anticipated this turn of events.

"Ah, no, Dave, you have nothing to apologize for. We were the ones who were lacking-"

"No, I should apologize. Regardless of my plans to leave, I shouldn't have left like that. I'm really sorry."

Oliver's apology was heartfelt. Leaving with just a single note had been wrong. Even if there were troublesome matters at hand, he should have bid a proper farewell before leaving. Perhaps then, Marie wouldn't have ended up in her current situation. It was his fault.

"So, you're not thinking of leaving now?"

"No, I think that's a matter to be decided later. As I mentioned earlier, I need to get permission from the city."

"The city?"

"Yes, from the governing body of this free city of Landa . I think we need to get permission from them first. Anyway, Marie and I are now involved with the Parter Church, and in my humble opinion, I think the city will also be burdened. It's hard to explain specifically, but I think we need to get permission from the city beforehand. Otherwise, there could be complications."

"So, Dave will allow us to stay in Landa ?"

"Well, I will for now. It's difficult for you all to stay in Wineham anymore. However, I have a favor to ask of Mariee before that."

"Please, tell me. I'll do whatever it takes."

"Will you disband 'The Chosen Ones'?"

***

Marie's eyes quivered at this unexpected statement. Naturally, they would. Leading and growing an organization required immense effort, time, and resources, especially one that had grown to encompass 30,000 to 40,000 members. To suddenly request its dissolution was a surprise even Marie couldn't anticipate.

"But you'll have to do that if you want to stay in Landa ."

"May I dare ask why?"

"First, because of the Parter Church. If you stay here while keeping your religion, the Parter Church can investigate it on its own... Second, the city wouldn't like a pseudo-religious organization."

"We are not a pseudo-religion!"

Mariee stood up abruptly and exclaimed. Had Oliver not promptly cast a soundproof spell, everyone in the restaurant would have turned their heads toward them.

"I apologize, Marie. I mean no offense, but 'The Chosen Ones' are indeed a pseudo-religion."

"How can you say that?"

Marie asked, her eyes welling with tears. Her emotions transcended mere anger or sorrow.

"Because I am not a god."

Oliver stated the truth. It made no sense for him to claim otherwise.

That he was not a god.

However, Marie appeared to disagree. She remained standing, her eyes gleaming with determination, resentment, sorrow, and unwavering faith as she spoke, with genuine sincerity.

"What exactly is a god?"

"Excuse me?"

"I asked, what is a god?"

It was an unexpected question that left Oliver pondering. In truth, Oliver had never deeply contemplated the essence of a god.

'One who creates the world, who creates humans, an omnipotent and immortal being... No, no. That's not enough. A god should be more than that...'

"-You have saved us twice."

Marie interrupted Oliver's musings.

"You gave us choices and saved our lives when we were rotting away as Joseph's slaves. You even saved us from a formidable enemy yesterday, even though it was dangerous for you as well."

"..."

"And even after saving us, you didn't ask for anything but only bestowed us with kindness. You gave us money, teachings, and courage. You said that we could also learn and improve."

"Because that's the right thing."

Oliver stated the obvious, and Marie beamed with joy.

"So we believe in God. God is an entity that saves humanity, and since Dave has saved us, we have more than enough reason to regard him as a God."

Marie's sincerity and seriousness were unmistakable.

In that moment, Oliver realized something profound. He felt like he had grasped the essence of what God is.

"Ah... the world is indeed fascinating. To think that I would be taught by Marie here."

"Huh?"

"About God. I think what Marie said is correct... and that's why I can never be a God."

"....?"

"Because I too have killed people for my own desires, and made significant mistakes by acting impulsively."

Oliver recollected his life as a solver, the excessive violence he had exhibited in Wineham, and the impoverished family he had encountered.

"So, I am naturally not a god; I am an entity quite distant from God."

"Wai-"

-ck.

Oliver raised his hand to halt Marie's response. His expression remained unchanged, but it carried a resolute tone that made Marie hesitant to speak further.

"Let's stop this conversation. Above all, I don't want to be a god. I just want to be me. An orphan named Oliver, a solver named Dave, and a personal staff member of Magic Tower named Zenon."

Upon hearing this, Marie lowered her head and refrained from speaking further. She appeared visibly distressed.

"If, just if, I don't follow Dave's words, will you leave us?"

"No, that's not it."

Marie looked up, surprised. Meanwhile, Oliver continued to speak calmly.

"Unfortunately, in that case, I'll have to leave Landa , but I plan to help you and your colleagues until you all are safe. Whether settling in another small city or going abroad, whatever it takes."

Marie gripped the tablecloth tightly and sank back into her seat.

The tension dissipated, giving way to a torrent of emotions within her—relief, joy, gratitude, confusion, misunderstanding, and contemplation.

"Why...?"

"Hmm... I want to help cleanly this time, and also, I'm concerned about Marie. I... would like for Marie to be safe."

"Are you sincere...?"

"Yes, Marie has not only helped me but also taught me various things including writing. You are a valuable person to me."

A valuable person. Those words caused Marie's eyes to quiver.

"Of course, it will be quite regrettable to leave Landa ."

"I, I am-"

Just as Marie was about to speak, her voice trembling as if on the verge of tears, a third voice interrupted.

"Wow! I wasn't mistaken! Dave... long time no see."

It was none other than Jane with pink hair. Clad in a suit that blended both masculinity and femininity, she pushed her long hair back and greeted Oliver.

Marie displayed a discontented expression at the sudden arrival of this stranger, while Oliver greeted her calmly.

"Ah, nice to see you, Miss. It's been a while."

Then, as proper etiquette dictated, Oliver introduced Marie and Jane to each other, even though neither of them appeared particularly pleased by the encounter.