#769

Oliver (10) 

"Of course, I’ve been waiting for a long time!"

Ewan, who had been sitting awkwardly among Eve, Pandora, and Lilith, suddenly stood up and shouted.

The people from the Anti-Development committee nearby were shocked by his outburst.

The person in question, Oliver, simply responded calmly.

"I don’t recall asking Mr. Ewan to wait for me."

"Have you always been like this?"

Ewan feigned disbelief and, with a cheeky grin, moved to stand beside Oliver, who then continued walking forward as if he had somewhere to go.

Behind Oliver, Eve, Pandora, Lilith, and a few members of the Anti-Development committee naturally followed.

"I feel slighted, really. Sure, they say success reveals a person’s true nature, but this is too much, isn’t it? What kind of relationship do we have?"

"What kind of relationship do we have?"

In response to Oliver’s question, Ewan spread his fingers wide and began folding them one by one.

"First, you needed me and called me, and I came here specially for you."

"Wasn’t it because you needed money?"

"Probably not… I think. Also, I saved you during our first meeting."

"I could have handled it myself."

"You’re not wrong... And we’ve had drinks together at the Angels House."

"I recall our side paying for the drinks."

"What’s important isn’t who paid, but that we drank together! Don’t divert the topic with sophistry."

"I’m merely correcting false facts. And I wasn’t criticizing you, Mr. Ewan. If you felt that way, it must be because your heart interpreted it so."

"I never said you were criticizing me!"

"I just thought you might need to feel that way, so I mentioned it. Have your morals returned?"

"······."

Ewan, who had been flaring up, was suddenly at a loss for words.

Seeing him, who never lost his shamelessness in any situation, react like that was somewhat amusing. It even made Oliver regret not doing this sooner.

In a hurt voice, Ewan mumbled.

"You’re really too much. Do you know how much I care about you? I’d hit you out of anger, but I lack the strength, and that’s truly regrettable."

"I’m joking. I know well how much you’ve helped me, Mr. Ewan."

"Your jokes aren’t funny."

"They are. Ask the people behind us."

Oliver pointed to Eve and the others following them.

Ewan frowned as if he found it cruel and shook his head.

"Don’t torment those people. Using power and status to impose lies is wrong."

"It’s not a lie. It’s the truth. Everyone—"

"—It’s an Ogre-man!"

Just as Oliver was about to ask if he wasn’t funny, Ewan pointed with his finger and shouted loudly.

In the direction he pointed, an Ogre-man, a type of mutant, was sitting next to the ruins.

It was the same Ogre-man they had met when Bartholomew had guided them in the past. Unlike before, however, his body was no longer wrapped in bandages, having been freed from the curse of hell like the other members of the Anti-Development committee.

"Guooooong!!"

Perhaps recognizing Oliver, the Ogre-man stood up and slightly bowed his head.

Due to the height difference, it seemed as if he was looking down on them, yet at the same time, it gave off a feeling of respect. It could have just been an impression.

Oliver approached the Ogre-man and greeted him politely before turning back to Ewan.

Before entering the secret passage beneath the ruins with the Ogre-man’s help, he intended to finish his conversation with Ewan.

After all, what was going to happen below wasn’t something an outsider like Ewan could participate in.

Oliver asked Ewan.

"Where did we leave off in our conversation?"

"Let’s see, I’m getting old, so… Ah! I remember now. I stopped your tyranny of using power to impose absurd lies. You don’t need to thank me."

Ewan glanced at Eve and the others following behind him, putting on a modest expression.

The onlookers turned or lowered their heads, trying not to make eye contact with Oliver.

Seeing this, Oliver opened his mouth to speak.

"Ah, I remember now. You said you’ve helped me a lot, Mr. Ewan."

"Right?"

"Yes, you saved Mr. Kent several times on my behalf and helped other people as well. I formally thank you for that."

Ewan waved his hand dismissively.

"You don’t need to thank me for that. I just did it because I wanted to."

"Regardless of your intentions, it’s an undeniable fact that I received significant help. I sincerely thank you for it."

Oliver bowed his head respectfully.

At that, the people around them gasped in astonishment, and Ewan, too, was visibly flustered, his expression stiffening.

Ewan’s tone lowered by a notch.

"Hey, isn’t your head a little too light? You shouldn’t be bowing like that anymore."

"That’s precisely why I bowed. Gratitude should be properly expressed. If you hadn’t stepped in, it would’ve ended in tragedy for everyone, including me... Isn’t that amusing?"

"What is?"

Oliver raised his head and answered.

"That even I could barely stand back up after receiving help from so many people. Without that help, I might have fallen and never thought of rising again."

Ewan stared intently at Oliver before letting out a small laugh. Unlike his usual laugh, it wasn’t frivolous but heavy.

"…You’re stating the obvious."

"I admit it."

"But most people tend to forget that obvious fact easily... Maybe because it’s too obvious. Huh, now that I look at you, you don’t have your quarterstaff, do you?"

Oliver showed his empty hands.

"I don’t need it anymore. I left it with Mr. Forrest."

"Are you sure? It seems like quite a burden to leave behind."

"Yes, I’m sure. He’s my agent. I believe he’ll manage it well."

Hearing Oliver’s confident reply, Ewan laughed.

"Ha ha… Looks like you’re really leaving."

"Yes."

"So, I guess this is where I stop? As an outsider, I can’t go down there with you."

"Unfortunately, yes. I’m sorry."

"Don’t be. Honestly, I don’t really want to go down there. It’s too gloomy. Instead, let me give you a hug to send you off. Don’t be shy, come here."

With his usual playful spirit, Ewan spread his arms wide.

Everyone present, including the Ogre-man, was shocked for the second time that day, and then they were shocked for a third time—Ewan included.

Because Oliver hugged Ewan without hesitation.

"It’s been a pleasure meeting you. And I sincerely wish you blessings on the journey ahead."

Oliver gently patted Ewan’s back as if comforting him.

Ewan, who was too stunned to keep a straight face, recovered after a moment and burst into laughter.

"Wow… It’s been a long time since I was this surprised."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Of course, it is. I’ve traveled through all kinds of crazy worlds. The sky kingdom where giants live, a world where mice shoot guns—crazy places like that. I even met so-called gods a few times."

"What were they like?"

"Nothing special. Not all of them, but most of them were similar to the people here."

Oliver pointed to the Anti-Development committee.

"Foolish, selfish, and prone to making mistakes. Just like the people here… They’re just slightly stronger beings."

"They sound a lot like me."

"Maybe. Or maybe not."

"······."

"None of them surprised me the way you did."

It was a significant remark, but Oliver didn’t bother to ask what it meant.

Somehow, he felt that he would understand it someday without needing to ask now.

So instead of wasting time on unnecessary questions, Oliver turned to the Ogre-man and made a polite request.

"Could you please open the door?"

“Gwooooh!!”

As if it had been waiting, the Ogre-man used its massive arms to lift the ruins effortlessly.

Beneath the ruins lay a cleverly hidden underground entrance that Oliver had only seen once before.

Turning back, Oliver spoke.

“Let’s go down.”

***

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

As they descended the stairs, a familiar underground passage appeared.

Though old, the underground passage featured intricate interior decorations, with antique shields, swords, armor, and torn or faded portraits hanging here and there.

Oliver once wondered what this place had been used for, but now he knew.

Before the great calamity, it was a sort of temple where the rulers of Randa gathered to worship demons and indulge in pleasures and superiority derived from that worship.

As evidence of this—

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap...

The deeper they went, the more paintings began to appear, depicting the sins of the past rulers.

There were paintings showing them sacrificing the lower classes of the city to cure diseases, halt aging, and pursue youth and vitality.

These accumulated sins eventually triggered the great calamity, leading to the creation of District Z.

Among those following Oliver, a few members of the Anti-Development committee, including Bartholomew, slowly lowered their heads as they saw the depictions of their past sins.

Tap. Tap. Tap—

Oliver, who had been walking steadily, suddenly stopped.

Eve, Pandora, and Lilith, who had been naturally following him, also halted.

The elders of the Anti-Development committee, who were trailing behind, stopped as well.

“Bartholomew once brought me here.”

“...We know.”

The elders who had lowered their heads responded.

“It seemed he was in a hurry to reveal the truth to me. I didn’t want to hear it, so I ran away with Mr. Ewan.”

The elders remained silent, unsure of what to say.

“Of course, I understand. I kept trying to escape from the truth, and you wanted to break the curse on your descendants as soon as possible.”

“...That’s right.”

One of the elders finally broke the long silence and admitted it.

The reason the Anti-Development committee desperately sought Oliver’s forgiveness was none other than for their descendants.

Their descendants, who were born cursed by hell due to the sins of their parents.

From birth, they inherited twisted bodies like their parents and were denied even the minimum right to be judged for their own sins.

They bore the sins of their parents, not their own.

It was an unjust punishment, but at the same time, it was the only way.

For the members of the Anti-Development committee, who believed themselves to be special and committed all sorts of sins, facing their sins was necessary.

To understand the pain of others, they had to feel that pain themselves.

Thud.

One by one, the elders knelt and bowed their heads.

“We would like to express our gratitude. Thank you for forgiving sinners like us.”

“...”

“Thanks to you, our children are returning to their original forms—”

“—Ah, it would be a problem if you misunderstood.”

The elders of the Anti-Development committee slowly lifted their bowed heads.

“Judging by your words, it seems you think I forgave you because I saw Bartholomew’s efforts. If that’s the case, you’re gravely mistaken. All I did was return you to a minimal starting point. The same goes for your descendants.”

“...”

“From now on, you need to make an effort again. You must atone for your sins and live a proper human life. The same goes for your descendants.”

“...W-What should we do?”

One of the elders hesitantly asked.

Oliver shrugged.

“I don’t know? That’s something you need to figure out. But kneeling and bowing won’t be enough.”

The elders looked at their arms and legs.

With their knees bent, they couldn’t walk, and with their hands on the ground, they couldn’t do anything.

“For starters, I think the first step would be to lift your hands off the ground and straighten your knees. That way, you can actually do something.”

At those words, the elders glanced at each other and slowly stood up one by one.

Taking advantage of the moment when the elders were rising, Oliver looked around at the paintings hanging nearby and spoke.

“If I may give you one piece of advice... it might be a good idea to maintain that attitude.”

“What do you mean...?”

“Leave those paintings of your sins hanging there, and keep reflecting on them. If you keep recalling your sins instead of forgetting them, you’ll know how you should live.”

The elders’ eyes lit up, as if they had realized something.

Oliver added, “Well, if you need help, you can visit Mr. Forrest. He might lend you a hand.”

“...Understood.”

Though the reply was small, it carried a sense of determination.

Oliver scratched his cheek.

“If that answer is enough, can you now answer my question?”

“Please, ask.”

“Is there a door deeper inside?”

Oliver pointed down the hallway.

Though it was far away and unclear exactly where he was referring to, the elders instinctively knew what he meant.

“Yes, there is a door to hell.”

The door to hell referred to the gate that had been crafted from the tree Oliver had created using the branch he had thrown.

More precisely, it was the massive crimson-black tree that had grown by feeding on the condemned soul of Bartholomew.

When Oliver first came to District Z, he had fought Bartholomew, resulting in the creation of that crimson-black tree, which had mysteriously disappeared one day.

He hadn’t paid much attention to it since, but now he understood.

The tree had been processed into a door beneath this place—a door leading to hell.

Whether Bartholomew had intended this from the start or it had happened by coincidence, Oliver didn’t care to know.

The only thing that mattered was that the door existed, and that he intended to use it.

“Is there anyone guarding it?”

“There are children guarding the door.”

“Please take them all out.”

“All of them?”

“Yes, from this point on, it’s my task. More precisely, it’s something for me and these people to handle.”

Oliver pointed at Eve, Pandora, and Lilith.

The Anti-Development committee members looked bewildered.

Seeing their reaction, Oliver spoke.

“Is it surprising? You thought I would use you as materials to open the door?”

The elders responded with silence, effectively admitting their thoughts.

It was, after all, the reason they had followed him here.

To atone for the countless sins they had committed by offering their lives—

“Don’t try to wash away your sins by dying. Wash them away by living.”

“...”

“Because that’s harder.”

“...”

“Take the children out.”

“...We will obey your command.”

The elders bowed their heads once again and did as Oliver instructed.

Shortly afterward, Oliver, along with Eve, Pandora, and Lilith, entered the twisted room, which looked like it was made of pulsating flesh.

Inside that warped space stood the crimson-black tree, carved into the shape of a door.