"So I destroyed Count Lessen's household, liberated Belle's companions, and joined the organization known as the 'Liberators.' I went to verify the true nature of God, and was nearly killed by the silver-haired nun, but I managed to escape with my life. And then, to give that beautiful nun a hard time next time, I diligently trained, saving, sheltering, and welcoming those who shared the 'Liberators' ideals... Before I knew it, I had become the leader of the 'Liberators.'"
Oscar glanced at Meredith who was talking and laughing.
Deep within her bright smile lay a clear conviction, a resolve that would not waver even against the world and even against God. And the experience that had shaped that resolve weighed so heavily on Oscar that he was speechless.
Meredith looked at Oscar with eyes as clear as spring water.
"Belle's words are true, so I have been searching for someone who can fight the world with me, someone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with me and possess the same strength as me."
Then she repeated the words.
"I finally found you."
Silence fell on the scene.
Mireidi confessed everything and waited quietly for Oscar's answer.
Oscar pushed his glasses up and hid his expression with his palms.
"...Miledi."
"Um."
Oscar didn't meet her eyes, as if he was trying hard to suppress himself.
After a pause.
"I...can't go with you."
“——”
Oscar could feel Meredith's slender hands clenched tightly into fists.
"Just like how much she means to you, I also have a group of people who are very important to me. Even if you are telling the truth, I don't want to risk getting involved and endangering my family."
Oscar stood up and Meredith uttered a low "Ah".
"I don't want to be seen with you again, please forgive me."
He showed a clear refusal and turned away.
"As long as no one sees me, can I come see you tomorrow?"
Oscar stopped and lowered his head as if forcing himself to endure.
"Don't show up in front of me again."
As soon as he finished speaking, he took another step forward.
Normally there would be footsteps chasing after me, but this time I heard nothing.
On the way to the orphanage, Oscar remained silent.
His pace was slow, and before he knew it, he found that the route he was taking had taken him a long way around.
Oscar wanted to be alone.
I kept repeating in my head words that sounded like excuses like "It's all right now," "I didn't do anything wrong," and "I can't put my family in danger."
On the other hand, he seemed to be hallucinating, and a voice whispered in his ear, "You really want to help her, right?"
——Actually, you also want a stage where you can fully display your strengths, right?
—You want to use your power for those who need it, right?
—Why were you born with this power? Was it to hide it?
——Do you want to leave her alone?
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Oscar couldn't help but yell at the auditory hallucination.
Oscar was confused by the inner voice for an unknown amount of time before he came to his senses and realized he was near an orphanage. On a deserted road at night, next to the orphanage, a young man suddenly shouted - a suspicious figure.
"That's good."
Even if God is a demonic being, and even if humans are merely pawns in God's game, it is perfectly clear that it is less dangerous to be an ordinary person than to become a terrorist and confront God head-on.
Oscar would regret it for the rest of his life if his family was targeted because of him.
So Oscar kept telling himself that this was all he needed to do to calm himself down.
From tomorrow on, life will continue as usual.
Oscar walked towards the orphanage with firm steps.
Little did they know that the evil hands of malice and tyranny had already reached out.
Not long after, we finally saw the orphanage.
However, something seemed different than usual. Even though it was past dinnertime, there were still people outside the orphanage. A familiar figure was looking around anxiously—it was Maureen.
As soon as she spotted Oscar, she rushed over.
"Oscar!"
"Yes, yes, Mom, I'm back."
Oscar looked surprised when he saw Maureen running towards him in a panic.
"Mom, what's wrong? Why are you so panicked?"
Seeing the anxiety in Maureen's eyes, Oscar had a bad feeling in his heart.
Maureen looked around Oscar for confirmation and said:
"Oscar, aren't Dilran and the others with you? The kids haven't come back yet."
"Dilan and the others? No, I didn't see them..."
According to Maureen, Dylan, Ruth, Colleen, Katie and the other four have not returned yet.
When the children in the orphanage reach a certain age, they will go to the workshops or shops in the town to do some simple work such as cleaning. On the one hand, they can earn pocket money, and on the other hand, they can contribute to the operation of the orphanage.
Among them, Dilan and the other four work closest to home, so they usually go home together.
And usually before sunset, at least one person will return home.
Now no one has come back, so it seems like something bad has happened.
Although he felt his heart pounding, Oscar pushed his glasses up and told himself to stay calm.
"Mom, have you contacted the guards?"
"Of course I contacted them, but they refused to help at all. They said they wouldn't mobilize manpower for orphans..."
Maureen bit her lip and lowered her head, and it was obvious that she was very unwilling.
"But Oscar, there's more to it than that. The guards' attitudes are strange."
"Strange attitude? What's going on?"
"Their attitude is... like they're deliberately turning a blind eye, wanting nothing to do with this. And the trouble they're talking about isn't the missing orphans; it's something much bigger. I can clearly sense they don't want anything to do with this."
Maureen has always had an accurate eye for judging people, so the guards must have had another reason for avoiding intervention.
What came to Oscar's mind was the disappearances that he had heard of frequently recently. The guards should have heard of the disappearances as well, but they still avoided intervening?
(You're kidding... could it be the guards? No, could there be someone "higher up" involved who can intimidate the guards?)
Oscar became even more anxious.
He had no time to choose his means and took out a board from his arms.
It was a palm-sized silver plate that looked like a common identification document—a status plate—but its function was completely different.
"—Activate function number one, lock onto Dylan, Ruth, Colleen, and Katie—'Tracking'."
Unlike ordinary magic chants, Oscar uses a very simple and mechanical chant.
The silver plate emitted a faint light for a moment, and then four light spots appeared on the surface.
——Artifact Silver Plate
Those were the small coins Oscar gave to the children.
The ore used as the material is infused with the light attribute magic "Tracking" that can mark objects. In an emergency, it can function as a transmitter and mark the children's location on the silver plate.
Tracking is used to track an object or to determine one's position in poor visibility. Of course, in order for Tracking to be effective, it is necessary to mark the object beforehand.
In addition, once the magic disappears, the mark will also disappear, so to keep the effect, you must continue to cast magic. Although the effect is convenient, it is not easy to use.
Moreover, because there is no ore with the effect of tracking magic, although this artifact does not have a gorgeous effect, it can instantly lock the opponent's location. Therefore, as long as it is sold in the right place, it can be said to be a priceless legendary artifact.
"Are all four of you together...at this distance, in this direction...is this a large tunnel?"
"Oscar?"
Oscar looked up when he heard Maureen's anxious call. At this moment, Maureen saw Oscar's sharp eyes that he would never show normally, and she gasped.
"Mom, I will definitely bring Dilan and the others back. Do you remember the conditions for activating the orphanage's defense mechanism?"
"Yes, yes, I remember."
Oscar nodded and continued:
"Please do not leave the orphanage tonight. Regardless of whether the person is a guard or not, as long as it's someone I don't trust, please feel free to use the defense mechanism. I'm leaving everyone in your care."
"...Okay, I understand. But you have to be careful. You're a child who takes on everything for your family..."
"It's okay, I'll be fine, Mom."
In order to reassure his mother, Oscar said with a smile.
Maureen only smiled sadly, not looking relieved at all. But this was understandable, because Maureen knew that Oscar had sealed his extraordinary talent for the sake of his family.
Oscar actually loves creating things. He's incredibly happy when his creations bring joy to others. He used to have a pure smile on his face... but since when has it become just a smile of embarrassment...
Watching her son turn and run into the dark night, Maureen was relieved that he had grown up, but she also felt uneasy, worried that he would force himself again.
After leaving the orphanage, Oscar returned to his own home first. To be on the safe side, he had to bring all his equipment with him.
After getting dressed, Oscar's entire outfit was a uniform of black: black pants, underwear, shoes, coat, and a black umbrella of unknown origin. Since his hair was also black, he was truly dressed in black.
If the purpose is to have a protective color effect in the dark, it should be able to fully exert its effect.
Oscar pushed his glasses up and held an umbrella in one hand, looking like a gentleman.
"None of the four of them moved..."
Oscar finished speaking, bent his knees slightly, and then leaped onto the rooftop several meters high. After displaying his extraordinary jumping ability, his running speed was also extraordinary.
——Artifact Black Boots
This artifact has various abilities, including the ability to strengthen leg strength, assist jumping with wind magic, and deploy barriers on the soles of shoes for mid-air jumps.
Oscar ran as fast as the wind in the moonlit royal capital of Beruniga.
Not long after, Oscar arrived at the entrance of the Green Tunnel.
For the technologically advanced Beruka, the Great Green Tunnel is the economic lifeline of the country. It is also a mining site for valuable materials and a place for making money for craftsmen, merchants, and even adventurers, so they can enter and exit freely at any time.
Having said that, it was already sunset at this time and there was almost no one around the Green Road.
Oscar went straight inside without being discovered.
He followed the light of the silver disk and moved forward inside. The light of the green stone was particularly gloomy tonight.
Finally, they arrived at the edge of the first floor, and the light spot marking Oscar almost overlapped with the light spots of Dilran and the others.
"...Damn it, I didn't consider the distance between us. What a mistake."
Judging from the distance of the light spot, Dilan and the others should be within visual range, but Oscar only saw the unchanging tunnel wall. In other words, the silver disk showed that Dilan and the others were underground.
Although it was almost certain that they were directly below, the silver plate had no function to detect the distance between up and down, so it was impossible to know which floor they were on. Oscar was so anxious that he couldn't help but curse.
“…Wait a minute, so…”
Oscar's mind flashed through what the adventurer had said - Temple Knights are often seen in the middle levels of the tunnels, and the middle levels refer to floors around the 50th to 70th.
If the disappearance of Dilan and the others is related to the Knights Templar...
"Let's just target the middle level... I don't want to waste time, but there's nothing I can do about it. The safety of those children is irreplaceable, so I'll just resort to a foul technique."
After a beat.
A corner of the Green Tunnel was suddenly filled with a magical light as dazzling as the sun.
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