Flap… Flap….. Flap…

Oliver was in a hotel room with a view of the outside, reading a book gifted to him by Edith.

The book was about Demons and he was finally able to give it his full attention due to his unplanned leisure time.

However, the book only provided basic information as Edith had warned, lacking in-depth details.

“Hmm…”

Despite feeling regretful, Oliver tried to maintain a positive outlook.

He lacked proper knowledge of the topic anyway, so this introductory book was an appropriate starting point.

“It’s a bit of a letdown,” Oliver said as he neared the end of the first section of the book.

The beginning provided a basic overview of Demons, but the stories were familiar and predictable – evil beings from hell who defied God and aimed to corrupt humanity and wreak havoc on Earth.

It was a familiar concept, just presented in a different form.

Of course, the book wasn’t devoid of new information.

At the end of the first section, there was an intriguing phrase:

[Hell is filled with many sinners and demons who have committed terrible sins, and there are 72 monarchs who rule the great hell and one Demon King who rules them.]

This specific mention of one demon king and 72 monarchs piqued Oliver’s interest.

It may seem funny, but Oliver felt a strange sense of comfort towards them, despite not even knowing their names.

Perhaps it was due to finally obtaining the knowledge he had been seeking.

As he rubbed his tired eyes, Oliver continued to the next section.

The description of the 72 monarchs was limited and ultimately disappointing.

Most of the information about them was limited to a single page, and there was no dedicated chapter.

The only coherent information was limited to three lines at most, with many sections containing only a few words.

The rest of the text was filled with meaningless letters, empty margins, malicious ink stains, overlapping letters, and letters written upside down.

It was more like a scribble than a book, seeming deliberately unreadable.

The confusing and overlapping letters in the book made Oliver feel dizzy and gave him a headache, making it difficult to read.

“Hmm…”

Despite this, Oliver didn’t give up.

He rubbed his eyes and kept reading, since Forrest had told him not to leave the hotel until he received a call.

He wanted to make the most of his free time.

“Wait a minute…”

Oliver paused at one point.

He had come across a relatively clear page that read:

[50th Monarch. Old man on Horseback]

This immediately reminded Oliver of Joseph and their fight in an abandoned hospital.

He remembered how the old man on horseback appeared after Joseph’s body was scattered.

Oliver could still vividly recall the grotesque image of the old man formed from rotten flesh and a skull woven into the shape of a small horse, with arms, legs, and intestines as the horse’s rider.

The image of the old man on horseback was so strong that it was ingrained in Oliver’s memory.

Despite this, he didn’t feel intimidated by it.

He didn’t view it as absurd or ridiculous. Instead, he realized that this existence was on a completely different level, transcending the concept of strength and weakness.

This led Oliver to ask himself the same question again.

Why didn’t the old man attack him at the time?

Oliver now remembered that there was a deal between the old man and Joseph.

Instead of attacking, the old man reduced his intimidating presence and even greeted Oliver politely with a bow and hand on his chest.

This made Oliver wonder why the old man had acted this way.

“Maybe he’s just a polite demon?”

Oliver muttered to himself, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation.

He then continued reading the page below.

The page described him as a former angel who had fallen into hell of his own accord.

The reason for this was unclear, as parts of the text were unreadable.

The Old man on horseback was said to be always riding a pale horse and enjoyed creating things, including people.

He would impart knowledge to those who sought his help, but in exchange, they were to serve him as eternal slaves after death.

Oliver nodded in admiration as he read the page.

He was relieved to finally come across information he could understand.

The idea of a demon teaching people was intriguing to him.

Although it came with the price of eternal servitude, Oliver thought that if he negotiated well, he might be able to receive the demon’s teachings for a different price.

The thought of learning from a demon prompted Oliver to consider the matter more deeply.

However, he was left with questions about the Old man on horseback’s choice to fall into hell.

According to the Pater scripture, heaven was a place of joy, peace, and rest, while hell was a place of constant darkness and burning sulfur fires.

Oliver couldn’t understand why the Old man on horseback would choose to leave heaven for such a place.

He also noticed some intentionally erased parts of the text that only added to his curiosity.

In the end, Oliver’s musings led him to come up with a humorous theory:

“Maybe he likes warmer places. People say that people get cold easily when they get older.”

With this thought in mind, Oliver marked the page and closed the book.

Perhaps due to reading the book too intensely, his vision became blurry and he felt dizzy.

Although he wanted to continue reading as much as possible, it seemed like an insurmountable task.

‘It feels a bit strange… I think I’ve had enough rest.’

Despite the uncertainty, he was indeed tired.

So, he decided to take a break.

As it happened, it was lunchtime.

Oliver got up from his seat and headed to the hotel’s dining area.

When Oliver entered the hotel’s dining area, a waiter dressed in uniform rushed by with a cart full of plates.

The waiter barely looked up as he passed by, appearing to be in a hurry.

Another waiter approached Oliver and asked,

“Are you here to dine, sir?”

“Yes,” Oliver responded,

“And what’s with the cart of food?”

“It’s for a meeting taking place downstairs,” the waiter explained.

“It’s a gathering of young gentlemen and ladies.”

“I see. Can I have a table?”

“Of course, I’ll show you to one.”

The waiter led Oliver to a quiet table and handed him a menu.

“It’s in high demand for its window seat with a view of the beautiful Landa scenery, but it’s your lucky day, sir.”

Oliver ordered a meal from the menu and the waiter, named Finley, took the order.

As Finley was about to leave, he noticed Oliver’s failed attempt at a smile.

“Is everything alright, sir? Are you experiencing any discomfort?” Finley asked with concern.

Oliver shook his head and Finley nodded before walking away.

It was a bit of a letdown.

Despite using the hotel’s dining area and trying to interact with the staff naturally, Oliver was unable to smile.

‘What kind of condition is this?’ he thought.

“Is everything okay? You seem disappointed,” a familiar voice suddenly spoke.

When Oliver looked up, he saw a beautiful woman with pink hair whom he recognized.

It was Jane, the out-of-wedlock daughter of Edith Rock, whom Oliver had once guarded.

“Miss Jane?” Oliver called out.

Jane smiled regretfully and took a seat across from him.

“Yes, it’s me. It’s been a while,” she said.

“Yes, it has,” Oliver replied.

The last time they had seen each other, Jane had locked herself in a hotel room after receiving verbal abuse from Edith Rock.

Oliver didn’t see her face until the end of his escort duties.

Since then, Oliver had experienced many events, including the incidents with Mattel and the Kell Liberation Army.

Jane and Oliver resumed their conversation, with Oliver reflecting on the past.

“Is that all you have to say?” Jane asked.

“Uh… maybe? Did I do anything wrong?” Oliver responded.

“No. I just thought you were different from other guys,” Jane explained.

“They usually ask how I’ve been, if I’ve gotten prettier, if I’ve changed a lot, or if I remember the old days.”

“Is that common courtesy?”

“Well, maybe?”

Oliver nodded in understanding, then asked,

“How have you been?”

“I’ve been good, thanks for asking. And you?” Jane responded.

“I think I’m doing well too,” Oliver answered.

“That’s good to hear. I was worried about you because your job is pretty dangerous,” Jane said with concern.

“Thank you for your concern,” Oliver replied.

“Your cloak is cool. Is it a wizard-style?” Jane asked, pointing to Oliver’s cloak.

The cloak was given to him by Forrest and was said to have extensive magic resistance.

“Yes, it is,” Oliver replied.

“You’ve changed your style a lot too.”

Now Jane was in a very different attire from what Oliver had seen in the past.

In the past, Jane looked like a typical rich lady on a billboard, with her hair hanging down and a dress that looked uncomfortable.

She now had her hair styled in an updo and was dressed in practical riding clothes, instead of the fancy dresses she used to wear.

This new style suited her well and looked more natural.

“Hmm… Do I look good?”

“I don’t know much about that….. Still, if I have to answer, you look like yourself.”

“I’ll take it as a compliment. It’s nice to see you again anyway. I didn’t expect to see you here. Holiday?”

Oliver pondered for a moment and nodded.

The exact reason for staying at this hotel was safety reasons.

The issue of the royal family that Oliver learned about was so big and important that he stayed here in case of any mishap.

Forrest even gave him money, telling him not to come out until he contacted him.

However, Oliver nodded now because he couldn’t explain it as it was.

“Yes, it’s a break.”

“Well, I see…..”

Jane seemed skeptical and Oliver felt the need to change the topic.

“So, what brings you here? Are you taking a break?”

“No, I actually came here for work,”

“Work?”

“Yes, I’m attending a meeting,” Jane explained, pointing downwards.

“Oh, I see. What kind of meeting is it?”

“It’s just a boring, tiring social gathering. I needed a break. And look, I ran into you.” Jane said with a smile.

“I see.”

When Jane heard the answer, her emotions shined with a little bit of disappointment.

She wiggled her hands slightly and opened her mouth.

“…I was sorry that I couldn’t even thank you properly last time. Thank you for protecting me until the end.”

Oliver shook his head. Like it was nothing. It wasn’t a big deal.

“It was just my job, no need to apologize.”

“… That’s a relief.”

Strangely, unlike her words, Jane once again shined with emotions of regret and disappointment.

Oliver wondered what was wrong with her.

“…….”

“…….”

Feeling awkward, the two sat in silence for a moment.

Soon after, Jane asked with a small smile.

“You’ve changed a lot, too, haven’t you?”

“Pardon?”

“When we first met, you asked a lot of questions. The number of questions suddenly decreased. By any chance, is something wrong?”

“Oh… It’s not a big deal. I’m a little tired. I just read a book.”

“Book? What books did you read?”

As he tried to answer reflexively, he realized he couldn’t say which book he had been reading – it was about demons and was given to him by Jane’s father.

Just as he was trying to think of a way to avoid answering, his communication device rang, interrupting him.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Oliver asked Jane for her understanding and then took the communication device.

On the other end of the communication device was, of course, Forrest.

“…Oh, I see. What? Me? I can. Yes.”

Oliver, who exchanged a few words, rose from his seat.

“Something has come up, I think I have to leave now.”

“What’s going on?”

“It’s a little difficult to tell you because it’s about a job. It’s been a pleasure meeting you.”

Oliver greeted Jane with formal greetings and words, leaving behind the money for food and tips.

After a while, the waiter came up with a plate of steak.

“Sir, the food… Huh?”

“He went out because he had something to do…. Like that steak, I too was not on his mind.”