Chapter 222 - Reason He's Here

Oliver stepped out of the jeep and went to talk to the guards of the gate.

After a brief conversation, the massive metal gates opened with the sound of mechanisms accompanying them. It took a few minutes for the whole thing to open, and Oliver managed to get back into the jeep long before that.

"So? What did he say?"

"He says to go up the road and park the car there," Oliver answered as he settled in and watched the gates open, "There'll be someone to guide us and send us where we need to go."

"Right, right," Jack answered, something obviously bothering him. "What do you think of the gate?"

"That massive one? It seems like somebody's overcompensating for something. Hah! Honestly, I think it's excessive. There's no need for something like that. It just makes the entire place look suspicious that they're hiding something valuable inside."

Jack turned to Oliver, then turned back to the gate. He nodded in agreement to Oliver's statement, although it wasn't unreasonable for people to defend themselves. But then again, the gates were still a bit much.

"Something wrong?" Oliver asked as he noticed Jack's cheery atmosphere dwindle.

"Do you think this'll be alright?" Jack asked without missing a beat.

"What is?"

"Oh, you know, a deserter ex-solider heading back to the city he once served. A would-be heir to a massive fortune that not only stole the family Insignia but also abandoned them in their time of need. We also have a jet-black canine that's too big and too threatening to be considered a pet. And, if that's not enough, we also have a gnome with us that will no doubt raise suspicion wherever we go."

"Dude, relax," Oliver offered two words of consolation, much to Jack's annoyance. "Honestly, I don't even get why you're so worried. If something goes south, we can always book it. Worse comes to worst; there's always the easy way out."

"I don't get why fighting is your solution to every problem," Jack expressed his genuine doubt at this point of Oliver's less-than-elegant solutions.

"What do you mean?" Oliver scoffed as he shook his head, "What I meant to say was I'd show the Insignia. That's the easy solution."

Jack nearly took back what he said, but Oliver added something that made it stick all the same.

"And, if that doesn't work, then we kill them," Oliver casually added as he pointed at the gate, "C'mon, let's go. The people are waiting."

Defeatedly sighing, Jack shifted the gear of the jeep and drove forward. He maintained an adequate speed as he followed the guards' directions and parked at a designated spot not long after.

"Okay," Oliver declared as he stepped off the vehicle first, "I'll go check on what we're supposed to do from here on. Better stay inside for the time being. So that, you know, we'd be inconspicuous."

That said, Oliver left to talk to the stationed guards. He informed them of the situation, explaining his summons to his family's pavilion. Oliver had even shown them his Insignia, hoping that it would help ease the process.

And that it did.

The stationed guard called up their supervisor, informed them of what Oliver had just said, and then waited for another person to arrive. This other guy was supposedly going to take Oliver where he needed to go and help him out whenever Oliver might need it.

Oliver, obviously, had better sense than to trust a random stranger and opted to move along unsupervised. He wanted to move through the city on his own; a watchful eye would only bring him unnecessary conflict.

"Please, I insist on offering my services to you," the guy pleaded for Oliver's reconsideration. But, of course, Oliver wouldn't allow for such a thing to happen.

"I know my way around the city," Oliver sternly rejected, "I can handle myself just fine. Send a car or something, and I'll be on my way. If I were you, I'd back up. I don't like to repeat myself any more than I have to."

Narrowing his eyes in sheer impatience, Oliver spooked the guards in front of him. His stature and appearance made for an intimidating look. And, his newly acquired Passive Skill from the Devil's Contract made Oliver passively intimidate any living creature weaker than himself.

If Oliver had threatened them more, they would've undoubtedly wet themselves.

"Good," Oliver retracted his intimidating gaze. "Hand me the car keys soon. Otherwise, I might need to drive around the city in a military jeep." That said, Oliver turned around and left the guards to their own devices.

It seemed as though Oliver's killing intent became a lot more threatening these past few days. To which, he welcomed the development with open arms. He was glad, sure, but he knew just as well that there would be unwanted consequences.

As Oliver walked back to where they parked, a light tap on the shoulder made him turn around. He then saw the same guy who had insisted on coming along before. But, before Oliver could say anything else, the guy hurriedly handed him the keys to a car and left without saying a word.

'Um, okay then.'

With the weird interaction finished, Oliver continued walking back. Along the way, he tapped on the remote and heard the click of a car in the distance. Now that he knew where the car was, all he needed to do now was to get the others there.

Oliver got into the car and started its engine. From there, he drove to where Jack had parked and called them over.

"Isn't this nice? It's a fucking convertible," Jack mocked as he sat in the front passenger seat.

"Dude, it's a good car," Oliver shook his head in disagreement.

"Sure, if you want to be the center of attention. It's impractical, is what it is. Come on, let's go."

After a quick check to see the gnome and Strider at the back seats, Oliver shifted the gear to drive and pressed on the gas.

"I suppose you have an idea where we're going?" Jack asked as the city streets came into view.

"First thing's first," Oliver answered as he drove through the familiar streets, "We're heading to the guy who last saw Rynold. I need some answers, even if it calls for violence."

"Sounds like a plan."

With the hood popped up, they were barely getting any attention on them. Oliver was able to drive safely without worry. Until that is, something caught the corner of his eye.

Someone was following them, as standard procedures often dictated. Oliver didn't really blame the military for being wary of them. After all, his display of intimidation wasn't something that could go unnoticed. Oliver knew that scaring one or two people would put him under a watchful eye.

As they drove around the city, Oliver soon found the hospital where his target was in. It was lucky, Oliver thought, that the report indicated where the guy was. Otherwise, it would've been a whole troublesome mess.

"Okay, I'm going in alone."

Oliver didn't wait for a response as he left the car parked in the hospital parking lot. He quickly entered the lobby and headed straight towards the reception. As his eagerness took the reins, Oliver showed his family's Insignia to the reception desk lady and got his way.

It was simple and straightforward, without any fuss whatsoever.

That said, Oliver headed towards where the lady had directed him. He walked with haste but without sprinting down the halls. He was getting impatient, sure, but he was respectful all the same.

"So, it's you," Oliver didn't bother knocking as he opened the door to a man lying on the hospital bed.

"Um... Who are you?"

"Depends," Oliver stepped closer, "I could either be your friend or your worst nightmare. Right now, it could go either way."

"Look, man. I'm having a tough couple of days already. I don't want any more trouble. If you're the press, I understand you want some answers. But, I'm obligated to tell you that I can't answer any of your questions. If you're not, well, why don't you tell me what you're after then?"

"I'm after answers," Oliver's voice turned cold in response to the guy's kind and sincere gesture. "Where is Rynold? Who is he to you? Was there anyone else with him?"

On the verge of committing a violent act on a hospitalized man, Oliver was one step away from exploding. He had kept it in long enough, after all, and the answers this man would give determined how Oliver would proceed from here on out.

"You know him?"

Oliver didn't like the doubt that the man had cast on him. There wasn't any time for that.

"To be honest, I didn't expect him to know who he was," David let out a deep exhale as he explained everything he could remember to Oliver. David couldn't trust the guy, but it was the closest thing to having someone to talk to about all of this.

At the end of it all, Oliver could only slant back on the chair he found. It was a lot to take in, after all. Most of it was good news and typical Rynold behavior. But, there was an alarming thing he had learned.

"Where is Nea now?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't know," David answered, "What I do know is that she's within the city walls by now. Although, there's no telling where her exact location is."

Nodding reluctantly, Oliver had no choice but to swallow the hard pill. There was nothing he could do short of looking around the entire city. Even then, it would take weeks, even months, to search for her.

"Okay," Oliver stood up after recovering his senses, "Thanks."

"Can you answer me one thing, though?" David called out to Oliver, who was heading out the door. To which, Oliver stopped moving and glanced back at him. "What happened to Rynold?"

"David, was it?" Oliver turned around and looked at David with hands inside his pockets, "Since you're honest with me, I'll return the favor... I have no clue what happened to him. Right now, he's either very dead or very alive. It's a choose your own poison kind of thing. Phew. Anyway, if that's all."

Oliver gave David an acknowledging nod as he turned to leave once more. He then went straight towards the parking garage with doubt and hesitation in his mind. Oliver may have gotten his answers, but what he had learned wasn't anything that gave him the satisfaction he expected.

Regardless, Oliver stepped in the car and drove off, not saying a word to Jack or anyone there.

He drove quietly into the open road. Oliver kept going the path that led to his family's pavilion, with Jack watching the scenery around them change. The atmosphere around the two was strangely calm, as Oliver didn't want to speak, and Jack understood him.

And, with that, Oliver and the group soon arrived at a luxurious-looking gate.

Rolling down the window, Oliver got close to the intercom and spoke. As soon as he declared who he was, the gates opened on their own.

"Damn," Jack finally broke the silence after so long, "This is how you live?"

"With ignorance and corruption? Sure," Oliver spoke in a rather solemn tone.

"You nervous?"

"No," Oliver answered immediately, "I'm the one who chose to come back, after all. If anything, I'm real ecstatic. I just want to check up on them and leave."

"You're not going to spend time here? I'm sure you miss the rich-kid lifestyle. It's not every day you have a fountain made of marble sitting out in your front yard."

"Please, you and I both know that I'm not suited for that lifestyle. Let's just get on with it."

Parking the car in the familiar garage, Oliver and the other stepped out of the convertible. He then led the way up to the doors of the pavilion.

His steps hurried, Oliver could feel himself become slightly nervous.