Chapter 169. Disguise (7)
He had lost the horse-head due to the wound inflicted by Tramachus and continued a tedious fight, but that time was not meaningless.
While the horse-head pressured Anagin by striking and retreating, it relayed information bit by bit in the gaps.
‘You asked me to tell you where the priest will appear.’
‘I’ll tell you. Listen carefully.’
Even as the horse-head thrust its trident with full force, it calmly delivered the information.
About where the priest of the Barbaroi Cult would appear.
Of course, it wasn’t because it liked Anagin.
Its voice, barely suppressing its boiling anger, was filled with rage and hostility toward Anagin.......
It was closer to being forced to tell him because the situation left it no choice.
But the reason didn’t matter.
What mattered was that he had obtained the information.
Anagin shared the information he heard from the horse-head with the mages.
“They say the priest will visit a village called Nereid Fishing Village in four days. Do you know where that is?”
“It’s the largest fishing village around here. They say it’s a village blessed by mermaids, so it’s called Nereid Fishing Village.”
“Mermaids?”
“The daughters of Poseidon. They are minor goddesses who manage the sea.”
The fisherman mage answered immediately, as if he knew quite a lot.
Another mage cut in and asked.
“Really... did that elemental say that?”
“If you don’t want to believe it, then don’t.”
Anagin replied in an annoyed tone to the question that seemed likely to be repeated.
From experience, even if he kept saying it was true, they’d obviously ask at least two or three more times.
It was faster to just tell them not to believe it if they didn’t want to.
Just as Anagin expected, the mages didn’t ask again and began convincing themselves.
“Come to think of it, it was strange from the beginning. That the Barbaroi Cult would control an elemental .”
“No, no. It didn’t feel like control. You saw them arguing, didn’t you? They were cooperating reluctantly. That’s why it handed over information to us.”
“I see! Now it makes sense.... But then, why are they cooperating?”
The mages exchanged questions and answers among themselves, deducing the truth.
Their whispering felt gloomy and unpleasant, but Anagin had something he was curious about as well, so he quietly whispered to Sphinx.
“What exactly is an elemental for them to act like that?”
“Natural beings born from the hands of the gods. They’re more common than you’d think; There are elementals around us, too. However.”
“However?”
“The elemental you fought—”
“The horse-head?”
Anagin used the degrading nickname without hesitation.
Even though it was an enemy, it didn’t seem quite right to call it that, so Sphinx, who had been referring to it as an elemental, flinched for a moment.
“Yes, that one.”
“Call it horse-head. I decided that’s its name.”
Sphinx barely suppressed the urge to say something and continued speaking. Arguing over something like this would only end with her trying to stop him, so she simply gave up.
Anyway.
“An elemental with that level of power and intelligence is rare. It would have to be an elemental that has lived for a very long time, or one that has received a blessing from a god.”
At Sphinx’s words, Anagin unconsciously nodded in agreement.
Certainly, the horse-head didn’t seem like some common being you could find anywhere.
Not just its combat ability, but even the way it endured its momentary anger for its purpose and provided information.
However, even after learning this, his thoughts didn’t clear up. Instead, new questions arose.
Why would such an extraordinary elemental try to save a woman acting as a mere subordinate of the Barbaroi Cult?
Perhaps Anagin wasn’t the only one with that question, as the mages narrowed their eyes and looked at the captured subordinate woman.
“...Do you have anything to say to us?”
The captured subordinate woman didn’t avoid their gaze—instead, she met the mages’ eyes head-on.
“About what?”
“The elemental said he came to save you. That means there’s something you didn’t tell us, right?”
“There’s nothing like that. It must have just been doing what the Barbaroi Cult ordered.”
The subordinate woman answered boldly, without a trace of fear.
She was so confident that, for a moment, it almost felt like she might be telling the truth.
However, the mages didn’t believe her.
“A lie. It clearly said that when Anagin brought you up, it gave us information. It also said it valued you.”
The mages trusted Anagin, who had fought alongside them, more than the subordinate woman.
It felt like a situation where he should be touched, but Anagin didn’t feel anything of the sort.
“You cooperated so obediently that I held back, but it seems that was a mistake.”
The fire mage spoke in a stern voice as he raised his hand.
It meant he intended to torture her.
At that sight, the subordinate woman flinched for a moment.
She had acted so boldly for a prisoner that it seemed like she had no fear, but it appeared she did, in fact, fear pain.
It was quite a ridiculous sight, yet even so, the subordinate woman pretended to be unfazed and put on a front.
“.......”
Perhaps disliking that attitude, the fire mage eventually drew flames from the campfire and tried to brand her with it.
Tap.
If Anagin hadn’t grabbed his wrist and stopped him, that is.
* * *
“.......”
“.......”
At Anagin’s sudden action, a tense silence fell, and all eyes turned toward him.
It was as if they were questioning what in the world he thought he was doing.
Even without words being exchanged, it was obvious.
By all rights, when asked a question, one should answer.
So Anagin explained.
“That horse-head bastard told me not to touch that woman in exchange for the information. I agreed.”
At that, the mages doubted their own ears and made dumbfounded expressions.
Seeing their reaction, Anagin felt a bit slighted. They were the ones who were curious, so he kindly explained, and this was the response he got.......
One of the mages asked suspiciously,
“You exchanged something like that in such a short time...?”
“It wasn’t that short. I even heard where the priest will appear next.”
At that reasonable point, the mage who had asked the question shut his mouth.
Then another mage spoke up.
“So you’re saying we shouldn’t touch her without your permission? She’s our prisoner.”
“Yeah, we got the most important information, didn't we? Thanks to me.”
Anagin spoke confidently, and the mages couldn’t deny it.
After all, in a fight that had almost ended with nothing to show for it, Anagin was the only one who had brought back information.
Still, apparently displeased with how things were going, a mage muttered,
“We don’t necessarily have to keep that kind of promise.”
“I’m the type who keeps promises. Isn’t that a good thing?”
“...What are you talking about?”
“If I were the kind of person who treated promises lightly, you guys wouldn’t be safe either.”
“.......”
At Anagin’s provocative words, the mages flinched and tensed their bodies, ready to fight at any moment....... They had just fought together and seemed to be getting closer, yet it turned into this immediately.
Strangely, he didn’t feel disappointed at all.
Just as the atmosphere was about to escalate.
“Fine, we’ll do as you say.”
The fisherman mage, who had been watching the situation, stepped in.
“We decided to respect you, and you did bring results.”
He provided a reason to back down, mentioning both their earlier agreement to work together and Anagin’s contribution in obtaining information about the priest.
The other mages, as if they had been waiting for it, took a step back.
Ah, of course, they didn’t just back down quietly.
“If that one keeps looking like she’s hiding something, then we’ll do things our way.”
It was hard to tell whether it was wounded pride at simply backing off or a warning directed at the subordinate woman, but Anagin just told them to do as they pleased.
Pushing further here would mean starting a fight.
He had no intention of fighting the mages yet.
“Ah, then let me talk to this one for a bit.”
“Talk? Why?”
“I might be able to find something out. I even persuaded that horse-head with my tongue.”
A sudden request.
The fisherman mage, who was reluctant to allow contact with the prisoner, subtly showed his displeasure, but when Anagin made it clear he wouldn’t back down, he reluctantly allowed it.
As if he had no proper reason to refuse.
As soon as he got permission, Anagin sat down in front of the subordinate woman.
“.......”
For someone whose torture had just been stopped, she glared at Anagin with an overly hostile gaze.
Well, it didn’t matter.
He hadn’t done it to hear any thanks.
Anagin silently stared at her for a long moment.
Eventually, the subordinate woman, her patience running out, spoke first.
“...If you’re expecting a thank you, forget it. Don’t act like you did me a favor just because of some deal—”
“Ah, that was a lie.”
“...What?”
“I did hear information from the horse-head, but I never made any deal to protect you. There wasn’t time for that.”
The mage earlier had been right.
There had been barely enough time to hear the information, let alone make a deal.
The horse-head had been striking and retreating too quickly, and even just getting the information had been rushed.
The subordinate woman looked confused. She also seemed slightly irritated.
“So what....... You helped me because you pitied me, so I should be grateful?”
“No. I don’t pity you at all. You’re just a shitty woman who worked under those fish bastards. I just have something to ask.”
Anagin stated his thoughts about her without holding back.
A shitty woman.
No matter how generously he tried to phrase it, a woman who kidnapped innocent people and sold them off could only be described like this.
Whether she got tortured by the mages or not.
Even so, the reason Anagin saved her and spoke to her was because he had something he wanted to know.
“What are you curious about?”
“Why that fisherman mage is especially concerned about you, and why that horse-head bastard is especially worried about you....... To me, you don’t look like anything special.”
“......Hmph.”
Instead of answering, the subordinate woman snorted.
An indirect way of saying she had no intention of answering.
It also felt a bit dismissive.
Anagin openly showed his disappointment.
“Ah, I’d like it if you answered.”
“I don’t know. And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell someone like you.”
“So you do know?”
“...Think whatever you want. What, are you going to torture me?”
Despite trembling just moments ago when she was about to be tortured, the subordinate woman once again put on a tough front.
Seeing that, it was hard to believe she really came from a poor fishing village. Rather, she felt like a pampered princess from somewhere.
Her slightly naïve side and unnecessarily strong pride gave off that impression.
Anagin spoke his honest thoughts and casually probed whether her story about working under the Barbaroi Cult because of her younger sister was also a lie. At that...
“You...! What do you even know......!!”
The subordinate woman snapped as if she had been stung by a bee.
“If not, then whatever. I’ll ask something else so you can calm down.”
“Whatever you ask, I have no intention of answering—”
Ignoring her, Anagin summoned Longbald and showed it.
At that moment, the subordinate woman’s gaze fixed on Longbald.
Just as expected.
The horse-head had also shown a similar reaction when Longbald was brought out—this one clearly knew something too.
‘Could it be… she knew Periphetes?’
Instead of pretending not to know, the subordinate woman asked,
“Is this... yours?”
“It’s mine now, but it originally belonged to someone else.”
“......Then how?”
“I got it as a gift.”
“.......”
“That horse-head bastard had the same look in its eyes as you. Mind telling me why?”
* * *
As expected, or perhaps exactly as expected.
The subordinate woman didn’t answer a single one of Anagin’s questions.
When he showed Longbald, she showed rare interest and seemed to know something, but aside from that, she kept her mouth firmly shut. She also looked somewhat wary.
Well, that didn’t really matter.
He hadn’t expected to get the information he wanted from the start anyway.
Anagin decided to place meaning in the fact that he had at least gotten her to speak.
Whether in a good way or a bad way, once you opened that line of communication, if something happened later, she might ask for help or provide information.
Surprisingly, exchanging even a few words was a significant barrier.
When Anagin said he hadn’t managed to learn anything, the mages showed mixed reactions of disappointment and relief.
Well, if Anagin had easily extracted more information again, that would have been awkward in its own way, so it wasn’t hard to understand.
Anyway, Anagin and the mages of Magno immediately headed for Nereid Fishing Village.
Since the priest of the Barbaroi Cult, their target, was said to be coming there.
Fortunately, the distance wasn’t that far, so they were able to arrive earlier than expected.
“This looks closer to a city than a village, doesn’t it?”
Anagin remarked as he looked at Nereid Fishing Village in the distance.
It was quite large—too big to comfortably call it a village, though not quite enough to call it a full-fledged city.
If forced to choose between the two, it leaned closer to a city.
“That’s where a priest of the Barbaroi Cult will appear.”
“To be precise, in two days.”
Now that they were about to meet their target, the mages looked tense.
Understandably so, since they had already realized that the Barbaroi Cult’s forces were no joke.
Moreover, this Nereid Fishing Village itself had been infiltrated by the Barbaroi Cult’s influence, making it effectively enemy territory.
Even if the priest did appear there, it was questionable whether the people here alone could capture them.
However, the answer to that concern was unexpectedly simple.
“I’ll go in first and take a look.”
“What?”
At Anagin’s words, spoken the moment they neared the village, the mages were shocked.
After all, it was no different from saying he would walk alone straight into the heart of enemy territory.
They knew that a Gigant was bold, but Anagin was on a different level.
“Just watching from afar won’t accomplish anything.”
It was reckless, but not exactly wrong.
As Anagin said, if someone went in and observed the situation, they might find a clue.
“Then take this with you.”
The fisherman mage held out a necklace with a bead attached.
It looked unpleasant at first glance.
“What’s this?”
“A surveillance crystal orb. If you wear it, we’ll be able to observe the village from here.”
“Just like I thought—definitely looks unpleasant.”
He said that, but Anagin obediently put the necklace on.
From his perspective, it was convenient if they had a way to monitor things from their side as well.
There had been moments where things almost went wrong, but Anagin still intended to cooperate with the mages, as long as they didn’t betray him first.
“Ah, you stay here.”
Anagin said this to Sphinx, who had been about to accompany him in cat form.
“Hm? Why?”
"I need someone to watch those guys in case they start plotting something else."
Anagin pointed at the mages.
It was practically the same as openly saying he didn’t trust them, but because he said it so confidently, the mages couldn’t even get angry.
The situation also played a part.
Since Anagin had just said he would head into the village with his spear, it sounded almost like a joke in that context.
Sphinx nodded as if she understood.
With preparations complete and roles assigned, Anagin entered the village without hesitation, as usual.
Like other fishing villages, there was some fog, but aside from that, nothing particularly unusual stood out.
If anything, compared to the gloomy villages before, this one felt somewhat lively.
After wandering around the fishing village for a bit, Anagin entered a suitable restaurant.
Places with lots of people were always good for gathering information.
It definitely wasn’t because he was hungry and wanted to eat first.
Just as he sat down and was about to order food—
“May I join you?”
A woman approached Anagin.
Judging by her clothing, she wasn’t a server.
“Hold on, let me order first.”
Anagin called over a staff member and placed his order.
“I’ll take everything from here to here.”
Then he looked at the woman who had suddenly spoken to him.
“What do you want?”
“I suppose I should introduce myself first. I am—”
“You’re with the Barbaroi Cult, right?”
Anagin saw through her identity immediately.
She didn’t look like a pig or a fish, but something about her gave off that unmistakable Barbaroi Cult feeling.
“So, why did you come to find me?”
“I like that you’re quick to the point.”
The Barbaroi Cult woman smiled.
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