Anagin Chronicles

Chapter 129. Stopover Village (1)

Tramachus of Flame, Thyreos of Reinforcement, Lynceus of Farsight.

These three members of the New Argonaut Expedition Team decided to head to the Delphi Temple together with Anagin.

It wasn’t anything particularly new.

Ever since he was tasked with delivering the Coins of Greed, they seemed inclined to tag along.

The only question was why they wanted to come, but.......

But he didn’t bother prying. Come to think of it, the reason didn’t really matter. However, he made sure to clarify one point.

“I don’t mind you following me, but I make the final decisions.”

“What?”

“I said I make the final decisions.”

“.......”

“Whatever it is, it’s my request that I accepted, so I should be the one in charge. Any problem with that?”

The New Argonaut Expedition Team fell into thought. But only for a moment.

“......That’s fair. We’ll follow your lead.”

Tramachus broke the silence as he answered.

Naturally, the other two expressed their agreement as well.

It bothered him slightly that they didn’t respond immediately, but considering their backgrounds, it was honestly understandable.

Anagin didn’t bother to press the issue.

“Good. If you had refused, I was planning to go alone anyway. Don’t worry too much. I’m not trying to play boss over your heads.”

Anagin made it clear that he would accept reasonable opinions and that most matters would be decided by majority vote.

He simply emphasized that whenever he made a decision, everyone would have to follow it regardless of their opinions.

“You can drop out midway if you don’t like it.”

“That won’t happen.”

“Then let me state my firm stance first. This is the number one rule you must follow during the journey.”

Anagin suddenly announced a “Rule Number One.”

Because of the seriousness in his voice, the three members of the New Argonaut Expedition Team unconsciously swallowed.

“I absolutely will not handle cooking or laundry.”

“.......”

“In other words, either Sphinx does it alone, or you guys help out. You can sort that out among yourselves.”

”Son of a bitch.”

The voices of the New Argonaut members around Anagin, along with Sphinx, blended together as they cursed.

But Anagin was serious. Wasn’t it obvious?

When traveling with companions, how could he be the one doing things like cooking and laundry?

That just wasn’t right.

Of course, the members of the New Argonaut Expedition Team weren’t exactly in a position to be doing cooking or laundry either, but that was none of Anagin’s concern.

What mattered was that he himself didn’t have to do it.

“I would like to come along as well.”

At that moment.

Sanchonius carefully spoke up, saying he also wanted to take part in delivering the Coins of Greed.

He added that he would take full responsibility for cooking and laundry.

“Please let me handle anything—cooking, laundry, whatever it may be.”

“Great! Cooking, laundry! You’re coming with us!!”

If a high-quality worker who would handle cooking and laundry wanted to join, why would there be any reason to refuse?

Anagin accepted immediately.

Of course, permission from Chiron had to be obtained first, but he readily granted it as well.

And so, Anagin set off for the Delphi Temple together with the New Argonaut Expedition Team, Sanchonius, and his familiar Sphinx.

With thorough preparations complete.

“Here.”

Before departing, Grumbal handed Anagin a pouch.

It was an item Anagin had requested—a money pouch that looked identical to the one containing the Coins of Greed.

“I’ll send the report as early as possible.”

In return, Anagin promised to provide a detailed report on the performance of the magical tools Grumbal had repaired and reinforced, as quickly as possible.

Grumbal nodded and left without looking back.

It was the very image of a professional.

Anagin quite liked that attitude of finishing things cleanly once the exchange was done.

Wasn’t it neat?

Though not everyone was like that.

“Take care, both of you! Make sure you arrive safely!!”

“Big brother! Big sister! Don’t forget us!!”

Kori and Pais had asked their instructor for permission and came to see off Anagin and Sphinx as they departed.

Even the kids knew. That Anagin wouldn’t be returning to Chiron Tower.

Well, it made sense. With everything done, it would be strange to come back again.

“Make sure you eat properly.”

Anagin spoke coldly to the teary-eyed children waving at him as he left.

In contrast, Sphinx sniffled softly and waved back at the children until they were no longer in sight.

Even after that, the sound of her sniffling didn’t stop, and the others around, except for Anagin, showed complicated emotions—pity, awkwardness, and a strange sense of wonder.

Well, it was only natural.

After all, for those trained at Chiron Tower, monsters were enemies of humanity.

Ah, of course. They knew as well.

That Sphinx wasn’t acting.

Even if it were an act, the fact that she had revealed her identity and risked her life to fight Erysichthon to protect the children meant that even that “act” should be regarded as genuine.

More than anything, having spent a considerable amount of time with Sphinx, they could no longer see her as just a monster.

Thus, they felt both awkward and troubled.

The fact that they had to treat her, a monster, like a human.

The fact that she looked more human than most people.

And so, they naturally became curious. Just what was she traveling for, disguising herself as a human like this?

Sphinx’s strength surpassed that of most monsters, making it seem like hiding her identity was actually a disadvantage.

“Hey, stop sniffling already. It’s not like the brats are going off to die. I’m the one going through the hardship!”

Anagin bluntly scolded Sphinx, who was saddened by parting with the children.

After all, they were the ones leaving, and honestly, they were the ones facing danger, weren’t they?

“So if you’re going to cry, cry for me. Say that I’m the most pitiful person in the world, forced to do something I don’t even want to do.”

“Brother, shut up.”

Sphinx spoke firmly to Anagin, who was spouting nonsense that shattered the emotional moment.

Telling him to shut his trap.

The whole world might be wronged and pitiful, but there was one exception—Anagin.

He might make others feel wronged, but he himself was not wronged. He was....... just that kind of person.

“That’s harsh.”

Although Anagin’s comment completely ruined the mood, it also lifted the heavy atmosphere.

“So, which direction are we heading?”

As if she had never been sniffling, Sphinx asked where they would go.

After all, from Chiron Tower at the northern edge of Hellas to the Delphi Temple in the center, the journey was long, and there were many possible routes.

The others, equally curious, listened closely.

Which path would Anagin choose?

In a situation where countless raiders could appear at any time, aiming for the Coins of Greed.

A brief silence fell.

And at last, Anagin spoke.

“Let’s take the route everyone usually uses first, and if something happens, we’ll decide again then.”

* * *

It was a rather underwhelming opinion for something that had built up expectations, but that didn’t make it a bad one.

Through the Freedom’s Thread, they had confirmed that countless forces were after the Coins of Greed, yet they hadn’t encountered any of them directly.

In other words, it wasn’t certain whether those forces were merely illusory or truly active entities.

The latter was more likely, but until they actually appeared, it was nothing more than a probability.

And yet, to deliberately twist their route because of enemies who hadn’t even shown up yet? That would be irrational. It would only waste time and stamina for no reason.

Changing routes wouldn’t stop those who intended to appear from appearing anyway.

In short, it was best to continue along the usual path and only change course once they actually encountered raiders targeting the Coins of Greed.

At least, that was the conclusion Anagin reached.

After hearing the explanation, everyone seemed to find it reasonable enough and agreed.

It’s not like they had any better ideas themselves.

So Sanchonius stepped forward and began guiding the way.

“If we’re taking the most commonly used route, it would be the Spine Road.”

The Spine Road.

A massive highway stretching like a giant’s spine, connecting the northern edge of Hellas all the way to the south.

It wasn’t the absolute shortest route to the Delphi Temple, but it was relatively short, and above all, the most straightforward.

“The other routes require passing through a lot of mountains and hills, so they’re harder to travel. There are bandits as well.”

In other words, it was the safest and most practical path.

Even from Anagin’s perspective, knowing little about the area, it seemed true.

The long, open road stretching across flat land gave off the feeling that if one simply kept walking forward, they would eventually reach their destination.

With the direction decided, there was only one thing left to do was to move forward.

Anagin and his party continued along the Spine Road.

After several days had passed.

Having grown tired of walking, Anagin asked the most important question.

“I forgot to ask something important. How much farther to the Delphi Temple?”

“Uh....... At this rate, I think it’ll take about a month to a month and a half.”

“If I say I want to quit midway, can I?”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

Tramachus cut off Anagin’s innocent question without hesitation.

Anagin hadn’t really expected it to be possible, but that didn’t stop the bitter feeling.

He had expected it would take some time, but this was far more than he had hoped.

‘Let’s not dwell on it. It’s not like I have anything better to do anyway....... Ah, right. I still need to deal with that Monster Merchant bastard.’

Anagin suddenly remembered the Monster Merchant he had failed to finish off.

That cunning snake who had barely escaped.

He had almost forgotten about him entirely.

Seeing Anagin lost in thought, Tramachus seemed to misunderstand and asked,

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

As if asking whether he was planning to run away.

Anagin didn’t seem that irresponsible, but at the same time, it didn’t feel entirely impossible either.

“I was thinking about that bastard I failed to finish off.”

“Judging by that, you must be pretty bored.”

“I’m not joking, but think whatever you want.”

Deciding it wasn’t worth explaining, Anagin brushed it off.

But perhaps thinking he really was bored, Lynceus naturally struck up a conversation.

“Still, this kind of journey isn’t so bad, is it? You get to see all kinds of scenery, and you can rest at villages or inns along the way.”

Anagin somewhat agreed.

As expected of a heavily used road, there were traveling food carts, inns, and even villages scattered along the Spine Road.

Thanks to that, they often slept under proper roofs and had decent meals.

“Are there usually that many villages along the Spine Road?”

“Yeah. When travelers start to gather, some villages just spring up.”

“Sounds like a Ruin Village.”

“Not just similar, it’s exactly the same. They’re easy to form, but they can disappear just as easily. Bandit attacks, declining income, being demolished because they’re unlicensed, or failing to pay taxes.”

Anagin felt a strange sense of dissonance.

He had heard that Hellas was a prosperous, highly developed, and comfortable place, so hearing about demolitions, loss of income, and inability to pay taxes felt oddly out of place.

But thinking about it, maybe it wasn’t so strange after all.

After all, the people who ended up in Anapik were those who couldn’t endure life in Hellas in the first place.

Well, it wasn’t something Anagin needed to think too deeply about.

There was something else that mattered more.

“Pinku-Pinku. Next time we rest, check the Freedom’s Thread again and see if there’s anyone planning to ambush us.”

“I’ll do it since you asked, but don’t expect too much, Brother. We’ve already checked several times, and there was nothing.”

Just as Sphinx said, there really was nothing.

The Freedom’s Thread was full of people claiming they would take the Coins of Greed, yet none had appeared so far.

It was almost embarrassing how tense they had been.

According to Lynceus of Farsight, there had been a few watchers when they first left Chiron Tower, but at some point, they had disappeared.

“Where did they go? No idea. It’s not like I can keep Farsight active all the time.”

After that, there was nothing. No ambushes, no watchers.

But that didn’t make things boring or reassuring.

After all, the quietest moments are often the most dangerous.

And that expectation proved correct.

“There wasn’t originally a village here. It seems a new one has formed.”

Sanchonius, who had memorized every stopover village along the northern Spine Road as a retainer of Chiron Tower, spoke as he looked at the unfamiliar settlement before them.

Every four months, Chiron Tower would send people to map out the villages along the Spine Road, but this one hadn’t been recorded.

That meant there were only two possibilities.

A village that had coincidentally formed between survey periods.

Or one hastily constructed for some specific purpose.

Everyone naturally turned to look at Anagin.

After all, he had said he would make the decisions.

Step.

As if he had already made up his mind, Anagin walked forward.

“What are you waiting for? Let’s go get something to eat.”

* * *

Right after Anagin left Chiron Tower, Grumbal headed to Chiron’s office on the very top floor of the tower.

Officially, it was to discuss the repair details of the wrecked forge, and unofficially, it was to report on the magical tools Anagin had commissioned.

It wasn’t anything unusual.

Magical tools were rarely ordinary items, so it wasn’t uncommon for the creator to investigate and analyze them.

When he said he would write a performance report, it wasn’t simply because he was humoring Anagin’s troublesome request.

“What kind of request did he make?”

“He asked me to make Coins of Greed. More precisely, fake Coins of Greed that only imitate the appearance.”

Though blunt by nature, Grumbal was still a tenant. He reported politely and in detail to Chiron, the owner.

“Seems like he was preparing for the possibility of them being stolen.”

“Or it could be the opposite.”

At Grumbal’s words, Chiron casually added.

It wasn’t a tone of disagreement, which made it all the more unsettling.

“Either way, all the magical tools were successfully completed. Beast Devourer, Giant’s Cutting Board, wing guards, and the infinite-length bronze rope.”

“You were fortunate.”

“I wouldn’t call it mere luck. Magical tools are influenced by luck, but they aren’t governed by it alone.”

It felt somewhat awkward for a craftsman who couldn’t even confirm whether his own creations were successes or failures, or what functions they had, to say such a thing, but that was simply the nature of magical tools, not a shortcoming of Grumbal’s skill.

And as far as skill went, Grumbal had full confidence. If he lacked it, he wouldn’t have been able to enter Chiron Tower in the first place.

“It seems he has built up a clear and solid record as a practitioner. Anagin.”

“And yet he doesn’t even know what kind of practice he’s supposed to follow. Interesting.”

“Knowing the path doesn’t mean one can walk it. There are many who know it and still cannot.”

This time, it was Grumbal who tossed the remark.

Of course, Chiron hadn’t spoken out of ignorance.

As someone whose vocation was to raise countless heroes, there was no way he wouldn’t know such things.

“I see. Then, from your perspective, what kind of destiny does Anagin have?”

“.......”

Grumbal didn’t answer immediately. He fell into silence, as if weighing how to respond.

“......Before I answer, let me say this. There are countless forms of fate studies in this world, and those using magical tools are just as unreliable as the rest.”

Fate studies using magical tools.

Like interpreting dreams or reading the night sky, it ultimately depended on the observer.

There was a theory that those with powerful destinies tended to obtain superior magical tools, and that was precisely why Grumbal, uncharacteristically, spoke at length.

In other words, it was a dubious field with low accuracy.

“I’m aware of that. But enhancing magical tools is a different matter.”

Grumbal couldn’t deny that point. To some extent, he agreed.

Whether turning an ordinary item into a magical tool or strengthening an existing one, the owner’s narrative was essential.

Their actions, background, and choices while possessing the item.

Of course, this too was as abstract and intangible as destiny itself, but Grumbal, having created countless magical tools, could not deny its existence.

Those who had lived lives incomparable to others imbued their weapons with powerful narratives, and those narratives played a significant role when enhancing magical tools.

At times, the tools would even evolve on their own.

From that perspective, Beast Devourer was a rather shocking creation.

The inscription engraved on it likely played a part, but grand words alone meant nothing.

If the inscription was the frame, then the narrative was what filled it.

And that content had been filled—when it devoured a bishop-rank member of the Barbaroi Cult.

True to the name Beast Devourer.

And the owner of that Beast Devourer was.......

“He may become a hero who defines an era, or perhaps even more.”

Grumbal offered the highest praise he could, within the limits of his knowledge.

Yet after hearing the answer, Chiron remained silent.

He had expected some kind of reaction, but.......

Instead, it was Grumbal who grew uneasy and ended up asking,

“Is that why you sent him to the Delphi Temple?”

“What do you mean?”

“To make him a practitioner who serves the will of the gods.”

“Well.... Something like that.”

“Hm?”

Grumbal tilted his head.

It was an unusually vague answer for Chiron.

“Is there another reason?”

“There isn’t another reason. It’s just.......”

“Just?”

“Given his personality, I’m not sure he’ll accept it.”

Having heard why Anagin became a practitioner of Jacheon, Chiron answered skeptically.

But Grumbal, unaware of those circumstances, could only look puzzled.

“I don’t understand. If he doesn’t accept it....... won’t he die?”

Chiron slowly nodded.

“That’s why I said it. But even knowing that, he might refuse. That’s why I sent him. I’m curious whether he’ll live or die.”

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(T/N): Ohhhhh. So that’s the twist. Lol I’m imagining how Anagin will react.