Anagin Chronicles

Chapter 108

It was not difficult to guess.Meleager’s cousins trying to enter the Groom Tournament with relatively trivial gifts.

If they wanted to win the Groom Tournament, there was only one kind of favor they could possibly ask for.

A shameless request to persuade Atalanta to choose them.

Anagin could roughly imagine how they had tried to persuade him as well.

They must have told Meleager, who had feelings for Atalanta, that rather than letting her be taken by some complete stranger, wouldn’t it be better if it were them?

Ah, of course, this was all within the realm of Anagin’s imagination.

Honestly, wasn’t the request itself shitty, and the way they tried to persuade him even shittier? Surely, they didn’t intend this....... they are supposed to be human beings.

But Anagin was certain this was exactly what had happened.

It might be rude to say, but Meleager’s cousins just looked like the type.

It was an extremely appearance–based and prejudiced opinion, yet sadly, or perhaps amusingly, Anagin’s guess was exactly right.

Tramachus, who had been listening from the side, admitted that it was correct.

“You really deduced that? In such a short moment?”

As if finding it frightening at this point, Tramachus asked.

If one thought about it carefully, it wasn’t impossible to figure out, but the important thing was that Anagin had inferred all of that in an extremely short span of time.

“I have good intuition. Sometimes I have flashes of insight.”

Anagin brushed it off. More precisely, it was the only way he could explain it.

He would occasionally display an intuitive deductive ability, but even he did not know the principle behind it. He wasn’t particularly curious, either.

In any case, that was the end of that story.

Ponytail wrote down exactly what Anagin had said, and Tramachus, watching him uncomfortably, asked that it be kept as secret as possible.

Unfairly, it was not Meleager’s fault, but if such a story spread, it was obvious that a stain would fall upon Meleager’s reputation.

Ponytail puffed himself up smugly.

“We’ll see. First, let’s adjust the level of my cooperation. I’d like to help too, but I’m not a Gigant, so my stamina isn’t that great.”

Tramachus quietly ground his teeth, while Irida and Thyreos reacted as if slightly shocked.

They had never imagined that Meleager’s maternal uncle and cousins would make such a request.

No matter what, weren’t they relatives of a great hero? It was beyond mere embarrassment; it was shocking.

And Anagin was just as shocked.

“Is there a reason to go this far?”

“.......”

At Anagin’s question, everyone cast silent glances.

In particular, the gazes of Irida, Tramachus, and Thyreos were sharp. Anagin’s question had sounded as though he were criticizing them.

“Those uncles asking their nephew for something like that earlier....... Honestly, isn’t that too ugly? If they’re human, they should know that themselves.”

It was impossible to deny.

“Then why go this far?”

The question was childlike and pure, yet blunt. A brief silence fell.

They were pondering how to answer, how to explain it, and the first to speak was Tramachus.

“If you’re chosen in the Groom Tournament, you can become the King of the Kingdom of Arcadia in an instant.”

Tramachus’ tone was similar to finding a treasure vault and turning your life around.

In truth, it was not much different.

If one seized this single opportunity, anyone could become the King of the Kingdom of Arcadia.

Even practitioners who had achieved quite a bit would be satisfied enough to stop their cultivation.

Naturally, people could become as ugly as they pleased.

But that wasn’t all.

“If you’re not chosen in the Groom Tournament, you have to offer all the gifts you brought as Atalanta’s wedding gifts.”

The Groom Tournament was a kind of winner-takes-all structure.

None of the participants could get back the gifts they had brought.

They had to hand everything over to the single chosen winner.

It explained why everyone had been raising their voices and arguing that they would win.

They must have been afraid.

They had gone to the trouble of bringing treasures to participate, yet if they weren’t chosen, wouldn’t they simply lose those treasures? They would waste their time and uproot their very foundations.

But because of that, Anagin understood it even less.

Unless someone had brought a gift certain enough to guarantee victory, they shouldn’t even dare to participate. Then why were there so many participants?

Anagin soon answered his own question. It wasn’t anything special.

It must be that “just in case” mindset. The strange expectation—what if I might win?

Since most of the participants were practitioners, it made even more sense. That kind of confidence was ingrained in their nature.

Still, even after hearing the details, he didn’t like this so-called Groom Tournament.

How should he put it....... It felt like they were making a grand business deal out of their own child.

When parents make a business out of their child, that’s just....... Isn’t that shitty?

If it were Anagin, he felt like he would have beaten them up. No, he would have. If his father had pulled something like this with his younger sister.

“Why do you look like that?”

Ponytail asked after noticing Anagin’s expression.

Anagin realized he was wearing a slightly more irritated expression than usual. Was it because he had thought of his father and younger sister?

“Ah, I was just curious.”

“About what?”

“I’m wondering why Meleager and Atalanta are enduring a situation like this. I honestly can’t understand it.”

Anagin was still not well-versed in the world of practitioners, but he knew that Meleager and Atalanta’s reputations were far from ordinary. And he knew they possessed skills worthy of those reputations.

That was why he understood it even less.

Why would they leave alone a father who had held an unwanted Groom Tournament, or a ridiculous uncle?

If it were Anagin, whether the former or the latter, he would have rammed into them.

For the record, here, “rammed into” meant it literally.

With his head, straight into their foreheads, just, bang.......

At the blatantly unfilial remark, everyone looked at Anagin for a moment.

Then came a somewhat unexpected question.

“Perhaps, are you not on good terms with your family?”

“No, we were close.”

He had spoken the truth, yet they looked unconvinced.

Anagin did not bother to persuade them. Whether they believed him or not didn’t matter.

Thyreos did not press further either. He simply said.......

“Even so, how could one do that to their family?”

“......Huh?”

“That is not the teaching of the gods.”

“Huh?”

* * *

Surprisingly, the reason Meleager and Atalanta were silently enduring this situation was because of the teachings of the gods.

A very basic teaching—that a child should respect and follow their father.

But they said this was the core.

Only then could peace be achieved in the household, and furthermore, peace in the world.

To some extent, he agreed.

A household where a child throws punches at their father would certainly be less peaceful than the alternative.

However, he only agreed to some extent, because there were exceptional cases.

For example, what if the father was a useless bum who didn’t work and only drank?

Not just a bum, but a drunkard who swung his fists at home?

What if he cheated, gambled, or treated his child like property and threw them around at will?

Even in those cases, should one still follow him for the sake of peace in the world and peace in the household? That’s shitty, if you ask me.

Of course, Anagin did not bring any of this up.

The moment he did, it was obvious it would turn into a pointless argument.

So he simply let it pass with an “I see.”

Tramachus, Irida, and Thyreos also did not push the matter any further.

Seeing that, Anagin thought it had been the right decision to let it go.

In the first place, they had not come here to debate such issues.

Once the topic was settled, they returned to the original subject.

The security of the Groom Tournament.

Tramachus asked Ponytail to find the assassin sent by Erysichthon.

They had already narrowed down the candidates as much as possible. Since it seemed they could not narrow it any further, he asked him to identify the hidden assassin based on that list.

Ponytail said he would cooperate, but set the condition that the extent of his effort would need to be adjusted.

It was a little different from a forced demand, but Tramachus accepted it with patience and managed to draw out a reasonably satisfactory result.

“Can you help as well?”

Tramachus asked.

Anagin had also come here because of the assassin sent by Erysichthon, but that did not mean he could be mobilized carelessly.

Fortunately, Anagin agreed more easily than expected. Instead.......

“Fine, but you’ll grant me one favor later.”

“A favor? What kind?”

“I’ll tell you later. When I think it’s something worth asking.”

At words like a blank check, Tramachus hesitated for a moment.

Given Anagin’s personality, he might really ask for something outrageous.

As he wavered, afraid to stamp his seal so recklessly, Irida stepped in and accepted the blank-check-like condition.

Anagin, sensing the reason for Tramachus’ hesitation, looked at Irida—who accepted readily—with surprise.

“Oh, really?”

“Whatever it is, this is an event where my sister is the main figure, so I want to avoid any danger.... And even if you ask for something difficult, I don’t think you’ll ask for something unfair.”

Irida acknowledged that Anagin’s favor would likely be difficult, but implied that he would do work worthy of it.

“.......”

At that, Tramachus and the others silently looked at Irida.

They were slightly surprised.

At how, before they knew it, she trusted Anagin like a comrade.

However, Anagin himself did not seem particularly moved and behaved as usual.

“Then it’s a deal. If I see someone suspicious, I’ll beat them up right away.”

“No, don’t beat them up. Tell us first. You can’t treat the people who came here like that.”

“Alright. I’ll try.”

“Not try, I mean—”

“Alright, alright. By the way, where did Big Eyes go?”

“Big Eyes? Lynceus?”

“Yeah, honestly, isn’t he more suited for something like this?”

Lynceus of Farsight.

Not merely able to see far, but possessing miraculous eyes that could even find someone hiding behind cover.

As Anagin said, Lynceus might indeed be more capable in this situation.

They had heard that temple priests had come and taken him along, yet there had still been no word.

It made one wonder if something had happened.

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

“I’m not worried.”

Ignoring Anagin’s remark, Tramachus continued his explanation.

In any case, since he was curious, it was only natural to answer.

Personally, he wanted to say it—no, to boast.

About how remarkable their comrade was.

“Lynceus is already doing his part.”

“So, what part?”

“Together with the priests, he is already examining the dangers to come.”

“......That’s possible?”

“For him, it is. With his eyes.”

* * *

Blessing.

A literally special power granted to practitioners who caught the eyes of the gods.

The types of blessings were as diverse as nature.

From blessings that granted tremendous strength like a Gigant, legs that could run as fast as the wind, or the ability to control fire—powerful abilities that directly enhanced combat strength.

To blessings that allowed one to breathe underwater, granted long life and youth, or ensured that the cows one owned would always give birth to twins—blessings that did not strengthen one’s martial power, yet were still immensely helpful.

And the blessing Lynceus received was closer to the latter.

Farsight.

Extremely useful, but not a blessing that directly increased combat strength.

However, that did not mean he was dissatisfied.

Farsight alone was more than enough to provide great assistance in battle, and it was a highly versatile blessing that proved useful even outside of combat.

Whenever he used this blessing, he came to understand anew why even those who lacked for nothing still set out on the path of cultivation.

Perhaps the gods granted blessings to practitioners with that very intention.

As if to say, don’t be lazy—work hard.......

In any case, Lynceus loved his blessing, and in recent times, he loved it to the point that he would not trade it for anything.

Because he had realized that it was not merely useful and versatile, but a special blessing.

......It was a somewhat amusing expression.

A blessing itself was already special—what did it mean for it to be even more special?

But it was true.

Though conditional, it was a blessing of foresight into the future, something permitted only to priests—especially high-ranking priests—or priestesses.

“Ghk...!”

After drinking the Wine of Aspiration given by the priests, Lynceus shot upright as pain pierced both his eyes.

The agony, as if needles were stabbing into his eyeballs, seemed to declare that this was the limit.

The priests who had been praying nearby approached him and asked if he was alright.

Naturally, Lynceus answered that he was fine. As a practitioner of the New Argonaut Expedition Team, how could he say, ‘My eyes hurt too much?’

Once the pain subsided to some extent, Lynceus opened his eyes.

The priests carefully asked,

“So....... How is it? Will the Groom Tournament conclude safely?”

With an uneasy expression, Lynceus slowly shook his head.

As the pain in his eyes faded, the future he had seen—or rather, the ominous aura—rose in his mind, leaving his thoughts in turmoil.

The priests were horrified.

“Will the Groom Tournament be ruined?!”

“No, I did not see the ending of the Groom Tournament. I only.......”

“Only?”

“I only saw that a great danger is approaching. Like a foreshock that comes before an earthquake.”