Chapter 10
Chapter 010. The Deal (2)
Rio knelt down.
Glug.
Anagin watched him in silence, pouring wine into his empty glass.
Only after a long pause did he finally speak.
“...Do people here just drop to their knees that easily?”
“When we kneel, we do it properly. Besides, for a merchant, pride is just another product to be traded.”
Anagin had said it to be insulting, but Rio didn’t even flinch.
“I get what you’re saying. So how about you stand up now? I don’t like seeing a man with a pair on his knees.”
“As you wish.”
With a faint smile, one showing no hint of humiliation, Rio rose and sat back down.
Watching him, Anagin muttered,
“Huh, a deal, you say...? But what could we possibly trade? A deal only works when both sides want something. I’m not a merchant, but I know that much.”
“Then allow me to ask in return, do you truly desire wealth?”
“…”
“I don’t think you do.”
“...Is there anyone who doesn't desire wealth?”
“No. I would have called anyone who said so a liar. However, seeing you has changed my mind.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“You can mock me all you want, but I won’t change my mind. I pride myself on reading people well, and I’m certain you’re not the type to chase after a handful of coins.”
“So you want me to give you wealth instead? To buy yourself protection for the city?”
“No. I want something greater, Anagin. I want you to sponsor our city. And in return, I’ll aid you.”
Anagin frowned.
It sounded like nonsense, but he couldn’t brush it off. Rio’s eyes were far too earnest. Sensing his thoughts, Rio explained further.
“Do you think practitioners truly walk the world alone?”
“Don’t they?”
“Not entirely. Practitioners also need supporters, people who supply them with information, wealth, medicine, weapons, and magical tools. The types vary: kings, nobles, magnates, even thieves and vagabonds.”
It was the first time Anagin had heard of such a thing—but it didn’t sound like a lie.
“Practitioners accomplish far more with such support. Of course, nothing is free. In exchange, their allies gain the prestige of association, a connection to a practitioner.”
“Interesting. But if that’s the case, shouldn’t I be the one taking the money, not giving it?”
“That’s just an example. The point is that both sides exchange what they need. Right now, our city needs wealth, and you, Anagin, need capable allies.”
“You’re talking like you could actually help me. But from what I see, that’s a stretch.”
Anagin sneered. He wasn’t wrong. Dysis Polis looked in no shape to assist anyone.
Rio didn’t deny it.
“I agree. At present, we can’t offer you much. We can barely sustain ourselves.”
“You playing games with me?”
“No. No tricks, no games. I think you already know that.”
Anagin chuckled.
“Oh yeah? And why’s that?”
“If you thought I was playing games, you’d have already slapped me so hard my head and body would be in different places. But my head’s still attached, so clearly you don’t.”
Rio met his eyes squarely as he said it, like daring him to prove him wrong.
Instead of striking him, Anagin straightened his posture, pulling himself up from the back of the chair.
“So tell me, City Lord. Are you saying that someday you will be able to help me?”
“Yes.”
“A bit overconfident, aren’t you?”
“Confidence doesn’t guarantee success, but lack of it ensures failure. And when you meet someone important, you cling on, even if it means bluffing a little.”
“You are the leader of a city, yet you’re acting so flippantly by hyping up some guy who just killed a few nobodies.”
“If you were just ‘some guy,’ I would not be acting like this... Please don’t take me for a fool.”
Rio spoke freely, as if his tongue had been loosened.
“If you were just another strong Gigant… I’d have smiled, flattered you, and prayed you left quickly. Can you hear the sound of my mind turning?”
Anagin shook his head. Whatever he was thinking, the gesture and the words were sincere.
“Then what’s driving you to all this trouble?”
“This is the first time I’ve met someone greedier than my father.”
“…?”
Anagin frowned, not understanding, and Rio added an explanation as if surprised.
“Didn’t you say it yourself? That you want to become a god. And by your own strength.”
“So what?”
“That’s the purest form of greed. An arrogantly impossible goal, an attitude so insane it borders on madness.”
“If you laugh at someone’s dream, you might get what’s coming.”
“I’m not laughing!”
Rio slammed both hands down on the table.
“I neither mock nor doubt your dream.”
“Meaning you think I’ll become a god?”
“What I think matters little. You said you would. My point is simply this: I don’t think you’ll end as some run-of-the-mill practitioner. So sponsor us.”
“Sorry, I’m not wasting my precious time to guard this city.”
“I’m a merchant, not a thief. What I ask is only investment and time.”
“...Continue.”
“According to my father’s insight, Anapix is a dangerous land, but also one with boundless potential. I intend to grow this city and expand my influence across Anapix. And that’s not the end.”
“And then?”
“I’ll expand my influence back into Hellas. The information, wealth, and rare magical tools we gain there, I will hand them all over to you.”
“How am I supposed to believe that?”
Anagin feigned indifference; Rio just shrugged.
“That I can’t answer. You’ll have to trust your own judgment.”
“Ha! Smooth talk.”
“A merchant’s tongue is his life. But I don’t understand your doubt. If I fail or lie, you can just kill me, can’t you?”
Anagin, half-tuned out, suddenly pricked up at that.
“...So you mean I can kill you if you don’t meet my expectations?”
“Why ask my opinion? You wield the sword.”
“I haven’t been learning that long.”
“Then we’ll call it an agreement. If I lie or fail, you may kill me.”
“You’re more courageous than I thought.”
“To enter a deal of this size on credit, this much is a basic requirement.”
“And it’s surprising, too.”
“What is surprising?”
“How much effort you’re putting in. I expected you’d pocket the commission and return to Hellas. You certainly have the skill for that, don’t you?”
Bender’s hoarded wealth was no small sum; the city’s commission alone would be a tidy profit. Taking it privately would be wrong, but many would do it anyway. Yet Rio chose another path, developing the city. For a young man dragged here by his dream-pushing father, it was an odd choice.
Rio spoke quietly.
“I cannot abandon the citizens who see this city as their only hope.”
“Bullshit.”
“Did I make that obvious? The truth is, I’ve become stubborn, too. I’m fed up with brutes who barge in during funerals to wreak havoc, and with those leeching off my father, who washed their hands when he died. So I decided—”
“Decided what?”
“I will do something to shock those who mocked me… I will build my own country!”
Rio stood tall and declared, with no trace of a bluff. It sounded grandiose, but to Anagin it bore no false note that there was no scheme in his tone. Anagin paused, then asked:
“Be specific. What do you want?”
“First, invest Bender Caravan’s spoils into our city. We need funds.”
Anagin nodded. He’d already claimed the goods; he didn’t have to hoard them. Too much baggage was merely inconvenient.
“Fine. But you must provide travel funds, dried rations for the road, and the Interspatial Bag you promised.”
“Of course.”
“Anything else?”
“If my city grows enough to support you, help us as our patron from time to time.”
“In what way?”
“Lend a hand only when absolutely necessary. When kingdoms or merchant groups backed by other practitioners clash, a practitioner’s help can be decisive.”
“Sounds bothersome.”
“I won’t ask lightly. I’ll seek other practitioners first. I’ll call on you only when it truly matters.”
“Hah~ fine. For now, I accept.”
It wasn’t a fully satisfying answer, but Rio didn’t press the issue.
Anagin had seen him for less than half a day, yet he thought Rio wasn’t the type to spout nonsense.
“Oh, one more condition. That Bender guy just smashed a carriage earlier, right? It belonged to someone I know, so make sure to compensate for that.”
“Don’t worry. It seemed you were acquainted, so I took care of it beforehand. A new carriage has been provided, and all other damages were compensated.”
Anagin nodded at the swift handling.
Though the situation had been bad, and Rio hadn’t had much chance to shine, his ability to manage things didn’t seem bad at all.
“By the way, what’s your relationship with them? From the window, it looked like you were pretty close.”
“Not really. Just happened to run into them.”
“Just happened?”
“Well, they helped without calculating anything, purely out of goodwill.”
“Ah...”
“Is that all you wanted to discuss?”
“For now. If we push further at our current level, it’d be begging rather than bargaining.”
“You know your trade well.”
“Merchants are good with numbers. On that note, I have something to tell you. It’s just a rumor, not confirmed. Do you know about the ‘Ruins?’”
“Ruins?”
“Yes, a space meant for practitioners. One has been discovered nearby. Are you interested?”
* * *
As the sunset deepened into evening, Anagin declined Rio’s offer to provide lodging and left the city hall.
With the sun gone, the once-bustling city had quieted as if nothing had happened.
Walking through the city center, Anagin encountered a figure.
“Whoa. Were you waiting for me?”
The figure turned out to be the old man.
“Yes. Did you finish talking with the City Lord?”
“Yeah, we had a productive conversation.”
“He asked you to be a patron, didn’t you?”
“Oh? How did you know?”
Anagin was impressed by the old man’s insight. The man waved it off as nothing.
“Anyone of your caliber, I’d ask the same if I were in his place.”
“Me, of such caliber? I appreciate the compliment, but the reason still makes me uneasy.”
“You're modest. Didn’t you easily defeat Bender, who uses Eulogia(εὐλογία) without even being able to wield Eulogia yourself?”
“Eulogia? Oh, you mean that strange light that flows through a sword?”
Anagin recalled the moment his blade had been sliced like a carrot, leaving a faint scratch on his cheek that had since healed.
“Yes. It's something you can use once you can control the giant's strength, Energy (Γι), that is inside the body. It’s also called ‘Yul.’ Didn’t you learn it?”
“No.”
The old man was speechless at the blatant answer.
Still, Anagin was not entirely composed; he was as baffled as anyone. Why hadn’t his master taught him that?
‘Does he not know how to use it himself? No, that can’t be it.’
Having sparred with his master countless times, Anagin briefly doubted his abilities, but quickly dismissed the thought. His master’s skill was incomparably better than Bender's, who used Eulogia. If he hadn't taught it, he hadn't taught it—it wasn't that he couldn't teach it. He was a man with a bad personality, not an incompetent one. Wait, that's even more annoying, isn't it?
“Does it really matter?”
“It does. Even with similar power, life and death can depend on a single moment of focus.”
The old man proved his point, clenching one hand.
A faint glow radiated beneath his skin, and with a swipe of his fingertips along a building’s surface, the wall neatly indented.
“‘Pariisphero(parĕisphĕrō),’ or simply ‘Pa(pa)’. It’s a technique to concentrate your Energy in one spot, something you must learn before using Eulogia.”
“So that’s how you saved the children before the carriage broke.”
The old man admired Anagin’s deduction. He figured it out just by observing.
“Right. Focus on your legs, and you can momentarily increase speed. It drains stamina and weakens defense in other areas, though.”
“I see… my apologies for the carriage.”
“Since you got me a new one, it’s fine. More importantly, Pariisphero and Eulogia are essential for practitioners like Gigants. Especially Yul, which infuses Energy into weapons, is very useful.”
“I can see how it’d be practical.”
Anagin spoke exactly as he felt, no more, no less.
Normally, the old man would have snapped at such an insolent, careless attitude, but he couldn’t.
Anagin’s demeanor wasn’t arrogance; it was confidence proven by skill.
“Yul can only be used after consistent training. The problem is, there aren’t many who can properly teach it.”
“Is that so?”
“For practitioners, techniques like this are treasures. Learning them usually requires paying a high price or having the right connections.”
“That’s a problem. I don’t have connections.”
The old man smiled faintly.
“I’ll teach you.”
“.......”
“I can’t stay with you until you can use it, but I can at least teach the basic training methods. Someone like you should be able to master it on your own.”
“What’s the condition?”
Anagin asked, probing for the real point. He was grateful for the help, but he knew this wasn’t the old man’s true intention. There would be a real demand behind this offer.
Drrrk. Drrrk. The sound of the old man's mind churning continued. Finally, he didn’t hold back.
“I want you to stay away from me and my grandchildren.”
“...Because I got caught up in a fight?”
“No. It’s because I’m old and somewhat superstitious. Do you know how Gigants came to be?”
Anagin stroked his chin, thinking carefully.
“Humans, while fighting alongside the gods against giants, were drenched in the blood of fallen giants. Those humans became the first Gigants. If I’m not mistaken, was it the Great War?”
“That’s right. We call it the Great War. Humans rose against the tyranny of the giants, and the gods aided them.”
Indeed, once the world’s rulers were not gods but giants, who enslaved and oppressed humanity.
When humans fought back, the gods intervened, and thus the age of gods and humans began.
“That’s why the power of giants is often considered ominous. Its origin is the strength of beings who once oppressed humans. Perhaps because of that, those who stay close to a Gigant often face hardships.”
“That sounds like nonsense.”
“I didn’t believe it in my youth either. But now, perhaps because of age, I take it more seriously. Especially someone as daring as you, makes me even more cautious.”
Ah, Anagin understood.
The old man wasn’t keeping his distance simply because Anagin was a Gigant, but because Anagin, a Gigant, sought to become a god himself.
“Apologies.”
The old man spoke as Anagin remained silent.
“Why apologize?”
“?”
“We only met briefly yesterday, didn’t we?”
“.......”
“Your request is surprisingly simple. Consider it repaid for giving me a ride in your carriage. So, don’t worry about it.”
Anagin’s cool reply made the old man feel slightly apologetic, but he simply nodded without adding anything further.
“Very well. Then I’ll show you how to master ‘Pa(pa)’ and ‘Yul(εὐ)’.”
Swoosh...
As the old man began explaining the training method, a sound rang out, and a soft light dispelled the surrounding darkness. Anagin focused his Energy into his right hand, causing the light to coalesce and brighten the area.
The astonished old man was speechless, and in that moment, Anakin drew the sword he had taken from Bender with his right hand and infused it with Energy.
“Already know how to use it?”
“I do now.”
“How?”
“I’ve seen it used twice today.”
Anagin gave an answer far beyond the old man’s expectations. It was a feat that should have been unbelievable, yet it had already happened. Anagin dispersed the concentrated Energy and walked past the old man.
“Where are you going?”
“My business in this city is done, and there’s a Ruin nearby that I want to check out.”
The old man was about to say that traveling at night was dangerous, but stopped himself. This was not the person to worry about danger. More importantly, his disappearance at night was not a bad thing for the old man either. When morning came, his grandson would undoubtedly fuss about meeting Anagin anyway. Stil…
“Wait a moment.”
“Do you have more to teach?”
The old man shook his head.
“...No. It just occurred to me that we haven't even told each other our names. Considering we met like this, it seems fitting.”
Anagin snorted at the foolishness of it.
“Forget it. What’s the point of names for people I won’t meet again anyway? I appreciate your concern, but just worry about your own family. Only your family.”
With that, Anagin left the old man behind, disappearing into the darkness beyond the city.