Anagin Chronicles

Chapter 081. The Second Ruin (2)

The border region between northern and western Hellas, where the Ruin were located, was quite striking.

Perhaps because it was a borderland, multiple large and small mountain ranges stretched on like the backs of giants, and along those ridgelines, several valleys curved and cut their way through.

Between the valleys, several rivers wound sinuously like snakes, and some of those rivers had dams built on them, forming artificial lakes.

Maybe because of that, a hazy mist formed around the dams, but it didn’t feel gloomy.

The large and small villages built around the lakes and the fields added a sense of vitality.

Its grandeur and liveliness, different in texture from that of a city, were quite impressive.

However, Anagin was soon captivated by a different sight.

That sight was downstream, a massive fissure that looked like Ruin.

Still, it was hard to call it a mere fissure, as artificial structures could be seen, and around them, mages and armed troops were constructing a fortress.

How did they know there were mages there?

Because there were monsters stitched together from beast carcasses, as well as gigantic dolls made of mud and bricks.

“A doll mage.”

Sphinx said.

A mage who manipulates dolls modeled after people or beasts through magic. She added that it wasn’t a good sign for Anagin.

“Why?”

“Magic always consumes resources, but doll mages are especially bad about it. Every time they move, they burn through a lot of resources, so ordinarily, they don’t move easily.”

“So, put the other way around, once they do move, they don’t back down?”

As sharp as ever, Anagin immediately grasped the point.

“It’s an annoying kind of magic. Doll magic has endless ways to be used. They can wage a war of numbers using large quantities of low-grade dolls, or fight an elite battle (精鋭戰) with powerful dolls.”

“Definitely a headache. Both strategies have their own pros and cons, and the ways to deal with them differ. If they mix them, it’ll get much trickier.”

Sanchonius, who had picked up bits and pieces from strategy and tactics classes at Chiron Tower, recalled several troublesome scenarios.

They could simply bog you down with a war of numbers, then, after draining your stamina, attack with elite dolls. Or they might operate by mixing elite dolls with low-grade ones from the start.

“Why is everyone being so negative? We could talk it out and settle things nicely without fighting, you know?”

Not only Sphinx, but even Sanchonius looked at Anagin as if he’d lost his mind.

“You see that mess and say something like that?”

What Sphinx meant by that mess was the mages’ fortress surrounding the entrance to the Ruin, and the multiple camps encircling that fortress.

Practitioners, mercenaries, and treasure hunters are all aiming for the Ruin.

They kept a certain distance from one another, radiating murderous intent. Strong enough to be felt even from here. It was practically a state of war.

And yet, after seeing all that, he was talking about soft things like dialogue.... It was absurd. Especially coming from the most violent person here.

Anagin shrugged.

"Since you both looked so serious. I have a conviction to say 'no' when others say 'yes.'"

"Isn't that just having a bad personality?"

"Don't you know that conviction comes from a foul personality?"

“.......”

Sphinx was rendered speechless by the sheer nonsense. What was even more shocking was that the nonsense sounded oddly convincing.

‘What is this? Am I really being brainwashed?’

While Sphinx was feeling confused, Anagin added one more thing.

“And this situation isn’t necessarily bad. Sure, it’s gotten way more troublesome than expected, but put another way, that means there’s something worth that much, right?”

Coming from Anagin, it made her want to refute it, but it wasn’t wrong.

Ruins, by definition, were places that promised danger and hardship. In that case, it was better if the reward was bigger.

And the fiercer the competition over the Ruins, the higher the chance that the reward would be substantial.

“Especially if a mage is being that openly greedy, there’s a high chance there’s something enormous inside.”

“Right? So then, what should we do next?”

Anagin asked Sphinx.

Perhaps it was an unexpected question, because Sphinx hesitated for a moment.

“Me? First... we should secure information.”

It was an ordinary but textbook answer.

When a Ruin already had factions established around it, understanding the situation came first.

How many people had gathered?

Were there any well-known practitioners among them?

Who was allied with whom, and who was hostile to whom?

If they ignored all that and just shoved their heads in, they could easily get ganged up on and have their skulls cracked.

“Sounds good. Then where do we get information?”

This time, Anagin directed the question at Sanchonius.

Caught off guard, Sanchonius replied,

“Uh, probably a large village? They’ll be supplying materials from there, so there should be things to hear.”

“Good. Then let’s go. The village.”

Anagin pointed toward the village built around the largest dam among the several villages near the dams and valleys, and set off.

Sphinx and Sanchonius stared blankly at Anagin before belatedly following after him.

It felt like the initiative had been snatched away in an instant.

And yet, strangely enough, it didn’t feel entirely bad, leaving them dumbfounded.

* * *

“This isn’t what I expected.”

As they entered a village neither too far from nor too close to the Ruin, Anagin voiced his honest impression.

A huge number of people had gathered around the Ruin, and most of them were wealthy, so a sort of commercial district had formed. At least, that was how Anagin understood it.

The most representative example was the Ruin Village.

Anagin had seen one before—though it had been a fake Ruin—but that experience had given him certain expectations.

“What were you expecting?”

“I thought there would be rows of shops selling delicious food, and a lively atmosphere. Well, it is lively, but it’s lively in a different way than I imagined.”

Anagin answered while looking at practitioners threatening villagers, mercenaries drunkenly brawling in the streets, and merchants fighting over spots.

“What are you scheming? Trying to fleece us?!”

“N-no, sir. How could we possibly do that to practitioners—”

“You picked the wrong guy to mess with! Die!”

“You die first, you bastard!”

“This is my spot! Get lost!”

“You get lost! Since when does a spot have an owner?!”

The Ruin Village Anagin had first visited had been busy and noisy, but it had merely been the heat of commerce.

This village, however, reeked far more strongly of violence and the smell of blood than of trade.

“It’s true that Ruin Villages are lively because money circulates, but depending on the situation, things can change.”

Sanchonius offered his advice carefully.

“What do you mean? They get poorer?”

“N-no.... They can get poorer, of course, but more than that, it means the atmosphere can turn vicious.”

Sanchonius explained earnestly.

When someone controlled the Ruin like this, the surrounding area could fall into a state similar to a battlefield, leaving everyone on edge.

Conflicts broke out between practitioners who came for the Ruin, hostility accumulated, and that animosity spilled over even onto villages or merchants who cooperated with the opposing side.

“If the standoff drags on, food prices around here rise, public sentiment worsens, money dries up, and transactions that are practically extortion start happening.”

Listening to the explanation, Anagin thought, so being a Ruin Village doesn’t mean making easy money after all.

Indeed, there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Besides, the first Ruin Village he’d visited had nearly been wiped out by the Monster Merchant.

Stuffing the new information into his head, Anagin sniffed the air.

There were no eateries wafting delicious smells.

It was because the practitioners cooked their own food in their camps, but Anagin didn’t know that and didn’t care. He simply complained and headed for the village’s only inn.

It didn’t smell good, but at least it smelled like proper food. It had real walls and a roof, and it seemed like a good place to gather information.

Then they ran into an unexpected obstacle.

“Sorry, but we’re full. Get out.”

The inn was the kind you could see in any ordinary village, neither large nor fancy, yet the innkeeper tried to drive Anagin’s group away with the arrogance of someone running the finest inn in a major city.

A quick glance showed that it really was packed, but even so, the service was so atrocious it left a bad taste in his mouth.

Anagin debated whether to slap the innkeeper across the face or beat up a suitable guest and kick them out to make space.

Sensing the ominous mood, Sphinx tried to stop Anagin, while Sanchonius hurriedly and politely asked the innkeeper if there was any way they could get in.

He didn't know what Anagin would do if they weren't allowed inside!

“Isn’t there even a small room or a spot? We’ve come a long way.”

“Everyone here’s come a long way. And I’m saying this out of concern—go back. Looks like you came because of the Ruin, but don’t get dragged into pointless danger.”

“Alright, I’ve decided.”

Just as Anagin decided to hit the innkeeper, a loud voice rang out from inside the inn.

“Well now! Isn’t this a familiar face?”

Anagin instinctively knew the words were meant for him and turned his head.

“The three–gold-coin merchant?”

Anagin asked as he looked at the merchant whose eyes met his.

“Three gold coins? ...Ah, yes! That’s right! It’s me!”

* * *

The three–gold-coin merchant.

The reason Anagin called him that was none other than their first meeting.

Back when he was riding along in Kori and Pais Grandfather’s wagon.

The road had been blocked by a giant snake, and the merchant had offered three gold coins as bait to find someone to deal with it.

According to Kori and Pais Grandfather, he wasn’t looking for someone to kill the snake, but for someone to feed it. But who cared? Either way, get rid of the snake and take the three gold coins.

The three–gold-coin merchant recognized Anagin and led him to the room he was staying in, and when a preexisting guest extended the invitation, even the innkeeper who had been blocking them had no choice but to step aside and open the way.

The innkeeper wouldn’t have known.

Just how big a stroke of luck this was for him.

“I can’t tell you how delighted I am to see you again.”

The three–gold-coin merchant rubbed his hands together enthusiastically, trying to ingratiate himself with Anagin.

He had taken a deferential attitude ever since Anagin killed the giant snake, but this felt a bit excessive.

When Anagin pointed that out, the merchant replied,

“Haha, excessive courtesy? Not at all! If anything, it’s still lacking! Especially toward Sir Anagin, the patron of our city.”

That was exactly why the three–gold-coin merchant was currying favor.

A patron!

And not just any patron, but one who had handed over a significant portion of his spoils, contributing to the city’s development. Inviting him into his own room and rubbing his hands together was practically getting off cheaply.

On top of that—

“I’ve heard of your exploits through the newspapers.... Is it true that you saved the practitioners of Chiron Tower and even fought Erysichthon alone?”

The three–gold-coin merchant asked carefully, looking genuinely curious.

Completely unaware that there was someone from Chiron Tower among Anagin’s companions.

One could say he had become less cautious because the venture they invested in (Anagin ) had become so successful.

It was a shallow mistake that only a rookie merchant would make.

Anagin didn’t answer and instead sank into thought.

“...Is something the matter?”

“Oh, nothing. I just remembered. I forgot that I’m a patron of Dysis Polis.”

“W-what?!”

The three–gold-coin merchant exclaimed in shock. It was completely unexpected.

Does it make sense that a man who remembered receiving three gold coins from him forgot that he had agreed to become a patron of a city?

No—that wasn’t the real problem. The real problem was that if Anagin suddenly decided on a whim to quit being a patron, there would be nothing to say in response.

Dysis Polis had only received from Anagin and had given nothing in return.

A patron–beneficiary relationship wasn’t something that could be easily severed, but in a case like this, it wasn’t impossible.

More than anything, with Anagin’s temperamental personality, it felt entirely possible.

“Um....”

“But there’s one more thing that comes to mind.”

“Yes?”

“That your City Lord, Rio, said he’d do everything he could to help me.”

The three–gold-coin merchant understood what he meant and raised one eyebrow.

He already knew that Riothes, the City Lord of Dysis Polis, had staked his own life to secure Anagin’s investment.

But the reason the merchant raised an eyebrow was something else.

Anagin had just referred to Riothes as ‘City Lord Rio.’

City Lord Rio.... It meant he respected that side. At least for now!

The three–gold-coin merchant put strength into his voice as he spoke.

“...If it’s information you need, then please don’t worry. I’ve already grasped almost everything.”

“Good. Before you start explaining, just one request.”

“Anything you ask.”

The merchant steeled himself.

Anagin said,

“Let’s eat first. I’m hungry.”