Anagin Chronicles

Chapter 052: An Unexpected Invitation (1)

As if matching the branch head, Anagin nodded.

At that sight, the thugs who had been terrified just moments ago let out sighs of relief inside.

When the other side nodded along with you, it meant they were willing to talk.

However, before they could even finish sighing in relief, Anagin grabbed the Giant’s Bed he had set beside him with both hands and hurled it straight ahead.

The enormous bed flew through the air at tremendous speed.

The attack was so sudden it felt downright unfair; everyone’s eyes widened, but there was nothing they could do beyond that.

In the next instant, the thrown bed struck the branch head dead-on.

KWA─ANG!

The massive Giant’s Bed pierced into the branch head and kept flying, slamming into the ground.

The floor shattered, dust billowed up, and screams rang out from all sides.

“Aaaaargh! He’s been smashed to pieces!!”

Someone shouted from within the swirling dust.

It seemed the branch head had been destroyed.

Well, of course, he’d taken a direct hit from a flying bed.

“He’s insane! Completely insane!!”

“I’m running! If you want to live, run!!”

“Hik…!”

Already frightened, the thugs confirmed their leader’s death and began to flee.

All except one.

“You son of a bitch…!”

A large man who had been standing beside the branch head charged straight at Anagin.

Whether rage had driven him mad or he’d never been afraid to begin with, he rushed in despite seeing Anagin’s strength. What was he even trusting in?

The reason became clear soon enough.

Energy gathered in one of the brute’s arms.

A Gigant.

“So what.”

Bam!

Anagin threw a punch in time with the brute’s incoming fist.

Two fists crossed.

Anagin’s fist struck the brute squarely on the jaw, while the brute’s fist failed to reach Anagin.

With his jaw crushed, the brute collapsed on the spot.

“Oh ho, Pono may not look it, but he’s no ordinary fellow. To take him down in one blow…. Seems the rumors weren’t exaggerations after all.”

Amid the chaos of the back alley, which looked as though a war had broken out, an astonishingly relaxed voice echoed.

A voice like someone watching a fire from across the river. The voice of someone convinced that they alone were safe.

The source of the voice came from within the dust—more precisely, from the branch head whose body had been shattered by the bed.

“You know me?”

Anagin asked, looking at the branch head, who was still flapping his gums despite his body being smashed to pieces.

The body crushed by the Giant’s Bed didn’t feel like torn flesh, but more like fragments of rock.

So rather than grotesque, it felt bizarre and alien.

The branch head kept on yapping.

“Of course I do. For all this, I am still a branch head of the Thieves’ Guild. I know at least that much about your reputation. Though I didn’t expect you to start by throwing a bed.”

“I’m not interested in talking to someone hiding behind a creepy doll.”

“Oh? So you noticed this is a Pygmalion?”

“Pygmalion?”

“You don’t know what a Pygmalion is? A convenient doll that moves according to its master’s will. No, perhaps ‘statue’ is the more fitting term? In any case, it’s quite expensive.”

“Is that so? I didn’t know. But I do know you’re a bastard pulling tricks.”

That was the truth, not a lie.

Even in the dark of night, Anagin had noticed that the branch head wasn’t normal.

He’d felt an alien sensation, as if some lump of stone were moving.

It felt like something unpleasant, vaguely human-shaped, crawling about.

That was why he’d watched closely, and in the process, the bastard had conveniently stepped forward claiming to be the boss.

So he threw the bed. The guy hadn’t even come out in person, and Anagin could practically hear the scheming gears turning in his head.

“Seems you never intended to talk from the beginning.”

“No, I did plan to talk. I needed something.”

“Information about the Forest Brotherhood, I presume? If you’re picking a fight with them, you’d naturally need that information.”

This time, Anagin was genuinely surprised.

He’d heard the Thieves’ Guild had good information networks, but to think they even knew that much.

Honestly, he’d been unsure, but this made them seem fairly reliable.

“Looks like I came to the right place.”

“You came to the right place, but your actions leave much to be desired. Still, what does it matter? If you buttoned the first button wrong, you can always button the second one properly.”

The branch head boldly proposed a deal.

Truly, a leader-like move.

At the same time, it also felt natural. Anyone could afford to be bold when hiding behind a doll.

“I’ll give you information on the Forest Brotherhood, so let’s stop here, and you can just go back. Then we’ll call this whole thing as if it never happened.”

“Oh, really? That’s fine with you?”

Anagin asked.

He didn’t know the back-alley world all that well, but people were people wherever you went.

If you let an outsider rampage freely and then just sent them off, the leader’s authority would take a hit, no matter the reason.

Yet here the branch head was, offering to give Anagin what he wanted while accepting that cost.

“Of course it is. Everyone here lives off the scraps I throw them…. Besides, our side made a mistake as well. Or rather, my business partner did….”

“…….”

It seemed the branch head had guessed what Anagin had gone through at the Bed Inn.

That, too, was impressive. Anagin hadn’t even been in the city for a full day, yet the man had pinpointed things so accurately.

Then again, thinking about it a bit, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

He’d acted quite conspicuously when entering the city and had given his name openly. Someone might have seen him enter the Bed Inn.

‘Or maybe he knows that bed belonged to the innkeeper.’

In truth, none of that mattered.

What mattered was that the Thieves’ Guild branch head was flaunting his capabilities and proposing to stop things here, while even offering what Anagin wanted.

“Normally, I wouldn’t make this kind of offer either, but this business here is quite profitable.”

When Anagin stayed silent, the branch head added more. Clearly, the income from this place was no joke.

“So, how about we each take what we want and make peace here? It’s not a bad deal, is it?”

It wasn’t bad.

After rampaging this much, Anagin had more than vented his anger. And on top of that, he could obtain information on the Forest Brotherhood, his original goal.

Adding in the loot he’d taken from the Bed Inn, it was actually a net gain. But….

“Wait a moment!”

The branch head shouted when he saw Anagin lifting the Giant’s Bed.

Anagin raised the bed over his head.

“Which of my conditions don’t you like? I said I’d give you what you want! If this goes any further, I won’t be able to give you the information!”

“I can find it on my own.”

“I’m the only one who knows that information. And the gentlemen who take my money won’t stay quiet either! You’re already surrounded by enemies—if you increase them any further, it’ll become a real headache for you, won’t it?”

“You think I care about that?”

“…….”

The branch head fell silent.

Because he realized it wasn’t mere bluster, it was sincere.

He knew Anagin wasn’t normal, but to think he was this insane.

Already buried in enemies, and yet he was doing the same thing here as well?

It was like watching someone flail about, desperate to die.

Perhaps because of that, the branch head no longer raised his voice to persuade him. Instead, he calmly asked,

“Don’t tell me this is because of the people who were imprisoned?”

He was asking if Anagin’s sense of justice was suddenly activated because of his human trafficking business. According to rumors, Anagin didn’t seem to care about such things...

Anagin thought for a moment, then opened his mouth.

“…I’m just doing this because I don’t fucking like you.”

An answer as simple as could be.

At the same time, Anagin brought the Giant’s Bed crashing down, grinding the branch head’s mouth into dust.

After that, he began ransacking the Thieves’ Guild without mercy.

* * *

“What’s this?”

Sphinx said as she looked at Anagin returning to the Bed Inn.

In Anagin’s left hand was a massive sack stuffed with all kinds of valuables, on his left shoulder rested the Giant’s Bed, and in his right hand he was carrying a shattered Pygmalion.

Anagin lifted the broken statue he was holding in his right hand.

“It’s a Pygmalion.”

Sphinx looked at the Pygmalion Anagin had brought back.

With its waist and head smashed, it was closer to something that had once been a Pygmalion than a proper one. The only intact parts were a portion of the upper body and the lower half.

“You don’t know what it is?”

“I do. What I’m asking is why you brought that back.”

“It was interesting. And I wanted to ask you what it was.”

Sphinx felt a wave of dizziness wash over her.

After smashing Procrustes, the inn robber, and saying he was going to the Thieves’ Guild, she’d assumed he was going there to gather information.

Yet he came back looking like he’d caused absolute havoc….

A growing sense of foreboding crept in.

For example, a suspicion that he might have just smashed everything because he was in a bad mood.

Still, Sphinx decided to put her faith in human common sense. Surely, as a person, he wouldn’t do that.

”Didn’t you go to get information?”

“I asked first. What is this?”

Anagin pointed at the broken Pygmalion.

Sphinx’s bad feeling only deepened.

”A Pygmalion is a statue created by a sculptor named Pygmalion. A special one.”

“Pygmalion? The name overlaps, doesn’t it?”

“He named his work after himself. Pygmalion was originally a person’s name, and the works made by that Pygmalion naturally came to be called Pygmalions.”

Pygmalion.

According to Sphinx, he was one of the most renowned practitioners. A master craftsman who, blessed by Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, created living, moving statues.

“That’s fascinating.”

“It’s unusual, but not all that strange. Practitioners aren’t beings who only fight.”

Combat was the most common means, but it wasn’t everything. Practitioners were beings who accumulated merit toward a goal, and the ways of accumulating that merit varied widely.

In any case, Pygmalion was a practitioner blessed by Aphrodite, and using that blessing, he created living statues.

“Of course, the types vary greatly. Some statues can think for themselves, but those are extremely rare. Most just carry out simple commands or move according to their master’s will, like dolls.”

“Then this one would fall into the ‘most’ category.”

The Pygmalion Anagin had brought wasn’t acting on its own—it had moved according to the will of the branch head, who had been controlling it from somewhere far away and safe.

“Is there any way to figure out where the owner is through this?”

“Of course not. Why would you think there’d be a way?”

“I thought maybe some magical something could do it.”

At Anagin’s shameless remark, Sphinx felt a headache coming on. Her faith in humanity eroded just a little more.

“…Mister, don’t tell me the only thing you got from the Thieves’ Guild was one broken Pygmalion?”

”Of course not.”

”Right?”

“I picked up some stuff worth money, too.”

Anagin lifted the sack of treasure in his left hand.

Since he’d gone by carriage, he’d left behind his usual Interspatial Bag—the damn heavy one—so he’d had to haul things back in such an inconvenient way.

Anagin thought he might need to come up with a way to carry his Interspatial Bag more lightly. Normally, it wasn’t an issue when moving around, but sometimes he’d need to ride something.

“Wow, impressive. But still, weren’t you supposed to get information?”

“I failed.”

Just as the branch head had said, even after thoroughly ransacking the Thieves’ Guild, there hadn’t been a shred of that information.

He’d questioned the scattered underlings, but all they said was that such information was managed solely by the boss.

“That’s not strange. The core of the Thieves’ Guild is a small group with special skills, and most of the rest are just hired thugs, so they might not know…. Still, that’s odd. Didn’t he even try to make a deal, saying he’d give you the information?”

“He did.”

“…Then?”

“I didn’t listen and just smashed him. Said I’d find it myself.”

“…Why?”

“Because I don’t like him.”

Anagin didn’t hide what had happened with the branch head.

Even thinking back on it now, he didn’t regret the choice.

The bastard had put out a doll in his place instead of showing himself, which rubbed him the wrong way—if he’d made a deal with him, it would’ve felt disgusting.

Of course, Sphinx, listening to all this, felt like she was about to burst.

“Mister, you really are…….”

And yet, strangely enough, Sphinx didn’t feel that angry.

Anagin’s shamelessly confident attitude drained even the will to get angry.

There was also the thought of what’s the point of arguing now.

“Haa…, what happened to the Thieves’ Guild?”

“Probably smashed.”

Since he hadn’t dismantled them systematically and had just smashed whatever he could get his hands on, he couldn’t be sure the Thieves’ Guild was completely destroyed.

However, it was certain they’d taken massive damage.

Anyone who looked like a member of the Thieves’ Guild had been smashed by the Giant’s Bed, breaking something somewhere, and the buildings had been wrecked too. On top of that, all the kidnapped people had escaped.

They’d taken damage so severe that they wouldn’t be able to function properly for quite some time.

“I expected as much, but hearing it still surprises me.”

“Thanks.”

“That’s not a compliment…. So what’s the plan now?”

“The plan was for you to use magic to find the branch head’s location, and then I’d go beat him down, but since you say that’s not possible, I don’t really know. I’m a bit disappointed.”

”I’m also getting more and more disappointed in people... For now, let’s leave the city.”

Sphinx moved to wake the sleeping children.

“Even if it’s the back alleys, you turned the city upside down, so the city guard won’t just sit still. And the people who were taking bribes from the Thieves’ Guild are probably furious, too. Let me say this just in case, don’t try to fight the city guard.”

It was an obvious thing she normally wouldn’t even need to say, but her opponent was Anagin. Sphinx warned him sternly.

A practitioner family, the Forest Brotherhood, and now the Thieves’ Guild as enemies—and if he turned the city against him too, he’d truly be making enemies on all sides.

A level where there’d be no place left to find rest.

Fortunately, Anagin went along with what Sphinx said.

“I know that much.”

“For someone who knows, don’t you think you caused a bit too much trouble?”

“Well, that’s….”

Anagin trailed off.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

It was because the presence of many people was detected outside.

Not only Anagin, but Sphinx too seemed to sense it, as she went to the window and soon saw the guards surrounding the place.

“They moved a lot faster than I expected.”

Not just the timing—the way they’d formed the encirclement was no joke.

The guard of Stas Polis seemed fairly well-trained.

If this weren’t because of the Thieves’ Guild, it’d be impressive enough to admire.

“Mister—”

“If their attention gets split, can you get the kids out?”

“Don’t tell me….”

“Don’t worry. I’ll deal with them a bit and then slip out.”

Anagin said confidently.

He had the skill to back it up, but even so, Sphinx couldn’t completely shake her unease.

After all, Stas Polis had a few Gigants stationed here.

“How do you even know that? You just arrived in this city, you wouldn’t have had time to learn something like that.”

“…I heard bits and pieces back when I was the Witch’s apprentice.”

“Hah, you should’ve told me earlier. Well, it doesn’t really matter. Don’t worry about it and just take the kids and get out. I’ll follow soon.”

Sphinx had no choice but to comply.

In the current situation, that was the only thing she could do—and before she could even voice another opinion, Anagin had already gone out the window.

The moment she confirmed Anagin had left, Sphinx moved.

Without waking the children, who were still asleep from inhaling the sleeping smoke, she decided to carry them out as they were.

Waking them would only cause a commotion.

Just as she was about to move—

An unbelievable voice came from outside.

“Hero of the Outskirts, Anagin! The City Lord requests your presence!”

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(T/N): In Greek mythology, Pygmalion was a sculptor who carved an ivory statue of a woman so perfect that he fell in love with her. Moved by his devotion, the goddess Aphrodite brought the statue to life. She was called Galatea.