Anagin Chronicles

Chapter 133

Sphinx was astonished.The reactions of the others weren’t much different.

Tramachus, Thyreos, and Lynceus all looked like they were wondering what the hell he was suddenly doing, while Sanchonius outright showed a worried expression.

There was no need to even mention the village bandits. Anagin was trying to use their belongings however he pleased to do something completely absurd.

Right now, Anagin was about to expose his identity on the Freedom’s Thread, whose defining advantage was anonymity.

Something truly unheard of.

For a moment, it seemed like he might just be joking, but he wasn’t.

Sphinx simply wrote on Freedom’s Thread as instructed.

“Phew... I’ve finished writing it all.”

“What about the reaction?”

“There is one. Quite a lot, actually.”

Sphinx unfolded Freedom’s Thread to show him.

[What is this?]

[The Cautious Collector is the Practitioner Killer?]

[Bullshit. Don’t joke around.]

[What the hell is this all of a sudden?]

[Damn... something interesting is happening.]

.

.

.

Just as Sphinx said, there was quite a reaction.

The posts that began appearing one after another the moment it was uploaded were proof.

Most didn’t believe it, thought it was ridiculous, or dismissed it as some kind of prank, but that didn’t matter.

What mattered was that it had drawn attention.

“Brother, more comments are coming in. Most are telling us to stop spouting nonsense and muddying things up. What should we do?”

Sphinx urged him to dictate the next post. The reaction was blazing hot, but like fire, it was cooling just as fast.

Whatever he was thinking, if he had a plan, it was time to make the next move.

“Write: I’m not the Practitioner Killer. I’m Anagin, you pieces of shit.”

(T/N): HAHAHAHAHA!

“.......”

Sphinx looked at him as if asking if he was serious, then wrote exactly what he said.

[Kekeke, what is this? Some kind of roleplay?]

[This is getting boring....]

[I don’t know who you are, Cautious Collector, but I know you’re not the Practitioner Killer.]

Naturally, the response was disastrous.

No one believed it, and the atmosphere only grew colder.

Then Anagin spoke again.

“Of course, the Cautious Collector isn’t me. I just took over this Freedom’s Thread, and I’m using it.”

Stop.

The mocking and distrustful posts halted for a few seconds.

“The Cautious Collectors turned out to be a bunch called the village bandits. They tried to rob me, so I robbed them instead.”

The tone of the posts began to change.

Once he mentioned the user of that Freedom’s Thread specifically, some people started to wonder.

Of course, far more still didn’t believe it, but at least an atmosphere formed where people were willing to hear him out.

That was because among the users, a few had already figured out the identity of the Cautious Collector.

As the mood shifted, posts began pouring in again.

Most of them questioned why he was revealing his identity and what his intentions were.

“I don’t like pesky flies buzzing around me.”

[What the hell, you bastard?]

[Ohohoho! This is fun.]

[Ah, shit. What is this? A provocation?]

[Do you think you’re something special just because you took down a bishop with a gang?]

Sphinx felt like this wasn’t right, but still wrote exactly what Anagin told her to. Naturally, the reaction exploded.

Even though Freedom’s Thread guaranteed anonymity, most users still followed certain rules and etiquette.

Not because they were humble or polite, but because they had to be in order to get what they wanted through Freedom’s Thread.

Those who didn’t were ostracized and ultimately failed to obtain what they sought.

In severe cases, they were even identified and killed.

That was why everyone maintained a certain line within “Freedom’s Thread.”

To gain benefits more smoothly, and also because of a faint sense of camaraderie from using the same rare magical tool.

But Anagin had just completely crossed that line.

And this was practically his first time using Freedom’s Thread.

Perhaps because of that, the other users didn’t seem so much angry as they were intrigued by the situation. It was just too far outside common sense.

Regardless, Anagin continued speaking.

“I find it annoying how you flies keep buzzing around me just to scrape together a few gold coins. So, I’m thinking of giving you all a chance.”

[??]

[What kind of chance are you giving, you son of a bitch?]

[Ha, arrogant bastard.]

Some were genuinely curious, others sarcastic, others angry.

The reactions varied, but it was clear that everyone was paying attention.

A strange tension filled the air, and Sphinx looked at Anagin.

The others around them did the same.

One second, two seconds, three seconds passed before Anagin spoke.

He named the location he had mentioned to Sanchonius.

“......I’m heading there now, and I won’t be leaving for a while. So if you want the Coins of Greed, come find me.”

A one-sided announcement.

Naturally, no one believed it so easily.

There was a high chance he was lying. Honestly, that was far more likely.

Revealing his identity and even stating his destination while everyone was targeting him made no sense.

If a rich man went around announcing the location of his vault and even left his front gate open, wouldn’t that obviously be a trap?

But what if it wasn’t?

That didn’t make things any less complicated.

Countless people were after the Coins of Greed. Could anyone really secure them in a situation like that?

As thoughts tangled and spiraled—

Anagin told Sphinx to write one last post.

“......You really want me to write this?”

“What? Should I write something fake instead?”

At Anagin’s urging, Sphinx reluctantly wrote it.

And soon after, the information-sharing board exploded with a level of activity rarely seen.

[Why? Scared?]

* * *

The reaction was explosive.

Because of the nature of Freedom’s Thread, people were holding back to some extent, but most of its users were superhumans with powers far beyond ordinary people. Naturally, their pride was just as great as their strength.

And Anagin had just scratched at that pride.

Asking if they were too scared to come.

Among those targeting the Coins of Greed, anyone who didn’t show up at the place Anagin mentioned would effectively be admitting they were afraid.

Of course, it was a childish tactic that could simply be ignored, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Those in high positions or with great power tended to be petty and childish about such matters.

The moment they were seen as laughable, someone might try to challenge them.

In any case, the die had already been cast.

Anagin immediately gave orders.

“Sanchonius, can you roughly explain the route?”

“I can, but… weren’t we going together?”

“No, we’re splitting up. Me, Sphinx and the village bandits will go together. The rest of you take a different path from mine.”

“The rest” referred to Sanchonius and the three from the New Argonaut Expedition Team.

At the sudden split, Thyreos voiced his doubt.

“Is there a reason?”

A question that almost sounded like he was accusing Anagin of being considerate toward them.

Anagin brushed it off as nonsense.

“Of course there is. I’ll gather as many of those flies as possible, so you just watch for the right moment and wipe them out.”

He explained that he would head to the designated point with Sphinx and the “meat shields,” drawing in as many enemies as possible, then Tramachus would burn them all down.

With Lynceus’s farsight and Thyreos’ reinforcement added, they might be able to annihilate them in one sweep.

“Since it’s a forest, it should catch fire nicely. I’ll prepare some firewood too.”

“Are you serious?”

The scale of the plan made Tramachus ask again.

“Is there such a thing as fake seriousness? Besides, even if we’ve worked together a few times, it’s not like we can coordinate perfectly in a situation like this.”

That was true.

If looters gathered, it would inevitably turn into a chaotic dogfight, and in that kind of situation, it was doubtful whether Anagin and the New Argonaut Expedition Team trio could truly coordinate.

“If we can’t sync properly anyway, it’s better to move separately. We’ll just share the overall plan and act on our own judgment.”

Though they had questioned it at first, once they heard the explanation, everyone agreed.

Forcing coordination where none existed would be less effective.

Still, there was an obvious issue.

From the plan alone, it was clear that Anagin was taking on all the risk. He was essentially acting as bait.

But no one pointed it out. This wasn’t the first time Anagin had done something like this.

“Alright, I get it. But will it really work?”

“What are you worried about?”

“It’s just… too obvious.”

Anagin’s invitation was, in essence, a lure to avoid being ambushed during travel.

It was completely transparent. The question was how many would actually fall for something so blatant.

“I don’t think we’ll wipe out every fly chasing the Coins of Greed, but we’ll get most of them.”

“Based on what?”

“Greed. If they don’t participate, some random bastards will take the coins. Do you think they can endure that?”

His master had once said that a truly good plan is one that the victim falls for even while knowing it's a trap.

Anagin agreed.

A plan that forces someone's hand even when they see it coming is more impressive than one that can be avoided once figured out.

Most people would come despite their suspicions.

If they didn’t, someone else would benefit instead.

And the more people gathered, the greater that pressure would become. Naturally, they would start watching not just Anagin but each other.

That would split their attention—

And create the perfect environment for Anagin to run wild.

“E-excuse me.......”

Just as they were about to move after finishing their discussion—

The half-dead village chief struggled to speak.

Anagin had Sanchonius treat him a little. If he died now, he’d be useless.

While Sanchonius administered first aid and medicine, the village chief spoke cautiously, yet desperately.

“Please… could you exclude us? We won’t be of any help.”

He tried to appear calm and rational, but the shock his body had endured made his emotions clear.

He was afraid. He understood what kind of situation he had been dragged into.

Among a swarm of beasts chasing the Coins of Greed, he had been forced into the role of bait alongside Anagin.

Anagin answered kindly.

“No, you’ll definitely be useful. Even just increasing the headcount will make us stand out.”

“.......”

The village chief fell silent in despair.

Looking at his slumped figure, Anagin let out a faint chuckle and pulled out his Interspatial Bag, Pairon, from his waist and tossed it into the air.

The bag, which had been hanging quietly, spun on its own—

Then transformed into a massive boar.

“Pairon.”

Kweeeeeeiik—!

With its clear sense of hierarchy, Pairon responded energetically to Anagin’s call.

“Swallow that wooden box. It’s valuable, so be careful with it.”

Anagin pointed at the bandits’ magical tool, the Village Storage Box.

Pairon nodded once, then opened its massive jaws and gulped it down whole.

Everyone nearby stared blankly at the sight.

Anagin gave the next order.

“Next, swallow all of that too.”

He pointed at the pile of the bandits’ wealth that Sanchonius had set aside.

The moment the command was given, Pairon dove in like it had found delicious feed and began devouring it.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Judging by how it ate, Pairon seemed particularly fond of gold and treasures.

“Aaah.......”

The village bandits—men, women, children, and elders alike—let out dazed sounds.

The wealth they had spent their entire lives stealing was now being devoured by some giant boar.

Yet none of them dared protest to Anagin. If they did, they might get kicked to death.

“Don’t worry. It’s an Interspatial Bag. It can spit everything back out later.”

Pairon, who had been happily eating, glanced at Anagin as if to ask what he meant, but when Anagin narrowed his eyes and went, “Hm?”, it immediately shut up and resumed eating.

Anagin then made another offer to the bandit leader.

“If you don’t want to do it, then don’t. But you won’t get paid.”

“.......”

“Decide. Will you help me and take your wages, or will you just run away empty-handed and live in poverty? I’m fine with either.”

“.......”

“Ah? Answer me.”

* * *

The answer was obvious.

There was no way a gang of bandits who had built their wealth by taking others’ lives would give it up.......

In the end, the village chief once again promised to help Anagin and moved together with him according to the plan.

There were no other issues.

He had worried about ambushes or attacks along the way, but surprisingly, there were none. There were a few traces of battles here and there, but still.

Thanks to that, Anagin was able to arrive at the forest Sanchonius had mentioned without trouble.

A deep forest mixed with rocky hills.

Just as Sanchonius said, the paths were subtly complex.

Anagin settled in a suitable spot and waited for the “flies” to gather, practicing a few things in the meantime.

“Just think of it as drawing a picture in your mind.”

Following the village chief’s explanation, Anagin learned how to use the Village Storage Box.

Fortunately, what Anagin had destroyed was limited to the buildings the Village Storage Box had absorbed, so the magical tool itself wasn’t damaged.

As instructed, Anagin placed his hand on the Village Storage Box, pictured things in his mind, and pulled out its contents to construct a temporary village within the forest.

From the entrance, wooden planks poured out and formed buildings—a rather rare sight.

After a few tries, he gradually got the hang of it.

“Amazing. You truly have talent.”

The village chief, whose arm had been torn off and whose leg had been broken, wagged his tail endlessly at the very person who had done it. Well, it was the only way to protect what little he had left.

Using the village chief’s village, Anagin expanded its scale and even combined broken buildings to make intact ones, making good use of his time.

As time passed, the flies began to fill the forest one by one.

There were so many that even the village bandits could tell, and the atmosphere grew tense.

Even so, no one attacked—likely because they were wary of a trap. They also had to keep an eye on the other flies.

Or perhaps they were simply afraid of Anagin.

After all, it was known that he had endured against Erysichthon and even defeated a bishop of the Barbaroi Cult.

In any case, as the standoff dragged on, everyone grew uneasy.

Both those surrounding and those surrounded.

Eventually, unable to endure it any longer, the village chief risked speaking up again.

He asked if they could be released.

No matter how valuable money was, he thought they might truly die if things continued like this.

Well, when death feels imminent, even greed tends to fade.

Anagin stood up.

The village chief flinched in fear.

He seemed worried Anagin might kick his face in, but that didn’t happen.

Instead, Anagin simply went outside and gathered the village bandits in one place.

Then he summoned Pairon and made it spit out all of the bandits’ wealth.

Kweeeiik?

There was the minor issue that Pairon didn’t seem willing, but after some persuasion, it eventually spat everything out.

Everything except the Village Storage Box.

Just as promised.

“Take it.”

Knowing Anagin disliked repeating himself, the village bandits immediately took out their interspatial tools and gathered the piled gold and treasures.

In an open space where everyone could see.

After they had taken everything, Anagin told them they were free to leave.

“Pardon?”

As if they couldn’t believe it, they asked again.

“Why would you keep staying with me?”

Anagin shot the question back at them, and the bandits, startled, hurriedly accepted his goodwill—as if hesitating would make him take it back.

With the opportunity given, the village bandits quickly grouped up and left.

They felt relieved.

They had managed to escape a place that could explode into chaos at any moment.

And just as they cautiously began to leave.

Anagin shouted.

Toward the countless looters hidden within the forest.

“The Coins of Greed are hidden in the village bandits’ luggage!!”