Anagin Chronicles Chapter 99

Chapter 099. The Groom Tournant (1)

Silence.

A heavy silence fell over the sparring arena, broken only by the sound of breathing and sweat dripping.

Just minutes ago, cheers filled with excitent had been roaring through the air…

In that weighty stillness stood two n.

Anagin and leager.

More precisely, Anagin was trying to stab leager after snatching a spear, and leager was blocking it.

Drip. Drip.

Sweat poured from Anagin’s entire body as he thrust the spear with veins bulging from the strain, while leager raised one hand into the air and halted the spear in place.

He was blocking it using the blessing [Protection of the Spear], which was far more efficient this way.

Thanks to that, both of leager’s hands were relatively free.

He could have grabbed another spear at any mont and stabbed Anagin.

Or driven in a punch as he had earlier.

“……”

However, for so reason, leager could not bring himself to do so.

If he did, it would feel as though he were running away.

And in truth, he had already used two blessings against a practitioner who had received none.

[Protection of the Spear] and [Instant Acceleration].

If he avoided this head-on clash now, it would truly feel like retreat.

No—beyond simple retreat, in a sense, it could even be considered defeat.

That he, called a great hero, had fought like this against soone without a single blessing.

Of course, it was a spar, and he had adjusted to Anagin’s level.

Even so.

Honestly, he was sowhat surprised.

He had clearly been pressing Anagin one-sidedly.

He had nearly knocked him out of the arena with a spear, and in spear combat, he had overwheld him throughout.

Not even a single exchange had passed without Anagin’s spears breaking, snapping, bending, shattering, leaving more wounds across his body.

And yet, leager felt as though he had not pressed him as much as expected.

Perhaps it was Anagin’s attitude—continuing to fight back as if accustod to such pressure—and his persistent attempts at counterattacks.

He had assud Anagin was no ordinary man since he had fought against Erysichthon, but this was beyond imagination.

He had thought that ancient monster had rely toyed with him on a whim, but perhaps…

As these thoughts passed through his mind, leager rolled his eyes and glanced around.

The spectators who had been excited at his apparent advantage had fallen silent.

Startled by how events had unfolded differently than imagined… no, even before that, they were likely stunned that Anagin had fought leager to this extent.

If leager himself was surprised, how much more so the others?

He had to admit it.

This man nad Anagin was remarkable.

He had heard that his rough temperant had nearly caused trouble several tis, but at this level, he certainly had the ability to back it up.

However…

Recognition was one thing. leager had his own position to consider.

If this spar dragged on any longer, it could harm not only his reputation but also that of Chiron Tower.

It was ti to truly end this.

With that thought, he moved the hand controlling the spear to shake Anagin off—

“…Huh?”

Sothing felt different.

Though the spear was under his control, for so reason, it did not move as he intended.

The spear trembled in midair, frozen in place.

Was Anagin holding it purely by strength?

It was possible—but only a few could manage such a feat.

And it did not quite feel like re brute force.

If it were only strength, how to describe it… It felt foreign.

As leager puzzled over that strange sensation—

The spear Anagin was gripping moved, just a little… just a very little, closer toward leager.

“……”

leager’s eyes widened, and an indescribable surge of emotion welled up.

Different from when he first hunted a monster.

Different from when he faced villains.

Different from when he stood alone against thousands of soldiers…

This feeling reminded him of that ti.

When he had faced the bishop of the Barbaroi Cult, who radiated an utterly alien presence.

In that mont, leager’s heart raced slightly. The reason that had been matching his opponent's skill diminished, and instead, the instinct obsessed with victory and defeat surged.

The instinct that seized control rendered its judgnt—

—Click!

A sound broke the silence.

Though not loud, it pierced everyone’s ears.

Naturally, all heads turned to identify its source.

Among them were Anagin and leager.

“What are you doing?”

The first to speak was Anagin.

Because the one who had made the sound was Ponytail.

“I saw sothing interesting, so I took a photo.”

Holding a wide wooden board in both hands, Ponytail spouted sothing incomprehensible.

Before anyone could question it, he explained.

“Oh, you don’t know what a photo is, right? It’s a recently invented magical tool, this.”

He turned the wooden board around to show them.

A sheet of paper was fitted in its center, and soon ink seeped across it, forming a single image.

The image depicted Anagin attempting to stab leager with a spear.

It was so detailed that it perfectly captured the fighting spirit within Anagin.

“……”

When Ponytail finished explaining, silence returned.

But it was different from before.

The earlier silence had been heavy, sothing building toward a peak.

Now, it felt as though sothing was about to explode.

“…Who are you?”

Soone standing near Ponytail asked.

The atmosphere was as thin as ice about to crack.

Yet Ponytail, either oblivious or uncaring, rely wore his characteristic irritating smile.

“Ah, ? Klephthys, junior reporter of Talaria Weekly. Pleasure to et you?”

“Kle… phthys?”

The man who had asked for his na slowly repeated it.

Others reacted similarly.

Eyes narrowed sharply, teeth clenched slightly, brows furrowed.

Because Klephthys was…

“You know ? …Ah! Have you read my article? …「The Practitioner Killer Who Protected Practitioners from Erysichthon! Turns Out He’s a Practitioner Protector?!」 Thanks to that, I got promoted from trainee to junior reporter!”

With a smirk, Ponytail openly admitted to writing the article that had struck Chiron Tower like a reverse scale.

In front of countless people.

“…………”

The silence intensified, ready to burst at any mont.

Of course, they all retained their reason—for now…

But Ponytail did not remain still.

Standing atop the fragile atmosphere like thin ice, he suddenly began to dance.

“Oh, but looks like I’ll get promoted again. I’ve captured the mont when the great hero leager was just about to be defeated by the Practitioner Protector! What should I title it? 「The Practitioner Protector Who Topples the Hero of Chiron Tower」? Or simply 「Has-Been」?”

As if he had no attachnt to his life, Ponytail once again recited headlines that would set Chiron Tower ablaze.

He was not a fool who lacked awareness.

So it had to be one of two things.

Either he truly wished to die.

Or he had sothing to rely on.

Most likely…

“Is there a spar going on?”

The latter.

“M-Master?”

Chiron appeared at the entrance without a sound.

He rarely showed himself except at spars he personally presided over. His sudden arrival drew all attention.

Why had the Master suddenly co here?

Because of leager? Or… because of Anagin? Was he perhaps intending to take him as a disciple?

As various thoughts ran through everyone’s minds—

Chiron himself revealed the reason for his visit.

“Irida.”

“Y-Yes? Yes, Master!!”

Irida of the Wind, a mber of the New Argonaut Expedition Team, answered stiffly, clearly nervous.

She thought she had grown accustod to the Master, yet at tis like this, she still tensed up.

“Where is your sister?”

“Uh, my sister went outside the Tower to hunt. She said she wanted so fresh air for once.”

“For once?”

Anagin, who had been listening quietly, muttered.

Sothing about “for once” sounded strange.

Did that an a woman capable of standing alongside leager had been confined sowhere?

Regardless, Chiron continued.

“Tell your sister to co to as soon as she returns. There is sothing to convey.”

“May I ask… what that ssage is?”

“Your father has sent word.”

“F-Father?”

Irida’s expression darkened, as if she had encountered soone she ought not et.

She was not the only one whose expression soured.

Across from Anagin, leager’s face also darkened.

His expression clouded with dissatisfaction, irritation, and a strange sorrow. There was even a sense that he was holding sothing back.

As confusion lingered, Chiron drove the point ho.

“He says the Groom Competition will resu, so she should co without delay.”

* * *

After Chiron revealed his purpose and left, everything fizzled out.

The spar between Anagin and leager ended without a victor, and the people who had been glaring at Ponytail only monts ago naturally dispersed.

It left behind a dirty feeling, as if sothing had been left unfinished.

Yet it wasn’t easy to press the matter.

leager clearly looked to be in a bad mood.

He seed angry sowhere deep inside, yet also sorrowful, making it awkward to suggest continuing the fight.

And despite appearances, Anagin had a surprisingly considerate side.

So Anagin went to do what he had to do.

He headed straight down to the underground prison to bring out Pais, who was locked up.

“Is this really okay?”

Sphinx asked as she followed Anagin with Kori.

She agreed with rescuing Pais, but she was worried about whether this was truly acceptable.

“Okay or not, they’re the ones who failed to wrap things up properly. What do you want to do?”

Anagin replied casually.

If it beca an issue later, he’d deal with it then.

For now, he intended to get Pais—the brat—out first.

Sphinx, seeming to agree, asked no further questions, and Kori quietly felt relief and joy.

Having once imagined never being able to save her younger brother, she was all the happier.

“Where are you all going?”

In the midst of this sowhat serious mood, Ponytail joined them naturally with a grin.

“To the underground prison.”

“There’s an underground prison in Chiron Tower?”

“I just found out today, too. But aren’t you a reporter? You didn’t even know that?”

“A reporter’s qualifications are agitation and fabrication, not investigation and knowledge. That’s what amateurs do.”

“My headache’s coming back.”

Sphinx complained again at Ponytail’s nonsense.

Looking aggrieved, Ponytail said to her,

“I don’t know what kind of illusions you have about reporters, but this is reality… Anyway, why the underground prison? Trying to break soone out?”

“Not a jailbreak. Just getting a kid out who’s locked up.”

“People generally agreed to call that a jailbreak… So what did the kid do to get thrown in an underground prison?”

Anagin gave a brief explanation.

That a fight had broken out because of the article he wrote, and in the process, Pais had nearly crushed so kid’s eyeball.

Hearing that, Ponytail looked genuinely delighted.

“Oh, my article had that much impact? I love it!”

(T/N) : LOL

Not sothing to say in front of Kori, Pais’s family, but Anagin let it slide.

He already knew what kind of guy Ponytail was. Saying anything would be pointless—better to just get Pais out.

Anagin went down into the underground prison and t Pais again.

“B-Big brother?”

He looked like he wanted to ask if Anagin had won the bet.

Instead of answering, Anagin bent the iron bars open.

“Co out.”

Pais stepped out of the cell, his face brightening.

With their business done, they were heading back out of the underground prison when they ran into so familiar faces.

The guy who had been screaming that Pais nearly burst his little brother’s eyeball—and his friends.

Tramachus, Irida, and leager were nowhere to be seen.

It was just them.

“Move.”

Anagin said to the ones who had appeared late.

“Move so we can get out.”

He neither knew nor cared why they were there or why they were blocking the way.

They could either attack or step aside. That was their choice.

They looked at Anagin. Their eyes wavered.

After a brief pause, they obediently stepped aside, clearing a path.

Seeing his fierce battle with leager had broken their spirit.

Anagin had no interest in that.

He simply walked between them as if it were only natural, followed by Sphinx, the children, and Ponytail.

They exited without any interference.

Seeing things resolve more smoothly than expected, Sphinx let out a sigh.

“Haah… I’m glad there wasn’t any clash.”

“The people who’d back them up are probably busy right now.”

Ponytail muttered as if he knew sothing.

Normally, Anagin would have ignored him, but this ti he was curious.

“Tramachus? leager?”

“Yeah.”

“Why are they busy?”

“You heard it too, didn’t you? The Groom Competition.”

The Groom Competition Chiron had ntioned.

Even after hearing that, Anagin found it harder to understand.

Wasn’t the Groom Competition about Atalanta? Then why were Tramachus and leager busy? More importantly…

“What exactly is the Groom Competition?”

“It’s a competition to choose Atalanta’s groom… Ah, why don’t you go take a look too?”