Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Wanted (2)

“Ascetic killer?”

The bounty hunter lay there with both legs broken.

Anagin muttered as he looked down at him.

*Ascetic killer… huh.*

“Ugh…” “It hurts…” “Ghk… urgh…”

Anagin glanced at the other bounty hunters sprawled around. All of them were groaning in pain.

“You’re all too loud. Want to hurt on the inside, or want me to help?”

Since he really seemed like he might help, the bounty hunters clamped their mouths shut.

It hurt, and it was unfair, but what could they do? If they hadn’t wanted this, they shouldn’t have suddenly fired arrows. Watching from a distance had already been annoying enough, and they’d shot at him right as he was about to eat. They should be grateful he hadn’t killed them.

Once the surroundings went quiet, Anagin sank back into thought.

*Ascetic killer… huh.*

It was a pretty impressive title, but he couldn’t understand why he’d been given it.

“You smashed up a perfectly fine Ascetic Family and expected nothing to happen?”

Sphinx, who had vanished like the wind when the bounty hunters ambushed him with arrows, reappeared like the wind to scold him.

“I knew something would happen. What felt off to me was the title ‘Ascetic killer.’ I did break a jaw, crush a face, and snap some ribs, but I didn’t kill anyone.”

“…Isn’t that worse?”

She said that, but Sphinx thought it was strange too.

He’d wrecked an Ascetic Family, so a bounty being posted was only natural. Not just the family that suffered the damage—other Ascetic Families nearby would want to make an example of him too.

*Even if they squabble and fight among themselves, they don’t want the Ascetic Families as a whole to look like a joke…*

What Sphinx found strange was the title “Ascetic killer” itself.

If you wanted someone caught, you normally just posted a bounty. You didn’t go out of your way to give them a title like Ascetic killer.

*And besides, ‘Ascetic killer’ is… too strange. It’s ominous, sure, but it’s also way too grand, isn’t it?*

Names held power.

Feeling a peculiar sense of unease, Sphinx rummaged through the bounty hunters’ packs.

Meanwhile, Anagin mulled it over for a moment, then reached a conclusion.

“Well, I guess it’s better than ‘Ascetic Smasher’? The ring of it…”

“Oppa. Don’t say weird things and come look at this.”

“What is it, Pinku Pinku.”

“I told you not to call me Pinku Pinku.”

“Don’t wanna, Pinku Pinku.”

Sphinx ground her teeth, but still held out the bundle of papers she’d found in the bounty hunters’ packs.

“What’s that?”

“A newspaper.”

“A newspaper?”

“It’s where they gather all sorts of news from around the world and write it down. Talaria Weekly publishes it once a week.”

“Talaria Weekly… I’ve heard of it. Someone told me I might end up in it.”

“Good instincts. I don’t know who told you, but they were right. Take a look.”

Anagin did as he was told.

【Regional News】 「Breaking: The Ascetic Killer Appears!」

On the back page, in the Regional News column, there was a short but eye-catching headline—along with a portrait.

“Oh, I don’t know who this is, but that’s a handsome face.”

“…I’m not sure about handsome, but the important thing is that Talaria Weekly ran a story about you, Oppa. Even if it is just the Regional News column.”

“I don’t really know what Talaria Weekly is, but is it that big a deal to be in it?”

“Depends on how you look at it. Depending on how Talaria writes the article, the world could see you as a villain or as a hero.”

“So it’s nothing special.”

Anagin reacted as if it were no big deal. He didn’t care how the world saw him.

“The problem is it’s not just about how they see you—it can actually make things troublesome. Most Ascetics want to make a name for themselves by catching villains, and if there’s money involved, even types like these get dragged in.”

At the words “types like these,” the bounty hunter group, the Seven Hunters, bit down hard.

They had made a name for themselves in Anapic, where lawless land still outnumbered the rest, and Sphinx’s words filled them with deep humiliation and rage.

But none of them dared show it.

Because there was a monster who had pinpointed their position—hidden perfectly as they were, firing a lethal shot—and ripped up a tree to hurl at them…

They’d known Giants were strong, but not to that degree. And he had good instincts on top of it.

Thanks to that, the bounty hunters had taken heavy losses from the start, never even got to properly carry out their plan, and ended up with every single one of them with broken legs.

“I’m fine with it. I live in the forest, so I’ve dealt with plenty of flies.”

Unlike Sphinx’s worry, Anagin maintained that it was no big deal.

In truth, it was less that he was indifferent or had no sense of danger, and more that he’d already steeled himself—that was why he reacted this way.

He still didn’t have a gut-level understanding of what an Ascetic really was, but even Anagin could predict that countless conflicts would arise along the way.

After all, weren’t Ascetics beings who accumulated Karma to reach a higher station?

It would’ve been stranger if there were no conflict.

That was why Anagin had no intention of getting shaken or making a fuss over something like this.

If they came, he’d hit them back. If he couldn’t overcome them, he’d simply fall.

It just meant he’d only ever been at that level to begin with.

More than anything…

“These guys coming isn’t all bad.”

“Why?”

“Because I can pick up free food, clothes, shoes, blankets, pots, and stuff like that.”

Anagin pointed at the bounty hunters’ packs.

Sure enough, rummaging through them turned up high-grade sausages, a blanket enchanted with warming magic, leather shoes, belts, daggers, a crossbow with magic-laced bolts, a waterskin that kept water cool—it was practically a treasure chest.

“Oh, Pinku Pinku. Take this, it’s a gift.”

“Haa, what is it?”

Sphinx, seemingly having given up by now, didn’t deny her new name, Pinku Pinku. She had accepted the new name!

What Anagin held out was a pot, a knife, a cutting board, and a ladle—all well-maintained and in good condition.

“…You’re calling this a gift.”

“It’s better than what you had before. You’ll be able to cook the food you like even better.”

“I don’t like cooking.”

“No, you do.”

“I don’t.”

“You do.”

“I said I don’t.”

“I’m telling you, you do. I can keep this up all night. Do you like cooking or not?”

“Ah, seriously! Fine, I like it! Happy now?!”

“Happy!”

Anagin answered loudly. Food tastes better when it’s cooked by a happy person. Anagin was satisfied by the fact that he’d get to eat tastier meals.

“Now let’s eat. The stew’s done, right?”

“No, we can’t eat.”

“Why?”

Anagin asked, flustered.

She’d been preparing it since earlier—all that was left was to boil it. Why couldn’t they eat?

Instead of answering, Sphinx pointed at the pot, knocked over by an arrow.

It had been tipped over when the bounty hunters attacked.

Anagin stared blankly at the overturned pot.

The bounty hunters felt a sudden terror.

Even Sphinx was starting to worry when Anagin spoke.

“…I think I’ve been too careless.”

“Please don’t say that in such a serious voice in a situation like this.”

“If it were just me, fine, but I can’t let this happen when I’ve got companions.”

“The stew isn’t a companion. Am I worth less than the stew?”

“I need to solve the root of the problem.”

“Now I’m scared.”

“I’ll go tell whoever posted the bounty to take it down.”

“Do you even know who they are?”

Most likely an Ascetic Family from this region, but she asked because she was curious what Anagin would do.

“I’ll find out starting now.”

Anagin picked up the crossbow he’d picked up earlier. It wasn’t to his taste, so he’d planned to keep it and sell it, but he changed his mind.

After loading a bolt into the crossbow, Anagin asked one of the fallen bounty hunters.

“Who’s your leader?”

Silence was the answer.

Anagin placed his foot on the fallen bounty hunter’s head and applied a bit of pressure.

*Krrrk…!*

“Agh! Th-that guy! It’s him!!”

Feeling the ominous pressure on his head, the bounty hunter pointed to one side. It was a bounty hunter leaning against a tree with both legs broken. No wonder he’d held out a bit longer.

The leader, having been singled out, shouted in alarm.

“W-wait, we don’t know who posted the bounty! We’re bounty hunters, not contractors! Bounties are usually posted anonymously, so we don’t know either!”

“Then tell me where your comrades are. They might know.”

“…?!”

The bounty hunters were all startled.

Recently, they’d felt the limits of the power struggles in Anapic and had joined a newly formed organization.

It wasn’t a secret, but not many people knew either. And yet he knew.

The bounty hunter leader asked in shock.

“H-how do you know that?”

“Because I saw the Comm Shell.”

Anagin pointed to the Comm Shell, a magic tool he’d found among the packs.

The bounty hunter looked bewildered.

And for good reason—the Comm Shell was a recently made magic tool, so while it might be recognized in Hellas, few in Anapic could identify it yet. That was exactly why they’d carried it around.

“I’ve seen something similar before. But there’s only one here. Which means there’s another place you’re communicating with.”

When luck’s bad, you trip over your own feet and still bust your nose—the bounty hunters were living proof. To be found out like this.

With their hand exposed, the bounty hunters exchanged glances and went silent.

Loyalty in this world wasn’t that deep, but even that depended on the situation.

Thoroughly crushed and about to lose most of their possessions, selling out their last refuge was—

—*Thwack!*

Anagin fired the crossbow at the bounty hunter leader, whose head was swimming in confusion.

Right next to his head.

“Ah, it’s my first time using this weapon, so I missed. One moment.”

Anagin calmly loaded another bolt into the crossbow.

“If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to. I’ll just do whatever I want anyway.”

Anagin aimed the crossbow.

“Either way, there are six more mouths that can talk.”

“…!”

“I’ll count to three. If you don’t want to talk, don’t. One, two, three—”

“W-wait!”

Just as Anagin was about to say three.

The bounty hunter leader declared his surrender.

---

“Galbi stew is served.”

Vast, sprawling Anapic.

An old castle that was little better than a ruin.

A man who looked like a cook set down a stew, thick with beef ribs simmered until tender.

“Oh, the smell!”

At the powerful aroma, a man built like a bull leaned forward and shouted. The chair creaked under his weight.

“It’s for the leader, so I put more care into it than the others’.”

The cook, a large ladle slung over his shoulder, gestured outside. Outside, his comrades were eating.

Twenty-five in total. Counting the ones who’d gone out, thirty-two.

“This is why I like you. You’re the best cook!”

“How did I end up as the cook? I should’ve won on the first day’s cooking duty.”

“Heheheh!”

The leader laughed and tore into a rib. The thick meat was remarkably tender.

The leader smiled, seemingly satisfied.

The cook casually sat down.

“Leader. Are you really going to leave this place?”

“That again? You that sad to leave?”

“Of course I’m sad. After all we did to settle here.”

Anapic was vast. There were more chaotic places than orderly ones—but that wasn’t necessarily bad.

Because it was chaotic, some people thrived.

Namely, the Watchers of the Old Castle—the group the cook and the leader belonged to.

From the perspective of the vast land, villages and cities were just dots. The rest was mostly unclaimed land, lawless land.

And in places like that, there were countless debtors, escaped slaves, and wanted criminals.

Capture them and bring them in, and they turned into money—grateful beings…

Anapic had many stragglers who’d fled from Hellas, so there were all the more of those grateful targets.

The Watchers of the Old Castle leveraged that environment, growing from three members to just over thirty.

A result of both skill and luck, perhaps.

At first they’d caught powerless escaped slaves and debtors, but later they’d caught dangerous wanted criminals too.

Among them were Giants. It hadn’t been easy, but with planning, equipment, numbers, and skilled fighters combined, it wasn’t an impossible level to handle. Then again, if you couldn’t catch a Giant, the world would be ruled by Giants—so it was only natural.

In any case, the Watchers of the Old Castle spent their days like that. They weren’t bad days. Steady growth fattened not just the body, but the soul.

But now they’d felt their limits, and felt the need to take a step forward.

Just as muscles only grow with greater stimulus, they needed greater stimulus.

And then a problem arose.

“Of all people, you had to go and prod them.”

Kigos, leader of the Watchers of the Old Castle, lamented. The cook retorted.

“Honestly, didn’t they prod us first? They were originally from Hellas!”

“That’s not what matters. What matters is who wins if you fight.”

Kigos spoke the world’s truth, but the cook didn’t give up.

“They’re still new to Anapic, so if we fight alongside the surrounding groups, couldn’t we drive them out?”

“No, no. From what I’ve tested, the difference in class is too big. More than anything, the rumors aren’t good. There’s talk they’ll come in properly, with even their executives. It’s too early.”

“Damn it. They say a rolling stone knocks out the embedded one…”

“Still, we’ve secured our business foundation properly, so we should take comfort in that.”

“Will there ever be a time to deal with those?”

The cook mentioned the goods below the old castle.

“There are plenty of places to sell. If worst comes to worst, we can sell them to the Babaroi… More than that, haven’t these guys contacted us?”

“Right, it’s about time they did.”

“Don’t tell me those bastards went and poked around on their own again?”

“Would they? The guy’s called the Ascetic killer—would they really?”

“Maybe? Who knows. The forest is their own backyard… Plus, they’ve got experience catching a Giant before, so their guts might’ve gotten bigger. This won’t do. Let’s contact them first from our side—”

—*Boom!!*

Old as it was, the castle shook with a great noise.

A sudden bad feeling.

The cook and Kigos rose at the same time and looked outside through the window.

An enormous log was flying toward them.

And only one word came to mind.

“The Ascetic killer…….”