Chapter 179

Chapter 179. Regrouping (5)

‘Want ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍to die?’

‘Yeah, ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍come at me.’

There ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍were a few minor problems, but fortunately, thanks to the people around them stopping them, it did not escalate into a fight.

‘Endure ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍it, Hippocampus. I’m enduring it too.’

‘Brother, ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍stop it. If you don’t, I won’t help either.’

The ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍two women stopped the two men from fighting.

Worried another conflict might break out, the subordinate woman quickly explained to Anagin how to reach the abandoned island.

“If you take the rowboat, you can reach the island without anyone noticing.”

“A rowboat?”

“......There’s a rowboat my younger sisters blessed.”

According to the subordinate woman, there was a rowboat blessed by mermaids—more precisely, by her younger sisters.

Protected by the sea, capable of moving according to its owner’s will, able to travel not only across the surface but beneath the water as well, and even allowing people to breathe freely underwater.......

As Anagin listened to the explanation, he also learned something unexpected.

“My sisters originally gifted it to the people of this fishing village.”

He did not know the full circumstances, but it felt ironic somehow.

If what the subordinate woman said was true, then the people who received their kindness had captured and sold them. Saying it now was pointless, but it was still a rotten situation.

Unable to understand, Anagin asked,

“...Why did they give them something like that?”

“They wanted to spend time and play with the villagers.”

“.......”

He had a lot he wanted to say, but held his tongue.

The subordinate woman’s expression looked genuinely sad and bitter.

She already seemed trapped in a difficult enough situation, and Anagin did not want to throw stones at her too.

But apparently, that consideration alone was not enough.

“Looks like you’ve got a face that wants to mock us.”

The subordinate woman looked at Anagin’s expression and let out a small laugh. It sounded self-deprecating, almost as if she wanted to lament her situation.

Since she had asked directly, Anagin stopped hiding his thoughts.

“I don’t want to mock you, but it does feel like they did something pointless.”

The subordinate woman did not get angry. Instead, she agreed.

“I think the same. In the end, we got captured by the villagers riding that boat.”

Anagin unintentionally learned how the mermaids had been captured.

It seemed they had approached the villagers riding the rowboat and gotten caught.

Oddly enough, the image was hard to picture in his mind. Sea goddesses getting caught by fishermen sitting in a tiny rowboat like fish.... It felt too extreme.

“......Why did they get so close to the people here?”

After hesitating for a moment, Anagin finally asked.

From what he heard, the mermaids had bestowed all kinds of blessings upon this fishing village. Yet in the end, they were betrayed and captured.

The villagers were obviously the ones most at fault, but honestly, it also felt like the mermaids bore some blame too.

They never should have gotten involved with bastards like these in the first place.

As if she had read Anagin’s thoughts, the subordinate woman answered bitterly,

“Who knows. I don’t understand them either. They said things I couldn’t comprehend.”

“What kind of things?”

“They said they were lonely....... Haa, let’s stop talking about this.”

The moment the subordinate woman revealed her emotions, she immediately returned to the main topic. It seemed she had finished venting.

Anagin did not pry any further either.

What he wanted was simply a way to sneak onto the island. If she wanted to vent, he could listen, but otherwise, he had no desire to dig deeper.

“...Anyway, if you take the rowboat, you can avoid the fakes’ eyes and reach the island.”

“That sounds good, but are you sure?”

Anagin asked to confirm. If things went wrong and they got caught midway, they would have to fight in the middle of the sea. That was a situation he wanted to avoid as much as possible.

“Don’t worry! It’s a boat blessed by mermaids, daughters of the sea. The fakes won’t notice it.”

Seeing the subordinate woman flare up, Anagin backed off and said he understood.

He wanted to point out that they had still been captured by those very fakes, but since she had given him a good method, he decided to let it slide.

“Then where’s the rowboat you smuggled out?”

The subordinate woman turned her head toward Horse-head.

Horse-head stared into the subordinate woman’s eyes for a moment before diving underwater. About ten minutes later, he resurfaced.

On his back was a small rowboat covered all over with barnacles, mussels, oysters, coral, moss, and seaweed.

Thud!

When Horse-head placed the rowboat on the ground, a heavy sound rang out, and Anagin examined it.

It looked so old that he wondered whether it could even float properly, but there was something else that bothered him more.

It was only large enough to barely fit two people at most.

After staring at it for a while, Anagin gave his assessment.

“Perfect size.”

* * *

The transport fish doll the mages were preparing.

The rowboat blessed by the mermaids that Horse-head had brought.

With two possible methods to reach the headquarters of the Barbaroi Cult, a new plan formed in Anagin’s mind.

It was not an entirely new plan, merely an adjustment to the original one.......

To carry it out, he needed the mages’ agreement, so Anagin headed toward them immediately. There was no reason to waste time.

“You two come with me too.”

“We too?”

The subordinate woman and Horse-head asked at the same time.

“Of course. No matter what happened in the past, if we’re going to work together, we should at least introduce ourselves.”

When Anagin urged them, the subordinate woman and Horse-head reluctantly followed.

Well, they had things they wanted too.

‘At this point, I guess it’s true that her younger sisters were captured and that she is a self-proclaimed god. Especially the part about her sisters being captured.’

Carrying the rowboat, Anagin brought Sphinx, the subordinate woman, and Horse-head to the mages busily working away.

The bottom of the fishery, where the seawater had not yet fully dried, was soaked with blood, while dozens of men cut open the giant fish’s belly and hauled out its contents.

It resembled a swarm of ants dismembering a small animal and carrying it back to their nest.

The mages directing that swarm of ants soon noticed Anagin.

“You people are.......”

And also the subordinate woman and Horse-head following behind him.

Even without turning around, Anagin could feel the piercing stares of the subordinate woman and Horse-head glaring at him.

They were obviously asking how he intended to explain this.

Naturally, he could not reveal that the subordinate woman was a self-proclaimed god.

If he did, the Magno mages, driven mad by their comrades’ betrayal and deaths, might regain their senses and decide to take only the subordinate woman back with them.

Anagin did not want that either, so he gave a vague explanation.

“This one’s been acquainted with elementals for a long time.”

“What?”

The mages were suspicious at first because of the random statement, but soon accepted it.

The first reason was that humans acquainted with high-ranking elementals were not unheard of, and the second was that Horse-head, trying to save the subordinate woman in the past, now made sense.

More importantly, they were not in a situation where they could waste time scrutinizing every detail.

When Anagin said he had found another way to reach the island where the Barbaroi Cult was located, the mages decided to hear that first.

It seemed their desire for revenge against the fisherman mage was still stronger.

“This rowboat... what was it again?”

Anagin started explaining, then handed it off to Horse-head instead.

Horse-head let out a deep sigh and explained it just like before.

Leaving out the part about the mermaids’ blessing, he emphasized only that it could approach the island without being detected by the Barbaroi Cult.

Naturally, the mages were suspicious first.

“You can really approach without being discovered?”

Since Horse-head had been their enemy until recently, they clearly found it difficult to trust the words of a horse-headed creature. Anagin understood exactly how they felt. Trusting an animal-headed bastard was not easy.

Perhaps sensing their suspicion, Horse-head answered even more curtly.

“I’m confident those bastards won’t notice us, so stop worrying over nothing.”

“Anyone can say that.”

Unlike Anagin, the mages did not let go of their suspicion so easily.

Watching the exchange, Anagin stepped in.

“Don’t worry. He’s an elemental too, so of course he’ll help properly.”

Anagin said this while placing a hand on Horse-head’s shoulder.

Since he had not infused Energy(Γι) into his hand, it passed right through as though touching actual water.

Horse-head stared at Anagin as if asking what nonsense he was spouting.

“What? Are you not coming with us? She’s coming too.”

Anagin pointed at the subordinate woman.

Wasn't it so? It would be funny for the one who wants to save her younger sisters to stay safely alone. She has to follow.

To put it bluntly, if she didn't follow, how would he know whether he should save them or not?

Fortunately, although the subordinate woman was a kidnapper who deceived and abducted people, she was not shameless enough to leave her younger sisters to others.

As if it were only natural, she declared that she would follow Anagin and silently looked at Horse-head.

A wordless pressure asking for help.

Horse-head looked at her with eyes that practically screamed, ‘This is dangerous,’ but eventually surrendered.

“A magical tool rowboat and a high-ranking elemental. Isn’t this enough to slip through the Barbaroi Cult’s surveillance?”

At this point, even the mages could not deny it.

Rather, they openly admitted that infiltrating with the rowboat had a higher chance of success than the fish doll they were making.

At the very least, the fisherman mage should not know about the rowboat, so they might be able to exploit that blind spot.

However, there was still one slight problem with this plan. That was.......

“The rowboat’s too small.”

The rowboat could carry only a very limited number of people.

Even if they squeezed together, two people were the limit, while the combined number of mages and Anagin’s side totaled five. Including the subordinate woman made six.

And that was not the only problem.

“Prios.”

“? You know my name?”

The flame mage looked surprised when Anagin called him by name.

It was not because he had never introduced himself. They had all already done introductions. The reason he was surprised was that Anagin had kept calling him “flame mage” casually as though he could not remember names.

“Of course I do.”

As he said that, Anagin recited the other mages’ names one by one as well.

The defense mage Apisd, the doll mage Neuroma.

The mages looked genuinely surprised that Anagin actually knew their names.

“Well then.......”

“If you knew our names, why didn’t you use them until now?”

“Ah, because I thought I might grow attached.”

“What?”

“Let’s be honest, we weren’t exactly in a relationship where we could trust each other, were we?”

“...And now we can trust each other?”

“At the very least, we all have a clear goal now.”

The mages could not deny that.

“Anyway, what I want to ask is whether you people can properly fight if you split up.”

He was not insulting them as weaklings.

If anything, they were all highly capable. Even Anagin acknowledged that.

He already knew after watching them fight a couple of times.

The doll mage’s dolls were strong and came in wide varieties, while the flame mage’s firepower was powerful enough to roast hundreds of fish-men.

The defense mage was the same. Not only could he block most attacks, but he could even use barriers to create temporary terrain.

And when they combined their strength, their power multiplied several times over.

But conversely, that also meant that if they fought separately, their combat power would fall to only a fraction of its normal level.

“From what I can tell, you guys only really show your full strength when you move as one.”

“...You noticed even that?”

“I’m observant. So what’s the answer?”

“It’s true. We each specialize in different magic, so we become vulnerable if we split up. So what are you trying to say?”

“I want us to split into two groups.”

Anagin finally got to the main point.

The mages fought best together, and the rowboat’s size was limited anyway.

So he proposed that the mages and Anagin split up and move separately.

“Me, Pinku-Pinku, and this person will take the rowboat. You mages, ride the fish doll. Pinku-Pinku can transform into a cat, so it should be fine, right?”

“...Sounds like you’ve got an ulterior motive.”

The mage narrowed his eyes suspiciously, and Anagin did not bother denying it.

“Yeah, I do. I’m planning to use you as bait.”

“Bait?”

“No matter how I think about it, the fisherman mage probably already knows your methods, so if you go in riding the fish, you’ll probably get caught. So I think it’d be better if you attract their attention while we infiltrate secretly.”

“.......”

The mages neither got angry nor denied it.

They had already expected the fisherman mage to anticipate their methods and prepare countermeasures, and they themselves admitted that they could not properly display their full strength unless they moved together.

After a brief silence, the mages spoke.

“So you’re saying you’ll take responsibility and go?”

“If you’ve got a better idea, say it.”

“......How are we dividing the spoils?”

“I’m tired of dancing around it, so I’ll be honest. Let’s just let whoever’s capable take what they can. Ugly One or the fisherman mage. But even if I gobble up everything after cooking it myself, don’t complain about it.”

Anagin did not hide his intention to kill Ugly One and strengthen Beast Devourer.

After coming all this way, he had to gain at least something.

The mages did not look pleased, but at least they did not doubt him.

“You’re honest.”

“I might bluff, but I don’t lie.”

“Fine. We don’t mind taking what we can by ability either. But promise us one thing for certain.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“It’d be best if we get our revenge ourselves....... But if we can’t, then you kill Piscinis.”

The mages demanded vengeance for their comrades, a price for betrayal.

Anagin replied.

“Don’t worry. Even if you told me not to, I’d still do it.”