Chapter 13: Conquest Festival II
“Ah, ah, isn’t that Ichiro over there?”
“Yo, Anon.”
I’ve grown quite accustomed to his playful way of speaking, and now it even feels charming to me.
“Since we don’t know who’s listening, let’s stick with ‘Row’ for now.”
“Ah, my bad. I wasn’t being considerate. Still, it really is… quite the hassle.”
A hassle—what he meant by that was clear without needing to say more. Although I hadn’t known him for long, I felt a bond with him akin to that of long-time friends.
“Well, it’s not like it bothers me. It’s just a bit constricting; it’s not like I’m struggling or anything.”
At my response, Anon hesitated for a few seconds. Eventually, he said, “Row, let’s find somewhere to sit first. We can talk after that.”
He led me with a “this way” gesture.
We entered a nondescript inn located just off the main street. Without checking in at the reception, he guided me straight to a room he seemed familiar with.
“Well, have a seat.”
Seeing the confusion on my face, he added, “Is this okay? This inn is actually my property. Of course, the name and ownership are under someone else, but I need a place where I can talk freely and hide if necessary. This is one of those places.”
He skillfully set down tea and snacks on the table.
“Hiding, huh…”
“Dangers come with being an information broker. The targets of my information are quite varied, after all…”
He said this with an air of superiority, then continued.
“If it’s known that you hold valuable information, you’re second-rate. By the time you reach my level, the targets of the information I need won’t even realize I already have it.”
“That’s… impressive.”
His words were not mere arrogance. I had witnessed it firsthand multiple times.
“So, in reality, I rarely find myself in truly dangerous situations.”
“That means there are times when you do find yourself in danger, right?”
“Well, yes. But even in a hideout, the number of cards you can play is limited. Trump cards, secret techniques, ultimate moves, last resorts, hidden tricks, and lifelines—having as many as possible is never a bad thing.”
“How many do you have!? If you have that many options, then they’re not even trump cards or secret techniques anymore!”
I interjected.
“Haha! That’s true!”
Anon burst into laughter. After a moment, he sighed and said, “Talking with you is fun. You’re completely genuine even in front of me. No, don’t worry about it. I’m not mocking you.”
Noticing my pout, he tried to smooth things over, and we both ended up laughing.
“Let’s save the fun talk for later. Now, let’s get to the main topic.”
Anon pulled out some paper and a pen.
“Just share what you can about your exploration of the Sealed Labyrinth this time.”
“I don’t mind that, but…”
My gaze was fixed on the paper and pen in his hands.
“Oh, this? I thought I’d turn your heroic deeds into a book—”
Clatter. I stood up and tried to run away—
“Come on, Ichiro. I’m just joking, just joking!”
Too late! Yamada was cornered!
“What are you backing away for? I said it was a joke!”
“Yikes…!!”
His eyes, hidden beneath his hood, must have been sparkling with mischief.
Sigh. I felt completely exposed. Of course, it wasn’t in a physical sense; it was about my exploration of the Sealed Labyrinth—
“Haah, haah, fine! Ichiro, it’s fine!”
“It’s not fine!”
“Ouch!”
When I lightly smacked Anon on the head, he finally snapped back to reality.
“What on earth am I doing!?”
“‘What on earth am I doing!?’ is not the right question! This is scary! If someone outside hears this, they’ll misunderstand!”
“Don’t worry about that. Leave it to me. This room is soundproofed with magic, so no matter how loud we shout, no one outside will hear us. You don’t have to hold back your voice.”
“That makes it even scarier! Anon, wake up!”
“Wait! What am I doing!?”
“Is this a loop?”
He often took a haughty attitude, which made it easy to misunderstand him, but in reality, he was quite humorous… right?
“Now, let’s get back to the topic.”
“‘Get back to the topic’ is rich coming from you, Anon, since you’re the one who derailed it.”
“Now, let’s get back to the topic.”
Realizing it would be rude to interrupt his second attempt to steer the conversation, I kept quiet.
“The information I just heard matches what I gathered from Saintess Mika, Sage Angelica, and Pulmy while you were sleeping.”
“Ah.”
“You might have heard, but the Hero Party has received a summons from the kingdom. It’s not just the Hero Party that’s being summoned. You, Ashley, and Pulmy, the contributors of this endeavor, will also be called.”
“Me…?”
“Of course. You are the most significant contributor. That’s why I plan to—”
I felt an overwhelming warmth radiating from Anon. This was it. This was the deeply hidden part of his heart.
“You have completely destroyed a Labyrinth that even former Sages, renowned Seekers, and legendary warriors had given up on and resorted to sealing. Based on that achievement, I intend to present to the world that the negative rumors about you are entirely false and that all the Newly Constructed Ultimate Labyrinths have been conquered by you, and I will have the kingdom recognize it.”
After pouring out his thoughts in one breath, I found myself at a loss for words. I wondered what he thought of my silence.
“Don’t worry about it. For now, everything is progressing smoothly.”