Alaric turned to Anderson, silently marveling to himself that it was no surprise the man was a Hunter... his way with words was unmistakably characteristic of the pathway.
"I'm starting to believe Hunters really do have a bit of luck on their side," Alaric remarked with a sudden, reflective tone.
"I've made it this far without getting beaten to death, so luck's definitely part of it, but mostly it's because I'm pretty good at running," Anderson replied, catching the subtext in Alaric's words. He flashed a smug grin.
"I thought you'd say it's because you're good at fighting," Alaric said, glancing at the sword in Anderson's hand. It was a weapon forged with the characteristics of a Sequence 5 Reaper, perfectly suited to Anderson, who was also a Reaper, making him exceptionally deadly in combat.
"Of course, being able to fight is one of my strengths," Anderson nodded without a hint of embarrassment.
"I can see that. You'd make a fine marionette," Alaric said, suddenly nudging Klein beside him with his elbow. "Klein, aren't you in need of a marionette right now? I think a Reaper would be perfect... it'd nicely make up for your lack of offensive power."
Klein shot Alaric a helpless glance. Of course, he wouldn't be so ruthless as to turn Anderson into a marionette... that went against his principles. But thinking of Anderson's earlier provocations, Klein turned to him, sizing him up with a critical eye before saying in a cool, measured tone, "Not bad."
"I agree, a Reaper's a great choice!" Lil' Amon chimed in eagerly from the side. "I'm quite familiar with the Hunter pathway's abilities."
Thanks to his penchant for causing trouble, even without his main body's memories, Lil' Amon had accumulated plenty of experience getting thrashed by Hunters, making him all too familiar with their capabilities.
"Hey, friends, you're joking, right?" Anderson looked from one to the other, gripping his greatsword tightly while letting out a nervous laugh. He could sense that the people in front of him were no ordinary bunch.
"Keep provoking, and it won't be a joke anymore," Klein said, casting Anderson a cold glance.
"Alright, alright, I apologize for my earlier rudeness. But really, you can't blame me... this guy's just too good-looking," Anderson said, ever the smooth talker, without a second's hesitation.
"Thanks for the compliment," Alaric replied. He wasn't actually upset; he wasn't the type to get rattled easily. He'd just been messing with Anderson for fun.
But Alaric wasn't exactly the most forgiving person either. As Anderson visibly relaxed, Alaric added leisurely, "Anderson, did you know I'm quite close with the God of Knowledge and Wisdom? He's an ally of my teacher, after all. I even visited His divine kingdom last time. I must say, He's a truly erudite deity. I learned a lot from Him."
Anderson's expression stiffened noticeably. He'd clearly never encountered a situation like this before and said, somewhat dumbfounded, "Is that so?"
For people of this era, visiting a deity's divine kingdom was the stuff of legends, something almost unimaginable. If anyone else had said this, Anderson would've thought they were drunk. But the one speaking was "Jack"... Jack Jones, that is. Anderson knew exactly who Jack Jones was: Lucifer's student.
And Lucifer was someone the God of Knowledge and Wisdom had specifically mentioned in a divine oracle, someone not to be trifled with.
"I heard you used to be part of the Church of Knowledge and Wisdom, but you left to become a bounty hunter after failing your exams…" Alaric continued unhurriedly, smiling at Anderson. "I sympathize with your situation, so I've decided to mention your case to the God of Knowledge next time…"
"No need for that, friend!" Anderson broke out in a cold sweat. He was, of course, a follower of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. Even now, after publicly leaving the Church, he still maintained secret ties with them. If it were about anything else, being noticed by his deity would've thrilled him beyond measure. But this? This was the last way he wanted to catch his god's attention!
Anderson thought of the Church of Knowledge's traditions, recalling the looks the bishops gave him after his exam failures... looks that practically screamed they were dealing with an idiot. He felt suffocated just thinking about it.
He couldn't even imagine how his Lord would look at him if He learned of his exam scores.
He'd definitely be seen as a complete fool!
"Really, no need?" Alaric glanced at Anderson, speaking deliberately. "This might be your only chance to get close to your Lord. Look, even Edwina over there is intrigued…"
At that, Anderson instinctively glanced at Edwina, who was eavesdropping nearby, her eyes practically gleaming with longing at the idea of an audience with the God of Knowledge. He fell silent.
Because Anderson realized he couldn't refuse. Like any devout follower, he too yearned for an audience with his deity. Who could say no to that?
But, but… For the first time in his life, Anderson cursed himself for not studying harder, landing him in this impossible dilemma.
Just then, Alaric's cheerful and enthusiastic voice rang out again: "Of course, I understand the Church of Knowledge has its own traditions. It's understandable you'd feel inferior with your grades, Anderson. How about this? I'll contact the Church of Knowledge first and have them prepare a few tons of practice exams for you. You can work through those, and once your scores improve, I'll arrange that audience for you."
"..."
Anderson nearly choked. He knew full well that, given the Church's culture, "a few tons of practice exams" wasn't an exaggeration... it'd be exactly that, several tons of paper.
But, but… I became a bounty hunter in the Five Seas precisely to avoid studying… Anderson's eyes, for once, betrayed a rare hint of confusion. Before him loomed his worst nightmare... a knowledge-fueled hell... and yet he couldn't refuse. Worse still…
Looking at Alaric, with his strikingly handsome face and sunny demeanor, Anderson took a deep breath and said, "Thanks!" The word came out both through gritted teeth and with genuine sincerity.
Gritted teeth, because he knew Alaric was doing this on purpose, retaliating for his earlier provocation by thrusting him into the knowledge hell he despised.
Sincere, because Anderson also knew this was an opportunity... an unprecedented one, the kind any member of the Church would be endlessly grateful for.
"You're welcome," Alaric replied with a smile.
Klein, who had watched the whole exchange from the side, shook his head, unsurprised.
Why'd you have to provoke him?
***
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