"So?" Anom said, leaning back against the plush cushion, his gaze fixed on the two women who appeared nervous, particularly the blonde woman. The purple-haired assassin girl seemed poised for action, her hands raised as if ready to strike at any moment.
"What do you want to know?" The blonde woman finally took a calming breath and asked, subtly signaling her friend to relax.
"I understand that all you want is to leave," Anom said, his tone relaxed. "And believe me, even if you were to leave right now, I wouldn't stop you."
The assassin girl was momentarily taken aback before blurting out, "Really?!"
Anom shrugged. "Nah, just kidding. I want to know everything that can help me before I allow both of you to leave."
"You...!" The assassin girl seemed on the verge of losing her temper and engaging in a fight. Thankfully, her companion swiftly restrained her.
"You're not toying with us, are you, Mr. Anom?" The blonde woman asked, her voice tinged with skepticism.
"Don't worry. I merely wanted to illustrate how futile it would be for us to waste time like this. Just tell me what I want to know, and you'll be free to go."
Observing her hesitance, Anom continued, "Alright, how about I share what I'm aiming for first?" Without waiting for their response, he proceeded to narrate the entire story, outlining the conflict between the two families—the Safairas and the Handlers.
Initially skeptical, the two women fell silent, realizing that their perspective had been skewed. Anom took the opportunity to provide a clear explanation before the situation spiraled out of control.
After contemplating for a moment, the blonde woman spoke: "It seems we were the ones overthinking the whole situation. Mr. Anom is simply doing his best to ensure the survival of this family." Although her demeanor remained composed, an astute listener could detect a reduced level of wariness in her tone.
"Overthinking, you say?" Anom smirked. "Let me guess. You saw me as a cunning fish trying to exploit the conflict between sharks, didn't you? Someone who was overly ambitious for his own gain?"
"Well..." The blonde woman felt a twinge of awkwardness, acknowledging that they had indeed overanalyzed the situation.
But while the blonde woman could handle the sarcasm calmly, her friend clearly struggled to do so. "Are you implying that you have no ambitions?" the assassin-girl asked, her irritation evident. "I hate to admit it, but your skills are impressive... I can't fathom how someone like you can be content sitting still."
Anom stared at her for a moment before responding, "When did I say I have no ambitions?" His expression turned serious as he continued, "My ambition is to live a relaxed life while pushing my skills to the peak."
Both girls were momentarily bewildered, and the assassin-girl opened her mouth to challenge his contradictory statement. However, her friend intervened, preventing her from doing so.
"What are you skilled at, Mr. Anom?" the blonde woman asked, her gaze fixed on Anom's face. She was genuinely curious about this person whom she never expected to find in such a secluded place.
Raising his head slightly, Anom patted the pockets of his pants as if searching for something. Suddenly, he produced an item and stated, "This."
The two girls failed to react immediately until the blonde woman looked down at her waist and exclaimed, "My storage bag?!" She then shifted her gaze to Anom, who was toying with the small pouch. She was about to question him about it when she recalled the earlier "pat" he had given her.
Her expression soured as she spoke. "What is the meaning of this, Mr. Anom?"
"What?" Anom shrugged. "You asked what I was good at, didn't you?"
She stared at him in silence for a while, her voice cracking slightly as she almost laughed. "You're a thief?"
It wasn't entirely her fault. Both she and her friend had meticulously planned their every move, utilizing all their mental faculties.
She had taken risks, hoping that even if their plan failed, it would be due to encountering resistance from their targets. That way, they could gather evidence to refine their strategy further.
But now? The biggest obstacle to their plan was telling her that he was merely a thief? A damn thief!
"Hey, hey! What's with that disgusted expression?" Anom's expression turned helpless, as if he had encountered such reactions before. "Miss, let me tell you, it's not good to belittle any profession. You shouldn't underestimate my skills." He gestured toward her friend. "If you have any doubts, you can ask her."
"Tch." The assassin girl didn't bother to hide her displeasure at being used as an example.
The blonde girl composed herself, taking a deep breath to calm her emotions. "Please forgive my lack of composure... I've been under a lot of stress lately." She paused before continuing, "You can ask any questions you have, but can you please hand it over to me first?"
"Sure." Anom readily agreed, tossing the storage pouch back to her.
Not expecting to retrieve it so easily, the blonde woman was momentarily stunned, unsure of how to react.
Just as she was about to say something, Anom spoke up again: "Oh, I almost forgot to give this back."
"What? Ah!" The blonde girl focused on the item in Anom's hand and couldn't help but scream. Her high-pitched shriek carried intense unease, causing Anom to almost drop the item he was holding.
Meanwhile, the assassin girl refrained from taking any action or making cutting remarks. Instead, she gave her blonde friend a pitying glance and gently patted her back, offering comfort. "You'll get used to it."
Anom thought to himself, 'Seems like this thing is even more significant than I initially thought. That's good.'
"Mr. Anom, I understand that you want to strengthen your argument, but I implore you, no matter what happens, please refrain from doing anything with that token," the blonde girl pleaded, her voice filled with concern.
"This is a token?" Anom looked intrigued as he examined the golden, badge-like object in his hand. It had the shape of a shield, fitting comfortably in his palm. Intricate patterns adorned both sides, and there was engraved text on the front.
'Lance... Sounds like a name, perhaps a family name?' Anom pondered as he closely scrutinized the token. He also appreciated the usefulness of the language skills Della had taught him.
"Lance? Is it one of the prominent families in the capital?"
No one replied, and the girls, especially the blonde, appeared visibly nervous.
"Alright, enough fooling around. Here, take it back." Anom dismissed the tension, tossing the token back to the blonde girl with a wave of his hand.
"Ah!" Both girls screamed, scrambling to their feet in an attempt to catch the token.
Once the token was securely back in her possession, the blonde girl appeared visibly relieved, as if her soul had returned to her body. She suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her.
'I must have been cursed to end up in this city of all places,' she thought, feeling a mix of frustration and bewilderment. She couldn't help but wonder why Anom had returned the token so quickly if he intended to return it anyway.
'Could it be that he genuinely forgot to put it back?' She pondered momentarily, quickly dismissing the idea as absurd. 'Perhaps he wants to intimidate us by showcasing his abilities? But what can a thief truly do?'
As she was analyzing the meaning behind Anom's actions, she heard him speak again.
"What's wrong, Miss? Are my skills not impressive enough for you?" Anom asked curiously, thinking to himself, 'They're like wealthy investors, while I'm just a humble artisan. I have to prove my worth to secure a larger share. After all, only an equal partnership can serve my interests. Luckily, they both seem easily influenced.'
"Should I demonstrate again to instill some confidence in my skills?" he proposed. In that moment, his gaze darted over her body as if searching for something to perform his trick on.
For a brief moment, his eyes landed on a pendant hanging around the blonde girl's neck. The gem was concealed, with only a faint impression visible underneath her clothes, and only a portion of the chain was visible around her neck. Anom figured it would be the perfect target to awe them both and bring about a more balanced agreement.
However, when the blonde girl noticed his gaze on her chest, it took on an entirely different meaning in her mind.
'Does he have the ability to steal something from inside my clothes?' Her heart raced as she instinctively placed one hand over her chest while the other rested in her lap. She tried her best to maintain composure, but the fear in her eyes and the flush on her face betrayed her intense emotions.
Anom was taken aback by her rapidly changing expressions.
"Miss, do you need to use the restroom? We can resume our discussion once you're feeling better," he suggested genuinely, thinking to himself, 'She was unconscious for quite some time, after all. It seems her system is finally back to normal.'
This discussion was of great importance to Anom in order to avoid unnecessary complications. Instead of facing a formidable adversary with his limited resources, it was more advantageous to trade his skills for information and intelligence on his enemies. He wanted to ensure that there were no unexpected obstacles that could jeopardize his plans.
"N-No need. I'm fine," the blonde replied, growing flustered. "We can begin now... Please go ahead and ask your questions."
Anom observed her peculiar expression for a moment before nodding in understanding. "Alright."
Without wasting any more time, Anom delved into his first question. "Who else in your family is aware of your presence here?"
The blonde hesitated for a moment, glancing at her friend before answering, "Well, if you're referring to us being here, then our elders are aware..."
"And if I'm asking about the purpose of your visit, then?"
The blonde offered an awkward smile. "In that case, only my brother knows."
Anom nodded, gesturing for her to continue.
"He's the only one who knows our plan and..."
"And he's also in this city," Anom interjected, completing her sentence. "I wasn't stalking you or anything, but I did notice your group returning from the Zeru Forest a couple of days ago."
As the two girls processed this information, the assassin-girl's eyes lit up with recognition. "So you were the person accompanying that weirdo?"
Anom's mouth twitched as he realized who she was referring to.
'Good thing Crystal isn't here,' he thought to himself.
"Ahem. So, please tell me about the grudge or any issues you have with the patron of the Handlers, or to be more specific, the Sorneo House," Anom requested, shifting the focus of the conversation.
The two girls exchanged glances and came to the conclusion that the only way forward was to continue speaking openly.