The Cursed were more susceptible to the gaze of the Abyss and were more likely to attract it to themselves. Given that Barthel’s wife and daughter had died at the hands of the Abyss, it was only natural that he would place all the blame on the Cursed.
Unfortunately, Clayton did not know exactly what had happened at the time. Afterward, everything regarding that disaster was sealed away by Barthel. No one knew the specific details except for him; they only knew the final outcome.
It was no wonder that after that event, the plight of the Cursed within Iron Anvil City took a sharp turn for the worse.
“So, after that, the Cursed in Iron Anvil City were all thrown into the dungeon to fend for themselves?”
“Yes,” Clayton nodded slightly. “Not only that, but Barthel also conducts large-scale searches in the city periodically to find those hiding their identities. I’ve heard that besides conventional search methods, they also use certain special means, though I’m not sure what those are.”
Special search methods… Yuri thought of Broll. Thinking back, his role seemed to be using Abyss Crystals to lure the Cursed and then, under the guise of a commission, leading them into a prepared trap?
No… if the prepared trap was an ambush in the sewers, then Yuri should have encountered knights instead of Abyssal monsters. Furthermore, there probably wouldn’t have been an ambush in the black market later. After all, if there really was a trap, people would have been caught early on, and those who escaped wouldn’t have walked right back into it.
If it really followed that pattern, something felt strange regardless.
While Pegram was indeed using Broll to fish for the Cursed, it felt like his purpose wasn’t as simple as just identifying and arresting them.
As she was pondering, a dull thud of a hand striking the table interrupted Yuri’s thoughts.
“Clearly, now is not the time for this.”
Looking up, she saw Clayton’s palm slammed heavily onto the wooden table, leaving a clear handprint on the surface. His face carried a trace of fury.
“Clearly, the most important thing right now is to find a way to unite all forces to resist the Abyss. We’ve reached the point where the Abyss has begun a large-scale offensive, yet they are still wasting strength on internal searches. Even today, even though the Abyss is already organizing an attack, they are still dispersing the city’s defense forces to arrest associates of the Holy Fire Church members. Barthel! What on earth are you trying to do?”
After noticing Yuri still sitting nearby, Clayton withdrew his palm and calmed his agitated emotions.
“Apologies, I lost my composure.”
“It’s fine. I was thinking about some things as well.”
“I just feel that Barthel is acting very strangely right now. There are clearly more important matters at hand. I have pointed out to him many times what the current focus should be, but he persists in his own way…”
At this point, Clayton suddenly paused, seemingly weighing whether his next words should be spoken aloud.
“Forgive me, Miss Yuri, but the things I’m about to say are very important. Can I trust you?”
They had only met twice today; was it really wise to place trust in a stranger like this? However, Yuri had indeed come to him to gather information. If he was willing to divulge even more, it was naturally a good thing for her.
Furthermore, since he chose to reveal so much to an outsider, it seemed Clayton likely had no one left to trust around him—or perhaps he had people he trusted, but none with sufficient strength. Thus, he could only place his bets on her, the outsider.
Unexpectedly, she was benefiting from the fact that Solam had destroyed the nest.
“While I’m not sure why President Clayton chooses to trust an outsider like me, I also do not wish to see Iron Anvil City completely eroded by the Abyss.”
“Very well, I’ll be direct. I once investigated Barthel in secret. Although I’m not sure what he is doing behind the scenes, I am certain that his actions are related to the Cursed he has captured. He seems to be using those Cursed for something in the shadows.”
Oh?
Now that was big news.
However, while the Cursed were more likely to draw the gaze of the Abyss due to their condition, their physical constitutions were otherwise no different from ordinary people. Being cursed didn’t suddenly grant them enhanced bodies or increased combat power.
In other words, they were just a group of ordinary people suffering from an incurable disease.
So, what was he doing to them in secret? Or rather, what special use did the Cursed have for him?
“So, besides Lord Barthel conducting these shady dealings in the dark, is anyone else involved?”
“Yes, there is one other.”
Upon hearing this, a name flashed through Yuri’s mind.
“Pegram.”
The name Clayton spoke coincided perfectly with the one in Yuri’s head. As expected, if Pegram was involved, things were going to get complicated.
“That man arrived in Iron Anvil City three years ago and quickly became a close confidant of Barthel. However, regarding Pegram’s origins and information about him, no one knows anything except for Barthel himself. I tried to investigate him secretly but was nearly discovered, forcing me to abort the investigation.”
It was a pity. She had thought she could get information about Pegram from Clayton; it seemed she would have to find another way to investigate him.
Yuri had a premonition that Pegram was a massive landmine buried within Iron Anvil City.
After listening to Clayton share a bit more relatively useless information, Yuri stood up and left the Adventurers’ Guild.
Before she left, Clayton stated that he would organize the current information and try to talk to Barthel again. It might not yield any results, but he would still put in the effort, so he asked Yuri to wait for his word tomorrow.
By the time she stepped out of the guild, the sky had completely darkened.
The core of the current problem in Iron Anvil City involved the City Lord, Barthel, but the center of that problem was likely that Pegram—the man of unknown origin who was tainted by the Abyss.
If she could find out his background and his purpose for having Broll “fish,” perhaps everything behind the scenes of Iron Anvil City would become clear.
Yuri could feel a thick fog separating her from the truth of Iron Anvil City. As long as she could push through that heavy mist, the clouds would part, revealing the hidden truth.
To uncover the mystery, she needed more information.
But time was running out. According to the information she gathered from Clayton, the true Abyssal army would be at the gates in three days. When that time came, what awaited Iron Anvil City might be the day of its fall and destruction.
Even if she truly uncovered everything, would there be time left for her to stop it all?
Did she really want to step forward to stop it?
After all, none of this had anything to do with her.
Yuri looked up, glancing at Iris, who was floating beside her.
“What?”
The little Evil God also noticed her gaze and turned around to meet her eyes, a hint of confusion in her crimson pupils.
“Iris, help me with something.”