Chapter 98: A Small Team - IV

When Aventine spoke of a vice-leader from <Angel’s Bane>, Clementine’s doubts grew deeper.

What more, when he claimed that Reazue was that vice-leader’s grandson?

It sounded like utter bullshit.

However, Aventine’s earlier display, directing the lethality of her blade with uncanny certainty, made her doubt her own doubt.

Sure, it sounded like bullshit.

But, like everything Aventine showed her so far, there was an extremely high chance it wasn’t.

The question then became:

How the hell did he figure that out? At this point, it wasn’t simply a matter of one’s senses, no.

Clementine felt as if Aventine wasn’t simply an <Info-Hunter> or whatever he wanted to call himself.

Instead, he sounded like a psychic.

A prophet.

Or some other clairvoyant being.

That was the only way she could explain and justify Aventine’s knowledge and abilities.

She couldn’t help but reassess him now. This D-Rank human...

Looking at that smile that began to spread on his face, Clementine felt a slight chill. Was this him revealing his true abilities to them?

Why?

What was his purpose?

The moment she reframed her understanding of the Info-Hunter as a clairvoyant... Clementine was unsettled.

There was, most certainly, a reason why he approached her in the layers beneath Walvaskaz.

Aventine had appeared out of nowhere, for no reason other than a collaboration. Although the human could simply say that she was the only one around to help him... She had a feeling that he could have disrupted that entire ritual without her help.

In the first place, her blade was already overkill.

Nothing in that <Ritual of Blasphemy> could have threatened her. And, judging by Aventine’s nonchalance throughout the entire ordeal...

Nothing there could have threatened him.

’...Maybe even that A-Rank tentacle could have been nothing more than an unwanted hindrance.’

Clementine wasn’t sure. This recent revelation made it clear that the Info-Hunter was hiding behind a façade.

Thus.

Her gaze settled on her friend, Kuvie, whose expression was simply one of confusion.

"...Reazue’s grandfather? What?"

Incredulity filled her tone.

"No. Hold on. How do you even know that?"

Clementine inwardly nodded. ’Yeah, I guess that’s the normal reaction. She hasn’t understood how specific Aventine’s abilities can get. Though she did fight him... I guess his keen senses aren’t as obvious when he doesn’t want you to realize it.’

Glancing at Taylor, Clementine realized that her assistant was only mildly amused. Unlike Kuvie, he had seen how Aventine could predict and guide them forward without breaking a sweat.

So, there was already a subconscious tendency to trust Aventine’s words.

Anyone who encounters a prophet once will never trust them. It was nonsensical to trust some stranger’s claims of the unreadable future, after all.

But when one encounters that prophet again after everything occurs... They would’ve learned their lesson, lending them their ear.

Now, if one were to fight alongside a clairvoyant whose every directive yielded results, that trust would swiftly become unwavering.

This was where Clementine knew she was standing in. She had a certain baseline trust for this adventurer she’d just met, more inclined to believe what he said over doubting it at first.

After all, in the heat of battle, that split-second between his advice and her response was a crucial window that could determine life, injury, or even death.

Thus, she would only doubt facts that couldn’t be verified in the next moment.

Clementine reiterated this reality to herself, cementing the boundary line of how trustworthy Aventine could be.

After all.

The Info-Hunter did not bear any ill will at the moment—and that was why his predictions guided her through chaos so easily.

But if there was a sudden change in his intentions...

If, for some reason, Aventine no longer wanted to help her...

What would she do?

Would she still trust the possibility that an axe would come flying at her from an unexpected angle? Or would she dodge to the left, according to his instructions?

She wouldn’t know if that instruction would truly be to her benefit, or if it would be the precursor to her untimely end.

Suddenly, Aventine looked in her direction. That small smile of his was still filled with the joy of revelation.

"Ask your friend." He said to Kuvie. "I think she understands better what kind of person I am."

Suddenly, the Info-Hunter’s smile seemed a little different.

’It seems like he can read our thoughts too...’ Clementine’s gaze flashed with wariness and keen, lethal intent.

’Is this a show of sincerity? Is he telling me this because he wants me to know?’

Or was it a threat?

Clementine’s head started to ache as her thoughts progressed.

Why was he making such a simple interaction so complex?

In the end, she answered Kuvie.

"It’s because that human’s a clairvoyant. I think he used your affiliation and Reazue’s identity to obtain information on <Angel’s Bane>."

Clementine paused, looking at Taylor as well, before directing her gaze at Aventine.

"I now have reason to believe that your request to collaborate goes further than just that <Ritual of Blasphemy>. Since you offered to help Kuvie with breaking her ties with that group... I’m assuming that we’re somehow useful to you too?"

Clementine watched as Aventine’s smile turned into a grin. The human clairvoyant chuckled.

"Mhm. You hit the nail on the head. There are a lot of things you can help me with." He paused. "...But I don’t know what those things are yet."

Then he shrugged. "For now, I was just hoping to get acquainted with you all. I also wanted to approach Kuvie, in particular, to get to know those secret organizations connected to her a little better."

Clementine understood that logic. ’Perhaps he’d seen a glimpse of her affiliations when he said they fought. Looking at it from there, I somewhat get why he chose this particular moment to introduce himself to us.’

It was a setup made possible only because he was a clairvoyant who could see and hear beyond common sense.

’I’ll have to figure out the exact mechanics of his ability as we go forward.’

...Just in case he turned against them one day.

Clementine hurriedly buried this thought in a hundred other ideas and emotions, hoping that the Info-Hunter would miss that particular one among everything else.

Thus, she spoke.

"I think you’ve introduced yourself well. I’m fine with this arrangement. In fact, it would be great if we could get rid of Kuvie’s shackles as soon as possible."