And now, no one even knew where such a powerful being was.
As Ruger thought this, he pictured a towering Alchemical Puppet with a jar for a head and fingers as plain as pillars. It really was ugly enough. But he was more concerned with this half-gray-haired old fellow and what he was trying to achieve by saying all this.
"Where did you get that thing?"
The Elder Bearer abruptly changed the subject, looking at Barry Danton with a serious expression.
Barry Danton smiled without answering.
"Lucky Barry," the Elder Bearer said unhurriedly, as though savoring the name. "That really is a fine title. You should know why I chose to cooperate with you."
"Because you've never been able to kill me," Barry Danton said calmly.
The Elder Bearer nodded.
"Beyond our routine patrols and explorations of the Island, we gave up hunting you long ago. We only made the occasional attempt when we happened to run into you," the Elder Bearer said. "What prompted that decision were two hunts I believed to be flawless. The first time, I thought it was merely an accident. But the second time, you still managed to escape your predetermined death. That inevitably gave me pause-"
As the half-gray-haired Elder Bearer spoke, his unwavering eyes swept over the Wizards around them.
A moment later, he withdrew his gaze and focused on Barry again.
"I once thought one of these Wizards was helping you in secret, but I gradually abandoned that conjecture," the Elder Bearer said.
"Oh?"
Fortunate Barry's interest was piqued as well.
"Because, after paying close attention, I discovered that there also seemed to be a force, an invisible hand, secretly helping and guiding us. Finding this place, obtaining that finger key, all of those things-" The Elder Bearer glanced at the people