Agni went inside the lighthouse that he currently entrusted to Dan—one which functioned as a fish bowl. Velt swam to greet them, then led them to a certain corner where the eel's nest was placed. Upon approaching, he only spotted one eel at first, before the second one revealed himself next to his sibling.
"How's Cosmo?" Dan stood next to him, observing the nest with anticipation.
It had been a day since Cosmo released his electrical shock to protect Dan and Dan had insisted Agni check on him right after the briefing ended.
Agni wasn't a veterinarian, nor was he an anima. This was also his first time seeing the eel recover from it, so he didn't exactly know what to expect nor what to do other than to wait it out.
But from what he saw in that brief moment, he could tell that Cosmo still wasn't feeling well, given that he wasn't concealing himself as his instinct should have. On the other hand, Zuo was now swimming protectively near Cosmo. An electric current could be felt in the shinsu when Dan hovered his hand too close to them.
"It looks like Cosmo is not yet done recharging." Agni concluded. "Let's give them more time."
Velt let out a low squeak beside him, nudging Cosmo without angering Zuo. She was bred specifically to herd electric eels. With her gentle nature, the eels seemed to naturally accept the dolphin as their kin. From what he understood, this species of dolphins were originally vulnerable in the wild. They weren't built for combat nor defense, and they usually lived in groups to hunt and protect themselves better. But higher floor dolphins had gone through some natural selection, and the few that survived had sought protection from another shinheuh. In the process, they developed an affinity with certain species. Her kind had even evolved to have a matching color pattern with the eels.
Agni gave her a pellet to test it out. She took it in between her snout and dropped it near the eels, before returning to ask Agni for more.
"Aww. That's so sweet." Dan squealed as he observed her antics.
Satisfied with what he witnessed, Agni refilled their pellet bowl before he made to exit the lighthouse with Dan in tow.
"Hey, Boss. About last night…"
Agni stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Dan, carefully keeping his expression neutral. So this was Dan's true motive for getting him here.
"Grace said you both didn't mean to keep it a secret, so…is it okay if I told the others about it?"
Agni's stomach dropped as he realized something he overlooked. "You didn't say anything to Emily, did you?"
Dan flinched, but he didn't break eye contact. "No. I at least know I shouldn’t do that."
"Okay. That's good." Agni had made it clear to everyone that one of the biggest threats was leaking information to Emily. And it wasn’t like he could ask Emily himself without digging the hole deeper, so he had to trust Dan that he was telling the truth.
"I haven't told anyone explicitly," Dan grimaced, "but I miiiight have dropped hints here and there when people were visiting yesterday."
"Hm." Considering it wasn't something that would be kept a secret for long, especially now that they found Harakiri and planned to climb with him again… "That should be fine. I'll let it slide this time."
Dan visibly exhaled in relief.
"But I prefer it to be kept secret until we are ready to open the topic publicly. I'll allow you to share that information only between Novick and Gyetang for now. Make sure they keep it between themselves since Bam's team will be visiting later."
"Oh, and make sure Wangnan says nothing about it." Since he was the other one who knew about Harakiri, once he met Bam's team, he'd probably connect the dots.
"Oh? Is violence allowed?" Dan asked jokingly.
"Keep him alive at least." Agni replied without missing a beat. "Though he's hard to kill, so I think he'll be fine."
Dan grinned, humoring him, "I'll keep that in mind."
Agni would've turned toward the exit, but an afterthought stopped him from moving. "Dan, remember to be extra careful. Cosmo can't protect you for the time being."
What happened yesterday couldn't be helped since they were low on manpower and Dan had to guard Nia by himself. At least Agni should be glad that his investment in raising the eels wasn't for naught. Still, there was always room for improvement in their defense, and Agni was still working on perfecting it. Until then, they had to hold on and make do.
"Boss…" Dan sounded thoughtful. "Can I ask you something?"
"What happened to me in your time?"
Agni let the silence linger while weighing his options. Should I tell him? It'd be beneficial to make him more cautious, but it might lower his morale. "Are you sure you want to know?"
"Yes." Dan barely hesitated, but Agni caught the hint of doubt in his voice.
Agni exhaled softly. "I’ll spare you the details then." He had to choose his words carefully, only revealing the important points that would explain to Dan why he did what he did up to this point. "There were traitors in my team. They set a trap to get me killed when I was away. I survived because Wangnan's team found me, but my innocent team members weren't that lucky. One died, two were kidnapped, and Dan…he survived, but his legs were severely damaged. He couldn't run as fast as he used to."
Agni observed how Dan's expression turned from confusion to shock. But he seemed to regain his composure pretty quick.
"Obviously I don’t plan on repeating the same mistake. We have changed a lot of variables in this timeline in hopes to prevent it." Agni tried to be reassuring, but perhaps he wasn't as convincing when he himself doubted it.
Michael and Apple may no longer be part of his team, but they were still out there in one of the FUG opposing factions. And since they let Rachel go, they would cross paths one day, and he wasn’t looking forward to what she would be planning. The tornado created from the butterfly's wings would hit them the moment they let their guard down. And with how things were going right now, he knew it was inevitable.
"But because we changed things, now my past is no longer relevant. I’m not omniscient, and I’m not a guide that can see the future. I can’t be certain how things will go this time, so that's why I won't let this incident slide easily." He knew very well that he couldn't promise their safety so he had to make sure that everyone knew the risk. "I don't want you to end up the same way. I'm only letting you know so you can be prepared for the worst."
"I see." Dan looked at his feet like they had brought him great sorrow. "It makes sense now."
"Yeah. The things that you do, the way you live. Perhaps the way you treat us too." Dan was smiling bitterly. "Remember the thing you told me when you recruited me to your team?"
Not down to the exact words, but Agni remembered. Though there wasn't anything worth noting from his perspective. He didn't use a petty plan to trick Dan into joining like he did before. They simply just sat down and talked.
"You said you value loyalty. And yet you scouted me. I, who had abandoned my previous team and left them to die."
"There is a big difference between deciding that your life was worth more in a losing battle, and actively planning to get your own team annihilated for a cause."
"Yes, that was also what you said back then." Dan's expression turned soft. "I thought you tried to justify my actions to please me—so that I'd feel that you're on my side. I didn't know you said it from your experience. Although I suppose it wasn't that surprising."
Agni huffed, humoring him. "You know, if there ever comes a day where we're facing a losing battle, I won't hold it against you if you run away."
"Does the future look that bleak?" Dan scratched his head dejectedly. "If you and Grace are present and we are still losing, I don't think running away will save me. But thanks for telling me that, I guess."
Honestly, it was still hard for Agni to understand why Dan was willing to believe his story. If it were him, he’d consider the possibility of a fake tale. He could have spun a slightly different story to maybe tug more at his heartstrings. Perhaps something that could put Agni in a better light, or something that could give Dan hope. After all, who could verify something that didn’t happen in this timeline? But Agni didn’t want to betray that trust, so he told him the truth.
It’d be counterintuitive to question that trust, but… "After knowing so, do you regret joining my team?"
"Eh. Not really." Dan shrugged. "I've seen plenty enough until now to weigh my options. And I still chose to be here despite knowing the risks, didn't I? Everyone I've met here are all good and strong people that you've handpicked yourself.
"Sure, I'm nothing compared to Princess Endorsi, or Grace, or even Novick. But you still chose me despite what happened in your past, so doesn't that make me a little special, at least?"
Agni wouldn't use the word 'special' for him, but if it could boost his morale then why not. "Sure. Think what you want."
"How did you end up here anyway? What happened in your time?"
Just remembering it sent an unpleasant shiver on his skin. Agni didn't want to answer that, at least not yet. "You'll know when the time comes."
Of course, Dan didn't look satisfied at that, but he easily dropped the topic. "Then I'll change my question."
Agni closed his eyes and sighed quietly. Still, he didn't turn Dan down. It was better to address any concerns before it turned into scepticism. "Sure."
"Did I stay in your team after that incident?"
"Yes." Agni kept his answer simple and confident. Although back then they weren't climbing together since Agni decided to split his team members, he still considered Dan to be his teammate.
Dan seemed to be satisfied with this answer, though he timidly looked away. "I know my fast legs are the only thing I have better than most regulars, yet I couldn't say I take pride in them anymore. So it makes me feel less pathetic knowing that I can still be useful even without it. If anything, I want you to think that having me in your team is the right choice."
Agni was slightly taken aback by such a cheesy confession. "Is that so?"
"I'm not promising anything big though, don't get me wrong." Dan raised his hand with an open palm facing Agni. "But I do want to live up to your expectations, as a token of appreciation for trusting and supporting me."
Agni felt a smile tugged on his own lips, remembering how Dan in his past life confessed that he didn't betray him not because he liked him, but only for his own belief. And now Agni managed to gain not only his trust, but also his respect. It sure felt nice to reap what he sowed. "I think you've been doing well so far."
"But don't get too comfortable. It's going to get harder and more dangerous going forward."
"Of course. I'll be extra careful."
As he stepped out of the lighthouse, his eyes immediately found Grace. Grace greeted him and Dan with a smile, then offered his hand for Agni to take. Dan wished Agni a good rest as Grace escorted him back to their dorm. However, Agni made sure to tie up some remaining loose ends before he finally let himself claim some rest.
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