Chapter 156
Chapter 156
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: Breakwater
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Clark Harald, known as the Pirate King of the West.
And his brother, Alfredo Harald, the Blue Fang of the North.
I had no idea these two were brothers.
Not only that, but Alfredo had reached the rank of Ten Stars? In my previous life, I was ignorant about the Ten Stars, but failing to even remember the name Alfredo...
'No.'
It wasn't a failure to remember. I likely never heard it at all.
The five Ten Stars back then didn't even consider challenging me, so they were beneath my notice as I focused on the tower.
"The Blue Fang of the North—isn't that a descendant of the giant race, the original masters of this continent?"
"Yes."
"Then he should possess strength and knowledge far superior to any human."
"Well, the rumors say so. But as you've seen for yourself after crossing paths with Sir Alfredo, Sir Berddin..."
Albus shook his head slowly.
I understood his meaning without needing words.
"I get what you're saying. But it doesn't sit well with me."
"How so?"
"Put yourself in my position. Imagine starting the tower climb alongside him and realizing you've been under surveillance the entire time. Who would enjoy that?"
"For that, I apologize. It wasn't a deliberate scheme."
"Then?"
Albus set the snake coiled around his hand down on the table and continued.
"We were simply pursuing Miss Cynthia on orders from the Papal Court. Things just... escalated to this point."
"On orders from the Papal Court?"
"Yes. I trust you already know everything about my actions. Philip must have reported it all to you."
I regarded him with interest.
"Philip reported to me?"
"Yes. If I may presume—he's undoubtedly joined hands with you, Sir Berddin. He's the sort who'd do anything to achieve his goals, and right now, the continent's strongest is of the Strange Family."
"An intriguing tale."
"It's almost certainly true. If I'm a snake, then he's a fox."
He referred to himself as a snake.
I viewed Albus's response with neither approval nor disapproval.
"Assuming everything you say is true. And assuming I know all the facts. Does that mean I should forgive your actions?"
Albus squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them.
"No. If you wish, punish me by all means. Like Philip, I'll do whatever it takes to reach my goal."
"Is that right? Then it wouldn't matter if I took your arm."
"...Yes."
He replied with gentle eyes, even to talk of dismemberment.
As if utterly convinced I wouldn't.
"You're a funny one."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Enough. In any case, this is what I've gleaned from our talk: You were pursuing Cynthia on the archbishop's orders, I walked right into your net, and then one of the Ten Stars—Alfredo—began surveilling me. Correct?"
Albus nodded vigorously.
"Precisely."
Thinking back, Alfredo had never joined my party in my past life. His face was so unfamiliar it felt like we'd never even met.
'I should have been more suspicious.'
The outcome wasn't terrible, in the end.
Still, a flicker of irritation rose at having been deceived.
"I've heard it all now. As my Baphomet requested, I'll help you out."
"Is that truly alright? I've joined hands with the Rothschild and Glazer families in the past."
"What's there to make it not alright? There's no eternal enemies on the battlefield, after all. Today's foe can be tomorrow's ally."
For a fleeting moment, the corner of Albus's mouth twitched upward.
"I'm grateful you see it that way."
"Save the thanks. I'm only moving because it benefits me too."
I lightly stroked the snake's head on the table and continued.
"By the way, two Ten Stars dead—who's the culprit?"
"Three."
"Three?"
"Yes. Including Alfredo."
"Alfredo? He's still alive."
Albus blinked in bewilderment.
"Sir Alfredo is alive?"
"Yes. He's holed up on the tower's 10th floor right now. I ordered him to stay there with Gregory, the apostle of that level."
"Ah... But then why no word from him? We had contact right up until he reached Strange Castle—"
I knew the reason.
Rox's larva had been watching him until we left the castle, and once inside the tower, Gregory's surveillance made it impossible for him to act freely.
"Beats me. I'll hear it straight from him later. But he's definitely alive. I could speak to him right this instant if I wanted."
"Is that so?"
I glanced at Rox's larva as I answered.
"Yes. If you'd like, I can patch you through now."
"...No need. If he's alive, we'll cross paths again. I'll get his report then."
"Suit yourself. Now answer my question: Who killed those two Ten Stars? Clark and Wendy aren't your average fighters."
"We haven't identified them yet. We recovered the bodies near Caires Swamp and the Spine Mountains, but..."
Albus snapped his fingers toward the far side of the tavern.
Snap!
At the same moment, a short-haired man in the same garb as Albus—clearly one of the Numbers, clad in a white cloak—approached and placed a diamond badge on the table.
Thud.
"...What's this?"
"An arena badge. Recovered from the site where they died."
I picked up the diamond badge to check the name engraved on the back. But it was so worn that only two letters were legible.
"Goff?"
"Yes. We checked against current diamond-rank players based on that name, but no matches among the living."
"Then just check the list of past diamond-ranks."
"That's beyond my reach. The guardians of the arena's diamond class aren't pushovers."
I closed my eyes briefly and fell silent.
'Devery mentioned that the diamond class manager is one of Father's old comrades.'
A problem I could solve by meeting the man.
After a moment's thought, I pocketed the diamond badge and replied to Albus.
"I'll look into this one too."
"You will?"
"Yes. But like the other matters, we'll settle it after I return from the tower. I still have business there to handle with my party members."
"Understood, Sir Berddin."
I rose from my chair to leave.
At the same time, a snippet of our earlier talk tugged at me.
"Where's Edward right now?"
"We don't know. He vanished in the blink of an eye..."
"Last confirmed location?"
"Legion."
"Legion?"
"Yes. Word is he clashed with another apostle, but since I didn't witness it myself, I can't say for certain."
A clash with another apostle.
How interesting.
Fights between apostles weren't permitted, as far as I knew.
What could he be plotting, defying the tower's master himself?
"Got it. I'll reach out after the tower—through Philip."
I headed to the tower with Cynthia, Rox, and Teressia.
To face the trial I'd promised Timeless before leaving the tower last time. To surpass the dreaded 50th floor that even Father couldn't conquer—and reach the origin of the waves.
'Exactly.'
The "breakwater's position" that Asabragg had let slip to me.
I had no idea why he'd given me that hint, but it would prove immensely helpful in resolving this incident.
If I shattered it before the wave swelled, not only would its power weaken; it might dissipate entirely before reaching its target.
And to set that plan in motion, my first stop was the tower's 10th floor to confront Alfredo.
"Finally, my party members have arrived? Kahahahat! Look at this, Gregory. I told you I wasn't abandoned!"
The moment I saw his face, I drove my shin into his.
Thwack!
"You bastard."
"Khaak! Aak! W-what the— Berddin! What the hell are you doing?!"
This time, I slammed my foot into his gut as he crumpled.
Thud!
"Trying to kill you."
"Kuhuk! K-kill me?!"
"There's a rat in my party, leaking intel to the enemy. Time to exterminate it."
"Krk..."
"Anyone got a problem with me killing this guy right now?"
Rox shrugged. Cynthia turned her head away, pretending not to see.
No objections meant the matter was settled.
Alfredo glanced between the three of us in turn, then gathered aura in both hands as he replied.
Shiii—
"I have no idea what you're talking about! Keep this up, and I won't just sit here."
"Don't sit there. Fight for your life. Struggle to the end. That's the final sight I want from you."
"...W-wait, Berddin. What exactly did I do? Leaking to the enemy? I've never done that!"
"Is that so? If you're not gonna confess, then just die."
I raised my sword overhead and told him.
"My last gift to you: a swift, painless beheading. Blue Fang of the North—Alfredo Harald."
Alfredo's pupils trembled violently.
He trembled as he prepared to lunge with aura-wreathed hands, but shook his head and let out a long sigh instead.
Huuu—
"W-wait just a moment, Berddin."
"No last words."
"It's not a last word. There's something I need to tell you."
"Even if you spill everything now, sparing you won't be easy."
He shrugged his brows at me, then bowed his head and replied.
"I'll give you intel worth my life. You can decide after hearing it. Just... let's talk."
Alfredo confessed everything. It matched what Albus had told me without discrepancy—so how should he atone for surveilling Cynthia and me all this time?
He produced a piece of information big enough to shoulder that responsibility.
"You're collecting giant corpses, right? I know the location of a glacier up north where a guy once called a god is sleeping. Spare me, and I'll take you there."
"A giant called a god?"
"Yeah. The Rothschild bastards are strutting around with their 'god's blood' these days? The giant corpse I've got my eyes on is the real deal."
"So the ones I have are fakes?"
"No, that's not what I mean. The one I found isn't just any giant. It's a true god."
"A true god?"
"...Yeah. One with power enough to destroy this world."
Alfredo gazed up at the tower's ceiling as he continued.
"One of the guys who built this tower in ancient times."