Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: The Approaching Calamity
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Snow poured down like a torrent in the 4th hierarchy.
A knight order was swiftly cutting through it.
None other than the Meteor Knights.
One of the world's premier knight orders.
At the forefront of such knights.
Dratein scowled deeply.
The reason was simple.
The truth about that day, relayed through Volants before entering the 4th hierarchy.
It was an utterly absurd tale.
'All of them felled by that guy's single shout?'
Volants might have a light mind, but his sword was anything but.
For such a man to lose consciousness from one yell.
'That's...'
Something only his father could pull off, wasn't it?
Dratein felt deeply displeased.
'Since entering the 4th hierarchy, we haven't spotted them once.'
True, in this perpetual frozen wasteland, getting lost was likely.
But if not, it meant they were ahead.
'Ridiculous.'
Grinding his teeth.
His pride stung at even entertaining such a thought.
Yet the unease lingered.
"Airi!"
In the end, he called out to one of the knights.
The knight hurried to Dratein's side.
"Relay my orders to the front."
"Yes, sir."
Just in case, if they really were ahead.
'We have to stop them, no matter what.'
Staking the family's honor.
"Think they can keep up?"
"Yes, sir!"
Midway through the 4th hierarchy.
Havel was determined to shatter this friendly match.
And Dante agreed.
Dante had long harbored grudges against Glasis.
Now that things had come to this, he wanted total victory.
So Dante and Havel pushed their speed to the limit.
Wriggle, wriggle!
Meanwhile, movements stirred beneath their feet.
Their identity: frost crocodiles.
Creatures that swam freely under the glaciers.
This was the densest area for such frost crocodiles.
A path everyone normally avoided.
Yet Havel and Dante crossed it without hesitation.
Even stepping directly on the crocodiles' backs in a bold stunt.
Splat!
A frost crocodile burst through the snowsand, only for Havel to kick it away.
Its belly torn open, it died instantly.
"Be a good stepping stone."
Dante followed right behind Havel.
"At this pace, Dratein can't possibly catch us."
Dante had grown accustomed to Havel's breakthrough power.
But Havel just snorted as he traversed the crocodiles.
"If we're fighting fair, maybe."
"Pardon?"
"They wagered the family head. Losing would bruise their pride too much."
No matter what, they'd want victory at any cost.
By any means necessary.
"If you can go up a floor, you can go down too, right?"
So when Havel asked Dante, he furrowed his brow.
"You mean someone's descending from the 5th hierarchy?"
"Saw some decent ones among the vice-knight commander's bunch."
A single group, but serviceable enough.
That guy was surely there to support Dratein.
His subordinates too.
"They'll sabotage us for sure."
"No knightly honor."
"We never had that either."
Havel coughed lightly after his offhand remark from the past.
"Anyway, we'll see when we get there."
Whether they'd fight fair.
Or resort to tricks.
After a long trek through the frost crocodile zone, Havel landed on the snow desert.
By the time Dante caught up, Havel had turned, staring at a spot.
"Who are you."
There stood a figure draped head to toe in black cloth.
A mask with strange runes covered his head, catching the eye.
The man bowed to Havel.
"I'm from Graiza's Shadow Squad."
"Graiza?"
Dante reacted to the name.
One of the Five Great Families.
Famed for dark arts and illusions, Graiza.
Base, numbers, members—all shrouded in mystery.
One thing certain.
Once targeted by Graiza, death was inevitable.
Waiting here before the frost crocodile zone.
Meant they'd scouted Havel and Dante's route.
'Could it be.'
Dante wondered if this was the interference Havel mentioned.
"Here to give intel?"
But Havel thought differently.
And he was right.
"Yes. Keep ascending, and you'll hit an ice forest."
A frozen forest thick with bizarre ice trees.
"Glasis's ambush squad waits there."
Dante scowled.
Glasis had no intention of fighting fair.
"Looks like Graiza wants us to win."
Havel nailed Graiza's motive.
Banpellyon and Graiza had no ties.
One reason for the intel.
"Correct."
They wanted Glasis defeated.
"Using us in your power struggles?"
If Banpellyon toppled Glasis.
It'd dent Glasis's reputation.
Who benefits? The other Five Great Families, naturally.
So Graiza fed Havel the info.
"When did you learn about the friendly match?"
It'd only been three days since it started.
Yet Graiza knew.
Other families likely did too.
"We had men in the 3rd hierarchy safe zone—got the news fast."
"Others don't know yet?"
"They'll learn before clearing the 4th."
Graiza had first dibs on the intel.
"You coming to us means Graiza wants to back Banpellyon."
Family clashes boiled down to power.
Banpellyon paled against a grown Five Great Family like Graiza.
Graiza planned covert support.
"Ha."
But Havel snorted.
The Graiza envoy looked puzzled.
"Actually, perfect timing."
Perfect?
Havel's odd reaction.
"Graiza, you said."
"Yes."
"Then watch closely since you're here."
Havel started walking.
"That Banpellyon isn't for the likes of Five Great Families to contain."
His aura erupted simultaneously, swirling fiercely.
Even the snowflakes parted before it, making the envoy flinch.
Graiza had investigated not just Dante lately, but Havel too.
Yet the man before him exceeded imagination.
"See it with your own eyes. Report to your family. Tell the whole world."
The envoy swallowed hard.
"That Banpellyon has returned."
The emperor's homecoming.
Deep in the ice tree forest.
A squad lay in ambush.
"Vice-captain, do we really have to stoop to this?"
One squad member shivered in the cold, asking.
"Orders."
The vice-captain's curt reply.
Scar across forehead and cheek, tanned skin.
Once a 3rd knight squad leader.
Now vice-captain of the 4th knights.
Malec Julakin.
"Sigh, orders from the bratty young master."
"Watch your mouth. He's the captain."
"4th knight captain."
The squad member grumbled.
All here were ex-3rd knights who'd followed Malec.
Promoted to 4th knight vice-captain, they tagged along.
As his old squad.
They'd once cleared the 5th hierarchy.
Now babysitting Dratein.
No choice.
Orders from above to support him.
They'd grudgingly joined the 4th knights.
"And now ambushes? The 3rd knights would laugh."
The squad member looked defeated.
Dratein's impulsive friendly match.
They bore the suffering.
Attack Dante and Havel if they arrive first.
That dishonorable order.
"From the start, two guys outpacing a knight order? Absurd."
No matter the doubts.
Two overtaking a whole order?
Incomprehensible.
But Malec thought differently.
"No, something was off."
Malec felt nothing special from Dante.
Decent skill, nothing more.
3rd knights overflowed with that level.
But Havel felt strangely alien.
Just being there felt wrong.
Malec had sensed something similar before.
Entering the 6th hierarchy.
That eerie feeling from the calamity breeds.
Present yet not—as if not belonging.
"Don't underestimate them just because it's two."
"As long as you don't slack, what could we do?"
Words aside, they showed iron trust in Malec.
Battle comrades from the tower.
Only natural.
"Drinks after? The black beer from the 4th safe zone is killer."
"He always says that when 4th comes up."
Another squad member chuckled.
But all inwardly craved that beer.
"...Prepare."
Malec's aura shifted.
At the forest's edge.
Two figures approached.
"...Crazy, they really outpaced the knights?"
"Knights couldn't pierce this fast either."
Insanely swift pace.
They felt why Dante was called super rookie.
But Malec scowled.
Something's wrong.
Only two presences.
'Was Havel's presence always like this?'
He definitely had an oddly faint presence.
The moment that thought crossed his mind.
"You're at least decent."
A voice from behind Malec.
His head snapped back, but he felt his body lift first.
Thud!
He tumbled across the ground.
Springing up, Malec's eyes widened.
This was outside the frost forest—in the snow desert.
Kilometers from the forest.
Snow desert?
He drew his sword instantly.
Cold sweat dripped.
Bad premonition surged.
Then he spotted a man perched at a tree base, belatedly.
"Nice to meet you."
Havel's brief greeting.
Malec felt chilling tension.
Dangerous.
This man was danger incarnate.
His body had lifted because Havel grabbed him.
Nearly 90kg, yanked out of the forest in an instant.
Without a chance to resist.
What did that mean?
"... ."
Malec gripped his sword amid the tension.
But Havel just watched impassively.
No intent to fight?
"...What are you planning?"
Havel finally spoke.
"Get out of the 4th hierarchy now."
Question marks filled Malec's eyes.
Suddenly, leave the 4th?
"A trial's coming to the 4th soon. To protect your precious young master, you won't cut it."
Malec panicked.
Couldn't comprehend Havel.
"So call in stronger knights from Glasis and bring them here."
"What nonsense."
"Think it's nonsense?"
At Havel's words.
Rooooaaar!
A massive roar echoed from the snow desert beyond.
Whale-like cry made Malec freeze.
A sound never heard in the 4th hierarchy.
"Better hurry."
Havel stood.
But Malec didn't turn away.
Instead, he aimed his sword.
"My squad's in the forest."
His eyes burned with unyielding resolve.
He'd never abandon his men.
Not even against an unfathomable monster.
Havel clicked his tongue in regret.
"Then someone else will go."
As those words fell.
Malec realized his vision had flipped.
His head hit the ground rolling.
Rooooaaar!
With the roar behind him, Havel turned.
The true calamity re-entered the forest.