Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Unexpected Allies
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While Arthur wore a sullen expression,
Havel turned to the old butler.
"Butler, what kind of relationship do Arthur and this Levi have?"
Judging from Arthur's reaction, they seemed quite close.
But it was puzzling to receive such treatment.
"They are longtime friends. The Maylin family and Banpellyon have always maintained a close relationship."
A close relationship with the Maylin family.
Havel showed a hint of puzzlement.
It hadn't been to that extent in his own time.
"After the Sword Saint failed to return from the Demonic Palace long ago, the daughter of the Maylin family helped the family head a great deal at the time,"
the old butler added. It was a connection that had continued from then.
'The daughter... could it be.'
The daughter of the Maylin family who had followed him around.
Havel awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
He had never once accepted her affections.
Yet she had helped his sister in his absence.
He had unwittingly incurred a debt.
"So they are friends, in any case."
"Yes, indeed. And very close ones at that."
The old butler glanced at the sullen Arthur.
"And I have a rough idea of why Miss Levi is acting this way."
"You know the reason?"
"Yes. Though the young master seems oblivious, Miss Levi appeared to have feelings for you."
They were just a pair of teenagers, at most.
A simple crush would be obvious to the old butler's eyes.
'Do the daughters of the Maylin family have some inexplicable pull toward Banpellyon?'
The thought brought back memories of the past, stirring an absurd feeling.
"But the young master is rather oblivious."
Still, the old butler looked at Arthur with pity.
From that look, Havel grasped the situation.
"...Looks like this Levi girl got upset over something."
"I suspect that's the case."
Havel pieced it together.
Come to think of it, his sister Aria had been oblivious in that regard too.
The trait must have run in the bloodline, reaching Arthur as well.
"What will you do?"
Dante asked, turning to Havel.
They needed a Lantern Keeper to enter the 5th hierarchy.
Returning empty-handed was not an option.
"Figure out the cause and resolve it."
Havel approached Arthur.
It was just kids' romance, after all.
If she was upset, soothing her would fix it.
"Arthur, Miss Levi mentioned a broken promise. Does anything come to mind?"
"Hmm."
Arthur let out a groan at Havel's question.
His reaction suggested he had no particular guesses.
"Even your last conversation would do."
"Last?"
Arthur sank into thought for a long moment.
Then he lifted his head.
"Come to think of it..."
He looked like something had surfaced.
"...But is that really it?"
Still, he didn't seem certain.
Havel was convinced it was that.
"Tell us anyway."
"Well, I once joked that if I couldn't revive Banpellyon, I might have to become a son-in-law to the Maylin family."
Arthur wore an ambiguous expression.
"Levi heard it and boasted that she'd support me. We made a promise on it, but..."
Arthur looked reluctant.
"That's the one."
Havel was certain Arthur had hit the mark.
"But that was clearly just teasing."
Embarassed, he'd beaten around the bush—and Arthur had taken it as teasing.
Havel swallowed a sigh at Arthur's obliviousness.
'And somehow, Arthur ended up breaking that engagement promise.'
Ironically, Havel himself was the culprit.
Banpellyon was now the talk of the town.
Anyone could see it was unmistakably rising again.
Levi had realized her promise with Arthur could never come to pass and sunk into gloom.
Havel stood with arms crossed for a moment.
Then he turned to Arthur.
"Just go back and say you want to see her."
"Hah, but she just said she doesn't want to meet."
"If you ask to meet her once more, she'll agree."
The old butler nodded as well.
Both of them knew the earlier refusal was just a sulk.
Unable to hold out against the butler and Havel, Arthur returned to the inn.
"Please, come in."
Soon, permission came from an attendant.
As Arthur lit up and started forward, Havel grabbed his shoulder.
"Arthur."
"Yeah?"
"Don't jump straight into the Lantern Keeper talk."
Given Arthur's personality, he'd dive right into the main topic nine times out of ten.
"Catch up on recent events first. Tell her you really wanted to share something with her."
Arthur nodded, not fully grasping it but agreeing anyway.
"That should do it."
She wouldn't ask for much.
Carrying Havel's advice, Arthur entered the inn.
Watching him go, Havel gave a wry smile.
For some reason, it felt like advising a distant son on his love life.
"My advice failed to get through to young master Arthur properly, so it wasn't much help. Thank you, Havel."
The old butler offered his thanks.
As the butler, there were limits to what he could say.
Havel understood.
"Will this really resolve it?"
Dante, meanwhile, hadn't fully grasped the situation.
He was in the same class as Arthur, after all.
One cared only about reviving his family.
The other only about honing his sword.
'Not that I'm much different.'
But years of life granted insight.
"It'll be settled soon."
As Havel added that, Arthur emerged moments later.
He held a round vial.
Inside wriggled the Lantern Keeper itself.
The green flame flickered as if alive.
"It really worked."
Dante looked reluctant.
Arthur did too.
"Levi didn't get mad for once."
Arthur gazed at Havel with eyes full of respect.
"Miss Levi always stormed off in a huff."
At the butler's hint, Havel clicked his tongue.
Thinking Levi would be in for some heartache.
"Dante, take this."
"Yes, Arthur. Good work."
Dante accepted the Lantern Keeper from Arthur.
Preparations were now complete.
All that remained was to climb the 5th hierarchy.
"Let's head out now."
"Yes, Arthur. We'll take our leave."
Dante bowed his head.
"Arthur!"
Suddenly, the inn window flew open.
There stood a girl with emerald curls.
Looking down at Arthur, she squeezed her eyes shut and shouted.
"If you revive Banpellyon, you have to keep your promise and marry me next!"
Her voice rang out loud and clear.
Throwing a straight pitch in front of everyone—it was almost admirable.
Havel, Dante, and the butler turned to Arthur.
Arthur awkwardly rubbed his nape.
"That's how it went."
He'd thought it was far off, but apparently she knew how to step up when it counted.
"Young master Arthur, you've grown."
The butler wiped away tears.
Meanwhile, Levi slammed the window shut.
She was embarrassed too.
Gazing at her, Havel recalled the Maylin family daughter.
'She acts just like her.'
Blood truly couldn't be denied.
A hundred years later.
In a way, her goal had been achieved.
'Wow, what a long-term plan.'
A chuckle escaped Havel as he turned away.
Reliving old memories after so long.
5th Hierarchy, Dark Zone.
Havel and Dante had finally entered the mid-hierarchy's 51st floor.
What greeted them upon entry was utter blackness.
True to its name, the Dark Zone offered no visibility—not even an inch ahead.
Only humanity's primal fear, darkness itself, filled the space.
"We'll use the Lantern Keeper."
Dante pulled it from the glass vial.
The Lantern Keeper slowly rose above the Dark Zone.
Flickering with flame, it devoured a portion of the darkness.
The shadows receded somewhat.
At last, the floor became visible.
It couldn't dispel all the darkness.
But it cleared enough of the surroundings.
"I hear the Dark Zone is structured like a massive labyrinth."
"Finding the path is the key, then."
"Yes. Fortunately, it's been cleared before, so we have a map up to the 55th floor."
But from the 55th floor onward, maps became meaningless.
The paths shifted on their own every day.
From there, they'd have to rely purely on instinct.
"Hmm."
Havel eyed the Dark Zone upon hearing that.
'If I set my mind to it, I could blow it all away with Dawn.'
But Dante needed training too.
He hadn't properly trained him on the previous floor.
'Maybe hold back this time.'
Dante's growth was as crucial as climbing the Tower.
'If we keep going like this.'
Dante wouldn't be able to keep up much longer.
The Tower's pressure intensified with each floor ascended.
Wriggle—
The Calamity dwelling within Havel's body reacted more fiercely with each passing day.
As if harboring defiance toward the Tower itself.
Could Dante stay by his side in such conditions?
Havel shook his head.
The Tower's escalating trials were beyond what Dante could currently handle.
'Might need to get him some elixirs soon.'
With elixirs, Dante could grow more smoothly.
'Wonder what modern alchemy is like.'
He'd have to look into it after this floor.
The next moment, sensing a suspicious presence, Havel whipped his gaze backward.
"Havel?"
Dante, who had been walking while consulting the map under the Lantern Keeper's light, turned around.
Havel had halted.
"A Calamity?"
Dante's hand flew to his sword, but Havel wore a bored expression.
"It's people."
Even at the word "people," Dante kept his hand on his sword.
The Tower was far removed from law.
Fatal accidents happened daily.
There were rules among climbers, but they were mere customs at best.
Some ignored them outright.
Banditry was common as a result.
High-rank climbers could easily prey on novices.
And the Dark Zone was perfect hunting grounds for such bandits.
Sure enough, criminal gangs lurked in the Dark Zone.
Outcasts who couldn't survive outside due to their records.
But they were skilled enough to band together into crime syndicates.
One such group was called Gehenna.
Thanks to the hierarchy's nature, even knights from the Five Great Families couldn't apprehend them.
"Gehenna?"
Gehenna's specialty was robbing climbers.
Dante asked tensely, but Havel shook his head.
"No. Different."
Soon, people appeared alongside several Lantern Keepers.
A considerable group. Spotting Dante and Havel, their eyes widened.
"Found them! It was them after all!"
Doubt flickered in Dante's eyes.
They seemed bizarrely overjoyed.
"You are Sir Dante and Sir Havel, correct?"
"Yes, that's us."
Dante answered in Havel's stead, and they promptly bowed their heads.
"Please accept us into Banpellyon!"
And words utterly unforeseen spilled from their lips.