Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Astraia's Proposal
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Eltain's head drooped as he grasped Havel's intent.
"Catching the sun in one's palm."
At the same moment, Eltain's demeanor shifted.
He had seemed like some honest country boy before.
But the aura emanating from his eyes was utterly different now.
It was the gaze of a veteran who had rolled through countless battlefields.
"So, it was exactly that much, huh."
A smile crept into Eltain's eyes.
He was someone who could flip his atmosphere as easily as turning over his hand.
"May I ask when you figured it out?"
"From the start."
The faint aura of power cloaking Eltain's body.
It was a disguise meant for deception.
That's why Havel had seen through him right from the beginning.
And that wasn't all.
"You think you can hide your skills from someone better than you?"
He had been concealing his true strength.
To the point where, among those they'd met outside, Eltain was the strongest.
Even Dante would lose nine times out of ten.
There was no reason for someone that strong to want to join Banpellyon.
"I won't deny it. I've been waiting for you to notice, after all."
Though he hadn't expected it to happen quite this soon.
With that, he offered a deeply formal greeting.
"Pleased to meet you. Havel, this is my proper introduction. I am Peleban Jeres, a member of Astraia."
The rigid formality of his greeting revealed his status.
"Astraia?"
But what caught Havel's attention was something else.
It wasn't one of the Five Great Families.
"I understand if you haven't heard of us."
Peleban's eyes, now turned a vivid red, gleamed.
"Astraia is an organization unknown to the wider world."
"Why would a group like that come looking for us?"
"Ah, I should clarify first. It's not 'us' we're after."
Havel's eyes narrowed.
"I've come specifically for you, Havel."
Dante had never been his target from the start.
His goal was Havel.
"Me?"
"Yes. The world may not know it yet, but we've obtained information from those who witnessed your prowess."
And they knew it was true.
The one shattering records right now wasn't Dante.
The real deal was Havel.
Havel's response was indifferent.
"So?"
He still hadn't answered the first question.
Thus, Peleban got to the point.
"We want to recruit you to Astraia, Havel."
Havel felt a surge of absurdity.
In all his life, he'd never received a scouting offer like this.
Not even when he was head of the family.
"You want me?"
"I know my skills fall short of yours. But Astraia is different."
Peleban exuded confidence.
"We can help you spread your wings."
There was conviction in his words.
'Spread my wings, huh.'
As if they knew how heavy his wings truly were.
It was laughable.
"You want me to help conquer the Tower?"
Peleban shook his head at Havel's question.
"We have little interest in the Tower."
That was quite unexpected.
"Then what?"
"What we're currently tackling is Labyrinth Island."
This time, even Havel showed surprise.
He hadn't expected them to be going after one of the other Primordial Three Calamities.
"The world fixates on the Tower, but the reality is different."
His gaze drifted beyond the Tower.
"Beyond those like us conquering Labyrinth Island, there are others tackling different calamities."
After the Primordial Three Calamities, countless other calamities had appeared in the world.
Among them were some that rivaled the Primordial Three.
"Doesn't it strike you as odd that the heads of the Five Great Families aren't climbing the Tower?"
With their power, they could have challenged it.
Yet they rarely showed up there.
"The Primordial Three Calamities bizarrely change form based on the challenger's strength."
Havel had confirmed that fact himself.
And the other families knew it too.
"So other calamities don't change with strength?"
"From what we've confirmed so far, yes. Though no one knows what lies beyond the seas or across the continents."
The calamities there were beyond human reach.
No one knew what monstrous calamities might have been born from their mingling.
Perhaps even worse than the Primordial Three.
"But the calamities within the continent don't change."
That became the goal for others.
"That's why the heads of the Five Great Families are scattered across various calamities. The Tower's byproducts aren't the only rewards out there."
If they stepped in personally, it would only raise the Tower's difficulty.
So they sent their knight orders to tackle the Tower.
And handled other calamities themselves for the spoils.
That was how the Five Great Families operated now.
Havel's eyes narrowed.
'Then maybe among the others, there's someone like me.'
The text that had appeared after clearing the Demonic Palace.
And the calamities continuously being absorbed.
Someone else might know this secret.
'Guess I should meet one.'
Even just one would do.
If they knew the current situation, he could extract information.
This world held more secrets than he'd realized.
"Is that why the Tower stalled at the 6th tier?"
"Yes, exactly. Not just the Five Great Families' heads—the real monsters haven't set foot in the Tower. The world is vast."
Thus, the Tower had stagnated.
No matter how hard the knight orders tried, they couldn't breach certain walls.
"Labyrinth Island changes difficulty too, doesn't it? Since it's one of the Primordial Three."
Peleban nodded at Havel's question.
"We know. But the Primordial Three yield more byproducts the higher the difficulty climbs."
Havel understood their thinking.
"So you're gathering powerhouses on Labyrinth Island to aim for even greater rewards."
"Yes, correct. That's Astraia's founding purpose. Our conquest of Labyrinth Island will upend the world in one fell swoop."
A group that would crack the world monopolized by the Five Great Families.
That was Astraia, Peleban was certain.
"And that's not our only goal."
At the same time, Peleban's red eyes gleamed sharply.
"Our true aim is the Demonic Palace—the one that devoured countless heroes."
The moment Havel heard those words next.
"Ha."
He let out a hollow laugh.
Did they even realize who they were talking to about conquering the Demonic Palace?
"Laugh all you want. We'll definitely succeed."
Peleban assumed Havel was dismissing it as nonsense.
In truth, Havel wasn't mocking him.
He was just dumbfounded.
"Do you know how dangerous the Demonic Palace is?"
"It's devoured countless heroes. Naturally, its difficulty is immense."
The Demonic Palace had been designated a forbidden zone worldwide.
No one had ever returned alive from it.
"But we've grown a century beyond those old heroes."
The legends of past heroes were impressive.
But they were just that—past legends.
Their power paled against the present.
That was Peleban's conviction.
"So we'll conquer the Demonic Palace for all to see."
As the old saying goes, dreams should be grand.
That way, you press steadily toward your goals.
But there's another old saying.
Sometimes, it's wiser not to even glance at trees too tall to climb.
Havel eyed Peleban before him.
He had real skill, no doubt.
Plenty of aura, considerable talent.
But that was merely human level.
The Demonic Palace was a world of monsters.
No place for humans to tread.
'That's why I abandoned being human.'
Havel was certain.
Even if they had a thousand at Peleban's level.
They could never conquer the Demonic Palace.
'We, who were greater, failed after all.'
They didn't know the Demonic Palace.
How bizarre a world it was, to those who had never entered.
That's why they chased such foolish dreams.
"Impossible."
Havel stated it flatly.
Conquering the Demonic Palace was impossible.
Not just for them.
The very person who had already conquered it was standing right there.
Conquest didn't even apply anymore.
"Haha, everyone says that. But once you see Astraia for yourself, you'll change your mind."
Still, Peleban had no intention of backing down.
He pressed even harder to recruit Havel.
'What to do.'
Havel didn't dismiss Peleban as a fool.
He couldn't blame them for not knowing the Demonic Palace.
It was just their arrogance—assuming they could scout him for sure—that grated.
'They don't even see Banpellyon.'
Banpellyon was the one employing him now.
Of course, they'd object if someone tried to poach mid-contract.
Yet they acted without a care.
As if they were leagues above Banpellyon.
That irked Havel.
So he spoke up.
"Fine."
"As expected of Havel. I knew you'd make the right choice."
"But with a condition."
Peleban smiled leisurely.
"Name it."
His attitude was so arrogant, he seemed ready to hand over the world.
"A trial will appear in the Dark Zone."
But the words that followed left him puzzled.
"A trial?"
"Yeah, a trial."
From his reaction, Peleban didn't know about the trial.
'They haven't drawn out Labyrinth Island's trial either.'
At that point, Havel's expectations dropped.
"Take it down before Dante does."
Peleban's brow twitched.
Havel had just compared him to Dante.
"You know my strength."
Havel had seen right through him.
So why ask for proof? Peleban implied.
This time, Havel wore an arrogant smile.
"Acorns competing in height."
Peleban's face twisted in disbelief.
Then he composed himself and smiled leisurely once more.
"Very well."
He didn't know what the trial was, but the opponent was Dante.
He never even considered losing.
"I'll escort you to Astraia myself."
He taunted with utter confidence in victory.
"You do that."
Havel's response held zero interest.
That stung Peleban's pride.
Vowing to shatter Havel's composure, he reacted with fiery determination.
'Calamities beyond the continent.'
Unaware, Havel was already lost in other thoughts.