Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Sparring
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Sparring.
A test of each other's strength.
I never expected to hear that proposal from Dante.
And at the same time, I realized.
This was Dante's final resolution.
'He's going to judge whether he can follow me through sparring.'
Havel gazed at Dante for a moment.
Dante didn't dodge his eyes in the slightest, watching Havel with a resolute stare.
What a stubborn guy.
Knowing that stubborn side of his all too well, Havel nodded.
"Handle the aftermath, then two days from now."
Havel decided to accept Dante's request.
"Sparring it is."
Dante's eyes widened, then he bowed his head.
"I'll give it everything I've got."
With those words, Havel parted ways with Dante to deal with the aftermath.
Judging by his steadfast expression right up to the end, he probably needed time to sort out his thoughts.
Descending to the city of Babel at the tower's base, Havel watched the people bustling about.
Unlike him, those living in the present were busy every single day.
'Whether a hundred years ago or now.'
People still lived their days in a frenzy.
And Havel had decided to live in the present as well.
Then he had to adapt to it.
'If Dante leaves this time, I'll have to move alone.'
Havel resolved to handle the matters he'd pondered while ascending the 5th hierarchy.
First up: gathering information.
Through the Calamity Sorcerer, he'd learned of a group that worshipped the Whisperer.
Since that Calamity Sorcerer had entered the tower fifty years ago.
Gathering info might be tough, but it was worth a shot.
Ding-a-ling~.
"Welcome! This is Astella's General Store!"
So, the place Havel revisited was Astella's General Store.
Since it had been useful for finding Banpellyon information before.
He wondered if it could help again this time.
"I'm looking for information."
"Ah, scroll service, got it. One moment!"
The clerk quickly guided Havel.
Taking the scroll from the clerk, Havel entered "Whisperer."
This was routine by now.
[No matching information found.]
As expected, nothing came up.
'Yeah, it'd be weirder if there was.'
If they were the kind of idiots who showed up in searches, they'd have been wiped out long ago.
"No info came up?"
A nearby staff member asked just then.
"Nothing."
"Ah, in that case, we offer information commissions. Interested?"
Were all Astella's employees this dedicated?
"I'll take it."
"Yes, then the commission fee and requester's name?"
"Use this for the fee."
Havel set down a bundle of money.
"Name is..."
Havel pondered briefly.
Then a good idea flashed through his mind.
Since these guys had been around fifty years ago.
"Havel Banpellyon."
They might know the name.
"Havel Banpellyon, got it registered."
Hoping to dangle some bait, Havel left the store.
'All that's left is the elixir type to feed Dante.'
Whether Dante followed or not.
Dante's strength was part of Banpellyon's power.
So he was still considering the elixir idea from before.
Given Dante's personality, he wouldn't take it himself.
Someone would have to shove it down his throat.
'Gotta fulfill the role I've raised him for, right up to the end.'
Havel had a vague intuition that he wouldn't see Dante for a while.
Ever since his Endurance transcended into diamond-like indestructibility.
Havel had truly crossed beyond human limits.
And he'd keep facing things like this ahead.
Strength, Agility, Talent—all three were on the verge of four digits.
With that, Havel headed to Babel's largest alchemy workshop.
Alchemy Workshop Artemis.
It was even in Havel's memories.
'One of the workshops that first applied to open in our territory. Probably.'
After the Unification War, a new era dawned.
Countless people opened shops everywhere.
Among them, Artemis was one Havel had paid close attention to.
The quality of their alchemy products was leagues above others, so it was natural.
'Didn't expect it to grow this big.'
It felt like they opened just yesterday.
The alchemy workshop before Havel's eyes was enormous.
'Not all Banpellyon-related things collapsed, huh.'
Feeling no displeasure at that, Havel smirked.
He recalled the workshop owner of Artemis.
Who trembled before him yet spoke his mind fully.
'Had some backbone. That's why I thought the workshop would succeed.'
And apparently, it had grown to this scale.
Though the man Havel remembered was surely gone by now.
Entering Artemis, Havel searched the elixir shelves.
And soon, he hit a snag.
'I don't recognize a single one.'
Frowning at the elixirs, Havel grimaced.
His elixir knowledge was frozen a hundred years ago.
A century was enough for countless new elixirs to be developed.
Especially in this Great Calamity Era, with new ingredients flooding in from Calamities.
Elixirs were refined and innovated daily.
As a result, the ones Havel remembered were all relics of the old era.
Havel let out a regretful sigh.
It hit him anew how out of touch he was with the times, a bit melancholic.
His youth spent in the Unification War, his life in the Demonic Palace.
Falling behind was inevitable, but still.
'So what now. I was gonna use the formula the Artemis owner taught me.'
Something with the same effects would work.
But with different names and ingredients, it was a headache.
'Guess I should ask a staff member.'
Havel glanced around.
But the staff seemed to have stepped away briefly.
"Hmm, looking for something?"
Havel turned toward the voice.
There stood a boy who looked mid-teens.
Unusual cyan-white hair.
Amber eyes gleaming sharply, at odds with his youthful face.
And for some reason, he was stroking a nonexistent beard.
Havel's eyes widened.
He looked exactly like someone from his memories.
"Young folks like you usually go for these."
The boy picked up a few elixirs as he spoke.
"I can tell you're planning to climb the tower. With all the youngsters rushing up thanks to Banpellyon these days."
Despite looking much younger himself.
The boy handed the elixirs to Havel without a care.
"Here, take these. Pop 'em and you'll breeze through the 1st hierarchy. Heh, off you go."
He grinned brightly, pleased with himself.
Gazing at the boy, Havel put the elixirs back.
"Huh? Not buying?"
"Dalrum Artemis."
But when Havel uttered that name, the boy froze.
"That's my father's name."
The name Artemis was famous.
But his real name, former owner Dalrum Artemis, wasn't widely known.
Mentioning it made the boy's eyes narrow suspiciously.
"You even know my dad's name."
With that, he flashed a bright smile and clapped Havel's shoulder.
"You're really into our workshop! Here, some service picks! Choose a few!"
His energy was through the roof.
'Not him after all.'
He looked so identical that Havel had blurted the name, but it was someone else.
'His son, though.'
Yet he looked unmistakably boyish.
Calling him a son felt odd.
"Grandpa!"
Another voice called out then.
A grown man stood there with a troubled expression.
Sharing the same amber eyes, he hurried over.
"Seriously, stop coming to the shop! The alchemists are scared stiff because of you!"
"Bah, it's my shop. I can come if I want."
"You handed it over to me!"
"I'm not dead yet, you rascal."
Their bickering went on for a bit.
The man snapped out of it first.
He turned to Havel with an apologetic look.
"Sorry for the commotion, sir. I hope my grandfather wasn't rude."
"Grandfather?"
Havel glanced at the boy.
"Ah, this is Dalrond Artemis, the previous-previous owner of Artemis Alchemy Workshop."
He introduced his grandfather with a wry smile.
"He experimented with potions so much he ended up like this, and now he's a bit senile."
So that's what it was.
He was far older than he appeared.
Even if Dalrum had been unmarried back then, he had to be at least ninety.
'Not that I can talk, but he lived a ridiculously long life.'
Lifespans had increased, but sixty was still the norm.
Probably thanks to alchemy secrets.
"Hey now, you punk! Senile? That's how you talk to your grandpa?"
"Yes, yes. Oh, and Mom was looking for you. No need to head back?"
"Hmph, why's that daughter of mine always summoning her old man."
Dalrond grumbled, hands behind his back.
They were a noisy bunch.
"Anyway, this young man's got potential. Take good care of him."
Young man.
If he knew Havel's real age, Dalrond would faint.
Havel said nothing.
Looking young was a plus anyway.
"I'm looking for elixirs with specific effects among these."
"Ah, yes. Grandpa mentioned it too—feel free to ask."
The current owner, Dalrain Artemis.
Havel seized the chance to ask freely.
Dalrain kindly gathered the elixirs he wanted.
Then, as he sorted them, Dalrain's face gradually stiffened.
Because the formulas were ones he'd seen before.
'These formulas.'
They were secret recipes passed down in Artemis Alchemy Workshop.
From the founder, Dalrum Artemis.
Who'd said they were for one person only.
The elixirs were modern, so ingredients had changed a bit.
But the effects were identical.
Confusion spread across Dalrain's face.
How did this man know them?
'Grandpa liked him so much... did he tell him these too?'
Flustered, he glanced at Dalrond.
But contrary to his thoughts, Dalrond's face was grim.
Seeing that, Dalrain understood.
His grandfather hadn't told him.
"Y-you..."
Dalrond spoke up.
Havel thought he'd ask how he knew.
But it was something else entirely.
"Take these too. Eat 'em before the others—they'll help."
"Noted."
Havel readily took the recommended elixirs.
Paid up, and left the workshop.
Dalrain stared blankly after him, then turned to Dalrond.
"Grandpa, who the heck was that customer...?"
"No more words. Keep today's events quiet."
Dalrond slowly dropped his hands from behind his back.
"Goodness, I had no idea who I was putting on a show for."
He smirked, thinking he couldn't treat him like just any young man from now on.