Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Seizing the Keys
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Pelnox Boland, the knight commander of the Boland Knights, rose following Breckino.
And Elasia Selentia, the magic commander of Selentia.
The two of them couldn't make sense of the situation at all.
And who could blame them? They had been deep in thought about how to emerge victorious in the faction war.
Then suddenly, they blacked out and woke up dumped in an open clearing.
"Elasia Selentia, this is your doing!"
At that moment, Pelnox shouted upon belatedly spotting Elasia.
He assumed it was the work of the magic commander.
"My doing? If it were me, I wouldn't be this close to a knight."
Elasia shot him a haughty glare, as if telling him not to accuse the innocent.
Pelnox, unable to refute her, then noticed Breckino.
"Then it must be you, you commoner..."
His shout trailed off into a murmur.
Breckino was staring fixedly at one spot, ignoring him completely.
Pelnox followed Breckino's gaze, puzzled by his demeanor.
There stood a single man.
A man with an eerily faint presence.
He regarded the three of them with a relaxed expression.
"So, have you all finished talking?"
Finally, the three fell silent.
In that quiet moment, Pelnox reacted first.
"Did you bring us three here?"
"Valtua's commander, what do you say? Ready to respond to my earlier proposal?"
Havel ignored Pelnox entirely and addressed him directly.
Pelnox's face twisted in rage, but Havel paid it no mind.
"...Could you make the same proposal to these two as well?"
Pelnox asked with surprising politeness.
Havel chuckled lightly.
'He'll decide after seeing their reactions.'
A cautious one, fitting for a faction commander.
"Fine. Let's do that. I'll make the offer to you two as well. I hear each of you holds one of the summoning keys for the island's master."
Pelnox and Elasia immediately understood what Havel meant.
"The first one to hand over their key gets control of this island. The second one to speak will be spared. The last..."
Havel said nothing about the last.
He merely let his smile convey the meaning.
Elasia fell into thought.
True to her role as magic commander, her mind raced quickly.
She knew she hadn't been brought here by magic.
Which meant Havel had kidnapped her from Selentia through sheer force.
From Selentia territory, teeming with mages, no less.
So Elasia chose silence for now.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
Pelnox, on the other hand, was hot-tempered.
With his fiery personality, he placed great importance on authority.
He couldn't tolerate being spoken to so casually by Havel, who was far younger.
"Do you know who I am? How dare you pull this stunt!"
"That's why I'm asking where the keys are, isn't it? You short-sighted fool."
Havel picked at his ear, blatantly dismissing him.
"You insolent brat!"
Unable to endure it any longer, Pelnox raised his hand.
In that instant, a lance shaft materialized in his grip.
It was his signature weapon, summonable from anywhere.
He gripped the spear and kicked off the ground.
Having reached the 6th hierarchy, he was at the level of an Aura Guardian.
Red aura split into six prongs.
It was the Boland family's secret technique.
"I take it you're rejecting the proposal."
Pelnox had never intended to accept Havel's offer from the start.
Unlike Breckino, control of Layered Cliff Island held no interest for him.
If the Boland family controlled the island's master, they could trade with countless houses.
In that sense, what he wanted aligned somewhat with Havel's.
Collecting all three keys was precisely why he sought the island.
'He's definitely using sorcery, or perhaps he's a mage.'
Unlike Elasia, Pelnox pegged Havel as a mage.
Not a trace of aura emanated from him.
Mages were weak up close.
Judging swiftly, he closed the distance on Havel.
'The six spears are illusions. I'll gauge his reaction to the spear and adapt.'
He was indeed hot-tempered.
But beyond that temper lay his life as Boland's knight commander.
He knew his impulsiveness could ruin everything.
So he turned it to his advantage.
Outwardly erupting in fury while keeping his mind calm inside.
And in that calm, devising countermeasures.
That was Pelnox's forte.
Proof he hadn't picked pointless fights with the other two.
Unfortunately...
There was one thing he'd never experienced.
An ant raising its front legs to probe an opponent.
Only to be crushed underfoot by the strong.
"One's missing."
Crack!
The six illusions shattered simultaneously, accompanied by the sound of something breaking.
Boom!
Something flew off, smashing through the forest trees.
Breckino and Elasia stared rigidly in that direction.
There lay Pelnox, spear bent and stomach caved in.
"Kuhk... gah."
He vomited blood as if on the verge of death, then convulsed and lost consciousness.
The two froze.
Pelnox, whom they'd fought so viciously for half a year.
Reduced to near-death in an instant.
Breckino and Elasia hadn't even seen what Havel did.
They only caught him raising his arm belatedly.
A monster.
A non-human monster stood there.
Elasia had intended to resist, following Pelnox's example.
But now, her will crumbled completely.
In that chaotic moment...
"Valtua will surrender the key."
Breckino spoke first.
"Eek!"
Elasia realized her judgment had been too slow.
Her caution in probing Havel had backfired.
Her eyes wavered.
If Havel meant what he said, she'd just lost the island.
"W-Wait a moment! Selentia owns other islands too!"
She'd caught on from his offer of island control.
He aimed to clear hierarchies and ascend.
Meaning byproducts from the island held no interest.
For the magic family Selentia, those byproducts were vital.
She had no intention of trading the island master like Pelnox.
So if they had to yield Layered Cliff Island...
Better to offer one of Selentia's other island masters.
Breckino whipped around to stare at Elasia.
He hadn't expected her to concede that much.
His face hardened as Elasia smirked triumphantly.
Meanwhile, Havel stepped down from the rock.
Elasia wore a smug look, assuming he'd accept.
Breckino despaired.
"The deal stands."
But the response was entirely different.
The rational Elasia panicked.
"Wh-What? I-I'm saying we'll let you take another island's master?"
"Sure, I'll take that offer. It should cover your life."
"Wait, that's not what you said! You clearly stated the second one would be spared..."
As she spoke, her eyes began to tremble.
Havel had said the next one to speak would be spared.
But he had no intention of sparing the last.
With Pelnox, who should have been last, unconscious...
She couldn't tell if he was alive or dead.
Thus, Elasia was now the last to speak.
It was sophistry, sure.
But the strong could twist words as they pleased.
Her eyes twitched with humiliation.
Yet she could do nothing.
She could only be grateful to still be breathing.
Against someone she could match, she'd fight.
But the gap was too vast.
"Both of you, fetch your keys."
Havel said that and started walking.
Then he effortlessly lifted Pelnox's limp body.
"I'll handle Boland myself."
Grasping the implication, the two clamped their mouths shut.
It meant the Boland family would vanish from the island today.
Realizing they had nearly suffered the same fate, they shivered.
"S-Selentia will withdraw from Layered Cliff Island."
Elasia quickly declared, fearing Havel might change his mind.
Breckino felt a mix of absurdity.
To think he'd gain island control like this.
Life truly was unpredictable, he thought quietly.
Afterward, Havel dealt with the Boland family.
It wasn't particularly difficult.
"Hey, wake up."
"Grahk... kuh!"
Pelnox's eyes snapped open after Havel slapped his cheek.
His stomach had been wrecked to the point survival seemed miraculous.
But it was fully healed now.
Thanks to one of the potions Havel always carried.
"Hik!?"
Meeting Havel's eyes, he screamed.
He'd brushed death's door.
Havel looked like the grim reaper to him.
"Pelnox Boland."
Havel called his name and loosely shook out his arm.
"Got more fight in you?"
Pelnox's face drained of color as he collapsed in hesitation.
The meaning was clear.
He returned to his faction's base and retrieved the key to summon the island master.
Then he immediately ordered his knights to withdraw.
"Commander, what are you saying?"
"Why are we pulling out?!"
Despite the knights' protests, Pelnox forced the retreat.
They should be grateful just to be alive.
Stay on this island any longer, and death would return.
Deep in his mind...
The name Banpellyon burned fiercely.
He vowed to remember it clearly.
Whenever he heard Banpellyon...
He must flee without fail.
About a day after Havel landed on Layered Cliff Island...
Boland and Selentia fully withdrew.
The victorious Valtua alliance was stunned.
"Selentia and Boland withdrew?"
"Wh-Why?"
They rejoiced in victory yet puzzled over the reason.
Breckino, knowing the truth, gave them a wry smile.
Thus, when Havel collected all three keys...
The Golden Generation's ship finally arrived at Layered Cliff Island.
Penbola, who had rushed up the cliffs with the alliance members, was flustered.
Two of the three expected factions were gone.
And the culprit was...
"Oh, you made it?"
None other than Havel, who had acted alone recently.
Proof: three keys dangled openly in his hand.
Not only that—he was brazenly eating the breakfast Valtua had prepared.
"...Havel, care to explain what happened?"
Penbola demanded an explanation.
He'd been baffled hearing from Baria that Havel went ahead alone.
But finishing everything before they arrived? Even more so.
Even the ever-composed Penbola was thoroughly thrown.
"You guys were too slow, so I handled it all."
Havel brushed it off as just doing what needed doing.
As if it were no big deal.
Layered Cliff Island was to be the Golden Generation's first battleground.
Havel had cleared it in a single day.
Instead of the Golden Generation's fame...
Only Havel Banpellyon's name would echo.
The Golden Generation would become mere footnotes.
Penbola fell silent.
He'd vaguely known Havel was strong.
But this surpassed his wildest imagination.
This wasn't just strong.
It was off the charts.
'I thought he was a golden goose.'
No, he was a dragon.
One that might shatter the Golden Generation's house.
"Let's get going. Time's wasting."
Havel strolled off with hands behind his back.
Heading to hunt the island master...
Like he was out for a casual walk.
"...Baria, did I make a mistake?"
Penbola asked Baria beside him.
Baria didn't answer.
He'd considered it a mistake from the moment they met Havel.
Penbola clenched his fist.
Then he hurried to Havel's side.
"Just as Havel says. We need to slay the master and move to the next island."
He signaled the Golden Generation to follow.
No matter what, Havel would be the eye of the storm.
A dragon that had already devoured them.
Even if the ship burst, they had to ride the gale.
No matter the unknown end.
Catching Penbola's resolve, Havel smirked.
'Squirm all you want while you can.'
That way, there'd be no regrets in failure.