Kays Translations

Chapter 174

Even though nothing in the city seemed to change, that day finally came.
Unlike the harbor used by the common people, there was another—one reserved only for state guests and important vessels.
That day, standing as Shuris’s partner, I saw for the first time an ocean-going ship—a massive powered vessel capable of crossing vast seas to reach other nations.
Down the lowered gangway came nobles in splendid attire, radiating presence as if to intimidate those watching. Their clothes were not gaudy or tasteless, but of such obvious quality that one could tell they were of the highest grade at a glance.
The diplomatic delegation from the Consold Empire, one of the two great powers ruling the vast Rise Arc Continent, had arrived on Yasha Island.
“Welcome, Asimo Koshaku. You must be weary from such a long voyage.”
The speaker, Marquis Veil—our representative—greeted the bearded, broad-shouldered man before him with deep respect.
From the exchange, it was clear this man outranked even a marquis.
The word “kōshaku” I heard must indeed have meant duke, not marquis.
If the Holy City of Lendia was truly being recognized as one of the major powers, then sending a duke as their envoy made perfect sense.
“Well now, such a courteous reception—my thanks. I must say, I’m surprised. To think that even this far from the mainland, the climate has already become so mild. Lendia is clearly flourishing.”
“Your words are most encouraging, Your Grace. We’ve prepared carriages for you and your delegation. Please, allow us to escort you to the state guesthouse.”
Duke Asimo’s tone was polite—no trace of arrogance or condescension, despite his imperial stature. That alone was a relief… until one man suddenly stepped forward from among the delegation.
“Ah, sorry, but I’ll pass on the ride, yeah? I kind of want to go check out this backwater island’s dungeon.”
His flippant tone and total lack of respect toward his own nation’s nobility made it clear—he was an explorer. His casual, travel-worn clothes gave him away.
“…Angares. There’s a banquet tomorrow night. Explore if you must, but return within a day. The dungeon here is said to be vast—don’t get lost.”
“’Kay, I’ll just take a quick peek and mess around a bit.”
That man—Angares—was the very one Shuris and I had been warned about.
Without another word, he strolled down the beach and vanished from sight.
He was much younger than expected. Supposedly in his thirties, but to me he looked about my age. Perhaps he carried the blood of some long-lived race that aged slowly.
“My apologies for the disturbance,”
Said the duke.
“He’s one of our country’s explorers—rough around the edges, as you can see.”
“Please don’t worry. For people in such dangerous professions, a little wildness is sometimes a good thing. Embarrassing to admit, but I was once a knight myself—I can relate.”
“Haha, is that so? I’d love to hear more about that sometime. Shall we depart, then?”
“Of course. This way, please.”
Shuris and I stayed silent, watching the entire exchange unfold.
Just as Duke Asimo was about to board his carriage, he turned back toward us.
“My apologies—we have several injured men aboard. Could you see them properly taken care of?”
“Oh? Someone’s been hurt? Understood. We’ll make arrangements at once.”
With that, the duke and Marquis Veil rode off toward the guesthouse, followed by the rest of the delegation.
“…Same, I think those must be the injured men he mentioned.”
Indeed, the imperial envoys had all departed. No one was left to tend the wounded.
The injured were being carried ashore by ship’s crew—no healers, no medics, no one staying behind to help.
The sight was grim. Rough bandages clung to open wounds, barely staunching the bleeding. The air reeked faintly of rot.
“Get them to the infirmary, fast. Use the name Glory Knights if needed.”
“Severe cases over here. I have spare potions—use them.”
It was awful. “Severe cases”? They were all severe.
Arms and legs bent at impossible angles. Bones broken in places that weren’t joints. Some already showing signs of decay—left untreated for far too long.
I began administering stronger potions, one by one.
Among them, one man recovered consciousness quickly enough for me to question him.
“…We… made it, huh?”
“You’re from the Consold Empire’s explorer corps, right? There are many wounded—what happened?”
“Ah… my leg—it’s healed…! Hey—what about the others!?”
He looked down at himself in disbelief, panic in his eyes, searching for his comrades. I pointed to the others lying nearby, also receiving treatment.
But—
“So these are the only ones left…”
“What do you mean? Were there more injured?”
“No… if they’re not here, then… they were thrown into the sea. The ones who couldn’t be saved.”
“…Tell me everything.”
It wasn’t just a scuffle. Something terrible—something inhuman—had happened aboard that ship.
I called Shuris over. We listened to the man’s story.
And then—
“I thought he was a gentleman…”
“No statesman should ever do such a thing—but it’s not our country. We can’t officially protest, can we?”
“No… we can’t. We knew there might be danger aboard that ship, but… to throw men into the sea just because they were beyond saving? We weren’t even granted an honorable death!”
The tale was gruesome—sickening to hear.
Apparently, like Lendia, the Consold Empire also had guilds for explorers, mercenaries, and adventurers.
All three shared a common rank system, rising by achievement—just like here.
But there was also a special rank, one attainable only through truly extraordinary deeds.
That very rank insignia — the Platinum Phoenix Wing Medal — was what Angales, the man who just left, possessed. Simply having it was proof that within the Empire, one held a social standing equal to that of a viscount.
It was a dreamlike system — one where an ordinary person could rise to the rank of nobility.
…And that was precisely what became the bait.
The person chosen for this expedition to Lendia was Angares — one of the Empire’s top explorers, known for single-handedly conquering two dungeons.
Serving as his assistant was one of the Empire’s elite exploration clans, the White Label. The man now giving his testimony before us was that clan’s leader.
The chosen White Label team had been made to sign a boarding contract, and within it was a particular clause:
“The role of White Label is to serve as training partners for Angares aboard the ship. Any member who safely returns home will be granted the Platinum Phoenix Wing Medal. However, the undersigned acknowledges that the organizers bear no responsibility for injury or death. Participation is at one’s own risk.”
Just by accompanying a top-class figure and acting as his sparring partner, one could attain noble status.
Blinded by the promise of reward, they had failed to think deeply about what ‘no responsibility for injury or death’ really meant — and this was the result.
“Angares isn’t human. We were the feed—used to sate the withdrawal symptoms he suffers during long voyages…! From the very beginning, the duke never intended for any of us to return home alive! Even if we survive this… we’ll be executed when the ship returns!”
“If by ‘withdrawal symptoms,’ you mean a murderous or slaughtering impulse, then he’s far too dangerous to be treated as a state guest,”
I said quietly.
“It seems we were too trusting of this delegation.”
“No,”
Shuris replied, her tone heavy.
“At least my father was cautious. And Duke Asimo… he never once looked at anyone’s face. It was as if we didn’t even exist to him.”
So that was it. I realized then that I was still far too inexperienced to match the subtle games of nobles.
After watching the members of White Label being carried off to the infirmary, I decided to take the rest of the day off from Glory Knights’ duties to prepare for tomorrow’s banquet.
I would only realize later what a terrible mistake that was—when that night, Melt returned to the hotel in tears.
That evening, multiple reports reached the temporary base of the Glory Knights.
Each report told the same story: “A brawl has broken out at the encampment—many victims have been injured.”
With Same absent and Shuris occupied with last-minute meetings at the guesthouse before the banquet, the task of responding naturally fell to Melt—herself counted among the top fighters.
Over the past few days, Melt had been radiant with purpose.
She was being recognized by many, thanked for her efforts, and finally feeling that her hard-earned strength was truly helping people.
…And that’s why she forgot.
That she was not the strongest.
That she was not invincible.
And that the world was far vaster than she imagined—
The Glory Knights, joined by Melt, rushed to the encampment.
What they found was chaos—utter devastation. The camp was in ruins, and countless people lay scattered across the ground like fallen leaves in the wind.
“What the hell… this isn’t a brawl, it’s a massacre!”
“Get the wounded out of here, fast! Split up and check everyone’s condition!”
The members shouted orders, while Melt questioned those who could still speak.
“It was… a red-haired guy. Weird one. He was the only one fighting…”
“Hmm, so it wasn’t a brawl after all? Where did he go?”
“O-over that way… past the hill. There’s a spot with a bunch of food stalls…”
“Hmm… that way, huh? There’s a shrimp stand I really like over there, too. I can’t let someone ruin that! Don’t worry—I’ll go catch him myself!”
She said it cheerfully, trying to lift spirits, her tone almost optimistic—
And then she ran off.
Chasing after that man.
Angares.
As she crested the hill, the scene spread before her eyes.
He wasn’t looting or attacking the food stalls for gain.
The man simply swung his fists to eliminate anything—or anyone—that stood in the way of his own impulses.
On both arms he wore gauntlets the color of rusted iron.
Whether that hue came from the metal itself or from the blood that had seeped into it, no one could say.
The man laughed as he plowed through the crowd on his way toward the stalls.
He struck down the ignorant people of another nation who dared to stand against him without fear, beating them senseless without a thought for what sort of international incident he might be causing. He did whatever he pleased.
Yes—here it was.
Everything was embodied in this man.
The arrogance and haughtiness born of a great empire.
The conceit of those who look down upon smaller nations and act without restraint.
Just by bringing this man along, they were sending a message:
“This is the difference in power between our nation and yours.”
That was the meaning behind his violence. Behind his lawlessness.
And it was against that very man that an innocent young girl, driven purely by a sense of justice and knowing nothing of what she faced, charged headlong into battle—
“Stop right there! That’s enough—you’ve caused enough trouble for everyone! I’m placing you under arrest!”
Angares, who had been gleefully knocking aside anyone who resisted him, turned around cheerfully at the sound of a new challenger’s voice from behind.
His expression showed neither anger nor contempt—only calm indifference.
There was no sign of guilt or panic, nor even delight.
Though he was clearly pleased inside, outwardly his face carried the same placid, almost casual look—like someone saying, ‘Hm?’
“What’s this? You going to take me on too, miss? Let me just finish up with this guy first.”
“Stop it—now!”
Angares drove his fist once more into the man he had been holding by the throat and then tossed him aside.
That blow might very well have ended the man’s life—the shockwave that rippled through the air was that powerful.
“You’ve gone too far! You’ll pay for that!”
Melt gathered her strength, channeling power into her legs and letting her entire body surge with magic.
Her unconscious use of physical enhancement was one of the key foundations of her strength.
Her already swift movements were sharpened further by abundant magical energy; her keen senses caught every shift in her opponent’s motion, and her extraordinary dynamic vision let her read and strike with precision.
In battle, she possessed abilities few could rival—and thus, unless she faced someone vastly superior, defeat was never something she had to consider.
Once, in a fleeting clash, she had been momentarily outmatched by Rivana.
The only difference between them had been a single thing—
the awareness of being in constant battle.
And now, with her fighting spirit fully unleashed from the start, she truly wielded power on par with one of the Thirteen Knights.
However—
A duel presumes both sides are human.
Angares—was something far beyond that.

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