The Swordsman Genius Returnee Even Swallows Immortality

21

4th Tier Safe Zone.

Habell, who was waiting for Dante there, frowned.

“You’re never late, so why are you so late today?”

Dante is usually a stickler who does everything according to the rules.

How could he be this late?

“I guess I should go down and look for him.”

So Havel went down the tower to find Dante.

In the meantime, he suddenly heard a commotion.

When Havel turned his head, he saw Dante fighting with a boy.

“What the hell?”

It wasn’t like Dante to pick fights with people.

It seemed like the other person had attacked first.

So Havel punched the boy in the head without hesitation.

Bam!

“Ugh!”

As a result, the boy fainted with a huge bump on his head.

“I wondered why you were so late, but what are you doing with this punk?”

Havel asked.

Then Dante looked at the fainted boy.

“I don’t know either. He suddenly attacked me…”

Dante was also confused.

He had really been attacked out of the blue.

But the boy knew him.

In that case, it must have been a targeted attack.

“Let’s check it out.”

So Dante took off the boy’s hood to get a good look at his face.

At that moment, red hair fluttered out from under the hood.

It was the color of fiery flames.

Dante recognized it as soon as he saw it.

“Ignore?”

Not only the fire magic earlier, but he was definitely from the Ignore family.

“Do you know him?”

“I don’t know his face, but I know his family. They’re one of the five great families, a family of warlocks.”

A family of warlocks.

Havel looked down at him after hearing that.

“Is there any reason why a family of warlocks would attack you?”

“I don’t know that either.”

He hadn’t had any particular run-ins with Ignore.

“Never mind. It’s nothing to worry about.”

Havel picked up the boy and threw him roughly into a corner.

Then he clapped his hands.

The way he did it was like throwing away trash, which made the boy look pathetic.

Meanwhile, the flames had finally died down and people had gathered.

“Hey, isn’t that Dante?”

“That super rookie?”

People recognized Dante.

He was now quite a celebrity.

On the other hand, no one recognized Havel.

Of course, Havel didn’t care either way.

He had grown tired of being praised.

He no longer had any desire for such things.

“Let’s go, Dante.”

“Yes.”

Havel and Dante immediately climbed the tower after that.

The next floor they would challenge was the 5th stage.

The two of them, who would effectively become the vanguard if they climbed this stage, raised their heads to look at the cityscape that spread out before them.

The scenery was on a different level from the previous safe zone.

Just above, the dark night sky was influenced by the 51st floor’s dark zone.

Beneath that, a luxurious city with yellow lights spread out.

The buildings are towering, showing off their grandeur.

The stores located below were all famous stores.

This place was the 4th stage safe zone, Pancile.

It was the midpoint of the tower and the most prosperous mid-level city in the tower.

“No matter how many times I see it, it’s a street that somehow feels hedonistic.”

Havel, who had already entered, was not very impressed.

Although it was called hedonistic, it was only because of the unique night atmosphere.

It was fundamentally different from a red-light district.

This city catered to the patronage of the world’s top-ranking powerhouses.

Therefore, it had become even more luxurious, catering to their vanity.

That was why the city had developed and reached its current state.

“I heard you’re buying supplies for the 5th stage.”

“Yes, I’ve heard that a ‘Lantern Keeper’ is necessary for the 5th stage.”

The 5th stage dark zone.

It was a land filled with darkness where you couldn’t see an inch in front of you.

What was needed here was a special byproduct called a ‘Lantern Keeper’.

A fire that emitted a green light and flew through the air.

Some people called it a will-o’-the-wisp; that was the Lantern Keeper.

“Let’s go buy it.”

“Yes, I’ve already found out which store it is.”

There was only one store that sold Lantern Keepers.

It was none other than Ablelang’s Lantern Shop.

The magician Ablelang, who had developed the magic to process Lantern Keepers.

However, he had not disclosed his magic to anyone.

That was why it was truly his exclusive store.

“It’s over there.”

Abelang’s store was easy to find.

It was because it was right on the largest boulevard.

Creak-.

Dante opened the red-painted wooden door.

Inside, empty bottles were lined up on the shelves.

Under the bottles was green powder.

It looked like the bottles had contained fireflies.

Dante and Habel walked past the shelves.

“No, is this for real? The fireflies are all sold out!”

“What can we do? The Meirin family bought them all for their grand 5th-rank promotion.”

“Darn it, we were planning to raid them this time, too!”

“We have no choice but to postpone it. Just wait a week. They’ll be in stock by then.”

“Sigh, we were all prepared. To think we’d be held back by fireflies.”

Then, a man’s gloomy voice echoed from the back.

He turned around and walked over with heavy steps.

“Hm, another customer?”

The middle-aged man who had found Dante and Habel responded:

Then he repeated what he had just said to the raider.

“I’m sorry, but the fireflies are all sold out. We’re out of stock.”

“Are there really none left?”

Dante asked with a look of dismay.

“The Meirin family bought them all. We can’t help it. There’s a limit to how much we can produce.”

The middle-aged man spreads his hands.

“You said they’d be back in stock in a week, is that right?”

“That’s right. They should be in by then. It’ll be a bit crowded though.”

When he said it would be crowded, it meant they might not be able to buy any then either.

Dante let out a sigh.

He never thought he’d be held back by something like this.

“Mr. Habel, I’m sorry. I should have bought them in advance.”

However, Habel was lost in thought.

“…Meirin?”

It was because he had heard the name somewhere before.

“Ah, Meirin may not be one of the Five Great Families, but they’re quite a famous family. They’re especially good at managing their finances and have a lot of wealth.”

Dante explained about Meirin.

Then Habel suddenly remembered something.

‘I remember.’

It was about the time when the daughter of that family had persistently followed him around.

Even then, she seemed to be the richest of the rich.

It’s quite impressive that he’s still alive.

“Oh, by the way, I think there’s someone from the Mayrin family among your acquaintances, Arthur-nim.”

As it happened, Dante also recalled something related to Mayrin.

Habell stroked his chin.

‘She’ll be in her grave by now.’

There’s no need to bother with the past.

“We might be able to get a lamplighter at best.”

“Can I contact Arthur-nim?”

“Yes, I’ll contact him right away.”

After saying that, Dante immediately left the shop with Habell.

He then contacted Arthur right away.

After a while, Dante returned with a reply.

“Arthur-nim is coming to Babel. He said that there’s an acquaintance from the Mayrin family in Babel.”

“I’ll have to go down again.”

I’m going up and down the tower a lot today.

Since Arthur didn’t climb the tower, it couldn’t be helped.

Habell and Dante were on their way down the tower.

At that moment, someone entered.

A red-haired boy with what looked like a bump on his head.

He opened his eyes wide as soon as he saw Habell and Dante.

“I found you!”

With that cry, he immediately conjured flames in his hand.

“Isn’t that the guy from before?”

Dante recognized him.

He was the direct descendant of Ignor that he had fought before.

He had already revived even after being hit by Habell.

He was very tenacious.

“I don’t know what you did earlier, but Dante, you’re quite something!”

Habell stared coldly at the boy who was only looking at Dante and not at him.

It seemed that he thought Dante was the one who had attacked him because he hadn’t seen Habell’s attack.

“I’m Azaris Ignor! Let’s fight again.”

As expected, the boy was a direct descendant of the Ignor family.

“Are you going to fight?”

Habell ignored him and asked Dante.

Dante naturally shook his head.

There was no reason to fight the direct descendant of Ignor.

“Then let’s just go.”

Habell walked towards the exit with Dante.

“Wait, I said let’s fight again!”

However, Azaris had no intention of letting them go.

So, with flames blazing in both hands, he immediately aimed for Dante.

KWAANG!

“Ugh!”

And with a scream like before, he once again rolled on the floor.

Before reaching Dante, his fist was met with Havel’s fist, causing his head to spin.

“Dante, is this all the Five Great Families have? Rubbish like this?”

Havel made a pitiful expression.

Drathan too.

And this guy too.

It seems like they’re all nothing but fools.

“…That, th, that’s not true.”

Dante replied, unsure of himself.

In Dante’s eyes, the direct descendants of the Five Great Families all seemed to have a screw loose.

“Let’s go down.”

“Yes.”

Havel left the unconscious Azaeris and headed back down the tower.

And so, Azaeris was left alone, passed out with two humps on his back.

* * *

A day after Havel had come down from the tower.

Arthur came to Babel with the old butler.

“Haha, Havel! Thanks to you these days, I laugh even when I’m eating!”

Arthur burst into laughter as soon as he saw Havel.

Havel had simultaneously solved the chronic financial problems and reputation of Banphelion.

How could he not laugh?

“I’m glad I could help.”

“Help? More like, you saved us! We’re even renovating the mansion right now. We’re also building a training ground and separate quarters for the knights.”

That was welcome news.

After all, to a Family, knights were both a force and a symbol.

It was time for Banphelion to truly grow.

“Dante, you won’t have to go to other training grounds or use the backyard anymore.”

“…Thank you, Sir Arthur.”

It seemed that building the training ground and the knights’ quarters was done for Dante’s sake.

Havel smiled in satisfaction at how well Arthur was doing.

“So, it was the Merlyn Family.”

“Yes, I would like to purchase a single lamplighter.”

Arthur confidently thumped his chest.

“Leave it to me. Merlyn’s Levy is a close friend of mine.”

Arthur seemed to have a wider social circle than expected.

‘For some reason, I’m feeling uneasy.’

People with that kind of confidence often end up getting let down.

Meanwhile, as Habell anxiously watched Arthur.

He confidently asked for Levy’s whereabouts.

And then.

“Lady Levy has refused to meet you.”

“What, what?”

Levy refused to meet him.

As Arthur looked bewildered, the servant added.

“The lady said she would never meet a guy who doesn’t keep his promises.”

Habell sighed inwardly.

Arthur’s social life was in shambles.