Chapter 30: Beginning of the Chaos (1)
“Don’t tell me… really?”
Zares couldn’t suppress the groan that slipped from his lips. His heart felt like it had shattered.
“You’re telling me she gave you a letter of recommendation? The Azure Hunter… Sarakia?”
—The Azure Hunter, Sarakia.
One of the five top-ranked Hunters, and guardian of the Eastern Continent.
To the people of the Arad Kingdom, she was a figure of deep reverence—not just for her title, but for who she was. A symbol of awe and aspiration.
That reverence was something Zares Helthurio felt as well.
“Lady Sarakia might be indifferent to most people… but I heard she maintained contact with the Arad royal family. And… with your Zahardt family.”
Indeed, Sarakia shared an unusually close relationship with the Arad royal house.
Naturally, that extended to the Zahardt family.
Even if Calix Zahardt was branded the black sheep of the Zahardts—
His blood was unmistakably Zahardt.
“You never wanted to be a Hunter. You wandered aimlessly after leaving the family.”
“…”
“Was it Sarakia who convinced you?”
“…Yeah.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Calix quietly nodded.
“—Ha… hahaha!”
Then suddenly, Zares—who had been silent for a long time—let out a burst of laughter like a thunderclap.
“Why? Why?!”
It sounded like laughter, but it was closer to a scream. He was laughing—but also crying.
His face contorted in disbelief and sorrow.
“The guardian of Arad… Lady Sarakia…”
Zares Helthurio couldn’t understand it.
“Why would she help a traitor like you—who abandoned Felix, who abandoned Zahardt?!”
Fwoosh!
His magic surged with the intensity of his emotions, bursting into flame.
“Zares, calm down! Control your mana!”
Before Calix could even attempt to stop him—
“Why would she choose you of all people—A TRAITOR!”
Zares howled, and a massive burst of mana erupted from him.
Scorching heat exploded outward, like a bomb going off.
“Kuh!”
Fwoooosh!
The heat was enough to scorch the lungs—Calix had to hold his breath and retreat.
And in that moment—
The solid ground beneath his feet began to tremble violently.
RUMMBLE RUMMBLE RUMBLE—!
“A quake?!”
To make matters worse, the entire labyrinth began to shake ominously.
Calix enveloped himself in mana, lowering his center of gravity to stay balanced.
“Getting used to this kind of thing… How ridiculous.”
Calix had a good memory. He never forgot anything he’d once mastered.
—All right! Let’s proceed to the next phase!
The image of the test proctor shouting as the arena shook violently before they dropped into the labyrinth flashed through his mind.
He couldn’t help but wonder—
Did they show us that quake as a preview… to prepare us for this?
“No way… Just a coincidence.”
Wiping the sweat that had begun to bead on his brow, Calix frowned.
Even with his mana—which was the polar opposite of Zares’—this heat was intense.
“I won’t forgive you…”
As Zares staggered toward him, Calix raised his voice.
“Zares Helthurio! Snap out of it!”
Even as the smoke seared his throat, Calix didn’t stop shouting.
This was someone who had turned against him—but that didn’t mean he could let Zares die.
“Zares Helthurio! Is losing yourself to emotion and fury the way of a true knight?! What happened to the code of honor you always preached?!”
Calix owed a debt that would take a lifetime to repay. He had to atone.
“To kill me? For revenge? For your brother? Fine—I’ll take all of it! Your hatred, your anger!”
Not just to Zares Helthurio—but to everyone involved in that day’s tragedy.
“So do it, Zares. But do it in your right mind. With your will, your judgment.”
Calix Tutatio Zahardt was a sinner.
And he had the obligation to bear the wrath of the victims.
“I’ll kill you… Calix Zahardt!”
But Zares, completely unhinged, couldn’t hear his voice.
“Heh… If I burn you to ash… maybe Felix will forgive me…”
Zares, trembling and unsteady, looked like a walking volcano.
His body overflowed with fire mana—molten heat engulfing everything around him.
SZZZZT—!
Even the solid stone walls of the labyrinth began to melt from the heat.
But that same heat now threatened to consume Zares himself.
I have to do something—
Calix was sure of it. If left like this, Zares would die today.
“If Duran were here… this would've been easier.”
Wherever he’d wandered off to, he hadn’t noticed this explosion of power yet.
Pushing aside his frustration, Calix steadied himself.
Mana rampages weren’t easy to stop. The only way was suppression.
And for that, the suppressor had to be far stronger than the one rampaging.
Huuup—
Drawing a deep breath, Calix called upon his internal mana.
His mana was the antithesis of Zares’. And what’s more…
“The swordsmanship of Zahardt is unparalleled!”
He prepared to use a technique passed down only to direct heirs.
The Zahardt family’s most guarded secret.
“If I use that…!”
Perhaps he could stop Zares. Save him.
“It’ll probably hurt me, too—but that’s a price I’m willing to pay.”
He hadn’t yet mastered the technique, and forcing it would cause backlash.
Fuuuu…
But he had no choice.
Focus.
He could hear the blood pounding in his ears.
Using that beat as his compass, he tried to feel the flow of mana through his body.
“Stay calm, stay calm. As a swordsman and a knight—stay composed, always.”
Reciting a familiar mantra, Calix re-gripped his sword.
As he began to channel mana into the blade and initiate the first movement of Zahardt’s secret sword technique—
A voice interrupted him.
“You shouldn’t do that.”
It was a stranger’s voice.
“You’ll get hurt, won’t you? You’re not ready to use that skill yet.”
“Who’s there?!”
Startled, Calix whipped his head around—and saw—
“Hello!”
A blonde boy smiling cheerfully.
…With a single, ridiculous fake mustache plastered under his nose.
“You’re Calix Tutatio Zahardt, right? Second son of the Zahardt family?”
“…Who are you?”
The boy approached in a friendly manner, but Calix’s wariness sharpened.
“Nice to meet you! I’m Elwin. Elwin Krieger.”
But something about the boy gave off an indescribable pressure.
He was just standing there—yet felt completely untouchable.
‘This feeling… is just like when I met Lady Sarakia…’
As a Zahardt heir, Calix had privileges few could imagine.
—Hello, little Zahardt heir.
Among those was the rare chance to meet one of the five top-ranked Hunters—
The Azure Hunter, Sarakia.
That, in itself, had been the greatest privilege.
“Oh, I’m being rude. Sorry! I heard a lot about you from my master, so I guess I felt a little too familiar. Was that uncomfortable?”
Elwin’s tone was gentle, but Calix couldn’t focus.
“…Master?”
That word stirred something uneasy in him. He searched his memories.
“Um, Mr. Calix? Sorry, but I’ll need you to leave this area.”
“…”
“The rampaging guy over there—he needs calming down. And you have a separate role to play. One only you can fulfill.”
The boy spoke, but the meaning of his words didn’t sink in.
“By the way, did you set a teleportation coordinate? You’ll be transported soon. The place you’re going to is dangerous too, so be careful—and hang in there until I arrive!”
“…”
“Hello? Can you hear me?”
Ignored, Elwin pouted slightly.
“Ah!”
Just then, Calix’s eyes widened in realization.
A memory flashed into place—of a conversation with Lady Sarakia.
—I’ve taken my first disciple. Be nice to him when you meet, okay?
The Azure Hunter’s disciple!
—The youngest top-ranked in history. The Hunter of Gold!
‘How did I not realize it sooner?!’
The boy shrouded in mystery was standing right before him!
“You’re…!”
Just as Calix opened his mouth in shock—
Whoooosh—
He vanished, teleported away.
All that remained was the echo of his fading gasp.
“Ahaha…”
Elwin scratched his cheek, looking sheepish.
“Calix reacted like that… does that mean the Master told him about me?”
He shuddered just imagining what Sarakia might’ve said.
“But still… seems like she really likes him.”
After all, she’d personally invited Calix to become a Hunter—and even wrote him a recommendation.
“She’ll be happy later, won’t she? When I bring him back as an ally.”
Elwin mused cheerfully as he walked toward someone else.
His steps were as light as if he were out for a stroll.
“Hello! I believe we haven’t met either?”
He stopped in front of Zares Helthurio.
“Grrrr… Calix… Zahardt… I’ll kill you…”
“Oh dear. Still not in his right mind, huh?”
Elwin shook his head.
In just a short while, Zares’ appearance had grown grotesque.
He flickered like a flame, his body smudged and warped by the heat.
He was less man, more fire—and yet not quite either.
“I’ll kill him… for Felix’s sake…”
Zares stumbled, his body trembling.
It wasn’t just the mana rampage—Elwin had also cast a barrier upon arrival, locking Zares in.
“Don’t worry. I’ll fix you.”
“Ughhhhh…”
“It might hurt a bit, but that’s better than dying, right?”
Elwin brought his thumb and forefinger together into a small circle.
“Gentle, no pressure. Don’t forget the Master's words.”
Born with supernatural strength—and now awakened to magic—Elwin had a hard time restraining himself.
He used to break everything in sight, earning scoldings from Pan and the others.
But under Sarakia’s rigorous training, he’d learned moderation.
‘Think of humans as tofu. Fragile, delicate tofu.’
Still, it was clear he worried when dealing with living things.
“…Yap!”
Smack!
He flicked Zares lightly on the forehead—with as little force as he could manage.
A crisp sound echoed.
“Ugh…”
Zares groaned and slumped to the ground.
Elwin took out a potion from his coat.
A calming tonic—specifically prepared for Zares’ rampage.
“Here you go~ Drink it all. Good boy~”
As the potion slid down his throat, Zares’ molten, inhuman form slowly reverted.
“…Sorry, Felix. I failed… next time, I’ll succeed…”
Just before losing consciousness, Zares murmured.
“Forgive me…”
Elwin looked down at him with a mixture of sympathy and sadness.
The effects of the mana surge had ended swiftly.
But the scars left by tragedy… would take far longer to heal.