Seated on the high throne on the second floor, Nast cast an imposing gaze down at the pirate kneeling below. With a voice that reverberated throughout the grand hall, he spoke:
"Dawak, you are aware that what you are attempting violates the rules I have established."
"Yes, Count, I understand! But when you set the rules, you didn't say they couldn't be broken—only that breaking them meant accepting punishment…" Dawak's gaze flicked toward the chamber where Vice Admiral Pale was stationed, his voice thick with resentment as he continued, "I am willing to bear any consequence if only you grant me a fair duel against Maria."
"The latter is a request—a transaction. It has nothing to do with violating your rules."
Nast nodded slightly. After all, being a Beyonder of the Lawyer pathway rather than the Arbiter pathway, finding and exploiting loopholes was very much his specialty. Dawak's twisted logic was, in fact, something he respected.
Bird Mustang, the Black Emperor's First Officer, also known as "Viscount of Fear" with a bounty of over ten thousand pounds, then approached Nast. "Earl, given that Dawak is little more than a brute, it's clear he had help with this line of argument."
"It's of no concern," Nast replied dismissively, stroking his trimmed black beard, his imposing figure seeming to expand with the motion, filling the hall with an oppressive gloom that stilled the rowdy crowd.
After several seconds of tense silence, Nast cast a severe look at Dawak and continued,
"I'll grant your request… on the condition that Vice Admiral Pale consents to your challenge. Whether or not she accepts, and regardless of the duel's outcome, as the one who has violated the rules, you must accept death as punishment."
Dawak seemed unfazed by the sentence of death. He even appeared prepared for it, his expression one of fervent determination as he prostrated himself repeatedly in gratitude as if he might kiss Nast's feet at any moment.
"Thank you for your mercy, Earl. Thank you."
Ignoring Dawak, Nast turned his gaze towards the room where Maria waited. His powerful, unsettling voice filled the hall again:
"Vice Admiral Pale, what is your answer?"
No sooner had he spoken than Maria appeared in the window of her chamber, her black hair flowing as she wore her old-style Intis knight's armor. She looked at Dawak, whose gaze was practically aflame with hatred, and answered steadily, "A knight does not fear a challenge. I accept the duel."
"Good. Let this duel serve as the opening spectacle for the gathering," Nast said, his dark eyes flashing with a crimson glow as he gestured toward the stone platform on the ground floor. "That shall be your battleground. I have 'altered' its spatial rules, expanding it tenfold and containing all attacks short of the divine within its boundaries…"
"The duel will commence in ten minutes, under my witness. Prepare yourselves."
"Yes, Earl," answered both Dawak and Maria.
---
Near the entrance of the first-floor hall, where the dining area adjoined, Alger and Danitz exchanged startled glances as they listened to the proceedings. Neither had anticipated this turn of events.
For someone to risk their life just to challenge Nast's rules—and to succeed. Even though it means his own death is assured.
Dawak had once commanded a formidable pirate fleet and even ambushed a privateer captain from the Church of Storms. His success had earned him Sequence 6 as a "Wind-blessed," and a Church bounty of seven thousand pounds…
But about two weeks ago, he encountered Vice Admiral Pale during a raid on a passenger ship. His entire fleet was wiped out, and he only escaped due to his "Deep Dive" ability.
I don't buy that he'd sacrifice himself purely out of vengeance for his lost crew. Could he be hiding a trump card, believing he could kill her and escape the clutches of the Five Seas King?
Does he have the backing of a demigod? Could this escalate to a demigod battle?
Is this the infamous "gathering curse" following the Hero Detective?
Alger shook his head, setting aside these speculative thoughts. He planned to watch carefully and withdraw immediately if the situation escalated.
Recovering his senses, Danitz muttered, "Has Dawak gone mad? What makes him think he can win against a pirate admiral?"
"Perhaps he acquired a powerful Beyonder item," Alger speculated casually.
"And what would that do? All Vice Admiral Pale has to do is unsheathe the Pale Justice, and he's done for," Danitz retorted skeptically.
"You've heard the tales, haven't you?" Alger's tone grew grave as he watched Maria descend the stairs with a steady, unhurried step. "The Pale Justice's abilities and its… unfortunate side effects were well documented by the Vulture pirate crew at the cost of their lives. I'm guessing Dawak is relying on those very side effects. If forced to draw the Pale Justice, Dawak might perish, but Vice Admiral Pale could very well join him."
"Yes… it's likely that few here would pass the sword's judgment…" Danitz swallowed hard, casting a wary glance up toward the Pirate King.
Dawak's objective is to use the sword against her.
Though Danitz quickly pieced things together, Alger's suspicions ran deeper. His prior dealings with Dawak left him unconvinced that the man would willingly sacrifice himself. Moreover, little was known about Vice Admiral Pale's abilities; beyond her formidable swordsmanship, her Beyonder pathway remained a mystery. It was generally assumed she was at least a Sequence 5, but little else was certain.
While lost in thought, Alger dropped a sugar cube into his coffee and took a measured sip.
Watching Alger, Danitz suddenly seemed to remember something. Hugging his own coffee, he dashed toward the stairway. "I've got things to attend to, mate; we'll talk later."
Just before leaving, he paused and turned back. "Oh, by the way, I didn't catch your name."
Seeing a chance to forge a connection with one of the influential pirates, Alger smiled and replied, "Alger. The name's Alger."
---
In the second-floor lounge set aside for Gaston and his party, Ebner had shifted his focus from Edwina's prophecy to the unfolding events below.
Dawak is likely a pawn, either controlled or manipulated to amplify his fixation on Maria. The true mastermind is probably someone else, like King of Immortality, Agalito.
They could have three goals in mind…
First, they may wish to test Maria's strength, learning about her pathway and her arsenal of mystical artifacts to prepare for future assaults.
Second, they may seek to lull her into a false sense of security, making her believe this is the extent of the threat and thus lowering her guard.
Third, Agalito may be aiming for a particular outcome through this duel…
If the third possibility is correct, then Dawak must be carrying some sort of lethal setup…
And Agalito, the puppet of the Death Announcer, is a demigod of the Demon pathway…
Ebner frowned as he found himself struggling to recall something, realizing it was likely knowledge protected by the Pure White Eye.
For this level of protection, we must be dealing with something of significant power. Perhaps Agalito's attack isn't merely retribution for his lost fleet; he may be trying to intercept a greater plan involving Maria.