BBYW Vol. 2 Chapter 57 (WN)
Chapter 57 – The Only Correct Path
【POV: Dyngir Maxwell】
I was on the first floor of the Tower of Babel, faced with a difficult decision: whether to leave my comrades and climb the tower or to fight the Golems alongside them.
In the end, the option I chose was “neither”.
I led my comrades out of the tower and decided to climb to the top from the outside.
“Is that…even physically possible?”
“Right, it does sound crazy to me.”
Sakuya and Shana shot down my plan flatly. Estia, on the other hand, stood there slack-jawed and wide-eyed.
“Hey now, what’s with those reactions? I thought about this seriously, you know.”
“I’m afraid you have not thought enough then. This tower is many times taller than castle Lamperouge. Even if it was possible to climb it, it would take at least half a day to reach the top. And, even assuming you could reach that far, we do not know if there is a way in.”
Sakuya calmly pointed out the flaws in my plan.
I knew that it was pretty insane, but climbing the tower from the inside, with each floor packed with Golems and traps, would have taken us days.
So, even if the climbing itself would be more difficult, I figured it would take less time to do it from the outside of the tower, surely not trapped or guarded by Golems.
Furthermore —
“I know where to get in from. We just need to climb there.”
“That’s…”
I pointed at a young girl’s corpse.
Her blonde hair was surely beautiful, when she was still alive: now, unfortunately, she was squashed like a bug in a pool of blood.
“I don’t know what exactly happened, but she must have fallen from really high up. Which means that if we climb from the spot she fell, we’re going to find an entrance.”
“That’s…”
Sakuya clammed up. She was probably considering whether it was a realistic assessment: soon enough, she nodded.
“That might be true. Nevertheless, it is extremely dangerous to climb such a tall tower. Maybe someone as agile as I, but…”
“I’m going to go by myself. Sakuya, you stay here with the others.”
“Isn’t that too dangerous, master?”
Shana cocked her head to the side. I shook my head and took out a magic tool from my breast pocket.
“I’m going to use this. The physical boost it gives should make it possible to climb the tower pretty quickly.”
“That’s…!!”
It was Herakles, a magic tool I “obtained” from Sullivan, and a treasure of the Lamperouge royal family. It could boost the user’s physical abilities to their limits and grant near immortal healing capabilities.
“I’m going to climb with this. Sorry, but we don’t have any more time for debates. I’m worried about Rossellia…”
“Well…nothing I can object to that.”
“Please take care, Lord Dyngir.”
Shana sighed and shrugged; Sakuya politely bowed and wished me good luck.
Estia finally snapped back to reality, held my hand between hers and bowed her head.
“Dyngir Maxwell…no, Lord Dyngir! Please save the princess…!!”
“Of course. Leave it to me!”
I motioned a final greeting to the three ladies and equipped Herakles. As soon as the armband fit right, it shone in a blinding silver light.
“Ooh…!?”
It was pretty different from when Sullivan used it; that time, it did not shine nearly as much.
“Maybe it depends on the user…? Whatever, no time for tests now.”
I kicked the ground and leaped towards the tower.
“Whoa!”
“Amazing! What leg power!!”
In just one jump, I had reached the third floor of the tower. I could hear Shana’s surprised voice from below. I myself was pretty startled by the tremendous boost.
“Alright…I can do this!!”
My lips curved into a grin as I jumped, or rather flew, up along the tower.
Thanks to my strengthened physical abilities, I didn’t even need to use my hands. I used the dents and decorations here and there on the tower walls as footholds, running vertically upwards.
I really felt like a dragon ascending to the heavens. I could probably win against an army of ten thousand soldiers with that power.
“Whoops, this magic tool drains your life, though…better not get too cocky.”
I remembered how Sullivan turned into a frail old man in seconds and shook my head.
I could understand how he became drunk with power, though. The sense of invincibility that filled your whole body was very addictive.
“If I don’t use it with extreme caution, this magic tool will take over me too…watch out, Dyngir…”
Soon enough, the top floor of the tower was in sight.
As expected, there really was a window — maybe to let light in, or dispose of the trash.
I opened the window and put one leg in. And what I saw forced me to shout.
“!! Rossellia!!”
A creature wearing maid-like clothes…probably a Golem, was choking Rossellia. Grett Baal was just looking — and, for some reason, crying.
“Stop right…there!!”
I gathered all of my strength and launched my sword.