LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 52: Chapter 52
"Have you ever considered the innocent lives destroyed by these so-called reformed criminals?"
Brent froze for a moment, stunned by Ethan's words. In truth, he had thought about it before, but he always dismissed it with the reasoning that the dead were irretrievable. Shouldn't they focus on holding on to what they still had? Yet, deep down, he felt there was something wrong with this line of thinking, though he couldn't quite articulate what it was. For a moment, he just stood there, lost in thought.
Ethan hadn't only said this to Brent, but also to Arthur, who had been quietly observing from the crowd.
Although the young King Arthur understood Ethan's actions, that didn't mean he completely agreed with them. He too thought Ethan was being too persistent. That's why, when Brent appeared to stop Ethan, Arthur didn't intervene immediately. Instead, he hesitated, his thoughts echoing Brent's: wouldn't it be better to resolve the conflict peacefully rather than have one of them lose their life?
However, Arthur had been paying attention to Ethan's words earlier and had realized the crux of the issue. Yet, the habits and mindset he had developed over the past ten years weren't something he could change overnight. His first instinct was still to fall back on his old ways of thinking.
It wasn't until he heard Ethan speak again that he realized how immature and incomplete his previous perspective had been. He had been so focused on his own thoughts and the grievances between Ethan and Keno that he had neglected the bigger picture: the need to rid the world of a true villain like Keno.
As a knight, fairness and justice demanded that he shoulder the responsibility of punishing evildoers. With this realization, Arthur finally stepped out of the crowd and stood beside Ethan.
"I'm sorry. I always thought you were just caught up in personal grudges, so I didn't step forward to help sooner."
Ethan waved his hand dismissively. "No, you were right to think that. I am motivated by personal grievances. But personal grievances and the goal of eliminating a villain for the good of the Sea of Calm aren't mutually exclusive. Why can't I do both?"
Arthur hadn't expected Ethan to reject his apology so outright, or to admit so plainly that his actions were driven by personal animosity.
"Honesty is also a virtue of knighthood," Arthur said after a moment.
Ethan turned to glance at the young man, a mix of surprise and skepticism in his expression. What did this have to do with knightly virtues? At the same time, a fleeting thought crossed his mind: Is this guy trying to rope me into some Round Table cult or something?
"Leave Brent to me. I'll hold him back," Arthur said, turning to face the growing crowd. "Go finish what you need to do. I imagine quite a few people here would like to see it happen."
Indeed, the crowd had mixed feelings about the situation. Many of them had been victims of Keno's previous robberies and hated him bitterly. When they saw Ethan confronting Keno and making it clear that he intended to kill him, they couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope. Even if they doubted the young man's chances of success, the idea of this villain finally meeting his end was deeply satisfying.
When Ethan began to use magic stone equipment, that flicker of hope grew stronger, igniting a spark of anticipation in the onlookers.
But when Keno shamelessly clung to Brent, begging him to mediate, and Brent resolutely stepped forward to protect him, many in the crowd felt their hope fade.
Those who knew Brent's reputation believed the matter would end here, Ethan wouldn't stand a chance against him. Even those unfamiliar with Brent quickly picked up on the situation through whispers in the crowd: Keno had found himself an unbeatable shield. Some even speculated that Keno might follow Brent to the Sea of Storms, ensuring his safety in the future.
"Maybe that's not such a bad outcome," someone muttered. "At least we wouldn't have to deal with that robber anymore in the Sea of Calm."
Most of the onlookers didn't believe Ethan could kill Keno, not with Brent's protection. Even if Ethan's strength had exceeded their expectations, they doubted he could succeed against someone of Brent's caliber.
Just then, another young man stepped out of the crowd. This one was blond, wearing finely crafted armor. He was much younger than the black-haired man from earlier, looking no older than fourteen or fifteen.
"Two young men?" someone muttered. "Don't kids these days want to stay safe at home? Why do they insist on going to sea? Don't they realize they might not live to see tomorrow?"
These thoughts were shared by most of the crowd, though no one dared to voice them aloud. After all, if they hadn't spoken out when Brent first declared his intent to protect Keno, they certainly weren't about to now. The same fear that kept them silent then kept them silent now.
The same went for Ethan. Although he had dared to face Brent head-on and even seemed to gain a slight advantage none of the onlookers dared to provoke him either. In the short time since the confrontation began, Ethan's name had already started to spread among the crowd.
Ethan, Captain of the Goddess of Dawn.
A rookie adventurer who had only recently earned his rank but had already achieved remarkable feats. On his first voyage, he had discovered two whole ships' worth of ore. He had also killed the infamous pirate Angus, stolen Angus's prized clipper ship, and claimed it as his own.
These accomplishments alone were enough to make Ethan a name to remember among the adventurers of the Sea of Calm. And now, with his bold confrontation against Brent, his reputation was destined to grow even further.
But Ethan wasn't the only person they would remember today.
Arthur had made his promise, and now that he had stepped forward, he would naturally see it through. The long sword in his hand gleamed as he drew it, his stance firm and ready to face Brent, who stood not far away.
"Brent the Brave, your next opponent is me. My name is Arthur. I hope you'll remember it."
After saying this, Arthur gave Ethan a nod, then gripped his sword tightly and charged at Brent.
Brent didn't take the young Arthur too seriously at first, but the moment he blocked Arthur's opening slash, his expression shifted.
Arthur's attacks were far harder to handle than Ethan's. His refined skills, combined with years of solid foundational training, made him much stronger than Ethan, who was still a novice. Arthur's swordsmanship was polished and seamless, each strike flowing naturally into the next. The two-handed longsword in his grasp moved like a blur, creating a dazzling display of white arcs. Using pure skill, Arthur suppressed Brent, forcing him into a defensive position and leaving him unable to break free.
"Now's my chance!"
This was the opening Ethan had been waiting for, and he wouldn't let it slip away.
At the same time, Keno had been nervously watching the unfolding battle, keenly aware of how dire his situation had become. When he saw Ethan rushing toward him while Brent was tied down by the blond young man, panic surged in his chest. He realized that the real danger had finally arrived.
"Damn it! I won't die here!"
The magic stone glove on Keno's left hand suddenly flared to life, erupting with crimson flames. However, instead of spreading outward, the flames condensed, pulling together until they completely enveloped his left arm.
"Ahhh!"
The flames burned away his sleeve in an instant, scorching his arm relentlessly. The pain was so intense that Keno nearly lost consciousness on the spot. But he gritted his teeth and endured it, fueled by sheer desperation.
"If it's life or death you want, then you'll die for me!"
Keno had reached his breaking point. He pushed the magic stone equipment to its absolute limit, amplifying its power well beyond what it was designed to handle. While magic stone equipment usually protected its user from energy backlash, overloading it like this came with dire consequences. The excessive output not only damaged the equipment but also inflicted severe harm on the user.
For Keno, this was a gamble he had no choice but to take. Flames surged wildly around his arm as he launched a full-force punch toward Ethan.
He was convinced that this strike would kill Ethan on the spot.
The magic stone gloves had always been Keno's ace, his strongest weapon. But now, he was about to destroy them in this one desperate attack. His hatred for Ethan burned hotter than the flames on his arm. In Keno's mind, Ethan had ruined everything for him, forcing him to fall from the heights of his ambitions to this humiliating moment of desperation.
But to Ethan, Keno's reckless attack was nothing more than a futile joke.
Ethan's momentum didn't falter. As he charged forward, he switched his grip from a two-handed sword stance to a one-handed one. Simultaneously, his left hand reached for the Book of Inheritance strapped to his waist.
Channeling his energy, Ethan activated the Book of Inheritance without even needing to remove it from its cover. The moment his energy connected with the book, it became an extension of his own will, ready to obey his thoughts.
With a sharp wave of his left hand, the Book of Inheritance flew out of its cover, spinning through the air in a white arc before settling in front of Ethan.
"Shield!"
Though Ethan didn't need to vocalize his commands, the words escaped him instinctively in the heat of the moment.
It was almost as if he were taunting Keno: *I'm putting up a shield, can you break it? Go on, try!*
The blatant provocation sent Keno's rage soaring. He poured even more magic energy into his glove, pushing it past its breaking point. The strain caused visible damage to his spirit, and blood began streaming from his nose. Yet Keno was too consumed by fury to care. His arm was a mass of searing pain he could barely feel anymore, but he ignored it, throwing everything he had into this one final strike.
"Die!"
With a furious roar, Keno's fist slammed forward. A deafening explosion followed, engulfing both him and Ethan in a blazing inferno of flames. The crowd could only watch in stunned silence as the flames raged, completely obscuring the two figures.
When the fire finally began to fade, the scene that emerged left everyone frozen in shock.
Ethan stood unharmed, the white shield shimmering faintly in front of him, as steady and unyielding as ever. Meanwhile, Keno's charred figure crumpled to the ground. His entire body was scorched black, and he clutched his chest in disbelief, staring down at the sword that had run him through.
"Go to hell… trash."
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