Chapter 561: The Grand First-Year Combat Festival: Two Path with Equal Right and Wrong

A few minutes passed, and the meat was finally ready.

After boiling the meat of the Colossal Ground Ape for long enough, Maxwell took the pieces away from the large pot and placed them on the flat stone beside the campfire. Steam rose from the meat in thin waves, mixing with the cold air that slipped into the cave whenever the wind outside shook the entrance.

Maxwell reached into the small collection of ingredients they had gathered during their time in the forest and took out the spices they had managed to preserve from their remaining food supplies.

One by one, he scattered them over the meat.

He made sure the mixed spices covered every piece before taking his knife and slicing through the tougher parts. The blade moved steadily through the cooked flesh, separating the pieces into portions that would be easier to eat. He then rubbed more of the seasoning across the exposed sides before placing the meat back over the fire.

The flames rose around the meat.

A faint sizzling sound followed.

Maxwell watched the surface begin to darken as the meat roasted.

For a brief moment, he thought the spices might actually help.

But even with everything he had added...

The unpleasant odor remained.

It drifted through the cave with the smoke, refusing to disappear no matter how much seasoning Maxwell used. He pulled his face away slightly and held his breath for a moment before forcing himself to continue.

Now that he was done with the meat, Maxwell focused on roasting the fish quietly while Andraver ate.

The fish had a much better smell.

That alone made Maxwell appreciate them more.

Across from him, Andraver sat near the warmth of the campfire, slowly eating the meat without showing much concern about its smell. The old man chewed as though the strange odor surrounding the cave was nothing worth noticing.

The golden light from the fire moved across his body.

Faint golden lines, resembling cracks, flowed across his exposed skin.

They were not bright enough to illuminate the cave, but they were visible whenever the flames flickered in his direction. His face also looked older than it had before, the skin around his eyes and cheeks carrying a weariness that had become harder for Maxwell to ignore.

Although Andraver was already an old man far beyond what was normal for ordinary people, there was something strange about seeing him age even further.

As an Alchemist, his youthfulness should have remained intact.

At least, that was how Maxwell understood it.

But...

Maxwell stared quietly at his master.

He didn’t look at the meat anymore.

His attention had slowly shifted toward Andraver.

Since the two of them had started their journey together, Maxwell had watched his master gradually regress in youthfulness and health. It hadn’t happened all at once. There had been no single day when Andraver suddenly became weak.

Instead, it had happened little by little as the years passed.

The changes were small at first.

Then they became impossible to ignore.

Now, whenever Maxwell looked at him, he could see the signs.

The faint cracks of golden light across his skin.

The older appearance of his face.

The moments when his movements seemed just a little slower than before.

It was becoming clearer and clearer that his Master could die at any point.

Maxwell’s hand slowly tightened around the cooking utensil.

His fist clenched without him realizing it.

The thought of losing Andraver had been sitting somewhere in the back of his mind for a long time, but seeing him like this made it harder to ignore.

Andraver was the only father figure and close relation Maxwell had left after abandoning his former life as a waiter in the rural village inside Stonefall.

For years, the old man had been there.

Training him.

Travelling with him.

Eating with him.

Beating him whenever he did something stupid.

And, in his own strange way, taking care of him.

Maxwell lowered his eyes for a moment.

He did not want his master to notice the expression on his face.

But Andraver noticed anyway.

The old man’s eyes shifted toward him.

"Boy."

Andraver dropped the bone of the meat he had finished eating onto the stone beside him.

The small sound of bone touching rock echoed through the cave.

Maxwell looked up.

Even though Andraver’s body was weak, that did not mean he could no longer move it around or take care of himself.

His weakness was simply the current state of his body.

That was the level of power he possessed in both his Cognis and his natural physical strength.

If he wanted to reach for something, he could.

If he wanted to stand, he could.

If he wanted to throw something at Maxwell...

Maxwell already knew better than to question whether he could.

Andraver leaned slightly toward the fire.

"How long have we been together, since then?"

He asked the question calmly.

Maxwell stared at him.

The question came so suddenly that his expression turned blank.

"I don’t know."

He replied while looking at his Master as though he had just asked the most unreasonable question imaginable.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then...

BAM!

A small rock suddenly struck Maxwell directly on the forehead.

His eyes widened.

He hadn’t sensed the rock.

He hadn’t even perceived its movement.

"Argh!"

His head jerked backward from the impact, his body stumbled before he lost his balance and fell onto the ground.

"Ouch!!!"

Maxwell immediately raised a hand to his forehead and rubbed the spot that had been hit.

"Why would you—"

BAM!

Another rock slammed on the ground, only inches from reaching the side of his face.

Maxwell froze.

Cold sweat immediately formed across his back.

His hand slowly lowered from his forehead.

He understood.

This was no longer a question.

It was a warning.

He immediately rose from the ground, folding one leg slightly as he looked at Andraver.

"Well, I guess it has been five to six years already."

Maxwell answered calmly.

There was a swelling mark on his forehead where the first rock had struck him.

Andraver smiled innocently.

Several small rocks hovered around his side.

Maxwell stared at them.

The rocks remained suspended in the air for another moment before Andraver casually allowed them to fall.

One after another, they landed against the stone floor.

Andraver rubbed his thumb against his index finger while looking at his disciple, while his expression became warmer.

"Remember the question I asked you before I decided to take you as my disciple."

"I remember."

Maxwell’s expression settled again.

"I remember it like it was that day exactly."

He glanced toward the fire before looking back at Andraver.

"But why are you bringing it up again?"

"You have already gotten a grasp of Sun Alchemy, and what it embodies."

Andraver answered while closing his eyes.

His voice remained calm, but there was a different weight behind his words now.

"You should already have an answer for the question..."

He paused.

The cave seemed quieter after those words.

Maxwell straightened his back.

He could tell from the way Andraver spoke that this wasn’t another casual question.

His Master was asking him something he genuinely wanted answered.

"So, Maxwell, my dear disciple..."

Andraver kept his eyes closed.

"What would you do with your power if you had to choose between two decisions, where both had their own rights and wrongs in equal measure?"

Maxwell looked at his Master in silence.

The first time he had heard that question, he hadn’t possessed a proper answer.

Back then, he had been much younger.

He hadn’t yet understood the weight that came with power.

He hadn’t spent years studying Alchemy, not to even mention Sun Alchemy.

He hadn’t travelled through the kingdom with Andraver.

He hadn’t seen enough of the world to understand that sometimes, choosing the right thing did not necessarily mean everyone would be saved.

But now...

Six years had passed.

Maxwell had spent those six years training under Andraver on the Alchemy Path of the Sun.

He had discovered just how powerful the Sun Alchemy Path truly was, and he had gradually learned how much of a pillar his Master had been within the entire kingdom.

There were still many things Maxwell did not understand about Andraver.

There were even more things his Master refused to explain.

And Maxwell still didn’t understand why this particular question mattered so much to him.

Perhaps something was happening beneath the surface.

Perhaps Andraver already knew something Maxwell didn’t.

Maybe the old man was preparing him for something.

Something much bigger than his mind could scale.

Maxwell didn’t know any of that.

But...

His golden eyes sharpened.

"Honestly, I still don’t think I can answer this question properly."

He paused.

The flames reflected within his golden eyes as he considered his words.

"But I believe that even if I came face-to-face with a decision like that, I would only pick the one that aligns with my own morals."

He answered with a serious expression.

Andraver remained silent for a moment.

"Even though that means going against millions of people’s own beliefs?"

He added to the question.

"Yes..."

Maxwell replied.

His expression remained serious.

"I mean, isn’t it normal for people to have different beliefs?"

He added calmly.

Andraver’s expression became more serious, while his eyes remained closed.

"But that would mean many people would die from your choice."

Maxwell’s fingers stopped moving.

Andraver continued.

"Men, women, children, and even civilizations could be destroyed because you chose to believe in the other option."

His voice remained calm.

And that made the words heavier.

"Would you still be able to live with yourself if that happened?"

The cave became still.

Outside, the blizzard continued to rage.

Wind pushed against the entrance, carrying the distant sound of snow and ice moving through the forest.

Inside, the campfire crackled.

Maxwell stared at the flames.

For a few seconds, he did not answer.

His eyes moved slightly toward his Master.

The old man was still sitting there with his eyes closed, waiting for his answer.

Maxwell understood what the question meant.

There was no perfect answer.

There was no choice that could guarantee everyone would walk away unharmed.

If he chose one side, someone could suffer.

If he chose the other, someone else could suffer.

That was the real problem.

His hand slowly relaxed.

Then he spoke.

"That’s why I will use my power to be the pillar that reduces any damage like that from happening."

He answered without thinking too much about his response.

The words came naturally.

They were not something he had prepared.

They were simply what he believed.

If he had power, then he would use it.

If a choice had to be made, then he would make it according to his own morals.

And if that choice caused harm, then he would use the power he possessed to reduce that harm as much as he could.

Andraver did not say anything.

Silence immediately filled the cave again.

Only the sound of the fire burning and the blizzard outside could be heard.

The flames shifted as another gust of cold air entered through the cave entrance.

For a moment, the golden glow moved across Andraver’s face.

Then the old man finally opened his eyes.

"Interesting."

He simply said.

Maxwell blinked.

"Ehn... is that it?"

He sounded genuinely surprised.

He had expected his Master to say more.

Perhaps another question.

Perhaps some lecture about the responsibility that comes with power.

Instead, Andraver had only said one word.

Interesting.

Maxwell stared at him.

Andraver’s lips slowly formed a warm smile.

"I wish you luck on your path, Maxwell."

"What does that mean, Master?"

Maxwell looked at him with even more confusion.

Andraver reached toward the side of his body and brought out his space bag.

"It means it’s time for you to leave my side and head into the big world of Britannia."

Maxwell’s expression changed slightly.

Andraver reached into the space bag and pulled out a card.

He held it between two fingers before sending it toward Maxwell.

Maxwell caught it.

He looked down at the card.

A golden crown was displayed on its surface, with a sword positioned in the center.

The emblem was one Maxwell didn’t know until he read the words writing below the logo.

His eyes widened slightly.

"The Royal Academy."

The words left his mouth quietly.

Andraver nodded.

"You should head to the Royal Academy."

He leaned back slightly.

"Meet new people. Meet other geniuses of Alchemy who could be even stronger than you."

Maxwell immediately looked up.

"That’s impossible, Master!"

His voice rose slightly.

"As your disciple, no genius can be better than me."

He held the Royal Academy card in his hand and looked at it again before turning his attention back to Andraver.

"Especially since I have the Sun Alchemy Path. And how can children who lived their lives pampered be better than me?"

There was a clear hint of offense in his voice now.

Maxwell’s brows pulled together.

He seemed genuinely bothered by the idea.

After all, he had spent six years training under Andraver.

He had survived the forest.

He had fought monsters.

He had endured Andraver’s training.

He had learned Sun Alchemy.

And now his Master was telling him that there might be children his age who were stronger than him?

Maxwell clearly didn’t accept that possibility.

Andraver stared blankly at him.

For several seconds, the old man said nothing.

Maxwell slowly looked back.

His confidence remained.

His Master still didn’t react.

Andraver’s face was so blank that Maxwell began to wonder if he had misunderstood something.

Then a thought quietly passed through the old man’s mind.

I thought he was going to react because he didn’t want to leave my side.

Andraver looked at Maxwell.

There was a faint hurt hidden behind his expression.

They grow from you so fast.

The thought came quietly.

He had known this day would come.

A disciple couldn’t remain beside his Master forever.

At some point, the student had to step into the world and stand on his own.

Still, knowing something would happen didn’t make it easier when it finally arrived.

Andraver’s eyes lowered slightly.

I guess this is what the former King felt when his children stopped relying on him and began fighting for the throne.

A faint smile touched his face.

There was something almost sad about the thought.

I’m sorry. I’m just understanding this.

Andraver slowly looked upward.

The ceiling of the cave stretched above him, covered with glowing golden stones that cast a warm light over the rocky surface.

For a brief moment, he looked as though he could see beyond the ceiling itself.

As though, somewhere above those stones, he could see the spirit of the former King of Britannia.

Andraver’s gaze remained fixed on the glowing ceiling.

The campfire continued to burn between the two of them.

The blizzard outside continued to howl.

Maxwell remained seated with the Royal Academy card in his hand, still looking as though he couldn’t understand why his Master had suddenly decided that it was time for him to leave.

Neither of them spoke for a while.

The old man simply watched the golden light above.

And Maxwell, still unaware of the thoughts passing through his Master’s mind, looked down at the emblem in his hand.

The Royal Academy.

A place filled with people he had never met.

Geniuses he had never fought.

And, according to his Master, perhaps even people who could be stronger than him.

Maxwell’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He clearly had no intention of believing that part.

Not yet.