Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Floating Archipelago (1)
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“Daughter. Do you really have to go?”
“Yeah. I want to do well now, too.”
‘Do well’... huh.
Palace Lord Niel of the Mending Palace gave a wry smile as she watched her daughter stuff her travel bag full to bursting.
It meant she no longer wanted to be cooped up in the palace. She wanted to step out into the world.
And it was clear that Theo’s exploits last time had been the trigger.
She wanted to talk her daughter out of heading to the battlefield, out of volunteering for danger.
Wasn’t this the child she’d clung to her whole life because of her frail health?
She’d only just finished her secluded training, and now they could finally spend time together.
But.
She couldn’t do that.
Her daughter had her own life and dreams.
She didn’t want to stand in the way.
‘Right. I have to let this child make a different choice than me, who had to give up her dreams...!’
Still, she couldn’t help the lingering reluctance, and she asked in a slightly sulky tone.
“Have you gotten the operation participation permit?”
“Yeah. Here.”
Ray proudly showed the document stamped with Julius’s seal.
“What about your sword?”
“Packed it.”
“You don’t even have a flying dragon.”
“Reserved the train.”
“Travel money? The stipend isn’t much, is it?”
“I’ll use my allowance.”
Ray zipped up her travel bag and looked at Niel.
“I’m not a kid. If you keep this up, I won’t come back.”
“...Fine, fine. I get it. Come back safe. And message me every night if you go.”
“...”
Ray grabbed her bag and stood.
Then she walked away.
Her destination was the Floating Archipelago Autonomous Region.
Where Theo and the others were.
* * *
[A quest has arrived.]
+
[Scenario Quest #4]
Fulfill the request of your companion and guardian dragon, Lordbroke, to increase intimacy.
· Difficulty: A+
· Reward: Intimacy +100, Dragon Blood Talent Awakening
· Failure: Death
+
‘Awakening the [Dragon Blood] talent?’
Theo’s eyes sparkled at what stood out as the most striking reward among all he’d received so far.
Meanwhile.
Lordbroke’s voice grew clearer and clearer.
『Are you dangling the carrot?』
‘Like... this? Can you hear me?’
『Ahh. Seems like it. It’s a shame we can’t even share vision when direct communication is possible.』
The noise was gone now, too.
A snicker escaped.
‘You haven’t changed.’
『They say a person—or dragon—changing suddenly is an omen of death. I’m not ready to die yet.』
Lordbroke’s voice dripped with amusement.
“Theo... Land?”
At that moment, Selphard beside him asked with a what’s-wrong face.
Theo casually raised a hand to signal it was nothing, then refocused on the conversation.
‘Why the sudden connection? Could it be?’
『If you’re asking if it’s because your Dragon Blood strengthened, the answer is no. The fact that we can communicate now is just a coincidence from you entering the Sea King’s domain.』
Sea King?
It was a term Theo had never heard before.
『An ancient dragon species you could call a distant relative. It lived deep in the sea for so long, it got called that more often.』
‘You’re saying an ancient dragon is nearby?’
It was shocking even for Theo.
He’d never heard anything like it in his previous life.
Or rather, he’d never had the chance to learn about it.
『Didn’t I say? It ‘was’ there. Past tense.』
‘Then?’
『It exhausted itself fighting off the [Nameless Lord]’s minions, and dragon slayers who targeted it afterward sealed it at the seabed with a single sword.』
Fragments of information lined up in Theo’s mind.
Black Skull’s appearance.
Troyvan’s ties to the Maritime Alliance.
Dragon Slayer Sword.
The sudden anomalies hitting the Floating Archipelago.
Rampaging sea beasts.
Sea King’s domain.
Connection with Lordbroke.
They seemed unrelated at first glance.
But somehow, it felt like something connected them all.
‘...By any chance, are all these anomalies around here caused by that Sea King?’
『As expected. You’re sharp. You figured it out so easily, it’s almost disappointing.』
Unlike Lordbroke’s laugh, Theo couldn’t smile.
‘If the Sea King, sealed long ago by a dragon slayer’s sword, suddenly broke free and rampaged, it all makes sense.’
Theo’s hypothesis went like this.
Far in the past.
An ancient dragon called the Sea King clashed with the [Nameless Lord] and lost all its power.
Then, humans hungry for dragon slayer glory attacked, sinking it to the seabed. From its sealed body, mana winds poured endlessly, forming the unique terrain of the Floating Archipelago.
One day, Troyvan heard rumors of the dragon slayer sword, retrieved it somehow, and the Sea King began slowly breaking its seal, causing the current chaos...
That explained why Black Skull, the hidden blade of the Floating Archipelago, ambushed the Ceres Merchant Group to retrieve the dragon slayer sword.
And why the Maritime Alliance allied with Troyvan in his previous life.
They had no choice but to wear the collar Troyvan put on them to get the sword back.
『But the long seal seems to have affected the Sea King badly. It’s pure madness now—no sanity left. Once it fully stretches... the area around it will be a wasteland, I’d wager.』
The entire Floating Archipelago Autonomous Region collapsing was just a ‘stretch’?
Hah!
Theo let out an involuntary hollow laugh.
‘What do you want me to do?’
『Dragon Heart. You promised to find a replacement, right?』
‘You want the Sea King’s?’
『A heart soaked in madness would just be poison. Attributes don’t match either.』
Lordbroke’s laugh deepened.
『But a ‘purified’ portion might be useful enough.』
‘Since this communication seems thanks to the Sea King’s mana, that makes sense.’
『Do you know what sets you apart from other Ragnars?』
‘What?’
『You catch on quick. Hahaha!』
Only then could Theo laugh along with Lordbroke.
‘Then first, I need a way to approach the Sea King.’
『Won’t be easy. Even I at my peak couldn’t ignore its mana.』
‘Don’t worry. I’ll find a way. Something’s coming to mind already.’
『Good. Very good.』
Theo stroked his chin, organizing his thoughts.
The Maritime Three Families.
Long-time rulers of the Floating Archipelago—would they not know of the Sea King?
Of course they did.
‘I need to win Antonio’s favor deeper. To get close to the Spinola core.’
He felt he could screw over Troyvan and fully pull the Maritime Alliance to his side.
‘More importantly, Lordbroke, there’s something we need to discuss.’
『What? This communication takes effort for me, too. Can’t keep it long.』
It wasn’t his own mana, so it wasn’t omnipotent.
‘I found traces of the [Nameless Lord].’
『I already know. Even that its followers are gathering.』
Lordbroke’s voice sank deep.
『Everything you’ve seen and heard, your companion me has seen and heard too.』
* * *
The communication with Lordbroke didn’t last long.
I’ll contact you again soon. We can chat longer then.
That was the last thing said.
‘Always so one-sided.’
Fortunately, things around him seemed much the same as months ago.
‘At least he confirmed the [Nameless Lord] is involved in current events.’
It was natural for a being who’d spent a lifetime checking it.
‘Now I need a solid plan. What’s the best way?’
If done right, he could drag Black Skull in too.
Theo pondered as he stepped to the railing and gazed at the sea.
Dong...!
Dong...!
He was tracking faint mana waves flowing along the seabed to pinpoint the Sea King’s location.
A day, two days passed like that.
Three days in, whenever he had a moment, Theo scanned the sea, analyzing the mana waves.
Thanks to that, he was roughly grasping how dragon mana was structured.
-Is the sea that fascinating? You’ll pop an eyeball at this rate.
-Pfft! Yeah, maybe we should put a basket below.
Guys tossing lame jokes loud enough for Theo to hear.
Five men and women in distinct styles and outfits, chattering.
Antonio’s hired guards.
Word was, high-class mercenaries at a premium price.
‘Dog-head beastman, gunslinger, free knight. That one’s a mage?’
Rare sights in the north, where pure martial worship ran deep.
‘Is Black Skull among them?’
If his guess was right, definitely.
Problem was, the mercenaries only scratched at Theo’s group’s nerves without crossing the line.
‘Then we cross it.’
As Theo narrowed his eyes.
Tap.
A familiar presence from one side.
‘It begins.’
Boom!
An explosion rang out, and the dog-head beastman flew back, slamming into the wall.
Selphard stood before him, arms crossed, snorting.
“Calling yourself a high-class mercenary with that pathetic skill? Benota, Benota my ass—what a letdown.”
“You little... Gah!”
Kwaang!
The mercenary scrambled up from the deck but took Selphard’s kick again, vomiting blood.
Armor crumpled like paper from the force.
Other mercenaries drew weapons to help.
Sring.
“Stay put. Unless you wanna die?”
Arin had drawn her sword, aiming at them.
Sword intent sharpened fiercely from the tip.
Killing intent swirled.
“S-Sword aura!”
“Why’s someone like this here...?”
Some mercenaries’ faces stiffened.
Finally realizing how foolish they’d been.
“I’ve got a hobby of gouging out eyes from bastards who glare at me and making necklaces. Want me to do yours?”
“W-What did I even do...!”
“Told you. Glare’s bad luck.”
“We just bumped into each other...!”
“Bumped? It pissed me off.”
“Eek!”
He paled, already soiling his pants.
「Little bro, this for real? They were cocky, but beat ‘em wrong and they might drop dead?」
Selphard’s telepathic voice sounded utterly fed up, despite his psycho grin.
Truth was, this was part of a plan Theo had asked Selphard and Arin to help with last night.
“Perd. Enough.”
Perd. Selphard’s alias.
“But Young Master, these bastards keep spitting seeds behind our backs? Time to teach ‘em a real lesson...!”
“I said enough.”
“Fine! Lucky bastard, you live ‘cause of the Young Master. Got it?”
“Y-Yes! Thank you for sparing me!”
Fearing they’d change their minds, he fled with his comrades.
Other mercenaries just rolled their eyes, reviewing what they’d done to piss off Theo’s group.
“Anyway, our Young Master’s too soft-hearted. If he took care of us like this daily? Heaven. Instead, it’s always cleaning up, matching his whims, every hardship on us.”
「...You’re not holding something against me, right?」
「Who knows?」
Selphard tossed a playful reply and dove back into acting.
Standing by Theo, still gazing at the sea from the railing, he spoke loud for all to hear.
“More importantly, where the hell are we really going? Time to spill, yeah?”
Acting like it wasn’t just escorting a swordsman.
Now their talk would reach Antonio and the mercenaries.
Time to cast the bait.
“Nothing worth shouting about, Perd. Lower your voice.”
“Frustrating, that’s why! What’s this ancient sea dragon king in the depths? Why suffer out here for that?”
“You’ll know when we get there.”
“More cryptic bullshit.”
“Fine, bail on this trip.”
“On the open sea? And get chewed out by the Family Head? Seclusion order means three years minimum for me.”
“Then shut up and follow.”
“Ugh. Driving me nuts.”
Selphard put on a convincingly exasperated show.
Theo almost bought it.
‘This should hook ‘em solid.’
He’d slipped in the Sea King reference.
No reaction would be weirder.
‘Now just reel ‘em in.’
Right then.
Kuuung!
The ship rocked violently.
-Sea beasts!
-Monsters! Cannons! Load the cannons quick!
-Damn it! Why sea serpents now...!
-Too quiet lately! Crew to stations! Move it, you slugs!
Wiiing!
The siren wailed.
Warning of monster appearance.
‘Perfect.’
Below the sea surface in Theo’s eyes, grotesque lifeforms bearing dragon-like mana swarmed in hordes.