Chapter 121
Chapter 121
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Leviathan (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“What did you say? Say it again.”
“The outsider that Black Skull brought in... just announced that he’s become the successor to Krimhilt.”
“That’s ridiculous!”
“And now he’s leading the crowds who came to see him toward the Central Temple, demanding they open the gate to the Sea King.”
Giuseppe’s face twisted savagely at the urgent report from his subordinate.
“Krimhilt is the proud hero of our Benota! The legend of the Floating Archipelago! Why would someone like that pass his sword to some outsider?!”
Even though Giuseppe had pulled in the power of Troyvan to seize control, he normally took great pride in being a native of the Floating Archipelago.
Yet now that pride was about to be snatched away by someone else.
It was a bolt from the blue.
“I only got the report myself, so I don’t know the full details...”
“Hah!”
But his subordinate just trembled and bowed his head.
Giuseppe let out a hollow laugh, at a loss for words.
At that moment, Noil, who had been silently watching their exchange, parted his lips.
“What’s his name?”
“Pardon? What...?”
“I asked for the name of this so-called successor.”
“Th-that, I don’t...”
“Pathetic. You don’t even know the name of someone claiming to be a hero’s successor.”
Giuseppe’s face flushed beet red.
He knew it was a rebuke aimed at him.
“What are you waiting for? Go find out right now!”
“Yes! R-right away!”
Giuseppe kicked the door in frustration as his subordinate scurried out of the room.
Bang!
“Aaaagh!”
“Quiet.”
“...My apologies.”
“Don’t take out your ugliness on your underlings. It’ll only make your already ugly mug even uglier.”
“...”
Giuseppe swallowed his rising indignation, forcing it down to his throat.
“Never thought I’d see the mystery of dragon-slaying snatched right out from under us like this. First Balmung, and now Aegir too? Feels like the dog chasing a chicken and coming up empty.”
Aegir.
The armor that the hero Krimhilt wore alongside Balmung when he slew the evil dragon.
It was currently enshrined in the Central Temple, where Krimhilt’s remains were kept.
“Why not just send the guards to take him down and seize Balmung right now?”
“He’s already on his way to the Central Temple, saying he’ll subdue the Sea King, isn’t he? How do you plan to stop him? The foolish crowds will try to protect him—do you intend to swing swords at them?”
“...”
“He’s cunning. He understands his position better than anyone. Even though claiming the mystery must have exhausted him, he doesn’t show it and keeps moving without rest. To keep the Sea Trade Three Families from making a move on him in Haeun 3rd Ward.”
Noil had never laid eyes on Theo, but he strongly sensed this was no pushover.
He had the pulse of the Floating Archipelago’s public sentiment, situation, and power dynamics down pat.
“So what do you plan to do?”
“For now, we watch. No need to stir things up and make it worse. Let him go after the Sea King. If he fails, that’s fine too.”
“What if he succeeds...! Ah!”
Giuseppe trailed off, finally grasping Noil’s intent, and let out a light exclamation of admiration.
“By then, even if he has the public on his side, he’ll be worn out and unable to resist much!”
“Just secure him when he comes out of the gate, even if it takes some effort. Make up any excuse.”
“Isn’t that my specialty? I’ll use the pretext of protecting the new hero’s safety. Then, once public opinion cools, I’ll raise the issue of the mysteries’ ownership and confiscate Balmung and Aegir.”
Noil waved his hand dismissively, as if to say handle it yourself.
“The mysteries can be stolen anytime we want, so just make sure you secure the man. Understood? I won’t tolerate a third mistake.”
“I’ll keep it in mind—engraved in my heart.”
“You always have the right words.”
Tsk!
Noil clicked his tongue and lightly tapped the desk.
By the time Giuseppe looked up again, Noil had vanished like a ghost.
A faint furrow creased Giuseppe’s brow.
“I don’t know what makes you so confident you can take Krimhilt’s mysteries.”
There was no trace of the fawning attitude he’d shown Noil until now.
“In the end, that power will go to the Floating Archipelago—and to me, Giuseppe. We are the true heirs to Krimhilt.”
The conspiracy over Krimhilt’s mysteries and the dragon-slaying sword Balmung was only just beginning.
* * *
The road to the Central Temple, where Krimhilt’s remains were enshrined.
This path, famous as a scenic spot for locals’ outings, was now jammed with throngs of people.
Residents from all over the archipelago had gathered to see Krimhilt’s successor, the new master of Balmung, the new dragon slayer.
Even past midnight, the fervor burned as hot as midday.
-Vinai, vinai. May Krimhilt’s grace reach us too.
-Over here! Please look this way, Hero!
-Just once! Please hold my hand just once? It’d be the honor of a lifetime.
-Hey! Stop shoving! What if someone falls?
-What’re you on about? You stop blocking the way! You think only you get to see the hero’s face?
Even the guards struggling to control the crowds were having little luck.
“I’ll move slowly from here, so please everyone, keep order. If even one person gets hurt because of me, I won’t have the face to meet Lord Krimhilt.”
But when Theo smiled warmly and soothed them, the overheated atmosphere calmed in an instant, as if it had never been.
-The hero’s right!
-Yeah. Let’s hold back a bit more.
-The hero’s heart is as beautiful as his face!
-He looks like a boy, but how’s he carved like a statue, so elegant?
-You fool! Didn’t you see Krimhilt’s statue? Krimhilt was a beauty too! He takes after him!
-So hero qualifications are based on looks...? Us ugly folks are doomed then.
-More precisely, a pure and beautiful heart shines on the face. Why twist it like that?
-So you’re saying my heart’s ugly too?
-You—! How does it turn into that?!
The crowd was enraptured by Theo’s handsome face, refined demeanor, and gentle words.
A saint.
That’s what he seemed like.
“Didn’t know the kid could pull off that act? Damn, impressive.”
“Lady Cecilia was a famous actress in her youth. Must be from her.”
“Yeah, blood will tell. That face, those sword skills, that talent, that acting... perfect quartet.”
Selphard and Arin, guarding Theo, were inwardly quite impressed.
This put them in a position even the Sea Trade Three Families couldn’t touch lightly in the Floating Archipelago.
“Meanwhile, that guy looks like death warmed over.”
Selphard snorted at Antonio trudging along behind them, half out of it.
His pressure points had been released, but his face was no different from before.
Betrayed by comrades, abandoned by his father—Antonio must feel cast adrift in the world.
Of course, no pity stirred for him.
He was the one who’d tried to use Theo’s group and discard them.
Just reaping what he sowed.
He should be grateful he hadn’t been dumped outright.
“Antonio.”
Theo’s telepathic voice reached Antonio’s ear.
Antonio straightened up rigidly.
“Don’t let on I’m sending telepathy. Too many eyes around.”
Antonio quickly scanned the surroundings with sidelong glances.
As Theo said, familiar faces dotted the crowd.
Not just Spinola family members, but Grimal’s servants, Ghost Squad agents, council people, and even some Romelin retainers who hadn’t shown themselves yet.
‘How did he spot them so fast!’
At the same time, a chill ran down his spine realizing Theo had already mapped the surroundings while playing the saint.
‘I didn’t bring in a wolf... I brought in a dragon.’
It had been a fight he and Black Skull could never win from the start.
“You don’t want to end up a kite with a cut string, do you?”
Antonio nearly nodded reflexively but barely held back.
“I’ll give you a chance.”
A chance?
“Round up as many of your comrades as you can. And seize command of Black Skull.”
Antonio’s eyes widened slightly.
He grasped Theo’s aim.
“You wanted to be governor, right? I’ll help. You can borrow my name.”
Thump thump thump!
Antonio’s heart raced again. Color returned to his face.
“But to do that, prove to me you’re worth it—that you have the qualifications.”
Theo was building a third force.
One free from the Sea Trade Three Families, the Autonomous Council, and the Sea Trade Alliance’s meddling. Completely new.
Using Black Skull as its foundation, and the Floating Archipelago would fall easily into Theo’s grasp.
Antonio as the figurehead!
‘Surpassing my brothers and father, I seize the governorship...!’
Even if he’d be Theo’s puppet dancing to his tune from behind, wouldn’t he handle internal affairs?
“What do you say? Up for it?”
It was the devil’s whisper.
An irresistible whisper from the devil.
Antonio gave the tiniest nod.
“Good. Then hurry. When I return after subduing the Sea King, it should be you welcoming me.”
Meaning he’d share the glory of standing beside Theo when public attention peaked.
Face alight with ecstasy, Antonio melted into the crowd and vanished.
Theo watched his retreating back and flashed a faint smile.
“Theo, evil smile.”
“...Ahem!”
Theo cleared his throat lightly at Rey’s words from beside him.
He occasionally felt it, but Rey had this knack for hitting the nail on the head despite her blank expression.
This was exactly that.
Theo had no intention of handing Black Skull’s power to him for real.
What he truly had in mind was elsewhere.
Somewhere that hadn’t revealed itself yet.
“More importantly, Rey, how’d you even get here? Without a word.”
Theo deftly changed the subject.
Truth be told, he’d been startled seeing her at first.
She was supposed to be in Winterer.
“Bored at home.”
“Bored?”
“Yeah. No fun. Nothing more to learn. So I begged the White Dragon Knights Captain.”
Theo let out a hollow chuckle, picturing Julius’s surprise at Rey’s sudden visit with her deadpan face.
To him, after the Erica siblings, this was another chance to recruit a knight, so he’d eagerly agreed.
Rey wouldn’t get in Theo’s way anyway.
“Being with you, lots to learn.”
She’d clearly gained a lot from the birthday banquet.
Theo scratched his cheek awkwardly with his index finger.
The child who’d idolized him in his past life was now starting to idolize him in reverse.
A strange feeling.
As they chatted lightly like that, Theo’s group reached the Central Temple amid the crowd.
The place with the gate to the deep sea where the Sea King slumbered.
It was then.
Szzzzzt!
『Seems you’re doing better than expected. As expected of my mate.』
A brief noise, then his mate’s voice.
The frequency must have synced again as they neared the Sea King.
‘Lodbrog.’
『You’ve worked hard. Rest easy now. I’ll take over from here.』
In Theo’s vision,
Lodbrog’s back appeared like an illusion, ascending the Central Temple stairs.
회귀검가의 서자가 사는 법