Chapter 128
Chapter 128
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: Dragon Blood (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Romelin family of the Three Great Maritime Houses had long declared neutrality in the political strife between Spinola and Grimal.
Some criticized this behavior as bat-like scheming.
But family head Vittorio had always been proud of his choices.
Staying unswayed by either side and holding the center.
He believed that was the path for his family and the Floating Archipelago's future.
But now,
he felt it was time to lift his heavy rear.
“……All this happened overnight? I knew the chaos was severe, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad.”
Vittorio adjusted the magnifying glasses perched on his nose and meticulously examined the documents in his hand.
The collapse of the central temple.
Changes to the magic wind system supporting the archipelago.
Damage to the island residents.
Just handling this damage would require significant bleeding.
“And this was resolved by some outsider named Randt? We owe him big.”
“Theo Ragnar.”
“Ah, right, that was his real name. Ragnar.”
Vittorio lowered his magnifying glasses and looked at his granddaughter Marti, standing opposite him.
In his youth, he had lost his son and daughter-in-law to a shipwreck, making Marti his most precious treasure and extension of himself.
“Chased off the jackals, only to let the tiger into the house. Who knows what mischief they’ll cause next? And he’s Krimhilt’s successor, no less.”
Public opinion against Troyvan within the archipelago was already at its worst.
Some were even calling for war if necessary.
But would the Ragnar family, another great house, be any different?
He was skeptical deep down.
But,
“You can’t trust the Ragnars. But at least, I think he’s trustworthy.”
“On what grounds?”
“…….”
“He might be playacting now to seize power. But once he has it? What true face will he show then?”
Vittorio’s wrinkled lips twisted.
“I’ve sailed the world’s seas as a mariner for a very long time. And what I learned is that no one can be trusted except me, my family, and my people. Everyone’s just busy filling their own pockets. You think this boy’s any different?”
Tap, tap.
Vittorio drummed his index finger on the documents as he continued.
“Of course, to give a bit more leeway as you say, we could trust the boy for now. But even so, we’d end up dancing to the Ragnars’ tune. In the end, it’ll be a huge burden on our Floating Archipelago.”
That was his assertion.
That Theo was no different from the Troyvan gang.
That he would ultimately reveal ambitions to devour the Floating Archipelago.
“Still, I think Theo Ragnar is different.”
“So what’s your basis for that?”
Marti vividly recalled it still.
Theo’s desperate struggles amid the chaos to save even one more person falling into the sea.
His unyielding vigilance, never slacking for a moment in case of a counterattack from Noi.
That fervor.
That pulsing heartbeat.
That tension.
How could she forget it?
“If you meet him.”
But words couldn’t fully convey it,
“You’ll understand what I mean.”
Marti could only say that.
“…….”
This time, Vittorio stared intently at Marti for a long while.
“It’s been since you joined the temple knight order that I’ve seen you insist this strongly. First time since then.”
In the end, Vittorio yielded a step, rising from his seat.
“Grandfather.”
“We’ll know soon enough when we meet him. Whether he’s worth staking the fate of Romelin and Benota on.”
Vittorio’s eyes gleamed sharply.
* * *
Theo was having a long dream.
His previous life, which he had begun to forget bit by bit.
Times when he thrashed to survive somehow, but couldn’t.
A memory he had shoved into a corner and forgotten.
-A young customer visiting after so long. Yes. What brings you to this old man? What’s on your mind?
He had been walking the road.
He’d encountered a wandering gypsy troupe by chance, and lured by their offer of cheap fortune-telling, he got a reading.
But he couldn’t recall what question he’d asked.
Instead, the answer he’d received lingered strangely vivid.
-……That’s what you want to know? Quite the curious fellow. Wait a moment. Let me cast the lots. Draw three cards from here.
-Like this?
-Hmm. Let’s see.
-What do they say?
Truth be told, from the moment he saw the faces of the drawn cards, he hadn’t felt good.
The Wheel of Death.
A knight commander pierced by dozens of swords.
A queen setting down her crown.
All ominous.
-You’ve drawn quite the peculiar cards. Rare ones, hard to pull. Heh heh. Well, starting with this one.
The first: Wheel of Death.
Its meaning was……
“Theo, Theo!”
Theo forced his eyes open at the calling voice.
Where…… is this?
“You with us?”
Ray was staring at him with a worried face.
Theo wondered why she was suddenly like this, then quickly recalled the memory before falling asleep.
‘Right, I passed out right on Umbra’s back from magic exhaustion.’
He’d collapsed without any last words, so she must have been shocked.
Come to think of it, he was in an unfamiliar room.
“Yeah. I’m fine. Ray, where are we?”
“Marti’s house. They helped us. Helped treat you too.”
“Treatment?”
“Guess you don’t remember. You were out for a good four days, man. Worried us sick, jeez!”
Just then, Selphred and Arin approached, shaking their heads.
They’d rushed over upon sensing Theo’s presence while guarding the perimeter.
Selphred’s explanation was straightforward.
After Theo collapsed without a word, Marti hurriedly brought him to the Romelin mansion for treatment.
Word spread that the hero was injured, drawing every renowned physician in the archipelago, and every shaman arrived with all sorts of elixirs.
The ruins of the temple were packed with residents praying for Theo’s health, no room to set foot.
“But luckily, the doctors who checked your pulse said your recovery was too fast to be in real danger, and it was true. Must’ve been the meds?”
Theo just smiled silently.
How could he explain that awakening his dragon blood now allowed him to self-heal most injuries easily?
“No pain anywhere? Dizzy?”
Theo shook his head at Arin’s question.
“I’m good. Just a bit heavy-bodied.”
“Thank goodness. I was just about to send a report to HQ, debating whether to request aid.”
“No. Not yet. Please wait a little longer.”
“Hey! Hey! Look at this greedy lump. You set the board, now you’re scared the old fogeys’ll grab a spoon?”
“Not denying it.”
Theo smiled at Selphred.
“Speaking of, what’s the situation outside? Must be chaotic.”
“Chaotic is putting it mildly. It’s a total mess.”
“Don’t beat around the bush. Give it to me straight.”
“No, you’re the patient here, damn it? Rest up. You can think work later after you’re fully recovered.”
“This is my rest.”
“……No wonder I can’t understand workaholics.”
Selphred shook his head and continued.
“Marti, that girl, she’s been super busy. Raided the guard HQ for seizures and searches, stripped Grimal mansion bare, arrested all the connected doctors and merchants…….”
The Floating Archipelago Autonomy was under nationwide martial law.
All ports sealed, cutting off external links, so mainlanders couldn’t escape.
Marti was leading the temple knight survivors to round up all the fugitives.
With the execution squad wiped out and the guards discredited, the temple knights were the only military force left, making it possible.
Any resistance meant summary execution; any whiff of dirt meant prison. It created administrative gaps.
But with the remaining Romelin family of the Three Great Maritime Houses supplying manpower, they were filling in somehow.
“Grimal’s practically gutted as a family. What about Spinola?”
“No different. Their charge was ‘attempted hero assassination’ from the start? They lumped them in while at it.”
Theo let out a hollow laugh. That left Romelin as the only surviving house among the Three Great.
“Prisons’ll burst.”
“Don’t remind me. That’s why pleas for leniency are making it noisy as hell……!”
Selphred’s explanation cut off midway.
Crash, clatter.
Noisy commotion outside, then the door burst open.
“Hero! Please! Save us! Weren’t we on your side?!”
A man threw himself at Theo’s bedside, pleading desperately.
The late-arriving Romelin guards looked flustered.
“You bastard!”
“This is where the hero rests! Get out!”
“Please! Please, spare us!”
“Wait a moment.”
The guards paused while dragging him by the collar.
Theo eyed the man streaming tears and snot.
A familiar face.
One of Black Skull’s executives.
“Figured you’d show up eventually. Sigh.”
Selphred covered his face and shook his head, as if he’d expected it.
‘They got abandoned after all.’
Theo assessed the situation quickly.
Looks like Marti had cut ties with Black Skull, just as he’d planned.
For her, no reason to carry those who’d once plotted betrayal behind her back.
For Black Skull, who’d expected to rise with Theo’s help, it must’ve been a bolt from the blue.
Hence, begging for four days straight just for one glimpse of Theo’s face.
Theo signaled the guards it was fine to leave, and they withdrew with crisp salutes.
Thud!
Door closed.
The man’s desperate demeanor vanished; he fidgeted anxiously.
Couldn’t even meet Theo’s eyes properly.
In those four days, Theo’s standing in the archipelago had risen to rival the governor’s.
“H-Hero…… We stood against the execution squad to the end, serving you……!”
“Want to live?”
Theo cut off the rambling firmly.
The man snapped to and nodded frantically.
“Y-Yes!”
“There’s one way.”
“A way……?”
“Senior.”
Theo looked to Selphred.
Selphred smirked and guarded the door.
Arin took the window, Ray the outside.
Mana flowed from Theo’s body, turning the room into a sealed space.
Gulp!
The man swallowed dryly in unease.
Even bedridden,
Theo’s eyes gleamed sharply like a dragon’s.
“Become a dog.”
“……!”
“Bark when told to bark, wag when told to wag.”
“…….”
“Can you?”
What Theo demanded of the remaining Black Skull was simple.
Absolute obedience.
Become his limbs, contribute to controlling the Floating Archipelago.
What choice did the man have?
Just bow his head.
[‘Skill: Hatchling Synchro’ activates, imprinting trauma into the opponent’s deep psyche.]
[Attempting brainwashing.]
Tremble, tremble……
The man’s body shook finely.
“Anything…… We all think the same.”
[Brainwashing successful.]
[Opponent now feels intense fear toward you and will obey your commands faithfully.]
[New usage of ‘Skill: Hatchling Synchro’ mastered. Skill rank increases.]
“Good.”
Theo smiled coldly.
He’d wondered if Hatchling Synchro, which read thoughts, could implant specific ones instead.
Fortunately, the man’s psychological vulnerability from fear of Theo made it work.
Felt like gaining a new key for building his power base.
“Then, first order.”
“J-Just say the word!”
“All remaining Black Skull join the temple knight order.”
“U-Understood.”
He asked no reasons.
He was just a dog doing as told.
‘This fills the knight order’s losses and bolsters Marti further.’
Could check her if needed.
He didn’t think she’d betray Krimhilt’s successor, but preparation never hurt.
“Take this to the knights, say I gave it. They’ll accept you easily.”
Theo tossed a booklet at the man.
“What’s this?”
“Nibelung.”
Theo emphasized.
“Krimhilt’s secret art.”
“……!”
Transform the temple knights into a full [Krimhilt Knight Order].
Secure their loyalty perfectly, make them his power base.
Through this, seize the Floating Archipelago completely.
The archipelago’s economic influence on the empire via the Maritime League—banks, ships, trade, brokerage—was immense.
Financial power.
Claiming it whole.
That was Theo’s ultimate scenario.
Right then.
“Drawing quite the big picture. Mind if this old man grabs a spoon too?”
Laughter came from behind—an elderly voice.