Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Tulip's Mausoleum (3)
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[A sudden event has occurred, opening an instance dungeon.]
[A quest has arrived.]
+
[Sudden Quest]
You have discovered "Grim Reaper," one of the Primordial Dragon's relics. Win at hide-and-seek against the guardian "Magara" who protects the relic.
· Difficulty: A
· Reward: Ownership of "Grim Reaper"
· Failure: Loss of ownership
+
For a split second, Theo felt his foot sink deep into the muck.
It was a swamp.
A filthy mire filled with mud and river water.
"Damn."
Before he could even properly read the quest details, Theo sensed his body about to sink straight down and tried to steady his balance first.
Then, a sudden slimy sensation from below his feet made him channel mana to his soles.
BOOM!
With the sound of a cannon firing, the muck scattered in all directions, launching Theo into the air.
The spot where he had just been standing.
A grotesque creature with a shark's body, a snake's tail, and a long, crocodile-like snout licked its chops regretfully while eyeing him.
「You're quicker on the uptake than you look.」
Thud!
Theo landed on a nearby dry tree and pointed Drake's Blade downward.
"You're the guardian here, I take it?"
「Something like that.」
"From the quest, it looks like I just need to catch you. You sure it's okay to show yourself like this?"
The hide-and-seek instruction seemed to mean finding Magara, who was deeply submerged in the swamp.
Yet instead of fleeing far away, it had revealed itself like this.
Was it supreme confidence, or reckless arrogance?
But in reality, it was neither.
「Why do you think I'd "naturally" go along with your quest?」
"What?"
It was a completely different reaction from all the guardians Theo had encountered so far.
Theo's eyes widened in surprise.
「Quests are nothing more than the Primordial Dragon forcing his goals on us. Our opinions or thoughts aren't factored in at all.」
"……!"
It truly was a reaction unlike any guardian Theo had met before.
Hummm! Hummmm!
In that instant, not only Drake's Blade and the Moonblade Sword but also relics like the Desert Ring and Ice Flower Butterfly began vibrating violently all at once.
Flash!
The earring on his left ear shook.
It spat out a pale glow, taking on the form of a Fairy Dragon.
「Nonsense!」
The Fairy Dragon, appearing after a long absence, glared at Magara with seething rage.
「Lord Fafnir is our creator! His will is the sacred duty we must uphold and the task we must complete! How dare you deny it!」
「That's only true for idiots like you who blindly follow orders without free will.」
Theo could feel Magara mocking the Fairy Dragon.
「You brat!」
「You morons can keep blindly following that human if you want. But don't force your beliefs on me.」
Magara's slit pupils dilated sharply.
「My one true master is only Lord Reje!」
It was a declaration.
One asserting its own will.
'Reje's got it bad.'
What to do about this.
Theo pondered for a brief moment.
He had no idea how Reje had come to possess the Primordial Dragon's relic.
From the looks of it, she didn't even fully understand the relic herself.
But Magara displaying such absolute loyalty to Reje meant there was some emotional bond unrelated to the relic.
'In his past life, Reje never let go of Grim Reaper until the very end, right?'
In the not-too-distant future, Reje would ultimately lose the battle for the throne.
And at her final moments, it hadn't been the Deathwing Squad or her talents accompanying her, but Grim Reaper.
Proof that Reje cherished her beloved weapon deeply.
The problem was that Theo needed to reclaim the relic to gain the Primordial Dragon's power.
He had to somehow drive a wedge between Reje and Magara.
「Defying your creator's will to walk some foolish path? That Reje isn't even a Selector!」
「But she is a Ragnar born with dragon blood.」
「You!」
「Do you need that hollow qualification? Fine then. I'll bestow it upon my master!」
The implication was simple.
Ding!
[Magara expresses strong hostility toward you. Magara now intends to hunt you and transfer the <Selector> status to another. Beware of Magara's attacks.]
[The quest details have been partially updated.]
[Difficulty has been raised from A to S.]
RAAAAWR!
The guardian's rebellion!
Theo let out a hollow chuckle.
Even gaining the recognition of the Fairy Dragon and Deathworm hadn't been easy, but they hadn't bared their killing intent so openly.
「Magara!」
「Handle it yourself. If you can, that is. Heh heh...」
Whether the Fairy Dragon called its name or not, Magara had already slithered back under the swamp.
「This has gotten troublesome.」
The Fairy Dragon tapped its forehead with its short arm.
The old-man tone didn't suit its cute appearance, making it comical, but it seemed oblivious.
"No. The quest hasn't changed anyway."
「Do not underestimate Magara. It's no match for me, of course, but in life, it was a beast that tore enemies apart in an instant with its iron jaws and tough hide.」
"You're still full of yourself as ever."
「This is no time for jokes!」
The Fairy Dragon furrowed its brow sharply.
「Though you bent me through dirty tricks and I serve you as master against my will, the fact remains that you are my master, the Primordial Dragon's heir, and the mate of the Guardian Dragon. I've waited over a thousand years for you—I won't let that master die or get hurt so pointlessly.」
Theo felt he now fully understood the Fairy Dragon's personality.
Regardless of ability, its self-importance was off the charts.
「So first, heed my counsel and make a plan...!」
"Doesn't seem that hard."
「……What?」
The Fairy Dragon thought Theo was talking nonsense.
A dungeon was the ideal environment for a guardian.
Even a mutt wins half the fight in its own yard—how could an outsider...!
[The Dragon Factor activates.]
[Dragon Blood Awakening begins.]
"Even like this?"
「Gasp!」
The Ragnars' dragon blood originated from the Primordial Dragon and Guardian Dragon.
Meaning it was that of the ancient dragons, the progenitors of all dragonkind.
And lesser dragons instinctively submitted to superior ones.
During his months on the Floating Archipelago, Theo had trained relentlessly until he could freely awaken his dragon blood,
reaching a level where he could manifest some of the dragon's authority without major penalties.
The Fairy Dragon had unwittingly bowed its head.
An instinctive reaction.
And Magara was no different.
[All special abilities and enhancements temporarily rise.]
[All buffs activate.]
[Time limit: 6 minutes.]
One minute longer than before.
More than enough.
Grip!
Theo heightened his razor-sharp senses and reached out into the air.
Then twisted sideways.
Crunch-crunch-
A section of swamp fixed rigidly by telekinesis flipped over entirely, exposing Magara who had lain in wait beneath for Theo to move.
「What is this!」
"Come."
At Theo's command, Magara's body launched into the air, unable to budge.
「No!」
Magara thrashed to shake off the instinctive submission and forceful restraint, but Theo was already moving.
The quest was hide-and-seek from the start.
It all ends when the seeker tags the hider.
In the end, Theo's fingertips touched Magara.
Flash!
Light filled the world.
[Congratulations! You successfully found the hidden Magara and completed the Sudden Quest.]
[Rating: S]
[Reward: Acquired ownership of Grim Reaper.]
Where the light faded.
Reje stood there, face twisted in fury, still shaking hands with Theo.
Unlike the dungeon, hardly any real-world time had passed.
"You!"
Reje instinctively knew Theo had tried "something" on her.
But Theo released the handshake with a relaxed smile.
"Is something wrong?"
"You...!"
What the hell did you do?
Reje nearly spat it out but clamped her lips shut.
Circumstantially, only she knew Theo had done something, with no proof.
Common sense said it was impossible for her subordinate Theo to fool her senses in that brief instant.
Who could guess her prized weapon's ownership had been stolen?
No, even if they knew, pressing the issue would be hard.
She had picked the fight first, claiming to test Theo.
If word got out she'd been countered instead, it'd only damage her own face.
In the end, Reje ground her teeth and regained her composure.
The playful glint in her eyes was gone.
"Fine. Since I started it, I'll let this slide. Looks like Father's talk of a sixth candidate wasn't just hot air."
'As expected, being one of the five candidates doesn't go away.'
Theo couldn't help but acknowledge Reje inwardly.
With that level of poise, he'd need to watch her even more closely from now on.
People like her would swing the sword all the more subtly and sharply.
"There wasn't anyone in your age group besides Torkel who could keep up with me like this. You wouldn't happen to be...!"
"No."
"I wasn't done talking."
"You're telling me to come under you, right? No thanks."
"Did you eat a pumpkin or something? So resolute."
Reje glanced between Theo and Wellington.
Meaning they were just alike.
But she made no further offers.
No lingering attachment.
She hadn't expected it anyway.
From their brief clash of hands moments ago, she'd already gauged Theo wasn't the type to serve under anyone.
Instead, Reje approached Cassandra.
Sensing her approach, Cassandra flinched and huddled even closer behind Theo.
"So you're the one. The prophet that Troyvan was so desperate to find."
Reje lowered her stance to meet Cassandra's eye level.
Theo, watching from the side, widened his eyes.
Realizing Reje's true target wasn't him, but Cassandra.
"Just one question. Can you answer it?"
In that moment, Theo's face hardened.
'Reje was the one who brought Cassandra here!'
* * *
"My lady."
Where Theo's group had entered the guild building with Cassandra.
Reje alone remained crouched in place, lost in thought.
One of the Deathwing Squad members approached worriedly.
"Yes?"
"You got the answer you wanted. Is something wrong?"
"Wrong? Of course not."
-The one I.
The question Reje had asked Cassandra.
-Can I become 'king'?
Learning of a child who could foresee the future, and right then directing Theo's group—who happened to be nearby—to launch a rescue op—all that had come from Reje's mind.
Securing the prophet card while also testing the skills of Theo, a new frontrunner for succession.
If Theo had failed the op?
The Dragon Priests and Deathwing Squad would have stepped in immediately.
They'd been pursuing Arkt and the Blue Jade Squad all along anyway.
Fortunately, Cassandra was rescued without needing them,
and Reje could finally ask the question burning in her heart for so long.
The throne.
Could she sit upon the seat she'd yearned for since childhood?
Could she break through the endless checks and wariness, and take her father's place?
And the answer was...
But even hearing it, Reje couldn't laugh or cry.
-......
'No reaction.'
Grim Reaper, who always wept with her in joy or sorrow, was utterly silent.
Grim Reaper had always been spiritually linked to her.
But not now.
As if it were 'dead.'
"......"
In this moment.
Reje realized.
The friend she'd hoped to share the moment of becoming king with.
The one to sit the throne beside her.
Was no longer at her side.