Chapter 155
Chapter 155
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: Dragon Child Corps (5)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[All buffs have ended.]
[Penalty: You fall into a state of lethargy.]
Theo propped up his limp, sodden body—like a sponge soaked in water—with Drake's blade and scanned his surroundings.
Fortunately, thanks to [Origin Energy Amplification], he was managing to hold on.
But there was no telling if some other ambush he hadn't spotted might be lurking.
Just then,
"What a goddamn mess."
A figure in a wooden mask dropped from the sky, as if wondering how he'd escaped his fight with the Wing Dragon.
Crunch!
Theo chuckled at the sound of Arct grinding his teeth.
Remembering the headaches that guy had caused him felt like a breath of fresh air.
"You're laughing?"
Arct glared at Theo with eyes that screamed he'd tear him apart right then and there, reaching out a hand.
Theo had no strength left even to twitch a finger, but he wasn't worried in the slightest.
"Young Master Theo!"
It seemed like Wellington's voice echoed from somewhere high above.
And then,
Theo quietly collapsed to the side.
The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was a flood of sea waves cascading down like a waterfall.
* * *
Murmur murmur....
-Whoa! Haven't run that hard in ages, and damn, it hurts. But hey, looks like my skills haven't rusted yet?
-Ugh. I'm done for. You expect me to sprint like I'm still active at this age? My joints are killing me.
-That guy's talking big, but look at that grin—he's loving it.
Chatter chatter....
-But did you see that guy fight?
-See it? I watched every second. He was slaughtering them.
-His sword paths and footwork? Identical to the captain's.
-But still carving his own new path. Fast. Sharp.
-This kid's really only been wielding a sword properly for a few years? That growth rate...!
-Even more amazing is his sword comprehension. I could seriously pass the torch and move on to the next life.
-Move on, huh.
-Ahem! Let's think about that later.
.
.
Theo forced his eyes open at the ghosts' voices ringing incessantly in his ears.
'Where am I?'
He remembered killing Ord and Kali, but everything after went pitch black, like a blackout.
-Oh, he's awake. He's awake.
-This kid's no slouch either. Hahaha.
"Young Master Theo, are you coming around?"
"You okay, Theo?"
Familiar voices beyond the ghosts.
Only then did Theo realize he was lying in a bed.
"Well? Ray?"
"How's your body? Any injuries? Dizzy or anything? Hmm?"
Wellington and Ray let out sighs of relief only after confirming repeatedly that Theo had simply collapsed from exhaustion.
Theo quickly checked his condition and gave a light smile.
'Well showed up at the end, huh.'
"Looks like Cassandra safely found the Wing Dragon Lord and you."
"That little miss we thought had left suddenly showed up all grown-up, chattering away about this and that. You have no idea how surprised I was, Young Master Theo."
'Yeah, that tracks.'
From Wellington's perspective, the shy kid who'd always hidden behind Theo even during greetings had suddenly transformed.
Theo awkwardly scratched his cheek instead of explaining about the Magic Empress, as it was hard to put into words.
'She must've located them with her Precognition ability. Cassandra's the top contributor this time.'
"So you came to rescue me right away."
"Exactly. Never dreamed you'd take down the Gravekeeper, the Demonic Church bishop, and the Blue Horn Squad captain all by yourself."
Theo just grinned at Wellington's gaze burning with competitive spirit.
Looked like he'd challenge him to a spar once he recovered.
"So where's Cassandra?"
Those two coming meant Leje and the Death God Squad were here too.
Which meant Leje was surely glued to Cassandra's side right now.
Sure enough.
Wellington gave an awkward smile, looking troubled, while Ray pulled a displeased pout.
Something must've happened.
Wellington sighed in response to Theo's follow-up question.
* * *
Theo headed straight to the room where Cassandra was resting.
But Wellington and Leje weren't the only ones tagging along.
It was a whole crowd.
-Hey, kid.
-You really okay? Nothing hurts you're too embarrassed to admit?
-Lift your arm. Legs? Thigh okay? That last swing looked like it took too much out of you!
-Next time you unleash Eclipse, cut the mana output to half or less. Efficiency's way off right now. At least make a simplified version!
-I actually came up with a brilliant idea for that....
'If I keep listening, I'll lose my mind.'
Theo ignored the ghosts trailing him with their worries and advice as best he could and headed to another building.
They were back at the manor they'd thought was an old tomb.
Apparently, after the Wing Dragon withdrew from the battlefield, they'd beaten Arct, booted out Troyvan and the Demonic Church entirely.
And Theo's feats in toppling the old Dragon Assembly would soon be officially reported to Winterer and added to his merits.
Bringing along Cassandra's presence would elevate his standing beyond compare.
'Might sit in the White Dragon Knights captain's seat way sooner than I thought.'
With these merits, he could even aim above senior swordsman, according to Selphard.
But Theo couldn't just rejoice.
Because ever since arriving at the manor, Cassandra had been suffering from an unknown high fever.
-Probably divine fever.
One ghost—the most scholarly among them, who'd lost a bet to Theo and closed Ord's eyes—read his thoughts and explained.
Theo had been shocked to learn he was the vice-captain.
"Divine fever? What's that?"
-Something like aftereffects from overusing this too much. You'd get similar symptoms if you pushed yours too long.
The ghost tapped his temple with a finger.
Theo's eyes lit up.
He was talking about the mind gate.
"So Precognition is based on the mind gate too."
-Most abilities—what people call superpowers—usually are. Especially time-manipulating ones; they guzzle mental energy.
"Ah."
-That future kid, the Magic Empress or whatever, held the reins too long, throwing the body's balance off. So hurry.
-Yeah. Hurry up! She said she had something she really wanted to tell you directly.
What could the Magic Empress want to leave behind?
Pondering that, Theo flung open the door to Cassandra's room.
Leje was inside.
-Gasp!
-That face... I just can't get used to it no matter how many times I see it....
The vice-captain and ghosts hesitated, not daring to enter.
They were worried about Cassandra, but Leje's face was just too unfamiliar.
How could it be so identical to their long-dead captain's?
-I figured reincarnation was possible since regression exists, but....
-Still, seeing that exact face? Can't wrap my head around it.
-But the captain's existence was stripped by that bastard's curse, right? Soul should've dissipated or been sealed somewhere. How's reincarnation even possible?
Oblivious to the ghosts' stares, Leje spoke to Theo.
"Heard about it. Took down the Blue Horn Squad captain and Demonic Church bishop solo? Even uncovered the Gravekeeper's relic."
Theo gazed at Leje silently for a moment.
Her expression made it impossible to gauge if she was hostile or not.
Given their past clashes, friendliness seemed unlikely.
Swish.
"......?"
"What? Grab it."
Leje extended her right hand for a shake.
After a brief hesitation, Theo clasped it.
Crunch.
Her grip tightened fiercely.
"Congrats, sixth heir candidate. You've just earned real recognition as my 'rival' from that empty title."
From now on, no more leniency—she acknowledged him.
It was a warning, but to Theo, it sounded like praise for his growth, drawing a laugh.
"Is that so?"
"Oh? Laughing? You get what being my rival means? No more little bro treatment. You're a full rival fighting for the throne."
"I know."
Crunch crunch.
Theo squeezed back.
"It's exactly what I wanted. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with you, sis, and the others. Sparring for that seat—that's my goal."
"Damn, you never back down."
Leje grumbled, but a smile crept onto her lips.
She no longer seemed hung up on their manor clash.
Cool, if you could call it that.
Yet aggressive about the throne.
Theo liked that about her.
'This side of you is a lot like your past life. No wonder Magara couldn't forget.'
Of course, Theo planned to reclaim Shadow Reaper someday.
As the victor's spoils.
Fair and square.
"I'll head out then. Good work."
Leje patted Theo's shoulder and walked past.
"Wait."
"Hm? What?"
"You're just leaving?"
"What else?"
"Don't you need Cassandra?"
"What're you on about? Didn't you hear me? Why would I covet the spoils you defended to the end? If I take 'em, I take 'em—no whining."
Leje spun on her heel.
"But watch out. I might claim your spoils anytime. Let's go."
The Death God Squad quietly followed the departing Leje.
Defeat.
For a prideful Ragnar heir, admitting that couldn't have been easy.
Theo scratched his cheek.
'Maybe I knew their personalities and tastes as candidates, but had no clue about their true caliber.'
"You're here.... sir."
Theo turned to Cassandra.
Her face was slick with cold sweat.
Theo wiped it with a nearby handkerchief as he spoke.
"You had something to say."
"Yes. I had to see you before leaving, Theo. Might not get to in the future, you know."
It carried multiple layers of meaning.
Theo smiled bitterly, a thought striking him.
She looked strained even maintaining the possession now.
Meaning she probably couldn't use her ability properly—would she even see his smile?
"You pity me."
"......A little."
"Please drop that thought. It's practically an insult to my life."
Theo nodded apologetically.
In that moment, Cassandra exuded the dignity of an empress who'd lived decades as the Magic Empress.
"So before you go, as empress, I have one request for you, Theo."
"Request?"
"Could I have a pen and paper?"
Unsure what she intended, Theo handed her the ones from the bedside table.
Cassandra scribbled something like an address and returned them.
"It's the location of a secret vault open only to emperors across generations."
"......What?"
An utterly unexpected gift.
Theo's eyes widened like saucers.
The emperor's secret vault.
Known to hold only the world's most famous treasures, from the empire and beyond.
And now it was dropping into his lap.
"Password: 66*7182-32. Memorize it."
"Wait. Why give this to me all of a sudden?"
"A great war's coming to this world soon. Why hand it to a traitor about to usurp imperial authority?"
"Even so, giving this away...."
"The current emperor's comatose—could close his eyes any moment. The next will be this child. So please safeguard it for her, open it when needed. If managing's too much...."
Cassandra smiled mischievously.
"Shall I appoint you vault keeper by imperial decree?"
"......Hah! Fine, fine. I'll hold onto it for now."
Theo felt more burdened than thrilled about the vault.
Sure, an imperial secret vault would hugely aid the throne race.
But it screamed 'protect young Cassandra'—a blatant bribe.
'Even if I needed it, I've got Roddy's vault. No need to get greedy.'
『Hm? Partner, you just had some awfully irreverent thoughts. Or was it my imagination?』
'Yes. Must've misheard. I'd never think that.'
Theo played innocent.
"And one item in that vault is something you absolutely need, Theo."
"Something I need?"
"Yes. The Wheel of Death."
"How do you know about that....?"
He'd never told a soul.
Theo's eyes bulged.
"The spring you wound was that wheel, and it's already rolling. The [Nameless Sovereign] may be asleep for now, but it'll wake soon and race toward the end to meet you. It's inevitable."
"......"
"So you need to find the next card, 'Knight Commander Impaled on Dozens of Swords,' as fast as possible."
"And that card's in the vault....?"
"Probably?"
Theo finally grasped Cassandra's intent.
The Magic Empress was leaving an interpretation of his dream and a prophecy before departing.
Without violating causality too much.
"I thought that person was the Suicide Squad leader, and 'Queen Laying Down Her Crown' was you. Wasn't it?"
"Could be, or not."
"What?"
"Didn't I tell you before? The future's just one of countless possibilities. You decide what that card means."
He couldn't fathom it.
But one thing was clear.
The 'Knight Commander Impaled on Dozens of Swords' card was so elusive even future Cassandra couldn't pinpoint it precisely.
Yet unavoidable in Theo's journey.
The three tarots from his past life were no ordinary cards.
'Who was that old lady who read them?'
Cassandra said,
"Please don't forget your current resolve to the very end. Make a different choice from past selectors. And after that...."
Cassandra.
The Magic Empress flashed her final smile in this world.
"Let's reunite with smiles."