Chapter 159
Chapter 159
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 159
Chapter Title: Gravekeeper of the Heroic Tomb (4)
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“I love you, dear customer. This is High Theodore, providing you with beautiful clothes and style.”
Theo entered the shop with his companions, only to freeze in surprise.
Unlike its simple exterior, the interior was utterly lavish, giving the feeling of stepping into another world.
And the clothes on display were so stunningly beautiful.
Even Theo, who had no particular eye for fashion, was deeply impressed.
“Wow.”
“It’s even more impressive than I’d heard.”
Ray and Wellington marveled, yet scanned the clothes with practiced ease.
As befitted a haute couture establishment, they had dedicated consultants, but the pair chatted effortlessly.
‘Ah, this must be familiar territory for them.’
Theo had known Wellington always dressed impeccably and had an interest in fashion, but Ray was a bit unexpected.
She usually wore casual clothes, so he hadn’t realized she favored frilly, lacy, ultra-feminine “frill-la-la” outfits.
“May I ask what style of clothing you’re looking for, sir?”
Theo flinched at the consultant’s round, eager eyes.
It was the same gaze he saw often in the Camellia Palace.
The look of maids dying to dress him up like a doll.
He couldn’t bring himself to drop the bomb right in her face: “I’m not interested in clothes; I just came to check out my mother’s shop.” Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
What should he say?
He pondered briefly.
‘Hmm...? That guy?’
In one corner of the spacious shop.
A young man about Theo’s age was examining a suit with keen interest.
Four attendants behind him clutched armfuls of shopping bags.
It seemed they’d shopped not just at High Theodore but at nearby boutiques as well.
Of course, Theo wasn’t fixated on their shopping list.
‘He looks familiar.’
A face that didn’t quite ring a bell.
Someone from his past life? His mind itched faintly.
“Oh, are you drawn to the style that gentleman is holding?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Could you show me something similar?”
The consultant darted off at Theo’s reflexive reply, promising to fetch it right away.
Just then, as if sensing Theo’s gaze, the young man glanced up.
Their eyes met briefly.
He flashed a bright grin!
It gave off a cheerful, carefree vibe.
Like a young master raised in wealth without a care in the world?
Yet that only made Theo feel more frustrated.
‘He seems important... but whatever, it’ll come to me eventually.’
As long as he wasn’t someone who’d interfere right now, it didn’t matter.
Theo brushed it off quickly.
* * *
“Wow! I thought I was the handsomest guy my age, but there’s someone even better-looking? Which family is he from?”
The young man, Nazario, chuckled cheerfully as he exited High Theodore with his four attendants.
The impression left by the long-haired beauty in the white suit—whose eyes he’d briefly met during shopping—was that strong.
“That’s Theo Ragnar.”
“Huh? How do you know that, Zirima?”
Nazario’s eyes widened at his head attendant’s words.
“We’ve infiltrated the heart of a potential enemy’s territory. Of course we’d investigate that much. It’s not just Theo Ragnar. His companions—Wellington Narsio and Ray Ragnar—are key figures too.”
“Wellington Narsio? You mean the Wellington Narsio I know?”
“Yes. The 8th Jun of the Three Armies.”
“What? He was there too? Damn it! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You didn’t ask.”
“What, do I have to ask specifically? You’ve got no sense!”
“I didn’t tell you precisely because I have sense. Would you have stayed out of trouble if I had?”
“...Probably not?”
“Exactly.”
“Ugh.”
Nazario’s face twisted in momentary displeasure, but he knew better than to argue with Zirima’s silver tongue. He swallowed his complaint.
As Zirima said, this was the heart of the Ragnar family, potential enemies.
On a secret mission, caution was paramount.
Though for “caution,” they sure were casually shopping.
“Anyway, Wellington Narsio is well-known publicly, but in the North, Theo Ragnar’s the bigger name. Rumors say he scored the highest in Awakening Ceremony history—a genius.”
“The Awakening Ceremony? Oh, so he’s Wellington Narsio’s rival?”
Nazario stroked his chin, eyes sparkling with intrigue.
“I’d love to spar with him sometime.”
Nazario himself was a next-gen prodigy proudly listed in the 3rd Army’s 8th Jun.
Rivalries with peers of his caliber were always a thrill.
“Don’t forget the Magic Tower is taking a strictly neutral stance in this war. We lean toward Troyvan as much as possible, but we can’t let Ragnar catch our tail. If you botch this, not even you, Nazario, will escape the Tower Lord’s wrath.”
“I know, I know. You think I’d cause trouble knowing my old man’s temper? Enough nagging!”
Zirima sighed as Nazario shook his head, hands over his ears.
He’d guarded Nazario since diaper days, yet sometimes wanted to smack him.
How was this thunderbolt of a guy hailed as the Magic Tower’s future leader?
“Anyway, I’ve got souvenirs for the priests now! Shall we get started?”
Nazario pulled a long robe from his subspace pocket and draped it over his shoulders.
His demeanor shifted in an instant—from laid-back to intense.
The robe bore the ornate hexagram emblem.
It was the Magic Tower’s elite unit, the “Star of David.”
The other attendants donned identical robes, and the surrounding space rippled faintly with waves of mana.
Ziiing!
“Let’s go, then.”
Under the deeply hooded robe.
Nazario’s lips curled into a sly smirk.
* * *
Theo’s group finished shopping quickly and left the shop.
‘My soul’s about to leave my body...’
Dark circles hung under Theo’s eyes.
The consultant had hauled out outfit after outfit for him to try, exhausting him completely.
Especially at the end, when other staff joined in for the fun, piling on more clothes—it had been grueling.
But thanks to that, his hands were full.
His right hand held bags of staff-recommended outfits that suited him perfectly; his left, gifts for Cassandra.
“Heh heh! That was a fun shopping trip after so long. They said we can pick up today’s tailoring in Winterhold too—already missing it?”
Nod nod!
Unlike Theo, Wellington and Ray brimmed with energy.
Ray nodded vigorously, uncharacteristically enthusiastic.
They’d selected not just their own clothes but gifts for their masters (the Needle Palace Lord and the Dragon Climber).
Theo gazed at the two, who seemed from another world, and gave a wry smile.
“Good to hear you’re both satisfied.”
“But you sure? If word gets out Young Master Theo just browsed and left, the shop staff will riot.”
“Revealing myself there would’ve been weird too, right?”
“True enough.”
“I’m plenty satisfied just confirming my mother’s business is thriving.”
“You say that without batting an eye, no spit even. Not thrilled your stake’s on the rise?”
“Can’t deny that’s part of it.”
“As expected. Ha ha ha ha!”
Wellington burst into roaring laughter at Theo’s smile.
“Anyway, shop tour’s done. Before serious shopping, you said there’s somewhere to go? Where to?”
“...?”
“Hm?”
“...You’re not planning more shopping after this, are you?”
“Of course we are. What, think this is much?”
“...??”
“This is just the appetizer in Epitaia.”
“...???”
Theo almost pointed out their massive shopping bags—over ten each—but gave up.
‘Ray’s a girl, fine, but Wel... what the hell.’
He could picture them syncing perfectly with his mother and the Camellia Palace maids.
“...Destination’s not far from here. Near City Hall.”
“Oh, close to Main Street. Perfect.”
Theo reached the spot effortlessly, as pre-marked on his map.
Trams crisscrossed, rickshaws bustled over tracks—a busy district.
“I’ll be quick. Wait here.”
He handed his bags to Wellington and Ray, then split off.
He’d told them it was personal business.
Neither offered to help, thankfully.
They probably assumed it was a separate mission.
‘Piedmont 41st Street, 7th building.’
Theo turned into an alley behind City Hall and stopped before a shabby building.
It looked like a plain pub closed for the day.
In truth, it was a “door” to a treasure vault deep underground in the metropolis.
He pressed his palm to the wall, channeling mana.
-Beep. New user. Password requested. Mana pattern recognition in progress. User verified.
Using the cryptosystem the Magic Empress taught—Venn diagrams laced with sequences—his body was sucked through the wall.
「Ho! Not bad.」
His vision flipped.
And the sight revealed.
Lordbroke’s spirit materialized beside him, whistling lightly in admiration.
The interior was so opulent, it stunned even a treasure-loving ancient dragon.
Chandeliers of countless diamonds cast soft light from the ceiling; walls gleamed with gold leaf, dazzling the eyes with reflections.
“They say the Empire’s imperial family is the world’s richest... and it’s true.”
Theo stuck out his tongue at the vault, rivaling even Lordbroke’s lair in scale and wealth.
Over forty rooms by rough count, each larger than a house with a yard.
Was this really a “vault”?
「Heh heh! And there are more like this ahead?」
“Four, excluding the capital.”
「Now the world’s richest is my contractor? I picked a good one.」
Theo scratched his cheek.
“Can’t just spend it freely, though. Let’s find the elixir storage first.”
Passing armories, armor vaults, labs, libraries, private rooms, freezers—they reached the innermost room.
Shelves stretched long, elixirs categorized meticulously.
Even a glance at the labels showed items that’d spark bloody wars if leaked.
「Heh heh heh. Not quite my old lair’s stash, but decent enough.」
Despite his tone, Lordbroke grinned ear to ear.
There were three or four more elixir rooms besides this one—devouring them all would help greatly.
“While you eat, I’ll check the library.”
「Looking for good magic tomes?」
“Yeah. Saw a few grimoires from a distance.”
「Go on, then. Call if trouble.」
Lordbroke, fixated on elixirs, pondered consumption methods without seeing Theo off.
Theo moved to the adjacent library.
Among tens of thousands of books, few caught his eye.
His [Spirit Eyes] glowed blue, locking on a handful.
He pulled one—the rough texture prickled his fingertips.
Mana stirred instinctively, alerting to foreign presence.
Like first touching Amon.
A demon-possessed tome. A grimoire.
As Theo reached for it—
[Lordbroke has begun consuming elixirs.]
[Dragon Blood Reinforcement has started.]