Chapter 111: Floating Archipelago (1)
“Daughter. Do you really have to go?”
“Yes. I want to do well, too.”
To do “well,” she said...
The Lord of the Water Lily Palace, Niel, watched her daughter stuffing items into a travel bag, forcing a strained smile.
It must mean she no longer wished to stay confined in the palace but wanted to step out into the world.
And undoubtedly, the recent achievements of Theo had sparked this decision in her.
A daughter determined to head to the battlefield, voluntarily choosing to go into danger—Niel wanted to dissuade her, no matter what.
Wasn’t this the child who’d clung to her side all her life due to her poor health?
Only recently had she finally completed her secluded training, and they were just beginning to spend time together.
But...
That wouldn’t do, would it?
Her daughter had her own life and her own dreams.
She didn’t want to stand in the way of that.
‘Yes. If there’s one thing I can give her, it’s the chance to make choices different from mine, where I had to give up on my own dreams...!’
Yet, unable to let go of her last lingering concern, she asked with a slightly sulky tone.
“You got the permission slip for the mission?”
“Yes. Here.”
Ray proudly showed the document stamped with Julius’s seal.
“And your sword?”
“I’ve packed it.”
“You don’t even have a wyvern.”
“I booked a train.”
“And the travel expenses? They won’t give you much.”
“I’ll use the allowance I received.”
Ray zipped up her travel bag and looked at Niel.
“I’m not a child. If you keep this up, I won’t come back.”
“...Alright, alright. I get it. Go safely, and contact me every night once you get there.”
“...”
Ray grabbed her bag and stood up from her spot.
Then, she took her first steps forward.
Her destination was the Autonomous Region of the Floating Archipelago.
Where Theo and his companions were.
—
[You have received a quest.]
+
[Scenario Quest #4]
Fulfill the request of Lothbrok, your companion and guardian dragon, to increase intimacy.
– Difficulty: A+
– Reward: Intimacy +100, Awakening of Dragon Blood Talent
– On Failure: Death
+
‘A chance to awaken the talent of ?’
Theo’s eyes lit up at this new reward, the most striking he’d received so far.
In the meantime.
Lothbrok’s voice became increasingly clear.
『Are you shaking the carrot?』
‘Am I... doing this right? Can you hear me?’
『Ah, it seems like you’re shaking it. It’s a pity we can’t share visual cues when direct communication is possible.』
The static was gone.
Smirk—
‘You haven’t changed, I see.’
『Doesn’t it say that when a creature—be it human or dragon—changes suddenly, it’s a harbinger of death? Not that I intend to die just yet.』
Lodbrok’s voice was filled with laughter.
“Te... Lant?”
Just then, Selperd, who had been standing beside him, looked over, his face questioning what was going on.
Theo raised his hand slightly, signaling that it was nothing, and refocused on the conversation.
‘Why did this connection suddenly happen? Could it be...?’
『If you’re asking whether it’s because of your strengthened Dragon Blood, I’ll go ahead and say no. The reason we can communicate now is simply due to a coincidence that occurred as you entered the Sea King’s Domain.』
The Sea King?
It was a term he had never heard before.
『He is an ancient dragon species who could be considered a distant relative of mine. He’s lived in the depths of the sea for ages, which is why he’s more commonly known by that name.』
‘Are you saying that an ancient dragon is around here?’
Even Theo found this information surprising.
In his past life, he had never heard anything like this.
Or rather, it was more accurate to say he’d never had the chance to encounter it.
『Didn’t I say? He “was” here. Past tense.』
‘So then?’
『He, too, exhausted a great amount of his power trying to fend off the clutches of the , only to be struck down afterward by dragon hunters who exploited his weakened state. Sealed in a sword, he was bound to the seafloor.』
Pieces of information started aligning in Theo’s mind.
The emergence of the Black Skull.
The connection between Troyban and the Maritime Alliance.
The Dragon Slayer Sword.
The sudden abnormalities affecting the Floating Archipelago.
If his assumptions were correct, then Black Skull was surely hiding among them.
The problem was that, although the mercenaries were clearly pushing Theo’s buttons, they weren’t quite crossing any lines.
‘Then, I’ll just have to cross the line myself.’
Theo narrowed his eyes as he prepared to act.
Suddenly—
Boom!
A loud explosion sounded, and the dog-headed beastman was flung backward, slamming roughly into the wall.
In front of him, Selperd stood with his arms crossed, scoffing.
“For so-called high-ranking mercenaries, this is all you’ve got? You keep bragging about Venota this and Venota that, but it’s pretty underwhelming.”
“You little...!”
Boom!
The mercenary sprawled across the ground tried to spring to his feet, only to be met with another fierce kick from Selperd, which sent him spitting blood.
The kick was so powerful that it nearly shattered the armor he wore.
Some of the other mercenaries drew their weapons to help him, but—
Srrrng—
“Stay right where you are, unless you want to die.”
Arin had already drawn her sword, aiming it at the others.
A sharp, lethal intent swirled around the tip of her blade.
“Th-that’s sword energy!”
“What’s a skilled fighter like this doing here...?”
A few of the mercenaries froze, their expressions turning rigid.
They finally seemed to understand just how reckless it had been to provoke these strangers.
“You know, I have this little hobby of ripping out the eyes of people who give me that insolent glare and making a necklace out of them. How about it? Want me to do the same for you?”
“Wh-what did I even do...?!”
“I told you. That nasty glare of yours pisses me off.”
“I-it was just a glance... that’s all...!”
“Just a glance? I told you it annoyed me.”
“Eek!”
The man, pale-faced, had already wet himself in terror.
「Hey, kid, are you sure about doing it this way? These guys may have gotten a little cocky, but if I hit them wrong, they might just keel over, y’know?」
Selperd’s telepathic message, accompanied by his psychopathic grin, was loaded with reluctance.
In truth, this was all part of a plan Theo had privately set up with Selperd and Arin the previous night.
“Purd. That’s enough.”
“Purd” — Selperd’s alias.
“But Young Master, these punks were snickering behind our backs. Wouldn’t this be the perfect chance to teach them a real lesson...?”
“I said, enough.”
“Sigh! Right, right. You, you little runt, you’re lucky it’s the Young Master here sparing you. Got that?”
“Yes, yes! Thank you for sparing us!”
The mercenary, terrified the situation might change, quickly scampered off with his companions.
The other mercenaries only rolled their eyes, trying to figure out what they’d done to end up on Theo’s group’s bad side.
“Our Young Master’s heart is just way too generous. Would it hurt him to look after us like this for a change? All the time spent covering up after him, keeping up with his whims—it’s exhausting, you know?”
「...You’re not holding anything against me, are you?」
「Well, who’s to say?」
Selperd, feigning a playful tone, slipped back into his role effortlessly.
Standing beside Theo, who was still gazing out at the sea from the railing, he raised his voice deliberately, loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
“More importantly, where are we going, really? Isn’t it about time you tell us?”
He made it sound like this wasn’t just a simple escort mission.
Now, everything they said would reach not only Antonio but also the ears of the other mercenaries.
It was time to cast the bait.
“This isn’t exactly something to shout about for everyone to hear, Purd. Keep your voice down.”
“Oh, I’m just frustrated! What exactly is this ‘Ancient Dragon King’ that supposedly lives in the sea? What is it that’s worth all this trouble in the middle of nowhere?”
“You’ll know as soon as we get there.”
“Another one of those vague, cryptic answers.”
“If you’re unhappy, you can always back out of this journey.”
“Out here on the open sea? And risk facing the wrath of the Lord himself? If I get sentenced to seclusion training, it’ll be three years minimum this time!”
“Then just follow quietly.”
“Grr... This is going to drive me insane.”
Selperd performed his annoyance with impressive authenticity, enough to even fool Theo for a second.
‘At this point, they’ve definitely taken the bait.’
He’d dropped a subtle hint about the “Sea King.” It would be stranger if no one reacted.
‘Now, all that’s left is to reel them in.’
It was at that exact moment—
Boom!
Suddenly, the ship jolted violently.
– Sea... it’s a Sea Bell!
– A monster has appeared! Bring in the cannons, quick!
– Damn it! Why is there a sea serpent here?!
– I knew it was too quiet! All crew, move to your designated positions! Get moving, you lazy bastards!
Weeeeooo!
Then, the blare of a siren echoed.
An alarm signaling the arrival of a sea monster.
‘Perfect.’
Theo looked down at the water’s surface, where strange creatures, bearing dragon-like power within them, were swarming up from below.