"Daughter, do you really have to go?"
"Yes. I want to do well too."
‘To do well....’
Niel, the Lord of Suson Palace, gave a slight smile as she watched her daughter stuffing her travel bag. It was clear now—her daughter didn’t want to be confined within the palace any longer. And undoubtedly, Theo’s recent feats had inspired her.
Niel wanted to dissuade her, to keep her from voluntarily heading into danger. After all, this was her child, the one she had held close for so long because of her frail health. Just as she had finally completed her closed-door training and was able to spend time with her, she was setting off.
But...
That wouldn't be right. Her daughter had her own life and dreams, and she didn't want to hinder them.
‘Yes... I want to give this child the chance to make a different choice than I had to.’
Still, there was a hint of reluctance as she spoke in a slightly stubborn tone.
"Did you get permission to join the operation?"
"Yes, here it is."
Ray held up the document proudly, bearing Julius’s seal.
"Do you have your sword?"
"I packed it."
"And what about a wyvern?"
"I booked a train."
"And travel expenses? The budget isn't much."
"I'll use the allowance I saved."
Ray zipped her bag and looked at Niel.
"I’m not a kid. Keep this up, and I won't come back."
"...Alright, alright. Just make sure to return safely. And call every night if you can."
"..."
Ray grabbed her bag, stood up, and moved toward the exit. Her destination was the autonomous region of the Floating Archipelago, where Theo and his group were.
* * *
[A quest has arrived.]
+
[Scenario Quest #4]
Fulfill your companion and guardian dragon Rodbrok’s request to increase your affinity.
· Difficulty: A+
· Reward: +100 Affinity, Awakening of Dragon Blood Talent
· Failure: Death
+
‘Awakening the Dragon Blood talent?’
Theo's eyes widened, captivated by the reward, the most striking he’d received so far.
In the meantime, Rodbrok’s voice grew clearer.
"Are you waving the carrot?"
‘Is this... how I do it? Can you hear me?’
"Ah, it seems so. It’s a shame we can’t share visuals when direct communication is possible."
The noise was gone.
"Heh—"
‘As ever, you haven’t changed.’
"Doesn’t it mean impending death if a dragon changes suddenly? And I have no desire to die just yet."
Rodbrok’s laughter rang richly.
"Te... rant?"
Just then, Selpard, standing nearby, asked what was going on, looking curious.
Theo raised his hand slightly, signaling that it was nothing, and resumed his conversation with Rodbrok.
‘Why did you suddenly connect with me? Could it be...?’
"If you're asking if it’s due to the strengthening of Dragon Blood, I’ll say no for now. The reason we can communicate now is simply because you entered the Sea King’s domain."
The Sea King?
That was a term Theo had never heard before.
"A distant relative of mine, an ancient dragon species. Lived in the ocean for so long he was mostly known by that name."
‘So, there’s an ancient dragon near here?’
It was shocking, especially since he hadn’t encountered anything like this in his past life. Or perhaps he’d just never had the opportunity.
"As I said, there ‘was’ one. Past tense."
‘Then?’
"He too spent much of his strength fighting the clutches of the Nameless Sovereign, and, targeted by dragon slayers, was struck down and sealed in a sword deep under the sea."
Several pieces of information arranged themselves in Theo’s mind.
The appearance of Black Skull.
The connection between Troivan and the Shipping Triad.
The Dragon Slayer Sword.
The sudden abnormal occurrences in the Floating Archipelago.
The rampaging Sea Species.
The Sea King’s domain.
The connection with Rodbrok.
They seemed to have nothing in common, yet Theo felt there was a link connecting all of them.
‘Could the abnormal occurrences here be related to the Sea King?’
"As expected, you’re sharp. You figured it out so easily, you’ve spoiled my fun."
But despite Rodbrok’s laughter, Theo couldn’t laugh along.
‘If the Sea King, sealed long ago in the Dragon Slayer Sword, broke free and is now rampaging, it all makes sense.’
Theo speculated about the distant past. Long ago, there had been an ancient dragon called the Sea King, who battled the Nameless Sovereign until he was weakened. Then, humans seeking the title of dragon slayer struck him down, sinking him beneath the sea and sealing him in a sword, from which a constant flow of magic had shaped the unique terrain of the Floating Archipelago.
And one day, hearing rumors of the Dragon Slayer Sword, Troivan recovered the sword, and slowly, the Sea King began to awaken, resulting in the current chaos...
The reason Black Skull ambushed the Serev Company to retrieve the sword, the reason the Shipping Triad joined hands with Troivan—it all made sense now. To reclaim the Dragon Slayer Sword, they would’ve had no choice but to be led around by the collar Troivan had put on them.
"But the prolonged seal has only harmed the Sea King. He’s consumed by madness; his sanity is nowhere to be found. When he fully stretches his limbs, that area will likely be left in ruins."
A mere “stretch” could bring the entire autonomous region of the Floating Archipelago to collapse?
Hah!
Theo let out a dry laugh.
‘What do you wish for me to do?’
"The Dragon Heart. I promised to find you a substitute, didn’t I?"
‘You want the Sea King’s?’
"A heart already steeped in madness would be more toxic than useful. It’s too different in nature as well."
Rodbrok’s voice held an amused tone.
"But if it’s a ‘purified’ piece, it might just be useful."
‘Since our communication was made possible by the Sea King’s power, I’d agree.’
"Do you know what sets you apart from other Ragnars?"
‘What is it?’
"You understand things very well. Ha ha ha!"
Finally, Theo could laugh along with Rodbrok’s amusement.
‘Then, first, I’ll have to find a way to approach the Sea King.’
"It won’t be easy. His magic was so strong, even I couldn’t ignore it at my peak."
‘Don’t worry. I’ll find a way. I have an idea already.’
"Good, very good."
Theo stroked his chin, organizing his thoughts. The Shipping Triad. Those who had long ruled the Floating Archipelago—they couldn’t possibly be unaware of the Sea King’s existence, could they?
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‘Winning Antoniou’s favor will be key if I’m to reach the core of the Spinola family.’
The more he thought about it, the stronger his confidence grew. He could ruin Troivan’s plans and bring the Shipping Triad firmly onto his side.
‘By the way, Rodbrok, there’s something I need to discuss with you.’
"What is it? This type of communication requires considerable effort, so I can’t maintain it long."
It seemed that even Rodbrok couldn’t perform miracles with power not his own.
‘I found traces of the Nameless Sovereign.’
"I already know. His followers are preparing to rise up."
Rodbrok’s voice deepened.
"I’ve been watching and listening to everything you’ve seen and heard as your companion."
* * *
The communication with Rodbrok didn’t last much longer.
I’ll contact you again soon. Hopefully, we’ll have more time to chat then.
Those were his last words.
‘How one-sided.’
It seemed, thankfully, that there had been no significant change in his situation since a few months ago.
‘But it was a relief to know he’s aware of the Nameless Sovereign’s involvement in recent events.’
Rodbrok, who had spent a lifetime holding that entity in check, would naturally monitor its every move.
‘Now I need a plan. How should I approach this?’
He pondered, gazing out at the sea from the rail.
Thump...!
Thump...!
He was searching for faint traces of magical pulses beneath the sea, hoping to locate the Sea King’s exact position.
A day, two days...
On the third day, Theo remained vigilant, analyzing the pulses every chance he got. And as he gradually deciphered the structure and flow of draconic magic, he started to grasp its intricacies.
"Is the sea that fascinating? You’ll lose an eye if you keep staring like that."
"Hah! Maybe we should place a basket beneath him."
A few mercenaries threw out jokes loud enough for Theo to hear, making crude attempts at humor. Theo turned his gaze toward them. They were a mix of men and women with distinct outfits, each exuding a unique character.
Antoniou had hired them for protection. Rumor had it they were high-paid elite mercenaries.
‘A dog-headed beastman, a gunslinger, a rogue knight, and a mage?’
It was an unusual sight for the North, where pure martial tradition was highly valued.
‘Could Black Skull be among them?’
If his hunch was right, then they were definitely lurking.
Just then, a familiar presence entered.
‘Here we go.’
Boom!
In an instant, a loud crash echoed as the dog-headed beastman was flung against the wall.
Standing over him, arms crossed, Selpard scoffed.
“For such ‘elite’ mercenaries, you’re not impressive.”
“You... you bastard...!” the beastman snarled, attempting to stand, but was struck down again by a swift kick from Selpard, sending him coughing up blood. The kick was so strong that the beastman’s armor visibly buckled.
The other mercenaries drew their weapons, moving to help their comrade.
Shwing—
“Stay put, if you don’t want to die.”
Arin had drawn her sword and was pointing it at them, the sharp energy swirling around her blade. Killing intent radiated from her stance.
“A sword aura!”
“What’s someone like her doing here...?”
A few mercenaries went pale, realizing just how recklessly they’d provoked the wrong people.
“I have a habit of making necklaces out of the eyes of anyone who looks at me funny. Want me to make one out of yours?”
“W-what did I even do...?!”
“I told you, I didn’t like the way you looked at me.”
“I... I was just looking!”
“Looking? I said it pissed me off.”
“Hiii!”
The beastman’s face turned ashen, and he wet himself in fear.
「Hey, this really the way to do it? Sure, they were annoying, but hit them wrong and they might drop dead.」
Selpard’s voice carried a hint of frustration through his telepathic link with Theo, although he couldn’t help but sound amused. In truth, this scene was part of a plan Theo had discussed with Selpard and Arin the previous night.
“Enough, Purd.”
Purd—Selpard’s alias.
“But, young master, these fools kept badmouthing us behind our backs. Shouldn’t we properly educate them...?”
“I said that’s enough.”
“Sigh! Alright, alright. You’d better thank the young master here for saving you. Got it?”
“Y-yes! Thank you for sparing us!”
Terrified, the mercenaries fled, not wanting to stay a moment longer in case the situation changed.
The remaining mercenaries stayed silent, eyes darting back and forth as they reviewed in their minds anything they might have done to upset Theo and his group.
“Our young master’s got a heart as big as the ocean,” Selpard grumbled loudly enough for everyone to hear. “Always cleaning up after people, picking up the slack, humoring us even when things get messy. It’s exhausting.”
「You don’t actually have a grudge against me, do you?」
「What do you think?」
Selpard gave a mischievous reply, then turned to stand beside Theo at the railing, speaking loudly enough for the others to overhear.
“So, where exactly are we going? Surely, by now you could let us in on it.”
The tone was more than that of a mere guard. Everyone, including Antoniou and the mercenaries, would be listening to their conversation now.
Time to set the bait.
“This isn’t the kind of topic to broadcast, Purd. Keep your voice down.”
“Aw, come on! So what exactly is this ‘Ancient Sea King’ that supposedly lives in the depths? Why are we here in such a remote place, anyway?”
“You’ll see for yourself when we arrive.”
“You’re being so cryptic.”
“Feel free to back out if you want.”
“Out here in the middle of the sea? And then face the family head’s punishment? If I get sent to closed training, that’s three years, minimum!”
“Then follow quietly.”
“Ugh, this is driving me crazy.”
Selpard sighed, pretending to be genuinely frustrated, and even Theo almost believed his act.
‘By now, they must have taken the bait.’
He’d casually mentioned the Sea King, knowing that such a significant hint wouldn’t go unnoticed.
‘Now, it’s just a matter of waiting for them to bite.’
As Theo pondered this—
Boom!
The ship suddenly lurched violently.
“Sea monsters!”
“A creature sighting! Prepare the cannons, quickly!”
“Damn it! A sea serpent...!”
“Should’ve known it’s been too quiet lately! All crew to your stations! Move it, you slugs!”
Weee-oooo!
The sirens blared, signaling the arrival of a monster.
‘Finally.’
Looking over the side, Theo saw a swarm of monstrous sea creatures, infused with draconic energy, gathering beneath the waves.