The interior of the mansion was as grand and opulent as its exterior.
"Looks like they poured money into every corner," Theo thought.
His impression of the Spinola estate was similar to his initial thoughts about Antoniou's mansion in Novaje.
「I've seen the Camellia Palace where you lived, but it wasn’t like this. It's fancy here, but somehow... tasteless, don't you think?」 Selpard’s voice rang through the telepathic channel, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Theo shot Selpard a quick look, signaling him to keep it down, and turned his attention back to Antoniou’s briefing.
"Before I introduce you to my associates, I’d like to ask one thing," Antoniou began.
Theo nodded calmly. "What is it?"
"Please refrain from unnecessary violence."
“...”
"They’re all... spirited people. Some of them, once they draw their swords, won’t sheathe them until the fight is done."
Was this Antoniou’s way of warning him against wasting time or a reminder that he could lose his life if he acted recklessly?
‘Probably both.’
Judging by the twitch in both Selpard’s and Arin’s brows, they seemed to feel the same.
"This way," Antoniou gestured, pushing open a large door.
Inside, a spacious room was occupied by six men and women, smoking cigars or sharing drinks. They were all about Antoniou’s age.
However, Theo quickly observed that each of them possessed formidable strength. One of them, a short-haired woman who stood out, sat at the far end, watching him carefully.
"Antoniou."
"Ah! Welcome, brother! You’ve come a long way."
"They say the sea monsters’ attacks are worse than ever. Did you make it safely?"
"Questions can wait. First, let me introduce someone. This is Lord Rant. Please, come in, Lord Rant."
As Theo stepped into the room, the gaze of all six shifted, their eyes keen with appraisal.
"The one from the letter?"
"The guy with Valmung, huh?"
"He looks much younger than I expected. Can he really do anything?"
Their expressions revealed skepticism. Theo appeared to be the youngest among them, making it easy for them to assume he lacked experience.
Theo stepped forward, and a surge of draconic aura filled the room, silencing them.
[‘Skill: Lesser Drake’s Fear’ activates, attempting to exert dominance.]
“...!”
“...!”
The cigars in their hands snuffed out, and the ceiling creaked under the weight of the pressure.
The six were visibly shaken. Theo’s aura alone had already overpowered most of them.
「Whoa, our little Theo has come a long way. I knew he took down Beta, but this? It’s kind of terrifying. Looks like even we would have a hard time against him now.」 Selpard mused.
「Exactly.」
「Arin, what will you do now?」
「Do what about what?」
「Do you even remember threatening him on the ship?」
「That wasn’t a threat.」
「Oh, it was. His attitude is starting to look a lot like our captain’s. Better watch myself around him, heh.」
「...Can I hit you just once?」
Behind him, Selpard and Arin’s surprise morphed into banter, while Theo drew Valmung from his inventory and plunged it into the floor.
Thud!
The marble beneath split as the blade settled, radiating a fierce energy.
In that instant, the six shifted from surprise to greed, their eyes locking onto the legendary sword.
“Valmung...”
"So the letter was true."
Each of them reacted differently—curiosity, hostility, and neutrality scattered among them. Theo quickly noted that these reactions even grouped according to their positions.
‘Are they divided into three factions? No, maybe four?’
Assessing each faction in his mind, Theo spoke up.
"As Antoniou mentioned, I seek the mystery within Kriemhild's Colossus. In exchange, I will subdue the Sea King and return Valmung."
"How can we trust you to keep your word?"
"Why would anyone go out of their way to turn the Floating Archipelago and the Shipping League into enemies?"
The man who questioned him shrugged at Theo’s logic, understanding the reasoning.
The woman with the short hair, who had captured Theo’s attention earlier, now addressed him.
"Suppose we escort you to the colossus. What happens if you fail to obtain the mystery?"
"Then I’ll surrender Valmung immediately and leave empty-handed."
“Hm. That sounds straightforward. I like it."
“I have a question as well,” a stern-looking man chimed in.
"Ask away."
"We always believed Valmung to be in Troivan’s possession. If not them, then Ragnar's. Which side are you on?"
The man had an intense glare, radiating a willingness to strike at any moment.
‘This guy seems the most hostile. Related to Slow Gang, perhaps? They even look alike,’ Theo noted.
His shaved head was certainly a common trait.
"Antoniou asked a similar question, but I don’t feel obligated to answer," Theo replied dismissively.
"Listen, we’re putting our political lives on the line here. Shouldn’t you earn our trust first? How can we work with someone we can’t even verify?"
Another member voiced their dissent, but Theo merely chuckled.
"Trust is something you can decide on once you see whether I succeed in obtaining the mystery or not. If I were with Troivan, would you refuse to work with me? What if I were with Ragnar? Still going to back out?"
The room fell silent.
"Regardless, you all need me to subdue the Sea King for credibility. And if I fail, you’ll still have Valmung, which is a pretty good outcome."
They were captivated by Theo's calculated words, feeling as though he was reading their minds.
"So, there’s no need to test me unnecessarily. Decide if you’re in or not."
A tense silence settled.
Clap!
Antoniou clapped loudly, breaking the tension.
“Let’s all calm down. Seems things got a bit heated.”
“Ugh, I can’t deal with this. I’m out,” one of the men grumbled, standing up to leave.
“Draw!”
Antoniou tried to stop him, but the man had already left, slamming the door behind him.
“Such a foul temper,” Antoniou muttered.
“Just ignore him,” the leader chuckled. “He’ll be back once he’s bored.”
The others seemed unfazed by Draw’s outburst, clearly used to his behavior.
The leader then suggested, "Let’s take a vote. Those in favor of helping Lord Rant retrieve the colossus’ mystery, raise your hand."
Four hands went up.
"Since we have a majority, Black Skull will assist Lord Rant. Notify the guards at the colossus to allow him access."
Due to the colossus' significance, it was always guarded. Stealth alone wouldn’t have been enough to gain entry.
But now, with Spinola and Black Skull on his side, the path was clear.
Thus, the Black Skull mobilized.
* * *
"This way."
Under a dark crescent moon, Theo’s group quietly slipped out of the Spinola mansion through a back gate, led by Antoniou and members of Black Skull.
"We have arranged for the guards to be absent from the colossus’ perimeter for the next 30 minutes. Lord Rant, you have that window to acquire the mystery and return."
"Thirty minutes is a bit tight, don’t you think?"
Antoniou had given instructions as they moved, but Theo could hardly believe the time limit.
The Floating Archipelago’s mystery was reputedly so profound that even a full 24 hours might not suffice. How was he expected to complete his task in half an hour?
"I apologize. We tried to secure more time, but it was difficult to alter the shift schedule. This was the best we could manage."
Antoniou lowered his head, feigning regret, though Theo could almost feel the smirk hiding at the corners of his mouth.
‘So they’re trying to sabotage me, hoping I’ll fail to retrieve the mystery and be forced to return Valmung.’
In their eyes, reclaiming Valmung without Theo’s interference was far more beneficial than him pacifying the Sea King.
But Theo had no intention of falling for their ploy.
"We’re here," Antoniou announced.
Theo now stood before Kriemhild’s Colossus, towering far higher than it had seemed from the ship.
The massive statue cast an ethereal blue glow from the sword in its grasp, and Valmung’s vibrations intensified on his back.
"We will keep watch here. We wish you success."
「Selpard, Arin, stay here and guard the area. Black Skull may try to interfere.」
「Don’t worry. We’ve got your back.」
「Be careful, Theo.」
Theo gracefully leaped over the barbed wire surrounding the colossus.
Bzzzz!
Valmung now shook so violently it felt as though it might shatter.
[‘Dragonslayer: Valmung’ wishes to return to its original resting place. Find its location, retrieve the mystery, and prove your worth as its master.]
Finding the location referenced in the message wasn’t difficult; all he had to do was follow the increasing vibrations of Valmung.
Soon, he stood before a massive blade embedded in the neck of the dragon statue.
‘The shape differs from Valmung.’
Valmung was an ordinary longsword, while the colossus' blade was encrusted with jewels and had an ornate design.
Perhaps the passage of time had altered its appearance, or maybe the legends had added embellishments.
As Theo uncovered Valmung, preparing to bring it close to the colossus' blade, something came crashing down from above.
“Die, Ragnar!” someone shouted.
A giant hammer swung down from the sky, and Theo quickly parried it with his Drake blade.
Thud!
The attacker somersaulted through the air, landing in front of him—a towering, bald man nearly two meters tall.
"Draw."
At the same time, the air shimmered as a dozen more figures emerged, each brandishing various weapons. They wore the same black skull emblem.
"Gray."
Theo recognized the fire mage among them and chuckled.
He hadn’t anticipated an attack this early, expecting them to strike only after he’d obtained the mystery.
‘Unless...’
Theo narrowed his eyes.
"Lord Rant, surrender Valmung, and we’ll let you live."
"I don’t understand. Wasn’t it wiser to let me retrieve the mystery first?"
"Wouldn’t it be harder to take it from you if you became stronger? Best to take care of you now."
“Or perhaps this ambush is to hide your actions from Antoniou and the others?”
Gray clicked his tongue. "That’s why smart people are so annoying. No need to hide it anymore, then. Yes, you’re correct."
So it was just Draw and Gray acting on their own.
Theo had suspected Black Skull’s internal unity was lacking; now he was sure of it.
But for Theo, this was an opportunity.
Disunity would make Black Skull far easier to manipulate and eliminate.
“We swore we’d never share this world with Ragnar. So your offer is worthless to us.”
“I never said I was with Ragnar.”
“Keep lying. Do you think we don’t know?”
Theo sensed they were convinced of his identity, despite his denials. Deception was no longer an option.
He glanced at Draw, whose fierce hostility was unmistakable.
“So you’re Slow Gang’s brother, then?”
"Yes. And one more thing," Gray said, his robes billowing as flames danced around him.
This content is taken from freёwebnovel.com.
"I am also of the ‘Gang’ family—Gray Gang. I’m here to avenge my brother, Slow, by killing you, Ragnar.”
Theo realized that to overcome this ambush, he would need another strategy. It was likely that Selpard and Arin were trapped outside as well.
‘In that case...’
Channeling his power, he filled Valmung with a surge of energy.
Vrrrmmm—
Boom, boom, boom, boom...!
With a thunderous pulse, gusts of energy began to swirl around the blade.
“Pathetic last stand. Retrieve Valmung!”
Gray cast his spell, and Draw and his followers charged.
“Who’s really making a last stand here?” Theo murmured, as he swung the vibrating Valmung toward Kriemhild’s Colossus.
The blade’s aura spiraled toward the statue, ripping through it.
"What are you... No, stop!"
Gray and Draw’s faces turned pale as Kriemhild’s Colossus exploded.
Boom!