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“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.

The violent outbursts from the marine creatures.

The Sea King’s Domain.

The connection to Lothbrok.

None of these seemed to have anything in common, yet…

Somehow, it felt as if there was a thread tying it all together.

‘…Could it be that the strange phenomena happening around here are due to the Sea King?’

『As expected. You’re very perceptive. You figured it out so quickly that it almost took the fun out of it.』

Contrary to Lothbrok’s laughter, Theo couldn’t bring himself to smile.

‘If an ancient dragon sealed by a dragon slayer’s sword has suddenly broken free and begun wreaking havoc, it all makes sense.’

Theo’s hypothesis was this:

In the distant past, an ancient dragon known as the Sea King had clashed with the and lost all his power.

Afterward, humans seeking the glory of being known as dragon slayers attacked him, submerging him beneath the sea, where he was sealed. Since then, magical winds had constantly flowed out from the dragon’s sealed form, shaping the unique terrain of the Floating Archipelago.

Then one day, Troyban, having heard rumors about the Dragon Slayer Sword, managed to retrieve it, gradually releasing the Sea King from his bonds, leading to the current chaos…

The reason why Black Skull, the hidden sword of the Floating Archipelago, had ambushed the Ceres Trading Company to retrieve the Dragon Slayer Sword…

And why, in his past life, the Maritime Alliance had joined forces with Troyban… all made sense now.

To get the Dragon Slayer Sword back, they had no choice but to be dragged along by the chains it bound them with.

『But it seems the long seal has only brought harm to the Sea King. All that remains in him is madness; his sanity is nowhere to be found. Once he fully stretches himself out… well, it’s likely the surrounding area will be left in ruins, don’t you think?』

The idea that the whole Autonomous Region of the Floating Archipelago might collapse was, to Lothbrok, nothing more than the Sea King “stretching out”?

Ha!

Theo let out a faint chuckle despite himself.

‘What is it that you wish me to do?’

『The Dragon Heart. Didn’t you promise you’d find a substitute?』

‘You want the Sea King’s, then?’

『A heart tainted with madness would only turn into poison. Besides, its attributes differ too greatly.』

Lothbrok’s laughter grew deeper.

『But if it’s a “purified” portion, it might prove somewhat useful.』

‘Since my ability to communicate with you now seems to stem from the Sea King’s magic, that certainly makes sense.’

『Do you know what sets you apart from other Ragnars?』

‘What would that be?’

『You understand perfectly. Ha ha ha!』

Only then could Theo laugh along with Lodbrok.

‘Then, I’ll need to figure out a way to approach the Sea King first.’

『It won’t be easy. His magic was not something even I could ignore at my peak.』

‘Don’t worry. I’ll find a way. I already have something in mind.’

『Excellent. Very.』

Theo stroked his chin, organizing his thoughts.

The Three Shipping Families.

Could the long-established authorities of the Floating Archipelago really be unaware of the Sea King’s presence?

Of course not.

‘I’ll need to win over Antonio’s favor even more if I want to approach the core of Spinola.’

Theo was convinced he could not only strike a blow to Troyban but also bring the Maritime Alliance firmly to his side.

‘By the way, Lothbrok, there is something we need to discuss.’

『What is it? This form of communication is quite draining, so I can’t keep it up for too long.』

It seemed this ability wasn’t all-powerful since it didn’t rely on his own magic.

‘I have found traces of the .’

『I already know. And that his followers are preparing to rise up.』

Lothbrok’s voice sank, becoming as deep as a rumble.

『All that you have seen and heard, as your companion, I have seen and heard as well.』

The communication with Lothbrok didn’t last very long.

“I’ll contact you again soon. Next time, we’ll be able to chat a bit longer.”

Those were her parting words.

‘Always so one-sided, aren’t you?’

Fortunately, it seemed that nothing significant had changed in his circumstances since a few months ago.

‘Still, it was a relief to know that she’s aware of the ’s involvement in the recent events.’

Considering that Lodbrok had spent her life watching and restraining that being, it only made sense that she’d monitor its every move.

‘Now I need a solid plan. What would be the best approach?’

With some luck, he could potentially draw Black Skull into his plans as well.

Theo, lost in thought, stepped out to the railing and cast his gaze over the sea.

Thump… Thump…

Following the faint magical pulses drifting along the seabed, he was attempting to pinpoint the Sea King’s exact location.

One day… then two days passed.

By the third day, Theo had spent every spare moment studying the waves, analyzing the magical currents.

In time, he was beginning to get a rough sense of the shape and composition of dragon magic itself.

“Is the ocean really that fascinating? If he keeps staring, his eyes might pop out.”

“Ha-ha! Right? Maybe we should bring a basket or something to catch them!”

A few individuals started cracking rather lame jokes in an exaggerated tone, as if they meant for Theo to overhear.

Theo turned his gaze silently in their direction.

Five men and women stood together, each distinct in appearance and dress, snickering among themselves.

They were the guards Antonio had brought along.

Supposedly, these were high-ranking mercenaries hired at a considerable price.

‘There’s a dog-headed beastman, a gunslinger, a free knight, and that one looks like a mage?’

Indeed, they were figures not often seen in the North, where pure martial skill was more highly regarded.

‘Could Black Skull be among them?’

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.