Chapter 115

The interior of the mansion was just as vast and beautiful as its exterior.

‘They’ve splashed money everywhere.’

Theo’s first impression was similar to when he had visited Antonio’s mansion in Novazé.

「I’ve been to Camellia Palace where you stayed, but it wasn’t like this, was it? This place is fancy, sure, but why does it feel so tacky?」

With a subtle gesture, Theo signaled to Selperd not to show his thoughts openly, then turned his attention back to Antonio’s explanation.

“I have one thing to ask of you before I introduce my companions.”

Theo nodded quietly.

“What is it?”

“Please, refrain from any reckless sword fights.”

“……”

“They’re all friends with pretty rough personalities. Some of them are the type who won’t put their swords away until it’s settled.”

Was it a plea to avoid wasting time, or a warning that if he acted recklessly, he might not survive?

‘Both.’

Selperd and Arin seemed to pick up on this as well; their brows twitched in response.

“This way, please.”

Creak!

Antonio opened the door and led them in.

Six men and women were scattered around the spacious room, either smoking cigars or sharing drinks.

They all appeared to be around Antonio’s age.

However,

‘Not a single one of them seems easy to handle.’

Among them, there were even individuals with skills comparable to those of an Advanced Swordsman.

At the far end, a woman with short hair, watching them quietly, caught his eye.

“Antonio.”

“Oh! Our brother. You must have had a rough journey.”

“I heard the Sea Bell disease has worsened? Did you have any trouble getting here?”

“One question at a time. Before that, I have someone to introduce. This is Lord Lant. Lord Lant, please come in.”

The moment Theo stepped inside, the six men and women’s expressions shifted.

“The one mentioned in the letter.”

“The one who holds Balmung.”

“He’s even younger than I expected. What can someone like that possibly do?”

Most of them had a negative first impression of Theo.

Given his appearance, he seemed no older than the youngest sibling in any family, so it was natural for them to make that assumption.

Thud!

As soon as Theo took a step further inside, an overwhelming dragon-slaying aura swept through the room.

Whirrrrr-

[‘Skill: Lesser Drake’s Fear’ has been activated, initiating a show of dominance.]

“……!”

“……!”

“……!”

The cigars they held abruptly extinguished, and the ceiling trembled violently.

Rumble…!

A look of shock flashed across the six men and women’s faces.

With aura alone, Theo had already surpassed a significant number of them by a wide margin.

「W-what the…? Was our youngest really this strong? I knew he took down Beta, but this is just unfair. We might not even be able to beat him now…」n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

「No kidding.」

「Arin, what are you going to do now?」

「Why would I do anything?」

「Did you eat some goldfish memory food or something? Don’t you remember how you threatened Theo on the ship?」

「How was that a threat?」

「It was definitely a threat. And with him acting more and more like the Commander, I’m going to make sure I don’t stand out. Heh heh.」

「…Mind if I hit you just once?」

Selperd and Arin, who had been observing from behind, were also surprised enough to start joking with each other.

At that moment, Theo pulled the Dragon Slayer Sword from his inventory and drove it straight into the floor.

Thunk!

The blade was so sharp it sliced cleanly through the marble floor.

That was the exact moment the stiff expressions on the faces of the six men and women shifted.

Greed.

“Balmung…!”

“So, the letter was real.”

Their reactions varied widely.

Curiosity, hostility, neutrality.

What stood out was how these reactions differed based on where they were standing.

Even within this small group, there were clear divisions.

It meant they weren’t as united as they appeared.

‘Three groups, maybe? No, probably four.’

While mentally noting each group, Theo spoke.

“Antonio has probably already mentioned this, but what I want is the Mystery located in Kriemhild’s Colossus. In exchange, after resealing the Sea King, I’ll return Balmung to you.”

“How can we believe you’ll return it just like that?”

“Does anyone here really want to turn the entire Floating Archipelago and the Shipping Alliance against them?”

At Theo’s calm response, the man who had asked the question shrugged. It was a fair point, after all.

Then the short-haired woman who had been the most noticeable when he entered the room asked a question.

“Let’s say we take you to the Colossus. But what if you fail to obtain the Mystery? What happens then?”

“In that case, I’ll forfeit everything and return Balmung immediately.”

“Hmm. I like the straightforward answer.”

“I’ve got a question too, if you don’t mind.”

“Ask away.”

“We thought all this time that Balmung was with Troyban. And if not there, then with the Ragnars. Which side are you with?”

The man’s gaze was sharp, as if he might show his intent to kill at any moment.

‘He’s with the faction most hostile to me. But what’s his connection to Slow Gang? They look quite alike.’

Both shared the trait of a bald, shaven head.

“Antonio asked a similar question, but I don’t see why I’m obligated to answer that.”

“Hey, we’re staking our political lives on this, you know? If we’re working together, shouldn’t you show some trust first? How are we supposed to work with someone we can’t even trust?”

Another man protested, but Theo merely scoffed.

“Trust? I think that’s something you can decide after seeing whether I can obtain the Mystery or not. So, if I’m with Troyban, does that mean you won’t work with me? If I’m with Ragnar, would you refuse to work with me?”

The members of Black Skull fell silent.

“Regardless of who I am, you need the accomplishment of having used me to reseal the Sea King. And if that fails, simply reclaiming Balmung would still be worth the effort, wouldn’t it?”

They were all overwhelmed by Theo’s unyielding confidence.

It was as if he could read their thoughts, exposing every layer of their minds.

For people who had spent their lives at the pinnacle of the Floating Archipelago’s autonomy, it was a deeply unsettling feeling.

“So don’t bother with pointless probing. Just decide. Are you coming with me or not?”

A tense atmosphere lingered in the room.

Clap!

At that moment, Antonio clapped his hands loudly to lighten the mood.

“Come now, let’s calm down a bit. Things are getting a little too heated, don’t you think?”

“This is too unpleasant for me. I’ll be sitting this one out.”

The bald man rose coldly from his seat.

“Drew!”

Antonio tried to stop him, but the man was already out of the room.

Bang!

“Seriously, that temper of his…”

“Just leave him be. He’ll probably come back once he gets bored again.”

The others, seemingly accustomed to this behavior, shrugged it off as no big deal.

The man who appeared to be the leader smiled as he spoke.

“Alright, let’s put it to a vote. All in favor of helping Lant obtain the Mystery of the Colossus, raise your hands.”

A total of four people raised their hands.

“With a majority vote, Black Skull will assist Lant from here on out. Let the guards stationed at the Colossus know. Tell them to clear the path.”

Because of its importance, Kriemhild’s Colossus was constantly guarded.

Sneaking in unnoticed would require significant effort.

But with Spinola and Black Skull’s cooperation, it wasn’t impossible.

Thus,

the movement of Black Skull began.

* * *

“Over here.”

Under the dim light of a crescent moon,

Theo’s group, guided by Antonio and Black Skull, quietly slipped out through the back gate of the Spinola mansion.

“The area around the Colossus will be clear of guards for the next 30 minutes. Lord Lant, within that time, you must retrieve the Mystery and return safely.”

“Isn’t that cutting it a bit close?”

While they moved, Antonio gave further instructions.

But Theo found it ridiculous.

Thirty minutes.

This was the Mystery that the Floating Archipelago prided itself on.

Even twenty-four hours might not be enough to retrieve it, so thirty minutes was absurd.

“I apologize. We tried to buy more time, but since we’re working within the guard shift, it’s impossible to leave it unguarded for longer.”

Antonio bowed his head, looking apologetic.

But Theo was certain of one thing.

Most likely, behind that bow, Antonio was hiding a smirk.

‘They’re trying to play a trick to get Balmung back.’

He had promised to return Balmung if he failed to obtain the Mystery, so they were giving him as little time as possible.

Did they think it would be better to retrieve Balmung themselves than to have Theo use the Mystery to reseal the Sea King?

Of course, Theo had no intention of falling for their scheme.

“This is it.”

Clack!

Before he knew it, Theo had arrived in front of Kriemhild’s Colossus.

It was far larger up close than it had seemed from the ship.

It had to be well over several dozen meters tall.

Swoooo-

From the sword held by Kriemhild’s Colossus, a faint blue light emanated.

The Dragon Slayer Sword strapped to Theo’s back, wrapped in cloth, vibrated more intensely by the second.

“We’ll stand guard here. Best of luck to you.”

「Lord Selperd, Lady Arin, please secure this spot. Black Skull may attempt interference.」

「Don’t worry. We, your reliable seniors, will hold things down here.」

「Be careful and come back safely.」

Theo lightly leapt over the barbed wire fencing surrounding the Colossus.

Buzzzzz!

The Dragon Slayer Sword vibrated so violently that it seemed it might shatter at any moment.

[‘Dragon Slayer Sword: Balmung’ wishes to return to its original place. Locate the position, discover the Mystery within, and obtain the right of ownership.]

Finding the “position” mentioned in the message wasn’t particularly difficult.

All Theo had to do was locate the spot where the Dragon Slayer Sword’s vibrations grew strongest.

That led him to a place.

In front of the massive sword embedded in the neck of the evil dragon.

‘Its design is different from Balmung.’

The Dragon Slayer Sword was an ordinary longsword in appearance, but Kriemhild’s sword had gemstones embedded in it, a much more ornate design.

Was it a result of time’s wear, or perhaps embellishments added by legend?

As Theo unwrapped the cloth covering the Dragon Slayer Sword, something abruptly plummeted from the sky.

“Die, Ragnar!”

A massive hammer descended at incredible speed.

Theo quickly drew Drake’s Blade and deflected it.

Boom!

The hammer’s wielder landed, performing a mid-air flip as he touched down.

A bald, towering brute of nearly two meters of pure muscle.

“Drew.”

Then,

Szzzzzz-

The air around him warped, and about a dozen figures emerged from the shadows, each armed with various weapons.

But the most striking feature was the black skull emblem on their chests.

“Gray.”

Seeing the familiar face of a flame-based mage among them, Theo gave a dry laugh.

He had miscalculated.

Even if they were going to attack, he had assumed they’d at least wait to see if he succeeded in obtaining the Mystery.

To set up a trap like this, and impose a strict 30-minute time limit?

‘Unless…’

Theo narrowed his eyes.

“Lord Lant, if you hand over Balmung willingly, we’ll at least spare your life.”

“I don’t see the need for this. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to act after I’d obtained the Mystery?”

“If you acquire the Mystery, you’ll become too powerful, and that would make cleaning up after you much harder. It’s easier to deal with you now.”

“Or maybe you’re just trying to handle this quietly without the knowledge of Antonio and the other leaders?”

Gray clicked his tongue.

“Smart people like you are such a hassle… There’s no point in hiding it now. Yes, you’re right.”

Just as he thought.

This wasn’t Black Skull’s collective decision; it was a personal scheme orchestrated by Gray and Drew.

So he hadn’t been wrong to sense disunity among them.

It was a chaotic mess.

But this worked in Theo’s favor; the more divided Black Skull was, the easier it would be to deal with them.

“We swore long ago never to share the same sky as a Ragnar. So we can’t accept your proposal.”

“I never said I was a Ragnar.”

“Do you think denying it will keep us from knowing?”

They seemed somehow certain of his identity as a Ragnar, though how they knew was a mystery to him.

In the end, Theo couldn’t keep up the pretense any longer.

He shot a quick glance at Drew, who was still brimming with murderous intent.

“So, you really are Slow Gang’s brother?”

“More or less. And one other thing.”

Fwoosh!

As the hem of Gray’s robe flared, flames burst forth.

“I’m also a ‘Gang.’ Gray Gang. In place of my wrongfully killed brother, Slow… I’ll kill you now, Ragnar.”

Theo realized he’d need to come up with a different strategy to overcome this ambush.

It was already clear that Selperd and Arin outside had likely fallen into their own traps as well.

‘If that’s the case…’

Theo poured all his energy into the Dragon Slayer Sword he held in his left hand.

Zzzzzang—

Thud, thud, thud…!

With a fierce hum, the sword’s aura surged outward, unleashing a tempest that swept through the surroundings.

“Pathetic desperation. Retrieve Balmung!” Gray yelled as he unleashed his magic, and Drew, along with his subordinates, charged in unison.

“Well, let’s see who’s really desperate,” Theo replied with a cold laugh, brandishing the steaming Dragon Slayer Sword toward Kriemhild’s Colossus.

The blade, saturated with aura, spiraled forth, ripping through the Colossus.

“What are you doing…? N-no, stop!”

As Gray and Drew’s faces turned ashen, Kriemhild’s Colossus erupted.

Boom!