Chapter 121

“What did you say? Repeat that.”

“The outsider that Black Skull brought… just publicly declared himself as Kriemhild’s successor.”

“What nonsense is this!”

“And currently, he’s leading a crowd that came to see him, demanding to open the gate leading to the Sea King as they head toward the central temple.”

Giuseppe’s face twisted in frustration upon receiving the urgent report from his subordinate.

“Kriemhild is the proud hero of our Venota! A legend of the Floating Archipelago! How could someone like her possibly entrust her sword to an outsider!”

Though Giuseppe had leveraged Troyban’s power to seize authority, he still took pride in being a resident of the Floating Archipelago.

But now, that very pride was about to be snatched away by an outsider.

Nothing could be as thunderous a blow as this.

“Since I only received the report, I don’t know the full details….”

“Hah!”

But the subordinate merely trembled, bowing his head.

Giuseppe, exasperated, let out a bitter laugh.

At that moment, Noyl, who had been silently observing their conversation, parted his lips.

「Name?」

“Excuse me? What…?”

「That supposed successor. I asked for his name.」

“Th-that’s not… clear either….”

「Amusing. And yet you haven’t even uncovered the name of this so-called hero’s successor.」

Giuseppe’s face flushed red.

He realized it was a rebuke directed at him.

“What are you doing!? Go find out immediately!”

“Y-yes! Right away!”

Watching his subordinate hurriedly leave the room, Giuseppe kicked the door out of frustration.

Bang!

“Aaaargh!”

「Noisy.」

“…I apologize.”

「Don’t pass your failings onto your subordinates. You’re only making your already pitiful appearance even more wretched.」

“….”

Giuseppe had to force down the anger that had risen to his throat.

「To think that the Mysteries of Dragon-Slaying would be taken right before my eyes like this. If things continue, not only Balmung but also *Aegir* will slip away as well. I feel like a dog chasing a chicken.」

*Ægir.*

The armor that Kriemhild had worn alongside Balmung when she slew the evil dragon.

Currently, it was enshrined in the central temple, where Kriemhild’s relics were kept.

“Wouldn’t it be better to mobilize the guards immediately, subdue him, and seize Balmung?”

「He’s on his way to the central temple, claiming he’ll capture the Sea King, isn’t he? How do you plan to stop him? Surely the foolish crowd will try to protect him. How will you restrain them? Do you intend to swing a blade at them?」

“….”

「He’s meticulous. He understands his position and circumstances better than anyone. He must be exhausted from seeking out Mysteries, yet he keeps moving without showing it, ensuring that the Three Shipping Families can’t touch him.」

Though Noyl had never seen Theo, he had a strong sense that this was someone who wouldn’t be easily underestimated.

From the start, Theo seemed to understand the public sentiment, the situation, and the power dynamics of the Floating Archipelago as clearly as looking at his own palm.

“Then what do you plan to do?”

「For now, we’ll keep observing the situation. There’s no need to stir things up and cause a scene. Let him go ahead and try to capture the Sea King. If he fails, it will only work in our favor.」

“And if he succeeds…! Ah!”

Giuseppe trailed off, then suddenly understood Noyl’s intentions and let out a quiet exclamation of admiration.

“If he succeeds, he’ll be exhausted, unable to put up any real resistance even with public support on his side!”

「All we need to do is secure him as he exits the gate, even if we have to push a bit. We can make up any excuse we want.」

“That’s my specialty, after all. I’ll claim it’s to ensure the new hero’s safety. Later, when the public sentiment cools down, we’ll question the ownership rights of the Mysteries and seize Balmung and Aegir.”

Noyl waved his hand, signaling him to proceed as he saw fit.

「The Mysteries can be forcefully taken on our end, so just make sure we have him under secure control. Understood? I won’t tolerate a second mistake.」

“I’ll be doubly mindful of that.”

「Your answers are always impressive.」

Tsk!

Noyl clicked his tongue, tapping the table lightly.

When Giuseppe looked up again, Noyl had vanished like a ghost.

A slight furrow formed between Giuseppe’s brows.

“I have no idea how you think you’ll seize Kriemhild’s Mysteries so confidently.”

The slavishness he had shown Noyl moments before was nowhere to be seen as he muttered to himself.

“Ultimately, our Floating Archipelago and Giuseppe wield that power. We are the true heirs of Kriemhild.”

The schemes surrounding Kriemhild’s Mysteries and the dragon-slaying sword, Balmung, were only just beginning.

* * *

The path leading to the central temple, where Kriemhild’s relics were enshrined, was packed with people.

This route, usually popular among the residents of the Floating Archipelago for outings, was now brimming with crowds. People from all over the archipelago had gathered to see Kriemhild’s successor, the new master of Balmung and the new hero.

Despite it being well past midnight, the energy in the air was as heated as if it were midday.

-Please, please. May the grace of Lady Kriemhild touch us as well.

-Here! Look over here, please! Hero, sir!

-Just one touch! Won’t you shake my hand, just once? It would be the honor of my life.

-Hey! Stop pushing! What if someone falls over like this?

-What did you say!? Don’t block the way! Are you the only ones who get to gaze upon the hero’s noble face?

Even with the guards attempting to control the crowd, it was no easy task.

“I’ll move slowly from here, so please keep order as we proceed. If even one person were to get injured because of me, I would lose the right to face Lady Kriemhild.”

However, as Theo soothed the people with a gentle smile, the overheated atmosphere settled down as if nothing had happened.

-The hero is right!

-Yes, let’s all exercise a bit more restraint.

-The hero’s heart is as beautiful as his face!

-He seems young, yet he carries himself with such noble elegance, like a statue!

-Hah, can’t you tell by looking at Lady Kriemhild’s image? She was a beauty, too! He must take after her!

-So, hero qualification is based on appearance… How are the rest of us plain folk supposed to live with that?

-Actually, it’s probably his pure, kind heart shining through on his face. Why do you twist everything so much?

-Then what, are you saying I’m ugly inside too?

-Hey, you! How did this conversation even get to that point!

The crowd was utterly charmed by Theo—his striking face, noble demeanor, and warm words.

A saint.

Such a description seemed fitting.

「Did that guy know how to pull off something like this? Ha! This is impressive.」

「Well, wasn’t Lady Cecilia a famous actress in her youth? Maybe he inherited it from her.」

「Ah, that makes sense. I suppose his blood really does tell. That face, that swordsmanship, that talent, and now this performance… He’s a perfect match on all four fronts. It’s astounding.」

As they escorted Theo, Selperd and Arin couldn’t help but feel a deep admiration for him.

With this, Theo had now established a position within the Floating Archipelago that even the Three Shipping Families couldn’t easily challenge.

「On the other hand, that one looks completely defeated.」

Selperd sneered as he glanced back at Antonio, who was trudging along in a daze.

Though the sealed points had already been released, his face didn’t look much different from before.

Betrayed by his own comrades, abandoned by his father, Antonio was likely feeling as if he’d been cast aside, utterly alone in the world.

Not that Selperd felt any pity for him.

After all, Antonio had been the one trying to use Theo’s group and discard them when it suited him.

He was simply reaping what he’d sown.

He should be grateful he hadn’t been discarded altogether.

「Antonio.」

Just then, Theo’s transmitted voice reached Antonio’s ears.

Antonio straightened his back in surprise.

「Don’t give away that I’m sending you a message. Too many eyes are watching.」

Antonio quickly glanced around, taking in his surroundings.

Just as Theo had noted, there were many familiar faces.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Not only were members of the Spinola family present, but also servants of the Grimahl family, members of the Ghost Slayer Squad, people from the council, and even some employees of the Romellin family, who had yet to openly reveal themselves.

‘When did this all happen!’

The realization that Theo, while playing the role of a saint, had already analyzed the entire situation around him sent a chill down Antonio’s spine.

‘I didn’t draw in a wolf… but a dragon.’

From the start, he and Black Skull were engaged in a fight they could never win.

「You don’t want to end up as a discarded pawn, do you?」

Antonio barely managed to resist nodding in reflex.

「I’ll give you a chance.」

A chance?

「Gather as many of your comrades as possible. Then seize command of Black Skull.」

Antonio’s eyes widened slightly.

He understood Theo’s intent.

「Didn’t you say you wanted to be the Archduke? I’ll help you. I’ll lend you my name.」

Thump, thump, thump!

Antonio’s heart started racing again, color returning to his face.

「But to do so, you’ll need to prove to me that you have the qualifications and worth.」

Theo was aiming to establish a third faction.

A completely new force, free from the control of the Three Shipping Families, the autonomous council, or the Shipping Alliance.

If he could base this force around Black Skull, the Floating Archipelago would fall easily into Theo’s hands.

And Antonio would be the figurehead!

‘I’ll suppress my brothers, even my father, and seize the reins of power…!’

Even if he was ultimately just a puppet dancing to Theo’s tune, Antonio would still be the one overseeing internal affairs, wouldn’t he?

「So, what do you think? Interested in trying?」

It was a devil’s whisper.

A temptation that was impossible to refuse.

Antonio gave a slight nod.

「Good. Then hurry up. When I return after subduing the Sea King, it should be you, the one who welcomes me.」

This was Theo’s way of offering him a share in the glory, allowing him to bask in the admiration of the residents when they were most captivated.

Antonio, his face alight with joy, disappeared into the crowd.

Watching Antonio’s retreating figure, Theo allowed a faint smile to surface.

“Theo, that’s an evil smile.”

“…Ahem!”

At Ray’s comment, Theo gave a light, awkward cough.

Every now and then, despite his seemingly oblivious demeanor, Ray had a knack for hitting on the truth.

This was exactly one of those times.

From the start, Theo had no intention of empowering Black Skull.

His actual focus was elsewhere—on a place that had yet to reveal itself.

“But, Ray, how did you end up here? Without a word?”

Theo smoothly shifted the topic.

In truth, he had been surprised when he first saw Ray.

The kid who was supposed to be in Winterer had appeared here unexpectedly.

“I got restless at home.”

“Restless?”

“Yeah. It was boring. Nothing more to learn. So, I pestered the White Armored Dragon Cavalry Captain.”

Imagining Julius’s reaction to Ray’s sudden appearance, Theo couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

For Julius, it must have seemed like an opportunity to bring another talented member into the squad, following the Erica siblings. He likely agreed without hesitation.

And Ray was hardly someone who would interfere with Theo’s plans.

“I feel like there’s a lot to learn being around you.”

It seemed that the recent birthday banquet had been an eye-opening experience for Ray.

Theo scratched his cheek with his index finger, feeling slightly embarrassed.

In his past life, this child had been his idol; now the roles had reversed, with Ray beginning to look up to him.

It was a strange feeling.

While they exchanged light conversation, Theo and his companions arrived at the central temple with the crowd.

Here, a gate leading to the depths of the ocean where the Sea King slumbered had been installed.

And then—

Chi-iiik!

『It seems you’re performing better than expected. Truly worthy of being my companion.』

Amid a brief burst of static, the voice of his companion came through.

As they drew closer to the Sea King, it seemed their frequencies had realigned.

‘Lothbrok.’

『You’ve done well. Now, you can rest easy. From here on, I’ll take the lead.』

In Theo’s mind, it felt as if he could see the faint image of Lothbrok’s figure ascending the steps of the central temple.