Chapter 122

Lodbrok’s image vanished abruptly as it reached the end of the staircase.

As if urging him to come quickly.

Theo nodded in acknowledgment and turned to the crowd behind him, bowing slightly.

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

– Be careful, Hero!

– Defeat the evil dragon for us!

– Show us a hero’s miracle! We’re counting on you!

Leaving the crowd’s cheers behind, Theo walked slowly up the path Lodbrok had taken, exchanging nods with Selperd and his group.

The central temple appeared much larger up close than it had from a distance.

However, for its size, it had a rather rugged feel.

Almost like Kriemhild in her unadorned state.

“Welcome, new Kriemhild. I am Marti, the one in charge of managing this place.”

“You.”

“We met earlier today. I reintroduce myself now. If I was at all discourteous then, I ask for your forgiveness.”

A short-haired woman in a white priestess robe greeted Theo respectfully.

Theo let out a faint chuckle.

After all, she was a member of Black Skull he’d met at the Spinola estate.

With the imposing presence of an advanced swordsman, she had been very noticeable.

During the day, her gaze had been piercingly cold, but now it held a soft elegance.

“Forgiveness? There’s nothing to forgive. I understand. Can’t we simply aim for a better relationship from now on?”

Words laced with layered meaning.

A smile spread across Marti’s lips as well.

“Thank you for saying that. Indeed, you have the generosity befitting Kriemhild’s successor. Shall I lead the way?”

Without the slightest hesitation, Marti guided Theo further inside.

In the hallway, other priests lined the walls on either side, their heads respectfully bowed.

“They all seem to be well-trained martial artists.”

“Sharp observation. Since this temple is dedicated to Kriemhild, it also serves as a martial arts hall for the locals, in honor of her deeds.”

Yet, for a mere martial arts hall, the aura of these priests was remarkable.

Military precision, discipline in their stance.

It felt like gazing upon a well-trained order of knights.

While not on par with Ragnar, it was undeniably impressive.

‘I never heard of them participating in any war against Ragnar in my past life. Could this be some hidden force of the Floating Archipelago?’

Perhaps they stayed confined within the temple, avoiding an alliance with Troyban, who governed the Floating Archipelago.

Theo felt as if he had stumbled upon an unexpected treasure.

“It must not have been easy to gather here so early in the morning.”

“Please don’t think of it that way. All of us are actually delighted that, after centuries, this mystery has finally been unveiled. You can’t imagine how precious it is to us that we’re now able to protect the Floating Archipelago.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, and besides…”

Marti trailed off, glancing subtly around her.

– Oh!

– Do you see it? That light?

– It’s my first time seeing Balmung in person rather than as a statue, and I’ve never seen it radiate such a beautiful light before.

– And those patterns—it’s astonishing how intricate they are.

– Do you think we could get a closer look? It might be an invaluable artifact to learn about the magical systems and knowledge from that era.

– Let’s ask for permission after all of this is over. Kriemhild’s successor doesn’t seem like the sort to deny that to us.

– In any case, that light is truly mesmerizing. I’m so glad I became a priest.

The priests’ eyes were fixed intently on the Dragon Slayer Sword in Theo’s hand.

With the seal released, the sword displayed the full grandeur of the legendary sacred blade.

“Just being able to witness Balmung in its fully awakened state is already enough to redeem our years of waiting.”

Marti brought her hands together in prayer, her demeanor radiating reverence.

To Theo, who had no particular religious beliefs, it was a curious sight.

‘It’s remarkable that they can believe so devoutly in something that bestows neither miracles nor blessings.’

In reality, Kriemhild might have been close to a divine figure, but she hadn’t truly ascended to godhood or joined the Pantheon.

This meant that even her power in this world had its limits, yet the inhabitants of the Floating Archipelago worshipped Kriemhild with unwavering faith.

It was a unique cultural trait, isolated from the rest of the continent.

‘Thanks to that, it just lends that much more weight to my achievements here.’

When they reached the temple’s inner sanctum, Marti suddenly stopped.

At the top of ninety-nine steps.

There stood an altar cast in bronze, atop which rested a helmet seemingly carved from platinum, gleaming brilliantly.

Clearly a treasured relic, it was enclosed within a glass case surrounded by multiple layers of magical seals.

‘Aegir.’

Theo instantly understood what it was.

– For the hero Kriemhild, who was to set out on a journey to defeat the evil dragon, ninety-nine earth fairies gathered starlight and moonlight, laboring tirelessly for 999 nights to forge the platinum armor.

Wooong! Wooong!

The Balmung in his hand was trembling fiercely.

It seemed to be greeting an old friend with intense joy.

Marti bowed respectfully and spoke.

“Please wear Aegir. Once you do, a gate to the Sea King’s domain will naturally open.”

Aegir was the piece of armor Theo had hoped to acquire, following the Dragon Slayer Sword and Kriemhild’s mysteries.

It was essential for withstanding the immense water pressure of the deep sea.

“I heard that the gate to the Sea King’s sealed region cannot be opened without the council’s approval.”

“This is a matter concerning the fate of the Floating Archipelago. How could I, as a descendant of Kriemhild, oppose that?”

Marti smiled gently as she said this.

‘So she pulled some strings behind the scenes.’

Although Theo had pressured the Three Shipping Families and the Autonomous Council by leading the crowd to the central temple, getting Aegir’s rights and the gate’s opening approved so quickly was impossible without someone’s intervention.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Perhaps Kriemhild’s awakened power had strengthened their influence as well.

‘The more I see, the more I want them on my side.’

If he could draw them into his future plans, Theo thought, it would complete the perfect picture he had in mind.

And as it happened, he had something that might entice them.

– Nibelung.

The vision encapsulating all of Kriemhild’s will.

Wouldn’t those who followed Kriemhild be captivated by that?

Indeed, a few had already shown interest upon seeing the vision Theo had demonstrated.

But that was something to consider only after subduing the Sea King.

Theo climbed the ninety-nine steps and stood before Aegir.

Flash!

Suddenly, Aegir trembled violently, the magical barrier dissipated, and the glass case shattered and fell to pieces.

– Ohhh!

– Aegir is showing its first miracle…!

– It truly has the platinum radiance described in the legends. It’s so beautiful.

Theo lifted Aegir with both hands and placed it on his head.

It fit perfectly, as if it were custom-made for him.

At the same time, his heart began to pound wildly.

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!

‘What is this?’

Aegir resonated with Theo’s magic power.

Reacting with Kriemhild’s remains, which he had used to achieve his rebirth, Aegir began to transform.

A platinum aura spread across his body, as new armor layered over it.

Shhh! Shhh!

It extended from his neck, forming upper armor, and continued down to cover his lower body, completing his full battle attire.

With the Dragon Slayer Sword in one hand, Theo looked like the very incarnation of the legendary Kriemhild.

In fact, there was no need to look any further.

Wasn’t this exactly how the now-vanished statue of Kriemhild had once appeared?

– Ahhhh!

– He is truly the successor of Kriemhild!

– Brothers, let us offer our prayers. In following his will, he has descended to this land in response to our call!

All the priests knelt on one knee, raising their prayers.

Marti, too, reflected reverently on the miracle of Kriemhild.

The platinum light surrounding Theo expanded, enveloping the temple and eventually causing the entire outer structure to shine with radiant beauty.

It was as if a white sun had risen, a scene so mesmerizing it defied description.

The crowd gathered in front of the temple dropped to the ground and joined the priests in prayer.

– Ahhh!

‘Aegir’s full abilities have been awakened. I thought it’d be fortunate if it functioned as armor, but is it thanks to Kriemhild’s remains?’

Theo glanced down at his hands with a faint smile.

—

[Aegir]

– Type: Magic Armor

– Defense: 350

– Effects:

– Magic Defense +150%

– Elemental Resistance Specialization

– Automatic Repair of Damaged Parts

– Nullifies Physical Damage with a Set Probability When Health is Below 25%

– When using “Dragon Slayer Sword: Balmung,” Slash Power +130%

—

The treasure of the earth fairies was known to only function fully when wielded by its rightful owner.

It seemed Aegir had accepted Theo as Kriemhild’s successor.

Feeling only satisfaction from beginning to end, Theo smiled contentedly as he looked down.

The altar, infused with light, deconstructed, revealing a hidden circular iron door below.

An iron door covered in various geometric patterns.

Creak, creak—

With a rusty sound, the iron door slowly reassembled and deconstructed along the patterns, ultimately opening wide to both sides.

Fwaaah!

Beyond that…

A dark, wave-filled realm appeared, a world where light barely penetrated.

「So, you’ve arrived? So, this is what you meant by preparing. To think that the successor of Father’s only friend—and also his opponent—would arrive.」

Pontus’s voice echoed in Theo’s mind.

‘Are you planning to stop me?’

「That’s hardly the case. Although I cannot be without resentment as Father’s child, Father never once bore a grudge against his friend. So, I shall not harm you.」

‘That’s a relief.’

Theo glanced over at Marti and the priests as he spoke.

“Then, I’ll be off.”

“Please return safely.”

Without hesitation, Theo threw himself directly into the gate.

Splash!

Cold water struck his face.

The tremendous pressure bore down on his body.

Bzzzz—

However, the [Elemental Resistance Specialization] effect engraved in Aegir activated, dispelling the oppressive force.

At the same time, he gained the ability to breathe underwater.

Now he could move freely within the ocean depths.

Taking it further, Theo infused his eyes with magic power and activated [Spiritual Essence].

Instantly, his vision brightened, revealing Pontus, who had been hidden in the darkness.

「There’s not much time. Follow me.」

Theo followed Pontus, descending deeper and deeper into the ocean depths.

After passing through steep ravines and navigating around scorching hot hydrothermal vents, they reached a vast underwater plain where the Sea King lay, thrashing restlessly.

‘Massive. Just immense.’

That was Theo’s immediate thought.

It was far larger than what he’d seen in Kriemhild’s memories.

Had it continued to grow over the centuries it had been sealed?

It radiated such an overwhelming magical aura that approaching any closer was nearly impossible.

‘How did Kriemhild manage to defeat something like that?’

A natural disaster.

That was the only description that came to mind.

Even with Nibelung and Aegir in hand, Theo could see that this foe was beyond his current abilities.

「Any closer, and we wouldn’t be able to approach either. Can you manage to put Father back to sleep?」

‘That…’

Theo was about to respond when—

Kieeek!

The Sea King, lying prone, suddenly erupted into a violent frenzy.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The resulting tremors were immense.

The currents shook chaotically, and all around, underwater volcanoes spewed hot steam as if they were about to explode.

The seawater creatures that had followed Pontus scattered in terror.

「Damn! Has another fit started already? Usually, he’s fine at this hour…」

‘A fit?’

「Due to his madness, Father periodically falls into a frenzy. Each time, it causes devastation around him.」

This explained the strange phenomena that had been plaguing the Floating Archipelago.

「We can’t stay here. Let’s retreat for now.」

‘Wait.’

Theo stopped Pontus in his tracks.

The dark stench spewing from the Sea King during his frenzy seemed oddly familiar.

‘Shadow Demon Poison? Why is the Sea King infected with that?’