Floating Islands (1)
“Daughter. Do you really have to go?”
“Yeah. I want to do well now too.”
I want to do ‘well’… …
Princess Niel smiled bitterly as she watched her daughter cram her luggage into her suitcase.
I guess that means he’s no longer locked up in the palace and wants to go out.
And it was clear that Theo’s performance last time had been a stimulus for this.
I wanted to do something to stop my daughter from going to the battlefield, from volunteering to go to a dangerous place.
Isn’t this the child who has been sick and has lived with it his entire life?
I was thinking that I would finally be able to finish my closed-door training and spend time with you.
but.
You shouldn’t do that.
My daughter had her own life and dreams.
I didn’t want to interfere with that.
‘Yes. This child is the one who can make a different choice from me, who had to give up on my dreams… …!’
Still, he asked in a slightly sullen tone, wondering if there was anything he could do about the last remaining regret.
“Did you receive permission to participate in the operation?”
“Yeah. Here.”
Ray proudly displayed the documents with Julius’ seal.
“The knife?”
“I packed it.”
“You don’t even have a dragon.”
“The train has been cancelled.”
“What about travel expenses? How much is that?”
“You can use the allowance you received.”
Ray looked at Niel as he zipped up his suitcase.
“Me. No, kid. If you keep doing that, I won’t come.”
“… … Okay, okay. I understand. Have a safe trip. Be sure to contact me every night when you leave.”
“… … .”
Ray got up from his seat and packed his bag.
And then I started walking.
The destination is the Floating Islands Autonomous Territory.
It was where Theo and his group were.
* * *
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[The quest has arrived.]
+
[Scenario Quest #4]
Increase your intimacy with Lordbrok, your companion and guardian dragon, by doing his bidding.
· Difficulty: A+
· Reward: Intimacy +100, Dragon Blood Talent Awakening
· On failure: death
+
‘You can awaken the talent called <Dragon Blood>?’
Theo’s eyes lit up at the most eye-catching reward he had ever received.
Meanwhile.
Lordbroke’s voice became clearer and clearer.
“Are you shaking the carrot?”
‘Is this how I should do it? Can you hear me?’
『Ah. It seems like it’s shaking. It’s a shame that we can’t share our vision when direct communication is possible.』
The noise was no longer audible.
Ps …
‘You’re still the same.’
『If a person, no, a dragon suddenly changes, isn’t it a sign of death? I don’t have any thoughts of death yet.』
Lordbroke’s smile was thick.
“Te… … Rant?”
At that moment, Shelford, who was standing next to me, asked with a look of concern on his face.
Theo raised his hand slightly to signal that it was nothing, then returned to focusing on the conversation.
‘Why did I suddenly get connected? By any chance?’
『If you are asking if it is because the Dragon Blood has been strengthened, I will say no. The fact that I am now able to communicate with you is a coincidence that occurred when you entered the Sea King’s domain.』
Sea King?
It was a word I heard for the first time in my life.
“It’s an ancient dragon species that is a distant relative of mine. It’s said that it lived in the sea for a long time and was often called by that name.”
‘Are you saying there’s an ancient dragon nearby?’
It was a surprising story even for Theo.
I have never heard a story like this in my past life.
No, I guess I shouldn’t have had the opportunity to come into contact with it.
“Didn’t I tell you? That it ‘was’ there. It’s past tense.”
‘then?’
『He also exhausted a lot of his strength trying to defeat the <Nameless Monarch>, and was sealed under the sea with a single sword by the dragon slayers who were after him.』
A few fragments of information were listed in Theo’s head.
The Black Skull appears.
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The relationship between Troyvan and the Maritime Federation.
Dragon Sword.
An unusual phenomenon that suddenly occurred in the floating archipelago.
The chaos of the sea creatures.
Neptune’s realm.
Communication link with Roadbroke.
There were only things that could not be found in common, but
Somehow it seemed like there was something running through all of this.
‘… … Could it be that the various strange phenomena occurring in this area right now are caused by that being called the Sea King?’
『As expected. You are very intelligent. You figured it out so easily that it actually cools my mood.』
Unlike Lordbroke’s laughter, Theo could not laugh.
‘If the Sea King who was sealed in the Dragon Slayer’s sword in the distant past suddenly broke free and started causing trouble, then it makes sense.’
Theo’s guess was this:
A very distant past.
There was an ancient dragon named Hae-wang who lost all his powers after fighting with the <Nameless Monarch>.
At that time, he was attacked by humans who wanted to gain the glory of being a dragon slayer and ended up sinking to the bottom of the sea. From then on, magical winds poured out ceaselessly from the sealed dragon body, creating a unique terrain called the Floating Archipelago.
Then one day, Troyvan heard rumors about the Dragon Sword and wondered how the Sea King gradually awakened from his seal while retrieving the Dragon Sword, creating the current chaos…
The reason why Black Skull, the hidden sword of the floating archipelago, raided the upper part of Ceres to retrieve the Dragon Sword,
It also made sense why the Maritime Federation had joined hands with Troyvan in the previous life.
In order to get the Dragon Sword back, I had no choice but to be dragged around by the leash they had put on me.
『But the long sealing seems to have only had a negative effect on the Sea King. He only feels madness, and his sanity is nowhere to be found. Perhaps, after he finishes stretching like this… … I wonder if the surrounding area will become a mess?』
Is it just a ‘stretch’ that could cause the entire autonomous territory called the Floating Islands to collapse?
her!
Theo found himself laughing in vain.
‘What do you want me to do?’
“Dragon Heart. You promised to find a replacement, right?”
‘Do you want the Sea King’s?’
『A heart already steeped in madness will only become poison. Their properties are too different.』
Roadbroke’s smile deepened.
『But if it’s a ‘purified’ part, it might be somewhat useful.』
‘I’m sure it’s because of the Sea King’s magic that you were able to communicate with me.’
“Do you know what makes you different from other Ragnar?”
‘What is it?’
“You’re really good at understanding the meaning of words. Hahaha!”
Only then was Theo able to laugh along with Lordbroke.
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‘Then, first we need to find a way to approach the Sea King.’
『It won’t be easy. Even I, during my prime, couldn’t ignore his magical power.』
‘Don’t worry. I’ll find it somehow. I just had something on my mind.’
“Good, very.”
Theo stroked his chin with his hand as he collected his thoughts.
Shipping 3rd Street.
Could it be that they, the long-time lords of the floating archipelago, were unaware of the existence of the Sea King?
Of course that couldn’t be the case.
‘I must win Antonio’s favor more deeply. To get access to Spinola’s central position.’
I had a strong feeling that I could feed Troyvan a piece of shit and definitely get the Maritime Federation on my side.
‘Rather than that, Lordbroke, there is a matter we need to discuss.’
“But why? This kind of communication is quite tiring for me, so I can’t keep it up for too long.”
It certainly didn’t seem to be omnipotent, as it wasn’t his own magic power.
‘I found traces of the <Nameless Monarch>.’
“I already know. That his followers are about to rise up.”
Lordbroke’s voice sank deep into his throat.
“All the things you have seen and heard so far, I, your companion, have also seen and heard them.”
* * *
Communication with Roadbroke did not last long.
I’ll contact you again soon. Then we can chat a little longer than we can now.
Those were the last words.
‘Anyway, it’s very one-sided.’
Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be much difference in my situation between a few months ago and now.
‘Still, it’s fortunate that you said you knew that the <Nameless Monarch> was involved in the various incidents that are currently taking place.’
It was only natural that he would be watching her every move, since she had been keeping an eye on him her entire life.
‘I need to come up with a plausible plan now, but what should I do?’
If we do it well, we could even get Black Skull involved.
Theo went out to the railing and looked out at the sea while thinking about this and that.
ridge……!
ridge……!
It was a trick to determine the exact location of the Sea King by following the faint magical waves still flowing along the seabed.
Like that for a day, two days.
For three days, Theo continued to observe the sea whenever he had the chance, analyzing the magical waves.
Thanks to that, I was learning roughly what form and method the dragon’s magic was composed of.
-Is the sea that amazing? If you keep doing that, you’ll lose your eyesight.
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-Hahaha! That’s right. Shouldn’t we put a basket down there somewhere?
There were those who made jokes that weren’t even funny, as if they were meant for Theo to hear.
Theo turned his gaze in that direction without saying a word.
Five men and women with different characteristics and outfits chatting away.
The escort troops brought by Antonio.
I heard that they are high-level mercenaries that were invited at a high price?
‘There’s a gunslinger and a free knight with a dog-headed waterman. Is that a wizard?’
Certainly, these were scenes that were hard to find in the North, where there was a strong reverence for pure martial arts.
‘Is there a Black Skull among them?’
If my guess is correct, it must be hidden.
The problem is that the mercenaries only irritate Theo and his group on a fine line, but they don’t cross the line.
‘Then we have no choice but to cross from this side.’
It was at this point that Theo narrowed his eyes.
Tadak-
A familiar presence was felt on one side.
‘It starts.’
bang!
Suddenly there was an explosion and the dog-headed creature was thrown violently and slammed into the wall.
In front of him, Shelford snorted with his arms crossed.
“With skills like this, you’re a top-tier mercenary? Benota, Benota, and now you’re nothing special?”
“This bird… … Whew!”
Kwaaang!
The mercenary who had been lying on the ground tried to get up from his seat, but was kicked again by Shelford and ended up spitting up blood.
A kick so strong that it broke the armor I was wearing.
The other mercenaries tried to help him by drawing their weapons,
Sling-
“Will you stay still? Don’t you want to get hurt?”
Arin had already drawn her sword and was aiming it at the guys.
A sharp edge swirled around the tip of the sword.
And the murderous intent that swirls around.
“Hey, it’s black!”
“Why is someone with such skills here… … ?”
In an instant, the faces of several mercenaries hardened.
Only then did they realize how foolish they had been.
“I have a hobby of making necklaces by plucking out the eyes of kids who blindly roll their eyes at me. What do you think? Do you want to do that for me too?”
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“What, what did I do… …!”
“I told you, it’s bad luck to keep your eyes open.”
“We just ran into each other… … !”
“Just like that? I said I was in a bad mood?”
“Eek!”
The guy was so deep in thought that he had already peed on his pants.
“Youngest, are you sure this is the right way to do it? These guys were a bit of a slap in the face, but if you hit them wrong, they’ll probably get in trouble right away, right?”
Shelford’s psychopathic laugh sounded like he was dying of annoyance.
In fact, this was part of a plan that Theo had asked Shelford and Arin to do separately the night before.
“Pud. Stop it.”
Ferd. Shelford’s stage name.
“But, Master, don’t these kids keep nagging at me like pumpkin seeds? This is the time to give them a proper education… …!”
“I told you to stop.”
“Haa! Bbaeng-bibbaeng-i, you little punk, you really should know that you’re safe thanks to the master. Do you understand?”
“Yes, yes! Thank you for saving my life!”
The guy left with his companions in a hurry, wondering if Theo and Shelford’s words would change.
The other mercenaries just rolled their eyes quietly.
In the meantime, they were quickly recalling what they had done to get on Theo’s bad side.
“Anyway, our master is so generous. If he takes such good care of us, how happy would that be? Why should I always be the one to take care of him, and why should I keep going along with his actions without saying a word? He’s going through all the hardships.”
“… … You don’t have something piling up for me, do you?”
“What about that?”
Shelford returned to his acting, answering playfully.
He stood next to Theo, who was still looking at the sea from the railing, and spoke loudly so that everyone could hear.
“Where are we really going? Can you tell me now?”
An attitude that suggests that this is not a simple inspection.
Now, whatever conversation they share will reach the ears of Antonio as well as the mercenaries.
Now it’s time to slowly throw the bait.
“It’s not something worth talking about in the neighborhood, Ferd. Keep your voice down.”
“Ah, it’s so frustrating, it’s so frustrating! What on earth is this ancient dragon king that lives in the sea? What on earth is it that makes you suffer in such a remote place?”
“You will know it when you go.”
“It’s so frustrating, you’re repeating the same old question again.”
“If you don’t like it, you can leave this trip.”
“On this sea? And is there anything I can do to get in trouble with the master? If I get the order to close the temple this time, it’ll be at least three years?”
“Then just follow me quietly.”
“Ugh. I’m going crazy and jumping for joy, seriously.”
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Shelford made a convincing show of being a real pain in the ass.
So much so that even Theo was fooled.
‘By now, the bait has definitely been taken.’
He hinted at a being that meant the Sea King.
It would be stranger if there was no reaction.
‘Now all I have to do is wrap it in cloth.’
It was just then that Theo was thinking that.
Kuuung!
Suddenly my stomach started to rumble loudly.
-Hey, it’s a sea cucumber!
-A monster has appeared! Firearms! Firearms first, quickly!
-Damn it! Why is the city serpent… …!
-You’ve been so quiet! Sailors, to your assigned positions! Move quickly, you little slugs!
Up above!
And the sound of sirens wailing.
It was a warning sound announcing the appearance of a monster.
‘Okay.’
Beneath the sea surface in Theo’s eyes, swarms of monsters with magical powers resembling dragons were swarming.
How the bastard of the Return Sword Family lives
