Tail Catcher (1)
[A new enemy has appeared.] [The difficulty of this quest has been increased from A+ to S+.]
‘What? S+ difficulty… …?’
This is an absurdly high difficulty considering that the last tutorial quest was on S difficulty.
That meant that it was a dangerous entity.
“Answer me. What are you?”
My head felt like it was pounding.
A feeling of infinite discouragement.
Only then did Theo realize.
That guy is the ‘god’ worshipped by the Holy Demon Church.
The mastermind behind the chaos was right before our eyes!
‘Bloodlight Harmony… … The talk about receiving a spirit wasn’t a lie. If he was forcibly opening the brain gate with his magic power to receive divine power, then it makes sense that he would have that much physical strength and magic power.’
『A familiar temperament, but this is… … . Hmm, I see. Was it Ragnar? The descendant of the false Chosen has dared to pry into the minds of my followers and spy on me.』
The evil spirit, which seemed to be made up of evil thoughts such as fear and resentment, observed Theo’s every move and even figured out his true identity.
Thump thump thump thump!
Theo’s heart was pounding like crazy.
Finding out the secret of the Blood Priest was an unexpected gain, but for now, I had to get out of here.
But where to?
How do I get out?
It was different when I escaped Hilda’s clutches.
At that time, there was a Yongsal Sword and a black dragon nearby, but that wasn’t the case now.
On the one hand, Theo felt ‘familiar’ with the evil spirit.
‘It’s like what I saw in Mahae… …!’
“I am honored to receive you as my guest, Ragnar. In return, I will grant you the grace to become my faithful servant.”
Something came this way from the guy.
Giant hand.
As it was about to hit Theo, his heart started to beat faster.
Thump thump thump… … !
It was at that very moment that I was trying to reach for the Wolbaek Sword while somehow suppressing the fear that was making my heart pound.
Wheeing!
It suddenly got so hot that I thought my head was going to burst.
incandescence.
And then, in an instant, the brain gate opened wider.
Like the brain of a blood priest who receives a message.
Flash!
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“It’s not the time yet, but given the circumstances, there’s nothing I can do.”
Theo felt as if something huge had appeared behind him.
A familiar voice.
I hurriedly turned my body towards him.
A dragon with a huge body appeared, its mouth wide open.
A dragon with an empty left chest.
‘Lordbroke!’
『My companion. ‘That’ is not yet an entity you can face. It is an entity that you can only face if you rise to Sigurd’s position. It is an entity that calls ■■.』
A fireball formed at the corner of Lordbroke’s mouth.
The blazing heat was so hot that it felt like the sun was embracing it.
“So go back. Then, when you have gained more strength, call me.”
Soon the sun came out.
At the same time, Theo’s thoughts were cut off.
* * *
Theo felt his body being thrown back and he was forced to take a few steps back from the blood priest.
“How did you… … !”
All sorts of emotions were flashing across the face of the blood priest looking this way.
Shock, amazement, disbelief, longing, and resentment.
Even though he had served God his entire life, he could only vaguely feel the existence of God.
It was hard to believe that a mere non-believer had heard the words of God directly.
But on the other hand, I still had a lingering desire to see God for a longer time.
Just a little more.
Just a little more and I will be able to see the very presence of God… …!
Squeak-
But the blood priest’s thoughts did not last long.
In the meantime, Theo pulled out his Moonlight Sword and blew off the guy’s head.
It was a measure to avoid being sucked back into the unconscious world.
‘The evil spirit worshipped by the Holy Demon Church… was the <Nameless Lord> that Lord Broke spoke of.’
Theo’s thoughts flashed through his mind as he recalled what Lordbroke had said in the nest.
-Why are you here?
-It’s because of the <Nameless Monarch>.
-Nameless monarch… … ?
– It is a ‘monster’ that exists at the very edge of the world, beyond the Mahae. I have been staying here for the past thousand years with the mission to protect the world from it. The Winter Mountains are just an outpost for that purpose.
The being that has bound Roadbroke to the Winter Mountains for the past thousand years.
Even though it was the first time Theo had heard that name, it remained as a strong image in his mind.
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But I have encountered that existence to some extent.
Because when Lordbroke suddenly appears, there is no one else who can defeat him.
The aura of evil that emanated from him was also proof that he was the <Nameless Monarch>.
Also, a thought that came to mind at the same time.
‘Lordbroke said that this wouldn’t last more than two or three years. The Great War would occur in five years.’
If the mastermind behind the great chaos that engulfed the continent in chaos was the <Nameless Monarch>, then it meant that he began to become active in earnest after Lordbroke’s death.
‘Could this really be a coincidence?’
How could that be?
Theo was a man of few words who believed that there were no coincidences in this world.
‘Ed and Troyban’s conspiracy, the chaos of the Holy Demon Church, the outbreak of the Great War… … These major events that were initially thought to be separate were actually all connected together!’
I vaguely think I understand why scenario quests exist.
Ragnar’s duty was to stop the <Nameless Lord>, so it was not at all surprising that the potential of the relic imprinted on this bloodline would awaken in time.
‘Let’s continue with the quest. Then it will become more certain.’
Fortunately, the quest’s purpose and Theo’s purpose were on the same line.
[Level up.]
Theo turned his body away as he collected his thoughts.
Paat-
Just then, something flashed in the darkness.
It was the assassin’s dagger that had been waiting to target Theo.
But the dagger did not reach Theo.
Suddenly, a shadow shot up and Umbra appeared, swallowing the assassin whole.
Wagjak, wagjak!
A death that couldn’t even utter a single word.
“good job.”
Kekeke!
Umbra cried, feeling happy at Theo’s praise.
* * *
“This is… … !”
Cleve and Hazel were in shock as they hurried down to the basement.
Because the traces of fierce battle left everywhere were so great.
Theo was sitting on one side of the hallway with a tired face.
With something in hand.
“Are you here?”
“Blood Priest… … Did you catch him?”
What shocked the two of them the most was the head of the blood priest rolling around at Theo’s feet.
Two blood priests also appeared from upstairs, so I subdued them as quickly as possible and ran over there in a hurry just in case.
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I thought you’d already deal with it and even kill it.
“Yes. It just so happened.”
“Huh… … I don’t know if it’s possible to use the expression ‘somehow’ when dealing with a blood priest.”
Cleve shook his head, but smiled.
“If you were able to defeat the Blood Priest on your own, it seems like you have already proven your capabilities as a real-life swordsman. What do you think, Plum Blossom Palace?”
“… … I agree with Heukseol’s opinion.”
Hazel could only nod blankly.
She had to ask for Evelyn’s help because she was only as good as the blood priest she had actually faced.
“The Baek Gap-yong Unit has already announced that they have recognized you… … All three examiners unanimously agreed. Congratulations. You will now begin your practical examination. This is the fastest promotion in history.”
“thank you.”
Theo nodded blandly.
I was happy, but not thrilled.
Is it because I went through such a big thing?
Theo couldn’t understand his own mind.
It just felt like I was doing something that was supposed to be done.
But that sight was also interesting to Cleve.
‘At that age, you’d probably be proud of your accomplishments, but you’re calm. You don’t lose your cool. As expected, you’re a person who would fit in well with Heukseol.’
Theo asked.
“What happened upstairs?”
“The suppression is complete. Captain Evelyn is still cleaning up. If we go back like this, there will be a lot to report.”
Cleve’s eyes sank deeply.
The collusion between the Holy Demon Church and Troyban was something that even Heukseol had not been able to figure out.
If this incident were reported, there would certainly be a major revision to the strategy against Troyban.
“But, what is that in your hand?”
“Oh, I found the safe and found some interesting things.”
You even opened the safe?
How quickly did you suppress the bloodthirsty?
Cleve accepted the documents Theo handed him with a hollow laugh.
One is a document related to the Holy Spirit Church.
The Season of the Snake seemed to be a camouflage group originally created by the Holy Demon Church to hide themselves from the world’s attention.
This could have been used as evidence to tie Troyban and the Holy Demon Church together.
And another one.
In that moment, one of Cleve’s eyes curled upward.
There was a name written that I had never thought of.
“Top of Ceres?”
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The upper part of Ceres was not only the hostage that started this mission, but also the link between Ed Troyvan and the Troyvan family.
That name appeared… … .
As expected, the more he looked through the documents, the colder Cleve’s expression became.
“The Central Intelligence Agency Director’s tail was here.”
The document was a request to send it from the top of Ceres towards the Season of the Serpent.
But although it was only a request, the tone of the content was closer to an order.
It means that someone borrowed the name of the top of Ceres and gave orders for the season of the serpent.
“We must strike the headquarters directly at the top of Ceres.”
Cleve turned his gaze back to Theo’s words.
“Just us?”
“The opponent is the Central Intelligence Agency Director. I understand that the Ceres top also handles a lot of information. If we wait for reinforcements, we will only be able to read our movements.”
“Still, it is undoubtedly a reckless operation. They say that they are no match for the vassal families, but the power of the Ceres Merchant Corps cannot be ignored.”
“Even so, I think it is necessary to push ourselves.”
Cleve stared at Theo silently.
Theo also met Cleve’s eyes without saying anything.
There was silence for a while,
Phew!
Cleve ended up laughing.
In some ways, Theo’s advice could be said to be the young prosecutor’s spirit, but Theo’s eyes were colder than ever.
It means a conclusion reached after much deliberation.
“I don’t know if it’s a training test, but the opinions of actual tests during a mission are worth considering. Hazel Copple, what’s your opinion?”
“I wholeheartedly agree with the opinion of Theo Ragnar, the Field Inspector. If this is true, it means that the Ceres Merchant Corps was already plotting a rebellion.”
Plotting a rebellion.
It was a serious matter that the great family could never overlook.
Moreover, the upper part of Ceres was a vassal force that had long been Ragnar’s background.
If you didn’t know that favor and tried to stab someone from behind with a knife, then of course you should have been punished.
‘Let’s admit it. There was a reason why the princess cherished Theo Ragnar. The one who sees the situation most accurately right now is Theo Ragnar.’
Hazel was now ready to accept Theo.
If it’s skill, it’s skill, if it’s judgment, it’s judgment. He wasn’t the kind of person who could be criticized.
Theo added his comments here:
“And I think there might be something in Black Snow that was taken out as ‘insurance’.”
“… … How did you know that?”
“There’s no way you wouldn’t put a leash on a dog when handling it.”
“As expected, you are… … . Haha! You always surprise me. Good. I have decided that the opinions of the two field inspectors are valid, so I will begin the next operation as an extension of this mission.”
Cleve folded the papers and put them in his pocket as he spoke to Theo.
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“By the way, those at the top of Ceres are the ones you saved just a few days ago, and now you’re sending them to their deaths. You really have bad taste.”
Theo laughed.
A smile like that of a beast before its prey.
“If it gets in the way of hunting, I’ll just get rid of it.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Cleve followed suit and turned around, laughing.
And that day.
An inn in the provincial town of Kalhelm was engulfed in a fire of unknown origin and disappeared.
How the bastard of the Return Sword Family lives
