Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan

Chapter 121

Chapter 121: Leviathan (1)

“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.

「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.