hotmtlnovel Chapter 120
Chapter 120
Chapter 120: The Mystery of Dragon Slayer (5) >
‘What is this?’
The Captain of the Ghost Slayer Squad suddenly raised his head.
An eerie feeling, indescribable and unsettling, seemed to seep in from somewhere.
However—
“Stop right there!”
The Captain turned his head toward the voice that suddenly called out from the opposite side.
Umberto, fully equipped with defensive artifacts, was striding forward with members of the Spinola family in tow.
“Well, well, isn’t it Lord Umberto? It seems you rushed here in a heartbeat upon hearing of an emergency at the Grand Merchant Guild. Truly fitting of a head of the Three Shipping Families, who deeply care for the Shipping Alliance and the Floating Archipelago.”
At that moment, a man with sly eyes stepped forward from among the Ghost Slayer Squad, a mocking grin on his face.
It was Piren, the General Manager of the Grimahl family and second only to its head, Giuseppe.
From his tone, one might think he was admiring Umberto, but the sarcasm was unmistakable.
Umberto’s face tightened with slight irritation as he replied, “It seems the Grimahl family has also sent troops to subdue this crisis. Why, then, must you treat those who have come for the ‘same purpose’ with such hostility?”
Piren merely laughed.
He had already sensed the intent behind Umberto’s maneuvers.
“My son, Antonio, and his friends happened to uncover intelligence that a certain group was targeting the Kriemhild Guild, so they moved preemptively. I, too, gathered reinforcements as a secondary wave to prepare for any possible external interference.”
Spinola’s pretext was to suppress any external forces that might exploit the chaos.
‘So they intend to blame this entire situation on those outsiders accompanying Antonio... A cunning old serpent, indeed. He’s found himself a convenient escape route.’
The problem lay in the fact that this justification hinged on ‘preventing outsider interference.’
In other words, if used strategically, it could drag the Ghost Slayer Squad into the fray as well.
As Piren narrowed his gaze, Umberto turned his attention to Selperd, who had Antonio held hostage.
“I don’t know what schemes you’re planning, but don’t think I would be so foolish as to recklessly hand over the proud mysteries of our ancestors just because you’ve taken my son hostage!”
Clink, clink!
The Spinola family’s men simultaneously aimed something at Selperd’s group.
Handguns.
These were compact magic guns, crafted in a collaboration between a renowned arms manufacturer from the southwestern region and the Tower of Magic.
In terms of firepower alone, they were comparable to heavy artillery, as the inner cylinder of these artifacts rotated, poised to unleash a torrent of rounds at any moment.
“It seems that your father has decided to abandon you.”
Selperd spoke to Antonio with a bitter smile.
‘F-Father!’
Antonio’s pupils quivered violently.
The arrival of Grimahl was one thing, but the revelation that Umberto had abandoned him was even more shocking.
He’d always known that his father was the type who would cast aside even his own son for ambition, but now that it had come to him so directly, he found it hard to keep his composure.
“Arin! Snow Frost Sword! This way.”
“Ray.”
“What?”
“I have a name. Stop using that alias.”
Selperd gave a hollow laugh, watching Ray, who calmly adjusted her grip on her sword as she took her place beside him.
Was that really what mattered to her in this situation?
He had heard that her personality was peculiar, but it seemed that the rumors had understated it.
“Very well, Lady Snow Frost Sword. Can you form an ice wall? How long can it hold?”
Ray twitched an eyebrow at the even longer title but responded coolly, without showing her irritation.
“Two minutes.”
“If we support you with our magic power?”
“Five minutes. No more than that.”
“Only five minutes even if we hold out as much as possible...”
Selperd cast a quick glance toward the tall structure.
He noticed it had shifted form.
The mystery was still in effect. Theo had to be inside.
“I hope Theo completes the mystery in time.”
As Selperd muttered to himself, Umberto shouted.
“Fire...!”
“That won’t happen. Captain of the Ghost Slayer Squad, if you please.”
“It’s finally war.”
The Ghost Slayer Squad leaped forward, blocking the path of the Spinola family.
“Lady Kriemhild! She has answered our call!”
“Our ancestors and the spirits have sent Lady Kriemhild back to us!”
The people accepted it as a miracle.
The return of Kriemhild.
With the dragon rampaging, the had reappeared on this land to protect her descendants.
“Kriemhild’s statue is moving?”
“What... in the world...?”
Meanwhile, it was the Ghost Slayer Squad and the Spinola family who felt the greatest confusion.
For both sides, who had sought to either seize or bury the mystery, the awakening of both the dragon and now Kriemhild herself was utterly terrifying.
Watching the immense statue, towering dozens of meters tall, take its steps, spreading cracks everywhere as if it might collapse at any moment, evoked a sense of awe.
Sssht—
Kriemhild’s statue took up a ready stance.
Where a broken sword once was, a mysterious halo of light coalesced into the shape of a blade, appearing in both her hands.
And then—
Sweeck—
Crunch!
Kriemhild’s statue thrust the sword forcefully, driving it straight into the rampaging dragon’s jaw with precision.
In an instant, the blade shattered through the upper skull and emerged on the other side.
The dragon froze mid-movement.
“...”
“...”
“...”
Everyone—the Ghost Slayer Squad, the Spinola family, even Selperd’s group—stood in stunned silence, watching the scene unfold.
A scene from legend had been recreated right before their eyes.
And then—
Crackle—
The statues of both the dragon and Kriemhild began to break apart, fragmenting into dust and scattering into the air.
The dust gathered in a whirlwind and soon condensed into a human form.
Theo.
The one who had vanished with the mystery now stood there.
Encased in a radiant halo of light, his appearance radiated an almost sacred aura.
“Theo, you—!”
Selperd’s group urgently called out to Theo, barely able to warn him that they needed to escape immediately.
Before they could get a word out, Theo suddenly swung the Dragon Slayer Sword in his hand toward the Ghost Slayer Squad and the Spinola family.
“Vroooom—”
“Shhhhk!”
With a surge of force, the slash tore through the air, narrowly missing those in its path. It left marks on the ground, as if a dragon’s claws had scraped across it.
But this time, the marks were different from usual.
Countless geometric patterns were etched into the ground.
“This is...!”
“The ‘Nibelung’! Kriemhild’s Nibelung remains!”
“The successor of Kriemhild has appeared!”
The Nibelung.
This was the technique Kriemhild had used alongside the Dragon Slayer Sword, Balmung, to seal the dragon in the legends. It was a skill lost to time, existing only in records, and now Theo had mastered it.
Naturally, the Spinola family, as residents of the Floating Archipelago, were bewildered, while the Ghost Slayer Squad hesitated, uncertain how to proceed. Meanwhile, the commotion had drawn the attention of the guards stationed outside, who rushed in and saw the marks Theo had left.
「We’ll...!」
「Yes, there are too many eyes on us for now. Let’s postpone this. Besides, Spinola is now fully divided from them, giving us our own chance.」
Piren and the Ghost Slayer Captain exchanged a quick understanding, preparing to withdraw.
“Damn it! Why now, of all times?!”
Umberto, finding himself in the most difficult position, ground his teeth. Having claimed to act in the interests of the Floating Archipelago, he no longer had any justification to persecute Theo and his group.
“As the successor to Lady Kriemhild’s legacy and the new master of Balmung, I declare—!”
Theo took advantage of the lull in the battle to channel his magic and shout with conviction.
As the inheritor of Kriemhild’s will... the new master of Balmung... His voice reverberated throughout the entire Floating Archipelago.
“By Lady Kriemhild’s command, I have vanquished the dragon that sought once again to consume the Floating Archipelago! I call upon the Three Shipping Families and the Council of the Autonomous Region to assist me in fulfilling this mandate!”
In that moment, Theo’s presence was engraved into the hearts of every resident of the Floating Archipelago.