Chapter 309

The Naga tribe man coughed up blood and begged in a desperate voice.

"Is anyone outside?"

Theo called for someone, and the butler immediately entered.

"Order the Marlon to prepare for departure, and summon the Black Dragon, the White Dragon, and the Red Dragon. Hurry!"

"Understood."

The butler moved quickly, and Theo resumed treating the Naga warrior. He couldn’t afford to let the Naga lose consciousness at this moment.

"The chimeras have invaded... We were unable to stop them..."

At this, Theo’s brow furrowed, and confusion flashed through him.

"The Naga were defeated by chimeras? Was there a dark sorcerer involved?"

Something seemed off. Hidden behind the image of the Naga as sages, they were actually a race with exceptional combat abilities.

To create chimeras strong enough to push the Naga tribe back, there should have been a dark sorcerer of significant infamy.

‘The infamous dark sorcerers should have been wiped out by the Mage Tower, right?’

The Mage Tower had eradicated the dark sorcerers, which had solidified their current position. Even though the Naga forest had been struggling due to the recent war, this situation didn’t add up.

Unless...

‘Could it have been the Mage Tower’s doing?’

Theo couldn’t help but think this way. The Mage Tower’s true motives for supporting Hilda were still unclear.

Also...

‘The Tower Master still hasn’t come with an apology letter.’

That would mean that the Mage Tower was now preparing for war against Ragnar.

Then, suddenly, Theo had another thought about the mysterious presence in the Naga forest. That’s when—

[Quest received.]

[Scenario Quest #13]

Critical Situation! Save the Naga tribe from the Mage Tower's clutches and acquire the mystery.

Difficulty: A

Reward: Relic of the Absolute.

Failure: Death

[Item information updated.]

[Scales of the Naga's First Chief]

Type: Relic, Consumable.

Conditions: None.

Effect: Grants the ability to breathe underwater.

???: Unlocks upon reaching a specific location.

(New!) Tomb of the Absolute: Access conditions fulfilled.

Theo’s thoughts aligned with what had been unfolding—this incident was indeed the work of the Mage Tower.

And the name Tomb of the Absolute caught his attention.

‘Tomb of the Absolute?’

A person worthy of being buried in such a deep lake.

Theo found himself intrigued.

If a tomb had been built in such a hidden location, it surely meant something was being concealed.

However...

‘This might be similar to the Creimhilt situation.’

That feeling hit him strongly.

And soon, the Black Dragon entered the reception room, followed by physicians who began examining the Naga warrior’s condition. Their first priority was to stabilize him.

Theo locked eyes with the Black Dragon and then headed straight for the meeting room.

"The Mage Tower sent chimeras to invade the Naga forest."

At these words, the Black Dragon’s eyes widened.

As the head of an intelligence organization, he had no information about the Mage Tower. A fleeting thought that Theo might be speculating crossed his mind.

‘He seems sure about it.’

Without deep suspicion, the Black Dragon immediately accepted it.

Theo had often acted with such certainty, and it had never been wrong.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Regardless of whether the Mage Tower was involved, the invasion of the Naga forest made mobilizing forces unavoidable.

"For now, just be aware of it. We’ll handle the rest once everyone arrives."

Not long after, word came that the Naga warrior had regained consciousness.

"Are you feeling better?"

Seeing his breathing had steadied, Theo sat down and held the Naga’s hand.

"Yes, thanks to you... um."

"First, what is your name?"

"I am Mailrun, son of Chief Terepun. Theo Ragnar, please, help our tribe!"

"We are preparing for departure. Even at the fastest speed, we will have time to talk."

Theo calmed the anxious Mailrun.

From his appearance, it was clear that the situation on the battlefield was dire.

Right now, Theo needed to gather a record of everything Mailrun had experienced.

"I would like to hear about the chimeras."

Since he already knew from the messages that the Mage Tower was behind this, Theo only needed to learn about the chimeras.

Their characteristics, their strength, and more.

As soon as the word chimera left Theo's mouth, Mailrun visibly shuddered.

It was clear that this was a deep trauma for him.

Mailrun clasped his trembling hands and spoke.

"At first, they were nothing special. We easily dealt with them a few times. But... as time went on, they began appearing more frequently, and they got stronger."

Mailrun’s body shook as he added the word terrifyingly.

"It was like they were learning... They began countering our warriors’ tactics, breaking through our formations, and attacking the core of our battle lines. It was a nightmare..."

Mailrun muttered, his eyes distant, as though lost in the memory.

"Our warriors..."

"Chief! Wait!"

Before Mailrun could continue, he fainted once more.

The physicians rushed to attend to him, and Theo’s expression darkened.

‘The bodies of our warriors must have fused with the chimeras.’

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so shocked.

The Naga, with their similarity to humans, were the perfect materials for the chimeras.

‘Now I understand why the Naga were pushed back.’

The defeat and the struggle were now somewhat clearer.

The traces of their kin found in the chimeras.

Friends, family, or lovers—perhaps they were still alive within the chimeras, holding on to a faint hope.

In the midst of hope and despair, their once-sharp blades had dulled.

The anger they felt in a senseless, dishonorable fight now seemed to reach Theo.

He couldn’t begin to fathom the emotions of the Naga who had come here, battered and exhausted, having broken through the chimeras’ front lines.

He didn’t dare to try, as it might have been an insult to them.

‘The Mage Tower... how dare they...!’

Theo could no longer forgive the Mage Tower for this act, especially after having been warned earlier.

The fact that the Mage Tower was desecrating the bodies of others was utterly revolting.

"Hah! Hah!"

Mailrun regained consciousness again, gasping for air.

"Please, save us... I don’t know how much longer we can hold on, so please..."

Tears streamed from Mailrun’s eyes.

Clutching onto his fading consciousness, he begged.

Theo took his trembling hand and nodded.

"Leave it to me. Rest now. Your wounds are deep."

Theo said, and as he stood, he left the office and quickly headed toward the patriarch’s residence.

The Black Dragon quickly followed behind him.

Theo’s back was filled with wrath.

The Black Dragon briefly watched and then placed a hand on Theo’s shoulder.

"Once preparations for departure are finished, the Marlon and the air forces will lead the way tomorrow morning. The ground forces will follow, gathering necessary supplies and support for the Naga tribe."

Fueled by anger, Theo’s mind was working quickly.

The meeting was unnecessary.

He had no interest in something as trivial as a battle.

What was needed now was overwhelming violence as punishment.

"Right, let’s end the meeting here. I’ll inform the others once the White Dragon and the Red Dragon arrive."

Theo always felt a sense of clarity after speaking with the Black Dragon.

Thanks to that, his emotions calmed quickly.

"Thank you."

Theo entered the patriarch’s residence and headed for his bedroom.

There was no need for a separate equipment check, but a bit of rest was necessary.

Though he wanted to head straight for the Naga forest with Umbra, he knew that today’s rest was just as important for the war.

It was important for everyone else as well, as constant fatigue would lower their morale.

He would wait quietly.

They couldn’t afford any unnecessary casualties due to exhaustion.

Theo closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

The next day, as Theo was preparing in his gear, about to put on his cloak—

Knock knock.

A hurried knock was heard, and the door opened.

"It’s been barely any time since you returned, and you’re already leaving?"

Cecilia entered with a slightly melancholic smile.

"I’m sorry."

"No, it’s fine. I already heard from the Black Dragon about the importance of the matter."

She stepped closer and gently patted his arms.

"Even though this may not directly involve our estate, I heard that you’ve fought alongside them recently. I know you wouldn’t turn your back on them. I wanted to tell you that I’m proud of how you empathize with their urgency."

Cecilia gave a soft smile and gazed gently into Theo’s eyes.

Her affectionate look and words caught Theo off guard. He hadn’t expected such wise words from her.

It wasn’t just him or the warriors who had grown stronger through the trials—they too had endured.

Though his body itched with awkwardness, Theo smiled warmly and looked at Cecilia.

"Thank you, Mother."

"What are you saying?"

Theo took a deep breath before speaking, something he had long wanted to say.

With a calm heart, he opened his mouth slowly.

"Thank you for walking the path of strength, not crumbling in the face of what happened to you and those around you. I really wanted to say this."

Cecilia’s eyes widened slightly before closing again.

She seemed to savor the words, slowly mulling them over.

"Thank you for lifting up this foolish mother. But even if I trust my child, a mother’s worry can never disappear. Please, come back unharmed."

"I will."

"And don’t forget to eat well. Understood?"

Cecilia emphasized the last part like any mother would, adding a gentle, caring word.

Theo smiled, nodded, and left the patriarch’s residence.

As he walked toward the training ground, the knights of the White Dragon were lined up, ready.

Though they had been through continuous battles, their eyes were full of determination, and their spirits were unbroken.

They seemed more at ease than tense, as if this was all part of the natural flow of things.

Even so, they showed no sign of slackening, their faith unwavering.

And that faith was rooted in Theo, who stood at the podium.

Theo looked at their faces, smiling faintly, and spoke in a simple but resolute tone.

"I promise you victory today, as always. Let’s go."