Chapter 86

[A new enemy has appeared.]

[The difficulty of this quest has been adjusted from A+ to S+.]

“What? S+ difficulty…?”

Considering that the final tutorial quest had been S-rank in difficulty, this was an unbelievably high level.

This meant that the opponent was an exceptionally dangerous entity.

『Answer me. What are you?』

His head rang as if it would burst.

An overwhelming sense of dread consumed him.

Only then did Theo realize.

This being before him was the very “god” worshipped by the Sacred Demon Church.

The very culprit responsible for the Great War stood right in front of him!

‘Bloodlight Convergence… It wasn’t a lie when they said it was a possession. If they were forcibly opening the Brain Gate with magic power to accept divine power, it makes sense that they’d have that much physical strength and magic power.’

『This energy feels familiar… Ah, I see. You’re a Ragnar, aren’t you? So the descendant of a false chosen one dares to peer into my servant’s mind and glimpse me.』

The evil god, a fusion of fear, resentment, and malice, examined Theo closely and even deduced his identity.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Theo’s heart pounded furiously.

While it was a surprising gain to learn the secret behind the Blood Priest, right now, he needed to escape.

But to where?

How would he get out of here?

This was different from the time he had escaped Hilda’s grasp.

Back then, he had the Dragon Slayer Sword and the Black Dragon nearby, but this time, he had neither.

At the same time, Theo felt a strange sense of familiarity from the evil god.

‘It’s like something I saw in the Demonic Sea…!’

『You, a mere Ragnar, should be honored to receive such a grand welcome from me. As a reward, I shall grant you the grace of becoming my loyal servant.』

Something from the evil god approached Theo.

A massive hand.

As it reached out to engulf him, his heart beat even more erratically.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump…!

Suppressing the terror that gripped his heart, Theo tried to move his hand toward the Moon-White Sword.

Wiiiiing!

Suddenly, his head felt as if it were about to burn up, growing unbearably hot.

White Heat.

And at that moment, his Brain Gate opened wider.

Just like the Blood Priest’s gate during the possession.

Flash!

『Though it’s not yet the time, given the circumstances, I have no other choice.』

Theo felt a massive presence emerge behind him.

A familiar voice.

He quickly turned to face it.

A colossal dragon appeared, its jaws wide open.

A dragon with a hollow left chest.

‘Lothbrok!’

『My companion. ‘That thing’ is not something you are yet prepared to face. Only when you have ascended to Sigurd’s level might you barely be able to confront it. It is a being that summons ■■.』

A fireball formed at the corner of Lodbrok’s mouth.

The blazing heat radiating from it was so intense, it felt as if it could engulf a sun within its flames.

『So return. Gather more strength, and then call upon me.』

And with that, the sun fell.

At the same time, Theo’s consciousness was severed.

* * *

Theo felt himself being forcefully flung backward, retreating several steps away from the Blood Priest.

“How… how did you…!”

The Blood Priest’s face, staring at him, was overwhelmed with a whirlwind of emotions.

Shock, astonishment, disbelief, yearning, regret.

Despite devoting his entire life to serving a god, he had only ever faintly sensed the deity’s presence.

Yet here was an unbeliever, hearing the direct words of the god himself—something the priest could hardly believe.

Still, part of him was consumed by an overwhelming desire to witness more of the god.

Just a little longer.

If only he had just a little more time, he could finally lay eyes upon the god’s true form…!

Schick!

But the Blood Priest’s thoughts were abruptly cut short.

In the blink of an eye, Theo had drawn the Moon-White Sword and sliced off the priest’s head.

It was an act meant to prevent him from being dragged back into the world of unconsciousness.

‘The evil god worshipped by the Sacred Demon Church… was the Nameless Sovereign Lothbrok spoke of.’

Lothbrok’s words from their encounter in the Nest resurfaced in Theo’s mind.

– Why do you remain here?

– Because of the Nameless Sovereign.

– The Nameless Sovereign…?

– A “monster” that exists beyond the Demonic Sea, at the furthest edge of the world. For the past thousand years, I’ve stayed here, bound by the duty to protect the world from it. The Winter Mountains are merely a forward base for that mission.

The being that had kept Lothbrok tethered to the Winter Mountains for the past millennium.

It was a name Theo had never heard before, but its image remained vividly imprinted in his mind.

And now, he had come face to face with a fragment of that being.

Lothbrok could have only appeared to deal with that very creature.

The aura of the Demonic Sea that radiated from the enemy was yet another sign confirming that it was indeed the Nameless Sovereign.

At the same time, a thought crossed Theo’s mind.

‘Lothbrok said she wouldn’t last another two or three years. The Great War will break out five years from now.’

If the Nameless Sovereign was the true orchestrator behind the Great War that would engulf the continent in flames, then it meant that its activities would begin in earnest after Lothbrok’s demise.

‘Is this really a coincidence?’

Of course not.

Theo was someone who firmly believed that there were no coincidences in the world.

‘Ed and Troyban’s conspiracy, the Sacred Demon Church’s rampage, the outbreak of the Great War… Events I thought were completely separate were all connected in one grand scheme!’

He had a vague understanding of the reason behind the existence of the scenario quests.

The duty of the Ragnar bloodline was to stop the Nameless Sovereign. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that the potential of the artifact, imprinted into the bloodline’s genes, had awakened in alignment with this purpose.

‘I should keep following the quests. That way, everything will become clearer.’

Luckily, the objectives of the quests were perfectly aligned with Theo’s own goals.

[You have leveled up.]

As Theo organized his thoughts, he turned around.

Swish!

In that instant, something gleamed in the darkness.

It was the assassin’s dagger, which had been waiting to strike at Theo.

However, the blade never reached him.

Suddenly, a shadow shot upward, and Umbra appeared, swallowing the assassin whole in one swift motion.

Crunch, crunch!

The death came so swiftly, not even a final cry could be uttered.

“Well done.”

Creak!

Umbra let out a pleased sound at Theo’s praise.

* * *

“This…!”

Kleve and Hazel, rushing down to the underground, were stopped in their tracks, overwhelmed by shock.

The traces of the fierce battle scattered throughout the area were incredible.

Theo sat against one side of the corridor, his face tired, holding something in his hand.

“You’ve arrived?”

“Did you… capture the Blood Priest?”

What shocked them most was the Blood Priest’s head rolling at Theo’s feet.

Upstairs, two Blood Priests had appeared, and they had hurried to subdue them as quickly as possible, rushing down here with a sense of urgency.

But to think Theo had already dealt with the Blood Priest down here, and even defeated him.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Yes. It just happened.”

“Huh… I don’t know how something like dealing with a Blood Priest can just ‘happen’,” Kleve shook her head in disbelief but smiled at the same time.

“If you’ve handled a Blood Priest on your own, I think that proves your capability as a Practical Swordsman. What’s the opinion of the Plum Blossom Palace?”

“…I agree with Black Snow’s assessment.”

Hazel could only nod absentmindedly.

She had barely managed to hold her ground when she had faced a Blood Priest and had needed Evelyn’s help to defeat him.

“The White Armored Dragon Cavalry already acknowledged it, and now all three examiners are unanimous. Congratulations. You are now a Practical Swordsman. It’s the fastest promotion in history.”

“Thank you.”

Theo nodded calmly.

He was happy, but it wasn’t to the point of being overwhelmed.

Was it because he had gone through such a significant event?

Theo couldn’t quite understand his own feelings.

It just felt like he had merely completed what was expected of him.

However, to Kleve, that attitude made him all the more interesting.

‘At that age, he should be boasting about his achievements, yet he remains composed. He doesn’t lose his cool. He’s certainly a talent who would pair well with Black Snow.’

Theo asked,

“How did things go upstairs?”

“The suppression is complete. Captain Evelyn stayed behind to clean up. When we return, there will be plenty to report.”

Kleve’s gaze darkened.

The alliance between the Sacred Demon Church and the Troyban family was something even Black Snow hadn’t anticipated.

If this situation were reported, it was certain that their strategy against Troyban would undergo major revisions.

“But, what’s that in your hand?”

“Oh, I found a safe, and I discovered a few interesting things.”

He had already opened the safe?

How fast had he dealt with the Blood Priest?

Kleve let out a faint laugh and accepted the documents Theo handed over.

One was a document related to the Sacred Demon Church.

It appeared that the Season of the Snake was a front organization created by the Sacred Demon Church to conceal themselves from the eyes of the world.

This could serve as evidence to link Troyban and the Sacred Demon Church.

And the other…

For a moment, one of Kleve’s eyebrows raised.

An entirely unexpected name was written on it.

“Ceres Trading Company?”

The Ceres Trading Company was not only tied to the hostages from the current mission, but it was also a link between Ed Troyban and the Troyban family.

The fact that this name appeared…

As expected, the more Kleve skimmed through the document, the colder his expression became.

“The Director of Central Intelligence’s trail leads here.”

The document was a request sent from the Ceres Trading Company to the Season of the Snake.

But rather than a request, the tone of the contents resembled an order.

Someone had used the name of the Ceres Trading Company to issue commands to the Season of the Snake.

“We must strike the headquarters of the Ceres Trading Company immediately.”

At Theo’s words, Kleve turned his gaze back toward him.

“Just the two of us?”

“The opponent is the Director of Central Intelligence. I also understand that the Ceres Trading Company handles a lot of information. If we wait for reinforcements, our movements will only be exposed.”

“Even so, it’s undoubtedly a risky plan. While they might not compare to the Vassal family, the Ceres Trading Company’s military power isn’t something to be taken lightly.”

“Even so, I think it’s necessary to take risks.”

Kleve quietly gazed at Theo.

Theo, too, met her eyes in silence.

A brief moment of stillness passed between them.

Pisik!

Kleve finally let out a laugh.

Some might think that Theo’s counsel was the rashness of a young swordsman, but his gaze was colder and more composed than ever.

It was clear this was a conclusion reached after careful thought.

“If you were just a trainee, I might overlook it, but the opinion of a practical swordsman on a mission is worth considering. Hazel Copel, what do you think?”

“I fully agree with Practical Swordsman Theo Ragnar’s opinion. If this information is true, it means the Ceres Trading Company has already been plotting rebellion.”

Plotting rebellion.

A serious matter that the great families could never ignore.

Moreover, the Ceres Trading Company had long been a vassal force supported by the House of Ragnar.

If they had repaid that grace by secretly plotting a betrayal, punishment was inevitable.

‘Let’s admit it. There’s a reason why the Lord cherishes Theo Ragnar. He’s the one who sees the situation most clearly right now.’

Hazel had now made up her mind to recognize Theo.

His skills, his judgment—there was no room for her to challenge him anymore.

On top of this, Theo added another point.

“And I believe Black Snow has prepared some sort of ‘insurance,’ don’t you think?”

“…How did you know about that?”

“There’s no way you’d handle a wild beast without putting it on a leash.”

“As expected, you… Haha! You never fail to surprise me. Fine. I deem the opinions of both practical swordsmen valid, and we will initiate the next operation as an extension of this mission.”

Kleve folded the documents and tucked them into her inner pocket before speaking to Theo.

“By the way, considering it’s the Ceres Trading Company, these are the very people you saved just a few days ago. And now you’re about to send them to their deaths. You have quite the dark taste, don’t you?”

Theo laughed.

It was the laugh of a predator before its prey.

“If they interfere with the hunt, I’ll simply get rid of them.”

“Indeed, that makes sense.”

Kleve chuckled along with him and turned in the opposite direction.

And that very day…

An inn in the provincial town of Kalhelm was engulfed in flames from a mysterious fire, disappearing without a trace.