Chapter 141
Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: Doodle, Eyes
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Chapter 141: Spirits of the Sacred Mausoleum (1)
Theo could understand Lezé’s thoughts.
“Are you trying to take Cassandra away in the middle of this chaos?”
“You should choose your words properly, little brother. Your task was only to hand this child over to us, wasn’t it?”
“I just received a new order. It’s to relocate Cassandra safely to another place.”
“Oh, if that’s the case, don’t worry. We’ll protect her ourselves.”
“Are you the one in charge of this mission, sister?”
Lezé smiled silently.
Theo became confident in his suspicions.
“As expected, you’re not.”
“I’m an heir. In emergencies, I have the authority to make appropriate judgments and issue commands.”
“And is that ‘appropriate judgment’ hiding Cassandra from our other siblings?”
“That could be an example of such judgment. You know very well what will happen if the elders of Winterer set their sights on her.”
Of course.
Theo gritted his teeth.
It seems Lezé is no longer planning to hide her true motives.
Cassandra’s prophetic abilities could have an enormous influence on the future balance of power, depending on how they were utilized.
If Lezé was also aware of Cassandra’s true identity?
‘That would be the worst-case scenario. She’ll try to wield power as she pleases.’
Theo knew well about Lezé’s lust for power. He also knew how it sometimes blinded her.
It was precisely why she had lost to Torkel.
“Aren’t you even considering Cassandra’s opinion?”
“Why do you keep acting like an amateur? You know full well. It’s safest for her to be under my protection. If necessary—”
Lezé’s eyes curved into a smile.
“Since the two of you seem particularly close, I might even allow you to meet her occasionally.”
You need Cassandra’s abilities too, don’t you? If so, join me.
Her meaning was clear: submit under her.
Lezé would likely hide Cassandra for the rest of her life, ensuring her face never saw the light of day.
In the end, Theo made up his mind.
“Yes, I understand.”
“Oh? What will you do?”
“I won’t entrust Cassandra to you, sister.”
“What?”
Theo took out Aegir’s helmet from his inventory and donned it.
Clink!
“You just said it, didn’t you? In emergencies, heirs have the right to make appropriate judgments and commands.”
Sshhhk—
From the helmet, platinum armor cascaded down and enveloped Theo’s entire body in an instant.
The hero Kriemhild, who had once illuminated the Floating Archipelago, was attempting a resurrection in the heart of the continent.
“Then I, too, will act based on my judgment as an heir.”
Theo drew Drake’s Blade and activated his Inner Aura.
Whirr—
As hot steam billowed, the blade’s surface burned red, revealing a multitude of dragon scales.
Bang!
Screech!
“All this fuss over one child? And you dare challenge me, your sister? Seems you can’t distinguish personal matters from public duty after all, you fool.”
Lezé wore an incredulous expression as she dragged the Grim Reaper across the floor with a loud scrape.
Though her Reaper Division swordsmen started to move, she gestured for them to step back.
“Fine. This is just as well. There are some things I wanted to ask you anyway.”
Fwoosh!
Black flames roared violently along the scythe’s blade.
Purgatory Furnace.
This was the secret art that earned Lezé the moniker of the Black Reaper.
‘This is for the best. If I can’t bring him under my control, it’s better to crush him now before he becomes a greater threat.’
Lezé intended to overpower Theo in an instant. His strange armor and sword gave him a threatening air, but she didn’t believe he was on her level.
She had defeated dozens, if not hundreds, of Ragnar bloodlines, including distant branches, and was one of the five main contenders for succession.
She had even been listed among the Nine Dragons of the Era.
The thought of losing to such a fledgling was ridiculous.
‘I might as well find out what he’s done to the Grim Reaper.’
Lezé intensified the black flames and slashed toward Theo’s neck.
A strike so sharp it seemed to sever space itself.
Theo raised Drake’s Blade to block the attack.
Lezé inwardly sneered.
The flames of the Purgatory Furnace were not a simple fire attribute technique. Once ignited, they wouldn’t stop until they burned their target’s life force to ashes.
Moreover, combined with the mysterious power of the Grim Reaper, the technique’s might was beyond description.
Trying to block it with an improperly imbued blade was sheer recklessness…!
“Deactivate.”
But then, with Theo’s murmur—
Clang!
The black flames surrounding the Grim Reaper extinguished as if they had been a lie.
And that wasn’t all.
The mana circulating within the Grim Reaper abruptly halted, causing a backlash that disrupted Lezé’s mana circuits.
It was as if the Grim Reaper itself vehemently rejected her.
Her body froze stiff.
‘What in the world—!’
Seizing the opening, Theo redirected his blade mid-air and slashed at Lezé’s abdomen.
Crash!
“Damn it!”
“Lezé!”
The Reaper Division, caught off guard, moved frantically.
But no one was more shocked than Lezé.
Abandoning the Grim Reaper’s unyielding form, she barely managed to block Theo’s attack with a dagger from her pocket. Even so, she was flung backward violently by the impact.
“You! What have you done to the Grim Reaper?”
“Who knows.”
Theo, now fully engaged in the Wind Thunder God technique, closed the distance with her in an instant.
Beneath the helmet, his eyes glowed coldly.
“To put it simply, it’s responding to its ‘true’ master.”
“……!”
A message floated before Theo’s retina.
[Activated ownership of ‘Relic of the Primordial Dragon: Grim Reaper.’]
[The Grim Reaper rejects the touch of anyone other than its owner.]
The Grim Reaper’s true master was no longer Lezé, but Theo.
Of course, Lezé, unaware of this fact, bit her lip in fury.
What she had feared most had come to pass.
The Grim Reaper wasn’t just a cherished weapon to her.
It was the keepsake of a mother who had been unjustly poisoned to death during the fierce succession struggles.
-This will protect you always, Lezé. So don’t cry.
But Theo had no regard for Lezé’s anguish. He continued to swing Drake’s Blade relentlessly.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each strike of Drake’s Blade unleashed bolts of lightning, throwing Lezé’s movements into disarray.
Without proper mana flow, due to the Grim Reaper’s rejection, it was difficult for her to respond effectively.
Letting go of the Grim Reaper would have been the logical choice.
But—
‘That’s impossible!’
Lezé couldn’t bring herself to do it.
She feared that if she released it even once, it would never return to her hands again.
“Lezé! we’ll assist you!”
“Can’t you step away from Lady Lezé, Theo Ragnar?”
The Reaper Division hurriedly clung to Theo’s rear, attempting to rescue Lezé.
“Taking Cassandra away, are you? Is it fine to leave your post like this?”
“……!”
“……!”
At Theo’s mocking tone, they belatedly realized their mistake and turned back, only to see someone else had infiltrated their shaken formation.
It was Selperd, Arin, and Ray, who had been waiting for Theo’s signal.
“Ah, seriously! Stop dumping all the hard work on us!”
“Quick, grab her!”
Ray cradled Cassandra in her arms, while Selperd and Arin covered the left and right sides, blocking the Reaper Division’s approach.
No matter how elite the Reaper Division was as Lezé’s personal guard, the White Armored Dragon Cavalry represented the finest forces Ragnar had to offer.
They wouldn’t be easily overpowered.
Moreover, the Reaper Division had a more critical issue.
They had been held back by Theo for too long.
-Sacred Demon Conquest!
-Sacred Demon Conquest!
From nearby, the faint roars of fanatics echoed.
The Reaper Division collectively snapped their heads upward.
“Why is this land so full of those swayed by vain desires?! All must wash away their sins in red blood!”
A new faction was now entering the fray for Cassandra’s capture.
The Sacred Demon Church.
Accompanied by an official of the District Leader rank and dozens of others, they burst into the area, colliding with the Reaper Division in chaos.
Though Arkht hadn’t wanted to bring them, he had no choice but to pull them in as reinforcements.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Hold your positions! Stop those lunatics first!”
Lezé hesitated for a moment.
Should she stop them or chase after Cassandra?
If the formation collapsed, they risked being surrounded and annihilated by the enemy.
Yet, Cassandra’s presence was also an essential key to Lezé’s future plans.
The hesitation didn’t last long.
The most important thing now was ensuring the safety of the Reaper Division, which meant holding the formation at all costs.
The Reaper Division moved to block the Sacred Demon Church’s advance, while Selperd’s group took the opportunity to ride Umbra, which had emerged from the shadows, and prepared to ascend to the sky.
“It’s done!”
The skies belonged to the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.
As always.
Selperd and Arin believed the enemy would no longer be able to pursue them.
* * *
“Was this what you were aiming for…!”
Lezé ground her teeth as she watched Umbra, along with Selperd’s group, rise powerfully into the air.
“It was you who disregarded Soaring Dragon’s orders and acted on your own in the first place, sister.”
“That child will only bring endless chaos in the future!”
“That doesn’t give you the right to manipulate the child’s life against her will, does it?”
Theo remained calm to the end.
Grit!
Lezé came to a realization.
Theo was not someone who could be confined within another’s grasp.
He would remain parallel to her, never intersecting.
“I’ll return to reclaim the Grim Reaper later. Please keep it safe until then.”
With a cold smile, Theo stopped pressuring her and leapt into the air.
Lezé attempted to chase him, but Theo acted first. Using a chain of telekinetic force, he secured Umbra’s leg and ascended into the sky with them.
“Aaagh!”
Lezé let out a frustrated scream.
The Reaper Division, Sacred Demon Church, and Blue Crane Corps all stood like dogs chasing after chickens, left staring helplessly at the sky.
“Haha, I see you handled it quite thoroughly.”
As a faint smile played on Soaring Dragon’s lips, Arkht remained expressionless. His sunken eyes behind the mask revealed no trace of his thoughts.
And then—
“Ugh, I thought I was going to die.”
“Between the enemy’s siege and the heirs’ power struggles… I really thought we’d break under the pressure of those giants.”
Selperd and Arin finally relaxed, plopping down on Umbra’s back with heavy sighs of relief.
Theo, still dangling from Umbra’s leg, transmitted a message through telepathy.
「I apologize.」
“Apologize? It’s our mission too. But people like you will never understand the hearts of us little folk.”
「Perhaps. But you’d better watch out for what’s behind you.」
“What?”
Selperd jolted upright in surprise.
Below them, outside the manor walls, soldiers had formed a tightly packed encirclement.
「It seems Troyban has made up their mind.」
Alongside Troyban’s flag, banners of various organizations waved in the wind.
They were all groups Theo was familiar with.
House of Rose.
First Sword Assembly.
Black Shadow Sword Unit.
Wandering Knights’ Alliance.
Traitor factions that had turned their backs on Ragnar and allied with Troyban.
“Damn it, there are so many.”
Selperd let out a deep sigh.
Countless soldiers aimed their steel-tipped arrows toward them.