Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan

Translator: FenrirTL

Editor: Doodle, Eyes

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Chapter 143: Spirits of the Sacred Mausoleum (3)

“What? You lost them? Didn’t you even deploy the ballista?”

“The resistance of the one clad in platinum armor was so fierce that…”

“You useless fools!!”

The leader of the Blue Crane Corps felt a sharp pang in his head.

The encirclement had been carefully arranged, involving not just the Sacred Demon Church but also the remnants of the old Gathering of the Hidden Dragons.

Yet, it failed to function properly, and the targets escaped. It was infuriating.

‘If Arkt finds out, my head will roll…!’

Arkt was infamous for his cold disposition, even among the nine Retainers.

Just as he had erased the Red-White Mercenaries without hesitation, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t do the same to the Blue Crane Corps.

“Ha ha. It seems things aren’t going quite as planned.”

At that moment, an old man approached the Blue Crane Corps leader with a smile.

Startled, the members of the Blue Crane Corps instinctively stepped back.

It was because the man, wearing the ceremonial robes of the Sacred Demon Church and a black mitre, had appeared.

In the hierarchy of the church—‘Apostle → Cardinal → Archbishop → Bishop → District Leader → Blood Priest’—this man held a middle rank and exuded considerable authority.

Bishop Kali.

He was the one overseeing the Sacred Demon Church’s forces in this ambush.

‘Of all people.’

The Blue Crane Corps leader grimaced but refrained from responding rudely.

Arguing with this man here would only give him more leverage.

“If the Prophet, that child, and those Ragnar scoundrels truly make it to the real mausoleum, how do you plan to take responsibility then?”

“…”

Arkt and the Blue Crane Corps needed Cassandra not just for her prophetic abilities.

It was to locate the real mausoleum where the 299 warriors hidden by Ragnar were buried.

Hidden there was a treasure long coveted by their master.

The ancient relic of the chosen swordsman.

This artifact, now a mere legend, lay in that very place.

Even among the Ragnar family, almost no one knew of this second legend.

Tulip Floral Arts Guild leader Ode’s true role was that of the mausoleum’s guardian.

“Do not forget. That place is just as crucial to our Sacred Demon Church. Only with the Prophet, that child, can we trace the remnants left by our god. It could be a holy sanctuary!”

Moreover, the 299 warriors of the Resolution Squad who had stopped the advance of the were both enemies and vital clues for the resurrection of their god.

The Sacred Demon Church had dared to ally with the godless faction of Troyban for precisely this reason.

The Blue Crane Corps leader clenched his teeth tightly and turned his head away.

Kwarrrung! Kwarung!

Where his gaze landed, two distinct streams of light intertwined into a hemispherical shape, causing what could only be described as a natural disaster.

It was the clash between the Soaring Dragon and Arkt, two superhumans who had thrown open the Glass Realm to engage in a battle.

Once that realm closed, the match would be decided.

Before that happened, they had to find the hidden targets at all costs.

“Deliver this to ‘Alpha.’”

Finally, the Blue Crane Corps leader turned to his subordinate, revealing the last card he had kept hidden.

One he had been reluctant to play unless absolutely necessary.

A dagger aimed straight at the enemy’s heart.

“Even if your cover is blown, just finish the job.”

* * *

[Congratulations! You have successfully completed Scenario Quest #4 by safely relocating the Prophet who peers into time to a secure location.]
[Evaluation: S]
[As a reward, you will soon receive a clue about .]
[Additional reward: Enhanced channeling with Lodbrok.]

Theo widened his eyes at the sudden messages that appeared before him.

This place was safe?

What caught Theo’s attention even more was the additional reward—‘Enhanced channeling with Lodbrok.’

As expected.

『Hoho. You’ve found yourself in an amusing place while digesting Leviathan’s Heart.』

‘Does this mean we can communicate now, Lodbrok?’

『Communication has always been possible since you awakened Dragonblood. I merely blocked it for a while to focus on digestion. But more importantly.』

Lodbrok chuckled slyly.

『You’re still so cold, calling me “Lodbrok” without a hint of affection. Isn’t it unbecoming of a partner?』

‘…What should I call you then?’

『Lodi. Isn’t that just the cutest name?』

It was the kind of nickname one might give to a children’s toy.

It hardly seemed to suit the towering and majestic figure of Lodbrok.

『What? Do you have an issue with it?』

‘No, not at all! It suits you perfectly!’

『Doesn’t it?』

‘Yes! Absolutely! How did you come up with such a fitting name?’

『Hahaha! When you’re stuck in a cave, you’ve got nothing better to do!』

Theo humored Lodbrok, playing along while slipping in a question. There was a hint of longing in Lodbrok’s voice that Theo couldn’t ignore.

‘Do you know where we are?’

『Of course. This is where my former partner and their comrades rest.』

‘Ah.’

Only then did Theo recall that the coffins buried here belonged to those who had stood against the .

It wouldn’t be surprising if one of them was the .

『Still, I didn’t expect the souls of their comrades to remain so vivid like that.』

Lodbrok let out a dry laugh as she observed, through Theo’s eyes, the ghosts sitting on the coffins or huddled together in groups.

-They really can see us, huh.

-Wow. Seriously, wow!

-It’s a living person. A living person we can talk to! Hooray! We can finally talk to someone other than these boring guys! Hooray!

-Hey, we’re tired of looking at your ugly mug every day, too. And for the record, he’s also a guy.

-But there are two ladies with him! Look at that!

Their endless chatter made Theo question if these could really be Ragnar’s swordsmen.

‘The solemn atmosphere is completely shattered.’

『…I regret the tears I shed, moved by their noble spirits, when they sacrificed themselves for the world back then. They’re worse than giggling little girls amused by falling leaves.』

Lodbrok was grumbling when suddenly—

“What are you just standing there for?”

Ode was staring at Theo with her usual stern expression.

Naturally, she was unaware of his situation.

Theo simply replied that it was nothing and followed Ode.

“Your companions are all resting over there. Go on.”

-Oh, looks like he’s going over there.

-So that young man the gravekeeper brought in is one of their companions? That’s perfect. It’s been so dull. Let’s go.

-But are you sure he really made eye contact with us? He’s not even looking this way now.

-That’s why we’re going to check. Why are you hesitating?

-Of course we’re going!

“Yes, thank you.”

“And remember. This is where the ancient spirits rest. Don’t cause a commotion or do anything disrespectful.”

-Of course. We are the spirits, after all. Such an honorable title, gravekeeper.

-But isn’t it fun to make noise? If it’s too quiet, it gets boring!

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good. Now, wait here. I’ll check outside and return.”

Murmuring. Whispering.

Theo resisted the pounding in his head and moved toward the area where Selperd and the others were.

‘I’ll just have to keep ignoring them, I suppose.’

『Agreed.』

Keeeak!

As Umbra lunged at him, asking why he was late, Theo patted its head and nodded respectfully toward Selperd.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

“What do you mean? You’re the one who did all the hard work, flying around like that.”

“It was thanks to the items.”

“Come on, being too modest is annoying. Just act like a Ragnar. What’s with the unnecessary humility?”

Theo scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“When we get back this time, I’ll propose the matter of promoting you to an Advanced Swordsman.”

Theo’s eyes sparkled.

A promotion.

It was always pleasant to hear such words.

“Do you think it’s possible?”

“Your skills are definitely up to par now. What’s needed are contributions, though…”

The hierarchy of the Ragnar system prioritized skill, but that was only the essential requirement. Various additional conditions also had to be met.

Especially from the rank of Advanced Swordsman, where solo missions became standard, and it effectively included subordinate management. The procedures weren’t simple.

“Well, some of that could be covered by the Autonomous Region operation in the Floating Archipelago, or this rescue mission. We’ll know more after reviewing the reports.”

“I’ll leave it in your hands.”

“Sure. It’s always nice when juniors do well…!”

Selperd stopped mid-sentence and frowned.

“Or is it? If a junior does too well, it might make me jealous. Maybe they need to experience the bitter side of life to keep their pride in check?”

Theo chuckled lightly at Selperd’s teasing, which was clearly insincere.

It was never dull when Selperd was around.

‘Cassandra must be exhausted.’

His gaze shifted, and he noticed Cassandra sleeping soundly, using Arin’s lap as a pillow. He let out a wry smile.

Marching for days with her unwell body must have been draining.

While pitying her, Theo gently stroked Cassandra’s hair.

Poke poke.

-Hey, young man.

Someone poked Theo in the side.

-You can hear us, right?

“……”

-We’ve been calling you for a while, but you haven’t responded.

-Was it just a coincidence when you looked at us earlier?

-No way. It was real. This is frustrating.

-Oh, are you pretending not to notice us?

-Us? Why would he?

-How should I know?

-Maybe it’s one of those ghost phobias we’ve heard about? Poor guy. Such a handsome young man, too.

The Resolution Squad, known for their exceptional skills even Lodbrok acknowledged, could provide Theo with a wealth of knowledge if he spoke with them.

Especially when it came to ancient swordsmanship, an area Theo had always longed to master.

But their personalities were the problem.

Having retained consciousness while being trapped here for centuries, they had become like this.

Once caught up in their antics, it would be impossible to focus.

『What’s your plan? Just keep pretending not to notice?』

‘That’s the idea.’

Theo gave a wry smile and subtly changed the subject.

‘By the way, Lodbrok.’

『Lodi.』

‘…My apologies. Yes, Lodi. Do you happen to know anything about the ?’

『Hmm? That’s a bit vague. Are you referring to information about the Chosen One’s regression?』

Theo instinctively realized that the amount of information he could obtain would greatly vary depending on how he approached the contents of the , given as a reward.

‘Did you know that the Imperial family has long possessed the ability to foresee the future?’

『. You must be referring to that. Why? Did you encounter a child with such an ability?』

Theo’s gaze shifted toward the sleeping Cassandra.

『So, it’s that child, then. And she’s blind? She’s perfectly suited for having an extraordinary ability.』

‘What do you mean by “perfectly suited”?’

『From ancient times, children born with exceptional innate abilities—especially those deemed “divine”—have tended to possess one or more disabilities. After all, gods themselves are inherently flawed beings.』

A limping blacksmith god.
A celestial god with one eye.
A god of the arts who could never experience love.
A war god who lost their reason…

All the gods enshrined in the pantheon were born with some form of .

『A blind person who cannot see the present but can glimpse the future. Contradiction is a geas. The heavier the burden, the more radiant the ability.』

This was an affirmation that Cassandra’s prophetic abilities were exceptional.

Theo nodded.

Certainly, the Mage Empress’s powers had been hailed as the greatest among the emperors.

‘But is prophecy truly possible?’

『Why do you think it’s not?』

‘If the future is “fixed”…!’

『You’re speaking of determinism. If the future is predetermined, then what would be the point of regression, right?』

‘Yes, exactly.’

Theo nodded solemnly, while Lodbrok chuckled lightly.

『In truth, what that child sees is not the actual future.』

‘Then what is it?’

『It’s closer to a “possibility.” It shows fragmented glimpses of the most probable outcomes within the law of causality, based on past “data.”』

Data?

『What you call is slightly different from the Gift of Foresight. Think of it as a representation—a fleeting glimpse—of the residual traces of “former” universes that no longer exist.』

Each statement was difficult to grasp, but Theo, who had retained fragments of his memories of ‘Earth’ even after experiencing regression and reincarnation, felt a strange realization creeping in.

‘Are you implying that…!’

『Humans typically perceive time as an infinitely extending , don’t they? But that’s not the case.』

Lodbrok chuckled as if amused by Theo’s reaction.

『Time is a . It flows in cycles. Infinitely. Like the Ouroboros serpent endlessly coiling to devour its own tail.』

Lodbrok’s voice gradually gained intensity.

『This world too, my companion, endlessly repeats , just like you.』

‘…!’

[You have successfully obtained partial information about from Lodbrok.]

[A new quest has begun.]

[A quest has arrived.]

—

[Scenario Quest #6]

Using the information you just acquired about the , delve deeper into Cassandra’s abilities to uncover the .

· Difficulty: S
· Reward: ■■ Regression Ability
· Failure: Death

—

Even after reading the quest, Theo could hardly regain his composure.

There was a more pressing truth he needed to uncover now.

‘Lodi, if time truly flows in an infinite as you claim… who, then, is the one rewinding it to its starting point?’

『You’ve already begun to suspect, haven’t you?』

Theo’s expression hardened.

‘Then, is that being the ?’