LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 157
Chapter 157: The Mausoleum's Caretaker (2)
Editor - Eyes
“You want me to become the caretaker of the mausoleum…?”
“Exactly.”
Upsurging Dragon nodded heavily as he continued.
“Although the position has gradually been neglected as the direct line shifted, the role of the caretaker is by no means insignificant. Its official protocol rank is equivalent to the heads of several halls or military divisions.”
“...!”
“This would be the first time you are granted an official ‘position.’ You understand the weight this carries, don’t you?”
Theo quietly nodded.
Gaining a position.
And becoming an executive.
It was tantamount to wielding power.
It meant he would finally have the authority to establish his own foundation officially.
For Theo, who was not yet twenty, this was nothing short of a groundbreaking appointment.
Upsurging Dragon was essentially offering this exceptional position to Theo.
Regardless of Upsurging Dragon’s motives, it was an undeniably tempting proposal for Theo.
But there was a stumbling block.
“Will the Tulip Floral Arts Guild continue to operate? After all, it’s an association of rebels.”
The House of Ragnar never left the seeds of rebellion unattended.
Any organization tied to such would either be utterly annihilated or, at the very least, forcibly disbanded.
“No, that won’t happen.”
Then?
“You don’t intend to make this public, do you?”
“Of course not. Why would we broadcast this matter as if it were something worth celebrating?”
With his hands behind his back, Upsurging Dragon continued.
“After all, Ode has already taken responsibility for everything and kept her mouth shut, hasn’t she? Conveniently, she has neither family nor allies left. That means there’s no seed of dissent. So why should we offer an excuse that would only demoralize us and give Troyban a reason to slander us?”
In short, exploit the situation.
That was what Upsurging Dragon was saying.
“Ode died heroically while fending off Troyban and the Sacred Demon Church’s brutal assault. You were the one who witnessed her final moments and were chosen as her successor.”
Upsurging Dragon chuckled mischievously as he posed a question.
“By coincidence, you also seem to know the sword she passed down.”
“…How did you know?”
He was referring to the Black Ice and White Jade Moon.
Theo considered feigning ignorance but, reading the certainty in Upsurging Dragon’s eyes, he eventually surrendered.
It seemed the man was confident in his assumptions.
“Ode’s grandfather was a dear old friend of mine.”
Theo scratched his cheek with his index finger.
The response caught him off guard.
“I know all his small habits, his footwork, the way he measured up his opponents… all of it. You appear to have surpassed even that and found the true direct heir. Congratulations.”
Are the Nine Dragons truly different?
Upsurging Dragon had already precisely grasped Theo’s achievements and the details surrounding them.
‘Black Ice and White Jade Moon… it was similar yet vastly different from the Black Flame Jade Sun.’
The Black Flame Jade Sun radiates intense thermal energy, destroying its surroundings with overwhelming entropy.
In contrast, the Black Ice and White Jade Moon disrupts the energy system, transforming the surroundings into a realm of death.
That was
Solar Eclipse and Lunar Eclipse.
Theo planned to combine these two concepts effectively for practical use.
‘If necessary, I could deploy them as a dual-sword technique.’
If one side of his body wielded the Solar Eclipse and the other the Lunar Eclipse, the destructive power would be incomparable to before.
Theo was already rapidly constructing the theoretical groundwork for this in his mind.
This line of thought was made possible thanks to the inspiration provided by the Sword Sphere.
Thus, it wasn’t entirely incorrect to say he had inherited the Black Ice and White Jade Moon.
“So, you’ll take the caretaker’s position. If you dislike being called Ode’s successor, then think of it as having claimed it as your spoils of war under Ragnar’s laws. It’s not a bad deal, is it?”
Theo paused in thought for a moment, then glanced at the ghosts quietly observing him from the shadows.
As they smiled subtly, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
In the end, Theo was able to make up his mind with relative ease.
***********************
Upsurging Dragon, pleased with Theo’s decision, assured him that he would personally handle the necessary procedures and left for the moment.
Scratching the back of his head, Theo spoke to the vice-captain and the ghosts who were still looking at him with peculiar expressions.
“So, this is what you wanted to ask me for.”
-Ahem!
-Hem, hem, hem!
-Well, asking outright would’ve been a little awkward, wouldn’t it?
The ghosts turned their heads slightly to the side, clearing their throats.
Even though they were usually brazen, their slightly reddened noses hinted that they felt a bit embarrassed this time.
It wasn’t easy for elders to directly ask a distant descendant to continue taking responsibility for them.
“But I’m still conflicted. I’ve said I’ll take the position, but I don’t have much time to manage the mausoleum properly.”
After the recent clash, the underground mausoleum was almost half destroyed.
As the caretaker, Theo would naturally be obligated to restore it.
But Theo, whose every day was precious, didn’t have the time to take on such a task.
Upsurging Dragon had mentioned that he could leave the follow-up work to the Floral Arts Guild, even if it took some time. However, simply leaving it unattended didn’t sit well with him, especially since the ghosts were visibly present.
-Don’t worry about us. We’ve managed fine on our own without you so far.
“How could I just leave it as it is?”
-Seriously? Even if you leave it, what’s going to change? The coffins are going to rot and disappear anyway.
“If you’re to have even the bare minimum of peace, you’ll need a proper place to rest, won’t you?”
-Huh? Why would we lie down?
“Well, so I can come by to pay respects and perform memorial rites...”
-Wait, why would you perform memorial rites?
“Excuse me? Because once you move on, I won’t be able to see you anymore, so there needs to be a place to remember you...”
-No, I’m asking, why would we move on in the first place?
“…?”
-…?
It was only then that Theo and the ghosts realized they were talking about entirely different things.
「It seems the ‘caretaker’s duties’ each side had in mind were fundamentally different.」
Lodbrok chuckled in amusement, breaking the silence.
Theo’s eyes widened in surprise.
“So, you didn’t just want me to protect the mausoleum?”
The ghosts exchanged glances for a moment.
-Well, since it’s come to this, let’s speak a bit more openly about our thoughts.
The vice-captain cleared his throat several times and stepped forward.
-Originally, we planned to leave this world as soon as the captain’s Sword Legacy was restored. Wandering as restless spirits, neither alive nor undead, isn’t exactly appealing, is it?
Theo nodded silently.
-But in the meantime, we’ve developed a new attachment.
“A new attachment, you say…?”
-It’s not about maintaining our graves, as you might have guessed.
The vice-captain paused, glancing at the other ghosts.
It seemed they were too embarrassed to voice their thoughts, as they avoided the vice-captain’s gaze.
‘Troublesome lot,’ he grumbled internally. ‘They shove all the awkward stuff onto me, yet never treat me like a superior otherwise.’
-We’ve grown interested in watching your growth a little longer.
“Does that mean…?”
-If possible, we’d like to continue following you. Would that be all right?
“...!”
Theo’s eyes wavered, not with joy but with bewilderment.
『Looks like you’re about to be saddled with a bunch of clingy baggage.』
‘…Must you phrase it like that? It makes it sound like I see them as a nuisance.’
『Isn’t that the case?』
‘I didn’t say anything like that.’
『Hehehe!』
Theo ignored Lodbrok’s telepathic laughter.
But she wasn’t entirely wrong.
Theo had assumed his role as caretaker would involve managing the mausoleum after the ghosts moved on.
Instead, the ghosts were asking him to continue taking responsibility for them, far beyond what he had envisioned. .
Theo didn’t dislike the ghosts.
However, over the past few days, he had experienced firsthand just how noisy they could be. The mere thought of enduring their incessant chatter and nagging was already making his mind feel faint.
『But you also realize how beneficial they can be, don’t you?』
‘Yes, I know. That’s why I’m so conflicted…’
Each of the ghosts was a highly skilled master in their own right.
The advice they offered would undoubtedly play a significant role in Theo’s growth moving forward.
And if his magical abilities developed further? Perhaps, as he had done in the
‘Even so, accepting their request presents problems. Isn’t it unrealistic to keep all 299 of them with me? And there’s also the issue of maintaining their spectral forms.’
Even if they weren’t bound spirits, and even though they hadn’t become undead, maintaining their ethereal forms required a substantial amount of energy.
Without a reliable way to replenish that energy, they would be little more than burdens.
『So, if there were a solution, you’d be willing to take them along?』
‘Is there one?’
『Of course there is. The key here is your resolve. Are you truly willing to become a “caretaker”?』
Not merely a caretaker who managed a mausoleum, but one who protected the ghosts themselves.
Theo paused to think for a brief moment before nodding.
The power displayed by the Dragon Fang Corps was far too alluring to ignore, even when considering its drawbacks.
‘Yes.’
『There is something called the Soul Blade.』
‘Soul Blade…’
『It’s a type of magical artifact that can seal souls. The more souls it contains or the higher their quality, the greater its rank becomes. Find it.』
Theo wondered if the Soul Blade might be hidden within the Imperial Vault, but his thoughts quickly shifted to another possibility.
[Opening Shop Window.]
+
[Sealed Soul Blade]
A blade that changes properties depending on the types of sealed souls. It seems closer to a magical artifact than an actual sword.
- Type: Two-handed sword. Magical artifact.
- Effect: Soul Sealing.
+
‘There it is.’
Theo used his remaining coins to purchase the Soul Blade and retrieved it from his inventory.
At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary iron sword.
Lodbrok’s eyes widened slightly.
『Ah, that subspace ability of yours again. You’re undoubtedly quite different from the other Chosen Ones in many ways.』
Theo simply responded with a smile, then turned his gaze to the ghosts.
Though they were trying to act nonchalant, it was clear the ghosts were nervously watching Theo, afraid he might reject them. After all, managing 299 spirits wasn’t exactly an easy task.
-So, this is… a Soul Blade. Are you asking us to enter it?
“Yes. But only if you’re willing.”
-Of course, we’ll go.
The vice-captain nodded even before Theo finished speaking.
-It might be a bit cramped, but…
-It’s not that different from staying in the mausoleum.
-If anything, we get to see the world together now. Sounds like a great deal to me.
The other ghosts were just as positive. Some were even delighted at the prospect of not needing to walk.
Theo felt slightly deflated. He had worried that they might feel insulted by being treated like tools, but they accepted the idea far too easily.
-Like this?
The vice-captain placed his hand on the Soul Blade and was absorbed into it instantly.
-Oh, this is interesting!
-I wonder what the inside looks like.
One by one, the other ghosts followed, entering the Soul Blade. As they did, the blade’s appearance began to change.
The previously scratched and worn material became increasingly solid, eventually emitting a violet glow and transforming into something as radiant as a gemstone.
It had become a divine weapon, rivaling legendary blades like the Dragon Slayer Sword or the Moon-White Sword.
Whirrr! Woooong!
The Soul Blade vibrated faintly, sending ripples of power into the air. Its strength was palpable.
As Theo brushed his fingers over the blade’s surface, a thought crossed his mind.
The name Soul Blade felt too impersonal.
He wanted to give it a proper name, one that reflected its nature and origin. Since it was essentially carrying the entirety of the underground mausoleum within it, the name came easily.
‘Spirit Mausoleum Blade (영묘검).’
A smile formed on Theo’s lips.