Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan

Chapter 162: Successor of the Magic Tower (2)

Najariu hesitated briefly.

If he were to cast a spell now, what were the odds of defeating Theo and escaping unharmed?

However,

“I wouldn’t recommend entertaining such thoughts.”

Before Najariu could make a move, the sword pressing against the back of his neck dug deeper.

Shrrkk!

Crimson blood began to trickle down the blade.

At that moment, Najariu realized that Theo wasn’t bluffing. He was genuinely prepared to subdue him and eliminate him if necessary.

“I didn’t expect someone of immense significance to show up, but someone like you should still be worth a decent reception, right?”

Najariu, unable to grasp Theo’s incomprehensible muttering, let go of the staff in his hand and raised both arms high.

“I surrender. Please, make it as painless as possible.”

*         *         *

“...What? Did I mishear? I feel like I just heard nonsense.”

“You heard it correctly. We’ve captured the successor of the Magic Tower.”

“Then why is the successor of the Magic Tower here?!”

Selperd, upon seeing the two burdens(?) Theo’s group had brought back, was initially baffled. When he learned the truth, he was utterly shocked.

To him, the situation made no sense.

Theo merely shrugged.

“How should we know? We just happened to run into him. Perhaps he was planning some kind of terrorism in the north.”

Selperd pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger as he asked again.

“What’s the likelihood of mistaken identity?”

“None. Black Snow has already confirmed it.”

“Black Snow? So they were already aware of the truth and monitoring him?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“...You didn’t ruin Black Snow’s plans, did you?”

When engaging in field operations, jurisdictional clashes with other units often arose.

If Theo had interfered with Black Snow’s scheme involving the Magic Tower’s successor, it could lead to political disputes between the units.

This was particularly concerning as the White Armored Dragon Cavalry, operating on the frontlines, and Black Snow, working in the shadows, were meant to complement each other but didn’t exactly have harmonious relationships.

“Ah, well, that’s…”

“That’s...?”

“You’ll have to smooth it over for us, senior.”

“What did you just say?”

It finally dawned on Selperd that Theo had acted impulsively despite being aware of the consequences.

At this rate, they were bound to get an earful from Captain Julius!

Selperd was about to press Theo urgently when the door of the café they had rented swung open with a sharp noise.

Bang!

"Theo Ragnar! I know you're in here! Get out right now!!"

Footsteps stormed in, brimming with fury.

Selperd frowned deeply when he saw the person leading the group.

It was Kleve, one of the only eight people in Black Snow granted the title of "No Snow."

"Hey! With Master Upsurging Dragon still not back, what the hell are you planning to do...?!"

Selperd quickly turned his head toward Theo, but—

"He’s already gone. He asked me to take care of things," Arin said, letting out a wry chuckle while shaking her head.

Selperd's face scrunched up in frustration.

Thanks to his overly talented yet troublesome junior, it seemed he would once again be left to clean up the mess.

*         *         *

When Theo entered the room prepared at the back of the café, Wellington, who had been keeping watch over Najariu and Jirima, scratched his cheek with his index finger.

"I think I heard some shouting outside just now?"

“It’s fine. I trust Senior Selperd.”

Theo flashed a mischievous grin.

In contrast, Wellington sighed heavily.

"Are you sure about this? Black Snow isn’t the kind of group to sit quietly after having their prey snatched away.”

“What can I do? In the end, we’re the ones who secured them.”

“...Do as you please. But I’m sure even your teacher is going to be pulling his hair out over this.”

Wellington had felt a chill ever since Theo had sought out an agent of Black Snow.

Black Snow likely shared the location of Najariu with Theo, expecting him, as someone half-affiliated with them, to assist their cause.

However, Theo had thoroughly shattered their expectations, and Najariu ultimately fell into his hands instead.

‘And to top it off, it was a clean takedown without any collateral damage. Just where did he learn anti-mage combat tactics like that...?’

At this point, Wellington found himself growing a bit scared of Theo.

What could possibly not exist inside that mind of his?

‘Apologies.’

Inwardly, he offered condolences to the Black Snow operative who was probably being severely reprimanded by their superiors at that very moment.

And meanwhile—

‘It wasn’t Black Snow behind this, but that young Ragnar?’

Jirima, listening to the conversation, was utterly stunned.

If what they said was true, then David’s Star, the pride of the Magic Tower, had been utterly outmaneuvered by a mere sixteen-year-old youth.

They wondered if Theo was using psychological warfare to break their spirits. However, judging by the atmosphere and the shouting outside, that didn’t seem to be the case.

Above all, even Wellington, who was considered on par with Najariu, seemed to concede ground to Theo.

The information suggesting that the true prodigy of the North wasn’t Wellington but Theo Ragnar appeared to be accurate.

No, it was more than that.

It wasn’t just a matter of conceding. Wellington’s demeanor bordered on deference. It was safe to assume that the future leadership of the North would revolve around Theo.

‘Meanwhile, the Little Tower Lord seems to be scheming something as well.’

Najariu, even as a captive, showed no signs of panic or distress. Instead, he remained composed, almost as if he had expected this outcome.

‘It’s clear. The Little Tower Lord intended to be captured by them from the beginning.’

Shopping openly in bustling streets, making moves visible to Black Snow—it all now seemed to have a purpose that Najariu hadn’t been informed about.

‘I have no idea what any of them are thinking.’

Jirima didn’t bother asking Najariu about his plan. He simply hoped that the cunning figure hidden beneath that carefree mask would handle this situation wisely as he always had.

However, the wild card was Theo Ragnar himself—a fox just as clever, if not more.

“You have the tome, don’t you?”

Najariu was smiling at Theo, but suddenly, one of his eyebrows twitched involuntarily.

It was a fleeting reaction, but Theo didn’t miss it.

Grin.

A sly smile spread across Theo’s lips.

He had made a calculated guess, and it hit the mark.

“Just as I thought.”

“You’re speaking nonsense. But what do you plan to do now? Hand us over to Winterer for a hostage negotiation? Or use us as leverage to draw the Magic Tower into the Northern War?”

“The question is where the real issue lies. No matter how thoroughly we searched, we couldn’t find it.”

“I’ll say only this: no one is as strict about separating public and private matters as my grandfather, the Tower Lord. I’d advise you not to expect an easy negotiation.”

“So you’re not planning to talk willingly, are you?”

“However, I am more than willing to cooperate with your interrogation. My life is my top priority, after all. Why don’t you bring your superior here?”

“Torture doesn’t seem like it’ll work either.”

The conversation between Theo and Najariu circled aimlessly, never really connecting. Both seemed to be testing each other, their words weaving through the air without landing.

Theo felt strongly that Najariu would be uncooperative during interrogation, while Najariu developed a firm impression that Theo was no ordinary opponent.

‘How does he even know about the tome? The location of the Imperial Secret Vault was something the Magic Tower only managed to uncover in the strictest secrecy.’

The Emperor, who could die at any moment, most cherished his Empress—a member of the Magic Tower. Through her assistance, the Magic Tower had barely obtained the information.

And yet, Ragnar somehow knew about it?

In Najariu’s mind, the danger level of Ragnar skyrocketed, jumping from an A-rating to S+.

“There wasn’t enough time to smuggle the tome elsewhere. That means it must still be with you.”

Every time Theo’s sharp gaze gleamed, Najariu involuntarily tensed.

Even so, he was confident he wouldn’t be discovered.

At least outwardly, Paracelsus was no more than an ordinary orb…

“This is it.”

Suddenly, Theo accurately pinpointed Paracelsus from the confiscated pouch.

Both Najariu and Jirima were inwardly struck with disbelief.

‘Is he serious,Lodi?’

『Indeed. Just how many tomes has this thing consumed? The stench of magic reeks from here. Who would even make something like this? Tsk!』

Without Lodbrok’s assistance, Theo would not have been able to identify Paracelsus.

‘An artifact that has consumed not only Belphegor’s tome but also those of other demons in large quantities.’

Lodbrok had referred to Paracelsus as a "demonic source code composite."

『It’s essentially a patchwork of various codes meticulously integrated onto a grand blueprint, equipped with machine-learning capabilities through simulations using specific algorithms. Think of it as a form of artificial intelligence.』

Lodbrok’s explanation continued.

『At this stage, it likely has its own judgment and intention. Fortunately, it hasn’t yet reached the point of free will, so it’s not dangerous for now. But it seems to be nearing its critical threshold.』

Theo was quietly astonished.

That meant it was on the verge of becoming a "living being."

‘What in the world has the Magic Tower created?’

Even with memories from his past life, Theo couldn’t pinpoint what this was or comprehend its purpose.

But one thing was clear.

Paracelsus emitted a faint blue glow.

Theo wrestled with Paracelsus for a long time.

Yet, no matter how much magical energy he infused or how many activation words he chanted, it didn’t budge.

To make matters worse:

[For unknown reasons, skill activation has failed.]

Even thought-reading was impossible.

『It seems they’ve used a cryptographic system based on quantum entanglement. Achieving this level is remarkable, even for us dragons. For humans, it’s quite impressive.』  

Although Lodbrok said “quite impressive,” there was unmistakable admiration in her tone.  

'Isn’t there a way to handle this?'  

『It’s difficult for now. If you try to force it open, there’s a high risk it’ll explode. If that happens...』  

'It’s over, then.'  

『Even I wouldn’t be able to save you.』  

The quest completion was just within reach, yet it seemed Theo might have to give up.  

『The study of homunculi is an incredibly complex discipline. Processing vast amounts of data, encoding it, and creating an algorithm capable of learning and making judgments is an arduous task. While it’s impressive, it’s also delicate and sensitive. It represents the final boundary before stepping into the realm of gods.』  

Theo fell silent.  

Selperd and Arin were doing their best to hold Kleve back, but it was clear they wouldn’t last much longer. Sooner or later, they would barge in.  

And when that happened, Paracelsus would inevitably be taken away.  

The trail to restoring Belphegor would vanish entirely.  

“...”  

Even beyond that, Theo felt a strong compulsion to decode this artifact.  

A homunculus that had consumed numerous demonic tomes.  

How could he be certain the Magic Tower wasn’t trying to resurrect a demon?  

As Theo stared at Najariu in frustration, the man smirked back at him.  

It was as if he were mocking Theo for wrestling so seriously with a mere orb.  

Theo’s urge to smack him grew stronger.  

Then, suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind.  

- If it’s so delicate and sensitive because it handles large amounts of data, what would happen if I overwhelmed it with even more complex information?  

'Lodbrok, you said this thing is an AI that learns and analyzes, right?'  

『That’s essentially correct.』  

'Then what if I fed it my blood?'  

『Blood? Why would... Oh!』  

'My blood contains not just the DNA of an ancient dragon but also the lineage factors of the Ragnar family. If it has truly consumed a lot of demonic code, wouldn’t flooding it with dragon data have a significant impact?'

If you mix a large amount of red paint into blue, the resulting color turns green.  

Similarly, Theo intended to use the essence of an ancient dragon to completely overwrite Paracelsus’s identity.  

‘Perhaps I can alter the code and claim ownership of it in the process.’  

『And if you fail?』  

‘Then I’ll simply extract Belphegor from the shattered remains. That shouldn’t be too difficult.’  

Theo grinned slyly.  

‘Besides, if I can’t have it, they shouldn’t be able to either.’  

『You’re devious.』  

‘I am a Ragnar.’  

『Magnificent! Truly splendid!』  

Exchanging witty banter with Lodbrok, Theo pulled out Death Beat from his pocket and made a deep cut across his thumb.  

Blood from the wound dripped onto Paracelsus.  

Brrrr!  

The previously inert black orb began to tremble violently. Soon, grotesque saw-like teeth emerged, along with a blood-red tongue that flicked out to eagerly lap up Theo’s blood.  

- New data cluster detected. Analyzing. Identified as essence of an extinct ancient dragon. Assigned value: SSS+++...