LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 165
Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: Doodle
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< Chapter 165: Heir of the Magic Tower (5) >
- Next station is the White Tower, White Tower Ruins. Doors will open on the right. Please be mindful of the wide gap between the platform and the train wile getting off. Once again, the next station is...
The station where countless people boarded and alighted the train.
However, most of the individuals present on the platform were wearing uniforms symbolizing Ragnar.
Ordinarily, this place was frequented only by scholars studying traces of ancient civilizations. Yet now, the air already seemed to sting with the faint smell of burning.
“Ah! It feels so refreshing to breathe in some fresh air after so long.”
Selperd stretched his arms wide, loosening his stiffened body.
He glanced at Theo disembarking with tired eyes and let out a dry chuckle.
“What kind of training have you been doing to look that exhausted? You weren’t swinging your sword on the train, were you?”
“There are things like that... I feel like I need an iced Americano to snap out of it.”
“Iced Americano? Why would you drink such filthy water? That’s an insult to coffee!”
“I don’t want to hear that from someone who eats pineapple cheese pizza.”
“What nonsense are you spouting? Pineapple grilled in a stone oven is so aromatic and delicious!”
Theo, too tired to continue arguing, finally nodded, conceding to Selperd’s claim.
『In the end, you couldn’t achieve the ‘quick entry to the timeline,’ huh? Haha! Unlike swordsmanship, magic is no easy feat, right?』
‘I thought I could manage since I acquired my talent through Dragonblood, but it’s definitely challenging.’
『Ragnar’s talents are mostly geared toward physical combat rather than intelligence. And you’ve developed that talent to its extreme.』
‘Still, I’m thankful I managed to at least gain a hint.’
『That’s the spirit. Let’s see how well you can make it work.』
If entering the timeline of the consciousness world was difficult for the body, what if he trained the nervous system to perceive the consciousness world as if it were real?
Inspired by this idea, Theo conducted several experiments.
Lodbrok only shook her head in exasperation, thinking it was no easy path he had chosen.
“Well then, take care, everyone.”
“Are you leaving?”
“I have plenty of tasks that need attending to.”
Theo and Selperd watched as the Upsurging Dragon bid his farewell.
The Upsurging Dragon gestured toward Najariu and Jirima with his chin.
Wellington was diligently keeping an eye on them.
“After reporting back to headquarters, you can proceed with your return protocol. From what I hear, the White Armored Dragon Cavalry is assembling for a large-scale operation. Keep that in mind.”
Theo and his companions' eyes gleamed faintly.
The full mobilization of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.
Considering the nature of this group, dispersed across various locations, such a summons was anything but ordinary.
“Well then, see you next time.”
"Next time?"
The Upsurging Dragon directed a meaningful farewell toward Theo before leaving the scene.
Theo and Wellington’s gazes lightly crossed as well, silently wishing for each other’s fortune.
Swish-
And trailing behind, unseen presences moved stealthily.
‘Quite a crowd following him.’
Theo scratched the back of his head as he watched until the figures completely disappeared.
Agents of Black Snow.
It seemed unlikely that the Upsurging Dragon would carelessly reveal any weaknesses, but those agents were bound to tenaciously seek an opening.
Since it was no longer his concern, Theo turned in the opposite direction.
“Well, let’s return as well.”
Selperd, Arin, Ray, and Cassandra nodded in agreement and moved together.
Cassandra clenched Ray’s sleeve tightly in her hand.
From this point forward, everything would be an unfamiliar world for her.
“How much longer do I have to keep this on?”
Some time had passed since they departed the station.
Najariu raised his cuffed hands, grumbling to Wellington.
Being restrained with his magical power sealed for four consecutive days was starting to fray his nerves.
Wellington glanced at the Upsurging Dragon as if to seek his judgment. The latter, still leading the group, replied curtly without breaking stride.
“When you openly plotted against us, that didn’t seem to bother you. Now you want to act as though nothing happened?”
Jirima’s expression stiffened.
Given the circumstances, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Upsurging Dragon used this incident as a pretext to take Najariu’s life and pressure the Magic Tower.
This time, Jirima signaled Najariu to bow his head in submission, hoping to avoid escalating the situation further.
“That’s true. We had planned to cause some trouble and then make a quick exit. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as we intended.”
But Najariu wasn’t fazed in the slightest.
Instead, he merely smacked his lips in mock regret.
Jirima’s face turned pale.
“But nothing has happened yet, right? So, would you reconsider working together again?”
The Upsurging Dragon paused for a moment, staring silently at Najariu.
Najariu scratched his cheek awkwardly, as if to defuse the tension.
“Even if you find me charming, staring so blatantly is embarrassing, you know.”
“You’ve got quite the shameless face.”
“Oh, stop. Too much praise, and I’ll blush.”
"But the Sovereign is relentless, fully deserving to stand at the pinnacle of all magicians."
The Upsurging Dragon chuckled lightly, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Indeed, that's the kind of relationship we have. Trading what we need from each other, only to stab the other in the back the moment a weakness is revealed. A relationship where trust is forbidden, and excessive anger is avoided. That kind of distance is just perfect."
The Upsurging Dragon gave Wellington a silent signal with his eyes.
It meant to release them.
Clink!
Though he appeared slightly displeased, Wellington eventually removed the restraints on Najariu and Jirima.
"Ah, finally, I can breathe again! You've made a wise decision, sir. Living peacefully with one another—that’s what true harmony is about, isn’t it? Hahaha!"
Najariu exaggeratedly stretched his arms while laughing.
"But you'll have to take care of the consequences concerning them yourselves."
"That won’t be a problem. In fact, it’s already settled."
Najariu sharpened his senses.
Not far from where they stood.
Hidden in the darkness, the agents of Black Snow lay in wait, prepared to act at any moment.
"They’re not alive, after all."
The corner of Najariu's lips curled as, in an instant, the heads of the hidden agents in the darkness separated from their bodies, spraying blood everywhere.
Simultaneously, dozens of figures cloaked in robes descended from the sky onto the area where the agents had been.
The six-pointed star embroidered on their hoods swayed conspicuously.
David’s Star.
The elite forces of the Magic Tower, having completed their tasks across the northern regions, had now gathered at this final destination.
"Could it be... all this time... they’ve been... operating... in the outskirts...!"
Kleve appeared, bleeding heavily, glaring at the Upsurging Dragon with a look of resentment.
Betraying allies. Drawing enemies into their territory. This was tantamount to rebellion.
But the Upsurging Dragon made no effort to explain. He simply waved his hand lightly.
A blade of wind formed, ending Kleve’s life in a single breath.
Wellington could only look at her collapsed body with a conflicted expression.
"Well then, let’s begin the transaction."
The Upsurging Dragon once again clasped his hands behind his back, directing his gaze at Najariu.
Even among the ranks of top-tier magicians, Najariu showed no sign of fear.
"I’ve heard the Magic Tower has maintained relations with the descendants of ancient dragons for a long time. Is that correct?"
"Before that, can we confirm the safety of the item we’re supposed to receive?"
"This is it."
On behalf of the Upsurging Dragon, Wellington stepped forward and pulled a book from within his coat.
The book radiated an aura of demonic energy.
It was a magical tome destined to serve as a key material for Paracelsus’ work.
"As expected, you’re decisive. The item is genuine."
"Then let’s hear it. Where is the Nest of the Naga located?"
---
The coordinates provided by the Upsurging Dragon led to an enormous military encampment.
Fwhip!
Numerous flags bearing the symbol of Ragnar fluttered powerfully in the sky.
“Whew.”
Just at the sight, Ray involuntarily gulped.
It felt as though an indescribable weight was already pressing down on her shoulders.
“Well, considering that the driving forces of this war—Ragnar and Troyban—are among the Empire’s most prominent noble families, their scale was bound to be daunting. Still, this... this exceeds anything I imagined.”
Although they had heard from the Upsurging Dragon that Ragnar had issued a full mobilization order to crush Troyban early, this sight went far beyond their expectations.
‘The size of the army is much larger than in my previous life. Could chasing Ed off without much damage have caused this massive ripple effect?’
Theo pondered this while walking with the group toward the camp’s entrance.
Thud thud thud thud!
Suddenly, in the distance, a giant dust cloud rose as the ground trembled with the sound of thundering hooves.
It was a battalion of heavily armored cavalry, entirely clad in black steel.
‘The Black Iron Cavalry?’
They were one of Ragnar’s two main assault forces, alongside the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.
“What... what the hell are those guys doing?”
“Hey! Move aside!”
Initially, the group assumed the cavalry would swerve or pass them by, but when the riders charged straight at them without altering course, they quickly dove to the ground to avoid being trampled.
Theo held the young Cassandra tightly in his arms to shield her.
“You bastards! What do you think you’re doing? There’s a child here!”
Even as Arin protested, the cavalry ignored her and began circling Theo’s group in a wide loop, their formation tightening ominously.
“Well, well, who do we have here? Isn’t this the esteemed White Armored Dragon Cavalry? Forgive us; you’re so small we didn’t see you. Our bad, our bad. We naturally assumed your noble dragon knights would descend from the skies atop white dragons, didn’t we, boys?”
“Absolutely, Squad Leader! Your words are spot on!”
“Hahaha! Running at this speed, who has time to notice their surroundings? If they don’t want to get hurt, they should step aside themselves!”
Laughter echoed from beneath the visors of their tightly worn helmets.
Crunch!
Arin clenched her teeth, glaring daggers at the one who seemed to be their leader.
“Pattaya. Do you have a death wish or something?”
“Hey, don’t look at me like that. I told you, it was an accident.”
“If it’s just an accident, then I guess it’d be fine for us to drop a magic bomb on the Black Iron Cavalry’s camp at night, wouldn’t it?”
The expression of the sub-squad leader, called Pattaya, turned cold.
“Even as a joke, there are boundaries you don’t cross.”
“Boundaries? And who was it that crossed them first?”
Arin and Pattaya glared at each other for a long time.
The other members of the Black Iron Cavalry were no different.
Their eyes, filled with murderous intent, looked down on Theo’s group while gripping their lances.
Of course, Theo’s group wasn’t intimidated. Although they were outnumbered, they held their ground and showed no signs of backing down.
“……”
“……”
The tense standoff continued for a while.
Eventually, it was Pattaya who relented first.
“Alright, alright. Why waste our time squabbling with a bunch of sparrows? We’re the bigger people here, so we’ll let it slide. Let’s go, boys.”
“Hey! You…!”
Arin, enraged, tried to step forward again, but the cavalry had already vanished, kicking up a massive dust cloud as they retreated deeper into the camp.
Cough, cough! “Ah, those bastards! Seriously!!”
Though Selperd said nothing, his expression clearly betrayed his anger.
Ray, too, seemed equally indignant, as if the offense had been directed at her personally.
Theo, on the other hand, found the situation puzzling.
‘The White Armored Dragon Cavalry and the Black Iron Cavalry were never on good terms to begin with, but this is too blatant. Could something have happened?’
The answer to his question became clear after meeting Julius.
“A few days ago, there was a violent skirmish on the front lines between the Black Iron Cavalry and our forces. It resulted in a significant number of casualties on both sides.”