NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 169
Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: Doodle
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< Chapter 169: White Tower Ruins (4) >
Whoooooosh-!
Clang! Clang!
“What the hell is going on!”
“An emergency alert all of a sudden?”
People from the camps surrounding the White Tower flocked en masse.
The cause was the sudden illumination of the White Tower.
Although only the first floor was lit, that alone was enough to shock everyone.
“This incident. Responsible. Will answer for it. Somehow.”
“The White Tower. Opened. That. Belongs to us.”
“What do you plan to do about this?”
The native inhabitants, who had historically safeguarded the White Tower, were particularly vocal, fiercely protesting against the Red Sword Knights standing guard.
Their crude attempts to speak the empire’s language only served to further aggravate the situation.
‘Damn it! Who the hell would’ve thought that mysteries would be unveiled there!’
Upon further inspection, there were no official directives either. The mere thought of the reprimands that would follow made the knight’s head spin.
Still, showing any signs of weakness was not an option.
The Red Sword Knight pounded the ground firmly with his sword and bellowed,
“Silence, all of you-! The details of the situation are still under investigation, so remain patient until an official announcement is made-!”
Hearing this, other Red Sword Knights, who had rushed to the scene upon hearing the commotion, drew their swords in turn. The natives hesitated and eventually stepped back.
However, the hostility in their eyes was unmistakable.
Some even gripped slings or began notching arrows onto bowstrings.
The situation teetered on the brink of violent confrontation.
“Clear the area. Now.”
Suddenly, a frigidly sharp voice pierced the ears of the natives.
And then—
Thud-thud-thud-thud-!
The ground quaked beneath the thunderous sound of hooves.
“Th-that’s!”
“Those demon bastards! It’s them!”
There was only one entity the natives referred to as “demons.”
The Black Iron Cavalry.
Dozens of five-man cavalry squads advanced, long lances extended as they moved in formation.
The natives were utterly overwhelmed.
Even when they tried to form defensive lines, they could not withstand the cavalry’s devastating charge.
Bang! Bang-bang-bang!
“Father Kak!”
“Tzhanun!”
The sound of hammering blows echoed as their defenses crumbled into chaos.
By the time the screams of the natives began to fade, the area around the White Tower was already under the control of the Black Iron Cavalry.
“From this moment on, our Black Iron Cavalry will secure this location. All White Tower tribesmen who attempted rebellion are to be detained in one location for monitoring.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Yes, sir!”
Torkel decided to take this opportunity to put an end to the troublesome behavior of the White Tower tribes once and for all.
The White Armored Dragon Cavalry belatedly began moving in a fluster, but by then, the situation was already resolved.
However, beneath his helmet, Torkel's hardened face showed no signs of easing.
The mysteries they had desperately sought had already fallen into the hands of the person they most feared.
“How could this…”
He muttered under his breath, a faint whisper escaping him.
“So, that brat was the chosen one of this era.”
His words, without any perceptible emotion, were so quiet that none around him caught them.
“Looks like the Black Iron Cavalry has already taken over the White Tower, huh? Wow, our youngest caused quite the commotion.”
“Damn it.”
Julius frowned at the report from First Squad Leader, Amore Tan.
What the hell was Theo thinking?
If only he'd given them a heads-up, they could have prepared accordingly.
Instead, they had been interrupted in the middle of a welcome ceremony, leaving them in less-than-stellar condition.
Some members of the unit were still hurriedly donning their armor as they scrambled to respond.
“This is a clear violation of orders. Theo Ragnar must be disciplined as soon as he returns,” said Second Squad Leader, It Bolseman scowling as he glared in the direction of the White Tower.
If Theo were standing before him, It looked as though he might have torn him apart on the spot.
But Amore responded casually, completely unbothered.
“On what grounds are you calling this a violation?”
“He disobeyed the standby order—!”
“Did you forget? The Fifth Squad Leader’s position was vacant. Theo Ragnar only returned a few hours ago. He likely hasn’t even received formal orders yet.”
“...!”
His eyes widened.
“T-then, what about the order…!”
“Oh, you mean the coordination notice we were supposed to send? That’s easy to brush off as a lie, isn’t it? We could just deny ever receiving it. If necessary, our commander could even claim they were preparing the documents at the time.”
“...!”
“That kid’s clever, isn’t he? Hohoho! Makes me like him even more.”
If possible, Amore wanted to rush over to the White Tower immediately, grab Theo by both cheeks, and playfully tug at him.
Normally, such cleverness in a rookie might be irritating, but in Theo’s case, it was almost too endearing—hovering on the thin line between likeable and annoying.
The boy had an uncanny knack for navigating situations without ever truly falling out of favor.
“Still, the scale of this incident has grown far too large because of that one kid! If this is overlooked without any punishment, it’ll throw our discipline into chaos!”
“Well, I agree with that. No matter how clever he is, a mistake is still a mistake, right?”
“Enough, both of you. More importantly, where is Erika Ranke? I heard she went to the White Tower with Theo.”
Julius intervened, mediating the two and redirecting the conversation.
Amore scratched the back of her head sheepishly.
“From what I’ve gathered, it seems the Red Sword Knights detained her.”
“The Red Sword Knights?”
“Yes. Judging by their attitude earlier, they seemed thoroughly angry. Considering how Theo embarrassed them outright, I doubt they’ll release her easily.”
“So now we’ve added another enemy on top of the Black Iron Cavalry.”
Julius couldn’t quite figure out Theo’s intent behind his actions. It was clear Theo had some kind of strategy in mind, but the reasoning eluded him.
‘Could it be he knows about the collusion between the Red Sword Knights and the Black Iron Cavalry? Even I only learned about that from a subtle hint Robert gave me.’
Regardless of how Theo had come to know, Julius found it impressive.
‘Maybe he’s planning to tie both groups together somehow….’
With the natives already under their control, the options available to the White Armored Dragon Cavalry against the combined forces of the Black Iron Cavalry and the Red Sword Knights were limited.
“No matter what Erika Ranke may have done wrong, that’s a matter for us to handle through our own disciplinary process or for the Judgment Hall to decide. It’s overstepping their authority for the Red Sword Knights to intervene.”
At Julius’s words, all the members of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry turned their eyes to him.
“Fully arm yourselves and ready the White Dragons. Surround the White Tower.”
“Commander! That could provoke a civil war…!”
It Bolseman protested.
“I will take full responsibility.”
“…Understood.”
At that point, he couldn’t argue further. Instead, he faithfully executed the order, as was expected of a squad leader.
“The White Armored Dragon Cavalry, surround the White Tower-!”
Outside the camp, the White Dragons were summoned in a mass, quickly taking to the skies and dominating the air above the White Tower.
The sight of over a hundred wyverns flying in formation was enough to instill a profound sense of tension.
Meanwhile, the White Armored Dragon Cavalry, now fully equipped and exuding a palpable aura of martial intent, began forming their lines.
Schk-schlk!
Their formation steadily closed in around the White Tower, the siege tightening with each step.
Not to be outdone, the Black Iron Cavalry stood firm, an unyielding iron wall.
They didn’t even dismount from their heavily armored horses. Instead, they unsheathed their long cavalry lances, ready for battle.
The situation was on the brink of erupting into outright combat.
Clatter-clatter-clatter-
At that moment, a single horse stepped forward from the black wall, moving at a deliberate pace.
It was far more dazzling than the other armored horses, shimmering with a deep obsidian glow.
It was Torkel.
“Commander of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry, I trust you are aware that your current actions could easily be construed as treasonous.”
Torkel intentionally addressed Julius as the "Commander of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry," pointedly disregarding his status as a Demon Dragon. It was a warning not to act based on his higher station.
But to Julius, such posturing was nothing more than a futile display.
Heh.
Perhaps for this reason, a faint smile crept across Julius’s lips.
The sight of it hardened the expressions of the Black Iron Cavalry’s soldiers.
To any observer, it was a blatant act of disrespect toward their leader.
“I am well aware that you have detained not only my unit members but also the natives under our protection. Release them all immediately.”
Julius didn’t bother to amplify his voice with magic. His tone carried the implication: listen if you want, or don’t if you prefer.
His gaze lingered particularly on the Red Sword Knights behind the black wall, their crimson armor conspicuously clustered as if to hide something.
“And if we refuse?”
“What else?”
In an instant, the smile vanished from Julius’s lips.
Fwoooosh!
A storm of magical energy burst forth, engulfing not only the White Armored Dragon Cavalry but also the surrounding area occupied by the Black Iron Cavalry, the Red Sword Knights, and the White Tower itself.
‘When did he…?!’
Torkel froze mid-motion, his reins slipping from his grasp as a black blade suddenly hovered over his neck.
Both the Black Iron Cavalry and the Red Sword Knights felt their spines tingle.
Hummmm-
Black smoke swirled wildly around Julius, creating a shroud that made it nearly impossible to discern his figure clearly.
Crunch!
Their shoulders grew heavier.
Their heads were forced downward.
Their knees buckled under the weight.
Above them, high in the sky, a Dragon of the Apocalypse loomed, its icy gaze piercing through them as it coldly observed the scene.
Keek! Keeeeek!
The terrified cries of the White Dragons filled the air, adding an eerie, apocalyptic atmosphere to the surroundings.
“We shall abide by the laws of Ragnar.”
“...!”
“...!”
“...!”
The Black Iron Cavalry and the Red Sword Knights gulped audibly, their throats dry with tension.
Tremble, tremble.
Their minds raced, recalling how Julius, with that same composed and seemingly kind demeanor, had recently torn off the right arm of the Senate Elder’s aide with his bare hands.
In the oppressive atmosphere, the only one standing firm was Torkel.
Snort.
But even he couldn’t completely withstand Julius’s overwhelming presence.
“Start a civil war in front of the enemy? Fine. Let’s see how it goes. I’ll crush you all—your forces, Troyban, everything.”
Torkel smiled.
The Demon Dragon smiled savagely too.
* * *
The place where Theo stood was a small hall, roughly 100 pyeong (about 330 square meters) in size.
The walls curved in a circular pattern, with a spiral staircase leading upward.
The higher it went, the narrower it became, and the ceiling slanted slightly, making it feel as though Theo had truly stepped inside the White Tower itself.
‘A quest to ascend the tower?’
As Theo tentatively moved forward,
Step!
「Well, it’s been a while since we’ve had a guest.」
From the previously empty space, an anthropomorphic crocodile dressed in a butler’s uniform appeared.
With a twisted horn protruding from the left side of its temple, its face looked ferocious, but its tone and demeanor were composed and refined.
It was a type of dragon species Theo had never encountered before.
『Keratosuchus, huh? An ancient, lower-tier dragon species that went extinct long before you humans appeared in this world. But they were supposed to be less intelligent than beasts. This one’s different. Interesting.』
「Well, calling me ‘interesting’ is quite a sad thing for the subject to hear, oh ancient one.」
Theo was startled.
The Keratosuchus had heard Lodbrok’s telepathic message, something that was supposed to be exclusive to Theo.
Lodbrok, however, appeared intrigued.
Swish!
Lodbrok’s spiritual form materialized beside Theo.
『You’re fascinating indeed. Your spiritual rank is exceptionally high—almost at the level of a demigod. What are you? I’ve never heard of someone like you serving beneath an Ancient Dragon.』
Demigod.
At that word, Theo’s eyes widened.
If that was true, then the creature before him was on par with Kyle or Hilda!
「I extend my greetings to the great guardian dragon and his chosen companion.」
The Keratosuchus folded its short arms respectfully and bowed deeply.
「I am Kerato, butler of the Ancient Dragon, envoy of the Pantheon, and caretaker of this White Tower.」