Book Eater

Chapter 148: Along with the Dragon (1)

Aquilo and Theo took the boat back to the altar, where the festival was in full swing. The belly dancers had captivated the audience as clouds of opium hung over the crowd. No one in the crowd had any reason left. However, the ugliness of the area couldn’t be hidden.

Even so… there is no chaos.

Theo eyebrows twitched as he clicked his tongue lightly. The prostitutes had already taken to the surrounding boats and drunkards were sleeping while tangled together. On the other hand, Aquilo watched the humans with a satisfied expression. However, her eyebrows rose when she found a ship approaching them. What idiot dared to block her way? Aquilo’s nail sharpened as she waited for the right moment to slice the brazen interloper.

“Young Master!”

However, the man who leaped onto their boat landed next to Theo. His two unsheathed falchions were glowing with aura. Randolph sighed with relief when he saw Theo, who had disappeared for a bit. His warrior’s instincts had predicted death.

“Aha, is he your companion, boy?”

Aquilo recognized Randolph and put her hand down. The red lips on her white face seemed like cherry blossoms in bloom. Randolph lost his spirit for a moment at her smile, but his trained mentality meant that he quickly recovered. She might superficially appear as a beautiful woman, but...

Dammit, I’m no match for her.

Randolph felt cold sweat beading on his neck. Unlike magicians who pursued ideas, a warrior’s ability to determine strength was unmatched. The senses he had honed for decades were screaming that no matter what, he shouldn’t fight her.

“... Damn, I want to hit you.”

However, Randolph didn’t put his swords away. Rather, he stared straight at Aquilo. The surprising thing was Aquilo’s reaction. She ignored Randolph, who was ready for battle, and manipulated the ocean currents to guide their boat to the center of the festival.

Then she gracefully leaped onto dry land and licked her lips.

[Stop.]

Everything and everyone froze. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people just stopped moving. This was Dragon Fear, the ability of a transcendent species which allowed them to dominate those below them. It didn’t mean much to Theo and Randolph, but the merchants and pirates couldn’t resist.

However...

- It’s coming.

Theo perceived its presence before anyone else as Gluttony warned him, but this was the second time today that his senses let out a howl of warning. He had felt the same amount of threat from Aquilo’s surprise attack, but the biggest problem was that this presence was somehow familiar.

.

No, I distinctly remember this presence... Can it be...?’

Theo stiffened as he deduced the identity of the intruder. If his guess was correct… it was possible the uninvited guest had come for Aquilo, not him. There was nothing to base his speculation on, but it could turn into reality.

Like right now...

Kuuong!

The creature’s landing created a crater in the ground as six fluttering wings blew dust into the air. Aquilo was expressionless as Pride of the Seven Sins revealed its heinous appearance.

- I found you.

When Theo saw it, he became nervous.

Dangerous. Even more than last time...

Gluttony agreed.

-?5th?stage. This time, don’t even try to fight it.

What? Already?

-That’s right. I don’t know what it ate, but it already unlocked the 5th?seal. That pig.

A Seven Sins grimoire with the 5th seal released! When Pride had been at the 4th stage, Theo had been helpless until Veronica arrived. Now, it was even stronger? Theo gulped and carefully watched the confrontation between two monsters.

How much stronger is it?

Gluttony hesitated for a moment before replying.

- Now, even if that woman called Veronica comes, the odds are fifty-fifty. No, it is probably closer to sixty-forty in its favor

Just from one stage!?

Theo barely managed to maintain his composure as he screamed inwardly. Theo had to use Transmission to borrow Alfred’s power to battle it last time. Now, Pride had released one more seal and could fight Veronica equally? If Theo was currently five times stronger than that time, then Pride was ten times stronger.

As another piece of the Seven Sins, Gluttony replied like it was natural.

- Of course. For the Seven Sins, releasing the seals is the process of returning to our original state’.. If you reach the 6th stage according to Pride’s standards, you could slaughter an ancient dragon by yourself.

Theo breathed, “... Crazy.”

Ancient dragons were almost a thing of legend, but a 6th stage grimoire could defeat it. If so, what was the 7th stage, and what would Pride be like at that point? He couldn’t imagine such a horrible future.

However, Theo wasn’t given any more leeway.

- We meet again, Gluttony’s monkey.

“Uh!”

Pride didn’t need to turn as an eyeball opened on the back of its head and glared at Theo. Perhaps it had known he was there from the beginning. It wriggled its blade-like projections, as if it wanted to kill him right here.

However, the response came from a different direction.

“What, do you know this thing?” Aquilo smoked her pipe as she pointed at Pride.

Her expression seemed mild, but her eyes were sharp. Aquilo was certain that Pride wasn’t an easy opponent.

Theo kept his guard up as he nodded slightly. “I do. It’s an unfortunate relationship.”

“Hrmm, then this guy is chasing you as well?”

The answer came from elsewhere.

- I have no interest in a monkey.?

Pride spoke as he stared hungrily at Aquilo. Of course, only Aquilo and Theo could hear its low frequency voice, but Randolph felt an unpleasant prickling every time it spoke.

- Young sea dragon, I will ask you something.?

Pride’s super low voice rang out.

- My purpose is completion. Are you willing to join this noble purpose and be reborn as the perfect creature?

Aquilo’s answer was instant and crystal clear. “It seems dogs have gotten noisier these days.”

She stepped forward as she spoke. Veronica, a quarter dragon, naturally had the body of an aura user. Theo had once wondered how strong a pure-blooded dragon would be. The answer to that question was about to unfold in front of him.

Kwaang!

The origin of the blow was Aquilo’s tail. As soon as she spun, the slender tail became the strongest whip on the planet. However, Pride, who was hit by the blow, wasn’t normal either. As half of its body burst, it used the momentum to reposition itself deeper in the sea.

- Kuhu, huhuhu...! Refusal, I see!

As Pride laughed at her, Aquilo was astounded.

“You want to go a round with me?”

Pride wanted to face the sea dragon in the sea? Even the gold clan, the so-called strongest dragon clan, avoided fighting Aquilo at sea. Aquilo didn’t hesitate to dive into the sea after Pride. As she breached the waves, the shadow of a long serpent flashed across the sea floor.

Randolph held his double swords and looked at Theo.

“I don't really know what is going on, but... Young Master, what are you going to do?”

“I’m not sure.”

Theo looked at the shadows of the two monsters who had disappeared into the sea, and inquired inwardly.

Gluttony, can Aquilo defeat Pride?

- Impossible.

Gluttony replied immediately, without any hesitation.

- The dragon’s power would be sufficient if Pride was still stage 4, but after reaching stage 5, the odds are zero percent. A sea dragon just doesn’t have the destructive power to kill it.

Even if the sea dragon is fighting in the sea?

- Pride’s combat power doesn’t depend on its environment. You should remember since you fought it once.

Theo certainly could attest to that. Pride’s inherent ability allowed it to create a shell that deflected Magic Bullet and endure 5th Circle fire magic. There were many creatures which were strong in the sea, and Pride’s immortality wasn’t something that a sea dragon could beat.

In the end, Theo was forced to make a difficult decision. “I'm going.”

“Are you serious?” Randolph was rather stiff, unlike his usual self. “I don’t know what it is, but this is a level beyond us. We would be shrimp interfering in a fight between whales.”

“Well, I can’t deny it.” Theo shrugged. “But I have an unfortunate relationship with that creature. If that dragon is defeated, the creature will surely come to kill me. It is better to fight with the dragon to beat it.”

“However... no, even if you win... can you trust in that wicked dragon?”

“A wicked dragon is still a dragon. Perhaps it will pay back the favor.”

Theo had already made up his mind. The one struggling now was Randolph. He had followed Theo with the desire to become a complete master, but he had never imagined contending with a dragon or that unfathomable monster. How could Randolph fight an opponent that he couldn’t win against? Did he have to risk his life just because Theo helped him find the heirloom swords?

As he hesitated, Theo spoke to him, “Captain Randolph, thank you for everything in the meantime.”

“... What?”

“All old debts have been repaid, so you can leave me here. It is enough.”

Theo activated acceleration magic and physical strengthening magic as he ran after Aquilo, using the boats as stepping stones. As Randolph watched dumbly, Theo soon disappeared into the distance.

Randolph simply stared dumbly. “......”

After Aquilo disappeared, her Dragon Fear wore off and people started making noise again around the confused Randolph.

“... Hah.”

Randolph was feeling the sting of consideration from someone younger than him. Whether Theo realized Randolph’s hesitation or not, his intentions were good.

“... Damn, dammit. This sucks!” Randolph dragged his hands through his hair as he shouted loudly, surprising the people around him. His wounded pride, disappointment in himself, worry for Theo, and fear toward the dragon and unknown monster mixed together.

Kang!

Randolph grabbed his two falchions and ran over the boats after Theo.

Ah! This bastard!

Complaints rang out behind him, but he didn’t hear them as he hurtled toward the battlefield of monsters.

“Damn! It sure came without warning!”

The clear sky was thunderously dark as strong winds started to whip the silent sea. The peaceful day was a thing of the past as a swordsman entered the storm of his own volition.