Sea Dragon Aquilo…
Only a few people remembered the name in this era, however, it was once a name that even sailors avoided saying. Alongside the kraken, the sea serpent who governed storms and created tsunamis with a flick of its tail was infamous as one of the two disasters of the sea; however, they were in entirely different categories.
“Blue dragon?!”
Randolph yelped as Theo calmly replied, “Yes.”
The name sea serpent was just a title. Ordinary people only thought of dragons as monsters who flew through the sky with wings, not a sinuous swimmer in the ocean. However, wings were never a distinguishing mark of a dragon, so calling a blue dragon a serpent was nothing more than ignorance. They truly were the strongest species of the material world, and the unparalleled ruler of natural law.
The sea dragon, Aquilo, was one of the most notorious members of the blue dragon clan, and had ruled the seas for centuries. Archaeological records estimated her age to be at least a thousand years. The last time she had appeared was one hundred and fifty years ago, when she had wiped out a fleet belonging to Soldun Kingdom.
I’ve read about her in the library a few times, but the stories were never pleasant.
Theo had pored over thousands of books in the academy’s library, including ones that contained legends and folk tales. Aquilo had only appeared a few times, but he hadn’t forgotten the disasters attributed to her.
Drowning a port city because their tribute was a few days late…
Killing a wandering minstrel because his lyrics were unpleasant…
Sinking a fishing boat because the number of fish had reduced…
In addition, the records had long lost count of the number of ships sunk and people killed.
However, despite the tyranny, Aquilo was never in danger of being killed. She lived in the boundless sea, where she was naturally the most powerful and humans were at a disadvantage. As a result, she was almost invincible.
“… In other words, we must absolutely never touch her.”
“Yes, I think so as well.”
The two men would be considered strong in every country and kingdom, but they were of the same opinion in this matter. It was general knowledge that a fully grown dragon could only be equaled by two masters, and a third master was absolutely necessary if one aimed to kill them. Even Veronica once complained that she wasn’t certain victory in a duel, so it was impossible for a 6th Circle magician and half-master swordsman.
Randolph cautiously asked. “Hrmm, so we should stay low during our remaining time here?”
“Yes, we can’t get involved in any situations.”
Theo was flicking through Satomer’ memories to explore the concept of a domain. As far as Satomer knew, the domain of a dragon could also be called their lair, where they collected treasures and nested.
Perhaps the fog surrounding this island is a type of alarm system.
The fog was the boundary of Aquilo’s domain, and it controlled the people who could enter. No one could go in and out without Aquilo’s consent and knowledge. They would most likely cause a fuss if they tried to escape with a stolen boat. The safest choice would be to await the return of the cruise ship and make their way to Soldun Kingdom accordingly.
It was a very reasonable conclusion.
However, Theo had overlooked a critical factor. It was a mistake from his incomplete grasp of Satomer’s memories.
Satomer had told Theo in the mental world that the Pirate Archipelago was Aquilo’s domain. So, from the very beginning, the existence of the two people had already caught the notorious dragon’s eyes.
[… Hrmm.]
For a brief moment, a chill ran down Theo’s spine.
***
Despite the alarming discovery on the first night, five days passed quietly. The cruise ship was due back in another five days, and Theo and Randolph were cautiously optimistic about their chances of staying as invisible as possible.
They continued training in their own ways. As Randolph swung his sword in the yard, Theo read books in his chair.
Tak.
Theo finished reading a book and closed it.
“Eat, Gluttony.”
He flicked the book upward, and a long tongue shot out to draw the book into his left palm.
[Thunderbolt from Dry Skies has been consumed. Your understanding is very high.]
[You have acquired 6th Circle magic, Thunderbolt.]
[By acquiring top ranked electric magic, the proficiency of lower ranked electric magic has increased.]
Theo closed his eyes as waves of knowledge flowed through his brain. While Gluttony’s ability to transfer knowledge and proficiency was almost fraudulent, its efficiency could only be maximized by sincere effort and study.
Theo opened his eyes with a faint smile.
Okay, half the books I’ve brought with me have been digested.
He had brought many 6th Circle magic tomes with him when he left Meltor. He hadn’t had the chance to read on his journey, but the past five days of study was comparable to a few weeks of reading. Some magic books would take more time because they were difficult to understand, but he was confident that he could learn them all in three months.
However, the most important thing to solve was the issue of his vessel’s countdown.
He murmured to himself, “… Should I use this during my stay on this island?”
He had yet to use Charlotte’s Necklace, which could transform ghosts into powerful evil spirits. He hadn’t even unlocked the saint’s seal, which had turned this necklace into a mere accessory.
Theo studied the necklace for a moment before placing it in his inventory with a sigh.
No, there’s no need to do anything risky right now.
He might provoke the dragon if he tried to summon evil spirits en masse. He needed to remember that his opponent was the notorious sea dragon, Aquilo. The tyrant of the sea had killed for less, and sunk ships without turning a hair. Humans were nothing more than ants to a dragon.
The Pirate Archipelago was her domain, and disaster could strike without warning.
—Like right now.
[Deo!]
At that moment, Mitra, who had been sleeping in the warm sunlight on the window, bolted upright and screamed. Theo’s danger sense went off like a firework as the hair on the back of his neck stood straight. He had only experienced this level of danger when he had dived into Laevateinn’s flames and fought Pride. In other words, the owner of this presence was a monster on the same level!
Where is it coming from?! Wait, the bottle!
As Theo frantically scanned the room for danger, the bottle of water on the table moved. More precisely, the water moved. The stopper ricocheted off the ceiling as the water floated into the air.
Chwaack.
It was a surreal sight as droplets of water merged and accumulated until it formed the silhouette of a person. In a matter of moments, the water resembled a beautiful mermaid.
Theo breathed, “A senior elemental, a naiad…!”
The naiad, a senior elemental who would usually only be seen at the side of an elf elementalist, spoke calmly.
[That is correct, human with Arv’s blessing.]
Normally, she wouldn’t speak, but she had come with a task.
[From now on, I will pass on her words.]
Before Theo could ask what she meant, another voice came from the naiad.
[Hello.]
It was sweet enough to melt his ears, but cold enough to cause a chill down his spine. It wasn’t a human voice. It embraced pure desire without any moderation. The voice that the naiad was transmitting could send any man or woman to their knees in lust.
Theo barely kept his composure as he replied, “It is nice to meet you, Ruler of the Sea.”
There was no question about their identity. She was the master of the Pirate Archipelago. Sea Dragon Aquilo, the being who dominated the sea for thousands of years, looked Theo up and down through the naiad.
Her sensual voice resonated through the room, [First, welcome to my island, boy.]
“It is a very sudden welcome.”
[Ahaha, you say that, but you also don’t seem very surprised? You look young, but you seem to have accumulated many experiences.]
Theo wasn’t feeling any animosity from her voice. Was it mere curiosity? Or was she killing time? Either way, he needed information. Theo was barely able to open his mouth before the gaze conveyed through the naiad.
“… I’m sorry, can I ask why you’re looking for me?”
[Hrmm, is it so hard talking to me?]
“Honestly, it is quite burdensome.”
[Ahahaha! You, you are too honest! I don’t hate such a personality, but shouldn’t you be careful from now on?]
After all, I might accidentally kill you.
Theo’s back was soaked in a cold sweat. It wasn’t a threat or warning, but just a casual fact that he could be accidentally crushed underfoot like an ant. Fortunately, Aquilo didn’t put that declaration into action.
She chuckled before answering Theo’s question.
[Okay, I’ll tell you. In three days, a festival to worship me will be held in the heart of the islands. At that time, I want you to come with your companion.]
There was no way he could refuse. Theo nodded and replied, “… I understand.”
[Smart too, it seems. If you asked one more question, I would’ve cut off your head.]
With that, Aquilo dismissed the naiad. The water forming the mermaid distorted and splashed down as the magic power was cut off. As the water soaked the floor and carpet, Aquilo’s voice echoed once more.
[Then I’ll be waiting.]
She left a fearsome warning.
[if you don’t come, boy, I’ll kill you.]