Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Moon-White Sword (5) >

“Is that the child? Kyle, the one you talked about.”

There was only one person in the world who could speak so casually to Kyle, the head of the House of Ragnar.

Kyle turned to look at the small, elderly woman who appeared much younger than him.

Just a moment ago, she had been yawning lazily as if utterly bored. But now, her eyes had narrowed with interest.

She looked like a cat that had just spotted a piece of foxtail grass.

“You seem intrigued.”

“Well, you said he’s a kid you’ve been keeping an eye on. How could I not be curious?”

As far as Hilda knew, no one was as simultaneously interested and disinterested in his children as Kyle was.

If one caught his eye, he would watch them continually. If not, he wouldn’t even regard them as his own.

Currently, Kyle was interested in five of his children, all of whom were considered prodigies and seen as the most likely candidates for his successor within the Ragnar family.

Even Hilda acknowledged their talents.

However, recently, Kyle had begun to show interest in another child.

Though Hilda had long since stepped down from all her public positions, her curiosity was natural, given that she once led Ragnar and illuminated the glory of the North.

The reason she had come to observe the Blossoming Ceremony after such a long time was precisely because of that child—Theo.

“Well then, let’s see how skilled our descendant is.”

Propping her chin on one hand, Hilda looked down at Theo.

Her once drowsy, feline eyes gleamed sharply in an instant.

* * *

“Hoo...!”

Theo stood on the stage and took a deep breath.

However...

Thump-thump-thump-

There was nothing he could do to calm his pounding heart.

It seemed like he was nervous, perhaps without even realizing it.

‘It’s the Blossoming Ceremony, after all.’

It was only natural.

After all, this was the first time since his regression that he would make his presence known to the public.

Depending on the outcome of this event, it could have a significant impact on his future path. It would have been stranger if he wasn’t nervous.

Therefore, Theo decided to fully embrace the tension. He would use it to ensure he made no mistakes.

Ding!

[A quest has arrived.]

+

[Tutorial Quest #14]

Pass the first Blossoming Ceremony and make your name widely known.

· Difficulty: C

· Reward: 1 coin

· Failure Penalty: ■■

+

Another quest had arrived.

However, there was something odd about the reward.

‘A coin?’

Was it supposed to be money of some sort?

Seeing the unfamiliar reward, Theo felt puzzled for a moment but soon dismissed the thought.

It wasn’t the first time these strange messages had spoken in riddles.

He assumed that, just like before, the meaning would reveal itself later.

“You may choose any sword from the ones here to use,” the judge said.

Theo silently nodded.

This method was designed to prevent any possible unfair advantage, as allowing personal weapons could lead to manipulation.

“Now, swallow the Soma.”

Click—

Theo opened the lid of the glass container.

A refreshing scent wafted up, clearing his mind as if it had been blown wide open.

The moment he placed the pill from the container into his mouth, it melted instantly, sliding down his throat and into his esophagus.

And then—

Thump...!

His heart pounded heavily, as if struck by a hammer.

As the elixir’s energy surged into him, his body naturally began absorbing it.

But Theo forcibly locked down his Dragon’s Heart.

What he was attempting this time was merely the opening of his Aura Hall. Allowing the Aura Heart to absorb the Soma would be disastrous.

“Though you might feel dizzy, stay focused. From now on, breathe and circulate your energy as I guide you,” the judge’s voice buzzed in his ears.

Simply swallowing the elixir didn’t automatically open the Aura Hall at his dantian.

In fact, the critical part started now.

The dantian was like a field, and the elixir was the seed. Only by planting the seed properly and tending to it with fertilizer and water could a proper sprout grow.

The breathing technique was the method of cultivation for this process.

However, the breathing technique of the House of Ragnar was different from ordinary methods.

— The Breath of the Imoogi.

Designed to fully exploit the blessed bodies of the Ragnar family, this breathing technique didn’t simply accumulate energy gradually. Instead, it forcefully imprinted energy within the body through an explosive surge.

A mistake could easily damage the meridians or even ruin the dantian. It was a highly dangerous method.

But Ragnar’s harsh culture held the belief that if one couldn’t even overcome this, how could they hope to become a great swordsman?

‘It was like this back then too.’

In his previous life, Theo had failed to open his Aura Hall properly, injuring his dantian.

That was the main reason he had been forced to give up the sword completely, later meeting Newitz and undergoing the Aura Heart procedure.

‘But it’s different now.’

Theo’s eyes gleamed coldly.

“Move the energy derived from your esophagus to the right shoulder, then to the cervical spine. From there, guide it down your spine toward your left chest and then to your solar plexus...!”

As the judge recited the steps for energy circulation, his eyes suddenly widened in shock.

The energy from the elixir coursed through Theo’s body at an astonishing speed, far faster than the judge had instructed.

‘What the... what is happening...?’

The judge had been hopeful when the elixir’s energy hadn’t dissipated, expecting a good outcome.

– But still... it’s just too overwhelming.

– That’s true...

Many of the candidates were still in shock, unable to fully recover from the impact of Theo’s display.

Other candidates took their turns in the test after Theo, but none came close to matching the shock he had delivered.

Compared to Dragon’s Claw, their marks were weak in comparison.

Only the other members of the Four Lords of the North managed to put up a respectable showing.

Ray left an icy scar after freezing and shattering the wall with her Ice-White Sword.

Holcus managed to slightly warp the iron wall.

And Axion could only leave a long but unimpressive sword mark.

Still, the largest and most distinct mark was undoubtedly Theo’s Dragon’s Claw.

As Theo descended from the platform, Axion’s expression was twisted with humiliation and shame.

What made it worse was that Theo wasn’t even looking in his direction—not acknowledging him at all.

This disregard was clear.

‘How dare...! That piece of trash, how dare he ignore me...!’

Axion’s face flushed red with anger.

「Relax your expression.」

The calm voice of Ed Troyban, the Soaring Dragon, pierced Axion’s ears.

「Didn’t I tell you to show composure? You can’t even hide a single emotion. What are you doing?」

“...”

Axion finally controlled his expression, but Ed’s rebuke wasn’t finished.

「Whatever humiliation you’re feeling now, you’ll have plenty of chances to pay it back in the second Blossoming Ceremony. So hold back until then. Do you understand?」

Axion didn’t respond, instead keeping his eyes fixed on Theo’s retreating figure.

‘...Pathetic.’

Tsk!

From the audience, Ed clicked his tongue, arms crossed.

He could see the jealousy brewing in his nephew, someone who had spent his whole life basking in his own greatness, now faced with someone better. It was foolish.

This wasn’t the time to be reacting emotionally—Theo’s true potential needed to be understood first.

But his nephew’s patience was clearly lacking.

‘Dark Dragon. What have you done? How did you create such a monster?’

Ed’s gaze shifted subtly, settling on Julius, who was smiling faintly in the audience.

Ed suspected that Theo was Julius’s secret weapon, trained in secret for this very purpose. Otherwise, Theo’s rapid growth simply couldn’t be explained.

“Is that child really the one who received the Family Head’s single strike back then?”

“Yes, that’s him. My men had quite a hard time back then.”

Julius was having a conversation with the Mistress of the Plum Blossom Palace.

The Mistress was visibly surprised.

From Theo’s grip on the sword to his posture, footwork, and body movements, everything was so clean and precise that it impressed even the Mistress of the Plum Blossom Palace.

Just a few months ago, there were still awkward aspects in his form.

The fact that Theo had managed to correct such hard-to-fix habits so thoroughly was astonishing.

And on top of that, his talent in his first magic release was beyond belief.

Julius couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride as if all of this were his own accomplishment. His shoulders straightened with satisfaction.

“It seems someone helped him with his swordsmanship.”

“Yes. It’s someone you’ve seen before, Your Ladyship.”

“Oh, is it the one who once taught Axion at the Camellia Palace...?”

“Yes, that’s the one.”

The Mistress’s eyes lit up.

“I had heard that after ‘that’ incident, they had given up the sword.”

“They’ve picked it up again. They wanted to set Theo’s talent on the right path. And as you can see, this is the result! Hahaha!”

Julius’s pride in his former subordinate was clearly on display, his nose metaphorically up in the air.

“I see.”

The Mistress of the Plum Blossom Palace smiled, turning her gaze back to Theo.

“It seems you’ve taken quite a liking to him.”

“Yes, very much.”

Her eyes curved into a crescent shape.

“If possible, I’d like to take him as my disciple.”

“...!”

“...!”

At that moment, everyone nearby, including Ed, Wolfgang, and the other members of the Nine Dragons and senior figures of Ragnar, nearly gasped aloud.

Who exactly was the Mistress of the Plum Blossom Palace?

Before being known as Kyle’s first wife, she was revered as the Northern Sword, a swordsman said to surpass even Kyle in pure swordsmanship.

Though she led a quiet life, unable to bear children and thus not playing the role of a true matron, she held the power to shake the entire political sphere of Ragnar if she chose to.

And now she wanted Theo as her disciple?

It wasn’t just about learning swordsmanship from the Northern Sword—it was, in essence, recognition as the heir apparent of Kyle’s first wife.

If that happened, Theo would no longer be seen as a mere illegitimate child. He would become a legitimate contender for the succession.

‘This must not happen!’

For Ed, it was like a fire had been lit under his feet. He had intended to eliminate Theo quietly during this Blossoming Ceremony, but if Theo became the Lady’s disciple, everything would fall apart.

Before Ed could act, though—

“That won’t be possible.”

Julius, for the first time, hardened his expression and shook his head firmly.

The Mistress of the Plum Blossom Palace tilted her head in curiosity.

“Why not? As far as I know, Theo Ragnar may have had a swordmaster, but he’s never formally entered a master-disciple relationship.”

“Even so, it’s not possible. I’ve already marked my claim first.”

“...!?”

Julius’s face was completely serious.

Snap!

Tension crackled between the two of them like sparks.