Chapter 57: The Designation Ceremony (2)
Just as he was about to speak his choice,
suddenly, a voice secretly crept into his ear.
「You, you’re a regressor, aren’t you?」
“......!”
In that instant, Theo felt his whole body stiffen.
A regressor.
A secret he intended to take to his grave.
Theo’s gaze urgently shifted to one side.
Toward the section where the higher-ups were seated.
A woman was smiling slyly as she looked in his direction.
Even though she was mixed in with the crowd, it felt as if she alone existed in a different world.
Hilda Ragnar.
The head of the Ragnar family two generations prior was staring right at him!
Thump thump thump thump-
It was at that moment.
Ding!
[A quest has arrived.]
+
[Tutorial Quest #18]
Uncover the hidden secret of the family, resolve all the questions you’ve been harboring, and complete the tutorial.
· Difficulty: S
· Reward: 1 Coin
· Failure: ■■
This is the final tutorial quest.
+
Thump thump thump thump!
The quest that suddenly appeared only made Theo’s heart race even faster.
The final tutorial quest.
Just from reading it, he understood clearly.
Facing Hilda was the key to unraveling the final mystery behind his regression and the messages he had been receiving.
‘Calm down, calm down.’
Theo took a deep breath and slowly opened his mouth.
「I... I don’t know what you mean.」
Theo desperately tried to hide the cold sweat trickling down his face.
「Oh, so you still want to hide the truth, even now? I don’t know what kind of life you lived in your previous round, but your acting is top-notch. Truly top-notch.」
「.......」
‘Round? What does that mean? Is there a set number of regressions or reincarnations?’
His mind became more and more entangled.
But one thing he was starting to understand.
Hilda knew nothing about his previous life.
「Why don’t you just come clean? There’s no point in hiding it till the end. We won’t make any progress in our conversation that way.」
Hilda’s smile deepened.
And with that, Theo’s thoughts became even more muddled.
How on earth should he respond?
“Theo Ragnar? What’s the matter? Is something wrong?”
At that moment, the inquisitor touched Theo’s shoulder, looking at him with concern.
Theo had stopped right before naming his nominee, which naturally raised suspicions.
“Could I... Could I have a moment to gather my thoughts?”
“Hmm. Indeed, it must be quite complicated for you. But, as I mentioned before, there are still others waiting, so don’t take too long.”
“Thank you.”
Theo lowered his head slightly and once again glanced towards Hilda.
「How did you know?」
In the end, Theo decided not to hide the truth.
No matter what excuse he made, it wouldn’t work on someone like Hilda.
In that case, facing it head-on was the best option.
However—
「Well, it’s because I’m also a regressor.」
Her response was even more shocking.
「...!」
「It’s not that difficult for us to recognize each other, is it?」
「.......」
「Though, my permitted rounds have all ended.」
Hilda shrugged her shoulders.
‘Rounds... she mentioned it again.’
Theo’s eyes sank deeply.
Thump thump thump thump!
Meanwhile, his heart was pounding even harder.
「Are you saying there’s a limit to how many times one can regress?」
「Who knows?」
「......?」
「Hm?」
Just as he was wondering what she meant by that,
In fact, Wellington becoming the disciple of the Upsurging dragon had never happened in his previous life.
Back then, as soon as the Blossoming Ceremony ended, Wellington returned to the Narcio family and steadily prepared to become the head of the family. Once he became the head, he promptly initiated a rebellion against Ragnar.
But this time was different.
He had grown closer to Theo and had become more deeply intertwined with Ragnar.
No one could predict how this new path would unfold.
However, there was one thing Theo was certain of.
The ripple he had caused was now beginning to create a significant change.
And it was something he could no longer control.
It would be great if everything went as planned, but people were never puppets on a stage.
Everyone had their own capacities and dreams.
They moved to find new paths for the sake of those dreams.
‘Just like me.’
Theo couldn’t help but smile, feeling as though he could see a massive wave of destiny unfolding before his eyes.
Thump, thump, thump, thump!
His heart pounded wildly in anticipation.
* * *
The Designation ceremony came to an end.
Wellington headed to the Upsurging Dragon Hall Hall, and Ray returned to the Restoration Palace, where she had originally been.
Ray, in particular, had been very reluctant to part with Theo.
“If you get bored, come visit Camellia Palace anytime.”
“Can... can I really?”
“Of course. We’re siblings, after all. And friends too.”
“Fri... ends. Right. We’re friends.”
Only after hearing Theo’s words did Ray finally smile and leave.
And then,
There were still some who couldn’t let go of their lingering feelings toward Theo.
“You’ll regret this.”
The first to approach was Ed.
“Axion said the same thing.”
“......”
“I doubt I’ll ever walk the same path as Sir Soaring dragon.”
“......See you next time.”
Ed glared fiercely at Theo before leaving.
Next came the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace.
“It’s a shame we won’t be together. Such a shame.”
“I’m sorry for giving you a less-than-ideal answer as well.”
“You saw your dream in ‘him,’ didn’t you?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
After hearing Theo’s firm response, the regret in the Mistress of plum Blossom Palace’s eyes faded away.
Instead, a gentle smile appeared on her face.
“Alright. If that’s your stance, then so be it. As long as there’s no resentment left between you, me, and the Plum Blossom Palace, that’s what matters. Relationships can always be rebuilt.”
“......?”
“Well then, I’ll see you again.”
Somehow, her “see you again” felt more specific compared to Ed’s parting words.
But the Mistress of plum Blossom Palace left with a mysterious smile, leaving Theo slightly puzzled.
After several rounds of such encounters had passed,
“All new recruits, gather under the White Flag!”
Theo moved towards the white flag upon hearing the assembly order.
The flag bore the emblem of a white dragon roaring with a sword in its mouth.
‘That’s... the insignia I’ll wear on my left chest from now on.’
Thump-thump!
For some reason, it made him feel like he was reliving a childhood dream.
“Ahem! Ahem, ahem!”
Just then, Holcus approached Theo with a series of awkward throat clearings.
“Ahem, ahem, ahem! W-what a... surprise! W-what’s... going on...? Theo... you’re... here... too? Ha, ha, ha! What a... coincidence... ha, ha, ha!”
“......?”
Holcus extended his hand stiffly, his attempt at greeting painfully awkward, as if he were reading straight from a textbook.
“What are you talking about? We were just together at the Designation ceremony.”
“Ha... ha... ha... right. T-that’s... what I said?”
“......??”
Theo’s face was covered in question marks.
Sigh! Erika, standing nearby, covered her face with her hand and let out a deep sigh.
“This idiot... seriously. Theo, just ignore him. He’s just excited to see you.”
Theo found it odd seeing the usually confident Holcus acting so strange, but he simply nodded, assuming there must be a reason.
At the same time, another thought crossed his mind.
These siblings had returned to their family in his previous life.
But this time, they had chosen Ragnar’s unit.
Like Wellington, what kind of wind was blowing in their hearts this time?
Pushing those questions aside—
“The captain is coming. Everyone, attention!”
At the flag bearer’s shout, Theo and the Ranke siblings turned their attention to one side.
Step, step, step.
Julius was walking towards them.