Chapter 65: The Old Chosen One (5)
By the time the drinking session with the members of the Fourth Training Ground had come to an end, it was already dawn.
Though everyone felt it was a shame to part ways, they had no choice but to disperse, as the unit assignment announcement was scheduled for early the next morning.
The last person left at the table was Ray.
“Theo.”
“Hm?”
“Can I... come again?”
For some reason, Ray couldn’t meet Theo’s eyes properly as she shyly asked that question.
Was she afraid he might say no?
Theo could tell that Ray had put a lot of thought into asking him.
“Do as you like.”
“Re... really?”
“Yeah. We’re friends now, aren’t we? Friends are always welcome.”
“Friends...”
Ray repeated the word to herself a few times, then her face brightened and she nodded energetically.
“Yeah! Thanks!”
Her smile was brighter than ever before.
* * *
Theo quietly entered Camellia Palace.
It was so late that everyone was likely asleep, so he carefully watched his steps. However, he noticed that the dining room lights were still on.
‘Did someone forget to turn off the lights?’
Thinking he would go and switch them off, Theo headed to the dining room, only to be slightly surprised.
“Oh my, young master. Just coming in now? You have to be up early tomorrow morning, and yet you’re coming in so late—how do you plan on managing your condition for the day?”
“I didn’t drink at all, so I’ll be fine. But, aren’t you asleep yet?”
Cecilia was sitting alone at the table, without a maid or butler in sight.
Her slightly flushed face made it seem like she had been enjoying some drinks by herself.
And indeed, there was a bottle of wine submerged in an ice bucket on one side of the table.
She picked up the wine bottle and shook it in front of Theo.
“I was in such a good mood today that I decided to have a drink. Why? Does it seem strange to you?”
“No. It’s just... I’ve never seen you like this before.”
“Hahaha! Well, I suppose I’ve never shown you this side of myself before. Because I couldn’t... afford to show any weakness, not even for a moment.”
The last part of her murmuring somehow sent a sharp pang through Theo’s heart.
Then, Cecilia flashed him a wide smile and spoke.
“So, what do you think? Won’t you be your mother’s drinking companion tonight?”
Theo had planned not to touch a drop of alcohol until he turned twenty.
‘This much should be fine, right?’
For some reason, Theo wanted to talk more with his mother.
He thought this might be the perfect opportunity to discuss all the conversations they hadn’t had, the misunderstandings, and their true feelings. He also needed to thank her for helping with Evelyn.
“Yes, if it’s a drink from you, Mother.”
“It’s been my dream to sit down and have a drink with my son, and now that dream is finally coming true! Won’t you sit here?”
Theo took a seat across from Cecilia.
Clatter!
Late into the night, the mother and son’s drinking session continued.
* * *
The next day, at 6:11 AM.
Wellington entered the Fourth Training Ground with a long yawn, just like any other day.
He couldn’t skip dawn training, after all.
‘It’s amazing how habits stick like this. I thought I’d take a break today, but that’s even harder to do.’
The afterparty had continued even after Theo left, going on to a third and fourth round as some people gathered in small groups.
In particular, Wellington and Erika had been the worst offenders, since they hadn’t been able to drink due to Theo’s presence earlier. They drank in a rush, thinking they had to make up for lost time, and it led to some serious overindulgence.
The other members also fueled the atmosphere, repeatedly calling Theo the hero of the Blossoming Ceremony, which kept the drinking going.
As a result, Wellington’s head was now pounding with a brutal hangover.
‘In the North, we traditionally considered anyone over fifteen as an independent adult and warrior. That custom is what led to the Blossoming Ceremony as a coming-of-age ritual... Ugh, my head.’
He had come to the training ground out of habit, but now he wasn’t sure if he could even hold his sword properly.
He seriously considered going back to his dorm to rest when—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of the wind slicing through the air reached his ears.
It was an all-too-familiar sound.
The wind began to gather around him.
* * *
“Ugh, my head...”
“Who told you to drink so much, huh? Seriously.”
“Could you be quiet...! Urgh!”
Erika, her face pale, couldn’t even argue with Holcus and had to forcibly stifle her dry heaving.
Even though she kept circulating her magic power to alleviate the hangover, it wasn’t fading, and she felt miserable.
Just as Holcus clicked his tongue and patted Erika’s back, Theo suddenly held something out to her.
“What... is this?”
“A remedy. It’ll help with your hangover. It tastes awful, though.”
“Ugh, thanks.”
Without thinking, Erika took it and drank it, only to immediately spit it out.
“Waaagh!”
“Hey! What are you doing?! That’s disgusting!”
Holcus leaped up in shock, but Erika, her eyes blazing with fury, glared at Theo.
“You... y-you... were trying to a-assassinate me, weren’t you?”
“I told you it would taste bad.”
“Still, how could anyone drink this...!”
What Erika had just drunk was ‘special celery juice.’
It was an alchemical concoction that Theo, the future Blood Sword Emperor, always made and drank. However, to others, it was nothing more than food with an eccentric taste.
“If you keep drinking it, you’ll eventually find it tolerable.”
“Ugh, no thanks.”
“Well, if you don’t like it, that’s that.”
Theo shrugged. He had given it to her because it was genuinely effective against hangovers, but since she didn’t like it, he had no intention of forcing her.
“More than that, I wish they’d just hurry up with the deployment already...”
Erika mumbled quietly, glancing towards the entrance of the waiting room.
The three of them were currently waiting for the announcement of their assignments. The White Armored Dragon Cavalry was composed of five squads, and each squad, consisting of around 70 to 150 members, performed different missions and had different goals.
For instance, the second squad focused on The Demonic Sea exploration missions, while the third squad specialized in guarding the Great Wall. Each squad had its own unique specialties and characteristics.
Because of this, the placement of new recruits was a matter of careful consideration.
Erika and Holcus hoped they’d be assigned to the same squad, but knowing that it was nearly impossible, they just wished they wouldn’t be separated too far from each other.
‘I’d really like to be assigned to the first squad.’
Unlike the siblings, Theo hoped to be placed in the first squad, which was considered the pride of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.
The first squad was known as “The Dark Dragon’s Guard” and often worked directly with Julius, the heart of the force. Naturally, Theo, who aimed for a rapid rise in rank, saw it as his ideal assignment.
Most importantly, Evelyn was also part of that squad.
‘I wonder what’s going to happen.’
Since the nature of their new recruit training would also differ depending on which squad they were assigned to, Theo couldn’t help but feel curious.
Creak!
At that moment, the door to the waiting room swung open, and Evelyn entered.
Behind her followed familiar faces—Selperd, Arin, and others.
‘......?’
Theo tilted his head in confusion. Evelyn was in the first squad, while Selperd and Arin were in the fifth, each belonging to different squads. The others who entered were in the same situation.
But the biggest question was that all of them wore somber expressions.
“Nice to meet you. I am Evelyn Nerevil, newly appointed as the leader of the fifth squad. From now on, I will also be your superior, in charge of the three of you.”
Erika and Holcus’s faces brightened instantly.
They had gotten their wish to be placed together in the same squad.
However, Theo’s expression darkened considerably.
‘The squad leader was changed? All of a sudden? At this time, the leader of the fifth squad should have been Trainer Isben, shouldn’t it?’
Trainer Isben was the oldest knight in the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.
He even had more experience than Julius, and when problems occasionally arose within the unit, Julius himself would seek his advice. Other squad leaders and Dragon Knights treated him with the utmost respect.
Moreover, he still had more than five years left before his retirement.
If someone had replaced him in such a position?
It clearly meant something significant had happened.
– Something Theo wasn’t aware of.
“Under normal circumstances, you would undergo basic education and training for the next three months to acquire the essential qualities of a Dragon Knight... but due to urgent matters, all of that has been skipped.”
At that moment, Erika and Holcus exchanged glances, and Theo’s eyes sank deeply.
Evelyn slowly opened her mouth.
“Three days from now, all of you will be deployed into actual combat.”
“...!”