Chapter 104: The Sixth Candidate (4)
‘How dare they!’
Niel looked as though sparks would fly from her eyes at any moment.
Today, she had only hoped for two things.
Her daughter Ray’s successful Blossoming Ceremony and a birthday celebration.
And to assess Theo’s potential as well.
Yet these worthless wretches were intent on ruining the celebration.
“We apologize to the Mistress of Water Lily Palace. But this is something we cannot simply overlook. So, if you would wait until we punish the White Armored Dragon Cavalry Commander... Gaaah!”
One of the elders, speaking curtly to Niel, suddenly found his right arm flung into the air.
The expressions of the other elders grew tense and rigid.
“What is the meaning of this, Mistress of Water Lily Palace?!”
“Are you siding with the White Armored Dragon Cavalry Commander and trying to intimidate our Elder Council...?”
“Silence!”
But their protests did not last long.
Rumble!
At Niel’s explosive shout, the Water Lily Palace and the banquet hall shook as a whole.
Crack, crack, crack—
Centered around her, a massive dragon emerged, forming in shape, and frost began to settle in all directions.
The temperature dropped to the point where frost formed on skin, and one could see their own breath.
“If you dare open your mouth one more time, I’ll cut off your heads, elders or not.”
“...!”
“...!”
“...!”
The elders took a hesitant step back.
For now, she was restraining herself to care for her ailing daughter.
But in her younger days, she had been known for her fierce spirit that had shaken Ragnar more than once.
Niel’s gaze shifted to Julius as well.
“White Armored Dragon Cavalry Commander... no, forget that. It’s too aggravating, so I’ll call you by name. Julius, the same goes for you. If you continue with these pointless antics, prepare to settle things with me, once and for all. Got it?”
Instead of answering, Julius merely looked at Niel with an indifferent gaze.
“If you want to drink and raise hell, do it outside. Do you not have any sense of honor or courtesy?”
Niel’s cold eyes shifted between Julius and the elders.
“Grab your swords and get out right now. I’m on the verge of wanting to cut all your heads off.”
By now, even the elite swordsmen of the Water Lily Palace had gathered around them, their blades drawn.
Each one had been personally trained by Niel, forming her top echelon of warriors.
They showed no concern for who they faced; at the slightest command from Niel, they would charge without hesitation.
But,
“No, I don’t feel like it.”
Julius answered with the same indifferent expression.
One of Niel’s eyebrows arched sharply.
“What?”
“You’re calling me by name, so I’ll go ahead and speak to you just as casually as I did in my younger days. Niel, I’m sorry, but I can’t leave. I still have some arms to pull off these old geezers, one by one.”
“White Armored Dragon Cavalry Commander!”
“How dare you!”
The elders’ faces twisted in fury, yet Julius didn’t wipe the sneer from his lips.
“And besides, it doesn’t look like they’re planning on stepping down so easily either, does it?”
“Ah, you’ve got a point.”
Just then, Wolfgang, who had finally stopped the bleeding, stepped forward with a twisted expression.
“Right. I’m not going to let it end like this. How dare... you think you can leave after doing this to me...!”
He had lost his right arm.
The arm that, for a swordsman, was life itself.
In nearly a century of life, he had never suffered such humiliation.
Wolfgang intended to settle this once and for all with Julius right here.
‘If I let this end here, my entire political career will be destroyed. I’ve fought through so much to make it this far! That cannot happen... not ever...!’
His position was already precarious due to the incident with Ed, and he was at constant risk of being purged.
But he realized that if he used this moment wisely, he might actually solidify his standing even further.
‘If I can frame the situation as one where the Elder Council, despite being innocent, is suffering under the oppression of the Demon Dragon... and if we unify to defeat the Demon Dragon, even the Black Dragon won’t be able to politically pressure me any longer.’
Kyle, the Black Dragon, Julius, and the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace.
He would finally create a crack in the hold these four had over the family’s power.
And it didn’t seem like failure was a likely outcome.
While Julius was certainly strong, the White Armored Dragon Cavalry wasn’t present. Here, the Elder Council members overwhelmingly outnumbered him.
If things took a turn, he was confident he could even bring Niel to his side.
“Fine. In thirty minutes, we’ll continue this entertainment here. The White Armored Dragon Cavalry and the Senate will each select three swordsmen to participate.”
* * *
‘Phew! It worked.’
Theo let out a breath of relief.
They had narrowly avoided what could have turned into a large-scale conflict.
Meanwhile, beside him, Naban and Torkel, who had been watching Theo closely, couldn’t contain their amazement.
‘Just like before, his skill at talking is something else. That tongue of his is sharper than any blade.’
‘Naban calling this boy his lord wasn’t a joke.’
Torkel’s evaluation of Theo was shifting in real-time.
A dangerous individual, indeed.
Boldness, eloquence, talent—he had it all.
What would become of this child if he continued to grow like this?
“Theo!”
At that moment, something suddenly jumped down from the second-floor terrace of the Water Lily Palace and came running over in haste.
“Ray. It’s been a while.”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Ray clung to Theo, meticulously checking him all over.
“I’m fine. Not hurt.”
“I’m mad at Mom.”
“Why?”
“She yelled at you.”
“The Lord of the Water Lily Palace was only doing her duty. She was actually trying to protect you.”
“Still, it was too much.”
Watching Ray sulk, Theo couldn’t help but laugh.
It seemed even they weren’t so different from any ordinary mother and daughter.
“Ray, how long has it been? I heard your secluded training went well, but it’s so nice to finally see you again after all this time!”
On the way over, Torkel waved cheerfully with a smile, but Ray glanced at him with a puzzled look before turning back to Theo.
“So, what’s your plan now? The Senate Leader is scary.”
In that instant, Torkel, who was left completely ignored(?), looked a bit dumbfounded, while Naban smirked from the side.
“Even the mighty Torkel has times when he’s overlooked, huh?”
“...Ha, haha. Well, Ray’s always been a bit shy.”
“Is that so? She doesn’t seem like the shy type, even if her personality is a bit unusual.”
“Hahaha. Come on, I’m her older brother—of course I know. Oh! Time really flies. I’m supposed to meet Ayan. It was nice running into you, Naban. Let’s grab a drink together sometime.”
Naban gave a light wave as he watched Torkel depart, thinking to himself that even someone like him had people he found difficult to deal with.
Meanwhile, Julius, Evelyn, Cecilia, Wellington, and the siblings Erika and Wellington approached Theo and Ray.
Evelyn still looked uncomfortable, as if she blamed herself for the situation escalating.
“Commander, Theo, there was really no need to make this into such a big issue...!”
“This isn’t just a matter between you and that old man. It’s about me and the White Armored Dragon Cavalry. Do you think he’d pull this kind of stunt if he didn’t have such disrespect for us?”
“I agree with the Commander. You’re not at fault here, Captain. This is something we should all face together.”
Julius turned his gaze to Theo, his lips curving into a smile, though his eyes were darkened with gravity.
“Suggesting a duel makes it seem like you have something in mind. Am I right?”
“Yes. My first objective was to prevent them from ganging up on us by numbers.”
“Why? Did you think I wouldn’t manage if they outnumbered us?”
“Of course not. I simply don’t want bloodshed on a day meant to celebrate a friend’s birthday.”
Julius broke into laughter again, impressed by Theo’s way of addressing the matter with care while also respecting his pride.
He knew it well himself: going head-to-head with the Senate would be an uphill battle, even for him.
And whether they won or lost, the political aftermath would be severe.
With just a few words, Theo had managed to prevent all of that.
‘My poor subordinates have to work hard because of their foolish Commander.’
Although he felt grateful to Theo, part of him was curious—wondering not only how this boy would manage to handle the situation but also how he might even turn it in his favor.
Theo always had a knack for turning crises into opportunities.
“So, how do you plan to set up the match?”
“The Senate Leader will certainly be the last one from their side. He’ll want to restore his tarnished honor.”
“Does he even have any honor to restore?”
“Well, it’s a situation where even non-existent honor must be created.”
“That’s true. Then I suppose I’ll take that last spot. And the two positions before that?”
“I’ll take them.”
A completely unexpected reply.
Julius’s eyes widened involuntarily.
Theo simply nodded calmly.
“Both of the first two positions.”