Theo had the worst reputation within the Ragnar Clan.
He was seen as a waste of Ragnar blood—good for nothing.
People pretended to be hush-hush about it, but it was an open secret that the council planned to expel him after the Awakening Ceremony.
Even Evelyn, despite thinking he was a kind kid, held the same prejudice. Her judgment became especially harsh when he grabbed the Zweihander.
But…
'His stance… It's surprisingly refined… Clean, efficient.' The instant Theo settled into his stance, stepped forward, and swung, Evelyn's doubts evaporated.
His movements were agonizingly slow; almost yawn-inducing. The average person would have scoffed, "What the hell is that?" Indeed, those who had gathered to witness Theo's strange behavior quickly grew bored and drifted away.
Yet each slow movement was precise and flawlessly executed. Evelyn used to be a fairly renowned expert, so she recognized the skill involved.
'From what I know, he's never even properly held a sword before…'
It was to the point that Rendon, the swindling mercenary, spread rumors about how he'd given up on Theo.
Such a level of skill could only mean one thing…
'A genius! He must be a lazy genius. Born with such natural talent, he never bothered to pick up a sword before… that's it.'
Evelyn's misunderstanding, while not entirely unfounded, filled her with regret.
'If only he'd shown an interest in the sword sooner.'
The Awakening Ceremony was no walk in the park. Even with insane talent, closing the gap between him and his exceptionally talented siblings in less than six months was impossible. Theo's siblings were also incredible geniuses themselves, after all.
'Should I help him?' Perhaps, with her guidance, he could improve faster. Evelyn considered it, shifting uneasily…
"You might have lost an arm, but you still have the same antsy energy, I see." A sudden voice from behind snapped her out of her thoughts.
Mentioning her missing arm was taboo—something no one who knew her would dare bring up.
"Which yapping son of a bitch dares to—!" Evelyn spun around, furious, but her anger died in her throat.
"That would be me." A middle-aged man with a warm demeanor stood there, holding his hands behind his back. He was the charming silver fox type, likely a heartbreaker in his youth.
"C-Commander?" Evelyn gulped.
"Commander? You mean, 'Son of a bitch?' Ah, but don't be too mean to dogs. My big brother absolutely adores dogs."
Evelyn scrambled to her feet at the playful jab from her former superior, Julius, the commander of the White-Armored Dragon Cavalry.
"I, High-Rank Swordsman Evelyn Nerevil, offer my greetings to the commander of the White-Armored Dragon Cavalry…!"
"Enough, enough. I'm not such a fogey that I'd demand such formalities from someone who left the unit ages ago."
Demon Dragon Julius Ragnar was the leader of the White-Armored Dragon Cavalry, the strongest of the four units representing the Ragnar Clan. He was the only outsider ever to be granted the Ragnar surname and a place on the council, thanks to his exceptional skill and service.
"Ah. Is it fogey-like of me to claim that I'm not a fogey? Oh, my… This is tricky." He usually wore a kind, handsome expression, just as he did then.
"What brings you here unannounced, Sir…?" she asked.
"Must I inform you of my every move?"
Evelyn's expression soured. Her younger self would have retorted the remark, regardless of his rank. "…You know that's not what I meant."
"Ohoho. 'Twas merely a joke. I was taking a stroll to combat boredom. I see your temper hasn't softened."
Evelyn bit back a sharp reply.
"More importantly, you seem to be watching something interesting. Mind if I join you?" Without waiting for permission, Julius stepped beside her, gazing toward the training grounds.
"Impressive. It's been a while since I saw someone handle such a large greatsword. His movements are clean. There's real power behind those swings, too. He's clearly been diligently practicing the fundamentals. I didn't know we had a young man like him in the clan."
Talented individuals needed to be recruited early or else other units would snatch them up during the Awakening Ceremony.
Julius, always on the lookout for new talent, received many recommendations, but… he'd never seen a boy like that.
The boy effortlessly swung the two-meter-long greatsword despite his slender frame. That, in particular, caught his eye. It spoke of a solid foundation of lean muscle—those like him were usually the real gems.
"That's Theo Ragnar."
"…What?" Julius flinched, visibly startled. "You mean Lady Cecilia's…?"
"Yes. That is correct."
"Oho!" Julius voiced his genuine surprise. He was vaguely familiar with Cecilia and Theo's story. "I never heard her son was talented. Wasn't he practically disowned by the council?"
"The councilors are blind."
Julius chuckled wryly, "It's fine in front of me, but be careful with such remarks. You could get into serious trouble."
"I only said it because I know you'll keep it a secret, Commander."
Julius shook his head. He was aware of Evelyn's bitter resentment towards the council, so he shifted the topic. "Regardless, he's impressive… He must be a dormant dragon, having hidden himself in wait for the opportune moment."
Julius was forming his own misconceptions of Theo. "Still, to be this skilled, he must have been training consistently. Do you know how long he's been practicing the sword for?"
Julius thought, if nurtured correctly, Theo could be a true gem. He waited for Evelyn's answer.
"One day," she said.
"Huh?" It was an unexpected answer.
Evelyn replied with a funny smile. "It's only been a day. Half a day, to be precise. He picked up that sword for the first time a lil' while ago."
"...!"
Evelyn found it amusing to see a crack in Julius's usually unflappable composure. "Even for a scion of Ragnar, that's absurd…"
Evelyn shrugged, "Beats me."
"Besides, aren't Ragnars always…?!" she suddenly trailed off, seeing someone storm toward Theo, fuming.
'Isn't that…?' Evelyn narrowed her eyes, recognizing the person.
She placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, prepared to intervene at the drop of a hat.
* * *
'…Seriously, what is this?'
Theo, immersed in his Zweihander training, was startled—a notification sound had broken his concentration.
Ding—!
[Congratulations! You have successfully completed Tutorial Que■■ #2]
Evaluation: A
You have obtained '■■■'s neck■■' as a reward.]
[As an additional reward based on your evaluation, you have gained 1 annual of magic power in your Aura Hall.]
Once again, the reward he'd supposedly obtained was obscured by the static over the letters, but the '1 annual of magic power' he received as an additional reward caught his eye.
'There's no way, right?'
The amount of magic power an ordinary person could accumulate with a standard aura cultivation technique over the course of a year was referred to as 'one annual of magic power'.
Theo had 34 annuals of magic power stored in his Aura Heart, which he'd painstakingly accumulated during his previous life.
For it to suddenly increase by a whole year's worth? That was preposterous. Impossible.
He couldn't help but check his Dragon Heart.
To his surprise…
'It actually increased!'
Of course, even with the same quantity, the effectiveness of magic power varied depending on its purity and density. At the same time, the total volume was also significant.
'How is this even possible? If it's this easy, then why should I bother with arduous training?' He felt wary. The unexpected gift was welcome, but it clashed with his deeply held belief in rigorous training.
Not to mention, there was also the unsettling mystery of the messages themselves.
As if mocking his confusion, another message appeared.
[Que■■ received.]
[Tutorial Que■■ #3
Train your Aura Hall even further.
· Difficulty: E
· Reward: ■■■'s ear■■
· Penalty: ■■]
Another mission?
A thought struck Theo. 'Do I really need to be wary of this?'
Cultivating his Aura Heart was essential for gaining strength. His training was all so he could adapt to it.
Instead of avoiding it, why not embrace it? He could simply accept the rewards for the moment, and if he, by chance, had to pay for it later… Well, he could always handle it then.
'I need to focus solely on getting stronger.' The thought eased his mind. The message could do its thing while he did his thing.
Theo lifted the Zweihander again, focusing all his awareness on the tip of the blade. Was it the increased magic power? His concentration felt sharper.
Ba-thump. Ba-thump.
The powerful beat of his Dragon Heart echoed.
Ring. Ring.
His fingertips felt the sword quivering with the thumps of his heartbeat. A torrent of information about the sword flooded his mind—its weight, balance, material, history, and… its voice.
'This is the voice of the sword…'
It was as if the sword were speaking to him.
What had been faint and indistinct with 34 annuals of magic power rang clear with 35. Minutely perceiving the entirety of the sword had broken through his mental block, giving him a newfound clarity.
Klaaaang–!
The Zweihander vibrated intensely with a clear, metallic ring.
[You have gained an understanding of Sword Resonance.]
[You have achieved Unity of Sword and Mind.]
[Congratulations! By understanding the will of the sword, you have successfully completed Tutorial Que■■ #3]
[You have obtained…]
[As an additional reward based on your evaluation, you have gained 1 annual of magic power in your Aura Hall.]
Theo swung the Zweihander, following its voice. From above to below, it was a curved diagonal slash.
A tightening in his chest accompanied the intensified pulsing of his Aura Heart, sending magic power and vitality surging throughout his body.
Thump Thump Thump Thump!
Swish. Swoosh.
Theo swung repeatedly, layering stroke upon stroke as he followed the sword's desired path. Despite the physical fatigue caused by the sword's weight, he felt invigorated. A sense of liberation washed over him.
He was completely engrossed by the sword, and the additional magic power only deepened his trance.
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have successfully completed Tutorial Que■■ #4]
[You have obtained…]
[As an additional reward…]
Ding!
[As an additional reward…]
Ding!
[As an additional reward…]
By the time he had unknowingly accumulated another three annuals of magic power, the Zweihander traced a new trajectory—«Three Fangs of the Dragon», one of the secret sword styles he had discovered in the library.
The technique he had only read about so far was, for the first time ever, being drawn out by his hands.
[Que■■ received.]
[Tutorial Que■■ #7
Link a total of 10 sword styles with your Aura Hall.
· Difficulty: D
· Reward: ■■■'s Brace■■
· Penalty: ■■]
Swish!
Just as Theo was about to follow the trajectory emerging in his mind…
"Young Master! How could you do this to your master?!" An unwelcome intruder shattered his focus.
It was Rendon.