'The Commander was right,' thought Evelyn, a surge of certainty coursing through her as her blade clashed with Theo's. 'His talent… it's not just about swordsmanship.'
'He draws people to him, even his enemies. He captivates them with his charisma, his passion, his fervor, his yearning… He has it all.'
People who possessed all those traits were typically referred to as follows:
Clan Head.
'He has the makings of a Clan Head…'
The thought felt audacious, even presumptuous, for a simple swordsman like her.
Yet Evelyn believed it with all her heart.
'Maybe… just maybe, he could revitalize the entire clan from a thousand years of stagnation and decay.'
Some people said that Ragnar currently held more power than it ever has in all of history.
If the Ragnar Clan desired, a new empire could rise in the Northern Region.
They had the legitimacy of a thousand-year lineage. The unwavering trust of the Northern people. The battle-hardened experience and modern tactics gained from fighting the monsters of the Demon Sea. Physical abilities so extraordinary some even called them 'cursed'. And…
The support of the 6 Snow Clans.
But all of this had led to stagnation, to decay. The stench of corruption was suffocating.
Evelyn… was one of its victims.
That was why she had given up the reins she held so dear.
That was why she had stored away the sword she treasured more than life itself.
But now, she held her sword once more. Even with only one arm, her balance compromised, unable to display the same level of skills she once had…
Evelyn had found something to believe in again.
And to nurture that belief, she had to push even harder.
CRASH!
Rumble—
"Huff… Huff…!"
"Fuu… Fuu…!"
Theo and Remington stumbled back from the force of her blow, drenched in sweat and on the verge of collapse. But their eyes burned brighter than ever.
A fierce competitive spirit, an unyielding refusal to surrender, radiated from them.
Yes. This was it. This was the heart of a true swordsman.
'Why don't I push them a little more?'
A grin stretched across Evelyn's face, revealing a flash of canine.
"Try blocking properly," she said, her words masking her true intent. "You'll fail the test at this rate."
Whoosh!
She launched herself forward again.
The sensation, after four long years, was intoxicating.
***
Despite it being the middle of the day, sunlight struggled to penetrate the gloom of the room.
A middle-aged man adjusted his glasses, scrutinizing the document a servant had presented.
"This is the information on him?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. You're dismissed."
With a dismissive wave, the man focused on the document. It contained a photograph of Theo, Julius, and Evelyn meeting.
"The Imbecile of the Rose Palace consorting with the Commander of the White-Armored Dragon Cavalry…? He's certainly made it, hasn't he."
There was only one emotion in the man's gaze toward Theo.
Contempt.
He looked at him like something scraped from the bottom of his shoe.
「That doesn't look like a matter to be taken so lightly.」
A voice echoed from above, causing the man's expression to harden.
He looked up.
A dragon's head emerged from the darkness clinging to the ceiling.
"I thought I told you not to wander outside without my permission, Shartan."
The Shadow Dragon. They were known to have the most unique appearance and traits among the countless species of dragons in the world.
With their numbers dwindling to less than a hundred, they were on the verge of extinction.
And Shartan was the leader of said dragons.
However, this was all a closely guarded secret.
And so, Shartan was forced to remain nested in a shadow, a constant source of his displeasure.
「It is stifling here. How much longer must I remain hidden like a rat? I want to go wild!」
"The time is not right."
「Always with the 'not,' 'not,' 'not'… You could tie a boat with that many knots!」
"Enough whining. You said this shouldn't be taken lightly. What do you mean?"
「I meant exactly what I meant. Can you not see the other person in the photo?」
The middle-aged man frowned at the image of Evelyn.
"You mean this one-armed woman?"
「Yeah, her.」
"And who is she?"
「Her name's Evelyn Nerevil. She's the manager of Training Ground #4.」
"And why should I know someone of her stature?"
「She was formerly a high-rank swordsman of the White-Armored Dragon Cavalry.」
"Hmm…?"
「In her prime, there were even rumors that she was the Commander's right hand.」
The man recollected an 'insignificant' memory he had tucked away in the back of his mind.
One day, Julius had stormed the Council, turning it on its head and leaving several councilors battered and bruised.
The fallout had been significant, especially considering it was the usually composed Julius who had lost control.
The injured councilors, facing months of recovery, had demanded Julius be punished. However, the Council ultimately buried the incident.
Not only did the Clan Head hold Julius in such high regard, but revealing the extent of the damage inflicted by a mere unit commander would only undermine the Council's authority.
'If I remember correctly, the reason for the Commander's rampage was because of some woman…'
「It seems you finally remember.」
The middle-aged man nodded.
"Vaguely. But what relevance does this woman hold?"
「Lately, she has been with the Imbecile of the Rose Palace almost every day.」
"What?"
「It appears she has become his sword instructor.」
"…The Commander's former loyal hound is training the imbecile?"
「Bingo. I think it's been about three months now?」
The man's face clouded with thought.
If true, this was indeed no small matter.
An alliance between Theo and the White-Armored Dragon Cavalry would significantly complicate his plans to obtain the Rose Palace.
The White-Armored Dragon Cavalry wielded considerable influence within the clan. They were a force to be reckoned with, even for him.
'Rendon… That fool botched his mission and died, disrupting my plans. and now this?'
Tap.
Tap.
The man tapped his finger rhythmically on the desk, lost in thought. It was a habit of his when he was having serious concerns.
「Oh. I don't know if it'll be helpful, but there is one more piece of information that may be of interest.」
"What is it?"
「You know Narcio? He's been chummy with their junior clan head lately.」
The man's contemplation ceased abruptly.
"I despise unforeseen variables. It seems it can't be helped. I must look into this."
「Ooh. What are you scheming now? Tell me! Tell me! Pretty please?」
Ignoring Shartan's clamor, the man took out a piece of paper and began to write, his fountain pen scratching across the surface.
He carefully folded the note and placed it in an envelope with the following written on it.
To the esteemed Lord of the Rose Palace.
Then he carefully sealed the envelope.
「Here we go again! Would it hurt you to just tell me—!」
"Shartan."
「Oh! Are you finally going to share your plan?」
"You will be confined to your quarters for the next month."
「Th-th-that's preposterous…!」
"It seems you have been wandering and eavesdropping a lot without my permission. Remain in your quarters and reflect on your actions."
「W-wait, Master! Master? Listen to me…! Hey! Heeeey!」
Ignoring Shartan's protests, the man quietly left the room, the letter clutched in his hand.
* * *
For the past three months, Theo's life had been consumed by training.
He arrived at Training Ground #4 at 6:00 AM sharp every day for his run, followed by basic swordsmanship training with Evelyn at 9:00 AM, and then consecutive sparring from noon onwards.
Those who didn't get a chance to spar with him on the first day came back on the second day. Those who didn't get a chance on the second day came back on the third day. This cycle went on to the fourth, fifth, and sixth day…
Until eventually, over the course of three months, consecutive sparring had now become a tradition of sorts at Training Ground #4.
They enjoyed doing things with Theo.
Physical condition, sword training, even consecutive sparring.
And when they couldn't spar with Theo, they took turns sparring with each other.
Evelyn even provided them with some guidance.
This became a catalyst for those who had become known as 'rejects' to slowly improve once again.
After the group training, Theo's individual training began in the evening.
From 6:00 PM, he reviewed the day's lessons. From 9:00 PM, he dedicated himself to deciphering the secret styles with the insights he had attained.
There was little respite in this rigorous, repetitive schedule.
Perhaps that was why Remington, initially enthusiastic about Theo's activities, had grown weary in less than a month.
"Aren't you tired?" he asked, sprawling on the training ground floor after their sparring session.
The Narcio Clan was infamous for their demanding training, yet even Remington seemed to struggle with this regiment.
"It's manageable."
"This is 'manageable' to you…?"
"Yes. In fact, I'm planning to increase the intensity tomorrow."
"…More?"
"More."
"…I guarantee that there is no one more monstrous than you, Sir Theo."
Theo chuckled at Remington's bewildered expression. Honestly, he didn't blame him for having such a reaction.
However…
'How can I get tired when I can literally see myself growing stronger in real time?'
[Theo Ragnar (15/Male)
· Level: 1
· Stats (▼)
Strength: 18
Dexterity: 16
Vitality: 17
Magic Power: 195
Intelligence: 16
Luck: -35
· [Access Denied]
· [Access Denied]]
Not only did he significantly increase his [Luck], albeit still in the negative, but he had also gained over 20 points across the other five stats.
'My [Magic Power] increased by 1 Annual. It seems that 5 points roughly equates to 1 Annual.'
Theo narrowed his eyes.
'The problem is, my progress has plateaued recently.'
This was his current predicament. For the past two weeks, his stat growth had stagnated.
It seemed repeating the same training methods was no longer sufficient to grow.
'I think I need something else.'
[Tutorial Quest #11
Experience real combat.
· Difficulty: D
· Reward: Beginner's Tunic
· Penalty: ■■ ]
'Now that I've opened my Aura Hall and trained diligently, it wants me to fight someone for real?'
Theo narrowed his eyes.
But that would require something like undertaking a mission outside Wintera.
With the Awakening Ceremony fast approaching, Theo was currently forbidden from leaving.
'Unless…!'
If a situation similar to the Rendon incident occurred, it might give him an opportunity to fight without a mission. Just as the thought crossed his mind…
"…So, I'd like to invite you to the gathering. What do you say?"
Theo snapped back to reality, focusing on Remington's question.
"I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?"
"Seems like your mind was elsewhere."
"I was distracted thinking about something I need to attend to later."
"No worries. It wasn't anything that important. The Awakening Ceremony is only two months away, right? We're having a social for those of us participating, a chance to get acquainted. I was hoping you'd do the honor of joining us."
'A social? Oh, he must mean the Scaled Dragon Society.'
The Scaled Dragon referred to a dragon that slumbered in the depths. It was the name given to the social gathering that formed the year Theo participated in the Awakening Ceremony.
Among people of Theo's age, there were countless geniuses like Remington. It was to a degree that people called this the 'Blessed Generation' and the generation directly before and after the 'Cursed Generations'.
Though it first would begin as a simple social gathering, the Scaled Dragon Society would eventually gain enough authority to affect important matters regarding the Ragnar Clan.
It even got to a degree that the Council became wary of them and tried to break them up.
Unfortunately, Theo had never been included before. He had been deemed unworthy, lacking both the talent and the qualifications.
Yet, in this life, he had received an invitation.
The irony wasn't lost on him.
'Becoming acquainted with them could be advantageous. I could also assess the skills of potential rivals before the ceremony.'
But would it truly be beneficial?
It was a viper's nest. Attending might only bring him trouble.
He remembered Remington eventually regretting his involvement and distancing himself.
'Okay. Let's decline. I need to organize the insights I gained today anyway.'
"I also think you should go," Evelyn interjected, having listened quietly to their conversation. "Doing nothing but training isn't good. You need to clear your head sometimes."
She was making a persuasive argument in favor of Remington's offer.
In a bit of a bind, Theo rubbed his temple. Just then…
'What's this…?'
Fwoo—
The invitation in Remington's hand pulsed with a blue light.
The same ethereal blue light as the message window.