Axion Ragnar.
The second son of 'Aimil', the third wife and Lady of Camellia Palace.
Aimil herself was the daughter of the Troivan Marquis Clan, an elite clan of the East. The Troivans had a reputation for swordsmanship that rivaled even the Ragnars.
Thanks to his powerful maternal lineage, Axion held a formidable position from a young age. His exceptional talent only solidified this further.
Some even hailed him as the union of the North and East's finest sword clans, the combined fruit of Ragnar and Troivan.
By adulthood, Axion had risen to become a top contender among the potential successors.
'And his organization, the Scaled Dragon Society, wielded considerable influence.'
Rendon's opportunistic bid for Axion's patronage immediately after leaving Rose Palace served as ample proof.
However…
'Axion made his move soon after Rendon's death… Could this truly be a coincidence?'
Theo had briefly entertained the possibility of a connection between Rendon and Axion but dismissed it as improbable.
Why would a clan like the Troivans employ such a flimsy swindler? And even if they did, why would Cecilia and he warrant their attention? It seemed unlikely.
But the current situation painted a more complicated picture.
'I've been isolating myself, uncertain of who might be a pawn in this game… and this happens?'
Having risen through the ranks of the intelligence agency, Theo firmly believed coincidences were rare.
'I guess I'll learn once I'm there.'
Perhaps it might even be connected to the blue light he'd seen on the invitation.
As this thought crossed his mind…
Screech!
The carriage lurched to a halt.
"We must have arrived," Remington announced, opening the carriage door and stepping out.
Theo followed close behind.
A castle, easily two or three times larger than the Rose Palace, loomed before them.
Suddenly…
"Young master Theo!" Remington shouted in surprise, noticing something.
But Theo had already noticed and was reacting to it.
A heavy sack was plummeting from above.
Ploof!
The sack burst open where Theo had stood moments before, erupting in a cloud of flour.
"Axion! What is the meaning of this?!" Remington's furious gaze aimed towards the origin of the sack.
Cackle, cackle.
Axion stood there laughing.
His other friends, who were at the entrance, wore uncomfortable expressions while glancing between the two.
"What does it look like? It's a welcome for a friend I'm meeting for the first time. But turns out that it is, in fact, Theo. Wow, man. It's been a while. Good to see you!"
Though the Ragnar direct lineage boasted dozens of scions, only three or four were fifteen years old. Even if they did not interact much, they at least knew one another.
Theo brushed back his slightly ruffled hair and stared at Axion. Had he not dodged, his mother's efforts would have been in vain.
Theo realized the guy wasn't one bit different than in his past life.
'Typical. I knew he was going to pull something.'
[Observing 'Axion Ragnar'.]
[Axion Ragnar (15 years old/Male)
· Title: Dark Leopard
· Talent: Madness. Psychopath.
· Status: Excited about finding a new toy.]
'A toy? Does he truly see me as a toy?'
The Status Window confirmed his suspicions.
"You're giving me the silent treatment? Are you mad? Come on, can't you take a little brotherly greeting?"
"No. I'm not angry. I simply didn't expect such a boisterous welcome. Thanks."
"You're… thankful?" Axion's eyes widened in surprise.
"Any attention is better than no attention, wouldn't you agree?"
Theo's casual reply drew a chuckle from Axion.
"You…" Axion gazed at him, observing the entirety of Theo. "You've become more interesting, haven't you?"
* * *
Soft music drifted through the banquet hall. The usually lively party was unusually subdued.
Axion's prank had infuriated Remington, and everyone else was cautiously gauging his mood.
"I apologize again for his behavior. He's not normally like this… I think he got a little carried away," said Remington.
"It's truly alright. I know Axion has always been a prankster."
Despite Theo's repeated reassurances, Remington would not leave his side.
'At this rate… I'll lose face with young master Theo completely,' he worried.
Remington had hoped that by introducing Theo to his close friends, he and Theo would become 'true friends'.
But now, he worried the distance between them would only widen.
The awkward atmosphere also discouraged his other friends from approaching Theo.
The situation was frustrating on all fronts.
'Why did Axion have to pull such a ridiculous stunt…!'
Contrary to Remington's anxieties, Theo was quite content with the banquet. The lack of interaction allowed him to leisurely observe the interior of the Camellia Palace.
Also…
'There should be something here related to the blue light…' thought Theo.
Perhaps he would see the light from the invitation again, or maybe a new message would appear.
He was looking at the central hallway leading to the second-floor staircase when his gaze was snagged.
At the top of the stairs, a faint but distinct blue light emanated from the crack beneath the shabby door of what appeared to be a storage room.
There it was.
Theo's eyes lit up.
He was pondering how to reach the second floor and the room without attracting attention when…
"Why are you just sitting here instead of enjoying the party?" Axion approached, swirling a glass of whiskey.
Remington's face hardened, but Theo, unperturbed, asked, "Is that alcohol?"
"Yeah. How'd you guess?"
"Isn't it forbidden before the Coming of Age Ceremony?"
"Hehe. You gotta take moments like this to pretend to be a grown-up. You only live once, right?"
Theo chuckled. Axion was likely the only one in the strict Ragnar clan who could act so brazenly.
"But Theo, why did you become so different? You've grown taller. And your physique seems studier. Also, didn't you used to be more talkative?" Axion asked.
"I thought I'd try changing."
"Huh? Why so suddenly?"
"So I don't embarrass myself at the Awakening Ceremony."
"Ahaha! You've got a point. With so many people gathered, it would be mortifying."
Theo struggled to read the true intentions behind Axion's smiling face.
"Anyway, sorry about earlier. Not only is Remmy mad, but the butler just gave me an earful. You'll accept my apology, right? Hmm? Yeah?"
The apology lacked sincerity, but…
"Is there a need to apologize?" Theo responded.
"Huh?"
"Like you said, it was just a casual 'greeting' between brothers."
"Right? We were just greeting each other."
"Of course."
"Ahaha! As expected of our Theo. You have a big heart."
Smack! Smack!
Axion patted Theo hard on the shoulders, laughing and cackling. His condescending attitude was clear. He saw Theo as beneath him.
Theo could hear the gossiping of the onlookers.
"Looks like they've patched things up. Phew. I was shaking, thinking Remmy and Ax were going to fight."
"Me too. If those two fought… ugh!"
"But honestly, wasn't it a pretty harmless prank? I think Remmy overreacted."
"That's what I'm saying."
"It's kind of funny, though. What's there to be upset about? A lowly bastard shouldn't question someone with noble Troivan blood."
"Well, if you think about it, Remmy is also…!"
"Hey! Be careful what you say!"
"Oh, right. I forgot it's taboo to talk about it."
They thought they were whispering, but because these were people who weren't normally considerate of others, their words carried loud and clear.
Remington's face flushed with anger. For the first time in his life, he felt ashamed of his friends.
He had always considered them open-minded and understanding, but he never imagined they could be so prejudiced.
He was about to stand up and rebuke them when—
"So…"
"Huh?"
"It's okay if I also 'greet' my new friends too, right?"
Theo's unexpected question to Axion caught Remington's attention.
What was he planning?
Before Axion could reply, Theo flung his glass at the snickering group.
Thwack—
Shatter!
The head of one of the guys who had commented on bloodlines was knocked backward.
"...!"
"...!"
"...!"
People's eyes widened, not expecting such a development.
"You fucking imbecile! How dare you?" The guy, his head bleeding from a large open wound, lunged at Theo.
But Theo stood calmly, seemingly unfazed.
"Imbecile? I was simply offering a friendly greeting."
The guy's fist flew towards Theo's face.
"It hurts my feelings when you use such harsh language."
Theo effortlessly dodged the punch with a slight head movement, simultaneously getting up close to seize the man's arm.
He then executed a flawless over-the-shoulder throw.
Crash!
The guy, almost twice Theo's size, was slammed into the floor.
"Aagh! Let go! I said, let me go! Are you deaf?!"
The guy struggled with all his might to break free, but Theo's grip was too strong.
"Oh! Is it because we haven't properly introduced ourselves to each other? Hey, Ax."
"What?" Axion watched with strange amusement, despite his friend's predicament.
"We're friends before we're brothers, right?"
"Mayhaps. Why?"
"Your friends would be my friends as well, so it's fine," Theo smirked and twisted the man's arm.
C-c-crack!
"Aaaaagh!" A scream ripped through the hall, replacing the now-absent music.
Some turned away, unable to watch as the man's arm twisted at a grotesque angle.
"Now that we've exchanged greetings, I should bid you farewell in advance, shouldn't I?"
"W-wait…!"
Crack!
The other arm twisted as well. The elbow bone even protruded through the torn muscle.
It was an injury that would make it impossible for him to wield a sword ever again.
Theo stepped away from the guy, who passed out, frothing at the mouth from the pain.
"..."
"..."
"..."
No one had anticipated such brutality. They were terrified.
Only Axion watched with rapt attention.
Theo smirked, 'They're still just brats.'
No matter how arrogant they acted, they were still all minors, sheltered within their clan's walls.
It must have been a shock to see someone defeated in just two moves by Theo, whom they had dismissed as an 'imbecile'.
Only Axion, inherently cruel, seemed to relish the moment.
Perhaps it was simply the Ragnar way.
"Anyone else care to exchange greetings?" Theo's gaze swept across the room.
His eyes, cold like a dragon, met theirs.
Everyone bit their tongue. A heavy silence descended.
"Y-you… do you even realize what you've done?" Finally, one of them stepped forward, biting his lip.
He was a close friend of the one Theo'd injured.
"And if I do?"
"No, you don't. He's…!"
"The third son of the Hanavi Family?"
"You did this knowing that…!"
The Hanavi Family was one of the 6 Snow Clans that supported the Ragnar Clan. It meant they were on par with the Narcios.
Suddenly…
Whoosh!
Shing!
Four swordsmen descended from the ceiling, their blades pointed at Theo's neck. They said:
"The crime of harming the young master…"
"…will be answered by death."
Despite the sharp blades at his throat, Theo didn't flinch.
He merely raised an eyebrow. "You're not even retainers of the Ragnar Clan. You dare speak of my death? You, mere lackeys of a bannermen clan?"
In that instant, the four swordsmen felt an unseen pressure bearing down on them.
"Can you truly back up your threat?" Theo continued.
Thump…!
In rhythm with Theo's pounding heart, Camellia Palace seemed to tremble.
Thump-thump-thump-thump!
The Dragon Heart… began to beat.