Chapter 12
Chapter 12
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Dragon Training Society (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Axion Ragnar.
The second son of the third wife, Camellia Palace Lord 'Emil'.
Emil was the daughter of the Troyvan Marquess family, a prestigious house from the east, and the Troyvans boasted a reputation in swordsmanship rivaling that of the Ragnars.
Thanks to such an impressive maternal family, Axion's position had been formidable since childhood.
And he possessed exceptional talent to back it up.
Some even praised it as the union of the north and east's premier swordsmanship families, or the fruit of Ragnar and Troyvan.
Thus, by the time he reached adulthood, Axion had become one of the top candidates among the heirs.
'His subordinate organization, the Dragon Training Society, wielded considerable influence too.'
Just look at how the opportunistic Renden sought refuge with Axion the moment he left Rose Palace.
But then.
'The moment Renden dies, Axion makes his move...? Can this really be dismissed as mere coincidence?'
In truth, Theo had only speculated about a connection between Renden and Axion, never considering it likely.
There was no reason for a house like Troyvan to employ a sloppy con artist like that.
Even if they did, did Cecilia or Theo hold enough value for them to care...? Well... hardly.
Yet now that it had come to this, it was no longer a simple matter.
'I've kept my distance from people because you never know whose pawn they might be... and this is how it turns out?'
Having risen to a fairly high rank in an intelligence organization in his past life, Theo believed there were no coincidences in this world.
'I'll know once I go and see for myself.'
Perhaps it was even connected to the blue light on the invitation.
As he mulled this over.
Screech!
The carriage came to a stop.
"We've arrived."
Wellington opened the carriage door and stepped out first, followed by Theo.
A castle loomed before them, at least two or three times larger than Rose Palace.
Right then.
"Young Master Theo!"
Wellington spotted something and cried out in alarm.
But Theo had already reacted.
A heavy sack was plummeting from the sky.
Boom!
It burst open right where Theo had been standing.
Flour dust billowed out in thick clouds.
"Axion! What the hell is this?!"
Wellington's furious gaze landed on its target.
Kyahaha.
Axion stood there, bursting into laughter.
The other friends at the entrance all wore awkward expressions, glancing back and forth between the two.
"What do you mean? It's just a welcome for a new friend. Oh, it's you, Theo? Wow, long time no see. Good to see you?"
Even though Ragnar direct descendants numbered in the dozens, there were only a handful of fifteen-year-olds the same age.
They might not have close ties, but they all knew each other by face.
Theo brushed back his slightly tousled hair and stared at Axion.
If he hadn't dodged, the careful work his mother had put into his appearance would have been ruined.
The guy hadn't changed a bit from his previous life.
'I figured he'd pull something like this from the start.'
[Observing 'Axion Ragnar'.]
+
Axion Ragnar (15/Male)
· Title: Dark Leopard
· Talents: Madness. Psychopath.
· Status: Excitement over discovering a new toy.
+
'Toy? He sees me as a toy?'
As expected, the status window matched his expectations perfectly.
"You're quiet. Mad? Come on, can't you at least accept a brother's greeting?"
"No. I'm not mad—I'm just surprised you'd welcome me so enthusiastically."
"Welcome...? Thanks?"
Axion's eyes widened in surprise.
"Isn't attention better than indifference?"
Theo's calm reply drew a smirk from Axion.
"You."
Axion's curving gaze fixed on Theo.
"You've gotten a lot more interesting since I last saw you."
* * *
The banquet hall, where gentle music played.
A gathering that should have been lively was unusually quiet today.
Axion's sudden antics had thoroughly angered Wellington, so everyone else was tiptoeing around him.
"Let me apologize again on his behalf. He's not usually like that... He must have gotten a bit carried away today."
"It's really fine. Axion's always been full of pranks, hasn't he?"
Despite Theo's repeated reassurances, Wellington refused to leave his side.
'At this rate... I won't have the face to see Young Master Theo again.'
Wellington had wanted to introduce his close friends and become Theo's 'real' friend, opening up to each other.
But now, he worried their distance would only grow.
On top of that, the awkward atmosphere kept his other friends from approaching Theo carelessly.
It was frustrating in every way.
'Why the hell did Axion pull that ridiculous prank all of a sudden...!'
But unlike Axion's concerns, Theo was enjoying the banquet.
With no one striking up conversations, he could leisurely survey the Camellia Palace interior.
And.
'There has to be something here connected to that blue light...?'
Maybe he'd spot the same light from the invitation. Or a new message might appear.
Then, as he scanned toward the central corridor leading to the second-floor stairs, Theo's gaze halted.
At the top of the stairs.
A faint blue light leaked from the gap in a shabby door that looked like it led to a storage room.
There it is.
Theo's eyes sparkled.
As he pondered how to naturally approach the second floor without raising suspicion.
"Not enjoying the banquet? What are you doing camped out here?"
Axion approached, twirling a glass of whiskey.
Wellington's face stiffened, but Theo asked impassively, unperturbed.
"That in your hand. Looks like alcohol."
"Yeah. It is. How'd you know?"
"It's banned before the awakening ceremony."
"Heh. Gotta act like an adult sometime, right? When else am I gonna?"
Theo let out a hollow chuckle.
In the strictly disciplined Ragnar family, Axion was probably the only one who could pull off such nonchalance.
"But Theo, why'd you change so much? You're taller now. More built too. You used to talk a ton, remember?"
"Thought I'd try changing a bit."
"Huh? Why suddenly?"
"Wouldn't wanna embarrass myself at the awakening ceremony."
"Ahaha! Fair point. With all those people watching, it'd be mortifying."
Theo couldn't read what Axion was thinking behind that grinning face.
"Anyway, sorry about earlier. Wel got on my case, the butler too—I'm fresh from a scolding. So you'll forgive me, right? Huh? Yeah?"
It hardly seemed like the attitude of someone truly apologizing.
"What's to forgive?"
"Huh?"
"Like you said, it's just a 'greeting' between brothers."
"Right? We exchanged greetings, didn't we?"
"Sure."
"Kyahaha. As expected of our Theo—such a big heart."
Thud!
Thud!
Axion pounded Theo's shoulder hard, laughing uproariously.
It was unmistakably a look-down.
Whispers from the onlookers glancing their way reached his ears.
-Still, it resolved smoothly without conflict? Phew, I thought Wel and Sion were gonna fight—scared me.
-Yeah. If those two fought... ugh.
-But honestly, isn't that level fair game? Wel's taking it too seriously.
-Tell me about it.
-But it's kinda funny. Speaking of, what's the point of getting mad? A bastard with no real standing challenging Troyvan's noble blood? That's ridiculous from the start.
-Well, if you think about it, Wel himself...
-Hey! Watch your mouth!
-Oh right, that's taboo.
They thought they were whispering quietly.
But these were people who never watched their words, so everyone nearby heard it crystal clear.
Wellington's face flushed red with rage.
For the first time in his life, he felt ashamed of his friends.
He'd always seen them as broad-minded and understanding.
Never imagined they'd show such narrow-mindedness.
He started to rise, intending to snap at them—
"So."
"Huh?"
"I can give your new friends a 'greeting' too, right?"
Wellington's gaze snapped to Theo at his sudden words to Axion.
What was he planning?
Just before Axion could ask.
Theo hurled his glass at the chuckling bastards.
Splat—
Crash!
The head of the one prattling about bloodlines snapped back violently.
"......!"
"......!"
"......!"
Their eyes widened—they'd never expected this.
"You fucking retard, how dare you!"
The guy, head torn open and bleeding profusely, charged at Theo.
But Theo rose calmly, utterly unmoved.
"Retard, huh? I was just happy to meet new friends."
A fist flying at his face.
"Calling me that hurts my feelings."
Theo casually tilted his head aside to dodge, then closed in tight, grabbing the guy's arm.
Then a shoulder throw.
The brute—twice Theo's size—crashed to the floor.
Boom!
"Aaagh! Let go! Let go, damn it! Can't you hear me?"
The guy thrashed to shake Theo off, but strangely couldn't overpower the force pinning him from above.
"Oh! We haven't properly introduced ourselves yet? Hey, Sion."
"What?"
Axion grinned oddly, even as his friend got wrecked.
"We're friends before brothers, right?"
"And?"
"So your friends are my friends too—no issue there."
Theo smirked and wrenched the held arm.
Crack!
"Gyaaaah!"
The agonized scream filled the now-silent banquet hall in place of the music.
Some turned their heads away.
The arm twisted at an unnatural angle—grotesque.
"Greeted nicely, so let's say goodbye early too?"
"W-Wai...!"
Crunch!
The other arm went too. White elbow bone protruded through shredded muscle.
A grave injury—he'd never wield a sword again.
Theo stepped away from the guy, who had foamed at the mouth and passed out from pain.
"......"
"......"
"......"
No one had expected such ruthless action—they were all cowed.
Only Axion watched with keen interest.
Theo smirked.
'Still greenhorns.'
No matter how cocky they acted, they were all underage brats.
To these sheltered flowers who hadn't left the family nest, it must be a shock.
Especially getting taken down in two exchanges by the 'retard' Theo they'd mocked, without resistance.
Only the innately cruel Axion savored the moment.
Ragnar was Ragnar, through and through.
"Anyone else want a greeting?"
Theo swept his gaze around.
Eyes cold as a dragon's.
Everyone clamped their lips shut.
Silence deepened.
"......Do you even know what you've done?"
One bit his lower lip and stepped forward.
The injured guy's best friend.
"If I do?"
"No. You don't. That guy is...!"
"The third son of the Hanabi family?"
"You knew and still...!"
The Hanabi family was one of the six vassal houses upholding Ragnar.
On par with Narsio.
Right then.
Flash!
Shing—
Four swordsmen dropped from above like bolts of light, blades aimed at Theo's nape.
"For harming the young master."
"You'll pay with death."
Theo didn't blink, even with the razor edges threatening him.
He merely raised one eyebrow.
"You dare speak of my death, you mere foot soldier of a knightly house—not even Ragnar blood?"
In that instant, the four swordsmen felt an inexplicable pressure crushing their shoulders.
"Can you bear those words?"
Thump...!
As Theo's heart pounded wildly, the Camellia Palace seemed to thrum in sync.
Thump thump thump thump—!
The Dragon's Heart
began to beat.