Chapter 137
Chapter 137
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: Tulip's Mausoleum (2)
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“Huh? What’s this? Why’s it acting up all of a sudden?”
Reje tilted her head as her cherished weapon showed an unusual reaction she’d never seen before.
At that moment, Selphard and Arin quickly straightened up and bowed.
“Combat Swordmaster Selphard, greeting the leader of the Death God Squad.”
“Combat Swordmaster Arin, paying respects to the leader of the Death God Squad.”
Death God Squad.
One of the few assassination units operated by the Ragnar Family, it was famous for being personally assembled by Reje as she scouted talent one by one.
It could practically be called her personal guard.
Yet their skills were so formidable that a rumor had spread across the North: “Wherever the Death God Squad moves, death is sure to follow.”
“Skip the formalities. I’m not here as the Death God Squad leader anyway—I’m here in my capacity as a successor candidate.”
‘In my capacity as a successor candidate?’
What did that mean?
Just as Theo began to wonder, Reje suddenly flashed a toothy grin at him, and her figure flickered.
Theo flinched!
Reacting on instinct, he swiftly drew Drake’s Blade.
Clang!
The massive scythe that had closed in on his nape midway was blocked.
Ziiing! Ziiiing!
The scythe trembled violently, as if frustrated.
“Tch. Too bad. I had my hopes up.”
Clang!
As Reje clicked her tongue lightly, Selphard, Arin, and Ray all drew their swords in unison, aiming them at her.
Reje smiled with her eyes as she gazed down at the three blades poised to strike her at any moment.
“Oh my! I clearly said I came as a successor candidate. Doesn’t this count as treason if you think about it?”
Reje threw Theo’s old words from the Dragon Pupil Conference right back at them.
“If we must face the Law Court’s investigation, we’ll gladly accept it later. But first, we need to rescue our junior. That’s the White Dragon Knights’ creed, after all.”
Selphard, however, showed no sign of intimidation in the face of Reje’s sharp threat.
“Oh dear. So the White Dragon Knights have already sided with the sixth candidate?”
“Think whatever you like.”
“Too bad, tsk. I was eyeing them since they’d stayed neutral all this time. More importantly, darling, what are you doing? Aren’t you going to help me?”
Reje turned to Wellington, who showed no reaction, with a playful laugh.
Wellington let out a light sigh.
“……Please handle the mess you’ve made yourself, Reje.”
“That’s harsh, darling.”
“And as I’ve requested countless times, please stop calling me that…… There’s nothing between you and me, is there, Reje?”
“Aww. Have you already forgotten that hot night we set ablaze?”
In an instant, the gazes directed at Wellington turned icy cold.
“Pervert.”
Wellington bristled at Ray’s scornful word.
“That’s not it! And Reje, don’t say things that could cause misunderstandings! What happened in Tarovan City was nothing more than camaraderie between comrades-in-arms—there was absolutely no romantic entanglement or physical intimacy!”
“Heehee. That was more than enough for me?”
“It wasn’t for me!”
Theo could tell exactly what kind of relationship existed between Wellington and Reje.
‘She’s the one chasing him around to recruit him.’
Reje’s thirst for talent was on par with Julius’s.
Once she set her sights on someone, she never let go. That was how her personal guard, the Death God Squad, had been born.
So naturally, Wellington must appeal to her even more.
His martial prowess had already far surpassed what it had been at this point in his previous life.
He was plenty genius-level on his own, even if overshadowed by Theo.
And with personal instruction from the Wing Dragon on top of that, even Theo couldn’t predict his growth anymore.
Then they’d fought a war together?
It’d be weirder if his eyes hadn’t rolled back.
The problem was that Wellington seemed utterly uninterested in Reje’s overtures.
“You’re so mean. A delicate flower like me is under threat, and you don’t even react.”
Of course, with her height over 170 cm and biceps like chiseled stone, no one was buying it.
Wellington had now averted his gaze entirely, and Reje sighed.
“Sigh! Impotent bastard.”
“……No matter what you say, it won’t work.”
“Fine, fine. Guess that’s as far as we go then.”
The moment Reje tried to lower the scythe she’d aimed at Theo.
“Who said so?”
“……Huh?”
Reje deflected the scythe and leaped back from the flashing gleam.
Clang clang clang!
In an instant, Drake’s Blade clashed against the scythe multiple times in midair.
Drake’s Blade moved at a speed unbecoming of a greatsword,
yet the scythe—nearly three meters long with its vast reach—swung in dazzling arcs, deflecting every strike.
Its movements were so sinister, it felt like the Grim Reaper from the pantheon had descended in person.
Claaang!
Finally, Reje twisted her body lightly in the air, landing at a safe distance from Theo.
“You blocked my Grim Reaper like that?”
When Reje raised her head again, her face was a mix of bewilderment and surprise.
At that instant,
Whoosh whoosh!
Suddenly, three black shadows dropped from the sky, surrounding Theo and aiming their scythes at him.
“For daring.”
“to point your blade.”
“at Reje.”
They were members of the Death God Squad.
They had been waiting in the shadows and revealed themselves the moment the clash with Theo erupted.
“Didn’t you hear what your leader just said?”
But Theo didn’t even acknowledge them, keeping his eyes fixed on Reje.
Reje instinctively wanted to shout, ‘Get out of there, you idiots!’, but it was already too late.
“Pointing a sword at a successor candidate is basically treason, right?”
In that moment, Theo’s shadow writhed, and Umbra burst forth.
Keeeek!
A strike with its wing bones sharpened like blades.
At its tip lurked spectral demon poison—exposure could prove deadly.
“……!”
“……!”
“……!”
The three squad members hurriedly pulled back, but two failed to fully evade, suffering wounds to their abdomens.
Even if the cuts were shallow, the infiltrated spectral demon poison swiftly assaulted their nervous systems, inducing illusions and hallucinations.
Selphard, Arin, and Ray seized that brief opening, each targeting one.
Boom!
After a short skirmish, the three squad members’ heads were smashed into the ground.
And Theo was fiercely kicking off the earth as well.
Boom!
Screee—
His heart pounded wildly as he synced his dantian and resonance. Soon, his body glowed red-hot, spewing steam.
Thud thud thud thud thud—
It wasn’t quite on the level of awakening his dragon blood, but the mana resonance’s awakening effect was impressive in its own right.
The atmosphere around Theo shifted in an instant.
The path of domination.
Ragnar itself was right here.
“Oho. Can’t just take it lying down, huh?”
Reje realized Theo’s intent and grinned, baring her fangs.
- A Ragnar never stays passive after being attacked.
- If challenged, they meet it head-on without retreat.
That was the message Theo was sending her.
A personal demonstration that he too was gunning for the throne as a successor candidate.
“Fine by me. Let’s see if this big sis has what it takes.”
Reje gripped Grim Reaper, her beloved weapon from childhood.
The massive scythe—rumored to be carved from a dragon’s ulna (lower wing bone)—was instantly cloaked in aura, scraping harshly against the ground.
Black flames rose with the friction heat, enveloping Grim Reaper and even Reje herself.
She looked for all the world like the Grim Reaper risen from hell.
Just before the two could collide,
「Can’t even hold back for a second—!」
The Wing Dragon suddenly appeared between them, deflecting each of their strikes with one hand.
Rumble—
Crash!
The deflected attacks veered sideways, pounding the innocent ground and sending tremors that shook the Alchemist Guild buildings.
“Aaagh! What the hell! My toooob!”
Od, arriving a beat late, glared at Theo and Reje in turn with bulging eyes.
“Old man, it was just getting fun. Isn’t that a bit much?”
“Cut the thunderbolt nonsense and put away your weapons. Otherwise, I’ll make sure either your weapon snaps or your arm breaks—one or the other won’t come out unscathed.”
“Have you been hanging around the Supreme Family Head too long? Your threats are getting awfully sharp.”
“Want to test it yourself?”
“Nah, that’d be my loss. With all the vultures circling my neck as is.”
Reje giggled as she fully withdrew Grim Reaper.
“And you?”
The Wing Dragon’s gaze now turned to Theo.
Theo pondered for a moment.
‘What’s the best move here?’
Truth be told, fighting now would bring him no gain.
If the Wing Dragon intervened directly, he’d be helpless and end up looking unsightly.
Even without that, falling out of favor would squander all the goodwill he’d built.
Moreover, Reje’s skills were known to be at the Dragon Gate Swordmaster level.
Even if Theo fully awakened his dragon blood right now, victory wasn’t guaranteed.
Yet it was hard to sheathe his sword easily with the Primordial Dragon’s relic right there before his eyes.
He had no idea how Reje could wield it, but.
Shiii—
Look at it now, gently scattering blue light along its blade.
Knowing full well how much he could grow with it made the decision tough.
But in the end,
“If the Wing Dragon says so.”
Theo lowered Drake’s Blade after much deliberation.
The white steam that had enveloped him had already dissipated.
“Good call. If you were a Winterer, maybe different, but this is foreign soil. No good comes from allies fighting. Besides, aren’t you two blood siblings?”
Though sibling bonds were rare in Ragnar ethos.
Theo didn’t point that out. Instead, he planted Drake’s Blade in the ground and extended his right hand for a shake.
“It got a bit rowdy, but allow me to greet you properly again. I’m Combat Swordmaster Theo Ragnar of the White Dragon Knights. Pleased to meet you.”
“Yeah. First time face-to-face since some official event or ceremony, right? Reje Ragnar of the Death God Squad. Nice to meet you. More importantly, let those guys go……?”
Reje smirked and started to grasp Theo’s hand, only to grimace as she sensed his mana infiltrating her wrist.
This sneaky bastard!
She wanted to yell it, but for some reason, the words wouldn’t come.
It felt like her vocal cords were clogged tight.
「Isn’t calling a Ragnar sneaky a compliment?」
“……!”
And as if reading her mind, Theo’s telepathic voice wormed into her ear, making her eyes widen.
In that instant, Grim Reaper—strapped to her back again—began thrashing wildly.
Ziiiiing!
Exactly like when she’d first faced Theo.
No—back then, it had felt welcoming, but now it seemed desperate to flee something.
‘This guy was aiming for this!’
Reje finally realized Theo’s goal and tried to protect Grim Reaper, but
[‘Skill: Hatching Synchro’ activates, awakening the latent will in the Primordial Dragon’s relic.]
Theo had already roused Grim Reaper’s guardian.
Flash!