Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: First War (3)
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-The Family Head bestowed his sword for the first time in over a decade!
It was the first event since Julius had earned the moniker [Demon Dragon].
Of course, the opponent was just a green kid who hadn't even undergone his Awakening Ceremony, so that single strike naturally held no essence of mana or martial prowess.
Even so, the sheer symbolism of the Family Head personally wielding his sword overflowed.
Especially when the target was 'Ragnar's Cripple'.
-The cripple? Then what happened to the cripple?
-Apparently, he's fine other than being exhausted.
-What? That make any sense? Even without mana, how does anyone take the Family Head's strike and come out unscathed?
-That's what I'm saying.
-No way... the Family Head pitied his son being treated like a cripple...!
-Shh! Are you insane? What the hell are you saying? You forgot the Family Head hates most when people can't separate public from private and act recklessly?
-Unless that's it, it just doesn't add up...
-I thought so too, but think about it carefully. It doesn't have to be that.
-Fair point. There were all those rumors lately about the White Dragon Knights' Captain taking an interest in him. Maybe those weren't just empty talk.
Then some people looked into how Theo had ended up receiving the Family Head's strike and fell into shock.
-The Byron family, the Ceres Merchant Group... the Dragon Subjugation Society was harassing Young Master Theo?
-And when Young Master Theo punished them for it, they held a grudge and plotted against him?
-Fifteen different factions pulling dirty tricks just to take down one bastard son? Does that even make sense?
-It wasn't even a one-on-one duel; they ganged up on him with numbers...
-And yet he turned the tables on them in the appeal hearing?
-The real cripples were somewhere else!
Now, the nickname 'Ragnar's Cripple' pointed not to Theo, but to the Dragon Subjugation Society crew.
On top of that, they'd stupidly lost Camellia Palace, so the rumors spread like wildfire—now everyone in Winterer knew about it.
Because of that, the original Camellia Palace staff couldn't even lift their heads when walking around.
On the other hand.
The regular swordsmen cheered at Theo's exploits.
Was that why?
-The hidden dragon that's been laying low... is it finally rising?
With the Awakening Ceremony just two months away.
People started to watch Camellia Palace, where Theo had begun staying, one by one.
Realizing they might witness an unexpected star.
* * *
"Why do I, the Palace Lord, have to leave my perfectly fine palace!"
"Please calm down, Palace Lord!"
"You'll hurt yourself running like that! Please, compose yourself!"
"Let go, you lot! To the Family Head! I'll demand answers from the Family Head myself!"
The maids were frantic trying to restrain Emil, who was throwing a hysterical fit.
Truth be told, it was the same bolt from the blue for them.
Just moments ago, they'd been living comfortably in Camellia Palace, and now they were suddenly evicted.
"It was that very Family Head who handed Camellia Palace over to Cecilia, that wench, and her son."
Emil glared daggers at Ed with axe-like eyes.
"Isn't this something your brother, who turned things into this mess, shouldn't be saying?"
"I have no face to show to you, Palace Lord. This is entirely my fault for misjudging the opponent."
Ed meant it.
He never imagined Theo could withstand the Family Head's strike and walk away unscathed.
'At least if he'd been seriously injured and bedridden, it would've been easy to make a move... but not now.'
'Death from aftereffects' was off the table too.
To hunt Theo, they'd have to go all out, it seemed.
"So what do you plan to do now? You're not seriously telling me to keep staying in this filthy, rundown place, are you?"
"Please endure just a little longer. I'll make sure they pay back double the humiliation you've suffered."
Ed's eyes gleamed.
Whether those words were for Emil or himself, only he knew.
* * *
"Axion."
"Yes, Uncle."
Axion had been watching Emil hurl objects in a hysterical rage from being evicted when he turned toward the voice.
"The next time you encounter Theo Ragnar, kill him no matter what."
"I was planning to lop off an arm or two at the Awakening Ceremony anyway."
"Don't half-ass it. The neck. You must sever the neck for sure. Understood?"
Axion wanted to ask.
What exactly had gone down at the Law Court.
But no matter how much he pressed, Ed and Emil clamped their lips shut like they'd made a pact.
'It's all stuff I could find out by grilling the other maids anyway. Must be pretty damn embarrassing.'
The mother who used to smack him around whenever she wasn't pleased with her son was nowhere in sight.
Axion found Emil's state more amusing than pitiful.
'Received a strike from Father, huh? Heh. The cripple bastard. He's really grown, hasn't he.'
Axion's lips twisted.
It was the thrill of realizing a toy he'd thought fun was even more entertaining than expected.
Nothing could feel that good.
"May I ask one thing?"
"What?"
"That 'relic' in Rose Palace—what the hell is it? Why are you and Mother so desperate to get your hands on Rose Palace?"
On the surface, Rose Palace was just a place to gather the Family Head's women.
But Ed and Emil had schemed for years to seize it.
So Ed hesitated for a moment.
Should he share a secret even Troyvan had stumbled upon by chance with this young nephew?
Fortunately, the hesitation didn't last.
The kid was half Troyvan, after all.
"Do you know of the Ancient Dragon?"
"The distant ancestor of the guardian dragon that contracted with the founder?"
"Right."
"But why?"
"If I told you traces of the Ancient Dragon are in Rose Palace. Would you believe it?"
"......!"
Axion's eyes widened slightly.
It was completely unexpected.
"But the Ancient Dragon is just something from old folklore tales...!"
"No. It 'really' existed. And in life, it gave everything for the humans it cherished. Its body, its mana. Even its soul."
"......!"
"And things imbued with traces of that Ancient Dragon are commonly called 'relics.' Apparently, the most precious one is in Rose Palace."
In that instant, Ed missed Axion's eyes flashing with sharp menace.
"It's not just Rose Palace. Our Camellia Palace, the Plum Palace Lord's Plum Palace, even the Family Head's residence—all have relics scattered among them."
"What form do these relics take? If we storm Rose Palace and steal it...!"
"The problem is relics are spiritual objects, each manifesting differently. You won't know it's a relic until you actually hold it."
"Tricky."
"That's why your mother and I have been after Rose Palace for so long."
"We absolutely need to take down that Theo bastard."
"Yes. That's it. He's dangerous. Far more than we expected. If he stays in this world, he'll keep tripping us up forever."
Maybe he'd already been chosen by a relic.
Ed added the afterthought.
"So the Dragon Subjugation Society will continue guarding you from now on."
"The rumors lately haven't been great. But they'll still stick with us?"
"Your tone rubs me the wrong way."
"Heh. Sorry if it came off that way."
"......Nine of them just declared they're pulling out. But six still want Theo Ragnar's head. I'll give you the right opening—move then."
"Understood."
"Especially the Ceres Merchant Group; they're connected to your maternal family, so they'll be helpful...!"
Screeeeech!
Ed snapped his head up mid-sentence.
And his expression hardened.
That black-feathered bird soaring high in the sky.
A messenger pigeon specially raised by the Ceres Merchant Group.
But... it was covered in blood.
Its wingbeats looked feeble.
As if it might drop dead any second.
For some reason.
Ed recalled Theo staring at him with blood-red eyes, and a chill ran down his spine.
* * *
Julius's eyes went wide seeing Evelyn, practically bathed in blood and dust.
"You... what happened to you?"
She looked like she'd just returned from a mission.
Even Wellington beside her was the same.
Evelyn caught her ragged breath and smiled at Julius,
While Wellington held out the wooden box in his arms to Theo.
"Is this the box you requested?"
Click-
Theo forcibly pried open the lid sealed tight with wax, inspected the contents, and nodded.
"Yes. Seems right. One worry off my chest. You two have been through a lot."
Julius, who'd been listening blankly to the cryptic exchange, asked urgently.
"What the hell is it?"
Theo answered flatly.
"Anti-Dragon's lifeline."
"Hm...?"
"Would you believe that Anti-Dragon's been leaking family intel to Troyvan through the Ceres Merchant Group all this time?"
"What...!"
Julius's eyes bulged like saucers.
Wondering what nonsense this was, he whipped around to Evelyn.
Evelyn nodded curtly and replied.
"On Young Master Theo's request, I just wiped out every last member of the Ceres Merchant Group's Winterer branch."
"......!"
"Luckily, most of their guard force was out on external duties, leaving defenses weak—made it easy."
The Ceres Merchant Group handled military supplies among Ragnar's vassal factions.
No matter the grudge with Theo, touching them recklessly could reignite the barely quelled political backlash.
But.
"We found something interesting there."
"......That box, I take it. What's inside?"
"Secret letters the Intelligence Chief sent covertly to Troyvan via Ceres. Loaded with key intel."
"Hah...!"
Julius's face twisted.
He and Ed weren't exactly close, but as one of the Nine Dragons propping up the family, the betrayal stung deep.
"Then we need to make this public immediately...!"
"No. No plans for that."
Theo shook his head.
"What do you mean, Young Master Theo? You're just going to cover up Anti-Dragon's facade like this?"
"Anti-Dragon isn't someone who'd get caught over something this small."
"......"
"Even if exposed, he'd have prepared to cut ties. Rush in, and we'll just get counterattacked."
"......I see."
Julius couldn't easily continue.
Theo was right; Ed wasn't that sloppy.
"Besides, the Family Head probably already knows."
"Is that true?"
Theo nodded.
'In my past life, Anti-Dragon and Camellia Palace Lord's downfall played out exactly as the Family Head residence intended.'
As intel division, Theo knew the whole process too well.
The Dragon Subjugation Society was really just Ed's front, propping up his nephew Axion to dominate Ragnar.
It grew so big later it even threatened the Elder Council.
But its downfall came too easily by comparison.
Falling out of the Family Head's favor in Ragnar was that dangerous.
'Still, this incident probably made a good chunk of the Dragon Subjugation Society defect. Public opinion's turned too.'
It hadn't solidified as Ed's private army yet.
'On the flip side, my value's shot up.'
"So I'll leave it be. If Anti-Dragon has any brains, he won't touch me rashly."
"......You'll handle the fallout from Ceres' collapse on your end, keeping the controversy from boiling over."
Theo smiled silently.
Silent affirmation.
In that moment, Julius shuddered unwittingly.
Seeing Theo's unspoken aims laid bare.
'Whatever else, on the surface it'll look like Young Master Theo punished Ceres as an example, and Anti-Dragon bowed to it.'
Theo's reputation would soar accordingly.
Those still holding grudges would stay in line, fearing Ceres' fate.
'When did he gain this cold composure...?'
Just days ago, he'd advised Theo his hands were too soft.
On one hand, he wondered.
-Where the hell is Theo getting this intel?
But the mood made it hard to ask.
"Anti-Dragon won't pick fights with me for a while."
"He'll bide his time instead. Using Young Master Axion. In other words."
"The Awakening Ceremony. Everyone'll be distracted then."
Julius nodded gravely.
Theo nodded too.
Two months until the Awakening Ceremony.
He had to get stronger somehow in that time.
Strong enough to face Anti-Dragon's beast.
The first war wasn't over yet.
'That warehouse room on the second floor glowing blue. That'll definitely be a huge help.'