Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Relic of the Ancient Dragon (1)
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Kyaaaak!
The lesser drake, suddenly robbed of one eye in the middle of sleep, writhed in agony.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Its strength was so immense that each thrash made the cave rumble as if it might collapse.
‘If only it had pierced all the way to the brain. Was it too shallow?’
Theo clicked his tongue lightly and dashed forward.
Regret was regret, but now was the time to focus solely on the hunt.
Excluding the ceremonial sword embedded in its eye cluster, he had two left. He gripped one in each hand and crossed them at its nape.
Thud!
But the scales there were so tough that even the sharp ceremonial swords bounced off.
‘Damn…!’
Groooar—
Realizing Theo was the enemy, the lesser drake charged ferociously.
[Dragon Fear dominates the battlefield. Fear status applied: movement reduced by 10%.]
On top of that, the dragonkin’s signature dragon-slaying aura.
Theo quickly pulled his twin blades inward and barely shoved the lesser drake aside.
‘Its scales are too hard for the swords to penetrate. I need to target the gaps between them.’
Even in this perilous situation, Ragnar’s sharp battle instincts told Theo exactly where to move.
The lower neck connecting head to body.
The spot commonly called the reverse scale.
Theo spun his body swiftly, diving inward before stomping the ground hard.
‘One Flash.’
Flash—
The ceremonial sword in his right hand once more traced a pure white arc, stabbing at the drake’s nape.
Squelch—
This time, he felt the sensation of piercing flesh at his fingertips.
“Then, follow up…!”
Theo swung his remaining sword in a diagonal arc, deeply slashing the lesser drake’s left eye.
[Secret Swordsmanship – Dragon’s Three Fangs]
This was One Flash, adapted from the secret sword techniques he’d already mastered.
But using slashes instead of thrusts.
Splatter!
The lesser drake’s remaining eye burst like a firework.
[Secret Swordsmanship – Clown’s Footwork]
Boom!
Theo narrowly dodged the spot where the drake’s tail smashed down.
A movement technique utilizing secret swordsmanship, as expected.
His skill had grown to a level incomparable to before.
Thud, thud, thud, thud…!
With his Dragon’s Heart pounding wildly, adrenaline surging through him.
Theo let out a hearty laugh.
* * *
Lately,
Sybil and Theo’s followers had noticed a clear change in how people looked at them.
“Hey, Sybil.”
“Yeah?”
“We’ve got more people again.”
“Yeah. At this rate, don’t you think we need to switch training grounds?”
Sybil scratched the back of his head as he surveyed the crowd packing the Fourth Training Ground from the crack of dawn.
This was another recent development.
Word had spread that Theo trained here every dawn, drawing these spectators.
All of them eager to cross swords with Theo.
Ever since the rumor that he’d received the family head’s personal sword technique, they’d come to test his skill.
The problem was,
“I hope none of these guys cause trouble this time.”
Every single one of them had rotten personalities.
Perhaps because they looked down on Theo?
They only thought of defeating him to boost their own status—they had no intention of mingling with him.
So they treated Theo’s crew like ‘rabble,’ picking fights and stirring conflicts at every turn.
If Evelyn hadn’t been around?
Things would’ve been even more of a spectacle.
All he could hope was that this time, they’d at least be somewhat normal(?).
“But why hasn’t Master Theo shown up lately?”
At someone’s question, Sybil shrugged.
“Yeah. The Awakening Ceremony’s just five days away.”
“Exactly.”
“He never missed a single day, so it’s kinda worrying. Maybe he’s focusing on personal training? You haven’t heard anything from Lady Evelyn?”
“Nope.”
“Hmm… Hope nothing’s wrong.”
With the Awakening Ceremony so close, Winterler was buzzing with tension, incidents popping up left and right.
So it was only natural to worry about Theo.
-We’ve waited days, and he doesn’t even show his face.
Then, a snide remark about Theo reached Sybil and his comrades’ ears.
No, it wasn’t just a murmur.
They were mocking him openly, loud enough for everyone to hear.
-Yeah, really. Sticking around here’s making me antsy too.
-Look at the crowd. How could he stand it?
-Haha, true?
A few burst into giggles, making those who’d come to see Theo laugh along, while others scowled.
“Those bastards…!”
As Sybil moved to step forward in fury, Eod grabbed his arm.
“Hey, cool it. Didn’t Lady Evelyn warn us? As the Awakening Ceremony nears, there’ll be schemes to tarnish Master Theo’s reputation? Just stay quiet.”
Sybil ground his teeth.
“So we just let them talk?”
“It’s just trash talk aimed at us. We’ve heard it for days—why freak out now?”
“Damn it.”
As Sybil swallowed his anger and tried to calm down,
-But honestly, I’ve had those thoughts too sometimes.
-What thoughts?
-That rumor—is it really true? Receiving the family head’s personal sword. No one’s actually seen it properly, right?
-Nah, it can’t be a lie.
-Probably not a lie. But rumors get exaggerated all the time, don’t they?
-Huh? Yeah, makes sense. So he’s hiding ’cause he’s scared his skills’ll be exposed?
-We’re too scary for him.
-Ooh, that tracks? Kekekeke! Hiding in fear, and dragging him out would be ridiculous. Tough spot, huh.
Sybil’s face hardened.
This was outright insulting Theo.
He glanced at Eod.
“Huh?”
Where was Eod?
Looking around, he spotted it.
Eod flying into the giggling group with a flying kick(?).
Thwack—
“Gahk!”
The guy who got his head kicked flew back spectacularly.
“Hey, Henry!”
“You crazy bastard!”
“What the hell’s this dropout doing!”
Those who’d been laughing together drew their swords en masse, growling at Eod.
“…That crazy bastard. Tells me to stay calm, then loses it himself.”
He’d forgotten for a moment.
The fact that Eod was the most fanatical Theo stan among the followers.
Hearing insults about Theo must’ve flipped a switch.
But he couldn’t just disown the fool.
“Everyone, draw swords!”
Shing! Shring!
At Sybil’s command, the followers drew in unison, swarming around Eod.
Suddenly, the Fourth Training Ground split into two hostile factions.
“Daring to insult Young Master Theo? You’re begging to die!”
“Your ugly mugs are worse than rags compared to the young master!”
“…Hey, don’t bring up faces. We’re not exactly prizes either.”
“But we’re average, average! They’re not!”
“Yeah. Add Young Master Theo, and our average goes up…”
“Anyway, I’ve been sick of those bastards’ attitudes.”
“Trample ’em!”
Waaah—
Just as the brawl was about to erupt with roars,
Boom!
A sword plunged like lightning between the two groups.
“…!”
“…!”
The impact shook the entire training ground.
Everyone froze, faces stiff, eyes turning that way.
Atop the sword hilt embedded in the ground like a gravestone.
Wellington stood with arms crossed, looking down.
“Young Master Wellington!”
Joy lit the faces of Sybil and the followers, like allies arrived.
“Y-Young Master Narsio…!”
The opposing group gulped, facing a powerhouse.
-We heard Young Master Narsio’s close with Young Master Theo, but… it’s real?
-He hasn’t been around lately, so we thought we were safe. Of all times…!
-Damn, this is messed up.
Unlike Theo, who’d only recently gained fame, Wellington had long been hailed a genius.
And his position as Narsio heir wasn’t low by any means.
The group exchanged quick glances.
-Narsio’s heir is known for being decent, right? If we talk it out…
-Yeah! Say it’s a misunderstanding, we can salvage this…!
They tried to persuade Wellington.
But,
“Haven’t you heard? Plenty have lost arms for flapping their mouths about Ragnar’s successor.”
Wellington’s gaze from above was ice-cold.
“I-It’s a misunderstanding, Young Master Narsio.”
Then, the group’s leader, Jenkins, stepped forward cautiously.
Wellington’s eyebrow twitched.
“Misunderstanding?”
“Y-Yes. We were just curious about Young Master Theo’s skill…!”
“‘No one’s properly seen him receive the family head’s sword, rumors get exaggerated, he’s hiding ’cause his skills might get exposed’… Where’s the misunderstanding in that?”
“…!”
He’d heard everything from the start?
Jenkins paled.
No excuses left.
“No more excuses? Then I’ll take an arm from each as payment.”
“W-Wai…!”
Before Jenkins and his crew could shout, Wellington dropped to the ground and yanked his sword free.
Swoosh—
A slender épée boasting a long blade shot toward Wellington like an arrow.
Clang!
Wellington twisted his body, flicking it upward.
The épée spun in the air before settling quietly atop a nearby tree.
There sat a woman with an icily cold expression, retrieving it.
“L-Lady Rei!”
Seeing her, Jenkins’s face lit up.
“What brings you here, Rei Ragnar?”
Wellington, meanwhile, glared at her with sunken, cold eyes.
‘Snow Ice Sword’ Rei Ragnar.
Among the fifteen-year-old Ragnars of the era, she was the most promising alongside Axion.
Her fame, rising from the curse of the ‘Nine Yin Severed Meridians’ to wield a sword, was known throughout the North.
But why was she here, when she ignored the outside world?
The issue was she wasn’t alone.
Boom!
On the opposite side from Rei.
A massive explosion erupted like a cannon shell, sending up a pillar of dust.
There stood a man with a boyish face but a hulking 190-centimeter frame packed with bulging muscles.
“Even Holkus Ranke?”
The Ranke family was one of the six northern great houses, alongside Narsio and Hanabi—a knightly lineage.
Famous for their polar-bear-like builds and raw power, they were nicknamed the ‘Northern Bear House.’
Holkus was their second son, another genius expected to shine at this Awakening Ceremony.
“Kahahaha! Leaving me out of a party this fun? You guys are too much!”
Holkus grinned ferociously, eyeing Wellington and the rest.
Wellington’s expression grew even stiffer.
Rei, now Holkus too.
Their sudden appearance together in the Fourth Training Ground couldn’t be coincidence.
Wellington, Axion, Rei, Holkus.
In the North, these four had a special nickname.
-The Northern Four Stars.
Representing the North’s future prodigies.
Three gathered here, excluding Axion.
With the Awakening Ceremony looming, their movement meant some scheme.
Wellington couldn’t guess what, so he tensed, gripping his sword as if ready to face both.
But Rei ignored Wellington’s wariness entirely.
She scanned the surroundings quickly, searching for someone else.
“Where is he?”
“What?”
“Flash Tiger.”
“Flash Tiger…?”
“The master of this training ground.”
Only then did Wellington realize.
‘Flash Tiger’ was Theo’s moniker.
‘He’s already got a nickname.’
He hadn’t known.
He’d been too focused on personal training to keep up with outside news.
Flash Tiger, though?
A tiger flashing like lightning.
It suited Theo perfectly—no better moniker imaginable.
Who came up with it?
“Where’s Young Master Theo?”
“Wanted to test him before the Awakening Ceremony.”