Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Moonwhite Sword (2)
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“Mother! What in the world is going on? Why is my son acting like this?!”
Cecilia clung to Kirson, her face drained of color.
It was because Theo’s condition was dire.
His head was thrown back sharply.
Both eyes were pitch black, as if obsidian beads had been embedded in them, pupils and whites alike drowned in darkness.
But more than that.
‘The demonic energy…… It’s fused completely with his veins. I’ve never heard of a phenomenon like this. What the hell happened?’
Kirson couldn’t comprehend the situation unfolding before her.
The Moonwhite Sword seemed one with Theo’s body.
It clung tightly to his palm, all its demonic energy being absorbed into the wound.
She considered forcing it off, but hesitated, fearing it might cause more harm.
“If anything bad happens to my son…… I’ll never…… never forgive you.”
But what pained Kirson most was Cecilia’s resentful glare.
The exact same look from over a decade ago.
She had told Theo she wouldn’t take responsibility no matter what happened.
But she didn’t want to relive that despair again.
‘I can’t let this stand.’
In the end, Kirson gritted her teeth and called for her secretary waiting outside.
“Go to the ‘Security Bureau’ right now. Tell them I accept their previous proposal—they’ll send someone.”
“But, Director, that place is……!”
The secretary’s face turned pale in an instant.
He knew exactly what Kirson’s words implied.
Security Bureau.
A place any Ragnar family member refused to associate with.
It was the organization under the intelligence division [Black Snow].
Not long ago, the Security Bureau had made a request to Kirson.
They had information related to an Ancient Dragon relic and wanted her participation.
They claimed [Black Snow] had acquired a relic recently and needed her expertise for appraisal.
But Kirson and the executives of Bask Workshop knew it was pressure regarding the Moonwhite Sword.
No, it wasn’t just the Moonwhite Sword.
Kirson had long been interested in relics.
It was clear they intended to steal that knowledge too.
That’s why they’d been putting off the consultation request with one excuse after another……
And now, to suddenly accept it?
It was no different from Kirson volunteering to become a slave to save Theo.
‘Do you still harbor so much lingering attachment to Lady Cecilia?’
The secretary wanted to change Kirson’s mind somehow.
But Kirson glared at him as if asking why he was still standing there.
As the secretary bit his lower lip and turned to leave.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, black flames erupted from Theo’s wound, engulfing his entire body.
“Kyaaak! My son!”
“Cecilia, stay back!”
“But! But my son……! Theo! Theooo!”
Cecilia had completely lost her senses, eyes rolled back.
Kirson struggled to hold her.
‘What……?’
The flames swirled in a fierce vortex, seeping into his left chest, then vanished as if it had never happened.
“…….”
“…….”
A brief silence fell.
Visibly, Theo showed no burns or abnormalities.
And then.
Flash!
Theo opened his eyes again. A glint flashed over his pupils and faded.
“Th……eo?”
Cecilia stared at him, forgetting even to call him “son.”
Theo slowly raised his upper body. His body felt stiff, so he rolled his neck lightly as he spoke.
“I’m fine, so don’t worry, Mother.”
Only then did Cecilia collapse to the floor, tension draining from her, bursting into sobs.
* * *
‘I got lucky. I caught it right after it broke free from the seal, when it was still disoriented.’
If he’d spotted Theo bound in chains but wasted time hesitating instead of charging in?
He probably would’ve had a much harder time subduing it.
‘I never want to go through that again.’
Reliving the end of his previous life had been utterly horrifying.
[Congratulations! You have successfully hunted the Griffin and completed Tutorial Quest #13.]
[Evaluation: A+]
[As reward, you have obtained ‘Moonwhite Sword Ownership’.]
[As additional reward based on evaluation, you have absorbed the Moonwhite Sword’s demonic energy, greatly increasing your mana capacity.]
Not only the Moonwhite Sword, which the Black Dragon had cherished so dearly, but mana too?
How much had it increased?
Theo quickly summoned his status window.
+
Theo Ragnar (15/Male)
· Level: 16
· Stats(▼)
Strength: 96 Agility: 27
Vitality: 21 Mana: 228
Intelligence: 20 Luck: -6
· Skills(▼)
- Lesser Drake Fear
· [Viewing Restricted]
+
‘228……? Ha, haha!’
Theo burst into astonished laughter.
His mana had increased by 30 compared to before.
That wasn’t all.
[Mana coefficient has surpassed 200.]
[A hidden function has unlocked. From now on, your mana gains spirituality.]
+
[Spirituality]
· Type: Special Ability
· Effect: Alters physical capabilities. Mana recovery increases by 1.5 per second.
+
Crunch, crack—
His Dragon’s Heart squeezed so tightly it choked his breath, then changes began.
The sharply increased mana spun fiercely in response, spreading throughout his body.
Even the capillaries he hadn’t properly developed before cleared right up.
It felt like a living creature, instinctively finding its own paths.
Unlike before, when operating mana required constant focus.
Increased efficiency and recovery.
With this alone, Theo now possessed talent rivaling a genius mage.
‘So this is what gaining spirituality means.’
Moreover, in terms of mana alone, he was now at a level where he could claim dominance in a major city.
In Ragnar terms, around [Dragon Gate Swordsman]?
Considering they were called the ‘Dragon’s Claws and Fangs’ from that point, it was tremendous progress.
Above all, it was the stage right below the Nine Dragons.
Of course, the gulf between Nine Dragons and Dragon Gate Swordsman was deeper than all prior stages combined.
Theo gripped the Moonwhite Sword tightly again.
His mana reacted in sync.
It felt like the Dragon’s Heart and sword were directly linked.
Swinging it now would make the Dragon’s Heart respond instantly, squeezing out mana with full force.
Humm, humm—
‘Griffin, was it?’
An ancient dragon species extinct long ago, known only in legends.
Who would’ve thought the monster that lived off moonlight, called the ‘Beast of the Moon,’ was one.
‘Lesser Drake too…… Both were dragonkin. Is this really coincidence?’
There was a legend about dragons.
-Dragons love shiny things, filling their lairs with the world’s treasures.
In other words, they appoint themselves guardians of treasures.
The dungeon and Moonwhite Sword.
Both had brought immense benefits, worthy of ‘treasures.’
And both guarded by dragonkin.
Theo wanted to check other ‘treasures’ too.
‘The Ancient Dragon relic. I should look into whether there are others.’
Right then.
Vrrrrm!
The Moonwhite Sword vibrated violently.
As if trying to escape Theo’s grasp.
“So it’s resisting.”
Kirson had approached unnoticed, eyes gleaming.
She’d lit her pipe again, brimming with curiosity about the Moonwhite Sword.
“Does that mean it hasn’t acknowledged me as its master yet?”
“Something like that. But a bit different.”
“How so?”
“The Moonwhite Sword was sealed here for a very long time. Even before it came to me, it was like this—centuries at least.”
Pffft—
White smoke billowed with Kirson’s laughter.
“So it’s frustrated. Freshly out after so long, it wants to vent its pent-up irritation.”
“Ah.”
“Go ahead, swing it with all your might at that spot.”
Kirson pointed to one wall of the director’s office with her pipe.
It was covered in large and small sword marks.
Theo’s eyes widened.
“Is that really okay?”
“Hah! Think Bask Workshop is called Ragnar’s top forge for nothing? The building’s designed to withstand all but the worst impacts. No matter how sharp the Moonwhite Sword, without mana, it’s just a blade.”
Blatant mockery.
‘I want to shut her up.’
Theo suddenly felt like dumbfounding Kirson.
Memories surfaced of his mother being scorned by other noble ladies for lacking backing.
‘Yeah, that’ll do.’
So Theo rose silently, assuming a stance.
He felt Kirson’s intrigued gaze from behind.
‘One Flash.’
Moonwhite Sword tip pointed downward.
Thump thump thump thump!
The Dragon’s Heart began pounding wildly on its own.
Manifestation of spirituality.
Mana, now far purer, churned fiercely through his veins.
The heartbeat was so loud, Theo heard it clearly.
The problem was, it was loud enough for big-eared Kirson too.
“Hm……? W-Wait!”
Kirson finally realized Theo’s aura was extraordinary and shouted something.
Slash!
Too late.
A sword mark erupted from the floor, grazing the wall and sweeping to the ceiling in an instant.
Traces as if a dragon had slashed viciously with its claws.
So intense, Theo couldn’t withstand the recoil and bounced off the opposite wall.
Ugh!
When Theo regained his senses and opened his eyes.
Dust billowed as ceiling and wall crumbled along the sword mark.
Rumble—
Boom boom!
“…….”
“…….”
Cecilia’s eyes bulged like a rabbit’s,
Plop! Roll—
Kirson stood slack-jawed, unaware her pipe had fallen and rolled across the floor.
“My workshop…… My money……! My caaaash! Aaaah!”
Kirson tore at her hair, screaming.
The Moonwhite Sword wailed as if mocking her.
Humm, vrrrrm—
But this time, it somehow felt refreshed.
‘Can’t use this unless it’s an emergency.’
Theo brushed off the falling wall dust and stood, body aching.
His left chest muscle throbbed.
Partly from the Dragon’s Heart clenching his muscles.
But mostly because the Moonwhite Sword had devoured far more mana than expected.
His vast mana reserves were now empty.
Thanks to that, Theo barely suppressed a dizzy spell.
Vrrrrm!
Then, the Moonwhite Sword vibrated boisterously, as if boasting.
“…….”
Was it his imagination, or did he see a haughty Griffin head held high?
He chuckled wryly.
“……You really haven’t trained your mana, right?”
Kirson shuffled over, looking a decade older.
Theo played dumb.
“The Awakening Ceremony is just five days away.”
“So you did this with sword ki alone……!”
Suddenly, Kirson thrust her hand toward him.
Theo reflexively pulled back,
‘Fast……!’
But Kirson had already seized his wrist.
‘She’s trained in swordsmanship. At least Dragon Gate Swordsman level……!’
He hadn’t known the Bask Workshop owner was a swordswoman—shocking.
Amidst this, Kirson checked his pulse, frowning.
She couldn’t sense any mana from Theo.
“Hah! You really did this with sword ki alone?”
Theo just smiled silently.
Partly because he’d expended all mana in that strike, but mainly because this era’s common sense couldn’t fathom storing mana in the heart.
Tsk!
Kirson smacked her lips, regretting handing over the far superior Moonwhite Sword than expected.
But she couldn’t snatch it back after declaring it for her grandson—pride wouldn’t allow it.
‘No. Maybe it’s not so bad? A supreme sword with that much sword ki—gripping it alone would drain stamina immensely…… And he endured without a drop of mana?’
A word flashed through Kirson’s mind for such a person.
Genius.
One blessed with heaven-sent talent.
‘That’s my grandson?’
Kirson grinned at a sudden idea, lighting her pipe.
A kid like this would shine on his own someday.
Especially the upcoming Awakening Ceremony, where Ragnar and northern swordmasters and martial artists gathered.
It was obvious he’d dazzle there.
But.
What if such a kid wielded a sword stamped with Bask Workshop’s mark?
‘Kyahahaha! Money! Money rolling in on a vine, I tell ya!’
Kirson’s eyes sparkled at the new goldmine.
Crumbled ceiling and wall?
Rebuild it—easy. But this kind of massive publicity? Once in a lifetime.
Theo instinctively stepped back from Kirson’s predatory gaze.
“Won’t be easy carrying a demon sword like that to the Awakening Ceremony…… You said you needed a new sword anyway, right?”
He froze at her question.
‘No way?’
Theo’s eyes widened slightly.
A supreme sword crafted personally by Master Kirson.
A chance any swordsman would kill for.
“I’ll give it my all. But in return, you take first place.”
Kirson’s lips curled up.
Drool gathered at the corner of her mouth.
Slurp!