Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Awakening Ceremony (3)
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“Cold, isn’t it.”
“You’re telling me.”
Theo let out a light chuckle as he looked at Wellington, who was shivering despite being bundled up head to toe in fur clothing.
Even for the people of Ragnar, the cold of the Winter Mountains was no joke.
For the young master of the Narsio family, which was located relatively south among the six northern noble houses, it was bound to be tough.
The second Awakening Ceremony had begun.
Theo and Wellington had arrived at the second testing ground in the Winter Mountains, guided by the Law Swordsmen and the examiners.
“Young Master Theo… are you really okay? I hate to say it, but your clothes look awfully thin.”
After that question about whether he considered him a friend, Wellington had gone back to treating Theo casually, like usual.
“I’m used to this level of cold.”
“Used… to it? When have you ever gone through something like this?”
Theo just smiled without a word.
How could he explain that in his previous life, he’d traveled the world as a member of Black Snow?
Wellington, now accustomed to it, didn’t pry any deeper.
“More importantly, what kind of test are they planning to hold in a place like this…!”
Wellington frowned as he peered at the mountainside, where visibility was poor due to the fierce blizzard.
Even with their mana unlocked, they were all still greenhorns with just three days of experience.
Doing anything in this treacherous terrain was incredibly dangerous.
But Ragnar had never been the type to take such things into consideration anyway.
“We will now begin the second Awakening Ceremony—!”
The judge’s shout, infused with mana, echoed thunderously through the mountainside.
Even amid the howling winds that drowned out most sounds, his voice rang clear to every examinee.
The gazes of Theo, Wellington, and the other 57 participants all turned toward him.
“As you all know, the Winter Mountains stretch vast and wide from Winterra all the way to the Demon Sea.”
A flicker of fear passed over the eyes of some examinees.
The Demon Sea.
The cursed land beyond the Great North Wall, teeming with all manner of magic beasts and monsters.
For over a thousand years, Ragnar had protected humanity from that Demon Sea.
And those who had joined Ragnar bore the duty to one day inherit that role.
“But you lot, being mere probationary swordsmen, can’t possibly enter the Demon Sea. The testing ground will be limited to the inner side of the Great North Wall.”
Sighs of relief echoed around.
“Law Swordsmen, the Black Iron Knights, and the White Dragon Knights will be patrolling regularly, but accidents can still happen, so make sure not to stray beyond it even by mistake. Understood?”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
“Loud and clear. Now, about the test content.”
Theo focused intently on the judge’s lip movements.
If his guess was right, this second test would be quite challenging.
“From 9th-grade magic beasts to 5th-grade monsters, all sorts of creatures inhabit the area around here. And on their necks, you’ll find tags just like this one.”
Ding—
The judge held up a bell the size of his palm.
The ringing was faint amid the wind.
“Your goal is to collect those bells.”
The judge made eye contact with each examinee as he continued.
“Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet—there are seven colors in total, and the later ones are worth more points. Naturally, the higher the points, the stronger the monster. Especially the purple ones—you’d have to die and come back to life before you could ever catch one with your current skills.”
Gulp!
Someone swallowed dryly.
“Hunt however you like. Form teams for group hunts, or go solo if you’re confident. Traps, ambushes, tactics, strategies—anything goes. Or… you get the idea?”
The examinees exchanged wary glances.
No fool among Ragnar’s swordsmen would miss the implication of his final words.
Backstab.
Stealing others’ prey was fine, and even outright betrayal was allowed.
‘They’re openly encouraging conflict.’
Theo clicked his tongue.
But for Ragnar, this was par for the course.
‘Whether you crush the discord with raw power or lead the group with overwhelming charisma—it’s up to you.’
If the first Awakening Ceremony tested talent in swordsmanship and mana,
The second tested leadership, adaptability, and raw combat prowess.
—How to seize victory.
That was the true “power” Ragnar revered.
“And scattered around, you’ll find areas marked by totems like this. These totems have special magic devices that keep monsters out within a radius of about 50 meters. However, each area has a limit on the number of people who can enter, and they contain various supplies needed for the test, so keep that in mind.”
In the unpredictable Winter Mountains, these were rare safe zones.
Where they could rest and resupply.
“The duration is a full two weeks. All tests will end exactly at this time two weeks from now, so return without being late. Tardiness will result in point deductions. Dismissed—!”
Whoosh, whoosh—
No sooner had the judge finished than some examinees bolted off.
To scout the terrain ahead and locate the totems.
“No telling how many supplies there are, so everyone’s in a rush.”
“To move for two weeks straight, they’ll need plenty of resources.”
Theo glanced at Wellington and stepped forward.
“Let’s get moving too. We need to secure a spot before the interference ramps up.”
Ever since arriving in the Winter Mountains, Theo had felt eyes watching him and Wellington.
Especially Axion and his Dragon Pupil crew, who were blatantly showing their hostility.
Ready to strike at the first opportunity.
Before diving fully into the second Awakening Ceremony, there was something Theo absolutely needed to obtain here in the Winter Mountains.
To secure it without interference, he planned to scout a secluded spot first—
“No. Leave me behind.”
Wellington didn’t budge from his spot.
Theo turned back to him.
“Wellington?”
“Young Master Theo, do you remember what you said to me three days ago?”
His tone was deadly serious.
Theo’s eyes deepened instinctively.
“You said we were friends.”
“That’s right. I truly think of you that way—no, more than that. If you asked for my heart, I’d hand it over without a second thought.”
“……”
“But at the same time, I see you as my rival just as fiercely.”
‘So that’s it. That’s why he was so conflicted before the first ceremony.’
Friends and rivals.
The two were hard to reconcile.
As a friend, he’d have to yield the top spot; as a rival, he’d have to seize it.
And the jealousy that could arise in the process was even harder to handle.
What Theo had sensed about Wellington all this time was how genuinely good of a person he was.
The kind who opened his heart too easily—enough to make you wonder if that was okay—and got hurt if it wasn’t reciprocated.
It had been that way with the Dragon Pupil crew, and with Theo too.
So naturally, being torn between friendship and rivalry would cause him endless conflict.
‘And considering the Narsio family’s tradition of cultivating dictator-like temperaments… it must’ve been even worse.’
“So for the past three days, I’ve thought long and hard. And I got greedy. I want to surpass you for real, Young Master Theo.”
“……”
“You get it, right?”
In his previous life, Wellington could never touch Theo, a distant mirage.
In this life, their positions had flipped.
So Theo nodded.
“I do. I see you as my rival too, Wellington.”
“Really? Haha! I was worried I was the only one feeling that way. What a relief.”
“But.”
“……?”
“That’s exactly why I can’t yield this spot to you.”
Whoooosh!
A fierce aura erupted from Theo, rippling outward in concentric circles.
His long hair swayed gently.
Thump, thump, thump!
His heart pounded wildly.
Wellington’s eyes widened slightly at the sight.
How long had it even been since unlocking his mana? Already unleashing a mana wind.
Even over the past three days, Theo had kept growing stronger.
But.
That only ignited the competitive fire dormant deep in Wellington’s heart.
Thump, thump, thump—
Wellington’s heart raced in sync with Theo’s.
One corner of his mouth curled up.
“I won’t yield either. A position seized by force is the only one worth having.”
“Exactly. It’s a seat worth defending with strength.”
Their smiling gazes clashed in the air.
Slash—
In an instant, they swung their swords at each other.
Claaaang!
* * *
After a fierce clash, only Wellington remained where Theo had stood.
“Phew! That cleared things up nicely.”
The smile on Wellington’s lips was genuine.
He’d vented the knot that had been weighing on his chest in one go.
Ever since they’d first crossed swords in the fourth training hall.
To Wellington, Theo had been an unreachable mirage.
The kind that slipped farther away the closer you got, vanishing just as you approached.
But no longer.
Now, he was a wall that had to be overcome.
One to shatter or leap over.
“You fool. I’ve told you time and again—a lion doesn’t chase; it makes others follow—!”
Just then, a middle-aged man dropped down beside Wellington.
Dressed as an examiner, he was Timothy Narsio, the deputy family head specially dispatched from the Narsio family.
The current family head’s only brother.
Wellington’s uncle—and the main culprit, alongside Butler Ralph, who’d muddled his mind all this time.
“Just when I thought you were improving, you pull this again. And with that illegitimate ragtag of all people. Must be that base blood of yours, drawing you to your own kind like…!”
“Uncle.”
Timothy’s rant was cut short by Wellington.
“Shut your mouth.”
“……What?”
“If you insult my friend any further, I won’t stand by. I could accept the heir position I’ve been putting off and cut your head off right here.”
“……!”
“If you don’t want your neck on display in the town square for all those ‘base’ folks you despise to gawk at, then shut it. I won’t tolerate your rudeness anymore.”
“…….”
Rage flared in Timothy’s eyes.
In that moment, his nephew—the one he’d dismissed—was resisting him.
He recalled the words people had once used for Wellington.
Swordsman Incarnate.
The moniker fit perfectly.
It overlapped with the image of his brother, the family head, bedridden in illness.
“See? Isn’t it so much more pleasant when you’re quiet? I expect you to obey from now on. As deputy family head—and as an examiner here.”
“…….”
“Understood?”
“……Fine.”
“Then I’ll be off first.”
Wellington left without waiting for a reply, vanishing in a leap.
Crunch!
Timothy ground his teeth to the breaking point.
“……Lowborn wretch, how dare you.”
* * *
Whoosh—
Theo raced up the steep slope.
The snow was frozen solid and slippery, but it was child’s play to him.
‘The best part of opening the Aura Hall is being able to use movement techniques like this.’
[Lark’s Wingbeat].
A movement art he’d learned while in Black Snow.
It made the body as light as a lark’s, perfect for long-distance travel.
‘Add a few variations, and even Black Snow wouldn’t notice much.’
By now, the examiners watching him were probably in a panic over his sudden disappearance.
What he was about to do couldn’t be seen by anyone, so he had to hide it as best he could.
‘Dragon’s Lair… I’ve checked the map location countless times. This is definitely it.’
To uncover the secret of the messages, Theo had put in tremendous effort and succeeded in finding a few clues.
—Relic of the Primordial Dragon.
He’d found two so far.
The dungeon.
Moonwhite Sword.
And like the ancient legend that “dragons love treasure,” they were guarded by dragonkin.
Lesser drake.
Griffin.
Theo didn’t believe these were coincidences.
He didn’t know the exact connection between the messages and the Primordial Dragon relics.
But.
If he kept seeking out other Primordial Dragon relics… eventually, the secret would unravel. That was his conviction.
So.
Where would another Primordial Dragon relic be?
‘Obviously in a place “guarded” by dragonkin.’
Fortunately, Theo knew of exactly one such suspected location.
A place that Black Snow would “accidentally” discover six years from now.
‘The hatchling’s lair.’
It was right here in the Winter Mountains.
Tap!
Theo’s run came to a halt.
A crevasse-riddled cliff, precarious enough that a gust of wind could send you plummeting.
Theo peered straight down.
In that instant.
Whoooosh—
In the midst of the distant cliff face.
Barely visible through the blizzard, but a blue glow leaked faintly.
At the same time.
Humm, huuumm!
The Moonwhite Sword at his left waist trembled faintly, emanating a blue light.
‘Found it.’
Theo’s eyes gleamed.
And.
Rattle, rattle—
The zweihander slung on his back… the one personally forged for him by Demon General Kirson… responded in kind.
As if it had found something.