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– Theo Ragnar had been bestowed a half-sword by the family head.

This didn’t simply mean that he had engaged in another one-sword duel as before.

Receiving the half-sword.

It meant he had inherited a sword from the Half-Sword Grave.

For those who didn’t understand the significance of this, they dismissed it as merely a sign that Kyle favored Theo. However, for the elite swordsmen above the level of Practical Swordsman, they were filled with tension.

– Does the family head truly intend to make the five candidates into the six?

Everyone knew that the current five candidates for succession, who were all starting to make a name for themselves, had separately been called to the Half-Sword Grave and met with Kyle. Naturally, Theo being summoned in the same manner drew attention.

Moreover, with the war clouds thickening and on the brink of an official conflict, Theo’s reputation was bound to carry even more weight.

“Is this the same feeling my brothers and sisters had when I first showed up?”

Torkel Ragnar was one of those candidates.

The commander of the Black Iron Cavalry.

In terms of fame alone, his unit could rival the White Armored Dragon Cavalry, the undefeated force of the land. Even though he was the youngest of the five candidates, his rise in status was far quicker than the others.

But this latest rumor was not something he could easily overlook.

“To place… him before me… What in the world is going on…!”

Torkel’s thoughts, however, were interrupted before they could continue.

A voice was heard from below, out of nowhere.

There stood a middle-aged man, covered in blood, his face weary.

“Oh, I forgot I had a guest. It was so boring, I completely forgot. Sorry about that, old man.”

It was blatant mockery.

The middle-aged man’s face twisted in anger.

But he didn’t protest.

His opponent had far surpassed him.

In fact, throughout his fight with Torkel, the middle-aged man hadn’t even managed to leave a single scratch on him.

There had been an overwhelming gap in skill.

“Why… why are you doing this…! At least give me a reason…! For hundreds of years, our family has been absolutely loyal to Ragnar. Why would you do this to us now…!”

The middle-aged man was Evan Bacchus, head of the Bacchus family. His rage surged.

Just an hour ago, the Black Iron Cavalry had stormed into the Bacchus household, and within moments, the family had been completely ruined.

“Seems like you haven’t heard the story from the Ceres Trading Company yet, have you?”

“Ceres…?”

Why bring up the in-laws now?

Evan’s eyes wavered, feeling that something was off.

“You’re slow on the news. Ceres conspired with Troyban to start a rebellion. The Bacchus family tried to kill the Ragnar enforcers sent to punish them.”

Torkel sneered as he looked at Evan.

Evan’s eyes widened.

“There… there must be some kind of misunderstanding! We have nothing to do with the Ceres Trading Company…!”

“If you have no connection, then why did you draw your sword?”

“That’s because…!”

“Ah, there’s no need to drag this out any longer.”

Torkel cut off Evan’s protest, pulling on the reins. His armored horse snorted and pawed at the ground roughly.

Snort!

“Anyway, the main family has already decided on Bacchus’s fate.”

Evan’s eyes shook wildly.

“The Bacchus family’s loyalty over the past centuries has been appreciated, so you will not be exterminated. However, the head, Evan Bacchus, and the key members must take responsibility for this incident. The guilty will submit to the order and be tried in Winterer. In the meantime, Naban Bacchus will serve as interim family head.”

“…!”

“Decide, Evan Bacchus. Will you accept your punishment, or will you refuse?”

Evan clenched his fists tightly.

Only now did he understand the full situation, but just being accused of involvement in a rebellion left him with no options.

‘That bastard… He’s going to close the door on our family’s long history…! I should have cut off his head sooner.’

Evan deeply regretted his past mistakes and hung his head heavily.

“Seal off all the guilty’s Aura Halls and transport them to Winterer.”

In the end, Evan and the key members of the Bacchus family became criminals, dragged away as prisoners.

“Ayan.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Ayan Sosori, the vice-captain, nodded as she approached.

“You said Theo Ragnar made quite an impression on you?”

“I’ve told you many times, Captain. You’d really like him. That guy’s something special. It’s a shame we couldn’t bring him this time.”

“Is that so? Now I’m even more intrigued.”

Pfft!

Torkel chuckled lightly and lowered the visor of his helmet once more.

“Alright, let’s head back!”

The hooves of the Black Iron Cavalry thundered powerfully across the ground.

Thud thud thud thud-

* * *

Theo felt incredibly awkward seeing his reflection in the mirror.

“As expected of my son! You never fail to exceed your mother’s expectations! You look so stunning, it’s absolutely breathtaking! No young lady would dare outshine you in beauty!”

Cecilia’s exaggerated compliments made Theo feel even more uncomfortable.

‘Really… I should be used to this by now, but why is it still so hard?’

Theo was dressed in ceremonial robes.

The deep navy-blue robes shimmered as if they had been dipped in seawater.

The entire outfit was made of a luxurious design and silk material, which made Theo’s face stand out even more.

These were the clothes Cecilia had made for him during his absence.

‘How many outfits have I gone through now…?’

He had worn so many that he couldn’t even remember anymore.

“The earrings and ring you found are quite useful, aren’t they? They’re elegant without being too gaudy, and they complement most formal attire. You said they were artifacts, right?”

Cecilia gently touched the ring and earrings Theo was wearing.

They were relics from the Ceres Trading Company.

Theo nodded, confirming it.

‘At least these things have finally calmed down completely. That’s a relief.’

After absorbing the orb from the sword Kyle had given him, Theo hadn’t left the house for the past few days.

He had been organizing the scattered thoughts that occasionally surfaced in his subconscious and carefully inspecting the functions of the relics.

As a result, Theo had also come to fully understand his newly transformed body.

‘Gaining some insight into Aura was the biggest achievement.’

As a satisfied smile quietly spread across Theo’s lips,

“But the details on these cuffs are a little lacking. The stitching needs to be pulled in a bit more, and the lines should fall like this…”

Every time Cecilia said something, the maid standing beside her hurriedly jotted down notes.

‘When is this going to end?’

Theo had changed clothes several times, but now he was finally on the last one.

‘At last…!’

He was ready to rest.

Just as he was about to put on the top with that hopeful thought,

Bang!

The door to the dressing room suddenly flew open.

It was the head butler.

“Urgent news!”

“What is it?”

Theo and Cecilia both turned their gazes toward him.

The head butler, his face pale with shock, shouted.

“Troyban has rejected the response to the protest!”

Ragnar had granted Troyban a 72-hour grace period regarding the matter involving Ed, but Troyban had refused it.

There was only one thing that this could mean.

“…It’s war.”

At Theo’s muttering, a cold wind blew through the dressing room from somewhere.

* * *

“No, they said it’s war, right? Do these people really have the time for this sort of thing?”

Julius grumbled as he looked around with a baffled expression.

♬ ♪♩♪♪

The music of a grand orchestra, known to be one of the largest even in the capital, drifted through the air.

Men and women danced to the music, or gathered around tables set throughout the garden, laughing and chatting merrily.

The Lord of Plum Blossom Palace laughed beside him.

“That’s why we need to act even more relaxed. Whatever you all may be plotting, we need to show Winterer’s people that we’re not bothered, not worried at all. We need to send that kind of message.”

They were at Water Lily Palace.

Among Ragnar’s various palaces, it was said to be the most beautiful.

The garden was bustling with people.

All of them adorned in glamorous attire.

“Besides, you know how much the Mistress of Water Lily Palace dotes on her daughter, right? The child who was once said to be unlikely to survive beyond ten years has grown up so well. It’s only fitting that everyone is here to celebrate her together.”

Julius nodded, though his expression remained far from satisfied.

It was the fifteenth birthday party of Ray Ragnar, the only daughter of Niel Ragnar Tone, the Mistress of Water Lily Palace.

The party was large enough that many, including Julius, the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace, and various members of the Nine Dragons, were in attendance.

After all, the Mistress of Water Lily Palace held significant weight as one of the Nine Dragons, and she had placed great importance on this birthday celebration for her daughter.

It was only natural that so many people had gathered.

Julius, in his younger years when he was quite the notorious playboy, used to enjoy events like these.

But as he grew older, such gatherings became nothing but a tedious affair.

‘Evelyn probably won’t come either.’

He had told her to join him if she had time since being alone was dull, but knowing her personality, she was unlikely to show up in such a crowded place.

Another reason Julius felt he had no need to remain here any longer.

“And more importantly.”

The Lord of Plum Blossom Palace continued as she took a wine glass offered by a waiter.

“Do you think the people here are really interested in the daughter of the Mistress of Water Lily Palace?”

“…Ugh. That’s exactly what bothers me,” Julius groaned.

Their real interest.

There was only one person it could be.

Theo Ragnar.

The one who had been causing a stir in Winterer lately, time and time again.

“I can’t just lock him away where no one else can see him… Ugh! When Theo arrives, I’ll just have to stick by his side, I guess.”

Julius grumbled, but suddenly, the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace tilted her head in curiosity.

“What are you talking about? Why are you acting as if you can just stick someone else’s son by your side? Theo is going to stay with me.”

“…?”

“I’m sorry, but the Commander of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry will have to wait for the next chance. This time, I’ve already claimed him first.”

For a moment, Julius’s face contorted with disbelief.

“Claimed…? Does that mean you’ve already discussed this with Theo?”

“That’s strange. Why would I need prior arrangements between mother and son?”

“No, you’re not even really mother and son…!”

Just as Julius shot up from his seat, about to say something, it happened.

Flap!

The sound of powerful wings flapping came from above the two.

Julius’s spine tingled as he looked up.

And there, lightly landing on the ground, was a Black Dragon.

“I apologize to both of you. It seems I’ll be taking my nephew with me. I need to explain how to use the insignia I gave him earlier.”

A small chuckle could be heard from behind the mask.

Julius’s face twisted.

“So you came up with that scheme just for this?”

“I’m not sure what you mean, Commander of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.”

“No, brother! Are you seriously going to keep doing things like this?”

“This is an official occasion. I’d appreciate it if you could distinguish between personal and official matters, Commander.”

“I agree with the Director of the Information Bureau.”

“As expected of the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace. You truly understand.”

The Black Dragon and the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace exchanged glances, as if they had already allied themselves.

“Ah, for real…!”

He really felt like he was about to get stabbed in the back.

As Julius stood there, fists trembling with frustration,

“Lady Cecilia of Camellia Palace and Theo Ragnar are entering!”

The butler’s announcement of the guests drew all three of their gazes in that direction.

At the same time,

“……”

“……”

“……”

A deep silence fell over the garden, as if everyone had been waiting for this moment.

All eyes turned toward the entrance.