Chapter 103

“Hey, look who it is! Naban! It is Naban, right?”

A sudden outburst.

Just as Theo and Naban were about to return to the banquet hall after finishing their conversation, they halted at the sound.

A man was approaching them.

With hair tousled wildly like a lion’s mane but with eyes that shone with a noble light—a handsome man.

‘Torkel Ragnar…!’

Theo clenched his fists tightly, unprepared for this encounter with a fellow contender for the throne.

Naban greeted Torkel with a reluctant expression.

“Oh, yeah. Uh, long time no see.”

“How long has it been? Since the Blossoming Ceremony? I begged and begged to see you, but you didn’t show your face even once. Weren’t you upset?”

“Family issues, and, well, I wasn’t in great health either, so… yeah, something like that.”

“Still, you could’ve come to our gatherings occasionally. You know how much I wanted to bring you into the Black Iron Cavalry.”

“You… did? Me?”

“So, how’ve you been? Meeting like this just makes me happier.”

Though Naban always dealt with others cynically.

When it came to Torkel, however, he seemed almost flustered.

It was as if all his energy was being drained.

Torkel was famous for his social skills, making Naban’s usual demeanor seem ineffective.

‘A cynic faced with a super socialite? Something like that? It’s kind of amusing.’

Seeing a side of Naban he hadn’t witnessed before, Theo was intrigued.

“…So, Ayan, that rascal, recently joined our Black Iron Cavalry. Isn’t that hilarious?”

“Oh, um, yeah. Seems like it.”

“Oh, here I am talking only about myself when I wanted to ask how you’ve been. My bad, man.”

“No… it’s… fine.”

“Anyway, who’s this friend next to you? It looks like you’ve chosen quite the famous companion.”

Torkel’s gentle gaze shifted to Theo.

‘As expected, he knows who I am.’

Theo was now certain that Torkel had been looking for him, not Naban, all along.

With the rumors about a new sixth candidate and receiving the Sword Sphere, that alone would have been enough to unsettle the long-seated five candidates.

Theo gave a polite bow as he greeted Torkel.

“Theo Ragnar. It’s an honor to meet the distinguished commander of the Black Iron Cavalry.”

Torkel’s smile widened as he extended his hand.

“I’m Torkel. To finally meet the one I’ve only heard about in rumors? I heard you joined the White Armored Dragon Cavalry. Too bad, really—I wanted to bring you over to our side. Ah, well!”

“Thank you for the generous offer. However, the favor I received from the Demon Dragon is far too great.”

“Yes, it just wasn’t meant to be. But we can still maintain a good relationship, don’t you think? Our Black Iron Cavalry and the White Armored Dragon Cavalry often join forces for joint operations, after all.”

“It would be an honor for me as well to maintain a good relationship with you, Torkel.”

“Haha, you’re quite the well-spoken one, aren’t you?”

Torkel seemed genuinely pleased with Theo’s respectful yet confident demeanor.

Thus, the hint of regret on his face lingered.

“I’m still tempted, though. I’d like to make an even better offer if I could…”

Torkel glanced toward the banquet hall with a wry smile.

“But if I did that, there’d be too many people wanting to cook me alive right away…”

“…?”

Theo didn’t quite understand Torkel’s words, but he decided there was likely more to it, so he started to release their handshake.

But then—

Shiver-

His hand wouldn’t budge.

Torkel was looking at him with a mischievous expression.

‘It seems he wants to test me.’

He appeared to want to gauge Theo’s reaction.

There was no reason to refuse.

Ragnar was a traditional warrior family from the north.

At the core of every exchange lay strength.

Goooong—

Theo’s magic power surged swiftly, pushing against Torkel’s grip.

“Oh.”

A glimmer of intrigue appeared in Torkel’s eyes.

It was a pressure that even most practical swordsmen would have had difficulty releasing, yet Theo had broken free effortlessly.

What surprised Torkel more, however, was—

‘He released the constraint before even reading the essence of my magic power.’

His actual intention had been to gauge Theo’s magic power and observe its traits and characteristics in detail.

But it ended before he could gather anything at all.

‘It seems there’s a lot more he’s hiding. He hasn’t had the Orb of the Sword for long, so it’s unlikely he’s fully absorbed it yet… My father must be thrilled.’

Though disappointed, there was still a modest gain.

‘This is getting interesting.’

Until now, he’d only needed to focus on the older, higher-ranked candidates, as he was in a position of pursuing them. But now, being in the position of being pursued brought a peculiar sensation.

Not that he minded, of course.

After all, struggle was the essence of Ragnar.

To reject it and find it a hassle was to invite decline.

“I’m grateful for your consideration, Torkel.”

“Why call me Torkel so formally? Among brothers, just call me ‘hyung’ in private from now on.”

“Yes. Understood, hyungnim.”

“Just call me informally, not ‘hyungnim.’”

Theo didn’t miss the fact that Torkel was acknowledging him.

Torkel glanced back and forth between Theo and Naban, steering the conversation in a new direction.

“Anyway, how did you two meet? It doesn’t seem like a pairing that would cross paths naturally.”

“We met while investigating the Ceres Trading Company.”

“Huh? Back then? Naban, why were you even there? Wait, were you under suspicion or something?”

It seemed Torkel was unaware of the detailed circumstances surrounding the matter.

Naban nodded calmly.

“Yes. That’s when I decided to serve this guy as my lord.”

“…What?”

Torkel tilted his head in confusion, unable to grasp what he’d just heard, and Theo turned his gaze sharply in that direction.

Yet, despite the bombshell statement, Naban’s expression remained completely unfazed.

He truly was an unpredictable character.

“It’s as you heard. Nothing more to discuss, so I’ll be going.”

With a dismissive wave, Naban turned to leave, as if the conversation was too bothersome to continue.

Torkel, caught off guard, tried to grab him by the shoulder.

“Hey! At least explain things properly—!”

Boom!

Before he could finish his sentence, an explosion echoed from the direction of the banquet hall.

Theo, Torkel, and the retreating Naban all turned their gazes to the source simultaneously.

And at that moment, they saw it.

Goooooo!

A shockwave reverberated through the banquet hall, shook the sky above, and even rattled the entire Water Lily Palace.

-Aaagh!

-What’s going on?!

-Th-The Demon Dragon and the Origin Dragon have clashed!

-It’s a battle of the Nine Dragons! A battle of the Nine Dragons!

Without any further hesitation, the three of them sprinted toward the commotion.

* * *

Crack! Crackle!

Goooooo—

Two fierce auras clashed repeatedly.

The tables and furnishings around them had long since been shattered, and people had backed away from the range of the fight, watching with fearful eyes.

It was as if a natural disaster was unfolding before them.

If just the force of their auras alone caused this much devastation, could they really even be called human?

Some couldn’t help but question this in their minds.

But regardless of the onlookers’ thoughts,

the ones who had caused this chaos, Wolfgang and Julius, appeared entirely indifferent.

“What… did you just say, Captain of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry? Ha ha ha ha. This old man must be getting senile, hearing things like that.”

“Oh dear. If you’re truly that old, you should be sitting back in a room somewhere, painting the walls with… well, whatever it is old men do. What brings you here?”

“…Did you really just say that?”

“I’ll say it again since you claim not to have heard me clearly.”

Julius’s lips twisted in a sharp sneer.

“I asked if you wanted to get beaten to death.”

“How dare you!”

Gooooo—

A fierce gust of wind erupted around Wolfgang, sweeping through the hall. His gaze seemed to spark with fury beneath his wrinkled eyelids.

But then—

Boom!

The immense force Wolfgang had unleashed began to crumble under an overwhelming pressure descending from above. It felt as though a colossal dragon was staring down at him from beyond a great wall.

“…!”

Wolfgang’s body went rigid.

In an instant, the effects of the alcohol he’d been enjoying vanished entirely.

‘Damn it!’

At that moment, a memory flashed through Wolfgang’s mind.

Years ago.

The time when that insolent advanced swordsman from the White Armored Dragon Cavalry had lost an arm, and Julius stormed into the Elder Council alone.

That day, more than half of the elders representing the House of Ragnar had left with their limbs twisted in the wrong direction.

He himself had been among them!

“I’m sure I made myself clear back then.”

Julius’s formal tone was gone, his low voice now reviving Wolfgang’s buried memories of that day.

-If any of you take this opportunity to harm that child, or if you try any underhanded schemes… No! If a single tear falls from her eyes again…

“Back then, I held back for the sake of your dignity, but I won’t spare you a second time.”

-I’ll rip your arms off from the shoulders, just like hers were.

Why did the Julius of that day—whose savage threat had been as sharp as the dragon that summoned destruction—overlap so perfectly with the Julius standing before him now?

“Wai…!”

Wolfgang tried to shout something out of desperation,

Crack!

But Julius had already grabbed Wolfgang’s right wrist and was twisting it in the opposite direction.

Crash! Crash!

The powerful clash of auras erupted violently, enough to make one wonder if the palace itself would collapse under the pressure of the two Laurel Sword Masters’ confrontation.

Cold sweat trickled down Wolfgang’s forehead.

But the struggle didn’t last long.

Crunch—

With a gruesome sound of bones dislocating and shattering,

Splurt!

his entire right arm was torn off from the shoulder.

Whoooosh—

“Aaaagh!”

Wolfgang, now missing an arm, let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Amidst the fountain of blood spraying in all directions, Julius’s eyes glinted with a menacing gleam.

-Elder Council Leader!

-Protect the Elder Council Leader!

-The Captain of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry has attacked the Elder Council Leader!

The entire area descended into chaos.

Step! Step!

In an instant, several swordsmen descended from the sky, all pointing their blades at Julius.

– It’s the Judgment Knights!

– The Judgment Hall has arrived…!

“Captain of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry, we’re here to arrest you as an offender caught in the act of injuring the Elder Council Leader. Please come with us.”

The Judgment Knight who spoke had a rigid expression, though he attempted to mask his anxiety. Julius, however, didn’t even glance their way, nor did he bother to respond.

‘We have to contain him quickly before this escalates further…!’

The Judgment Knight bit his lip, bracing himself for the approaching storm.

「Commander!」

「Don’t worry. I’ll handle this matter on my own.」

「That’s not what I meant…!」

Evelyn couldn’t understand Julius’s behavior. While she knew he cared for his people, the way he was acting now was a strategic misstep, one that would leave him politically vulnerable.

Outwardly, Evelyn had suffered no harm.

The Julius she knew was a playful, laid-back man, but he was also as shrewd as Ed when it came to strategy. Yet, now, she saw none of that depth—he was acting purely on emotion, almost as if it were his personal matter.

‘…’

As she gazed at Julius’s broad back, her eyes trembled.

“Ugh…! You’re really going to leave me like this, over a mere woman? Captain of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry! You must be insane!”

Wolfgang, who had been shielded by the Judgment Knights, straightened up and shouted in anger.

The right arm represented a swordsman’s pride and life. Today, he had lost both.

“Consider yourself lucky I didn’t tear off what’s above your shoulders as well.”

“You… damn lunatic!”

At Julius’s audacious remark, Wolfgang’s eyes flared wide with rage.

“Captain of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry! You must properly explain this—!”

Swoosh!

One by one, mighty presences began to reveal themselves in the sky, filling the air with intense energy.

The Judgment Knights’ expressions hardened as their worst fears were realized.

One by one, the elders of the Elder Council had arrived, each exuding a powerful aura. While none of them matched Julius individually, together they were more than enough to fill the banquet hall with a suffocating pressure.

Despite Wolfgang’s degraded status, he was still the leader of the Elder Council. Such humiliation was tantamount to an open challenge against the Council.

“Well, perfect timing. You, you, you, and you.”

But Julius remained unfazed, not even blinking as he pointed out several familiar faces, one by one, with his hand.

The elders’ faces twisted, trying to comprehend what they’d just heard.

“Those faces… You were all there that time in the Elder Council, weren’t you? Then you must remember what I said.”

The more perceptive elders quickly stiffened.

“Let’s make this simple. Stick out one of your arms. I’ll cut it off for you—nicely.”

“…!”

“…!”

“…!”

“Your arrogance knows no bounds!”

Fwoosh!

Clang!

The elders’ auras surged, blending together into a sharp, menacing force.

Unable to tolerate this any longer, they even drew their swords.

Julius watched this with a cold satisfaction, unsheathing his own blade in response.

But just then—

“At my daughter’s birthday celebration, how dare you… What is the meaning of this—?”

Crash!

The murderous tension filling the banquet hall shattered in an instant, like glass breaking.

Julius, the elders, and the crowd all turned their gazes to the roof of Water Lily Palace.

There, standing against the moonlight with a cold expression, was Ice Dragon Niel, the mistress of Water Lily Palace, gazing down upon the banquet hall.