Chapter 104

‘How dare they!’

Niel looked as though sparks would fly from her eyes at any moment.

Today, she had only hoped for two things.

Her daughter Ray’s successful Blossoming Ceremony and a birthday celebration.

And to assess Theo’s potential as well.

Yet these worthless wretches were intent on ruining the celebration.

“We apologize to the Mistress of Water Lily Palace. But this is something we cannot simply overlook. So, if you would wait until we punish the White Armored Dragon Cavalry Commander… Gaaah!”

One of the elders, speaking curtly to Niel, suddenly found his right arm flung into the air.

The expressions of the other elders grew tense and rigid.

“What is the meaning of this, Mistress of Water Lily Palace?!”

“Are you siding with the White Armored Dragon Cavalry Commander and trying to intimidate our Elder Council…?”

“Silence!”

But their protests did not last long.

Rumble!

At Niel’s explosive shout, the Water Lily Palace and the banquet hall shook as a whole.

Crack, crack, crack—

Centered around her, a massive dragon emerged, forming in shape, and frost began to settle in all directions.

The temperature dropped to the point where frost formed on skin, and one could see their own breath.

“If you dare open your mouth one more time, I’ll cut off your heads, elders or not.”

“…!”

“…!”

“…!”

The elders took a hesitant step back.

For now, she was restraining herself to care for her ailing daughter.

But in her younger days, she had been known for her fierce spirit that had shaken Ragnar more than once.

Niel’s gaze shifted to Julius as well.

“White Armored Dragon Cavalry Commander… no, forget that. It’s too aggravating, so I’ll call you by name. Julius, the same goes for you. If you continue with these pointless antics, prepare to settle things with me, once and for all. Got it?”

Instead of answering, Julius merely looked at Niel with an indifferent gaze.

“If you want to drink and raise hell, do it outside. Do you not have any sense of honor or courtesy?”

Niel’s cold eyes shifted between Julius and the elders.

“Grab your swords and get out right now. I’m on the verge of wanting to cut all your heads off.”

By now, even the elite swordsmen of the Water Lily Palace had gathered around them, their blades drawn.

Each one had been personally trained by Niel, forming her top echelon of warriors.

They showed no concern for who they faced; at the slightest command from Niel, they would charge without hesitation.

But,

“No, I don’t feel like it.”

Julius answered with the same indifferent expression.

One of Niel’s eyebrows arched sharply.

“What?”

“You’re calling me by name, so I’ll go ahead and speak to you just as casually as I did in my younger days. Niel, I’m sorry, but I can’t leave. I still have some arms to pull off these old geezers, one by one.”

“White Armored Dragon Cavalry Commander!”

“How dare you!”

The elders’ faces twisted in fury, yet Julius didn’t wipe the sneer from his lips.

“And besides, it doesn’t look like they’re planning on stepping down so easily either, does it?”

“Ah, you’ve got a point.”

Just then, Wolfgang, who had finally stopped the bleeding, stepped forward with a twisted expression.

“Right. I’m not going to let it end like this. How dare… you think you can leave after doing this to me…!”

He had lost his right arm.

The arm that, for a swordsman, was life itself.

In nearly a century of life, he had never suffered such humiliation.

Wolfgang intended to settle this once and for all with Julius right here.

‘If I let this end here, my entire political career will be destroyed. I’ve fought through so much to make it this far! That cannot happen… not ever…!’

His position was already precarious due to the incident with Ed, and he was at constant risk of being purged.

But he realized that if he used this moment wisely, he might actually solidify his standing even further.

‘If I can frame the situation as one where the Elder Council, despite being innocent, is suffering under the oppression of the Demon Dragon… and if we unify to defeat the Demon Dragon, even the Black Dragon won’t be able to politically pressure me any longer.’

Kyle, the Black Dragon, Julius, and the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace.

He would finally create a crack in the hold these four had over the family’s power.

And it didn’t seem like failure was a likely outcome.

While Julius was certainly strong, the White Armored Dragon Cavalry wasn’t present. Here, the Elder Council members overwhelmingly outnumbered him.

If things took a turn, he was confident he could even bring Niel to his side.

With all his political calculations finalized, Wolfgang took his stand.

‘Is he… smiling?’

But Julius looked back at him with an even deeper smile.

As if he had been expecting this all along.

A sudden chill ran down Wolfgang’s spine, but he forced himself to ignore it.

“Alright, you want to go all the way, don’t you?”

Ssshhh—

Meanwhile, Niel, feeling utterly disrespected, stirred up a raging snowstorm.

“Fine. Let’s do this. Once I tear all those mouths apart, there’ll be no one left to ruin my daughter’s birthday celebration.”

Niel raised her sword high.

Then, the blizzard quickly compressed toward that spot, forming a massive beam of light.

Just as she was about to strike it downward,

「Before unleashing your anger, would you mind hearing my thoughts?」

She paused.

A voice familiar to Niel slipped into her ears as a whisper.

It was a voice she recognized.

Niel turned her gaze in that direction.

Theo was walking over with Torkel and Naban.

– Theo Ragnar?

– What’s this? Why did the Lord of the Water Lily Palace suddenly stop her attack?

– Looks like Theo Ragnar said something…?

– And why is he with the Black Iron Cavalry Commander?

– Isn’t the other person that Bacchus bastard? The one rumored to be taking over as the new family head?

As the crowd murmured about this unexpected combination,

「I’m speaking not as a member of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry, but as Ray’s sibling and friend who doesn’t wish to see this celebration ruined.」

Niel’s heart wavered slightly at Theo’s words.

Her daughter’s friend.

It was a word she thought she would never hear that moved her.

“…Very well. Go on, then. But know that if you try to waste my time with idle chatter, I will not forgive you.”

“Thank you.”

Theo gave a brief nod to Julius and Evelyn, who had now relaxed their auras, to let them know all was well. He ignored Wolfgang’s gaze entirely.

“How about treating this conflict as a bit of entertainment to spice up the celebration?”

“Entertainment?”

Niel frowned, unable to guess what he was implying.

The crowd, too, tilted their heads in curiosity.

Theo’s smile deepened.

“In the ancient traditions of the North, it was often customary to end a banquet with a contest of strength to showcase the participants’ abilities. Such events were common in the traditions of Ragnar as well.”

The Northern lands, with their harsh environments, had long harbored a strong reverence for the powerful.

This mindset flourished vividly within Ragnar as the principle of survival of the fittest.

Only then did Niel grasp the meaning behind Theo’s words.

“So, you propose to settle this conflict as entertainment?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Representatives from the White Armored Dragon Cavalry and the Senate could compete in teams of three-on-three or five-on-five to determine the winner.”

“And the prize is whatever the victor desires. Winner takes all.”

“That’s the law of Ragnar.”

A small chuckle escaped Niel.

A thinly veiled attempt, perhaps.

Certainly, there was no better way to preserve both her and her daughter’s pride while simultaneously quelling the conflict between the two distasteful factions.

‘So that’s why Ray fell for him so easily.’

Just then, she noticed Ray waving to Theo from the second-floor terrace, an action that seemed entirely out of place in the current atmosphere.

Theo returned her greeting just as calmly, undisturbed by the many eyes upon them.

‘They’re alike.’

It reminded her of someone from her youth.

“I’m not thrilled that, once again, this celebration is shifting its focus away from the birthday itself, but it seems like the best option for now.”

Pushing aside her brief sentiment, Niel returned to her fierce expression, glaring back and forth between Julius and Wolfgang.

“This is as far as I’m willing to compromise. If you’re not in agreement, speak now. I’ll gladly shove a sword down that mouth of yours.”

Julius shrugged.

“I see no reason to refuse. Our boy proposed it, after all.”

“We’re in agreement.”

Wolfgang and the elders, though clearly displeased with how the situation was being pulled to the other side’s favor, nodded reluctantly.

With that, Niel slid her sword back into its scabbard.

Click!

“Fine. In thirty minutes, we’ll continue this entertainment here. The White Armored Dragon Cavalry and the Senate will each select three swordsmen to participate.”

* * *

‘Phew! It worked.’

Theo let out a breath of relief.

They had narrowly avoided what could have turned into a large-scale conflict.

Meanwhile, beside him, Naban and Torkel, who had been watching Theo closely, couldn’t contain their amazement.

‘Just like before, his skill at talking is something else. That tongue of his is sharper than any blade.’

‘Naban calling this boy his lord wasn’t a joke.’

Torkel’s evaluation of Theo was shifting in real-time.

A dangerous individual, indeed.

Boldness, eloquence, talent—he had it all.

What would become of this child if he continued to grow like this?

“Theo!”

At that moment, something suddenly jumped down from the second-floor terrace of the Water Lily Palace and came running over in haste.

“Ray. It’s been a while.”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Ray clung to Theo, meticulously checking him all over.

“I’m fine. Not hurt.”

“I’m mad at Mom.”

“Why?”

“She yelled at you.”

“The Lord of the Water Lily Palace was only doing her duty. She was actually trying to protect you.”

“Still, it was too much.”

Watching Ray sulk, Theo couldn’t help but laugh.

It seemed even they weren’t so different from any ordinary mother and daughter.

“Ray, how long has it been? I heard your secluded training went well, but it’s so nice to finally see you again after all this time!”

On the way over, Torkel waved cheerfully with a smile, but Ray glanced at him with a puzzled look before turning back to Theo.

“So, what’s your plan now? The Senate Leader is scary.”

In that instant, Torkel, who was left completely ignored(?), looked a bit dumbfounded, while Naban smirked from the side.

“Even the mighty Torkel has times when he’s overlooked, huh?”

“…Ha, haha. Well, Ray’s always been a bit shy.”

“Is that so? She doesn’t seem like the shy type, even if her personality is a bit unusual.”

“Hahaha. Come on, I’m her older brother—of course I know. Oh! Time really flies. I’m supposed to meet Ayan. It was nice running into you, Naban. Let’s grab a drink together sometime.”

Naban gave a light wave as he watched Torkel depart, thinking to himself that even someone like him had people he found difficult to deal with.

Meanwhile, Julius, Evelyn, Cecilia, Wellington, and the siblings Erika and Wellington approached Theo and Ray.

Evelyn still looked uncomfortable, as if she blamed herself for the situation escalating.

“Commander, Theo, there was really no need to make this into such a big issue…!”

“This isn’t just a matter between you and that old man. It’s about me and the White Armored Dragon Cavalry. Do you think he’d pull this kind of stunt if he didn’t have such disrespect for us?”

“I agree with the Commander. You’re not at fault here, Captain. This is something we should all face together.”

Julius turned his gaze to Theo, his lips curving into a smile, though his eyes were darkened with gravity.

“Suggesting a duel makes it seem like you have something in mind. Am I right?”

“Yes. My first objective was to prevent them from ganging up on us by numbers.”

“Why? Did you think I wouldn’t manage if they outnumbered us?”

“Of course not. I simply don’t want bloodshed on a day meant to celebrate a friend’s birthday.”

Julius broke into laughter again, impressed by Theo’s way of addressing the matter with care while also respecting his pride.

He knew it well himself: going head-to-head with the Senate would be an uphill battle, even for him.

And whether they won or lost, the political aftermath would be severe.

With just a few words, Theo had managed to prevent all of that.

‘My poor subordinates have to work hard because of their foolish Commander.’

Although he felt grateful to Theo, part of him was curious—wondering not only how this boy would manage to handle the situation but also how he might even turn it in his favor.

Theo always had a knack for turning crises into opportunities.

“So, how do you plan to set up the match?”

“The Senate Leader will certainly be the last one from their side. He’ll want to restore his tarnished honor.”

“Does he even have any honor to restore?”

“Well, it’s a situation where even non-existent honor must be created.”

“That’s true. Then I suppose I’ll take that last spot. And the two positions before that?”

“I’ll take them.”

A completely unexpected reply.

Julius’s eyes widened involuntarily.

Theo simply nodded calmly.

“Both of the first two positions.”