Chapter 107

– If he went even a moment without romance, he’d say his mouth would start growing thorns.

It was something Julius used to say constantly in his younger days.

In truth, during his youth, when he was a handsome man, he never took a break from enjoying romance.

He flirted with countless noblewomen, and sometimes secretly took pleasure in watching young ladies fight over him.

But when did it begin?

Julius started to feel that all these romances were meaningless.

Even though he had always managed to make time for romance, no matter how frantically busy he was.

Suddenly, none of it felt enjoyable anymore.

He burned all the love letters he’d scratched out every night and cut off contact with the noblewomen he’d been meeting in secret.

At the time, he didn’t understand why he’d felt that way.

But now, realizing his feelings clearly, he thought he understood.

– Hello! I’m Evelyn Nerevil, the new recruit assigned to the White Armored Dragon Cavalry!

When he first saw Evelyn.

It had started right then.

* * *

“You!”

Wolfgang, who had been waiting for Julius to come up, frowned at the sight of the final opponent.

– What’s going on?

– Isn’t the Demon Dragon supposed to be coming up?

The crowd began murmuring as well.

It was because, instead of the anticipated Julius, Evelyn Nerevil—the cause of this whole situation—was the final combatant.

“Captain?”

Theo, on his way back, saw Evelyn and was equally surprised.

“You did well. And thank you. But this matter was originally mine to handle, so I’ll finish it.”

Evelyn nodded calmly and patted Theo on the shoulder, then walked past him to stand in the combat arena.

Theo quickly turned to watch her retreating figure.

The way she looked, as if she had resolved herself to something.

It was like looking at a well-sharpened sword.

“Are you suggesting we play games?”

Unfazed by Wolfgang’s intense murderous aura, Evelyn calmly drew a dagger and ripped the hem of her elaborate dress straight up.

Revealing a long, beautifully sculpted leg.

Then she tied her hair back with a piece of the dress fabric.

“Whew! Now I’m a bit more comfortable.”

Her eyes sparkled with life.

And then she slowly raised her sword.

“So it’s really you as the final opponent?”

“Why? Standing here, are you frightened, Father?”

A single, casually tossed remark.

But the shock that followed was anything but casual.

– What? The Elder Council Head is her father?

– What on earth does that mean?

– Now that I think about it, the two of them… they do look a bit alike…?

– But wait, how old is the Elder Council Head to have a daughter her age?

Wolfgang’s face flushed red.

The past he never wanted to reveal was about to be exposed in front of everyone.

“What nonsense are you spouting! When did I ever have a daughter like you?!”

“Did you already forget? You forced a marriage on a bastard just because she was decent-looking. When I refused, I lost one of my arms in the process. Seems like you forgot. It shouldn’t have been so easy to forget.”

“How dare you spew lies in a place like this…!”

“Oh, and you told me that, since my remaining ‘value’ as a product was gone, it couldn’t be helped that I was now considered lowly. I apologize—how inappropriate of someone as low as me to stand before someone as distinguished as you.”

“You wretched girl! Shut your mouth!!”

Crash!

Unable to hold back any longer, Wolfgang stomped down fiercely.

Even though Niel hadn’t yet announced the start of the match.

At that moment, all Wolfgang could think of was silencing Evelyn by any means necessary.

– A bastard child?

– The Elder Council Head is nearly a hundred years old now, so… that means he must’ve been in his seventies when…

– Has he lost his mind?

– Wait, can he even… still… function properly?

Meanwhile, the crowd’s shock was growing like a snowball rolling downhill.

‘So that’s what happened. That’s why Evelyn’s arm is…!’

Theo, equally stunned by this revelation, couldn’t help but admire Evelyn’s composure as she cast off her past so effortlessly.

Clang!

Evelyn drew her sword calmly, parrying Wolfgang’s fierce attack with precision.

The fusion of Julius’s swordsmanship and the Wind Lord’s secrets created a fresh thrill for the crowd.

– Wind…?

– This isn’t quite like the Demon Dragon’s Six Arts. What is it?

– It’s the Wind Lord! That’s the Wind Lord’s sword!

– What? She inherited the true legacy of the Wind Lord? That person?

The fact that the successor of the absolute master who once posed the greatest obstacle to Kyle’s rise to power had appeared shocked many.

– But that aside, she deflected the Origin Dragon’s strike! And she’s just an Advanced Swordsman!

– Sure, the Elder Council Head may be injured… but that means she’s at least at Dragon Gate Swordsman level, right?

– I thought she’d lost her skills after losing an arm.

– So, the successor of the Wind Lord really is different!

On the other hand, many were astounded at Evelyn’s skills, now far beyond what she’d displayed in the past.

– We were already surprised when Theo Ragnar and the Ranke twins joined as new recruits, but now their captain is the successor of the Wind Lord? This is going to widen the power gap between the Four Great Units even further.

Some envied the White Armored Dragon Cavalry for drawing in such talented individuals in droves.

“Ahem!”

Julius reflexively cleared his throat, then quietly sent a message to Theo.

「Did you know that Evelyn acquired the Wind Lord’s secret techniques?」

「Yes. I was aware.」

「Then why wasn’t there a report to me?」

「Captain wanted to inform you herself. She said she wanted to see the Commander’s surprised reaction.」

「…….」

Julius was momentarily at a loss for words.

‘Could it be because… I’ve been sneaking a few bottles of wine from the dorms recently?’

Still, he found it irksome that Evelyn hadn’t reported something of this magnitude to her superior.

…Well, it was true he’d taken only the most expensive ones.

For a long moment, Julius couldn’t take his eyes off Evelyn. Behind her, he thought he saw the wings of a butterfly fluttering, ready to take flight in a dazzling display.

And then—

‘Could it be?’

Sensing something unusual in the way Julius was watching Evelyn, Theo subtly activated his authority.

[Observing ‘Julius Ragnar.’]

+

Julius Ragnar (41 years old / Male)

· Title: Demon Dragon

· Talents: Leadership. Swordsmanship genius. Passion for talent acquisition. Pure devotion in love.

· Current Status: Recently realized his feelings for ‘Evelyn Nerevil’ and is flustered, unsure of what to do.

+

Theo had to stifle a laugh that almost slipped out involuntarily.

‘So that [Pure Devotion in Love] talent… was directed at Evelyn? No wonder he seemed particularly hard on her.’

What amused him the most was how that part alone was highlighted in bold.

And the status description only added to the humor.

Cha-ching!

Meanwhile, Evelyn and Wolfgang’s clash continued unabated.

“I’ll kill youuu!”

Overcome by his rage, Wolfgang raised his aura to its maximum, his eyes beginning to gleam with a crazed intensity.

It was the onset of qi deviation.

Recognizing Wolfgang’s shift, Evelyn calmly gathered her magic power in preparation to counter.

Flash—Crack!

Just as Wolfgang’s sword was about to descend upon Evelyn’s neck,

「That’s enough.」

Something suddenly dropped between Evelyn and Wolfgang from above.

Boom!

Rumble—

Unable to withstand the energy contained within it, Evelyn and Wolfgang both staggered backward.

They looked up sharply.

A powerful spiritual presence was swirling in a vortex in the sky.

It was the Master of the Six Harmonies.

A supreme skill that allowed one’s voice to echo over a vast area.

“What are you doing, Patriarch?!”

Wolfgang, recognizing that the voice’s owner was Kyle from Half-Sword Grave, roared in fury.

The sword that had blocked his advance was the very same blade embedded in Half-Sword Grave.

But Kyle paid no mind, simply continuing with his message in an unruffled tone.

「All Nine Dragons are to gather at the mountain lodge.」

With that, his presence vanished as he withdrew his spiritual intent.

“Patriarch!”

Wolfgang let out a shout of frustration.

The Patriarch’s orders took precedence over everything else.

Thus, the duel had to end here.

“Because of you…! You’ve ruined me…!”

But Wolfgang couldn’t bring himself to stop here.

Because of Theo, Evelyn, and Julius, his honor, his reputation—everything had been trampled into the mud.

If things ended like this, even the Elder Council would be left defeated by the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.

What would come after that?

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

Crackle—

Wolfgang’s eyes finally filled with madness.

A raw, bloodthirsty energy seeped into Water Lily Palace.

“How unsightly, Elder Council Head.”

Clicking his tongue, Niel drew her sword with a look of contempt.

Julius, the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace, and Black Dragon all followed suit, unsheathing their blades.

If Wolfgang defied Kyle’s orders and moved to harm Evelyn, they were prepared to execute him on the spot.

At that moment—

Thummm!

The half-sword embedded in the ground emitted a fierce resonance.

The resulting waves instantly spread in concentric circles, encompassing the entire banquet hall and Water Lily Palace.

“……!”

“……!”

“……!”

The wave forcibly neutralized all the magic and killing intent present.

It dispelled not only the killing aura of Niel, Julius, the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace, and Black Dragon, but even the madness that had consumed Wolfgang.

Everyone, including the crowd, turned their gaze toward the half-sword. Wolfgang, suddenly alert, stared at it in shock.

「Gather. I won’t say it again.」

A clear, final warning.

Clenching his lower lip, Wolfgang shot one last glare at Evelyn before swiftly vanishing in the direction of Half-Sword Grave.

The rest of the Nine Dragons also vanished just as swiftly.

The banquet hall, which had been filled with an oppressive bloodlust mere moments ago, fell silent, as if nothing had ever happened.

“Ha…”

Only then did Theo feel like he could finally breathe again.

And once more, he was reminded.

The level Kyle had reached was something far beyond that of any ordinary human.

* * *

Wolfgang felt as if he would lose his mind, burdened by layers upon layers of anger piling up within him with no outlet.

However, he couldn’t allow it to show.

This was the Half-Sword Grave.

The sanctuary among sanctuaries where Kyle resided.

‘One day…!’

While Wolfgang glared at the profiles of Julius, the Black Dragon, and Niel—

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Eight individuals had already gathered in the Half-Sword Grave.

Each of them varied in gender, age, and the aura of dignity they exuded.

All of the Nine Dragons had gathered, except for Ed Troyban.

Yet, Kyle, who naturally should have been there, was nowhere in sight.

Only a beloved sword of his remained embedded in the ground, vibrating softly.

Bzzzt, bzzzzzzzt-!

「‘He’ has returned.」

Kyle’s presence could not be felt anywhere in the Half-Sword Grave.

Meaning he was absent.

Yet, regardless of the distance, his intention could still be conveyed wherever it needed to reach.

A state beyond the limits of time and space.

He stood at a place where only mythical gods of legend were said to tread.

And,

The single sentence he threw out stirred every one of the Nine Dragons gathered here.

In that moment, even Wolfgang forgot about Evelyn.

“What is the meaning of this, Master! Who do you mean by ‘he’!”

The Black Dragon took the lead, shouting out.

But the resonance of the sword didn’t subside.

「As I said. ‘He’ has returned. The heavenly energy is shifting. That’s why I, too, am relocating urgently.」

“……!”

“……!”

“This cannot be…!”

“At that time, that man was…!”

Unmoved by the commotion among the Nine Dragons, the sword resonance continued.

「Brace yourselves. This war will not end easily.」

The Nine Dragons fell silent.

Julius clenched his eyes shut, while Niel clicked his tongue.

The Lord of Plum Blossom Palace bit down hard, and the Black Dragon looked up to the sky, letting out his pent-up frustration.

Wolfgang clenched his fists tightly.

The Upsurging Dragon and two others let out sighs or trembled in fear.

「The Northern winter will be bitterly cold this year…」

At that moment, Kyle’s sword planted in the Half-Sword Grave quivered delicately, as if feeling the chill of the winter wind.

Wooong, wooong-