Chapter 198

Theo’s first impression of the Dragon Emperor was straightforward:

“He seems like a completely different person.”

The man standing before him bore no resemblance to the descriptions Theo had heard in both his past and present lives.

Madman. Mass murderer. Butcher. A monster obsessed with the sword. A being who had forsaken his humanity. A greed-driven lunatic...

Not a trace of those labels clung to this man’s face.

The problem was that this wasn’t some mere mask he was wearing.

The madness and miasma that radiated from the Dragon Emperor’s core were unmistakably present.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

[A new virus has appeared.]

[The Administrator attempts to upgrade the firewall...]

"Hold on, now. I’m just here to talk to my grandson. I’m not going to rampage like Ashin, so could you give us a moment?"

The Dragon Emperor glanced at the system messages and smiled faintly.

At his words, the messages distorted into static before abruptly disappearing.

Ssssss!

"Even the Dragon Emperor can see the system?"

Theo was shocked. Even Hilda couldn’t see it.

Until now, the only being who had recognized the messages and system’s existence had been Ashin.

"You seem surprised that I can see this."

The Dragon Emperor, noticing Theo’s gaze, smiled softly.

"To be honest, I can’t truly ‘see’ it. I only perceive its presence. This is something meant only for Chosen Ones with special privileges. I can sense it because I’ve borrowed a fragment of the Nameless Sovereign’s power."

So the system, constructed by the Pantheon, could also be detected by Outer Gods.

"Anyway, I’ve wanted to speak with you for some time. I’m glad we finally have this chance."

“So it’s not a deception. Then... is this his true self?”

Even after using [Insight], Theo couldn’t detect any pretense or forced behavior in the Dragon Emperor’s demeanor.

When madness and miasma surged to such an extent, one’s words and actions would inevitably grow savage and brutal.

This made the Dragon Emperor’s current demeanor feel entirely alien to Theo.

Everyone connected to the Dragon Emperor that Theo had encountered so far had been utterly different.

Ed, Granada, the Troiban vassals, even Torkel.

They had all been sharp and fanatical, as if enthralled by something.

"You’re wondering."

"Is this because I’m not truly ‘me,’ but rather a remnant of thought left in the sword’s core?"

Once again, his thoughts were read.

"The fragments that inspired you before were indeed remnants of my consciousness, imprinted upon the sword I once wielded."

The Dragon Emperor smiled faintly, raising both index fingers parallel to each other.

"But don’t forget about the madness you absorbed. Thanks to that, you and I are now connected."

Tap.

The two fingers tilted, their tips touching.

"That’s why I am here now. You could say the me you’re seeing is another aspect of my will from reality."

The Dragon Emperor chuckled bitterly.

"Of course, I understand that this meeting might be uncomfortable for you. Until now, I’ve essentially been trying to forcefully abduct you. You must hold significant hostility toward me. Perhaps you even believe my current appearance to be a deception and are maintaining your guard."

Theo waited quietly for him to finish speaking.

"So, if this meeting is truly distressing for you, I’ll leave peacefully. But I do hope you’ll hear me out, even just a little."

"I will listen."

There was no reason to delay.

"I’ve also wanted to meet you."

Theo stared at the Dragon Emperor with an unreadable expression.

***

[The world begins to recover.]

[Base data for other saved locations is being retrieved.]

Fwoooosh!

A wave of bright azure light swept across the desolate forest ruins.

The charred ground turned green, the shattered sky mended into a vibrant blue, and a warm spring breeze began to blow.

It was as if the world had transformed.

"This is a mental domain," Theo realized, his lips tightening.

A swordsman’s mental domain usually focused on destructive power to amplify their strength.

Even the Maehwa Palace Lord’s mental domain, which resembled a blooming garden, concealed lethal danger in every petal imbued with aura.

Yet, this—

"Have a seat."

Before the Dragon Emperor, a small table and two chairs had appeared.

On the table sat a steaming teapot and an adorable tea set decorated with a cartoon bear.

"…Was this always your style?"

For someone who was once the head of the Ragnar Clan, it was an unexpectedly whimsical taste.

The Dragon Emperor coughed awkwardly, his nose tinged red.

"Ahem! This was your grandmother’s preference, long ago."

"...."

"It’s true, you know."

"...."

"Well... I didn’t dislike it either, so I kept it around."

"I’ll sit," Theo said, pulling out the chair opposite the Dragon Emperor.

As he reached for the teapot, he noticed the Dragon Emperor was still standing, staring intently at him.

"What is it?"

"You... really don’t look like Kyle."

Theo felt something stir in him.

The Maehwa Palace Lord had once told him, "You look just like Kyle in his younger days."

Even Julius and the Black Dragon had said something similar.

But not the Dragon Emperor.

"Unlike that perpetually stern Kyle, you can smile, make jokes, and show a bit of ease. You don’t seem like a Ragnar at all, in that sense."

Theo stared silently at the Dragon Emperor.

"Oh, don’t misunderstand me. That’s not to say you lack the qualifications to lead Ragnar."

"I don’t misunderstand. I dislike the Ragnar way myself."

"Really?"

The Dragon Emperor’s face lit up as he quickly took the seat across from Theo.

He poured tea into a cup adorned with the cartoon bear.

The aroma of the steaming tea wafted over, warm and inviting.

"Yes. I dislike the culture of discrimination and treating people as mere tools. When I become head of the clan, I’ll change that first."

"You’ll face significant opposition."

"If that happens, I’ll crush it under Ragnar’s laws."

The Dragon Emperor chuckled heartily.

"Reform when necessary, but wield power when needed? You are, without a doubt, a Ragnar in that regard."

The Dragon Emperor seemed pleased with Theo’s thoughts as he picked up a cookie from the tea table and bit into it.

"It’s a shame, though."

"What is?"

"Torkel. He had similar ideas to yours. If the two of you had the chance to talk honestly, instead of clashing as enemies, perhaps the tragedy of kin killing kin could’ve been avoided."

Theo recalled Torkel’s face.

That man, who always seemed haunted by something, aligning with him?

"No. We still would’ve fought."

"Hmm? Why?"

"Because there was only one position we both wanted."

The Dragon Emperor fell silent, staring intently at Theo.

Theo, unfazed, brought his teacup to his lips but didn’t avoid the Emperor’s gaze.

He, too, was curious about what kind of person the Dragon Emperor truly was.

"…I felt it earlier, but now I’m certain. You’re nothing like Kyle."

"Is that so?"

"If anything, you’re more like me."

The cookie in the Dragon Emperor’s hand snapped in two.

"And Kyle probably realized that too. That’s why he passed my sword on to you."

This was a perspective Theo hadn’t considered.

"Forging a sword as similar as possible to mine to strike me down... truly impressive for my son."

"So he sees his son as nothing more than a tool," Theo thought, his mind suddenly clear.

He gently set his teacup down and spoke.

"You said you wanted to see me. Before we continue, I have a question. Why did you pledge yourself to the Sacred Demon Cult?"

"You already know, don’t you?"

"You wanted to regain the ability to turn back time?"

"That’s right. If I could return to my youth or the moment I ascended the throne, I could fix everything. Ensure nothing like this ever happens again."

There was only one emotion in his voice: regret.

"Don’t you think the same, Theo? Kin slaying kin, survival of the fittest, conflict, civil war, chaos... wouldn’t you want to overturn all of that and create peace?"

The Dragon Emperor’s voice trailed off as he stared at his teacup.

The bear on the cup smiled brightly, contrasting with the sadness in the Emperor’s eyes.

In that moment, Theo understood what the Dragon Emperor longed to correct.

"Your grandmother’s taste..."

The thought of his grandmother, assassinated during the Dragon Emperor’s internal conflicts, crossed Theo’s mind.

"But the Nameless Sovereign drives the world toward destruction. It makes no sense," Theo said firmly.

"If necessary, I’ll use them. That, too, is the Ragnar way."

"So you’ll plunge Ragnar into even greater chaos?"

"As long as I can turn back time, I can start over."

Theo felt like their conversation was running in circles. And woven into it was the Dragon Emperor’s subtle madness.

"If you start over and fail again?"

"Then I’ll start over again."

"And if you fail after that?"

"The blessing of the Chosen Ones allows for endless [corrections] until the desired result is achieved."

"So I’d have no free will in that world."

"But there will be the [changed] Ragnar you want to see."

So that was it.

Theo now understood why Torkel had followed the Dragon Emperor.

For someone like Torkel, who hated the current Ragnar, the Dragon Emperor must’ve seemed like a savior, offering to fix everything.

The same likely applied to the Troiban vassals—outcasts dreaming of becoming the main branch.

For those with ambition, the prospect of becoming the ruler of Ragnar, a clan governing the vast North and East, was a tempting vision.

Theo shook his head.

"Blindly believing in you until a perfect world arrives... I can’t agree with that."

The Dragon Emperor tilted his head.

"Why not? All you have to do is relax and let me handle it."

"Even if I were reborn into your ideal world, there would still be flaws and conflicts to address. I don’t want to entrust my life to anyone else."

Theo slowly rose from his seat.

"And honestly, I’m not convinced the world you create would be right."

"You sound just like Kyle," the Dragon Emperor said, running a hand over his face.

For a moment, he looked weary, a bitter smile on his lips.

"You may be right. You keep moving forward despite being a Chosen One, while I can only think of turning back. From the start, persuasion was impossible—we want entirely different things."

Their attempt at mutual understanding had failed.

Theo reached for the Dragon Fang Blade and Dragon Slayer Blade he had planted in the ground.

Who knew when the Dragon Emperor’s madness might turn into a blade against him?

"Don’t worry. A grandson may harm his grandfather, but a grandfather could never harm his grandson."

What?

The unexpected statement made Theo’s eyes widen.

Rumble!

Behind the Dragon Emperor, a gateway opened, revealing a passage leading outside.

It was proof that his words weren’t a lie.

[A ‘Gate’ has appeared.]

"Go now. Your father is waiting for you. Be sure to send him this old man’s regards."