Chapter 305

Felix left the Patriarch’s office and took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly.

Haa-

He watched as his white breath quickly disappeared with the wind.

‘The environment is harsh.’

Surrounded by mountains with sharp, cutting winds, the harsh northern regions.

Perhaps it was because of the environment, but the north was always home to strong individuals.

‘No, it’s where monsters are born.’

There were many geniuses from across the continent, but those who reached the peak were mostly from the north.

And today.

Felix had just witnessed the birth of another monster.

And he was certain of it.

Soon, the world would know of this monster’s existence.

‘I’ll have to intensify my training. I’ll need to keep my eyes on the north more closely.’

So that he could be prepared at any time.

With that thought in mind, Felix returned to the airship and threw himself onto the sofa in the command room.

“Phew.”

A sigh escaped him.

He never imagined that a short conversation would leave him with so many thoughts.

Right now, he couldn’t even figure out where he should focus his efforts.

As his mind became more chaotic, it was then.

Knock knock.

Felix gestured for the door to be opened, and his aide entered with a light greeting.

“I’ve come to report on the interrogation and the return schedule. But may I ask one thing?”

“Go ahead.”

“I see deep concern on your face, my lord. Is something troubling you?”

The aide looked at Felix with a worried expression.

Seeing that expression, Felix let out a small chuckle and decided to speak frankly.

“It’s just that I feel the north’s dominance is still unshaken.”

That statement carried Felix’s complex feelings.

When he had come here, Felix secretly hoped that Ragnar would maintain the north’s dominance.

He couldn’t allow the central aristocracy to gain more power, and he had even considered intervening if needed.

However, all those worries were dispelled by Theo.

‘I didn’t expect a disaster like Kyle to appear again.’

Who could have predicted that after Kyle’s death, such a person would appear in the north?

The most frightening thing was.

‘How much more will he grow?’

Theo’s Ragnar still had limitless potential for growth.

The nine dragons, still strong, and the evolved army.

Though there seemed to be some shortcomings compared to Kyle’s era, the potential was even more threatening than Kyle’s. That thought sent a chill down Felix’s spine.

‘Descendants of dragons...’

What Ragnar had claimed about being descendants of dragons no longer seemed like an exaggerated claim.

‘If he were a figure from the central lands...’

If someone like him were an imperial asset, the current court might be functioning a bit more normally, Felix couldn’t help but wonder.

‘No, if he had led the Golden Lion Knights instead of me...’

That feeling of regret lingered.

Felix was always harshly self-critical.

He had just learned the swordsmanship faster than others.

His political sense was lacking, and his bloodline was from a border baron without a proper domain, let alone the noble title.

Of course, he had never blamed his origins.

He never felt the need to think like that.

However, Felix regretted that if he had sharpened his political senses, he might have handled the current situation with more flexibility.

The greatest regret, however, was:

‘If only I had been the loyal sword of the imperial family.’

That was the deepest regret.

He had no way of confirming his loyalty to the imperial family, but his feelings during the conversation had not seemed disloyal either.

No, more precisely:

‘Indifference seems to be the correct term.’

The current imperial family didn’t seem to catch his attention at all.

“My lord...?”

The aide noticed Felix’s expression darken and called out in a worried voice.

“...I’m fine. But make sure to thoroughly investigate the facts, without forcing anything.”

“Are you saying we shouldn’t go against Ragnar?”

“There’s nothing to hide. They’ve already agreed to cooperate fully, so just don’t make up crimes where there are none.”

Felix himself was a bit perplexed by his own words.

Sure, it was possible to fabricate charges, but this place was practically a lawless zone.

Moreover, were the people here the kind to just accept it?

No, it was more likely that they might even turn against the imperial family and form their own duchy.

In fact, they had the strength to do so.

Thus, nothing should be done to provoke them.

“I’ll follow your orders. Is there anything else you wish for me to do?”

“No, go ahead and carry out the orders.”

“Understood.”

The aide placed a stack of documents on the desk and left the room.

Felix sighed heavily as he looked over the contents of the interrogation report.

Theo sat in the Narsio Patriarch's office, reviewing the documents Ralph had delivered.

‘Ugh, my head.’

While the Narsio family, known as the second most powerful family in the north, didn’t handle as many secrets as the Black Frost family, their dealings were still substantial.

And when looking at the reasons behind this war, the majority of the documents in the Patriarch's office proved that Kalen had been working tirelessly behind the scenes.

‘Are there still remaining documents?’n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Even Ralph, who had been sent to the library, hadn’t returned yet.

Just how vast was the amount of material? He hadn’t come back yet.

Theo already felt a headache coming on.

At that moment.

Knock knock.

The familiar presence outside the door made Theo smile.

“Come in.”

As Black Dragon entered, Theo stood and approached him.

“You arrived quickly. Thank you.”

Theo seated Black Dragon and poured him some warm tea.

“Thank you for recognizing that. I rushed here as soon as I received the letter.”

Black Dragon stretched a little, then took a sip of the tea and exhaled deeply.

“You're impressive. Still.”

Theo couldn’t help but smile and compliment him honestly.

It was true that the distance between the territories wasn’t too great, but still, it was impressive how quickly Black Dragon had come.

“So, what is the reason you called for me? Making an old man rush over like this. So troublesome.”

“You’re still quite energetic. I was worried you might be bored and called you.”

At those words, Black Dragon’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

Wasn't that supposed to be called “leisure” rather than boredom?

The more time passed, the sharper his tongue became, and Theo couldn’t help but wonder what had happened.

It was an audacious comment, though, given Black Dragon’s status, it was walking a thin line.

Black Dragon smirked mischievously as he glanced at Theo.

“...I’m just joking. The real reason I called you is because there's something I need to prioritize after taking Narsio.”

Sensing the urgency, Theo cleared his throat and got straight to the point.

Black Dragon’s eyes widened briefly before he smiled.

“I thought as much... I had a feeling as soon as I was called to Narsio’s land.”

Black Dragon nodded, smiling with satisfaction.

Had he called him here with the intention of using him lightly, Black Dragon would have scolded him harshly.

‘There’s a reason he didn’t write it in the letter.’

It was a sign of trust and a bit of playful teasing.

Theo knew Black Dragon enjoyed watching him grow stronger.

Had it been anyone else, Black Dragon’s face wouldn’t have been so filled with smiles.

For a moment, Black Dragon almost felt embarrassed, wondering if he had overstepped his bounds.

“I’ve brought Wellington Narsio’s body.”

At those words, Theo smiled faintly.

Even without explicitly stating it in the letter, Theo had trusted that Black Dragon would come through.

It might have seemed too casual, but Theo knew Black Dragon wouldn’t have missed such an opportunity.

“I trusted you.”

“I’ll let the absence of mentioning it in the letter slide. This is a passing grade.”

“Thank you. I had a great example beside me, so I gave it a try.”

Theo and Black Dragon shared a laugh, then returned to a more serene expression.

“We’ll hold a grand funeral.”

Theo began to speak the next words, but paused for a moment, his chest tightening.

Black Dragon nodded and waited for him to continue.

“Now, it’s time to let Wellington rest in peace. Clear away his disgrace, and with sufficient justification, we must let him go.”

He quietly murmured, the weight of the words filling the air.

Even though Theo wanted to give Wellington a proper sendoff, given the northern conflict, he was not allowed to do so.

Even as the Patriarch, erasing the disgrace would not be easy.

Of course, it could be forced, but the territory’s people would never accept it.

He didn’t want to send Wellington off with that kind of perception.

“I’ve already sent out an official notice to the territory. The residents will understand when they see it.”

Black Dragon spoke confidently.

Theo smiled faintly, honoring Wellington’s smile still vividly in his mind.

Ralph stopped in front of the tightly closed Patriarch’s office door, feeling his whole body stiffen.

‘Was that what he was thinking?’

He hadn’t meant to overhear, but upon hearing that conversation, a rush of emotion surged from deep within him, making his body tremble.

At first, he had thought it was a wicked plot to use Wellington’s death to take over Narsio.

But there was no malice in Theo’s voice.

Rather, it was filled with longing and deep remorse.

‘I was right. He was my friend.’

Ralph remembered how Wellington would always look gloomy when he returned to the territory, but whenever Theo was mentioned, a smile would light up his face.

What surprised him most was that the smile was genuine, not the usual fake one he wore.

Ralph’s mind raced, and he felt a sense of relief.

He realized Wellington had thought the same way, and that they were truly friends, genuinely looking out for each other. His eyes began to redden with emotion.

“He’s a good Patriarch, isn’t he?”

“…I think so.”

Julius, standing next to him, smiled gently as he spoke to Ralph.

Ralph, seeming to make a decision, steadied himself and knocked on the Patriarch’s door.

They heard a voice calling them to come in, and Julius and Ralph entered, holding a pile of documents.

Seeing Theo staring blankly at the towering stack of papers, Ralph couldn’t help but smile slightly.

He placed the documents on the desk and walked over to Theo’s side.

“Is there anything else you need?”

“Not at the moment. You’ve worked hard. You may leave.”

“Yes, understood.”

Ralph bowed and exited the Patriarch’s office.

On his way to Timothy, Ralph stopped, his emotions overwhelming him, and he stood still, staring at the wall.

There hung portraits of the Narsio family members.

‘...’

Ralph closed his eyes for a moment and then continued toward Timothy.