Chapter 76

A gorge within the Winter Mountains, where the secluded Elders mainly resided.

“Aren’t you just walking with a spring in your step?”

Upon hearing the voice that pierced his ears, Upsurging Dragon turned his head with a grin.

A young woman was sitting on a wall, gazing down at him with a sullen expression.

“If I had known how enjoyable it was to raise a disciple, I would have done it much sooner. Instead, I just ended up leaving the Dojo of the Upsurging Dragon abandoned and desolate without an owner.”

“Oh really? Anyone who hears you would think you’ve picked up a prodigy for the ages.”

“He certainly is a prodigy. If you teach him one thing, he understands ten. How could I not be pleased?”

Upsurging Dragon clasped his hands behind his back and let out a hearty laugh.

Wellington Narcio, the disciple he had taken under his wing as an overseer, was showing far greater talent than he had anticipated.

He had already mastered an application of the Waterflow Breathing Technique—something he had only vaguely demonstrated during the Blossoming Ceremony.

It was clear that within a year or two, his growth would be remarkable.

“When was it that you were disappointed about not bringing Theo?”

“Well, that’s that, and this is this. It would have been ideal to bring both Theo and Well, but it’s just unfortunate. Tsk.”

Upsurging Dragon smacked his lips in genuine regret.

The woman now had an incredulous expression.

“If you had done that, wouldn’t you have ended up getting stabbed in the back?”

“Let them try. As long as they aren’t caught, anything is permissible in the House of Ragnar, isn’t it?”

The woman shook her head from side to side.

She found his arrogance to be so typical of someone from the House of Ragnar.

“And really, isn’t it you, Lady Hilda, who regrets the most that I couldn’t bring Theo?”

“Who knows?”

At Upsurging Dragon’s question, the woman—Hilda Ragnar, the former head of the House of Ragnar—smiled enigmatically.

‘As always, she reveals nothing of her true intentions.’

Upsurging Dragon let out a bitter smile inwardly.

In truth, the only reason he had descended from the Winter Mountains after more than thirty years of seclusion, avoiding Kyle, was one simple reason.

Hilda’s summons.

– The ‘Shackle’ has started turning again after a long time. Why don’t you come down with me?

Upsurging Dragon didn’t know exactly what the Shackle was.

He only understood that it was a kind of natural law, something that magicians and shamans referred to as ‘Heavenly Secrets.’

But as the last remaining retainer who still called himself Hilda’s servant, there was no way he could refuse when his lord summoned him.

At the time, he had thought it would simply be an opportunity to enjoy a long-overdue outing.

Thanks to that, he had met a disciple, and encountered many talented individuals. There were no regrets.

However, there was another, more significant connection.

Theo Ragnar.

A boy who might completely change the thousand-year history of Ragnar.

He was also the only one Hilda kept her eyes on.

“Then, do you not intend to summon Theo here? Didn’t you say that he was the child chosen by whatever that ‘Shackle’ thing is, for the first time in over 40 years?”

“I did.”

“Then why…?”

“Are you asking why I haven’t called him yet?”

Upsurging Dragon nodded.

He was well aware that Hilda had exchanged private messages with Theo during the inauguration ceremony.

At the time, she had spoken as if she would call for him soon. Why was she delaying their meeting for so long?

“Just wait a little longer. There’s still something I need to confirm.”

“…?”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Upsurging Dragon tilted his head in confusion, but seeing Hilda’s deepening smile, he could only respond with a bitter laugh.

He could only hope that nothing out of the ordinary would happen.

‘I just hope Ragnar doesn’t act like Ragnar always does.’

Whether that hope would come true was another matter.

* * *

[On failure: Death]

Theo let out a hollow laugh as he read the final message.

‘I had a suspicion, but I didn’t think it would actually be true.’

In truth, Theo had been guessing for some time that the contents of the “■■” that had been redacted would turn out to mean “death.”

After all, there was no way he would have been given so many quests and rewards without some kind of severe penalty attached.

Still, the pressure of suspecting something and having it confirmed were completely different.

‘She made it seem like we’d meet soon, but I haven’t heard anything yet. Could something have happened?’

Considering Hilda knew about the secret of his regression, it couldn’t simply be a change of heart.

‘Maybe it would be better if I sought her out first.’

There was no mention of when the penalty would be applied, but precisely because of that, Theo felt an urgent need to act.

‘The problem is that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where Hilda is staying…’

There was only one piece of information Theo knew about Hilda from his past life.

“Captain, do you know how to get to the ‘Ghost Castle’?”

Ghost Castle?

Evelyn felt puzzled by the sudden change in topic, as they had been discussing the prisoners. But soon, she nodded.

“The Ghost Castle? You mean the old fortress ruins?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The current seat of Ragnar had been moved due to a rebellion that occurred 300 years ago.

The Ghost Castle referred to the site used before that, which was now designated as a restricted area for security reasons.

It was surrounded by numerous magical formations and barriers, making it impossible to approach without a specific method.

From what Theo knew, Hilda had made the Ghost Castle her residence.

“Since it’s easy to spot while flying around the Winter Mountains on a dragon, I do know its location. But I don’t know how to approach it.”

“Then, could you at least tell me the location?”

“I’m not sure what’s going on, but… alright.”

Evelyn didn’t ask for further details.

Trusting one’s lord and being able to silently observe his actions was a virtue that the First Sword must possess.

Though their current relationship was that of a captain and subordinate, Evelyn never forgot this important principle.

* * *

When Theo arrived at the Plum Blossom Palace, someone was already waiting for him at the front gate.

It was a familiar face.

“Should I say it’s been a long time? It hasn’t even been a month, but it feels like forever.”

“I didn’t expect you to come out to meet me.”

“Oh, it’s nothing worth mentioning.”

Natasha—the one who had helped Theo during the Blossoming Ceremony and exposed Felix’s wrongdoing when he disobeyed the orders of the Lord of the Plum Blossom Palace.

“You must have been eating quite well lately? Your face looks very healthy.”

“Does it? That’s a relief.”

“…That response sounds like an old man’s. How boring.”

As Natasha grumbled, an old man standing beside her spoke up.

“Natasha, would you mind introducing this old man as well?”

“This is Sir Lang Frence, the head butler of the Plum Blossom Palace. And this is Theo Ragnar, who recently joined the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.”

“I am Lang Frence, the chief butler serving the First Wife.”

The old man with short white hair and a monocle over one eye bowed respectfully.

Theo, a bit surprised, quickly bowed his head in return.

“I never expected to meet the famed Spear Ghost in person. I’m Theo Ragnar.”

For a moment, Lang’s eyes sparkled slightly behind his monocle.

“My… I didn’t expect the heir to know of me. I’m flattered.”

“If someone didn’t know of your great reputation, wouldn’t that be a bigger problem?”

The Spear Ghost was one of the few masters in the House of Ragnar who chose the spear over the sword as his primary weapon.

‘He was even recommended for the position of Moonlight Sword Master at one point… But I thought he had retired due to his age. I didn’t expect him to be at the Plum Blossom Palace as a butler.’

The Moonlight Sword Master position had always symbolized nobility and mystery in the House of Ragnar, represented by a laurel crown. Naturally, those who held the title, including the Nine Dragons, were regarded as symbolic figures of Ragnar.

Declining such a prestigious position and staying by the side of the Lord of the Plum Blossom Palace certainly piqued Theo’s interest.

“It’s been a while since someone has praised me like this. I hardly know what to do with myself. Come inside. The First Lady is waiting for you.”

Theo followed behind Natasha and Lang as they made their way through the Plum Blossom Palace.

The interior of the palace, which Theo had never visited even in his past life, was filled with plum trees at every turn.

“It feels as though I’m walking through a forest.”

“Haha. The First Wife loves plum trees so much. She often laments that the plum blossoms bloom so rarely each year.”

“The plum blossom is naturally a spring flower, as you know. And Winterer has a very short spring.”

“Oh, I see.”

As Theo chatted casually with the two of them, he couldn’t help but notice the gazes that were following him from every direction, prompting a bitter smile.

‘They really see me as an outsider.’

Every single gaze was filled with suspicion and wariness.

They were surely aware of the Plum Blossom Lord’s announcement at the Naming Ceremony that she would take Theo as her disciple.

Given the situation with Felix, they had likely heard plenty of negative rumors as well.

Some were even subtly releasing killing intent, trying to gauge Theo’s strength.

However,

‘I don’t need to bow down to them.’

Whoosh!

[Activating the skill: Lesser Drake’s Fear to counter all killing intent.]

“…!”

“…!”

“…!”

The moment Theo activated the skill, those who had been releasing killing intent were shocked and instinctively backed away.

Some turned pale, while others became even more openly hostile.

Pfft!

Lang chuckled lightly, clearly amused by Theo’s reaction.

Natasha also shook her head, as if thinking, He hasn’t changed.

Neither of the two said anything further. As expected of Ragnar, they seemed to believe that proving oneself through strength was the proper way to act.

“This is it. The First Lady is inside; you may go in.”

Lang stopped in front of the training hall and gestured for Theo to proceed.

Theo nodded in thanks and entered the hall.

Inside, the Plum Blossom Mistress stood, gently touching the leaves of a tall plum tree.

“I’ve been waiting for you to arrive. I suppose I should be a little upset with the White Armored Dragon Commander for keeping you so busy.”

She clasped her hands behind her back and turned to face Theo.

“The gift. Did you like it?”

She was referring to the One Plum Branch.

Theo bowed, performing a sword salute.

“Thanks to you, I’ve found a new path.”

“I’m glad to hear it was of some help to you.”

“I’ve come to realize that what can be drawn with a sword is not limited to just flowers.”

At those words, a bright smile appeared on the Plum Blossom Lord’s lips.

“As I expected. You’ve truly grasped it. You’re right. People only focus on completing the ‘flower’ as quickly as possible, but they often neglect the process. Yet that part is far more important.”

As the Plum Blossom Mistress stretched her hand forward, a sword embedded in the ground flew into her grasp.

Clack!

“I want to continue teaching you about the ‘technique’ and the ‘art’ that you might overlook. These two are the foundation of the sword.”

As Theo silently nodded, the Plum Blossom Lord asked,

“Let me ask you again.”

“Yes.”

“Will you become my disciple?”

Thump!

Theo’s heart raced once more.

Having seen all the memories of the One Plum Branch, he knew well how great a swordsman the Plum Blossom Lord was.

If he could inherit her entire doctrine… he would surely carve out a new path for himself.

Furthermore, he could solidify his status, which had always been precarious due to his illegitimacy.

But before that, there was something he needed to clarify.

“May I ask you just one thing?”

“Ask as much as you like.”

“Why are you so fond of me?”

Theo continued.

“I’ve done nothing for you, my lady. On the contrary, I could put your honor at risk. And yet…”

“Because you remind me of Kyle.”

“…!”

An answer he had never expected.

Theo’s body stiffened.

“Does that answer satisfy you?”

The Plum Blossom Lord’s smile deepened.

“You don’t know it, but you resemble Kyle in his youth. By nature, you should be far removed from any claim to power, and yet… you try to overcome every trial and hardship. And even in doing so, you strive to uphold your principles. In all of that, you’re very much like Kyle.”

‘I resemble… my father.’

That thought echoed loudly in Theo’s mind.

The Plum Blossom Lord continued her explanation.

“Not only that, but you also remind me of myself. Do you know what you look like when you hold a sword?”

“I don’t… know.”

“You always smile.”

“…”

“That was just like me. I loved holding a sword so much, and I was so happy when I wielded it. You’re the same.”

Because he could chase the dream he hadn’t been able to fulfill in his past life, every day was precious to Theo.

That’s why he held his sword more earnestly, and wielded it with even greater joy.

It seemed that the Plum Blossom Lord had sensed Theo’s thoughts.

“How could it not be natural for my heart to be drawn to a child who resembles both my husband and me?”

Theo couldn’t help but think that the Plum Blossom Lord’s smile reminded him of Julius.

‘In the end, these two are just people.’

Julius had once said that it was only natural to give back to the family what he had received from Kyle.

And now, the Plum Blossom Lord said she felt an affection for Theo because he resembled both Kyle and herself, like a child.

Could there be any answer more “human” than that?

However, to Theo, this felt far more genuine than any grand, lofty ideals or strange justifications.

– Will you become my disciple?

Even the way she asked—it was a proposal, not a demand.

If he could learn the swordsmanship passed down by these individuals, it would certainly lead him to a position of power.

“Any other questions?”

“No, none.”

“Then, can I hear your answer?”

Theo nodded and said something quietly.

Upon hearing his response, the Plum Blossom Lord’s smile deepened.

Like a plum blossom blooming in spring.