色综合天天综合网

Evelyn could be certain of this while exchanging blows with Theo.

‘The talent this man has isn’t limited to just swordsmanship.’

‘He possesses the charm to turn enemies into allies, the charisma to capture their hearts, the passion that makes one’s heart race, the desire, the ambition… he has it all.’

A person who possesses all of that is usually called one thing.

– Patriarch.

‘A vessel worthy of a patriarch…’

For someone like her, who was nothing more than a mere swordsman, to even think such things might be seen as arrogant.

But Evelyn truly believed it.

‘Perhaps… he could change this family that has been stagnating and rotting for a thousand years.’

Some say that the power Ragnar holds right now is the strongest in its history.

In fact, if Ragnar wished, a new empire could rise in the North.

With a thousand years of accumulated legitimacy,

the deep trust of the northern people,

combat abilities honed through battles with the monsters of the Demonic Sea, and the latest tactics,

a physical prowess so outstanding that some call it “cursed,”

and…

the support of the Six Snow Families behind them.

With all this, Ragnar had not just stagnated, but had started to rot.

There wasn’t a corner that didn’t reek of the stench.

Evelyn herself… was one of the victims of that foul stench.

That was why she let go of the reins she once loved so dearly.

That was why she had placed her sword, which she valued more than her own life, into its case.

But now, Evelyn had drawn her sword once again and held it in her hand.

Though now, she had only one arm left.

And because of that, her balance was off, and she couldn’t wield her sword with the same skill she once had.

Yet still, there was something she wanted to believe in.

Of course, to do that, she knew she’d have to push herself even harder.

Boom!

Rumble-

“Hah… hah…!”

“Huff… huff…!”

Theo and Wellington, pushed far back by Evelyn’s strike, came into view.

The two of them were drenched in sweat, looking as if they might collapse at any moment, but their eyes shone more fiercely than ever.

The desire to win, the determination not to lose, was evident in their gazes.

Yes, that’s it.

If you’ve taken up the sword, you should at least have that kind of resolve, right?

‘Shall I push them even harder, then?’

A smirk spread across Evelyn’s face, baring her fangs.

“Try blocking properly again. At this rate, you’ll fail the test.”

She spoke words she didn’t even mean.

Thud!

Evelyn kicked off the ground once more.

The sensation she hadn’t felt in four years was exhilarating.

* * *

Even though it was clearly midday, sunlight barely reached this place.

A middle-aged man adjusted the glasses perched on the tip of his nose as he reviewed the documents handed to him by his attendant.

“This is the report on ‘that brat’?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Good. You may leave now.”

With a casual wave of his hand, the middle-aged man dismissed the attendant and began scrutinizing the documents he held.

Among them were recent photographs of Theo, Julius, and Evelyn, sitting together and conversing.

“The crippled fool of the Rose Palace meeting with the commander of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry… Hah, he’s moving up in the world. Moving up indeed.”

The middle-aged man’s eyes held only one emotion as he stared at Theo.

Contempt.

It was as if he were looking at a rat crawling out of the sewers.

「It doesn’t seem like something you can dismiss so easily.」

At that moment, a voice echoed from above, causing the man’s expression to harden slightly.

He looked up.

From the shadows on the ceiling, a dragon’s head suddenly emerged, dangling down.

“I told you not to come out without my permission, Shaton.”

The Shadow Dragon.

One of the most unique and distinctive species of dragons in the world.

Now, fewer than 100 individuals were left, leading to their classification as an endangered species. Shaton was the leader of these dragons.

But this was a top-secret fact, known to no one outside.

For this reason, Shaton always had to dwell within the shadows, and his dissatisfaction with that was considerable.

「It’s suffocating here. How long do I have to keep hiding like a rat? I want to run wild!」

“Because the time is not yet right.”

「That damned ‘time,’ ‘time,’ ‘time’… That ‘time’ will wear out at this rate, won’t it?」

“Stop the useless chatter. So, you said this matter isn’t something to take lightly. What do you mean by that?”

「What do you think I mean? Exactly what I said. Do you see the other person in that photograph?」

The man frowned as he looked at Evelyn in the photo.

“You mean that one-armed crippled woman?”

「Yes, her.」

“Who is she?”

「Her name is Evelyn Nerevil, and she’s the manager of the 4th Training Ground.」

“And why would I need to know about a woman like that?”

「Because she used to be a senior swordsman in the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.」

“Hmm…?”

「There were rumors that, during her active days, she was the right hand of the commander of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.」

A faint memory resurfaced in the middle-aged man’s mind, something he had once tucked away as ‘insignificant.’

One day, Julius stormed into the Senate unannounced, flipping it upside down and leaving several senators in shambles.

Julius, who was usually extremely polite, had caused such a commotion that the ripple effects were enormous.

The elders who suffered injuries, some requiring at least 12 weeks of recovery, were in an uproar, demanding immediate disciplinary action against Julius.

However, the Senate ultimately decided to leave the matter unresolved.

This was largely because of the overwhelming trust the Patriarch had in Julius, and revealing to the public that a mere commander had turned the Senate upside down would only tarnish the Senate’s authority.

‘If I remember correctly, wasn’t it said that the commander of the Cavalry went on a rampage back then because of some woman…?’

「Seems like you’re finally remembering.」

The middle-aged man nodded.

“A little bit. Anyway, what about this woman?”

「That woman has been practically glued to the crippled brat from the Rose Palace these days.」

“What?”

「It looks like she’s become his swordsmanship teacher or something.」

“…The former loyal hound of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry becoming the mentor to that crippled fool?”

「Bingo. It’s been about three months now, I think?」

The middle-aged man’s face darkened with concern.

If this was true, it wasn’t something he could just overlook.

If Theo had truly allied himself with the White Armored Dragon Cavalry, it would completely disrupt his plans to seize control of the Rose Palace.

The White Armored Dragon Cavalry held immense power within the family, making it a force even the middle-aged man had to be cautious of.

‘Rendon… That idiot couldn’t even fulfill his mission properly and ended up dying, throwing everything off track. And now it’s about to get even worse?’

Tap.

Tap.

The man tapped his finger on the desk repeatedly, a habit that emerged when he was deep in thought.

「Oh, I’m not sure if this news will be useful, but…」

“What else?”

「You know Narcio, right? Lately, he’s been getting quite chummy with the heir of that family as well.」

The middle-aged man’s contemplation ended there.

“I don’t like having variables that fall outside of my predictions. This won’t do. I’ll have to confirm things for myself.”

「Oh, are you scheming something again? What is it? What is it? Come on, tell me!」

Ignoring Shaton’s antics, the man quietly pulled out a piece of paper and began jotting something down with a fountain pen before carefully folding it and sealing it in an envelope.

“To the esteemed Lord of the Rose Palace.”

As he sealed the envelope, the middle-aged man spoke.

「There you go again! Come on, it wouldn’t hurt to just tell me…!」

“Shaton.”

「Oh! You’re finally going to tell me?」

“You’re under house arrest for the next month.”

「W-What?! What do you mean…?!」

“You’ve clearly been wandering around without my permission, gathering all sorts of information. Now, take some time to cool off in there.”

「W-Wait a minute, master! Master? Listen to me…! Hey! HEEEYYY!」

Shaton’s outburst continued, but the middle-aged man ignored him.

Carrying the letter, he quietly left the room.

* * *

For the past three months, Theo’s schedule had been entirely focused on training.

Every day, without fail, he arrived at the 4th Training Ground at exactly 6 a.m. to begin his running routine.

From 9 a.m., he practiced basic swordsmanship with Evelyn, followed by continuous sparring sessions starting at noon.

Those who couldn’t spar with Theo on the first day came back the next day, and those who missed their turn returned again on the third day.

As the days went by—four, five, six days—this continuous sparring routine stretched on for three months, solidifying itself as a kind of tradition unique to the 4th Training Ground.

The others enjoyed doing things together with Theo.

Whether it was physical training, swordsmanship practice, or sparring, they relished it all.

And if they couldn’t spar with Theo?

They’d take turns sparring among themselves.

To top it off, Evelyn would offer advice to them.

In time, these individuals, once deemed “dropouts,” slowly began to improve their skills.

Once their group training ended and evening arrived, Theo’s personal routine began.

From 6 p.m., he would review everything that had occurred that day.

Then, starting at 9 p.m., he would delve into studying advanced sword techniques based on the insights he had gained.

There was almost no time for rest in this mechanical routine of relentless training.

Perhaps because of this?

Wellington, who had initially shown great interest in Theo’s activities, soon grew exhausted, not even lasting a full month.

“Aren’t you tired?”

Today was no different.

After finishing his sparring, Wellington lay flat on the floor of the training ground, spread out in the shape of a star.

Even as someone from the Narcio family, renowned for their grueling training, he was clearly worn out.

“It’s manageable.”

“You call this manageable…?”

“Yes. That’s why I’m thinking of increasing the intensity from tomorrow.”

“…More?”

“More.”

“…I swear, there’s no one like you anywhere in this world, Theo.”

Theo couldn’t help but chuckle as he looked at Wellington, who was half in a daze.

He understood perfectly well why Wellington was reacting this way.

However…

‘When I can feel myself getting stronger in real-time like this, how could it possibly be tiring?’

—

+

Theo Ragnar (Age 15, Male)

– Level: 1

– Stats (▼)

– Strength: 18
– Agility: 16
– Stamina: 17
– Magic Power: 195
– Intelligence: 16
– Luck: -35

– [Unreadable]

– [Unreadable]

+

—

Other than [Luck], the other five stats had already increased by a total of about 20 points.

Even [Luck], which had been steadily decreasing, had been significantly reduced over time.

‘My [Magic Power] has increased by about a year’s worth too. If I assume that 5 points roughly equate to one year’s growth, that should be accurate.’

Theo narrowed his eyes.

‘The problem is, all of this seems to have hit a plateau lately.’

This was the issue that had been troubling Theo recently.

It had been about two weeks.

That was when his stat growth had completely stopped.

It seemed that his current training methods were no longer helping him progress.

‘I need something else.’

—

+

[Tutorial Quest #11]

Experience real combat.

– Difficulty: D

– Reward: Beginner’s Armor

– Failure Penalty: ■■

+

—

‘So now, after unlocking the Aura Hall and focusing on my training, the next step is to actually engage in battle?’

Theo squinted again, thinking deeply.

But to do that, he would need to take on a mission outside of Winterer.

At the moment, however, Theo was under a ban on leaving due to the upcoming Blossoming Ceremony.

‘Unless…!’

Theo’s mind wandered to the possibility of a situation similar to what had happened with Rendon. Even if it wasn’t an official mission, something could still arise where he could engage in combat.

Just as he was considering this, Wellington’s voice broke through his thoughts.

“…so, I wanted to invite you to this gathering. What do you think?”

Theo snapped back to attention.

“Apologies, could you repeat that?”

“You seemed to be deep in thought.”

“I was momentarily distracted by something I need to handle later.”

“No problem. It wasn’t anything too important. The Blossoming Ceremony is only two months away now, isn’t it? So, I was thinking of organizing a gathering for those around our age who will be participating. We’d like for you to attend and add some prestige to the event.”

‘A social gathering? Ah, he’s talking about the Gathering of the Hidden Dragons.’

The term hidden dragon refers to a dragon that slumbers deep beneath the waters, and it was the nickname for a group that was first formed during the year Theo participated in the Blossoming Ceremony.

Theo’s generation, including Wellington, was filled with prodigies.

In Ragnar, Theo’s generation was often referred to as the “blessed generation,” while the generations before and after were called the “cursed generations.”

In fact, what started as a simple social gathering, the Gathering of the Hidden Dragons, eventually gained enough influence to control major decisions within Ragnar.

It was no wonder the Senate had grown wary of them and had tried in vain to sow discord among the group.

But in his previous life, Theo hadn’t even been able to set foot in that gathering.

The reason was simple—he was deemed lacking in both talent and qualifications.

Yet in this life, he was now being invited to attend.

What an irony.

‘It’s true that building connections with them would be helpful in many ways. I could also gauge the skills of those I’ll be competing against at the Blossoming Ceremony.’

But could it truly be of any benefit?

After all, it was just a gathering full of wolves, a place that would only give him headaches.

From what Theo recalled, in his past life, even Wellington had struggled and eventually distanced himself from the group.

‘Yes, I’ll decline. I need to focus on organizing the insights I gained today.’

Just as Theo was about to turn it down, Evelyn, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, suddenly chimed in, supporting Wellington’s suggestion.

“I think it would be good for you to go. It’s not healthy to only focus on training all the time. You need to take a break now and then.”

Theo rubbed his temple with his index finger, clearly conflicted.

‘What’s this…?’

Fwoosh—

The invitation Wellington was holding began to glow with a blue light.

The same light as the message window.