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There was only one person in the world who could speak so casually to Kyle, the head of the House of Ragnar.

Kyle turned to look at the small, elderly woman who appeared much younger than him.

Just a moment ago, she had been yawning lazily as if utterly bored. But now, her eyes had narrowed with interest.

She looked like a cat that had just spotted a piece of foxtail grass.

“You seem intrigued.”

“Well, you said he’s a kid you’ve been keeping an eye on. How could I not be curious?”

As far as Hilda knew, no one was as simultaneously interested and disinterested in his children as Kyle was.

If one caught his eye, he would watch them continually. If not, he wouldn’t even regard them as his own.

Currently, Kyle was interested in five of his children, all of whom were considered prodigies and seen as the most likely candidates for his successor within the Ragnar family.

Even Hilda acknowledged their talents.

However, recently, Kyle had begun to show interest in another child.

Though Hilda had long since stepped down from all her public positions, her curiosity was natural, given that she once led Ragnar and illuminated the glory of the North.

The reason she had come to observe the Blossoming Ceremony after such a long time was precisely because of that child—Theo.

“Well then, let’s see how skilled our descendant is.”

Propping her chin on one hand, Hilda looked down at Theo.

Her once drowsy, feline eyes gleamed sharply in an instant.

* * *

“Hoo…!”

Theo stood on the stage and took a deep breath.

However…

Thump-thump-thump-

There was nothing he could do to calm his pounding heart.

It seemed like he was nervous, perhaps without even realizing it.

‘It’s the Blossoming Ceremony, after all.’

It was only natural.

After all, this was the first time since his regression that he would make his presence known to the public.

Depending on the outcome of this event, it could have a significant impact on his future path. It would have been stranger if he wasn’t nervous.

Therefore, Theo decided to fully embrace the tension. He would use it to ensure he made no mistakes.

Ding!

[A quest has arrived.]

+
[Tutorial Quest #14]
Pass the first Blossoming Ceremony and make your name widely known.

· Difficulty: C
· Reward: 1 coin
· Failure Penalty: ■■
+

Another quest had arrived.

However, there was something odd about the reward.

‘A coin?’

Was it supposed to be money of some sort?

Seeing the unfamiliar reward, Theo felt puzzled for a moment but soon dismissed the thought.

It wasn’t the first time these strange messages had spoken in riddles.

He assumed that, just like before, the meaning would reveal itself later.

“You may choose any sword from the ones here to use,” the judge said.

Theo silently nodded.

This method was designed to prevent any possible unfair advantage, as allowing personal weapons could lead to manipulation.

“Now, swallow the Soma.”

Click—

Theo opened the lid of the glass container.

A refreshing scent wafted up, clearing his mind as if it had been blown wide open.

The moment he placed the pill from the container into his mouth, it melted instantly, sliding down his throat and into his esophagus.

And then—

Thump…!

His heart pounded heavily, as if struck by a hammer.

As the elixir’s energy surged into him, his body naturally began absorbing it.

But Theo forcibly locked down his Dragon’s Heart.

What he was attempting this time was merely the opening of his Aura Hall. Allowing the Aura Heart to absorb the Soma would be disastrous.

“Though you might feel dizzy, stay focused. From now on, breathe and circulate your energy as I guide you,” the judge’s voice buzzed in his ears.

Simply swallowing the elixir didn’t automatically open the Aura Hall at his dantian.

In fact, the critical part started now.

The dantian was like a field, and the elixir was the seed. Only by planting the seed properly and tending to it with fertilizer and water could a proper sprout grow.

The breathing technique was the method of cultivation for this process.

However, the breathing technique of the House of Ragnar was different from ordinary methods.

— The Breath of the Imoogi.

Designed to fully exploit the blessed bodies of the Ragnar family, this breathing technique didn’t simply accumulate energy gradually. Instead, it forcefully imprinted energy within the body through an explosive surge.

A mistake could easily damage the meridians or even ruin the dantian. It was a highly dangerous method.

But Ragnar’s harsh culture held the belief that if one couldn’t even overcome this, how could they hope to become a great swordsman?

‘It was like this back then too.’

In his previous life, Theo had failed to open his Aura Hall properly, injuring his dantian.

That was the main reason he had been forced to give up the sword completely, later meeting Newitz and undergoing the Aura Heart procedure.

‘But it’s different now.’

Theo’s eyes gleamed coldly.

“Move the energy derived from your esophagus to the right shoulder, then to the cervical spine. From there, guide it down your spine toward your left chest and then to your solar plexus…!”

As the judge recited the steps for energy circulation, his eyes suddenly widened in shock.

The energy from the elixir coursed through Theo’s body at an astonishing speed, far faster than the judge had instructed.

‘What the… what is happening…?’

The judge had been hopeful when the elixir’s energy hadn’t dissipated, expecting a good outcome.

But now, it seemed like the energy had gone out of control, spiraling beyond Theo’s ability to manage it.

‘Foolish!’

The judge’s face contorted in frustration. He assumed Theo had disregarded the breathing technique and allowed his arrogance to guide the energy recklessly, leading to this chaos.

This wasn’t uncommon—many had made similar mistakes in the past.

The judge had high expectations for Theo, who had recently defeated one of the Four Lords of the North, but it seemed like the Blossoming Ceremony was about to turn disastrous, with Theo potentially crippled from the start.

However, the judge’s concern quickly shifted to shock.

Instead of spiraling out of control, the elixir’s energy continued surging through Theo’s body at an even faster pace, circulating multiple times in rapid succession.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

Theo’s heart pounded so violently that the platform beneath the judge’s feet began to tremble.

“…!”

The judge had never witnessed such an extraordinary phenomenon before. His eyes widened as—

Szzzt!

Theo’s body flushed red with heat, emitting a thick vapor. Steam rose from his skin, and then—

Pop!

Theo, who had kept his eyes closed until now, opened them and moved toward the swords.

At that precise moment—

With a loud bang, a sound like an explosion erupted from below Theo’s navel as his dantian opened up and his Aura Hall fully activated.

Simultaneously, the Dragon’s Heart—the Aura Heart—responded, releasing a torrent of magic power.

The energies of the two power sources mixed and triggered an explosive surge of strength.

Theo reached for the sword he often wielded, the Zweihander.

Grasping its hilt, he flicked it upward with a powerful motion.

— Magic Resonance!

Boooom!

The shockwave that followed shook the platform as if a cannon had fired.

‘First Strike.’

The immense burst of magic was too much for the Zweihander to handle, and it shattered like a firecracker.

Fragments of the blade scattered haphazardly into the air, but the sharp aura that had already formed along the sword’s edge slashed through the ground and cleaved across the iron wall that stood like a mountain ridge in the distance.

The spectacle resembled a dragon’s incarnation violently slashing its claws.

Crack-crack-crack!

From the base to the very top, the tremendous friction heat left a deep and jagged scar on the iron wall.

But it was no ordinary sword scar.

The cut wasn’t clean; it was jagged, rough, as if left by a wild beast’s claws.

Whoooosh…!

“…”

“…”

The other candidates stood dumbfounded, staring at the scene in disbelief.

Even the Four Lords of the North were speechless.

Ray silently nodded her head, Holcus’s mouth hung wide open, and for the first time, Axion’s expression hardened.

As the silence lingered, a low voice suddenly broke through.

“Dragon’s Claw.”

Everyone—judges, the audience, and the other candidates—turned in surprise toward the speaker.

Kyle was looking down at Theo, smiling with satisfaction.

“That’s what we’ll call it,” he declared.

It wasn’t a suggestion—it was a command. But it was also an acknowledgment that what Theo had just performed was worthy of being considered a technique. For a swordsman of Ragnar, such recognition was a great honor.

“Haa, haa—”

Theo, still panting heavily, bowed his head. It was a gesture of obedience, showing he would follow Kyle’s decree.

Kyle crossed his arms, nodding in approval.

“Theo Ragnar, you pass!”

The judge’s declaration of Theo’s success rang out across the arena. The exam grounds were soon engulfed by a hot wind generated from the lingering heat of the sword mark.

* * *

[Congratulations! You have successfully passed the first Blossoming Ceremony, completing Tutorial Quest #14.]

[Evaluation: A+]

[You have received 1 coin as a reward.]

[As an additional reward for your high evaluation, your Luck stat has increased slightly.]

[Luck: 0]

[The curse of bad luck that had been affecting you is now fully lifted. From now on, your reputation will gradually spread.]

‘Finally…! I’ve finally reached the same starting line as everyone else.’

Theo clenched his fist tightly, realizing that his [Luck] stat had been restored. The tightness in his chest loosened, and energy quickly surged back through his body.

As he made his way down from the platform, he noticed Axion staring at him.

His face was now blank, a stark contrast to the mischievous, malicious expression he’d worn earlier. Now, he was cold as ice.

However—

Smirk!

“…!”

Theo let out a slight, deliberate laugh, and Axion’s brows furrowed ever so slightly.

‘There’s no need to measure anymore. I’m above him.’

With both his Aura Hall and Aura Heart opened, Theo’s perception of the world had changed dramatically. Everything looked different, clearer, more vibrant.

At this point, he was certain of one thing—Axion wasn’t even in his line of sight anymore.

Even if Axion opened his Aura Hall, it wouldn’t make a difference. Theo was sure of it.

So, he decided then and there to completely disregard Axion.

This made Axion’s expression twist even more, but Theo didn’t care in the slightest.

After fully descending from the platform—

– Huh…!

– Is that really the sword mark of someone opening their magic for the first time? Could he have cheated, or something like that?

The murmurs of disbelief echoed around the arena.

– There’s no way… with all these masters watching, how could they not notice something?

– But still… it’s just too overwhelming.

– That’s true…

Many of the candidates were still in shock, unable to fully recover from the impact of Theo’s display.

Other candidates took their turns in the test after Theo, but none came close to matching the shock he had delivered.

Compared to Dragon’s Claw, their marks were weak in comparison.

Only the other members of the Four Lords of the North managed to put up a respectable showing.

Ray left an icy scar after freezing and shattering the wall with her Ice-White Sword.

Holcus managed to slightly warp the iron wall.

And Axion could only leave a long but unimpressive sword mark.

Still, the largest and most distinct mark was undoubtedly Theo’s Dragon’s Claw.

As Theo descended from the platform, Axion’s expression was twisted with humiliation and shame.

What made it worse was that Theo wasn’t even looking in his direction—not acknowledging him at all.

This disregard was clear.

‘How dare…! That piece of trash, how dare he ignore me…!’

Axion’s face flushed red with anger.

「Relax your expression.」

The calm voice of Ed Troyban, the Soaring Dragon, pierced Axion’s ears.

「Didn’t I tell you to show composure? You can’t even hide a single emotion. What are you doing?」

“…”

Axion finally controlled his expression, but Ed’s rebuke wasn’t finished.

「Whatever humiliation you’re feeling now, you’ll have plenty of chances to pay it back in the second Blossoming Ceremony. So hold back until then. Do you understand?」

Axion didn’t respond, instead keeping his eyes fixed on Theo’s retreating figure.

‘…Pathetic.’

Tsk!

From the audience, Ed clicked his tongue, arms crossed.

He could see the jealousy brewing in his nephew, someone who had spent his whole life basking in his own greatness, now faced with someone better. It was foolish.

This wasn’t the time to be reacting emotionally—Theo’s true potential needed to be understood first.

But his nephew’s patience was clearly lacking.

‘Dark Dragon. What have you done? How did you create such a monster?’

Ed’s gaze shifted subtly, settling on Julius, who was smiling faintly in the audience.

Ed suspected that Theo was Julius’s secret weapon, trained in secret for this very purpose. Otherwise, Theo’s rapid growth simply couldn’t be explained.

“Is that child really the one who received the Family Head’s single strike back then?”

“Yes, that’s him. My men had quite a hard time back then.”

Julius was having a conversation with the Mistress of the Plum Blossom Palace.

The Mistress was visibly surprised.

From Theo’s grip on the sword to his posture, footwork, and body movements, everything was so clean and precise that it impressed even the Mistress of the Plum Blossom Palace.

Just a few months ago, there were still awkward aspects in his form.

The fact that Theo had managed to correct such hard-to-fix habits so thoroughly was astonishing.

And on top of that, his talent in his first magic release was beyond belief.

Julius couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride as if all of this were his own accomplishment. His shoulders straightened with satisfaction.

“It seems someone helped him with his swordsmanship.”

“Yes. It’s someone you’ve seen before, Your Ladyship.”

“Oh, is it the one who once taught Axion at the Camellia Palace…?”

“Yes, that’s the one.”

The Mistress’s eyes lit up.

“I had heard that after ‘that’ incident, they had given up the sword.”

“They’ve picked it up again. They wanted to set Theo’s talent on the right path. And as you can see, this is the result! Hahaha!”

Julius’s pride in his former subordinate was clearly on display, his nose metaphorically up in the air.

“I see.”

The Mistress of the Plum Blossom Palace smiled, turning her gaze back to Theo.

“It seems you’ve taken quite a liking to him.”

“Yes, very much.”

Her eyes curved into a crescent shape.

“If possible, I’d like to take him as my disciple.”

“…!”

“…!”

At that moment, everyone nearby, including Ed, Wolfgang, and the other members of the Nine Dragons and senior figures of Ragnar, nearly gasped aloud.

Who exactly was the Mistress of the Plum Blossom Palace?

Before being known as Kyle’s first wife, she was revered as the Northern Sword, a swordsman said to surpass even Kyle in pure swordsmanship.

Though she led a quiet life, unable to bear children and thus not playing the role of a true matron, she held the power to shake the entire political sphere of Ragnar if she chose to.

And now she wanted Theo as her disciple?

It wasn’t just about learning swordsmanship from the Northern Sword—it was, in essence, recognition as the heir apparent of Kyle’s first wife.

If that happened, Theo would no longer be seen as a mere illegitimate child. He would become a legitimate contender for the succession.

‘This must not happen!’

For Ed, it was like a fire had been lit under his feet. He had intended to eliminate Theo quietly during this Blossoming Ceremony, but if Theo became the Lady’s disciple, everything would fall apart.

Before Ed could act, though—

“That won’t be possible.”

Julius, for the first time, hardened his expression and shook his head firmly.

The Mistress of the Plum Blossom Palace tilted her head in curiosity.

“Why not? As far as I know, Theo Ragnar may have had a swordmaster, but he’s never formally entered a master-disciple relationship.”

“Even so, it’s not possible. I’ve already marked my claim first.”

“…!?”

Julius’s face was completely serious.

Snap!

Tension crackled between the two of them like sparks.