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“Y-Yes, that’s right.”

“Good, good. How nice is it when everyone moves on their own like chess pieces?”

Axion paused from cutting his steak and let out a light laugh upon hearing the news from his subordinate.

In truth, it was Axion who had sent Ray and Holcus to the Fourth Training Hall.

His uncle had ordered not to touch Theo recklessly until the Blossoming Ceremony began.

‘That’s nonsense.’

Axion had already made up his mind not to follow Ed’s orders any longer.

‘Uncle always moves far too quietly. Sometimes, when necessary, you must seize the opponent by the throat and tear them apart.’

In Axion’s eyes, Theo and Wellington were people who needed to be eliminated as soon as possible.

Therefore, it was necessary to set the stage even before the official start of the Blossoming Ceremony.

A perfect stage that they couldn’t possibly escape from.

‘And on top of that, I’ll be able to see just how much Theo and Wellington have grown in the meantime.’

Axion knew that Ray and Holcus, who could be considered his rivals, had been in seclusion for intense training in preparation for the Blossoming Ceremony.

So, he sent letters to both of them, timed perfectly for when they were about to emerge from their training.

The letters contained two main points:

– Wellington lost.
– He’s a Ragnar who has personally received the sword from the head of the family.

Axion expected that the two, who were known for their competitive spirits even among the Four Lords of the North, would react somehow.

And he was right on the mark.

With that, the first stage had been set perfectly.

“They’re both impatient. Especially Holcus, who can’t stand waiting. As for Ray… she can’t help but be curious.”

Of course, he didn’t expect them to destroy each other in this upcoming clash.

But it would be enough to stoke the flames.

All that was left was to fan those flames during the Blossoming Ceremony, burning everything and everyone to ashes.

Theo, Wellington, and all the other Four Lords.

Clatter, clatter—

The sound of a knife and fork clashing against a plate echoed noisily through the room.

* * *

Ray still remembered that day, which could be called her only memory from childhood.

“Are you cold? Do you want to wrap yourself in this?”

It was a day when a snowstorm raged.

Ray had snuck out of the palace without her nanny noticing.

She had always been cooped up in her room due to her poor health, and it had become too suffocating for her.

But she soon regretted it.

She had gotten lost in the snowstorm.

When her body froze from the cold and all she could do was desperately call for her mother, Ray met a boy.

The boy, who looked like a snowman, was bundled up in a thick scarf, mittens, a beanie, and a coat.

“Are you alright?” he asked, as he unwrapped his scarf and draped it around Ray’s neck.

At that moment, Ray stared at the boy’s face for a long time. It wasn’t just the warmth radiating from him that made her pause.

‘He’s so pretty.’

His peach-like, pale cheeks were impossibly cute. So different from her own skinny and unattractive appearance.

“If you go outside dressed this lightly, you’ll catch a cold. It’ll be serious. So, let’s head back home. Okay?”

But the boy, without any regard for her appearance, held her hand tightly and led her toward a house that neither of them knew.

Crunch, crunch—

The sound of their long footprints in the white snow was etched vividly in her memory.

Afterward, Ray fortunately returned safely to the palace. She did suffer from a cold for several days, but that memory became the foundation for her newfound desire to run and play outside.

It was also the moment that helped her rise above the curse of the Nine-Syllable Pulse.

Then, one day, Ray discovered by chance that the boy from her memories was her peer, a boy of the same age.

His name was Theo Ragnar.

He was the very same “Cripple of the Rose Palace” she had often heard about.

‘But he’s changed…? All of a sudden?’

Ray wanted to confirm it with her own eyes.

How had the boy from her memories changed?

Before, even though she had wanted to find him, circumstances had prevented her from doing so.

But now, after her seclusion training and obtaining the Ice White Divine Sword, things were different.

‘I want to see it for myself. What kind of sword he wields.’

And at that moment, Wellington, who was facing Ray, narrowed his eyes.

‘I thought it was her competitive spirit, but that’s not it. What’s going on? It doesn’t seem like she’s had any interactions with Theo Ragnar.’

Wellington knew that Ray had spent most of her childhood confined to a sickbed, making her awkward in social situations. Her speech was always blunt, and she was often described as cold as ice because she was slow to express emotions.

Yet, now Ray was showing a strong emotional reaction for the first time.

Something was there.

But Wellington couldn’t ask recklessly. Ray was too hard to read, and besides, there was another interruption.

“What nonsense are you spouting, Ray Ragnar! Theo Ragnar will face me first!”

Boom!

Holcus shouted as he stomped the ground forcefully.

The echo of Holcus’s voice reverberated loudly.

Ray frowned, clearly irritated by the noise.

“Step aside, loser.”

“You’re not seriously saying that because of a duel we had over three years ago, are you? At our age, every month counts! Three years is more than enough time to make up that difference…!”

“Yep, still a loser.”

At that moment, Holcus’s face flushed bright red.

“You wretched girl! That’s it. Let’s settle this again! The winner gets to duel Theo Ragnar!”

“Do you think I’m afraid?”

As Ray and Holcus drew their swords and glared at each other, the tension between them rose.

Whooooosh—

A powerful wave of energy swirled around the two, like a storm.

Wellington, standing in the middle, scowled deeply.

Why in the world were these two causing such a ruckus here of all places?

‘Is this Axion’s doing…?’

The thought of who could be behind such a ridiculous “prank” crossed his mind, but there was no time to dwell on it. First, he had to stop them. He swung his sword sharply.

Bzzzzing—

The Narcio Family Secret Technique – Abyss Sword.

A fierce blade wind cut through the space between Ray and Holcus.

Shhhhk!

“……!”

“……!”

Ray instinctively stepped back, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes. Holcus reacted similarly.

“If you want to brawl, do it at home. This is Theo Ragnar’s domain. I won’t tolerate anyone causing trouble here without the owner present.”

A deadly aura emanated from Wellington.

“Oh!”

Holcus let out a soft exclamation as he looked at Wellington.

“Great, great. You’re really great, aren’t you?”

“What the hell are you talking about? Are you implying I’m a fake?”

“Maybe.”

“What?”

“The Wellington I knew wasn’t like this.”

A sly grin crept up one side of Holcus’s mouth.

“He used to be so polite, so proper… boringly so. But now you’re so sharp. It’s not easy for someone to change so suddenly. So, what’s the deal? What have you been learning?”

For a moment, Wellington recalled certain memories.

The moments spent with Theo.

The times he learned the sword from Evelyn.

The spars he had with his followers.

The past few months had indeed been a turning point in his life, completely different from what he had experienced in his family.

Those experiences had unconsciously changed his mindset.

Of course, Wellington didn’t feel the need to explain any of this to Holcus.

“Stop spouting nonsense. Get lost.”

“Hmmm! If Theo Ragnar is the one who changed you this much, it makes me want to see him even more. What should I do?”

Wellington, realizing that words were no longer enough, prepared to unleash his sword aura.

But in that moment—

Fwoosh!

“What… is this…?”

“This… pressure?”

A sudden, overwhelming force pressed down on the Fourth Training Hall.

Holcus, startled, jerked his head up, while Ray narrowed her eyes and shifted her gaze to the source.

Wellington’s eyes also followed.

Step. Step.

Theo was walking toward them.

His steps were slow and deliberate, but the atmosphere surrounding him was anything but.

It was as if he had just come back from an intense battle.

His disheveled hair, wild and unkempt, partially covered his blood-red eyes, which gleamed with a sharp, beast-like intensity. His clothes were torn in several places, revealing wounds that looked painful enough to make anyone’s skin crawl.

And above all, this terrifying aura—

It was as if he exuded Dragon Fear, the legendary presence that dragons were said to radiate.

“Ugh…!”

“S-Surely, h-he hasn’t even unlocked h-his magic yet…!”

“H-How is this even…?”

Even the Four Lords of the North, known for their strength, were visibly shaken. Ordinary people fared much worse—Jenkins’ group had turned pale, with some foaming at the mouth and collapsing in terror.

The problem was—

The closer Theo got, the more intense and palpable the murderous aura and his sheer presence became.

“Hahahaha! I knew it! I was right—this is going to be fun! You’re mine!”

Boom!

Laughing maniacally, Holcus kicked off the ground with incredible force and charged straight at Theo.

In that instant, Wellington realized his mistake.

He had been so distracted by Theo’s appearance that he’d momentarily forgotten about Holcus.

‘From what I know, Theo must have just completed his seclusion training…!’

No matter how much enlightenment he had gained, it was hard to fully unleash one’s power in an exhausted state. And with only five days left until the Blossoming Ceremony, if Theo were to get injured now, it would be disastrous.

Wellington rushed forward, intending to stop Holcus.

But then, he saw it.

Theo suddenly raised the ornately decorated sword he was holding and pointed it in their direction.

Flash—

Before anyone could react, Theo swung his sword fiercely toward Holcus.

The oppressive pressure that had dominated the entire Fourth Training Hall suddenly concentrated into a single point, as if it had become a blade itself.

‘A flash…!’

A brilliant, pure white light.

That was all Wellington could comprehend.

And then—

Thud!

“What in the world… did he just do…?”

In an instant, Holcus stood there, covered in blood, letting out a horrified scream of disbelief. From his right shoulder to his left waist, a diagonal line of blood had been drawn, with the crimson liquid spilling out heavily.

The claymore he had been wielding was severed in half, one piece rolling on the ground.

‘When did this happen…?’

Wellington’s eyes trembled, and Ray’s widened in shock.

“Aaaargh!”

Holcus, unable to accept the situation, let out a guttural scream and tried to move again.

But—

“Shut up.”

Theo, who had already closed the distance, struck him hard on the temple with the hilt of his sword.

Smack!

Holcus didn’t even have time to react before he was knocked back, sprawling onto the ground.

Thud—

Given his massive frame, the entire training hall seemed to shake as he collapsed.

‘I never once saw Lord Theo’s movements. Even when he approached Holcus.’

His steps were so light, as if he had merely been out for a casual walk.

Not only Wellington, but also his followers and Jenkins’ group were left in stunned silence.

“‘The Black Bear’ lost…?”

“One of the Four Lords of the North lost…?”

“What the hell happened?”

A few months ago, Theo had sparred with Wellington, but a sparring match was just that—a match.

No one had considered it a true fight.

Rumors were exaggerated, and even if it had been real, many believed Wellington had held back, carrying a self-imposed handicap for Theo’s sake.

But this was different.

Anyone could see that Holcus had charged at Theo with his full strength.

Yet, without even touching him, he had been brought down with a critical wound.

And it had taken only a single strike.

The genius hailed as the future of the North had been defeated in an instant.

The impact of the scene was enormous.

Theo turned to Ray, his gaze asking if she wanted to continue.

The glint in his crimson eyes suggested that he wouldn’t hesitate to swing his sword at her next.

Ray glanced at her own sword, then at Theo’s.

“……”

Without a word, she quietly slid her sword back into its scabbard.

Clink!