[You have defeated 'Evil Hanabi' and gained recognition.]

[You have defeated 'Matthew Byron' and gained recognition.]

.

[Your luck has increased by 14.]

.

[Congratulations! You have successfully completed Tutorial Quest #11 by forming a party with ‘Evelyn Nerevil.’]

[Rating: B+]

[As a reward, you have received ‘Beginner's Top.’]

‘As expected, there are no additional rewards this time. Perhaps the low rating is due to my not personally facing them?’

It was a bit disappointing.

It seemed that a minimum rating of A was required for additional rewards to be granted.

‘I thought there might be some authority related to using the rewards I’ve received so far.’

As the real combat began, he thought he would be given such power.

‘But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.’

[You have leveled up for the first time.]

[You can now freely distribute the additional coefficients provided.]

Theo’s eyes lit up at the word “freely.”

If he could grow his abilities in the direction he desired, the possibilities for selection would be endless.

...Later.

He decided to check it out slowly.

Such choices shouldn’t be made hastily.

He needed to establish a clear direction through long research and contemplation before making strategic selections.

Thud!

Theo completely exited Camellia Palace, glancing back as he scrolled down the message.

The place that had been chaotic just moments before was now eerily quiet.

‘Those who aimed at my mother and me. Aksion. No, it was Troyban.’

Theo remembered the second information window he had seen vividly, tapping Aksion’s shoulder.

[You are now observing ‘Aksion Ragnar.’]

+ 

**Aksion Ragnar** (15 years old / Male)

- **Title:** Dark Infamous

- **Talent:** Madness. Psychopath.

- **Status:** Experiencing intense humiliation or stress from failing to execute his uncle's instructions against a bastard.

+

The information window occasionally described the psychological state of the subject being observed.

So he had checked it out just in case… and had caught a big fish.

‘There’s a man named Ed Troyban.’

Aksion's maternal uncle and Emile's twin brother, Ed was originally a pride of the Troyban family renowned for swordsmanship.

He was someone who could easily aim for the position of the next head of the Troyban family.

But perhaps due to his love for his sister.

Ed became a servant of Ragnar, following Emile as she married into the family.

At that time, the title he received from the head of the family was ‘The Soaring Dragon’ (亢龍).

He became one of the ‘Nine Dragons’ protecting Ragnar.

However.

This incident was not just Aksion's simple mischief; it was a plot orchestrated by Ed.

‘If someone of his caliber is moving, there must be an ulterior motive. It seems he wanted to test me after the sudden death of Rendon, who he had planted.’

Now, what would be the best way to react to this?

‘If my memory serves right, Troyban ultimately...!’

Just as Theo's eyes sank deep in thought, a voice called out.

“Lord Theo! Lord Theo!”

Wellington rushed out of Camellia Palace, looking anxious.

“About earlier...!”

“Wellington.”

“Did you just call me by a nickname...?”

Wellington’s eyes widened in surprise, caught off guard by the informal address.

Nicknames were usually reserved for close friends.

“I was bored with the first round being so dull. How about going for a second?”

It was the first time.

Theo was suggesting to hang out.

Wellington nodded eagerly, excited.

Evelyn, who had come out a bit later, seemed surprised as well.

‘It seems like something has changed in him since then.’

Perhaps it was a realization born from his confrontation with Aksion, leading him to consider the notion of ‘my people.’

It was a welcome change.

“I know a good place that you’re very familiar with. Let’s go there. They’ll give us extra service.”

Following Wellington, who stepped forward cheerfully,

‘This incident has completely severed Wellington from the Kyoryong Meeting. Will this change the future confrontation between Narshio and Ragnar?’

How the future would change was still unknown to Theo.

There were simply too many variables in the conflict between the two families.

But one thing was certain.

A significant current of history was subtly beginning to shift.

‘If I can wield the power that Narshio had without being at a disadvantage against Ragnar...’

Theo wanted to guide this subtly changed current in the direction he desired.

To do that, he would need to steadily progress with his plans and accumulate strength piece by piece.

And some of that strength was right there.

“...”

Theo glanced up at Camellia Palace.

The second floor, the storage room. A faint blue light seeped through the gaps in the window.

‘It’s clear. That blue light... it’s the signpost pointing toward the message and quest.’

From the invitation to the storage room.

The blue light was guiding Theo toward a new event.

If that was the case, it meant he must take possession of this Camellia Palace, which was now glowing with blue light.

‘From the beginning, I was never in a position to go along with Troyban. So, if I strike first...?’

A thought flashed through Theo's mind.

While it wasn’t yet fully fleshed out, it seemed plausible if he worked it out properly.

‘So, what if I snatched Camellia Palace away?’

If that happened, perhaps he could cut off one or two of their limbs?

He could pull another thread of history in the direction he wanted.

A smirk appeared on Theo’s lips.

---

**Camellia Palace, 4th Floor, Lady Emile's Quarters.**

Smack!

The sound of a slap echoed through the air.

As usual.

The servants and house staff pretended not to hear and turned away, covering their ears.

“Is it that you’ve given up the justification of being a bastard, and now even your limbs have been severed?” 

Emile glared at her foolish second son, visibly fuming.

Aksion nodded, his face marked with a bright red handprint on the left cheek.

“Yes.”

“Is that even something to say…!”

Emile raised her hand in anger but took a deep breath instead.

“I trust you understand how significant the burden is that your uncle bears in this matter. I have no interest in what that bastard Theo Ragnar does. All we need is Camellia Palace, that alone.”

“...”

“However, an ignorant bastard who has settled in Camellia Palace will surely grow increasingly vigilant, turning this into a complicated variable.”

Emile’s eyes transformed into a menacing glare.

“Go to your room and calm down. You should deeply reflect on how close you came to ruining things with your shallow interest.”

“I understand.”

Aksion bowed his head slightly, his expression still stoic as he left Emile's quarters.

Wham!

Emile opened her fan and fanned her flushed face.

“Who does he take after to be so impulsive? Tsk!”

“That would be the young lady of Camellia Palace in her youth.”

A shadow approached from behind quietly.

Without a hint of surprise, Emile glared at the figure.

“You didn’t just make that joke, did you, Brother?”

“It seems the young lady is quite upset. I brought some special aromatic candles from the southern Akalan volcanic area with great difficulty, so when you take a half bath later, enjoy the scent. It should help relieve your mental fatigue.”

Emile chuckled at the words of her twin brother, Ed.

It was hard not to love this mischievous half.

He understood her thoughts deeper than her husband did.

“And about this incident, perhaps it turned out well after all.”

“Why is that?”

“If Theo Ragnar begins to shine, how much harder would it be to take ownership of Camellia Palace, which has long been a harem for the head of the family?”

Emile seemed to have a bright idea.

“If that lowly bastard can act like a lord of Camellia Palace...”

“Yes. If that’s the case, then when we defeat Theo Ragnar, all the other servants and ladies will have to bow their heads before Camellia Palace, right?”

Ed smiled.

“And perhaps we could even remove that pesky bastard while we’re at it.”

Emile’s beautiful brow relaxed.

In truth, the reason she hadn’t been able to grasp ownership of Camellia Palace was largely due to Cecilia, who had always picked fights with her.

If she could take Theo’s head along with it, that would be the ultimate relief.

Having this in mind, it seemed that there would be no disadvantage after all.

Emile gazed at Ed with a sticky look.

“Then you’ve already prepared for that, haven’t you?”

“I think you’ll hear good news when you wake up in the morning.”

“Of course, Brother. That’s why I can’t help but love you.”

Emile wrapped her arms around Ed’s neck.

Ed affectionately patted her back.

However.

Despite the tender gesture, his eyes were anything but warm.

---

Wellington wore an expression of disgust for the first time in front of Theo.

“...Lord Theo, didn’t you clearly say to go for a second round?”

“Yes. I did say that. Though, you chose the location.”

“Still, ‘going for a second’ usually implies having a drink after a meal, doesn’t it?”

Wellington stared intently at the glass in front of

 him.

Bright yellow orange juice, with a few ice cubes.

The straw stuck in the center seemed to mock him.

This was not alcohol.

It was the kind of kiddie menu served to small children who accompanied their parents.

The bartender and Evelyn were already stifling laughter beside him, their faces flushed red.

“We are still legally minors, after all. The Kyoryong Meeting is at fault.”

“This is a pub, after all.”

“Still, we remain minors.”

“...”

“It tastes good, though.”

Theo nonchalantly sipped the grape juice through the straw.

The bartender bowed respectfully, as if honored.

Wellington turned to the side, his eyes pleading for help.

But Evelyn was now openly rolling with laughter, nearly falling over.

Ha!

Wellington sighed deeply.

No wonder they hadn’t had a drink together in so long.

While he didn’t particularly enjoy drinking,

It felt like a romantic notion, broken into pieces.

Seeing Theo’s relaxed demeanor made him realize how fun it could be.

He had no choice but to sip the juice through the straw, just like Theo.

Then, suddenly.

Bang!

“Welcome!”

With the bartender’s cheerful greeting, over twenty knights entered, reeking of sweat.

Familiar faces.

“So about the match earlier, if I had adjusted my stance like this, wouldn’t I have won?”

“Already lost and now talking big, huh?”

“You bastard! Just because I lost, don’t act like that. Tomorrow I’ll... eh?”

“Lord! Lord Theo! You were with the instructor! Wait! Lord too?!”

“Why are you calling me ‘Lord’?”

“I heard you went to eat some fancy food.”

The training partners with whom he had spent the last three months in the Fourth Training Hall.

It seemed they already knew about Wellington’s favorite place.

“Oh, then we can’t just sit still! We should enjoy this together!”

As they whispered amongst themselves, it seemed they wanted to join in, but they hesitated to approach Theo.

It seemed they were intimidated by him.

‘They gathered because they felt disappointed that you two were going out for a fancy meal, didn’t they?’ 

Evelyn’s whisper reached Theo’s ear.

So that’s what it was.

Theo’s eyes widened slightly.

‘It seems I’ve neglected them quite a bit.’

Evelyn likely wanted to point that out.

To remind him to take it easy.

Perhaps it was because Wellington had also lured them over.

‘It’s not like I intended to be difficult with them.’

Regardless, he was grateful that they were opening their hearts to him like this.

Theo nodded slightly, signaling that it was okay to join.

Cheers erupted as the training partners quickly brought over tables and chairs, creating a festive atmosphere.

This was much more enjoyable than the social gathering of the Kyoryong Meeting.

---

The feast was nothing special.

It was all just sharing stories from their lives.

Tales of having aimed to become high-ranking knights but being left behind due to lack of talent.

Traumas from missions where comrades had died, causing them to lay down their swords.

Stories of families’ expectations becoming burdensome and leading to their collapse, and so forth.

In all these stories, there were many remnants of pain and lost dreams.

Theo found it entertaining to listen to each of their stories.

He realized he wasn’t the only one who had lived a difficult life.

Yet, he was able to draw comfort and empathy from their struggles.

‘In the end, we’re all living in similar situations. Just the environments are different.’

Thanks to that, he felt much closer to them.

The training partners no longer hesitated to sit beside Theo, treating him as one of their own.

Eventually, the unexpected feast stretched into the second and third rounds, continuing until dawn.

“Ugh... I can’t drink anymore.”

“Don’t make me drink...”

“Help me...”

They were all so drunk they couldn’t even think straight.

The only ones maintaining their sobriety were Theo and Wellington.

Swish!

Wellington was gnawing on the straw of the orange juice, having lost count of how many times he had done so.

‘Even though I want to have fun... I know I can enjoy myself...’

Being with a straight-laced man made this aspect annoying.

As he grumbled inwardly, Theo chuckled lightly.

“You don’t seem to be enjoying yourself.”

“...What can I do? I’m still a minor.”

“After the coming-of-age ceremony.”

“...?”

“Once the coming-of-age ceremony is over, let’s have a drink together. After that, it won’t be particularly restricted by family rules.”

Wellington chuckled involuntarily.

Seeing this, Theo seemed to handle people quite well.

“Sure. Let’s do that.”

“And actually, there’s something I’d like to ask Wellington not to drink.”

“A request?”

Wellington raised an eyebrow, curious.

Theo rarely took the initiative to speak up like this.

Just as Wellington was realizing Theo’s serious expression, he narrowed his eyes.

“What do you have in mind?”

Wellington’s gaze sharpened.

It was heavy, like the ‘Lion of the Snowfield’ he was said to be.

Theo thought this might be the ‘true’ side of Wellington that he had hidden all along.

“Soon, there will be a power struggle between Aksion and me. And it should conclude around the time of the coming-of-age ceremony.”

“...!”

Wellington stiffened involuntarily.

Power struggle.

There was no heavier term in Ragnar than that.

“Of course, I will be the victor. But I would like your assistance during that.”

“What are you talking about...!”

Just then.

Bang!

The door to the pub swung open violently as armored knights in yellow stormed in.

All the patrons turned pale.

The law knights, known as the reapers of Winterer.

“You are under emergency arrest for intimidation, threats, violence, and inciting rebellion.”