• The Patriarch has wielded his sword for the first time in over a decade!

It was the first event of its kind since Yulius had received the title <Black Dragon>.

Of course, the opponent was just an unbloomed fledgling, so naturally, the Patriarch’s sword didn’t contain its true essence, the power of mana and martial spirit.

Yet, the symbolism was overwhelming simply because the Patriarch had personally raised his sword.

Especially when the one facing it was “Ragnar’s fool.”

• The fool? So what happened to the fool, then?

• They say he’s fine, just exhausted.

• What? Is that even possible? Even without mana, how did he survive the Patriarch’s strike unscathed?

• Exactly, that’s what I’m saying.

• Could it be… that the Patriarch felt pity for his son, who everyone calls a fool…?

• Shh! Are you crazy? You know how much the Patriarch despises those who blur the lines between personal and official matters!

• But that’s the only way this makes sense…

• I thought the same at first, but think about it. It doesn’t have to mean that.

• True. There were rumors recently that the head of the Black Armor Dragon Unit had taken an interest in him. Guess it wasn’t just talk.

Then, some people began investigating how Theo had come to receive the Patriarch’s personal strike and were shocked.

• The Byron Family, the Ceres Trading Company… even the Koryong Guild oppressed Theo?

• So Theo retaliated against them, and they plotted in retaliation?

• Fifteen factions joined forces to bring down a single bastard? Does that make any sense?

• Not even a one-on-one duel, but a gang-up?

• And Theo turned the tables on them in the appeal?

• The real fools were elsewhere, weren’t they?

Now, “Ragnar’s fool” referred not to Theo, but to the members of the Koryong Guild.

On top of that, they’d been foolish enough to lose the Camellia Palace, so the story spread like wildfire until everyone in Winter knew it.

As a result, the former residents of the Camellia Palace could hardly show their faces in public.

Meanwhile…

The ordinary swordsmen were elated by Theo’s actions.

Perhaps that’s why—

• The Hidden Dragon, who’s kept himself under wraps, is he finally emerging?

Two months before his Blooming Ceremony, people began to wonder if an unexpected star might soon rise, and all eyes started shifting toward the Camellia Palace where Theo now resided.

"Why should I, the rightful lord of this palace, have to leave this place!"

“Lady Emil, please calm yourself!”

“You’ll hurt yourself if you keep thrashing like this! Please, stop!”

“Let go of me! I’m going to speak to the Patriarch myself!”

The maids were struggling to restrain Emil, who was throwing a fit.

In truth, they too were reeling from the shock.

One moment, they’d been comfortably living in the Camellia Palace; the next, they were thrown out.

“That very same Patriarch has handed the Camellia Palace to Cecilia and her son.”

Emil turned and glared daggers at Ed.

“Aren’t you the last person who should be speaking right now, Brother?”

“I offer no excuses, my Lady. It’s all my fault for misjudging our opponent.”

Ed meant it.

Never had he expected Theo to withstand the Patriarch’s strike and walk away unscathed.

‘If he’d suffered even a severe injury that required hospitalization, I could have acted… But not now.’

“Death from lingering aftereffects” was no longer an option.

If he wanted to eliminate Theo, he’d have to go all out.

“So what’s your plan now? Surely you don’t intend for me to remain in this filthy, wretched place indefinitely?”

“Just bear with it for a while longer. I promise to repay this indignity to you tenfold.”

Ed’s eyes gleamed with a dangerous intensity.

Whether that promise was meant for Emil, himself, or both, only he knew.

“Axion.”

“Yes, Uncle?”

Axion turned his gaze toward Ed, who had spoken after watching Emil rage and throw things in a fit of hysteria.

“The next time you see Theo Ragnar, kill him. Whatever it takes.”

“I was already planning to take off an arm or two during the Blooming Ceremony.”

“Don’t be half-hearted. Make sure it’s his neck. It must be his neck. Understand?”

Axion wanted to ask what had really happened in the Court of Law.

But no matter how he probed, both Ed and Emil kept their lips firmly sealed, as if they’d made a pact.

‘It’s not like I can’t just dig into it myself. But they must feel humiliated.’

There was no sign of his mother, who usually slapped him the moment he displeased her.

Axion found Emil’s display less pitiful than amusing.

‘Father faced him with a single strike, huh? Ha. That fool has grown so much, hasn’t he?’

A crooked smile twisted Axion’s lips.

It was delightful to discover that this toy was more entertaining than he’d expected.

“I have one question.”

“What is it?”

“The ‘relic’ in the Rose Palace—what exactly is it? What could it possibly be for you and Mother to be so desperate to seize the Rose Palace?”

The Rose Palace, outwardly, was simply a place where the Patriarch’s consorts gathered.

Yet, both Ed and Emil had been working to get their hands on it for years.

So Ed hesitated briefly.

Should he share the secret he’d accidentally learned in Troiban with this young nephew?

Luckily, he didn’t hesitate for long.

The boy was, after all, half-Troiban.

“Have you heard of the Ancient Dragon?”

“Isn’t that the ancestor of the Guardian Dragon who made a pact with our forefather?”

“That’s right.”

“Then, why…?”

“What if I told you that traces of the Ancient Dragon remain in the Rose Palace? Would you believe me?”

“...!”

Axion’s eyes widened slightly.

It was entirely unexpected.

“But the Ancient Dragon… that’s something out of old myths and legends…!”

“No. It was real. And in its lifetime, it sacrificed everything for the humans it cherished: its body, its mana, even its soul.”

“...!”

“We call the remnants left behind by the Ancient Dragon ‘relics.’ And among these relics, the one of greatest worth is said to be in the Rose Palace.”

For a moment, a predatory gleam flashed in Axion’s eyes, but Ed didn’t notice.

“It’s not just the Rose Palace. The Camellia Palace we just lost, the Plum Blossom Lord’s palace, and even the Patriarch’s residence—all hold relics.”

“And what do these relics look like? If we could take over the Rose Palace by force and seize it…”

“The issue is that relics are sentient and take different forms. You can’t know it’s a relic until you have it in your possession.”

“That makes things more complicated.”

“That’s why both your mother and I have been trying for so long to take control of the Rose Palace.”

“We must capture Theo, no matter what.”

“Yes, exactly. He’s dangerous—far more than I expected. If he remains in this world, he’ll be a constant thorn in our side.”

Perhaps the relic had already chosen him.

Ed added one final note.

“Therefore, the Koryong Guild will remain by your side from now on.”

“There’s been a lot of talk about them lately, and not in a good way. But you’re still planning to work with them?”

“I don’t care for your tone.”

“My apologies if it sounded that way, Uncle.”

“...Nine factions announced their departure recently. But six remain, and they want Theo Ragnar’s head just as much as we do. I’ll watch for the right opportunity. When it comes, you act.”

“Understood.”

“Especially since the Ceres Trading Company has ties with your mother’s side. They’ll be of help—”

Beeeeeeep!

Ed stopped mid-sentence and looked up sharply.

His face stiffened.

A black-feathered bird circled high above in the sky.

A messenger bird specifically trained by the Ceres Trading Company.

But… it was soaked in blood.

Its wingbeats were weak, as if it was on the brink of death.

And somehow…

The memory of Theo’s crimson, blood-like gaze flashed through Ed’s mind, sending a shiver down his spine.

Yulius’ eyes widened at the sight of Evelyn, covered in dust and blood.

“What… what happened to you?”

She looked as though she’d just returned from a mission.

Even Wellington beside her was in a similar state.

Evelyn, her breathing labored, offered Yulius a faint smile.

Wellington handed Theo a wooden box he had been holding.

“Is this the box you requested?”

Click—

Theo forcefully pried open the wax-sealed lid and checked the contents, nodding.

“Yes, this is it. I can finally relax a bit. You went through a lot to get this.”

As Yulius watched the cryptic exchange, he asked urgently,

“What’s in that box?”

Theo replied in a calm tone.

“The lifeline of Angry Dragon.”

“Hm…?”

“If Angry Dragon has been leaking our clan’s information to Troiban through the Ceres Trading Company, would you believe me?”

“What are you saying…?”

Yulius’ eyes widened in shock.

Looking to Evelyn for confirmation, he found her nodding with a stoic expression.

“I just finished carrying out Young Master Theo’s request by eliminating every member of the Ceres Trading Company’s branch stationed in Winter,” Evelyn confirmed, her voice steady.

“...!”

“Fortunately, most of their guards were out on assignments, leaving their defenses vulnerable. It was straightforward to handle.”

The Ceres Trading Company handled military supplies for Ragnar as one of its vassal factions. Even though they were in conflict with Theo, attacking them recklessly could risk a political backlash within the clan.

But—

“I made an interesting discovery there,” Evelyn continued.

“So that box… contains that discovery? What exactly is inside it?” Yulius asked, his voice taut with curiosity.

“It’s a collection of confidential documents that the Head of the Intelligence Bureau, Angry Dragon, secretly sent to Troiban through the Ceres Trading Company. It includes significant information.”

“...!”

Yulius’ face contorted with anger.

While he’d never been particularly close with Ed, Angry Dragon’s betrayal struck deeply; he was, after all, one of the Nine Dragons, a cornerstone of the clan.

“We need to make this public immediately…!”

“No, I don’t intend to do that,” Theo interjected, shaking his head.

“What do you mean, Theo? You’re going to let Angry Dragon’s actions go unchallenged?”

“Angry Dragon is not someone who’d be easily cornered with such evidence alone.”

“...”

“Even if we expose him, he likely has contingencies in place. Attacking hastily would only invite retaliation.”

“...I see.”

Yulius hesitated, conceding to Theo’s rationale. He knew Ed wasn’t the type to go down easily.

“Besides, I suspect the Patriarch is already aware of this,” Theo added.

“Is that true?”

Theo nodded, his expression resolute.

‘In my past life, the downfall of Angry Dragon and the Camellia Palace Lord had, in fact, been orchestrated by the Patriarch.’

As a former member of the intelligence division, Theo knew the entire story too well.

In reality, the Koryong Guild was nothing but Ed’s personal organization, with Axion serving as his puppet to further his control over Ragnar.

Later, it would grow into a powerful faction that even threatened the Elders’ Council, but it fell remarkably quickly.

Being cast out of the Patriarch’s favor in Ragnar was a dangerous position to be in.

‘Thanks to this incident, the Koryong Guild must be losing support. And public sentiment isn’t on their side.’

At this point, the Koryong Guild wasn’t yet firmly established as Ed’s private army.

‘And my own standing will have risen as a result.’

“That’s why I’m planning to let things lie for now. If Angry Dragon has any sense, he’ll avoid provoking me directly for a while.”

“...So you’ll also put a lid on the controversy over the Ceres Trading Company?”

Theo gave a silent nod.

Yulius felt a chill run through him as he realized what Theo was aiming for.

‘Outwardly, it will seem like Theo punished the Ceres Trading Company to set an example, and Angry Dragon bowed to it.’

This would undoubtedly bolster Theo’s reputation.

Those with grudges against him might think twice, fearing they could meet the same fate as the Ceres branch.

‘When did he gain such a steely demeanor…?’

Considering he’d only recently advised Theo on his lack of decisiveness, Yulius was struck by how quickly he’d changed.

On the other hand, he couldn’t help but wonder.

• Where does Theo get his information?

But it wasn’t the right moment to ask.

“For now, Angry Dragon won’t dare to challenge me directly,” Theo said.

“Instead, he’ll likely wait for an opening, perhaps using Axion as his instrument. The Blooming Ceremony, for instance…”

“Yes, it would be easy to act under the cover of such a hectic event.”

Yulius nodded gravely, and Theo did the same.

The Blooming Ceremony was only two months away.

Within that time, Theo needed to grow stronger.

Strong enough to fend off Angry Dragon’s schemes.

The first battle was far from over.

‘The second-floor storage room with the blue light. I’m certain it will prove invaluable.’