Chapter 211: Sword Emperor Kinkarnon (1)
“We pledge our loyalty… only to Lord Algon.”
“I respect your choice. I will help you all pass on with honor.”
Among the Blood Wolf Swordsmen, about half—those who had sworn allegiance to Diego and the current family head—chose to die in battle.
They refused to acknowledge Selperd as their new master.
However, rather than persuading them, Selperd respected their decision, and Bracken, along with his subordinates, carried out their executions.
Thus, only about twenty Blood Wolf Swordsmen remained.
Even they, however, only exchanged wary glances among themselves, their attitudes toward Selperd still stiff with hesitation.
Theo was about to point this out, but—
“This is my responsibility to handle from here. I’ve been absent from the family for over ten years. If I want to earn their loyalty, I need time.”
Since Selperd's stance was firm, Theo could not interfere further.
Instead, he focused on interrogating them about their plans.
And the information was unsettling.
“During the Soaring Dragon Tournament, you were each assigned locations where you were supposed to stir up chaos?”
“Y… yes. From what we know, there are already many who follow Kinkarnon mixed among the crowd.”
“A feint, then. It seems like they’re trying to take advantage of the confusion for something… but what?”
“We… we aren’t sure of the exact details.”
Srrrng—
From behind Theo, Bracken grinned wickedly as he unsheathed his sword.
The blade, still smeared with bits of flesh from the executions, looked utterly terrifying.
“H-hold on! I… I overheard one thing…”
“You overheard?”
“Y-yes… There were talks about forming a separate strike force to move toward Magnolia Palace…”
“Magnolia Palace?”
“Where is that?”
“Hey, if you’re lying, you won’t die easily.”
“I swear, it’s true!”
The unit leaders exchanged puzzled glances.
Even those who had served in House Ragnar for years had never heard of such a palace.
They frowned, suspecting they were being deceived.
But then—
“Theo, does this ring a bell?”
Selperd noticed that Theo’s expression remained calm.
Theo nodded slightly.
“I’m not entirely sure, but…”
Magnolia Palace was, in fact, a place connected to Theo’s past life.
‘It was essentially an exile site where direct descendants, who were set to be cast out from the family, stayed for a time…’
Having shown no significant achievements, Theo had ultimately relinquished all rights and duties related to succession through an agreement with the Elder Council, leaving the family behind.
At that time, the place he had stayed was none other than Magnolia Palace.
Since it was usually closed off, most people didn’t even know such a place existed.
However, because it was located in the heart of Winterer, it was surrounded by a large floating population, making it even harder to access.
But after Theo left, Magnolia Palace became widely known.
‘Was it two years later? When the Scepter of the Sovereign was excavated, it caused quite a stir.’
It was the very hall that Founder Sigurd had supposedly used as a sacred relic when establishing the Dragon Knights.
Kinkarnon, having obtained the hall, declared himself the true successor chosen by the Founder in the heavens.
From that moment, the competition for the throne turned into an outright civil war.
‘Why didn’t I think of that?’
Theo covered his face with his hand, lamenting his own complacency.
Ever since Kinkarnon first revealed the Scepter of the Sovereign, he had never brought it out again, leaving a gap in Theo’s memory.
No, more accurately, after leaving the family, Theo had deliberately tried not to concern himself with its affairs, leading to that gap.
‘Besides, at the time, there were widespread rumors that it might be a forgery. Even during the Patriarch’s War, there was no particular response to it, so everyone assumed that was the case.’
But what if it was real?
What if it held some hidden secret?
It made sense why Kinkarnon was pushing forward with such reckless tactics.
His thoughts fell neatly into place.
Now, he knew exactly what he had to do.
"Selperd, Bracken."
The two people whom Theo recognized as the masters of the Six Snow Families turned to look at him.
"Gorito, Hanata."
Likewise, the captains of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry fixed their serious gazes on him.
"Since the Patriarch has placed me in the position of Young Lord, I had intended to hold this position without shedding the blood of my brothers. If necessary, I was even willing to share the title of Soaring Dragon with them."
['Skill: Drake Fear' dominates the surrounding space.]
[All eyes are on you.]
[You exude an aura of dignity.]
[Your voice carries authority.]
Gulp.
Among the Blood Wolf Swordsmen, some who were unaccustomed to this atmosphere swallowed dryly.
The White Armored Dragon Cavalry, too, all bore heavy, somber expressions.
"But it seems they have no intention of respecting my will. I realize now that I have been far too complacent."
He had assumed that simply proving his strength as Young Lord would be enough to put an end to the discord.
But that was nothing more than wishful thinking.
Ultimately, Ragnar was still Ragnar. A place filled only with dragons that sought to climb higher. He had been thinking far too complacently.
"To put an end to these ridiculous challenges once and for all—today, I will show them the difference in our standings."
Theo’s presence sharpened like a blade.
The eyes of the dragon, symbolizing the emperor, opened wide.
"On an auspicious day like today, I feel the need to draw my sword… Will you all lend me your strength?"
It was a declaration that, if necessary, he would not hesitate to purge Kinkarnon and his other brothers.
The first to move were Selperd and Bracken.
Swish!
They knelt on one knee and bowed their heads.
"As the Young Lord wills."
"As the Young Lord wills."
Next was the entire White Armored Dragon Cavalry.
"We shall become your sword."
"Wield us as you see fit."
Following them, the swordsmen of Ranke and Gardner hurriedly bowed as well.
Theo turned his body in the opposite direction.
Everyone followed him.
* * *
"Even if we proceed with the purge, with so many eyes watching us, we must control the narrative. Launching a sudden attack on the Soaring Dragon Tournament would be the worst possible strategy."
Following Theo’s orders, the White Armored Dragon Cavalry, along with the Ranke and Gardner swordsmen, moved out with different missions.
"Ranke, disguise yourselves as Gardner and move alongside them."
"You want us to infiltrate Kinkarnon's side?"
"Yes. The real conflict will likely erupt during the peak of the Soaring Dragon Tournament, around the finals. Monitor their movements and, when the signal is given—"
"You want us to take the field by storm."
"If Sir Bracken steps in, the evidence will carry even more weight."
"Ha-ha-ha! I knew following you was the right choice. You keep throwing me the most entertaining tasks. This is thrilling. Algon—I need to see that bastard’s face twist in humiliation!"
Bracken was enjoying this situation more than ever.
Not only would he crush his rival’s pride, but he would also solidify his position as the next patriarch’s closest confidant.
If this operation succeeded, Ranke’s standing would be secure for decades to come.
"The White Armored Dragon Cavalry will split into two groups. One will—"
Theo strategically stationed them across key locations, including the Soaring Dragon Tournament and Magnolia Palace.
It was a precautionary measure to ensure immediate action if necessary.
"And the rest of Unit 6 will accompany me to spectate the Soaring Dragon Tournament."
At present, Unit 6 had only a handful of members.
The Erika siblings, Ray, Selperd, Arin, and a dozen others—barely more than ten in total.
The group tried to dissuade him, saying it was too dangerous.
"Dangerous? If anything, it’s the safest place. The entire audience consists of Ragnar, after all."
With just that simple statement, Theo dismissed their concerns.
His confidence—his belief that any Ragnar swordsman would instinctively protect him in a crisis—made their hearts pound with excitement.
After everyone dispersed to their respective assignments, Theo, accompanied only by Unit 6, arrived at the Central Intelligence Bureau, where the Soaring Dragon Tournament was in full swing.
Murmur, murmur.
- T-that’s…!
- It’s the Young Lord! The Young Lord has arrived!
- Wow… He looks even more striking than the rumors say.
The tournament, which had been reaching its peak, came to a brief halt.
All eyes turned toward Theo.
"Young Lord, what brings you here unannounced…?"
The stage director hurried over, bowing deeply.
His face was drenched in cold sweat.
"With such an important event taking place, it seemed odd for me not to attend as the Young Lord. I came to congratulate the new Soaring Dragon."
Theo gave a plausible response while swiftly scanning the area.
His gaze met those of the challengers who had been catching their breath before their matches.
Most of them hastily bowed their heads.
But some, instead, sent him provocative stares.
Lezé and Ansio.
- Just wait. I’ll be up there soon.
Lezé mouthed the words while tapping Grim Reaper with her hand.
Her expression showed more competitive spirit than hostility.
Meanwhile…
Ansio was smiling silently, yet an invisible cold wall separated her from the others.
Theo simply gave a small nod to acknowledge his sisters.
And then—
‘…Why is that guy here?’
There was an unexpected face in the crowd.
"Arin. That person."
"Yeah. I think so… But why would he, when even Selperd wouldn’t?"
"Hey! Haven’t I always said it? That guy is way crazier than me."
Selperd and Arin, who had also noticed the same thing, let out dry chuckles.
A masked challenger was waving his hand flamboyantly in their direction.
She had gone through the trouble of disguising herself to hide her identity, but with such a small frame, there was no way anyone could fail to recognize her—unless they were blind.
「Unit 1 Captain? Does the Commander know you’re here?」
「Heeheehee. Who’s this Unit 1 Captain you’re talking about? I don’t know anyone like that! I may be super fun and lively, but you must be mistaken~.」
「…….」
This person… was not someone who could be reasoned with.
Theo let out a small sigh.
It was obvious—she was only here to kill time.
If she actually became the Soaring Dragon, she would have to leave the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.
After all, the Nine Dragons were never allowed to stay in the same place as another.
But even so, Amore was a top-tier expert, possessing skills on par with a Laurel Sword Master.
She was more than qualified to participate.
And then—
Kinkarnon.
At last, Theo's gaze met with the figure seated at the end.
The eldest son of Kyle, the one said to have inherited his bloodline more strongly than anyone else.
In both his past and present lives, he had been the closest to the throne—but in the past, he had ultimately failed to claim it.
And in this life…
That fate would not change.
"……."
"……."
An indescribable tension filled the air between them.
Had the audience sensed it as well?
The once-boisterous crowd had fallen completely silent at this moment.
