Chapter 213: Sword Emperor Kinkarnon (3)
“Seems like there are some unfamiliar faces.”
The swordsmen of Kinkarnon's personal guard, ‘Sword Emperor Guard, tilted their heads as they observed those who had accompanied the Blood Wolf Swordsmen.
Although they had already encountered the Gardner family multiple times during the course of this operation, today's gathering was noticeably larger.
A group of figures in deep blue robes, their identities difficult to discern.
However, their presence exuded a sharp, honed intensity—like finely tempered blades.
“We are the Blue Wolf Swordsmen. Our lord… Algon personally assigned them to ensure the absolute success of this mission, no matter what.”
The Blood Wolf Swordsman who spoke showed a hint of tension, though the Sword Emperor Guard failed to pick up on it.
Instead, they barely managed to suppress a smirk, convinced that these newcomers were not as trusted by Algon as they claimed to be.
How little faith must he have had to send additional reinforcements?
“You seem quite worried.”
“That’s right.”
“When this is over, be sure to tell him this—things wrapped up far too easily, leaving little for your people to do.”
“If you can make it happen, we’d be grateful.”
“Follow us.”
The Sword Emperor Guard took the lead.
The Blood Wolf Swordsmen glanced toward the Blue Wolf Swordsmen, and their eyes met with the man standing at the very end.
Only after he gave a slight nod did they begin to move.
‘Arrogant.’
The man, Bracken Ranke, let out a quiet chuckle as he watched the Sword Emperor Guard walk ahead.
He knew well that they had always thrived on the battlefield under Kinkarnon’s command, their skills nearly rivaling the Four Great Divisions.
And yet, despite the presence of far more people than expected, they showed little caution.
Did they simply believe greater numbers were advantageous?
Or was it a sign of confidence, as if to say, "Even if you betray us, we have nothing to fear"?
“Everyone, be ready.”
Before long, they arrived at their destination—Magnolia Palace.
At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than the crumbling ruins of an old palace.
The people in the vicinity hardly paid it any mind.
「This place may look abandoned, but it’s equipped with various security measures inside. We don’t know what dangers await, so do not let your guard down. We’ll go first.」
Paah!
At the command of the leading swordsman, the Sword Emperor Guard leaped over the palace wall in unison.
"Hm! A place like this does seem perfect for a little sneaky business without anyone noticing, doesn’t it?"
Bracken stroked his chin and grinned slyly before moving last.
Tak!
* * *
With Kinkarnon’s arrival, the atmosphere on the platform turned ice-cold.
- W-We’re supposed to take him on all at once?
- Even if he is Lord Kinkarnon, isn’t that a bit reckless?
- Who knows! Maybe that just means he’s that confident…!
The audience, on the other hand, was ecstatic.
Arrogance and audacity—these were the very ideals that every Northerner admired.
"Ah, what an unexpected turn of events! The match between Lezé Ragnar and Anonymous hasn’t even concluded yet, but Lord Kinkarnon Ragnar has just thrown down a brand-new challenge—! Now, how will our two competitors respond—"
"What do you think you’re doing, big brother?"
Lezé’s sharp voice cut off the announcer mid-sentence.
Her expression twisted in displeasure.
But Kinkarnon merely scoffed.
"Exactly what I said. This is a waste of time, so let’s end it quickly."
"……."
Lezé’s grip on Grim Reaper tightened.
Something in her mind felt as though it was about to snap.
But then—
"You must be fuming because all the attention is on Theo now, huh?"
At Amore’s offhand remark, Lezé suddenly felt as though she’d been doused with ice-cold water.
Kinkarnon remained as expressionless as ever.
But Lezé didn’t miss the slight twitch at the corner of his brow.
"I have no idea what you’re talking about."
"Oh, please. You know exactly what I mean~. You loved it when everyone’s eyes were on you, didn’t you? But now, it’s all been stolen away, and you hate it. Isn’t that right?"
"So, you think you can’t win with skill alone, so you resort to cheap psychological tricks? I suppose it’s a decent attempt…"
"Pfft. Look at this attention-seeking bastard."
"……."
"The way you’re acting right now? It’s what a five-year-old does. ‘Please pay attention to me, boo-hoo!’"
Amore even exaggerated her movements in a ridiculous parody.
She wore a mask, making it impossible to read her expression, but no one could mistake the mockery laced in her tone.
Crack!
For the first time, Kinkarnon's icy façade showed a crack.
Lezé could almost hear the sound of it breaking in her ears.
"Well then. This works out just fine—I didn’t feel like fighting twice anyway."
The once playful voice settled into a calm stillness.
A colossal presence that did not match her small frame.
Gooooo!
The dominating aura of Kinkarnon was overturned in an instant.
"If you step up so confidently only to have your face smashed into the ground, that’d be quite the sight, wouldn’t it?"
With those words, the ground beneath Amore's feet caved in.
Meanwhile, Kinkarnon, his expression once again unreadable, flicked his sword into the air.
Kwaaaaang!
A devastating storm of sword energy surged skyward.
Kwakwaang!
That was—
The signal flare.
* * *
"Ahhh! The final battle has suddenly begun—! The fate of the Soaring Dragon Battle—!"
Theo rose from his seat.
Though the thunderous cheers nearly drowned it out, his ears caught the sounds crystal clear.
- This is Azure Pavilion! This is Azure Pavilion! We’re under sudden attack by an unidentified group—!
- This is Bed Town! A sudden disturbance is making crowd control impossible—!
- Unknown individuals are moving swiftly toward Central Intelligence! Requesting reinforcements—!
Urgent voices echoed from the magic communication channel.
It meant that Kinkarnon’s hidden followers across the city had begun their attack.
And then—
//slw [‘Skill: Drake Fear’ and ‘Skill: Hatchling Synchronization’ activated simultaneously, greatly expanding perception range.]
Through the audience stands, Theo could see the chaotic movements beginning.
"Unit 6."
At his low command, the members who had been waiting behind him all sharpened their gazes.
"From this moment forward, anyone inciting disorder is to be deemed a rebel. Subdue them all."
"By your command!"
"By your command!"
"By your command!"
Like streaks of light, the unit members shot into the air.
Pararararak!
Since they had already been scanning the audience at Theo’s orders, every suspicious movement had long been identified.
Tsupat!
Blades of sword energy rained down onto the stands.
- Kyaaaah!
- W-What’s happening?
- T-The Young Lord—why would he…!
As the confusion reached its peak, Theo amplified his voice with magic and roared.
"How dare you—! We have received intelligence that a treasonous coup is being plotted within the Soaring Dragon Battle—! I, Theo Ragnar, as the Young Lord, will see that justice is served—!"
The stone he cast sent ripples of chaos.
- A… coup?
- Are they insane?
- Who would dare…!
- In Winterer, where both the Lord and the Young Lord are present—who’s crazy enough to try this?
- Troyban?
Coup d’état!
Confusion spread across the faces of the spectators.
While Ragnar was no stranger to internal conflicts—after all, under the law of the strong, it was common for at least one or two civil wars to break out each generation—
This had not happened once in the past several decades under Kyle’s rule.
Naturally, everyone was in shock.
Moreover, had it not been just a short while since the war with Troyban had ended?
But then—
Step!
The moment Theo took his first step, the confusion began to subside as if it had all been a lie.
It was partly due to Drake Fear, which suppressed the chaotic atmosphere, but more importantly, it was because Theo’s movement was entirely unexpected.
Theo lightly waved his hand in the air.
Kuuururung!
A bolt of lightning struck, splitting the battlefield and pushing Kinkarnon, Lezé, and Amore far apart.
- What? Why is he going over there?
- Don’t tell me… one of those three is behind the coup?!
As the murmurs grew louder—
"Young Lord, aren’t you making too much of a scene?"
Suddenly, a booming voice echoed from the sky.
//slw [An enemy has appeared!]
And then—a meteor descended before Theo.
Kwoooom!
As it crashed, raising a thick cloud of dust, a figure emerged.
- Conquering Dragon! It’s the Conquering Dragon!
- Why is Lord Dante suddenly here?!
A towering figure so massive that even Bracken seemed small in comparison.
A brutal, overwhelming presence.
The Conquering Dragon stood grinning broadly, blocking Theo’s path.
"What is the meaning of this, Conquering Dragon? I believe I made it clear—I am in the middle of apprehending rebels. Are you interfering?"
"As if. Me, interfering? You should know better than anyone how loyal I am to our Lord."
"Then how exactly am I supposed to interpret this?"
The Conquering Dragon’s sudden appearance—
Even Theo had not foreseen this.
A union between Kinkarnon and Ansio had never occurred in his previous life.
But it wasn’t surprising.
‘After all, once Kishar died, it was inevitable that I’d have to clash with the Conquering Dragon at some point.’
The Conquering Dragon was simply probing him, testing where he stood.
The ultimate practitioner of the strong prey on the weak.
Theo could not afford to show any weaknesses.
The Conquering Dragon grinned.
"Well—"
"I don’t know what it is you want, but let me make one thing clear."
At that moment, Theo’s eyes turned ice-cold.
"Who told you… that you could block my path?"
"……!!"
For a brief moment, Conquering Dragon’s eyebrow twitched.
His pride had been wounded.
There was only one thing he needed to do—
To keep Theo occupied until Kinkarnon’s subordinates got their hands on the Scepter of the Sovereign.
And he had assumed it wouldn’t be all that difficult.
Up until now, as he observed Theo from the sidelines, he had thought, ‘When he becomes the next Lord, he’ll lead Ragnar well.’
But at the same time, another thought always lingered—‘He’s still young and lacks experience.’
That was why Conquering Dragon had decided to lend Kinkarnon some support, hoping to significantly expand his own influence.
The bigger the conflict between Theo and Kinkarnon grew, the higher his value would soar.
‘At the very least, I should be able to take the East—that’s the minimum for this deal to be worth it.’
His true ambition was singular—
The throne.
He had no illusions about ever defeating Ragnar.
But beneath that rule, in the areas beyond Ragnar’s direct reach, he believed he could still wield power under their shadow.
So, while pretending to support Kinkarnon, he had planned to strike a deal with Theo, securing the Eastern Territories for himself before eventually betraying Kinkarnon.
Yet now, it seemed Theo had no intention of even entertaining the conversation.
"I’m only extending this courtesy because you once saved me in the Floating Archipelago. I won’t tolerate any further overreach."
Theo, too, had his own strategy.
He knew better than anyone that showing weakness before Conquering Dragon would only invite endless attacks.
"How arrogant. The consequences of your choices will be yours alone to bear."
"My future is mine to decide. You, however, must make your choice—will you support me and maintain your current standing, or will you side with Kinkarnon and be purged alongside him?"
"That—"
For a fleeting moment, Conquering Dragon calculated his options.
From Theo’s firm stance, it was clear—if he so much as slightly aligned himself with Kinkarnon, he would take the fall right alongside him.
Would he risk challenging Theo’s authority to seize what he wanted?
Or would he support Theo and bide his time for another opportunity?
The first option was a gamble—high stakes, high rewards.
The second was a safer bet—low risk, low gain.
His hesitation lasted only a moment.
Just as he was about to make his decision and speak—
「No, Master! If you side with Theo Ragnar, it will be dangerous!」
A desperate transmission from Ansio rang in his mind.
Then—
A brilliant idea flashed across his thoughts.
‘There is a third option, after all.’
With a cold smirk, Conquering Dragon opened his mouth to speak.
