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As soon as Theo opened the iron door and stepped inside, he couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.

A massive cavern large enough to accommodate hundreds of people.

Mountains of gold and treasure piled high.

Shelves soaring even higher along the walls.

The golden light he had seen peeking through the crack in the door was all reflections from these treasures.

But—

What truly astonished Theo was the ‘dragon’ sleeping in the center of the cavern.

Its tough brown hide, like gnarled tree roots.

Its dark blue scales, gleaming as beautifully as if they held the depths of the ocean.

A body spanning tens of meters.

And wings large enough to envelop its massive frame.

It was an ancient dragon species, long thought extinct, seen now only in ancient scriptures.

The most shocking part, however, was that the ancient dragon was breathing.

‘This wasn’t just some simple hatchling’s den…! This was an actual nest of an ancient dragon.’

The nest of an ancient dragon, said to be worth enough to sustain entire generations just by discovering it.

And judging by its immense size and the sheer aura it exuded, this dragon was undoubtedly of ‘Dragon King’ rank.

The moment Theo’s eyes widened at the unexpected truth—

Flash!

The dragon, which he had thought was asleep, opened its eyes.

In its gem-like golden pupils, Theo’s startled reflection was visible.

「It’s been a while since a has come to this place.」

Theo, shaken by the voice that resonated in his mind, slowly regained his composure and opened his mouth.

“You are…!”

「My name is Lodbrok.」

The ancient dragon, having revealed its name, began to slowly rise.

Rumble…!

The sheer movement caused the cavern to shake violently, dislodging dust and rocks that cascaded from the ceiling.

「I am the one you Ragnar call the , the master of these Winter Mountains.」

“…!”

Theo was more shocked by Lodbrok’s identity than by his immense stature.

The Guardian Dragon.

A being that Ragnar’s founder, ‘Sigurd,’ had formed a contract with before establishing the House in the North.

And… also his lover.

According to legend, the second head of the family was a ‘half-dragon,’ born between Sigurd and Lodbrok.

This was the reason Ragnar claimed that ‘dragon blood’ flowed through their veins.

“I greet the ancestor…”

Theo hurriedly knelt on one knee, intending to offer a formal greeting.

「Hmm? Ancestor?」

Lodbrok’s reaction, however, was one of utter confusion.

Thus, the one now puzzled was Theo.

“That’s because, as the Guardian Dragon, you were the consort of our ancestor and the mother of the second head of the house, ‘Fridleif,’ weren’t you?”

「Who? Me? The mother of that scoundrel?」

Lodbrok tilted her head to the side.

「Pahahaha! I see. So that’s how it turned out. That rascal must have been playing tricks.」

Suddenly, Lodbrok burst into loud, hearty laughter.

The cavern echoed thunderously with her laughter.

However, Theo couldn’t laugh along.

It wasn’t just Lodbrok’s negative tone towards Fridleif, the second head of the family.

He also had a sinking feeling that everything he had believed so far was being called into question.

「Child of Sigurd, could you tell me what sort of legends about me are passed down in the outside world?」

After a brief moment of contemplation, Theo carefully opened his mouth.

And then—

Sneer!

After hearing the full story, Lodbrok scoffed.

「As I thought. That scoundrel was just scheming to claim legitimacy for himself.」

Theo felt somewhat at a loss as to how he should respond to such a disparaging remark about his ancestor.

「Let me tell you one thing. It’s true that I was born with the physical traits of a female, but not once have I ever defined myself by a specific gender. The burdens I carried were far too great for me to concern myself with such things.」

Lodbrok raised her head high.

Her appearance was filled with overwhelming dignity.

「It’s true that Sigurd and I referred to each other as ‘partners,’ but that was merely a term of respect, akin to partners or soul-bound contractors. There wasn’t the slightest exchange of such emotions between us.」

There seemed to be a touch of nostalgia in her voice, as though recalling the past, but also a trace of longing.

「And.」

Lodbrok’s eyes curved slightly, forming a sharp arc.

「To begin with, I am a dragon, and he was human. Our species are different, and even our standards of attraction differ. How could mating be possible?」

Theo nodded with a bitter smile.

It was true, after all.

Just as a human wouldn’t be able to discern Lodbrok’s beauty or ugliness, the appearance of humans must be indistinguishable from one another in her eyes.

「However, Sigurd’s foolish son always sought to use me for his own benefit. That’s one of the reasons I grew weary and eventually left your Ragnar family.」

Theo awkwardly scratched his cheek.

“So, the claim that our lineage carries the blood of dragons was nothing more than propaganda, then.”

「No. Not exactly. I shared the ‘dragon’s blood’ with Sigurd through our contract.」

“Ah.”

「Sigurd, who was quite unlike any other human, underwent several enhancements after that. The unique physiques that you Ragnar possess today are probably the result of a mutation that manifested from those changes.」

Theo nodded, finally understanding the sequence of events.

Now, he could see why Fridleif’s propaganda had been so effective.

「Well then, with the light introductions out of the way, I shall now fulfill the Guardian Dragon’s duty towards the Chosen One.」

The Chosen One.

Theo realized that the term referred to someone who had been ‘chosen’ by the relics of the Ancient Dragons.

「From this moment on, I, Lodbrok, in accordance with the primordial covenant, will grant the Chosen One the opportunity to ask three questions.」

Theo’s ears perked up at this.

“You mean you will answer anything I ask?”

「Is that your first question?」

“…No, please wait a moment.”

Talking about mating so casually, along with everything else, Theo started to think that Lodbrok might have a playful personality, despite her majestic appearance.

‘Focus. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.’

Given the circumstances, it was clear that Lodbrok knew many secrets regarding the events Theo was currently embroiled in.

Thus, he needed to organize his questions carefully to extract as much valuable information as possible.

After quickly gathering his thoughts, Theo spoke slowly.

“Then, I’ll ask my first question.”

「Speak.」

“Why are you here?”

According to the family’s records, Lodbrok had passed away after Sigurd, heartbroken from his death, and returned to nature herself.

Yet here she was, nesting in such a remote place, far from the eyes of the world.

It meant there must have been a reason why she had been hiding for the past thousand years, keeping her existence a secret from the world.

「You’re asking a fundamental question to uncover as much hidden background knowledge as possible? A good question.」

Lodbrok smiled lightly before continuing.

However—

Her expression soon turned solemn.

「Because of the .」

“The Nameless Sovereign…?”

Theo felt a chill run down his spine.

Even though it was a name he had never heard before, it sent an inexplicable shiver through him.

「A ‘monster’ that exists beyond the Demonic Sea, at the very edge of the world, and then even beyond that. For the past thousand years, I’ve remained here with the duty of protecting the world from it. The Winter Mountains are merely a forward base for that purpose.」

The emotions radiating from Lodbrok were only two:

Rage.

And… fear.

‘Is there really someone that even the Guardian Dragon fears? This dragon was the Dragon King even a thousand years ago, and yet…’

Theo couldn’t wrap his mind around it.

Who in the world was this ?

Could it be some kind of Demon King from the Demon Realm that he had only heard of in stories, or perhaps even one of the fallen ?

However, Theo had to force himself to swallow down the questions that were pressing at his throat.

If he asked more now, he wouldn’t be able to ask anything else.

So, stifling his curiosity, he moved on to his next question.

“…I’ll ask my second question. What exactly are the relics of the Ancient Dragons?”

「The Primordial Dragon, Fafnir, split his soul into 31 pieces to protect you humans from the .」

“…!”

There it was again.

The mention of this mysterious entity, the .

「You currently possess three of them. Soon, you will have four.」

Theo’s eyes widened in shock.

‘Three? I have three of them? Not two?’

Theo instinctively touched the two relics he had: Drake’s blade and the Moon-White Sword.

So, there was already another relic he had acquired without knowing.

‘…It’s me.’

He quickly came to a conclusion.

The power to turn back time.

The absurd phenomenon that had allowed him to reverse the flow of a decade of time.

If that wasn’t the power of an Ancient Dragon relic, what else could it be?

Yet, questions remained.

‘Each of the relics of the Ancient Dragons had a dragon species guarding it. But when I experienced my “return,” wasn’t there no such guardian?’

「Now, it’s time for your final question.」

“Why me?”

「Your question is too broad. Narrow it down.」

“Why was I ‘chosen’?”

「Ah, so that’s what you were going for. I wondered when you’d get to that.」

A small smirk crept across Lodbrok’s lips.

「This is actually a question I should ask you. Why do you speak as though you are the ‘only one’ who was ‘specially’ chosen?」

“What do you mean by that…!”

「The Primordial Covenant wasn’t created to show favoritism to anyone. Those are my answers to your three questions.」

Lodbrok’s lips pressed tightly shut.

It was clear from Lodbrok’s expression that she wouldn’t answer any more questions, no matter what he asked.

Thump, thump, thump—

Meanwhile, Theo’s heart was pounding in his chest.

‘I’m not the only one chosen by the relics.’

In fact, it was a completely natural conclusion when he thought about it.

Ed, Kirsion, and the Black Dragon—all of them knew about the relics and were actively trying to gather them.

So, it wouldn’t be strange if one of them had already been using a relic.

‘Could they also be receiving messages like me, or have even experienced regression as I have?’

The thought crossed Theo’s mind, but he quickly shook his head.

‘No, each relic has a different ability. Drake’s is the dungeon, and Griffin’s is the Moon-White Sword. My regression must be the unique ability of the relic I possess.’

But this too was only speculation, so he couldn’t be certain about anything.

‘Then what happens if all 31 relics are gathered? Will the Ancient Dragon be resurrected?’

If that’s the case, then why was such a system put in place?

‘Is it to kill the ? To raise someone powerful enough to do so?’

Questions only led to more questions.

「You seem deep in thought.」

“That’s true.”

「This, too, is one of the burdens you must bear. Too much information can only restrict a Chosen One’s future choices.」

Lodbrok seemed to be wary of something.

So, Theo refrained from asking any further questions.

Though doubts still lingered about the Nameless Sovereign and the multiple Chosen Ones, he was content with what he had learned.

At least now, he had a clearer understanding of what the relics of the Ancient Dragons were and why he was caught up in all of this.

‘If I keep collecting the relics, I’ll eventually find out more. Even if I sit on the throne, I’ll uncover the truth in the end.’

「Still, I like this Chosen One. You seem clear-cut in how you handle things. The ones before you would have thrown a fit, complaining about this sounding like some sort of riddle.」

Theo nodded.

Indeed, if this were any of the Ragnar he knew, no matter how powerful the Guardian Dragon was, they would’ve caused havoc if something didn’t sit right with them.

「Now, with all the quests completed, it’s time to receive your reward.」

Lodbrok spread her wings wide as she declared this.

[Congratulations! You have successfully completed Tutorial Quest #15.]

[Evaluation: A+]

[You have earned the opportunity to acquire a ‘Relic of the Ancient Dragon’ as a reward.]

「As you can see, this nest is filled with treasures I’ve gathered from all over the world throughout my lifetime. I will grant you one of them. What is it that you desire?」

(E/n: pick her!)

Theo clenched his fist tightly.

A reward.

No matter how many times he heard that word, it never failed to make his ears perk up.

And if that reward was a treasure personally bestowed by the Guardian Dragon of his family, how valuable could it be?

「Jewels? Just selling one of these could easily buy you an entire metropolis. A magic tome? It would grant you incredible power. What about an elixir? It could elevate you to a whole new level. I also have secret techniques, which will put you at the pinnacle of all.」

Theo glanced at the mountains of gold and treasure spread around Lodbrok, as well as the towering shelves that reached the ceiling.

「Or how about a weapon? Your Ragnar clan prides itself on proving its worth through the sword, so nothing could be more fitting than this.」

Jewels, magic tomes, elixirs, secret techniques, weapons…

Every treasure that had once shaken the world was here.

「Whatever it is, just say the word. I’ll give it to you.」

Lodbrok’s attitude suggested she could grant anything, no matter what Theo asked for.

It was a temptation that felt like the devil’s offer.

‘So, this is how Black Snow was able to choose Amon here.’

Perhaps the rumor that this was merely a ‘Hatchling’s Den’ had been a deliberate misinformation campaign by Black Snow.

A ploy to conceal the existence of the Guardian Dragon and claim the rewards for themselves.

‘So, what should I choose?’

Theo considered choosing Amon himself, but quickly shook his head.

The truth was, he didn’t know much about Amon.

What if it turned out to be something harmful to his growth?

That would be a disaster.

However, there were plenty of other treasures here that could significantly aid his development right away.

Those were what he needed to focus on finding.

「Yes, it’s understandable that you’d be conflicted. Then feel free to explore the nest as much as you’d like until you make your decision. Call for me when you’re ready.」

Lodbrok offered him time to deliberate, but—

Theo couldn’t afford to take that time.

The Blossoming Ceremony was ongoing at this very moment.

If he stayed away for too long, the examiners might start to grow suspicious.

‘So, what should I choose…?’

At that moment, a thought suddenly occurred to Theo.

Lodbrok had said that this place contained all the treasures of the world.

And she had promised to grant him anything he desired.

In that case—

‘What if I asked for something beyond the ordinary?’

After deliberating, Theo lifted his head and locked eyes with Lodbrok.

「Oh? Have you made your decision?」

Her golden eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“Can I really obtain anything I desire?”

「Of course. Every word a dragon speaks is bound by Word Magic. We cannot lie. I may not be able to grant you something that does not exist in this nest, but if it’s here, anything is yours.」

“In that case, there is just one thing I want.”

「Very well. What is it?」

Staring directly into her golden eyes, Theo spoke clearly.

“I want Lodbrok.”

「…Hm?」

For a moment, Lodbrok blinked, thinking she must have misheard.

But Theo, expressionless, calmly repeated his request.

“I want the treasure called Lodbrok.”

「…!」

Lodbrok’s eyes widened in shock.

(E/n: :DD I didn’t expect him to actually do it)