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– Theo Ragnar had set a new record for the fastest promotion in history. He became a Practical Swordsman.

At a time when Winterer was still boiling over the record Theo had set during the Blossoming Ceremony.

The new piece of gossip(?) that was thrown into the mix was like pouring oil on a burning fire.

– Practical Swordsman? Is that even possible?

– It’s not a lie, right?

– No. It’s been officially announced.

– Crazy…! But, wasn’t there no promotion exam announced during that time? When did this even happen?

– Apparently, it was the result of his achievements during a classified mission.

– If you could get promoted just by completing a few missions, I would’ve already been an Advanced Swordsman. Are they pushing him because he’s been in the spotlight lately?

Of course, there were some who raised concerns about fairness.

But their doubts quickly vanished.

– I heard he captured a Blood Priest.

– What?

– He captured a Blood Priest.

– …!

– On top of that, he even fended off an attack from two Blood Priests working together… There were a lot of witnesses, it seems. Not just the White Armored Dragon Cavalry, but even Black Snow and the Plum Blossom Palace took part in confirming the announcement. It’s real.

– Even if he’s a direct descendant of Ragnar, this kind of talent is just unbelievable…

If it had only been the White Armored Dragon Cavalry making the claim, people might have suspected them of protecting their own. But with other forces backing it up, the story changed completely.

Moreover, Black Snow, ruled by the Black Dragon, was a neutral organization that aligned with no faction.

The weight of their recognition carried special significance.

Questioning it at that point would be tantamount to challenging Kyle’s authority.

Thus, while people marveled, they also began to bring up new stories, one by one.

– An unbelievable talent.

They focused on the talent that had made him a Practical Swordsman at the age of fifteen.

It made them recall someone from the distant past, someone whom not many people remembered anymore.

– Kyle.

Around sixty years ago, when Kyle first picked up a sword, didn’t he also cause a similar whirlwind?

And he grew at a terrifying pace, ultimately pulling the Mad Dragon Emperor down from his throne.

Naturally, this led to a new topic of discussion.

– Could this be the start of a seismic shift in the succession battle, which has been locked among the five candidates for over a decade?

Until now, the five candidates, including Torkel, had not reached out to Theo.

No, they hadn’t even given off the slightest hint of interest.

It was as if they knew nothing of his existence at all.

Torkel was the only one who occasionally sent favorable messages about Theo, but even he hadn’t made any direct moves to meet with Theo.

The general opinion among the public was that the five major candidates were simply watching Theo’s progress from the sidelines.

After all, there had been many talents, like Naban Bacchus, who made a name for themselves during the Blossoming Ceremony but faded into obscurity afterward without leaving any lasting impact.

However, now that Theo’s abilities had been proven effective in real combat, and with rumors spreading that his talent might rival Kyle’s, they could no longer just sit back and observe.

As expected, rumors began to circulate that Torkel’s Black Iron Cavalry was on the move and that other candidates had secretly summoned their high-ranking officials.

Just as Winterer was about to stir in earnest, the protagonist of these rumors returned to the family estate.

* * *

“Flash Demon.”

“…?”

Upon his return to Winterer, Theo immediately went to the White Armored Dragon Cavalry’s headquarters.

Given the nature of the situation, he hadn’t had a proper rest and had traveled the long distance in one go, leaving him visibly fatigued.

But the moment he arrived, Julius threw out a cryptic word.

Theo tilted his head in confusion, trying to figure out what he meant, and Julius’s lips curled into a smirk.

“It’s the new nickname people have given you. How do you like it?”

“…Didn’t I already have a nickname?”

“You did. Something like ‘Flash Tiger’ or whatever. But not many people knew about it, and it wasn’t all that famous either. It only spread after the Blossoming Ceremony.”

Julius’s grin grew even wider.

“But this time, it’s different. You took down a Blood Priest all by yourself, right? Plus, though it’s still under embargo, you even raided the Central Intelligence Director’s vault. And you got promoted to a Practical Swordsman in record time. People probably think that’s not enough to describe you now.”

Theo scratched his cheek awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

If there was something he still hadn’t gotten used to since his return, it was this sort of exaggerated praise… no, ‘enthusiasm.’

“They say that whenever you swing your sword, yellow lightning crackles, white steam billows, and red flames flare up. And afterward, you’re soaked in the enemy’s blood, looking like a demon straight out of hell.”

‘Did… rumors really spread that far?’

Theo’s face turned slightly red.

Seeing his reaction, Julius found it amusing and laughed heartily.

“Why are you so embarrassed? When you first joined, you boldly declared that you’d become the youngest captain ever. Where did all that bravado go?”

“Well, that was true, but…”

“Anyway, our White Armored Dragon Cavalry got their hands on an amazing treasure. An absolutely amazing treasure.”

“That is….”

“Do you need anything while you’re out on missions? If you do, I’ll support you with my own money, no problem. If you need a sparring partner, I can help with that too.”

“Hmm, well….”

“I may not brag about it, but don’t forget I’m still the Demon Dragon, the Demon Dragon. Just say the word. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my precious kid.”

It was reaching the point where he seemed willing to give up his liver and gallbladder, so Theo subtly turned to Evelyn for help.

However, Evelyn simply shook her head.

As if to say there was nothing she could do either.

「He’s always had this goofy side, which doesn’t suit his age… Even if he’s being silly, just let it slide. There’s nothing we can do.」

It was around the time Theo was starting to step back, having discovered this new side of Julius he hadn’t known before.

“I think it’s thanks to the exceptional intelligence network of our Black Snow that we’ve garnered such fame.”

Swoosh!

Suddenly, from the ceiling, Black Dragon descended with his arms crossed.

In an instant, the grin on Julius’s face turned into a fierce glare.

As if to say, ‘How dare you show up here!’

It seemed like that’s what he was shouting, but Black Dragon wasn’t bothered at all. He just said what he wanted to Theo.

“Theo, don’t you think this proves that our Black Snow’s support is essential for your future endeavors? You and we make the best team in the world. If you ever feel inclined, come find me anytime.”

Whoosh—

Theo instinctively caught what Black Dragon tossed to him.

It was a wooden plaque engraved with a black dragon.

“What is this?”

“It’s the proof of No Snow.”

“……!”

Theo’s eyes widened in surprise.

「This guy! What on earth is he doing!」

Julius urgently transmitted his thoughts telepathically.

He was holding back for the sake of saving face in front of Theo, but otherwise, he looked ready to grab Black Dragon by the collar at any moment.

「Brother, this is why you’re still an amateur. Watch closely. This is how you win over someone you want on your side.」

「……!?」

「Nothing works better than a bribe.」

Theo spoke up.

“I…!”

“Oh, don’t worry. I know full well that you’re not thinking of leaving the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.”

“Then why are you going so far to help me? Just giving me the Purity Pill and helping me learn the Meridian Enhancing technique was already more help than I deserve.”

Theo couldn’t quite understand Black Dragon’s behavior.

The two of them had never really shared any emotional exchanges.

Moreover, just like Kyle, Black Dragon despised reincarnators.

So why was he being so kind?

「What the? Since when did you get all buddy-buddy like a sneaky stray cat?」

Black Dragon, once again, ignored Julius’s protests and answered.

“Just because.”

“……?!”

“You’ve been carrying yourself with confidence and poise lately. So, I figured I could trust you a bit more.”

“Is that… so?”

Theo still couldn’t understand Black Dragon.

But it seemed that some aspect of how he had behaved so far had gradually softened the man’s attitude toward him.

“If it’s too overwhelming to accept, then… well. How about we just say it’s a gift from an uncle to his nephew?”

“……!”

Theo was dumbfounded.

It was true that Black Dragon was Kyle’s younger brother, so biologically speaking, they were indeed related as uncle and nephew.

But Theo had never heard that Black Dragon had applied such a personal standard before.

Regardless, Black Dragon continued to speak as if it was nothing.

“With that plaque, you’ll not only be able to use any of Black Snow’s safe houses scattered around the world, but you’ll also receive full support from our branches. I’ll have Kleve explain how to use it in more detail later.”

It essentially meant that he was handing over privileges almost equal to No Snow itself.

Theo still couldn’t grasp Black Dragon’s true intentions, but the man’s eyes, visible through his mask, were clearly smiling.

Meanwhile, Julius, who had been watching from the sidelines, felt like he was about to explode.

「You’re openly bribing him right in front of me? Do you take me for a fool?」

「Hahaha. You’d better keep your wits about you from now on. There are plenty of people like me who’ll rob you blind even while you’re awake.」

「Are you seriously trying to pick a fight with me?」

「Do you think you can win?」

「Wow, seriously…!」

「If you’re upset, why don’t you try something too?」

「Just wait and see. Whether it’s you or Osa, I’m going to make sure anyone trying to drool over my kid shuts their mouth. Do you think I’ll just sit back and do nothing?」

「Go ahead, try it.」

「Agh…!」

「Haha! Anyway, I’m busy, so I’ll be going now.」

Just like when he had appeared, Black Dragon vanished into thin air, leaving behind Julius fuming.

It felt like being bewitched by a phantom.

Theo stared blankly at the spot where Black Dragon had been, while Julius forced a strained smile, trying to suppress the simmering anger within him.

But the corner of his mouth kept twitching.

‘Our captain sure is having a rough day today.’

Only Evelyn, who could read Julius’s true feelings, quietly chuckled to herself.

“It seems the Director of the Information Bureau was impressed with your performance and decided to give you a generous gift. Use it wisely. Depending on how you handle it, it could become an even sharper weapon than any sword.”

Although Julius didn’t mean a word of it.

Theo nodded heavily, acknowledging the advice.

‘I thought I’d never get entangled with them again… Well, now that it’s come to this, I’ll accept it. Just like Julius said, there’s no need to reject it.’

Theo made up his mind to acknowledge something he’d been avoiding until now.

– The fact that his nature aligned very well with Black Snow.

Despite the unpleasant memories from his past life, which made him consciously try to distance himself from Black Snow, some habits from that time were still deeply ingrained within him.

The way he viewed the world,

the way he thought,

the way he strategized—all of it.

So he felt confident that he could make good use of the plaque.

‘There must be a good reason why Black Dragon, who once despised reincarnators alongside my father, continues to show me kindness.’

As Theo quietly ran his fingers over the plaque, Julius cleared his throat loudly.

“Ahem! Ah-hmm!”

“……?”

「You don’t need to go that far. I understand perfectly well.」

Evelyn’s quiet scolding came through, but Julius pretended not to hear it at all.

“In any case, you’ve worked hard coming all this way. Now that we’ve secured solid evidence of Soaring Dragon’s treasonous activities, we just need to wrap things up.”

Wrap things up.

In that moment, Theo’s eyes gleamed sharply.

That was the phrase he’d been waiting for.

“Are we going to remove the Director of Central Intelligence now?”

Julius, no longer joking, nodded solemnly.

“Yes. Everything is already in place. I’ve even gotten approval from the Family Head.”

Approval from the Family Head.

In other words, Kyle had given his permission.

“The current Director of Central Intelligence is away on an external mission requested by Black Snow… The Director of the Information Bureau will soon lead No Snow in an attempt to capture him.”

‘So that’s why Black Dragon left so suddenly.’

“I, on the other hand, will lead our forces to occupy the Central Intelligence Bureau with the cooperation of the Plum Blossom Palace.”

“You’re planning to strike while the leader is absent.”

“The loyalty toward the Director of Central Intelligence is well-known. We need to subdue him before that becomes an issue. That’s why we deliberately separated him from his base.”

Theo nodded heavily.

Julius and Black Dragon were thorough in their work.

It was something Theo knew he needed to learn for the future.

“And your task is to take down the Rose Palace.”

Theo clenched his fist tightly.

‘Finally…!’

Julius patted his shoulder as he spoke.

“This entire operation would have been much harder without your contributions. So, you should be the one to finish it.”

Theo realized that this was the gift Julius had prepared for him.

‘He’s setting the stage for me to establish my position and reputation properly.’

The Rose Palace was where Emil Troyban, the Third Wife, lived.

A legitimate wife.

And now, Theo, a mere illegitimate son, was going to arrest someone like Emil for treason?

With Theo already gaining fame through the Blossoming Ceremony and his promotion to Practical Swordsman, this would be a massive event that would cement his name in people’s minds.

And since Ed and the Troyban family were involved, the issue would snowball further.

If the situation escalated into a war with the Troyban family, Theo would be at the center of the storm.

It would continue to engrave his name in Winterer.

But that wasn’t all.

Julius was one of the few who vaguely understood the bitter history between Theo’s family and Axion’s.

By giving Theo the opportunity to end it himself, Julius was offering him a favor so great it could never be repaid.

And that wasn’t the only thing.

Black Dragon had finally opened up to him.

It meant that he no longer saw Theo as a “reincarnator,” but as his “nephew.”

‘Julius, the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace, and Black Dragon… They’re all giving me their strength. More than I could ever deserve.’

So,

‘I must finish this properly.’

He couldn’t let them down.