Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: Doodle
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< Chapter 199: Dragon Spirit Sword Hrunting (4) >
At the spot where Kyle was watching Theo.
Tsut-tsut-tsut—
Madness and demonic energy circled around Theo, ready to invade him at any moment.
Theo appeared on the verge of collapse, as if he could fall at any time.
Yet, his face, with his eyes calmly shut, was utterly serene.
"I can’t tell what kind of conversation is happening inside, and it’s frustrating. Doesn’t seem like a pleasant one, though."
Kyle wasn’t the only one looking at Theo.
The Black Dragon, Julius, and the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace were all present.
These sworn brothers, who had shaped today’s Ragnar together with Kyle, had all gathered.
However, unlike the usual warmth with which they looked at Theo, today their expressions were tense, their hands gripping swords tightly.
Even their fingertips bore a sheen of cold sweat.
A stark contrast to how composed they had been when facing Troyban’s Nine Retainers.
- If Theo loses control and runs wild, it’ll be troublesome. Be prepared for the worst.
Kyle had even advised the other three separately, emphasizing the overwhelming pressure brought by the existence of the Mad Dragon Emperor.
The trauma from the coup still weighed heavily on them.
The horrors of that time had been so intense that the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace occasionally still dreamt of those events as nightmares.
"……."
Sure enough.
Tremble, tremble…
The hand holding the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace’s sword was shaking.
The once arrogant eyes that looked down on everyone.
The frenzy that raged like a storm.
The retainers who had lost their sanity in the chaos.
Soldiers who had fallen into madness, killing one another, and among them, the sight of her master being struck down by a blind blade…
‘I must not let Theo be swept into that torment…!’
Even when Kyle had first handed over the Mad Dragon Emperor’s Half-Sword to Theo, she had been deeply shocked.
And when she learned that Kyle intended to awaken the will within the sword as Theo’s "final test as the young master," she was consumed by rage.
The Lord of Plum Blossom Palace, for the first time, had erupted at Kyle.
But Kyle had merely shook his head calmly and replied.
- He’s the one who said he would inherit our karma. If that’s true, he must overcome this much.
Though she recognized the concern in Kyle’s voice, and refrained from arguing further, she still felt despair at the thought of what would happen if Theo failed.
"I hope no one is deceived by appearances."
Julius’s murmuring drew the gazes of the three others.
He shrugged his shoulders casually.
“Well, isn’t it true? That man, if you only look at the surface, seems completely normal.”
The Black Dragon silently nodded, understanding the meaning behind Julius’s words.
Before the Mad Dragon Emperor succumbed to madness, he had held the title of Sword Gentleman.
It was a nickname that didn’t suit someone from Ragnar. He was always courteous and polite, exuding a refined demeanor.
Because of that, many figures of influence and renown had sought to associate with him.
Even when the Mad Dragon Emperor was overthrown, public opinion in the Empire swayed in his favor, painting him as an unfortunate victim.
In the past, even Julius had been deceived by the Mad Dragon Emperor’s outer appearance.
He might have been the most loyal to him among those here.
But one day, Julius had reversed his blade.
The master he once served was no longer the same man he had known.
-A monster.
Having lost the woman he loved, his lord had turned into a madman, venting his fury on everyone around him.
“In some ways, Theo resembles him… but talking further would only be a waste of breath.”
Clicking his tongue lightly, Julius turned to Kyle and asked.
“Big brother, how likely do you think Theo is to overcome the will of the Mad Dragon Emperor?”
His voice was calm.
Yet the Black Dragon and the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace both knew.
If Theo failed, the first person to cast aside all attachment and raise his sword would be Julius.
Because no one here harbored greater anger or resentment toward the Mad Dragon Emperor than Julius did.
“Ten percent.”
“…Ten percent?”
Julius tilted his head slightly, while the Black Dragon and the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace frowned.
Then—
“And that’s me being generous because Theo’s mental strength is extraordinary.”
“…!”
“…!”
“Are you even listening to yourself…!”
Both the Black Dragon and the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace stiffened in shock.
Julius’s eyes burned with fury.
For the first time, he displayed hostility toward Kyle, whom he had served with unwavering obedience his entire life.
Kyle, however, met Julius’s gaze with an indifferent expression.
“If you have a better method, I’d like to hear it.”
Julius was momentarily struck speechless.
“That man has spent decades scurrying like a rat. Do you have a way to draw him out other than this? I’m saying this is a gamble for me too.”
“……”
“If that man uses the madness within the Sphere of Delusion as a medium to interfere with Theo directly? If Theo succumbs to it? We’ll lose the chosen one entirely.”
Losing the chosen one.
It meant having the Regression Ability they so desperately tried to protect stolen from them.
The thought of that outcome sent a chilling shiver down their spines.
“But even so, I trust this child. I am this child’s father. At the very least, don’t cross the line, Yuth.”
Yuth.
An affectionate nickname Julius had used in his younger days.
However, the shock Julius felt didn’t stem from being called by that name.
-I am this child’s father.
Had their eldest brother ever declared such a thing about any of his countless children?
In the end, Julius tightly shut his lips.
He realized that the one most anxious about all of this was none other than Kyle.
“It’s ending.”
At that moment, the Black Dragon, who had been silently watching Theo, finally spoke.
The remaining three all turned their attention toward Theo simultaneously.
Kukukukuku…!
Theo’s body began to tremble violently.
The upheaval had begun.
‘What kind of power is this?’
‘The aura alone is at this level?’
‘If this goes wrong, it’ll be catastrophic!’
They were all aware that Theo had already reached the level of a Dragon Gate Swordsman.
Thus, they understood that if he succumbed to the Mad Dragon Emperor’s madness, or awakened with his personality, Theo would achieve an unimaginable level of growth.
However, the sheer intensity of the madness and demonic energy radiating from him now was already comparable to the Nine Dragons—or perhaps even beyond that.
If Kyle hadn’t spread Dragon Slayer Aura to suppress the madness’ expansion, the building might have already collapsed.
It was a risky situation, with the potential for a rampage like the one during the previous coup.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
Theo’s body shook violently in rhythm with his rough heartbeat.
As the madness and demonic energy followed suit, they erupted into tangible waves, reverberating wildly.
「…Elder brother.」
At that moment, the Black Dragon spoke to Kyle in a calm voice through telepathic communication.
「It seems like this is dangerous—」
The Black Dragon’s words were abruptly cut off.
Kiaaaahhh!
Suddenly, the madness and demonic energy swirled chaotically, wrapping tightly around Theo’s body.
“Mad Dragon Manifestation!?”
“Why is this happening?!”
Julius and the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace shot to their feet.
The trademark manifestation of the Mad Dragon Emperor had appeared, reviving their past traumas.
「Brother!!」
The Black Dragon thought Theo had already been entirely consumed by the Mad Dragon Emperor.
In that case, they would have to attempt a Seal.
Just as they had once done to the Wind Lord in the past.
But Kyle remained unmoving.
The Black Dragon, unable to hold back, was about to lunge forward.
Pah!
Suddenly, a sword barred his path.
It was Julius.
“Wait, brother.”
“You!”
“Even our eldest brother is staying still, isn’t he?”
“What will you do if we just leave him, and Theo truly awakens the Mad Dragon Emperor’s personality?”
“Didn’t he say ten percent?”
Julius, his emotions unreadable, glanced at Kyle before turning back to Robert.
“In that case, we must trust him. Doesn’t that mean there’s a chance he’ll succeed?”
The Black Dragon was about to retort, but seeing the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace now standing beside Julius, he held his tongue.
The Lord of Plum Blossom Palace seemed as if she had completely overcome her trauma.
She, too, appeared to believe in the ten percent chance.
-Ten percent…
The Black Dragon murmured the words softly before realizing something.
Theo’s entire journey had been about defying odds far slimmer than this.
What had made him shift from doubting Theo to eventually supporting him?
It was Theo’s unwavering determination.
Kwaaaaaa!
At that moment, a shockwave of power far greater than anything prior surged forth, shattering Kyle’s Dragon Slayer Aura.
Crash!
The sound of glass shattering echoed as if the world itself were collapsing beneath them.
The Black Dragon, Julius, and the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace all staggered, losing their balance.
Only Kyle maintained his stance without faltering.
Then, as if a raging storm had been a lie, everything fell silent.
‘What’s going on?’
‘It’s too quiet.’
‘Theo…’
The three exchanged uneasy glances.
“It’s over,” Kyle said with a faint smile as Theo slowly opened his eyes.
His crimson eyes were now deeper, with even a tinge of brown glimmering within.
-He’s grown even more!
-Did he completely subdue the will?
-He might now be approaching a level beyond the Dragon Gate Swordsman, perhaps even the Laurel Sword Master level.
The moment they saw Theo’s eyes, the three realized something.
-We can’t read him!
For masters of their caliber to be unable to gauge his level meant one of two things:
Either he had become skilled enough to conceal his power from them, or he had risen to a level equal to theirs.
Perhaps only Kyle knew the truth.
“How was it meeting your grandfather for the first time?” Kyle asked.
Grandfather.
At that word, all three involuntarily flinched.
Theo felt momentarily puzzled, not understanding why three additional people had joined Kyle in the room when it had only been him earlier, even up until the moment he awakened the will.
However, he quickly collected himself, scratching his cheek with an embarrassed expression.
"Um, well…"
"What? Did he say something unnecessary?" Kyle asked, amusement clear in his voice.
"He told me to… pass on his regards to my father."
"What? Hahaha!"
Kyle burst into laughter, his voice ringing out loudly.
Even as they watched Kyle’s spirited reaction, the other three couldn’t help but notice Theo’s deliberate avoidance of using the term grandfather when referring to the Mad Dragon Emperor.
Just that small detail was enough to reassure them of Theo’s resolve and where his heart lay.
"So that’s all he said to his first-ever grandson? That’s just like him," Kyle said, his laugh cooling into a wry smile.
"And what else? Surely, he said more."
Theo paused for a moment, recalling the words the Mad Dragon Emperor had spoken just before he passed through the Gate.
A serene tone with a faint hint of laughter.
But even now, Theo couldn’t shake the lingering weight of one phrase in particular.
Theo’s expression hardened.
"It was something he said directly to me," Theo finally admitted.
"What was it?"
The memory surfaced vividly in Theo’s mind.
-See you again.
"‘See you again.’"
The Mad Dragon Emperor had never spoken as though this was the end.
-My…
"My disciple."