Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: Doodle
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< Chapter 201: A New Dragon (1) >
The front of the Vasque Workshop was a sea of people.
Buzz buzz—
“I don’t even know if I can leave my sword here at this rate.”
Theo scratched the back of his head as he observed the scene beyond the carriage.
He had heard that ever since becoming the Young Master, the number of people flocking here had increased significantly.
But this was excessive, to say the least.
Above all:
<Attention! Congratulations to Theo for becoming the Young Master!>
<Special discount for the Young Master’s beloved weapon! Get it for only 39,800 gold!>
<The Theo Ragnar Set is available here!>
<“One swing of the sword, and everything fell.” The Black Sword of the Night Demon Star is ready for you here.>
<Do you want skin like Theo’s? Then try this foundation!>
<The lip balm used by the Young Master, available only to the first 300 customers!>
<We’re selling the notebooks Theo used during his school days!>
...
Posters and banners were plastered everywhere for all to see, not to mention flags.
Everywhere he looked, his face was displayed.
Even the packaging of products featured Theo’s face.
Seeing his own smiling image from every angle felt overwhelmingly awkward to him.
“……”
They were paddling furiously now that the tide had turned in their favor.
Armor and weapons, he could understand, but selling cosmetics and stationery?
The problem was that people were happily buying them.
If anything had his illustration or photo on it, it seemed to sell like hotcakes.
“…Maybe I should just give up and go back.”
The only reason he tolerated it was that he received a share of the profits. If it weren’t for that, he’d have already demanded they stop this embarrassment.
Let’s just go back. Sigh.
Theo had a strong foreboding that if he stepped outside the carriage, he would be swept away by the crowd.
As he was about to tell the coachman to turn back,
“Huh? That carriage… haven’t I seen it somewhere before?”
“That crest is a little unusual. Isn’t it a direct mark of Ragnar?”
“That’s it! The Young Master’s carrier!”
“What? Really?”
“Yeah! It’s unmistakable!”
“So, the person in that carriage is the Young Master himself!”
Buzz buzz, murmur murmur—
People began to gather one by one as they recognized Theo’s carriage.
“C-Coachman!”
The coachman, just as alarmed as Theo, gripped the reins tightly and tried to steer away—or so he thought.
“Kyaaaaah! Young Master! Please sign this for me!”
“D-Don’t push! Whoaah!”
“Your face! Let me see that handsome face!”
The sheer number of people clinging to the carriage made it impossible to move forward.
The more they pushed, the more determined the crowd became, sticking to it like leeches.
Eventually, it seemed as if they were ready to pry open the door and drag Theo out.
“Eek!”
A hand was reaching through the slightly open window.
It reminded him of zombies from a movie he had once seen.
At this moment, Theo found these people far more terrifying than the Mad Dragon Emperor.
Save me!
Clatter! Clatter!
The door of the carriage shook violently, as if it was about to fall off.
Huddled in a corner, Theo shivered uncontrollably.
* * *
“Huh? Why do you look so drained?”
Kirsion tilted her head as she watched Theo stumble into the office like a ragged doll.
“It’s nothing… haha… hahahaha…”
“…??”
Kirsion’s face filled with question marks.
But Theo couldn’t bring himself to explain the ordeal he had gone through due to the crowd outside.
Even though their behavior was extreme, they were still supporters cheering for him.
Though it took me forever to escape from them…
Bringing it up here wouldn’t change anything, so he decided not to dwell on it.
Theo sighed lightly and glanced around the office.
“It seems… quite a lot has changed?”
“Oh, this? Hahaha! Business has been booming lately, so I decided to add a little golden touch. Thanks to that, every day feels like paradise! Hahaha!”
The “golden touch” wasn’t a mere figure of speech. It was literal.
Gold dangled from all ten fingers and both arms, shimmering so brightly that it hurt to look at. Around her neck hung no less than six necklaces, each with a unique design.
Her ears bore so many earrings that she looked like a native tribesperson from some remote jungle.
“……”
Frames, chandeliers, lamps, wardrobes—every piece of furniture gleamed with gold embellishments. Even the carpet sparkled, as if dusted with gold powder.
Everywhere Theo turned, gold and glittering surfaces filled his vision. He couldn’t tell whether he was in a smithy or had stumbled into another world.
Doesn’t her eyesight hurt?
A high elf with this much of an obsession with gold…
Theo already knew Kirsion’s personality was nothing like that of typical elves, but this was bordering on being an anomaly.
“Are you planning to dye your hair gold soon as well?”
“Huh? How did you know? I’ve already booked a salon appointment for tomorrow morning.”
“……”
“This old lady is going to look so stunning! Hahaha! I’m going to live completely buried in gold!”
Theo briefly recalled a cartoon character from Earth swimming in a pile of gold coins, then shook his head and spoke.
“More importantly, what brings you here today?”
“I’d like to request a sword repair.”
“Repair? That’s the kind of petty task the ones downstairs can handle—”
“Should I revoke your rights to use my image? Lately, I’ve been getting quite a few advertising offers, you know.”
“Hahaha! My cute grandchild—no, my dear sir—if it’s something you desire, I’ll plunder the nest of a guardian dragon for you! So, what is it that my dear grandchild—no, my respected customer—wishes for?”
『Why does that sharp-eared one suddenly want to plunder my nest?』
Kirsion swiftly shifted her tone, rubbing her hands together like a sycophant.
Though she seemed to emphasize the term “grandchild,” Theo pretended not to notice and revealed the Dragon Spirit’s Cursed Blade.
“This is a relic of the Primordial Dragon.”
Sching!
As the blade was revealed, Kirsion’s gaze instantly changed.
Gone was the demeanor of a nouveau riche, replaced by the sharp eyes of a master artisan.
As expected.
Just from her expression, Theo felt reassured that he had come to the right place.
“The durability has significantly weakened.”
Kirsion meticulously examined the Dragon Spirit’s Cursed Blade with her discerning eyes.
“There are signs that an excessive amount of power was forcibly drawn from it. It’s a miracle it didn’t break. Even so, the remaining edges are remarkably sharp.”
Thunk!
Wooooooong…
When she lightly tapped the blade with her finger, the sound that rang out was dull and unclear.
“It doesn’t look like you were the one wielding it. Seems like someone quite skilled used it.”
Could she discern so much just by glancing at the blade’s condition?
Theo, inwardly impressed, nodded slightly.
“Yes. It belonged to the head of the Troyban family. Before that, the Mad Dragon Emperor forcibly unleashed its power. I suspect the Sacred Demon Church may have tampered with it as well.”
“Quite the complicated history. Those fanatics are always up to no good.”
Click!
Kirsion clicked her tongue, clearly not bothering to hide her disdain for the Sacred Demon Church, and then addressed Theo.
“The repair will take quite a lot of time. It also requires a significant amount of materials.”
“Money is not an issue.”
“Money isn’t the point. Skill and dedication matter more. I have the skill, so that’s not a problem.”
Kirsion set the blade down on the desk and placed her pipe back in her mouth.
Whooo—
“But dedication is another matter. The materials we need will be incredibly difficult to obtain.”
“And what materials do you need?”
“The rib of an Ancient Dragon.”
“…!”
“Is it possible? Difficult, isn’t it? Even for someone like you.”
Kirsion exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and laughed bitterly.
“How are you planning to find something that’s been extinct for over a thousand years? It’s not like their fossils are frequently unearthed either. Unless a guardian dragon miraculously returns to life—”
“I’ll get it.”
“—it would be impossi… uh, what?”
“Will just the rib suffice?”
Kirsion, dumbfounded, nodded hesitantly.
“Well, if you could get scales or claws imbued with an Ancient Dragon’s blessing, that’d be even better…”
“What about teeth? Do you need those as well?”
“If… you can… get them?”
“Just write down all the materials you need.”
“???”
Kirsion’s face was filled with question marks as she watched Theo turn away with a sly grin.
Standing there, in spiritual form, was Lodbrok, nervously covering her upper body with both hands.
『M-My partner! What are you planning to do…?!』
“Lodi.”
『Why do you call me with such ominous intent?!』
“It’s about time you started earning your keep, don’t you think?”
『!!!』
Ignoring Lodbrok’s indignant cries, Theo gently stroked the blade of the Dragon Spirit’s Cursed Blade.
Just wait a little longer. I’ll bring you back to life, no matter what.
Determination burned in Theo’s eyes.
* * *
News of a new Soaring Dragon selection quickly spread, stirring up Winterer.
“So they’re recruiting a new Laurel Sword Master? Is there anyone suitable for the position?”
“Of course! There’s Lady Amore of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry, the captain of the Red Sword Knights, and several elders from the Senate…”
“Isn’t Lord Kinkarnon also a candidate?”
“Oh, right! With Lord Kinkarnon’s skills, he’s definitely qualified to become a Laurel Sword Master!”
The question of who would fill the vacant position left by Ed and who would take on the key leadership roles in this new era was the talk of the town.
The names mentioned were all figures that represented Ragnar.
However, there was one issue.
“Do you think it’ll be fine, though?”
“What do you mean?”
“Lord Kinkarnon. If he ends up in the vacant Soaring Dragon seat, won’t he inevitably clash with the Young Master?”
“Huh? That… might actually be true?”
Traditionally, the position of Young Master in Ragnar was almost equivalent to acting as the head of the family.
In other words, the Young Master was on par with the Laurel Sword Masters, who symbolized the family.
But what would happen if Kinkarnon were to take the Soaring Dragon seat?
Kinkarnon, as the eldest, already posed a latent threat to Theo’s position. Granting him new power would only amplify that danger.
Thus, people speculated about what choices Kinkarnon might make.
The first was that Kinkarnon could make a magnanimous decision.
He could end the tiresome inheritance disputes over the five or six candidates and, in preparation for the imminent war against the Sacred Demon Church, renounce his claim to the succession for the sake of unity.
The second was that he might refuse to give up.
After all, before Theo’s emergence, most people had firmly believed that Kinkarnon was the next rightful successor.
Naturally, they thought Kinkarnon might aim for the Soaring Dragon position as a way to bide his time and seize the next opportunity.
Many eagerly awaited Kinkarnon’s decision, hoping for clarity on his intentions.
Soon, an announcement came from his residence.
The message was brief, almost as if to encapsulate his resolve:
-I will challenge for the Soaring Dragon seat.
It was a declaration that the power struggle was far from over and a clear signal that his ambition was still alive.
But the announcement didn’t end there.
-I, too, will challenge for the Soaring Dragon seat.
Ansio followed,
-Who’s to say I can’t claim that seat myself?
Lezé added.
As expected, it became evident that the competition for power was not ending anytime soon.
Naturally, all eyes turned toward the next inevitable question:
-So, what announcement will the Young Master make?
The attention of the entire region shifted to Camellia Palace.