The Intensifying Competition for the Throne (3)
The rumor spread rapidly throughout Ragnar’s camp.
-Theo Ragnar was chosen by the primordial dragon!
-It is said that he opened the secrets of the Baektap and made the dragons contained within it his servants.
-He is protected by Desert Worms underground, Drakes on the ground, Wyverns and Griffins in the sky, and Fairy Dragons in magic.
-The Black Iron Corps and the Red Sword Knights were also said to have been overpowered by the Dragon Legion.
From the unbelievable rumors to the exaggerated ones.
But one thing was certain.
-They say that for the first time since Sigurd, a person has been born who is loved by dragons.
For Ragnar, a character was born who could more clearly represent their identity.
Now, hostile forces like Troyban could no longer jokingly laugh at the dragon.
In addition, when rumors spread that Kyle, who had rarely been seen before, had personally taken Theo with him, everyone became extremely nervous.
and,
-Thorkel’s expression wasn’t as good as I thought…
-On the other hand, Mr. Leje looked somehow happy.
-You said you met once before. So the rumor that you decided to form an alliance then is true?
-Ansio hasn’t made any statement yet?
-I wonder what Kinkarnon’s reaction will be when he comes out after finishing his closed-door training.
-He might say that a good competitor has appeared.
-Yeah. But I think it was Mr. Gishar who would be the most angry. Where did he go? Did anyone see him?
-There is a witness who said that he saw you sneaking up on the white tower while the white armor and black armor were clashing…
-What? That’s ridiculous. If that’s true… … !
There was no further comment.
But even people who were not aware of the situation could easily notice that the air had subtly changed.
* * *
Wedge-
Theo followed Kyle for a long time.
As he floated through the sky on his sword, his speed was so fast that Umbra could clearly see that he was having a hard time.
『You’ve already surpassed the realm of the mind sword and the sword technique. Have you just become a sword itself? No matter how you look at it, it’s not a human being.』
Lordbroke frowned the whole time, as if he was really displeased with Kyle.
That’s why I couldn’t find any weaknesses in Kyle.
‘You don’t seem like a human being, do you?’
『Isn’t that something to laugh about? That’s exactly the kind of seat you want to sit in. A seat where you have to give up being human. A seat for monsters.』
The higher Theo climbed, the more the wall called Kyle felt like it was growing taller.
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So there was no way to answer other than scratching the ball.
-Wh, what is that? Is that a person? Why is there a monster sitting there wearing a soldering iron?
-He’s a monster, but he seems human. But is that really ‘Ragnar’?
-It’s too ‘human’ to say that… … ?
-I wondered how a monster like our Theo was born, and it turns out he was different from the start.
Even ghosts have long said that they have never seen anyone like Kyle in their lifetime.
There has never been a day when the walls of power seemed so high.
widely!
Then Kyle arrived at a small, desolate mountain far from the military camp.
A barren mountain where not a single blade of grass grows.
Theo also landed quietly next to Kyle, who was standing on the cliff and looking down.
“This place is… … ?”
“Look over there.”
Kyle nodded down the mountain.
Theo tilted his head.
Because there was nothing but an empty lot.
Then, the moment [spirituality] was breathed into both eyes.
Doo-woong… … !
“Ugh… … !”
“Companion!”
Theo staggered back from the sudden, sharp blow to his head.
Lordbroke quickly helped him up and glared at Kyle.
“What on earth have you done!”
“From here on out, it’s Ragnar’s turn to share the story. I would like the ghosts of the old days to step aside.”
“what……!”
Before Lordbroke could say anything, Kyle waved his hand lightly.
Then her presence was snuffed out like a candle in the wind.
“You can see it, right?”
“Yes… … that’s right.”
“Then look straight ahead.”
Theo stared ahead, forcing himself to endure the pain still gnawing at his mind.
Then, beyond the shaking world, black magic was seen swirling violently.
“Why is there a spirit of the devil here?”
“Why, why not? It’s because of what you did.”
“… … ?”
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A voice mixed with laughter.
Theo tilted his head, not knowing what that meant, and then realized it belatedly.
“Are you trying to reawaken the <Nameless Monarch> in the Holy Demon Church?”
“Yeah, that’s right. What on earth did you do there?”
Theo scratched his cheek, not knowing what to say.
I was wondering how to explain the ghosts in the tomb sword and the Magic Empress.
“Idiot.”
“……yes?”
“You seem so smart normally, but you’re so naive at times like this.”
Kyle snorted lightly, clutching his backpack.
“You have now declared that you will enter the race for the throne in earnest. That means you are now confident that you can withstand any restraint from your brothers. Doesn’t that make sense?”
“Yes… … that’s right.”
“That means I am also the one you must overcome. I have absolutely no intention of giving up my throne while I am alive.”
Kyle’s eyes were unusual.
“Are you planning to give me everything you have? Do you think I’ll use it for my own gain?”
“… … .”
It was a warning.
The emperor must never reveal his true feelings to others.
Kyle’s warning that this is a place where you will always be lonely.
but,
“it’s okay.”
Theo laughed at this.
Kyle frowned.
“what?”
“What’s wrong with a son telling his father everything that happened to him?”
“……you.”
“Yes, I know. The position of a monarch cannot be reduced to a simple father-son relationship. There are no brothers in power. But wouldn’t it be possible to shed the old grime of the world and share the affection of a father and son with an open mind?”
Kyle pressed his lips together tightly.
“I respect my father.”
“You don’t feel resentful?”
“It was like that when I was young… … But now that I’ve come this far, I understand. I can imagine how hard it must have been for you. And it must be even harder now. Keeping something is much harder than achieving it. That’s why I respect you.”
“… … .”
Kyle pursed his lips for a long time, trying to say something, but he couldn’t.
All sorts of emotions passed through her eyes as she looked at Theo.
-Father, why on earth are you doing this… …!
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-My son. My son. Hahahaha. You too will know why I had to be like this someday. You too will know me someday.
-No. I don’t want to be like you!
Why do I recall things from my youth that I can’t even remember now?
Kyle laughed, waving his hands widely to erase all those memories.
“Your flattery has increased a lot.”
“I’m sorry if it made you feel that way.”
“Okay. I think it would be fun to have a drink with you, but let’s leave that for later. Right now is the time to talk about that.”
Theo turned his gaze back towards the magi’s vortex.
“I hate ‘that’.”
That one.
It must be talking about the <Nameless Monarch>.
“And I hate ‘that’ too.”
This time, his gaze turned directly to Theo.
Theo realized intuitively.
that.
It seemed like he was talking about Roadbroke.
“That’s not all. I hate everything surrounding it. Everything from the Manshin to the foreign news.”
As expected, Kyle seemed to know a lot about the existence of the Pantheon and the outside world.
However, the emotion contained there was not like or dislike.
Contempt.
He had hatred for both sides.
“There is no place for us where they stand. We, Ragnar, are merely the stage setter. Everything in the world rolls according to their taste. I want to destroy that, and that is why I came running all the way here.”
Kyle’s eyes sunk deep.
“I want you to follow the same path as me.”
At that moment, Theo was able to realize what had been in Kyle’s mind as he broke Lordbroke’s heart and fought against the <Nameless Lord>.
* * *
Theo returned to the barracks of the Baek Gap Yong Gi Brigade.
Because the camp was so noisy with rumors about him, he summoned all the dragons back to the White Tower and quietly descended with Umbra.
“What did you talk about with your father?”
‘Oh, we didn’t really talk much.’
Lordbroke asked questions through channeling, but Theo answered them roughly.
-I hope you walk the same path as me.
In fact, what Kyle said was still ringing in my ears.
-You must know some of the secrets of this world if you’ve come this far.
-The foreign gods and the nameless monarch. The gods and the guardians who stand against them. The world that repeats itself every time it reaches its end. And Ragnar, who exists to prevent it. Do these things look normal to you?
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-There is no life of our Ragnar in it. It exists only as a tool.
-I hate that. That’s why I wanted to destroy it all.
-Son.
-This father will become a god. A god that no god or outsider can approach.
-And I plan to destroy everything.
-What do you think?
After the conversation, Theo had many thoughts.
‘This is the first time my father has shown me his sincerity.’
Will become a god.
The weight of one word my father spoke was too great.
And that would also mean that he would acknowledge Theo as the ‘true’ successor to his throne.
It must have been a ritual that the five candidates who came before him all went through at least once.
The problem, however, was that Theo was the sum total of Ragnar, chosen by the primordial dragon and the guardian dragon.
A position that is bound to be the polar opposite of the path Kyle wants to walk.
That’s why Theo couldn’t tell Lordbroke exactly what Kyle was thinking.
He, too, has become more thoughtful.
‘The more I know… … the more the throne of Ragnar seems heavy.’
On the one hand, I thought that way too.
I wonder if there are more family secrets that I don’t know about yet.
But that didn’t mean I had any intention of stopping from moving forward.
As I was organizing my thoughts, I noticed someone standing in front of the barracks.
‘Who is that person?’
The woman, Ansio, greeted me with a bright smile.
“You came earlier than I expected?”
“I think this is the first time I’ve greeted you like this. Nice to meet you, Sister.”
“Yeah. Nice to meet you.”
One of the five candidates and Gishar’s twin sister.
She must have come alone, because the bodyguard she boasted about was nowhere to be seen.
“What else is going on?”
“Do you happen to know the whereabouts of Brother Gishar?”
“Brother Gishar? No. I don’t know.”
“Huh. Really?”
Ansio stroked his chin with his hand and smiled lightly.
“Have you gone for a walk? I’ve heard you’re a very free-spirited person.”
“Well, that’s true. He’s a troublesome older brother who often disappears without even telling me, his younger brother. Anyway, thank you. Next time, let’s have a drink together with Thorkel.”
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“Yes. This time, I was too tired from the trip, so I was rude. I will definitely attend next time you invite me.”
“Okay. See you next time.”
Ansio waved his hand lightly and left.
‘You noticed that I killed him.’
Since he knew this would happen anyway, Theo wasn’t particularly nervous.
Rather, I am only worried about how to deal with the dragon that will come soon.
‘I think the important thing now is how to treat these people.’
There was an intense energy felt beyond the barracks.
It wasn’t easy dealing with these guys after Kyle.
I was a little tired after conquering the Baektap Tower, but my most important priority right now was to persuade the people inside.
Tonight, it was very long and clear.
“I will go in.”
The place we entered by opening the barracks door.
Inside, there were four people sitting: Julius, Princess Plum, Niel, and for some reason, the Black Dragon.
Tea time had already ended, as the coffee and tea on the table had all cooled down.
“Welcome.”
The moment you enter while receiving the hospitality of the Plum Blossom Princess.
Suddenly Theo’s steps stopped.
“… … ?”
“… … ?”
“Hmm?”
“Why are you doing that?”
The four people tilted their heads, not knowing what to say, but Theo was the first to speak, bowing politely.
“First, I have something to tell you. I would like to apologize for my rudeness this time, but I think it would be best to first tell you what I think.”
Their gaze was becoming intense.
but.
Theo’s eyes glowed even more intensely as he confronted him.
“I would like to succeed my father to the throne. Please help me.”
The four of them suddenly had the thought at the same time that his gaze somehow resembled Kyle’s.
How the bastard of the Return Sword Family lives
