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The distant memory of his previous life, now barely clear.

He recalled his mother’s face, looking down at him with sorrowful eyes, while his hands and feet were bound in rope.

– Young Master, please do not follow the path of this worthless mother. Find your own happiness.

Thump thump thump thump thump!

– I should have… I should have said this first. I’m sorry for being late.

It was the first time his mother, who had always walked a distant parallel path, had offered an apology.

Within it was a warm affection.

– So please.

Her final request was,

– Leave this place.

It resonated deeply within Theo’s heart.

* * *

It must have been around that time when Theo fled the family, as if running away.

His mother’s plea, urging him to leave the family and find happiness.

He knew too well that it was sincere, and so he wanted to follow it.

But, at some point, he had forgotten.

Amidst the storms of life, in the passage of time, he had forgotten her words.

And now they came back to him.

In both his past life and his current one.

His mother’s every thought had always been about him, filled with concern.

This wretched son had lived his whole life without realizing it…

Theo bit down hard on his lower lip.

‘The reason they framed my mother and killed her… was it all just for some relic that might be in the Rose Palace?’

The last remaining questions about his previous life were slowly fading away.

‘But even after that, they couldn’t find any trace of the relic, and later they even killed me, who had long since left the family.’

Creak-

The fact that his beloved family members had to die unjustly because of that infuriated him.

Their screams still seemed to echo in his ears.

Then came a question.

‘But Ed clearly died during the rebellion he started with Axion. My death came long after that. If that’s the case…?’

Theo began to piece together several things.

He started to carefully examine the remaining contents of the ledger with a calmer perspective.

As a result, he was able to uncover a few more facts.

“As I thought. Even after Ed’s death, Troyban’s claws continued to reach out?”

Troyban had been the final destination of all the schemes.

It was their conspiracy to obtain the relic of the Primordial Dragon that had led to the deaths of both Cecilia and Theo.

Moreover, Ragnar had to endure countless storms, both big and small.

‘But what could possibly be the reason they were so desperate to collect the Primordial Dragon’s relics?’

The relics of the Primordial Dragon were certainly a form of that anyone would covet.

The old man stroked his beard with his hand as he wrote a new letter, tying it again to the leg of the hawk.

– The Dragon Slayer Sword and the Dragon Spirit’s Cursed Blade… These two are twin swords, capable of rivaling each other. Make sure not to miss either. Send the word.

Flap!

The hawk took off with powerful wings once again, this time heading north.

Northeast region. It was the headquarters of the Ceres Trading Company, where Theo currently was.

Quadrach carefully received the hawk, his movements filled with caution.

The vision ended there.

‘So, there was another relic hidden within the family. Ed and Troyban are trying to take it.’

He didn’t know exactly what the Dragon Spirit’s Cursed Blade was.

But from Ed and Granada’s mutterings, he could tell that it was a twin sword paired with Balmung.

‘Balmung is already in my hands… and now that I know its location, I’ll intercept that sword as well, before Ed makes his move.’

Theo’s eyes grew cold.

He couldn’t let the relic of the Primordial Dragon fall into the hands of anyone outside the Ragnar family.

Theo quietly slipped out after searching the warehouse for some time and finding no more clues.

* * *

Outside, the suppression of the Sacred Demon Church had already been completed, and Quadrach, along with the other criminals, was being arrested.

“Arrest everyone in the main headquarters of the trading company, leave no one behind. If they resist, you are authorized to kill them immediately.”

Under Evelyn’s stern command, the members of Unit 5 combed through the headquarters with sharp eyes.

The ones who found themselves caught up in this unexpected storm were the members of the Northern Merchants Association.

– I-I have nothing to do with this incident! Please believe me!

– We had no idea what the Ceres Trading Company was plotting! It’s true!

– Our company… we were only invited to attend the engagement ceremony between the Ceres Trading Company and the House of Bacchus, that’s all…!

– Aah! We have nothing to do with this rebellion!

They were, in fact, people Quadrach had gathered to carry out the Sacred Demon Church’s indoctrination. If anyone were victims, it was them.

But now, they found themselves unfairly branded as rebels.

Their lives, and the fate of their affiliated trading companies, were in danger of being swept away in a bloody purge.

However, Evelyn couldn’t just let them go freely.

There was a chance that among them were agents of the Sacred Demon Church or Troyban.

“I understand your unfortunate circumstances, and I will release you after a simple verification process. Please be patient.”

This promise too would be difficult to fulfill immediately.

The incident at the Ceres Trading Company could not yet be leaked to the outside world.

The key to this operation was speed.

It was a race against time to act before Ed and Troyban realized the truth.

“Lady Kleve, what about the House of Bacchus?”

“Don’t worry. The Black Iron Cavalry should be attacking them already. They’re probably in chaos by now.”

Despite it being an attack on one of the Six Snow Families, Kleve spoke as if it were no big deal.

Kleve firmly believed that the recent cracks forming in the North were due to Ragnar being too lenient in his dealings.

She thought it was necessary to directly pressure their vassals this way, to force them to snap out of it.

Then, Kleve’s gaze shifted to Naban.

“I’m tied up because you said so, but keep in mind, I sided with you this time. Shouldn’t that be taken into account?”

Naban raised his bound hands, grumbling in frustration.

“We did take it into account, which is why you’re only tied up. But Naban Bacchus, you still haven’t been fully cleared of suspicion, so stay where you are until then.”

“Ah, my luck… That’s just how it is for me, I guess.”

He sighed heavily, grumbling, but Kleve didn’t miss the faint hint of amusement in Naban’s voice.

‘He’s facing the destruction of his family, and yet he’s amused? There were rumors that the second son of Bacchus, being born out of wedlock, harbored a deep grudge against the family. It seems they were true.’

Kleve’s eyes glinted curiously.

‘It’s impossible to completely dismantle the structure of the Six Snow Families. If that’s the case, it would be easier to remove the current leadership and place someone like him, a rebel, in charge as head of the family… That would be more convenient in the future.’

Kleve considered how best to seize control of the House of Bacchus, but then her thoughts suddenly stopped.

Naban had been opposing Ragnar, yet after a conversation with Theo, he had switched sides almost immediately.

And now, he seemed quite close to Theo.

What did that mean?

‘Could it be… was this all part of Theo’s plan?’

It felt as if Kleve had been struck hard in the back of the head by something heavy.

Theo’s bold declaration at the Blossoming Ceremony, that he would challenge for the right of succession, flashed through her mind.

For someone without much backing, the House of Bacchus with a new head could be a very suitable business partner.

If someone were to hear her speculation, they might dismiss it as coincidence.

But based on everything she had seen of Theo so far, it seemed entirely possible.

“…!”

A sudden chill ran down Kleve’s spine.

She hurriedly shifted her gaze toward Theo.

Just at that moment, Theo was approaching her.

“My daughter… Lily… What happened to Lily…!”

Quadrach, whose dreams and ambitions had been shattered overnight, sat in a daze. But as soon as Theo passed by, he belatedly yelled in fury.

Theo glanced at him with a cold, silent sneer.

“You… my daughter… again…!!”

Sensing Lily’s fate instinctively, Quadrach howled in despair.

He tried to lunge at Theo, but barely made it a few steps before collapsing again.

At some point, Holcus had crept up behind him, forcefully pressing his head to the ground.

“Why don’t you stay still? You’re giving me a headache with all that noise!”

He then grinned at Theo, asking with his expression if everything was okay—a smile that felt somewhat unsettling.

‘…What’s up with him? Did something happen?’

Theo, puzzled, nodded awkwardly.

* * *

“Some of you may be seeing me for the first time, so I’ll introduce myself again. I’m Theo Ragnar, newly appointed as a Practical Swordsman. I look forward to working with all of you.”

After the situation was mostly resolved, Theo politely greeted the members of Unit 5, who had gathered together.

Those who knew him and even those who had only heard of him all wore surprised expressions.

– Huh?

– What? Did I hear that right?

– Practical Swordsman?

Selperd, wide-eyed, urgently asked.

“Not a Trainee Swordsman, but already a Practical Swordsman? Is that true?”

“Yes. I passed the promotion exam during my last mission.”

“No way…!”

– What? Does that mean he got promoted after just his second mission?

– Even Torkel Ragnar wasn’t this fast. This is crazy.

– He’s a record-breaker! I’ve heard stories, but this… wow.

– I mean, it makes sense. Didn’t you see him take down the Blood Priest on his own? That level of skill deserves recognition.

– True.

Luckily, while the members were astonished, no one seemed envious or jealous. They all acknowledged Theo’s achievement with respect.

Of course, Theo couldn’t fully understand their inner thoughts, but he believed most of them were sincere.

After all, Julius had cultivated that kind of atmosphere.

“Wow…”

“So you’ve already been promoted. Just when I thought I might catch up, you pull ahead again.”

Holcus’s jaw dropped so wide it looked like his chin might fall off, while Erika scratched the back of her head with a wry smile.

Though they were peers, it felt like Theo was moving farther and farther ahead.

Holcus, in particular, was starting to feel anxious.

‘I need to get in line quickly…!’

The problem was that there hadn’t been a chance to express his intentions.

He needed some time alone to talk with Theo, even to drop a hint, but Theo had been way too busy these past few months.

And now, with the success of this mission, Theo was sure to be even busier for a while.

Clap!

At that moment, Evelyn clapped her hands loudly to shift the mood.

“Now that everything’s wrapped up, we’ll return to the family. However, since the report is urgent and we have many prisoners, we’ll split into two groups and travel separately. Theo, Selperd, Arin, Erika, Holcus—you five will come with me to Winterer first. That’s all.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Theo responded, then drew Umbra from the shadows.

And just like that,

his second mission had come to an end.