Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan

Chapter 208

Theo lightly touched the blue light with his fingertips and muttered softly.

‘Lodbrok, there’s no way around this.’

『Perhaps it's because my body’s weak... I’m not sure. Should I brew some health tonic?』

Lodbrok’s response was unexpectedly weak.

A wry smile escaped Theo's lips.

‘Could it be because of my request for the rib extraction?’

『I think I’m feeling dizzy. Ah, I see! My heart hasn’t fully recovered, so I must have anemia. This is troublesome. If I remove the rib, there’s a high chance I’ll bleed too much, right?』

‘I’m not giving you any special treatment.’

『Do you understand how dangerous anemia is? If you bleed too much, even a dragon could die!』

‘Then I’ll just transfuse my own blood. Since I awaken as a dragon, my blood should carry the dragon’s essence, right?’

『Ugh, enough!』@@@@

‘I get it. Just confirm this for me. Is it true?’

『Yes. It’s true. The traces left by the relic are clear.』

Lodbrok’s voice was now filled with annoyance.

But despite his frustration, the implications of the scene in front of them were undeniable.

‘Another relic, this time after the Dragonheart Sword... And now, Gardner's people are using it, which likely means the Kindred are involved too.’

Although Theo hadn’t been particularly interested in the Dragon Ascension Tournament, the situation had piqued his curiosity. It seemed like he would have to meet the Kindred sooner or later.

But first, he needed to rescue Selphord and Arin, who had disappeared.

The Simple Plan

“The Gardner family’s intentions are quite simple,” Bracken said coldly, his eyes narrowed.

“Kinckarnon’s installation.”

“Are they planning a coup? Or are they trying to assassinate or forcibly depose me?”

If they could suppress the White Steel Vanguard and take advantage of the momentum from winning the Dragon Ascension Tournament, it might be possible to attempt something like that.

Theo wasn’t sure what would follow after that, but he had his suspicions.

Just as he thought, Bracken scoffed lightly.

“Do they seriously think they can forcibly remove the Young Lord whom Kyle personally appointed? What an absurd idea.”

“So what are they planning?” Theo asked.

“I’m not sure, but there are rumors that they’re trying to give Kinckarnon the qualification he needs.”

“Qualification?”

“Yeah, the qualification to sit on the throne.”

Qualification.

Theo wasn’t entirely sure what that meant.

Did it mean they were trying to gain an accomplishment that would allow Kinckarnon to enter the competition for the throne?

‘Or... does it have something to do with the blue light?’

If the “qualification” was somehow tied to using the ancient dragon relic, things were about to get complicated. Just like the Dragon Emperor had learned, Kinckarnon might have figured out how to forcibly liberate relics.

The Gardner Blood Wolf Swordsmen

“I heard that the Gardner’s Blood Wolf Swordsmen escaped. Do you know which direction they went?” Theo was about to ask the inspector general when—

Suddenly, the patrol inspectors parted, and law enforcement officers dressed in yellow arrived.

“They’re from the Law Enforcement Bureau,” one of the officers explained.

“We’ve received reports of an attack on the Gardner swordsmen. We’ll need your cooperation in our investigation.”

The officers, though cautious due to Theo’s presence, skillfully kept their distance to prevent members of the White Steel Vanguard from leaving too easily.

‘So, they’re acting first, huh?’

Theo had already heard about the explosion that took place when Selphord and the Gardner swordsmen were dining together. After the explosion, the Gardner swordsmen had spoken in an unintelligible language before disappearing.

It seemed like the Law Enforcement Bureau had received a separate report and was trying to detain the Gardner family.

‘Why are they doing this?’

Theo had already made his move. By using the information he’d gathered from Black Snow and his careful manipulation of the situation, he had set up a trap.

With the political stakes growing higher, Theo would soon have the upper hand.

***

The former headquarters of the Central Military Bureau was now the venue for the ongoing Dragon Ascension Tournament.

As expected, the biggest stir was being caused by the former top six candidates.

“Wow! Another one-shot kill! How does she even use stealth in such an open area?”

“Lezé! Lezé!”

“Sister! Take meeee!”

Lezé, living up to her nickname "Black Death Reaper", showcased her extraordinary skills.

As soon as she stepped onto the stage, she activated her stealth, and while her opponent searched for her in vain, she used the blind spots to knock them out or force them off the arena.

Her victories often came from just one swift swing of her scythe.

Naturally, the crowd cheered wildly.

However,

“Lezé’s amazing, but....”

“Kinckarnon is something else, though. It’s not really even a comparison.”

“He doesn’t even need to do anything to have that kind of overwhelming presence...”

Although Lezé relished the applause, she couldn’t help but frown slightly at the few murmurs that floated through the crowd.

‘This is annoying.’

She glanced at Kinckarnon, who was sitting on the waiting bench, casually drinking water and resting.

No matter how hard she tried, there was always a wall she couldn’t surpass.

It was starting to feel like things were finally evening out, but Kinckarnon was still too far ahead.

Unlike Lezé, who made active use of her stealth, Kinckarnon didn’t show off any special techniques in the matches.

He simply stood there, wielding his sword.

His movements were simple, yet his sheer presence exuded immense power.

Even the remaining challengers, watching from the sidelines, cast wary glances at him.

Overwhelming.

At this point, the tournament had become a battle between Kinckarnon and the other participants.

‘Ansio, that fox, will probably stick with Kinckarnon now.’

Lezé observed Ansio walking elegantly toward Kinckarnon. Behind her was Faeryong.

Was this an open declaration of their alliance?

Perhaps Ansio would offer her surrender and support in exchange for a deal with Kinckarnon.

Lezé couldn’t guess how things would play out.

‘I don’t know what they’re thinking.’

Lezé’s attention shifted to the other challengers. Among them, one woman stood out—her small frame and comical mask making her an enigmatic figure.

Sharp-eyed observers had already figured out her identity, but she had shown no intention of revealing herself.

Her skill was impressive enough that there were murmurs suggesting she could become Kinckarnon’s only real rival.

She was also from Theo’s faction.

Whether intentional or not, this Dragon Ascension Tournament had become a political proxy battle between Theo’s faction and Kinckarnon’s.

Lezé was the only one without a faction.

It felt like a lonely fight.

‘But I can’t afford to lose.’

She gripped The Grim Reaper tightly.

Until the very end, it wasn’t over.

What mattered was an unyielding spirit.

She believed that with all her heart.