REAPER SCANS
Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan
[Translator – Mr.Ghost]
[Proofreader – Harley]
Chapter 94 - Finally Found It (4)
A new rumor quickly spread throughout Wintera.
“Theo Ragnar set a new record for quickest promotion into combat swordsman.”
The records Theo set during the Awakening Ceremony were still hot gossip in Wintera, so the latest news added fuel to the already burning fire.
“Combat swordsman? No way!”
“You’re not lying, are you?”
“No. It was just officially announced.”
“Holy…! Wait, but there wasn’t a promotion exam recently. When did this all happen?”
“They said he was promoted from his achievements in his latest mission.”
“If all it took was a few missions to get promoted, I should have been promoted as a high-rank swordsman long ago. Are we sure the higher-ups aren’t promoting him for show to ride his popularity?”
It was only natural that some were displeased to hear the news, questioning the fairness and objectivity of it. However, their doubts were quickly extinguished.
“They say he defeated a blood priest.”
“What?”
“I said he defeated a blood priest.”
“......!”
“He even held his ground while being ambushed by two blood priests… Apparently, there were many witnesses. This statement didn’t just come from the White-Armored Dragon Cavalry. Black Snow and the Plum Blossom Palace also approved his promotion. The rumors have to be true.”
“Even as a direct descendant of Ragnar, this is an unbelievable level of talent…!”
If it had only been the White-Armored Dragon Cavalry making these claims, people might have doubted it as conflating their achievements. However, confirmation from other units gave validity to their claims.
Especially because the Black Snow was a neutral organization that did not side with any one faction. Their acknowledgment carried tremendous weight… and questioning the Black Snow would be a direct challenge to Kyle’s authority.
That was why the people began to collectively repeat the same thing in awe.
“Unbelievable talent.”
They became fixated on his talent, which enabled him to become a combat swordsman at the young age of fifteen. Because he reminded people of someone else, far in the past.
Kyle Ragnar.
Sixty years ago, when Kyle first wielded the sword, a similar storm brewed. He grew stronger at a terrifying speed, and in the end, he successfully toppled the Mad Dragon Emperor from his throne.
Naturally, this brought on another topic of discussion.
“For the last ten years, the Battle for the Throne has been consolidated to the five major candidates. Perhaps this is going to affect that dynamic.”
Up till now, Thorkell and the other major candidates had yet to meet Theo, almost as if they weren’t even aware of his existence. The only one to even come close was Thorkell, who occasionally sent a friendly message, but he also didn’t put any effort into personally meeting Theo.
The overwhelming census was that the five major candidates were waiting and observing Theo for now.
Like Navan Bacchus, there were many talented prodigies who made a name for themselves during the Awakening Ceremony, only to fade into obscurity.
However, Theo has now proven that his skills are the real deal. That he could go toe-to-toe even on the front lines. The major candidates couldn’t just watch now that rumors were spreading that Theo’s talent rivaled Kyle’s.
Unsurprisingly, the next rumors to spread was that Thorkell had mobilized the Black Iron Cavalry and that the other candidates had gathered their executives in private.
As Wintera began to slowly shift, the man of the hour returned to his clan.
* * *
Reaper Scans
[Translator – Mr.Ghost]
[Proofreader – Harley]
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapercomics
* * *
“Flash Yaksha.”
“......?”
Upon returning to Wintera, Theo headed straight to the headquarters of the White-Armored Dragon Cavalry. Due to the nature of the operation, he had traveled great distances without proper rest, so his face showed great signs of fatigue.
While in his tired state, Theo was met by incomprehensible words from Julius.
As Theo tilted his head in confusion, Julius smirked, “It’s the epithet we’re giving you. How about it? Do you like it?”
“…Didn’t I already have an epithet?”
“You did. Flash Tiger or whatever. But it didn’t really catch on since people only used it during the Awakening Ceremony.” Julius let out a robust laugh. “But this is different. You defeated a blood priest by yourself, becoming a combat swordsman in record time. And though we’re still keeping it under wraps, you even ransacked the central director’s personal vault, so we thought your previous epithet was insufficient.”
Theo scratched his cheek. He was at a loss for words.
Something he had still not gotten used to after his regression was the ‘applause’ people would give him.
“Every time you swing a sword, you call forth lightning, bellow out white steam, and raise flames. What better way to describe you than as a Yaksha from hell.”
‘That’s the rumor that’s spreading…?’ Theo’s face flushed with embarrassment.
Entertained by Theo’s reaction, Julius broke out into laughter again. “No need to be shy. You declared that you’ll become the youngest commander on your first day. Where did all the rambunctious energy go?”
“I did say that, didn’t I…?”
“Our cavalry really hit the jackpot. The greatest jackpot we could ever wish for.”
“Hehe…”
“Do you need anything for your missions? If necessary, I’ll even dip into my personal funds. If you need a sparring partner, I’ll gladly help.”
“Uhm. Well…”
“I don’t like to boast about it too much, but I am the Demon Dragon, after all. Give me the word. There’s nothing I won’t do for my precious child.”
The way he spoke, he sounded like he would gladly even give Theo his heart if necessary.
Feeling a bit pressured, Theo looked back at Evelyn for help. However, she simply shook her head. This was out of her hands.
「As you can see, despite his age, he can be a bit of a blockhead… I know it breaks the illusion of his image. You just have to accept it and roll with it.」 Evelyn secretly advised Theo.
Still feeling a bit uneasy seeing the side of Julius he was unaware of, Theo tried to take a few steps back. That was when…
“The latest wave of popularity is in part thanks to the excellent information network of my Black Snow.”
Fwip!
The Black Dragon dropped from the ceiling with his arms crossed.
Julius’s face quickly shifted from laughter to a sharp glare. His face looked as if he was trying to say, ‘How dare you show your face here!’
Unperturbed, the Black Dragon brushed off the glare and directed his attention toward Theo, saying, “I believe this proves how essential the support of the Black Snow will be in our future efforts. You and us combined, we would be the world’s greatest. If that catches your fancy, you’re welcome to come find me whenever you want.”
The Black Dragon then tossed a small object to Theo—a wooden token with a black dragon painted on it.
“What is this, sir?” Theo asked.
“It’s an identification token of a Null Snow.”
“......!” Theo’s eyes widened.
「Hey! What are you doing?!」 Julius quickly shot a sound telepathy at the Black Dragon.
The only reason he was holding himself back was to save face in front of Theo. If it weren’t for Theo, he would have grabbed the Black Dragon by his collar.
「Dear little brother, you’re still such an amateur. Just watch. This is how you entice a talented prospect.」
「......?!」
「Nothing works better than a bribe.」
Theo tried to speak up, “I—!”
“Oh, I already know you have no intention of quitting the White-Armored Dragon Cavalry. No need to worry about that.”
“Then why are you helping me so much? Not only did you gift me a Clear Brightness Pill, but you also helped me learn the «Heat Link Routine». I’m not worthy of such generosity.”
Theo couldn’t understand the Black Dragon’s behavior. He and the Black Dragon never had a rapport like this. Not to mention the fact that, just like Kyle, the Black Dragon should despise regressors. So why was he being so nice to him?
Once again, the Black Dragon shrugged off Julius’s protest as he responded to Theo, saying, “Simply because.”
“......?!”
“I’ve been delighted by your actions so far. I think I can trust you and continue to keep watch for now.”
“Is that so…?”
Theo still couldn’t understand, but it appeared that the Black Dragon had taken a liking to him.
“But if you still think it’s too much, consider it as merely a gift from an uncle to his nephew.”
“......!”
Theo was dazed. Since Robert was Kyle’s biological younger brother, they were indeed uncle and nephew—but not once had Theo heard of the Black Dragon caring about personal ties like that.
Disregarding Theo’s reaction, the Black Dragon continued speaking. “As long as you have that identification token, not only can you use any of the safe houses located across the world, but you can receive direct aid from local branches. I’ll have Kleve provide a more in-depth explanation later.”
He was giving away almost the full authority of a Null Snow while asking for nothing in return. Though Theo couldn’t read the Black Dragon’s true intentions, he could see his eyes smiling underneath the mask.
Watching this unfold, Julius wanted to pull his hair out.
「You’re going to bribe him right in front of me? Do you really think I’m that much of a pushover?」
「Ufufu. You’ll have to be on your best game. I’m not the only one who’ll try to swipe him from right under your nose.」
「Do you want to fight me or something?」
「You say that as if you can beat me.」
「Grrr…!」
「There’s nothing stopping you from doing the same.」
「Just you wait. Not just you but everyone who’s trying to get their grubby hands on my Theo. I’ll shut you all up.」
「Go right ahead.」
「Gah…!」
「Ufufu! Anyway, I’m a busy man. See you later.」
After further fanning Julius’s rage, the Black Dragon left as quickly as he arrived. It was as if he had been a phantom all along.
In a daze, Theo stared at where the Black Dragon once stood. Meanwhile, Julius forced a smile, containing his boiling fury.
Between the two of them, one person was still grinning.
‘Oh, Commander. He’s having a real rough day today,’ Evelyn could barely contain her joy as she saw through Julius’s feelings.
“The intel director has given you a great present to show appreciation for your achievements. You should put it to good use. Depending on how you utilize it, it could be more useful than even the finest swords,” Julius said calmly, contrasting with his true feelings.
Theo responded with a heavy nod. ‘I didn’t think we’d get entangled again… But now that it’s come to this, I should accept it. As Julius said, there’s no reason to refuse it.’
Theo decided to acknowledge the fact that he’s been trying to deny. He was very well suited for the Black Snow.
Though he tried to be distant with the organization due to the bad memories of his past life, but he had subconsciously held onto the habits of that time.
The way of looking at the world. The thought process. Even how to make a plan.
And so, he was confident he could utilize the token to its full potential.
‘I’m sure there is a reason why the Black Dragon, said to hate regressors as much as Father, is being friendly to me,’ Theo thought while stroking the token.
Seeing Theo’s reaction, Julius gave a fake cough to break up the tension. “Ahem! Ahem!”
“......?”
「…You don’t have to do that for him to hear you.」 Evelyn nagged.
But Julius simply brushed it off. “Anyway, good work on your far-away journey. Since we’ve secured evidence of the Sky Dragon’s misconduct, it’s time for us to finish the cleanup.”
Cleanup. Upon hearing that, Theo’s eyes lit up. It was what he had been anticipating the most.
“Will we finally be ousting the central director?” asked Theo.
No longer playing around, Julius nodded in a serious tone. “That’s right. We’ve already finished all the necessary preparations, including the approval from the Clan Head’s Manor.”
Approval from the Clan Head’s Manor was synonymous with approval from Kyle himself.
“The central director is currently away on matters requested by the Black Snow… The intel director will soon attempt an arrest, leading the Black Snow.”
‘So that’s why the Black Dragon had to leave so soon.’ Theo realized.
“Meanwhile, I will be mobilizing our troops along with support from the Plum Blossom Palace to raid the Central Intelligence Bureau.”
“You want to strike while they’re missing their head.”
“The CIB is famous for their loyalty to their director. We need to eliminate that factor. That’s why he was purposely sent away.”
Theo nodded his head. Julius and the Black Dragon were indeed excellent at their job, something Theo decided he needed to learn and take after.
“Your task will be raiding the Rose Palace,” briefed Julius.
Theo clenched his fist. ‘Finally…!’
Julius patted Theo on the shoulder. “This operation would have been rocky without your contributions. That’s why we want you to make the final touch.”
Theo then realized that this was a gift prepared by Julius for him.
‘He’s set a stage for me to attain a proper foundation and reputation.’
Currently, the Rose Palace is the quarters of Aimil Troivan. What would happen if a lowly illegitimate child arrested the third wife of the Clan Head for treason?
It would be a major scandal of epic proportions, one that would send his reputation into the stratosphere. He would become unforgettable to everyone.
As this also involved Ed and the Troivan Clan, this issue was likely to only snowball further—possibly into a way with the Troivan Clan.
Standing at the center of that storm would be none other than Theo.
This was an opportunity for him to decisively make a name for himself.
But that wasn’t all. Julius was one of the few people who were aware of the ill will that Axion and Aimil bore against Cecilia and Theo. By being granted a chance to finally put an end to it, Theo would owe an unpayable debt to Julius.
On top of it all, the Black Dragon was starting to open up to him, seeing him not as a ‘regressor’ but as a ‘nephew’.
‘Julius, Lady Plum Blossom, the Black Dragon… They’re all putting wind under my wings and giving me more power than I ever deserve. That’s even more reason for me to make sure I finish this.’
He couldn’t possibly let them down.
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