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The Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace smiled bitterly to herself as she looked down at the scouts staring up at her in a daze.

Julius had repeatedly emphasized this.

He had made it clear that Theo was someone he had already marked, and that no one should even think about coveting him.

It wasn’t just the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace who had received this ‘warning,’ but all the other executives present as well.

Of course, it seemed no one had truly heeded that warning.

‘Still, I didn’t expect the Black Iron Cavalry to get involved.’

It seemed the vice commander had come personally, curious after hearing that Theo had recorded results similar to Commander Torkel’s.

For those who were usually so prideful, even this gesture must have required significant resolve.

But what could they do?

After all, in this case, a member of the “Nine Dragons” had moved directly.

‘If you truly want to win someone’s heart, nothing beats facing them directly and having a conversation.’

The corner of the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace’s lips curled upward.

‘And… if you add a gift on top of that, it’s the perfect combination.’

“Wait…!”

At that moment, Ayan seemed to sense something and began to shout.

But before she could finish—

Whoooosh!

The space between Theo and the MIstress of Plum Blossom Palace became severed from the outside world.

In the world where time had significantly slowed down—

Only Theo and the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace remained.

‘A severed space!’

Theo’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening. This was the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace’s famed ‘signature’ technique, one he had only ever heard about.

It was an art that could only be executed by those who had transcended the limits of human capability, something truly mystical in Theo’s eyes.

The Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace, finding his reaction amusing, smiled softly, her lips subtly twitching.

“Since there are too many interruptions, and we don’t have much time, let’s get straight to the point.”

The point?

Theo wanted to speak but found he couldn’t move his lips.

He simply wasn’t on the level where he could.

“The technique you used… you likely ‘copied’ it after observing the Patriarch’s and the White Armored Dragon Cavalry Commander’s swords, didn’t you?”

Theo’s eyes widened instinctively.

“I, too, realized something after watching the Patriarch’s sword. I perfected something of my own, and I’ll give it to you as a gift.”

“…!”

Theo clenched his fists tightly at the unexpected fortune falling into his lap.

“It’s called . That’s what I call it.”

In that instant, the entire severed space was filled with a burst of red plum blossoms.

‘This… this exists?’

Without realizing it, Theo gasped in awe.

The sight of plum trees flourishing everywhere and the beautiful blossoms growing from them was too enchanting.

Among them, the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace stood beneath the tallest plum tree.

Clad in a white robe, holding a red sword in one hand, she looked like a painting.

Srrrr—

As the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace began to slowly move forward, she started to swing her sword.

At that moment, the plum blossoms simultaneously bloomed.

The red petals floated gracefully on the wind, drifting down gently.

Her sword moved slowly, but with a wide array of subtle changes.

The blade softly traced through the petals, drawing circles of varying sizes as it glided through.

The strange thing was that with every movement of the sword, the petals gathered inward, only to disperse again, never touching the ground.

It was as if the petals were circling around the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace, dancing to her swordplay.

Theo had encountered many secret sword techniques and forms over the years, but—

There was a peculiar flow to this one that made him wonder if such a thing was even possible.

But what shocked him even more was:

‘All of it… in a single breath!’

With just one swing, there were at least dozens of changes hidden within.

12, 24, 36, 48…

Theo didn’t miss a single shift, quickly following them.

Then, when 120 changes, 120 circles were completed—

Flash!

The Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace slowly lowered her sword.

The petals, which had spiraled upward like a vortex around her, fell beautifully to the ground like a fountain.

It resembled rain falling from the sky.

‘Sky Flower Rain…!’

Theo finally understood why it had been named that.

“Did you see?”

The Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace’s deep gaze turned toward him.

Thump thump thump thump!

His heart pounded loudly.

It was the excitement one feels when witnessing something awe-inspiring.

“You saw it.”

The Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace smiled.

Theo, dazed, nodded his head.

“The Patriarch’s sword is intense, like a dragon’s breath falling from the sky, burning everything in its path. On the other hand, the White Armored Dragon Cavalry Commander’s sword is fierce. It tears apart anything that stands in its way.”

Theo recalled Kyle’s sword, the one he had faced at the Judgment Hall.

It had a strength and dominance that seemed unstoppable.

And Julius?

He was fast.

So fast, it was almost impossible to track with the eye.

It felt as if no one could ever catch him.

“I’m different from them. My sword contains countless transformations. It traps everything inside and devours it. That’s the dragon I pursue…”

Theo thought back to the 120 circles and techniques all captured within a single breath.

If one could release them not slowly, but in a burst of brilliance…

No one seemed capable of escaping from it.

‘They say that in terms of swordsmanship, even the Patriarch would have to concede to the greatest in the North…!’

Theo couldn’t help but express his admiration.

「Then I’ll ask you—what is the dragon you pursue?」

“…!”

The Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace’s final question snapped him back to reality.

The dragon he was pursuing.

The form of the dragon he sought to reach… what was it?

No— had there ever even been such a thing?

Whoooosh!

In that moment, the space surrounding Theo and the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace collapsed, and the plum trees vanished.

Theo found himself back on the ground, while the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace stood atop the roof.

Theo felt somewhat dazed.

Was it really okay for him to accept all of this?

“Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace, did you really just show that to him…?”

While everyone blinked in confusion, unsure of what had happened, Ayan was the only one who recognized the strangeness of the situation and furrowed her brow.

The Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace simply smiled without answering.

Instead, she sent a message directly to Theo through sound transmission, so only he could hear it.

「What I just showed you is the first stance, called . Even with just this, it will be of great help to you before your second Blossoming Ceremony.」

Theo let out a small laugh.

If that was just the first stance, what could the subsequent stances possibly be like?

「If you wish to see the rest… come find me anytime after the Blossoming Ceremony.」

Hehe…

With a soft laugh, the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace disappeared just as quietly as she had appeared.

Theo slowly felt himself coming back to reality, like he was waking up from a dream.

‘I’ve received something far too great.’

Truthfully, Theo had no intention of aligning himself with the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace.

In his previous life, her disciples had faced all sorts of threats, which concerned him.

Besides, there would be limitations to his movements if he were to be under her direct influence within the Plum Blossom Palace.

That’s why he had been leaning towards the White Armored Dragon Cavalry—it offered more freedom in his activities, and it would be easier to establish his footing there.

Yet, suddenly, things had taken an unexpected turn.

Of course, he could always ignore this and pretend nothing happened.

But he didn’t want to do that either.

‘Maybe I can become the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace’s disciple while still enlisting in the White Armored Dragon Cavalry?’

As he was thinking over these more comfortable scenarios—

“The Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace personally teaching him…!”

“With this, our offer will seem too weak!”

“Damn it! This won’t do. We need to inform headquarters right away and get approval for new terms!”

“We’ll be back. Don’t forget about us.”

The scouts, realizing it would be difficult to win Theo over, quickly busied themselves, heading off in different directions to take action.

Ayan clicked her tongue in regret as she glanced at Theo one last time before quietly leaving the scene.

No one stood in his way.

The spot where they had gathered was now completely empty, as if nothing had ever happened.

‘Should I give it a try…?’

Theo wiggled his fingers and slowly began to move.

He wanted to try drawing out the image lingering in his mind.

Ssssss—

The first stance of Full Blooming Plum Blossom.

Small circles were drawn in succession, and petals began to appear, only to vanish almost immediately.

However, the petals were slightly different from those of the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace.

In line with the technique , his sword strokes were still sharp but also carried a softness.

He repeated the words the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace had said to him over and over in his head.

– What is the dragon you pursue?

At that moment, Theo was fully immersed in his concentration.

And then—

“…..”

A woman stood in the shadows, silently watching him until the very end.

* * *

For the past three days, the main gates of Camellia Palace had been crowded with countless people.

The rumors had spread quickly—both about Theo’s achievements during the first Blossoming Ceremony and about the fact that even the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace had taken interest in him.

– It seems the Flash Tiger hasn’t yet decided where to be assigned!

– A few months ago, he turned down an offer to enlist in the White Armored Dragon Cavalry, so he must not be interested in becoming a Dragon Knight!

– It looks like he’s looking for a place to support his ambitions, perhaps for the succession rights!

There were numerous rumors and speculations surrounding Theo, and naturally, many people were watching him closely.

The Gale Sword Unit, the Black Iron Cavalry, the Judgment Hall, the Central Hall…

All these organizations had sent people and gifts his way.

Yet, despite their efforts, none of them had even caught a glimpse of Theo, and they were forced to leave empty-handed.

– I’m focusing solely on my training in preparation for the second Blossoming Ceremony.

With such a reason, who could say anything in protest?

Among those who couldn’t breach the walls of Camellia Palace, there were quite a few frustrated spies.

In the end—

Piles of unopened gifts continued to stack up like mountains.

Clack-clack-clack!

Suddenly, a massive eight-wheeled carriage arrived in front of the main gate.

It was adorned with jewels, dazzling and glittering at a single glance.

– Wh-what is that?

– Where did that come from… Huh!

– The Vasque Workshop! That’s from the Vasque Workshop!

– And is that a Tao Tie crest…? No way, could it be—!

The crowd that had gathered in front of Camellia Palace, hoping to catch even a distant glimpse of Theo, fell into shock.

It was because of the terrifying demonic face painted boldly on the carriage’s door.

The Tao Tie Crest!

It was the mark of the Master Artisan, the figure who had made the Vasque Workshop the greatest blacksmithing group in existence today.

And sure enough—

Clank!

“Hoo—!”

As the door of the carriage, adorned with the Tao Tie crest, swung open, a thick cloud of smoke—hazy like mist—poured out.

Beneath it, a pair of long, slender legs emerged.

The moment the female elf, with a pipe hanging from her lips, fully stepped out of the carriage, the crowd gasped in shock.

It was none other than Majang Kirsion, the Master Artisan, whose face even Kyle Ragnar, the Patriarch, would struggle to see without an appointment.

“You bastard. That wretched boy dares to summon this old lady, when he should be the one crawling to me?”

Kirsion, visibly displeased, bit down on her pipe as she scolded the innocent porters who were moving her cargo.

“Hey, you there! Are you going to move that properly or not? If anything happens to that item, will you compensate for it? Even if you worked your entire life, you wouldn’t be able to afford even one of the ornaments on that hilt!”

“S-Sorry!”

“We’ll be more careful!”

The six porters, drenched in sweat, carefully carried a massive wooden chest, over two meters in size.

Wrapped in golden silk and sealed with a Tao Tie crest, it was clear that the item inside was extremely valuable.

– No way… Is the Master Artisan giving a gift to the Flash Tiger?

– And it’s a Tao Tie sword!

– A Tao Tie sword… I heard the Judgment Hall Chief tried to commission one last year but got rejected for not being qualified.

– Wow… What kind of relationship do the two of them have?

The murmurs of awe rippled through the crowd.

At that very moment—

Creaaak!

The gates of Camellia Palace, which had remained firmly closed for the past three days, swung open.

Kirsion strode confidently through the entrance.

(E/n: From what i could find, the TaoTie is a creature related to power, desire, and darker aspects of human nature.)

* * *

“Honestly… your business instincts are truly remarkable,” Cecilia remarked the moment Kirsion stepped into Camellia Palace.

“How can you make such a decision in this kind of situation?”

“Hmph! This is all pro bono, so isn’t this the least I can do to properly advertise?”

Kirsion’s grand entrance—with her magnificent carriage, powerful porters, and the chest marked with the Tao Tie crest—had been carefully planned.

It was a warning to all other workshops that the Vasque Workshop was now officially supporting Camellia Palace and that no one else should even think about interfering.

Moreover, it was also an advertisement: Theo Ragnar would now be wielding a sword forged by the Master Artisan.

By now, the entire Winterera must have been buzzing with the news.

‘Keh-heh-heh! Do you have any idea how much money that brings in? From now on, all of Winterera is in the palm of Kirsion’s hand!’

Of course, Kirsion made sure not to reveal her satisfaction too openly.

After all, she knew she’d be pestered by her adopted daughter all day long.

“That was only about defective goods… Haah! Never mind. Arguing with you will just wear me out. More importantly, where’s the item?”

“It’s absolutely perfect.”

Cecilia’s eyes gleamed for a moment.

Though Kirsion had a notorious love for money, she never lied.

If she herself called something ‘perfect,’ then—

The quality would undoubtedly be exceptional.

With a nod, Kirsion gestured toward her assistant to open the chest.

Clack!

The lid of the wooden chest swung open, and at that moment—

“This… can’t be…!”

Cecilia could only release one exclamation of awe after another, her eyes sparkling at the sight.