-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Theo Ragnar (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Gulp, gulp—
Theo devoured over 700g of pork by himself, then downed the pre-made 'special celery juice' in one go.
"Ugh... This taste is impossible to get used to."
He tossed the empty 500ml beer glass carelessly onto the floor, his face scrunching up.
Clang—
Along with the sound of glass shattering, he felt something rapidly circulating through his body.
"Just how did the Blood Sword Emperor endure chugging this stuff for six straight years? No way he messed up because of this, right?"
Nine years from now, an absolute expert the same age as him would emerge in the southern reaches of the continent.
The guy, half-mad with bloodlust and dubbed the 'Mad Blood' or 'Blood Demon,' was known to have honed his skills through a unique Eastern method called [Elixir Refinement].
Theo had once gotten a chance to peruse a special investigation report on the Blood Sword Emperor.
It was a leftover record from when the Ragnar Family had moved to recruit him, only to clash in a quarrel that sparked a war, prompting a background check.
'Back then, they claimed I had no talent for swordsmanship and shoved me into the staff corps by force.'
Events from a future that no longer existed.
'I wasn't there long... but it let me memorize the ingredients and ratios for that wondrous Elixir Refinement.'
In his previous life, Theo hadn't been solely obsessed with swordsmanship—he'd been deeply interested in accumulating mana.
The foundation of mana accumulation was breathing techniques.
They said you could stay healthy just by breathing properly.
So why wouldn't he?
The Blood Sword Emperor's Elixir Refinement was no different.
Gather specific ingredients, mix them, and consume steadily. Done.
Even in his previous life, Theo had taken it consistently.
His advanced age had clogged his blood vessels and qi flow, limiting the effects, but his stamina had still improved significantly.
'But things are different now. I'm young, with far less blockage in my qi and blood.'
The knowledge Theo had claimed from his previous life wasn't limited to this.
-Dawn runs every day at 6 AM, without fail.
A method to rapidly boost stamina.
The breathing technique he'd used was his master's, one that hadn't yet appeared in the world.
Thanks to it, in just a month, Theo's cardiopulmonary endurance and muscle quality had become remarkably solid.
-Strange-titled books from the library.
All of them secret manuals that would later be revealed as 'hidden away in secret by bored ancestors.'
Most would earn 'Superior' ratings in swordsmanship.
But now, they'd never see the light of day.
And now.
Theo was finally about to open his Aura Hall.
However, his method differed slightly from the conventional approach of simply piling mana into the dantian.
'First, trigger all the mana accumulated in my body through Elixir Refinement, then draw it toward my heart...'
It was right then, as Theo recalled the steps and began circulating his mana in sequence.
"Theo! My son, Theo! Are you in here!"
A shrill, hysterical voice rang out from outside.
The maids' faces drained of color as they fidgeted anxiously.
"Mother?"
Why was she showing up now, after over a month without a single visit?
Bang!
Before Theo could finish his question, the door burst open.
A noblewoman nearing forty strode in, still radiating the youthful beauty of her twenties.
But unlike her stunning looks, her steps were jittery with irritation, and her glare at the maids was downright savage.
"Ma-Madam! You can't do this here...!"
"Let go! Who's going to stop me from seeing my own son!"
"B-But...!"
The maids who had trailed after her, trying to dissuade her, could only fidget helplessly.
They stole apologetic glances at Theo.
"It's fine. Everyone, out."
The maids bowed curtly to Theo and scurried from the room.
"You need to crack down on these maids. They're getting way too bold. Daring to block a mother from seeing her son? It's because you've spoiled the young master rotten—they've grown arrogant."
If he let this slide, it'd spell real trouble down the line.
"It was my order."
"What did you say?"
"I instructed the maids: no one enters without my explicit permission."
"Even this mother?"
"Yes."
"How...!"
It was because if she kicked up a fuss like this, he could fall into qi deviation.
Theo let out a deep sigh instead of voicing what he couldn't say aloud.
Creating the Dragon's Heart demanded tremendous effort, focus, and time.
Any external interruption could trigger a mana rampage, leaving him half-crippled.
That's why he'd slipped the maids some desserts and begged them: no one in, not even the Family Head.
'At least it was before I started. Whew!'
Theo stared silently at the noblewoman who'd disrupted him in both his past and present lives.
Cecilia Ragnar.
The birth mother of 'Theo Ragnar.'
Her name made it clear: she was the only commoner in the Family Head's harem without a clan name.
Her deep-seated inferiority complex over her origins poured entirely onto her son.
She believed that if Theo rose high, no one could look down on her.
The problem was that Theo had never shown any remarkable talent.
So she nagged him relentlessly whenever she saw him.
Same as always.
If he let her be, it'd just be an earful of painful lectures.
"More importantly, what brings you here?"
Cecilia barely reined in her boiling anger and spat venomously.
"Renden says you were spacing out in class again?"
'So that's it.'
Theo gave a wry smile.
He'd indeed tuned out Renden's lessons while preparing for the Dragon's Heart.
They hadn't helped anyway.
"How much more do you intend to rip this mother's heart to shreds!"
"...."
"Say something! You're not mute—you can talk just fine. Why do you always ignore me!"
'What now?'
Theo had never once felt true maternal affection from her.
He didn't hate her, though. If anything, he pitied her.
A life without her husband's love, confined to a prison-like harem, no friends to confide in.
He'd tried to treat her warmly whenever possible.
'But it's never that simple.'
"Say something...!"
"Mother."
Perhaps because of that, Theo's voice came out oddly flat.
"Ha! Finally opening your mouth. You must have a guilty conscience."
"Renden is a con artist."
"What...!"
"I know how much money and effort you poured into bringing him here. But he's just a third-rate mercenary with no real experience or skill."
"...!"
"I'll expose his true colors soon enough. So please, don't meddle in my affairs."
It was the first time Theo had snapped back at Cecilia so sharply.
Her son had always played ignorant or distracted, staying meek.
Today, he stared straight into her eyes.
Cecilia's words caught in her throat.
She had plenty to say, but couldn't get it out.
Everything felt alien.
It was his face, unmistakably.
But not her son.
"If you have nothing more to say, please leave."
* * *
"How could my son say such cruel things to this mother! Me! After how I've raised you! Protecting you from those vixen-like wenches...!"
Cecilia's hysterical voice echoed shrilly down the distant corridor.
Theo ignored the whispers from maids and butlers.
'Not my proudest moment.'
Theo sighed lightly and shook his head.
'But she's the one who bore this body. I have to save her somehow.'
In three years, Cecilia would be caught trying to poison one of the Family Head's favorite concubines and executed.
Suspicious circumstances aside, everyone knew her usual behavior—no one questioned it.
Theo had no desire to let it happen again.
'She only seems tough on the surface. Mother doesn't have the guts for something like that. It's got to be tied to the Family Head succession.'
Who was the culprit?
And the assassins who'd killed Theo and his retainers—who was behind them?
His gut said they were one and the same.
'Focus on the Dragon's Heart for now. In the end, my own strength is what matters most.'
Theo instructed the maids to let no one in, then slowly assumed a cross-legged position.
He closed his eyes and focused his mind.
Mana clumps scattered throughout his body became perceptible.
Layer upon layer, built up over the past month-plus of steady Elixir Refinement.
These would serve as perfect materials and fuel for the [Dragon's Heart].
"Hup...!"
Theo drew in a deep breath.
The mana clumps surged wildly, beginning to flow along his mana circuits at his command.
Direction: clockwise.
Target: left chest, heart.
They flowed grandly like a river, gathered like the sea... and crashed in like a tsunami!
Bang!
"Guh!"
It felt like a hammer slamming into his chest.
Theo's upper body jolted.
But even as pain spun his vision, he kept his mouth shut.
One wrong sound here could disrupt his breathing, sparking a mana rampage.
And then?
There was no "after." Just half-crippled.
'Dizzy as hell.'
Theo clenched his teeth.
What he was attempting was forcibly imprinting mana factors onto his heart.
Remodeling the heart—through which all blood passed—from a mere organ into a mana organ. It was bound to be grueling.
But Theo was confident.
He'd researched the Dragon's Heart extensively with his master and succeeded before.
'And I'd gathered a ton of mana back then.'
In the end.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Theo battered the sturdy heart wall, desperately pouring mana inside.
Bang bang bang bang—
Thump thump thump thump!
His heart pounded madly in response.
Kwaaaang!
His body shuddered more violently than ever as mana flooded straight into his heart.
'Got it...!'
Success. Theo inwardly cheered, forcing the mana to anchor inside his heart.
But then.
'What's this?'
Something was off from his expectations.
Inside his heart.
A massive clump of mana was already there.
As if it had always been.
[Congratulations! You have successfully completed Tutorial Quest #1.]
[Evaluation: A]
[Reward: '■■■'s Hal■'.]
[Additional reward from evaluation: Discovered mana from your previous life.]