Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan - Chapter 47

The number of examinees gathered in the results hall was less than half the starting number. The grueling fortnight-long competition had taken its toll, forcing many to retire from the exam.

The examinees were all stunned. This was their first harsh lesson in the realities of competition, and it had hit hard.

Hostile glares darted between some examinees, but the proctors remained impassive, accustomed to this annual spectacle.

However, the proctors were surprised, though for a different reason entirely. Far more examinees than the annual average had survived.

“The rumors were true. This generation truly possesses exceptionally talented individuals…!”

“The 4 Hounds of the North would have taken valedictorian had they competed in another year, yet here they fell behind.”

“Theo Ragnar. He’s a force to be reckoned with…”

“Ray Ragnar, considered the weakest of the 4 Hounds, managed to secure second place.”

“We should also keep an eye on Erika Lanke, Hulkus Lanke’s sister. She’s undoubtedly a gem.”

“Axion Ragnar’s death doesn’t seem like a loss at all.”

As these whispers circulated among the proctors, the examinees themselves were reeling from the final results.

“Theo Ragnar is in first place again?”

“I heard Axion and the Scaled Dragon Society were knocked out… Is it true?”

“Not just knocked out. I heard some of them even died.”

“How did he go up against the entirety of the Scaled Dragon Society? This is unbelievable!”

“How can we possibly compete with him?”

“I’m already dreading the 3rd Stage…”

“Hey, the valedictorian hasn’t been announced yet. Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

“Look! They’re here!”

A sudden shout drew every eye to the entrance.

Theo and Ray entered, covered in dust and grime, looking as though they’d just crawled out of a battlefield. However, despite their shabby appearance, the sharp glint in their eyes commanded respect, even making some of the proctors flinch.

“This exam… it’s changed them both,” a proctor noted.

Theo bowed to the judge on the platform, “Our apologies for the delay. We were held up by the final demonic fiend.”

The judge nodded silently.

After receiving a whispered report from another proctor, the proctor standing before the scoreboard hastily updated the scores.

1st. Theo Ragnar (1,521 points)

2nd. Ray Ragnar (1,102 points)

3rd. Erika Lanke (926 points)

…

“His score… it jumped by two hundred points?!”

“Ray’s increased by a hundred as well…!”

“What the hell…?!”

“What were they doing out there?”

Murmurs rippled through the hall until the judge roared, “Everyone, silence!”

Instant quiet descended.

“Theo and Ray Ragnar’s delay was due to their hunt of a Class-5 fiend, a ‘Magic Saber-Toothed Tiger’. The supervising proctor has confirmed their kill. I will not tolerate any objections!”

“……!”

“……!”

“……!”

The Magic Saber-Toothed Tiger was notorious for its tough hide and incredible speed, making it one of the most challenging Class-5 fiends to hunt.

In addition, they typically traveled in packs of three to four, making their threat level comparable to a Class-4 fiend.

The fact that they were successful in their hunt implied that they likely killed three or four of them at once.

This was a feat so impressive that even the impartial judge couldn’t hide his admiration.

“Theo and Ray Ragnar, go find your places.”

Theo and Ray bowed, taking their designated positions.

For a brief moment, Theo’s eyes met Remington’s.

‘He’s grown stronger again. As expected of young master Theo. He’s too remarkable,’ Remington chuckled.

But he also felt a flicker of unease at the widening gap between them.

‘He seems different. Something must have happened,’ Theo was equally surprised by the change in Remington’s demeanor.

He was worried something might have happened to Remington upon seeing his low score, given his obvious skill. It seemed Remington had been pursuing a different objective.

‘Did he have a fateful encounter?’ Theo grew curious about his best friend’s secret weapon.

“Now that everyone is present, we will begin the final evaluation!”

The judge’s announcement captured everyone’s attention. However, the more astute examinees sensed something was amiss.

“Final evaluation?”

“Does he mean these aren’t the final rankings?”

The judge continued, “When I detailed the 2nd Stage, I stated the final score would be based on points accumulated from hunting demonic fiends. However, this exam had a second component. Does anyone know what it was?”

Confusion rippled through the examinees. What did he mean there was another part to the exam?

“Those who know, raise your hands.”

Two hands rose. It was Theo and Remington.

‘Was his fateful encounter an Elemental Breathing?’ Theo was surprised to see that Remington had raised his hands.

Remington looked back at Theo with a wry smile.

‘What’s going on? Remington didn’t manage to uncover the truth of the hidden pieces in my past life,’ Theo wondered.

Discovering the secret of Elemental Breathing was incredibly rare. Each generation usually had at most one person who learned of it, if there were even any at all.

It was the same in Theo’s previous life. Despite being considered the most talented generation in history, only one person achieved it. But now there was another person.

Theo wondered how this could possibly be.

‘Is it… the butterfly effect?’

As Theo was lost in thought, two more hands went up. One was beside Theo.

“Ray?”

“That’s not fair, Theo. Keeping secrets. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?” Ray grumbled, narrowing her eyes.

Theo offered a wry smile. It seems that Ray had caught on after seeing Theo repeatedly inspecting the patterns on the demon bells.

‘Maybe I should have explained. I ended up creating a misunderstanding.’ As Theo thought about how he could appease Ray, he glanced sideways, ‘Meanwhile, she remained unchanged.’

Beside Hulkus Lanke, a woman with similar features also had her hand raised.

‘Erika Lanke.’

Hulkus Lanke’s older sister. She was the future head of the Lanke Clan and a generational genius known as the ‘White Bear’. She was the one who had discovered Elemental Breathing during this exam in his past life.

‘The future I know is slowly going off the path.’

Theo considered the implications of this result. He had expected the future to shift after his own rise and Axion’s death, but these unforeseen consequences were unsettling. He couldn’t tell if these changes would lead to a brighter future… or bring about disaster.

“Four individuals uncovered the secret? This generation truly is exceptional,” the judge, oblivious to the change in history, smiled faintly at the unexpected outcome.

As a member of the Ragnar administration, he was pleased by the rise of talented individuals. He then started pointing to each of the examinees.

“Erika Lanke, tell me. What have you obtained? There may be additional points depending on your answer.”

Erika stepped forward, “I obtained ‘Eldr’.”

“How many?”

“I found four.”

“Show us.”

The examinees, unaware of the existence of the hidden pieces, exchanged bewildered glances before their eyes widened in shock.

Woosh, woosh!

Crackle! Crackle!

Mana gust swirled around Erika, small sparks of fire erupting.

Then—

Fwoosh!

* * *

Reaper Scans

[Translator – Mr.Ghost]

[Proofreader – Harley]

Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapercomics

* * *

The sparks coalesced into a large will-o’-the-wisp, dancing around her.

“E-element Manifestation…!” one of the proctors cried out.

Imbuing magic power with an element was a feat usually capable by high-ranking officials or exceptionally talented individuals within Ragnar. It was not a surprise that everyone was awestruck.

“Erika Lanke, you pass. You will receive one hundred points per passage, for a total of four hundred.”

The scoreboard updated instantly with the judge’s declaration.

1st. Theo Ragnar (1,521 points)

2nd. Erika Lanke (1,326 points)

3rd. Ray Ragnar (1,102 points)

…

“The rankings shifted…!” The examinees murmured.

However, Erika looked displeased. Even with the additional points, she failed to take first place.

“Ray Ragnar, what did you obtain?”

“I found ‘Frør’.”

“How many?”

“I obtained two.”

“Show us.”

Ray nodded and drew her sword.

With a light inhale and the activation of her magic power, the temperature plummeted and a snowstorm erupted.

Crack! Crackle!

Wherever Ray swung her sword, ice spread across the floor and sharp icicles sprouted.

Erika’s eyebrows twitched. The combination of the 《White Glacial Arsenal» and the Frost element was even more formidable than she had anticipated. If Ray had obtained even one more piece, Erika’s Eldr wouldn’t stand a chance against her Frør.

“Ray Ragnar, you also pass. You shall receive two hundred points.”

Clink!

Ray silently sheathed her sword. Her final score was 1,302. Though she was still in third place, lacking just twenty points to beat Erika, she seemed unconcerned.

“Next, Remington Narcio. What did you obtain?”

Remington answered with an unreadable expression. “‘I found ‘Vatn’.”

“So, Water Current. And how many?”

“A total of eight, sir.”

Erika and Ray’s gazes snapped towards him. Erika’s eyes in particular were practically blazing.

She had almost given up hunting demonic fiends for a mere four pieces, yet he had somehow found double?

“Hmm? Is that so? Even in other generations, the acquisition of more than five was rare. Yet you found eight, just one short of a complete set.”

The examinees murmured with tension. If true, that meant a fifteen-year-old trainee swordsman had mastered an almost complete Elemental Breathing technique.

He would be starting on an entirely different level from them.

“If you are lying, there will be consequences.”

“I shall let the result speak for itself.”

Shing—

Remington slowly drew his broadsword. After glancing briefly at Theo, he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He focused his mind, before…

Fshhh—

Streams of water started to appear around Remington, swirling together into orbs.

“Not just Element Manifestation, but Element Control as well…?”

“I thought he just discovered Elemental Breathing! How is this possible?!”

The examinees fell into shock and chaos.

Infusion, Manifestation, Control, Expansion, and Aura Release. Those were the five stages of elemental manipulation. Reaching the third stage at his age was a testament to his immense talent.

Remington had created six orbs of water. Then, he opened his eyes.

Simultaneously, the water orbs dispersed, reforming into a massive whirlpool. Each stream within the whirlpool was sharp as a blade, emitting a chilling whistle.

«Water Current Breathing – Blade Whirlpool»

Whirrrrrr!

Splash, splash!

“Impressive.” the judge murmured.

Whoosh!

He suddenly leaped from the platform, appearing before Remington in the blink of an eye, as if he had teleported. He thrust his hand into the «Blade Whirlpool», aiming for Remington’s face.

Caught off guard, Remington flinched but reacted calmly.

«Narcio Secret Technique – Lion Fang»

Like a lion trying to tear its prey with its fang, Remington thrust his broadsword forward.

It was a simple move, but the «Blade Whirlpool» coalesced around the blade, amplifying it and becoming incredibly sharp.

The judge’s hand and the tip of the broadsword collided.

BOOM!

The «Blade Whirlpool» shattered, spraying water everywhere. Remington stumbled back, coughing up blood. He had sustained internal injuries.

“Straighten his posture!”

Two proctors who had been on standby landed behind Remington. One supported him while the other healed his internal injuries by channeling magic power through their palm onto his back.

Color returned to Remington’s pale face.

“I momentarily forgot about my position and got carried away. I apologize for the trouble,” the judge clasped his hands behind his back and apologized.

Remington straightened up and offered a sword salute, “Not at all. Your actions have provided valuable insight into the breathing technique. Thank you, sir.”

Remington was sincere. While it might have seemed like a simple attack to the untrained eye, the judge’s footwork and hand movements had sparked inspiration.

Remington became eager to return to his residence and analyze this newfound knowledge. If he could grasp it, he would undoubtedly reach a new level.

The judge’s smile deepened. He was a master of Water Current Breathing. Seeing Remington’s talent, he wanted to give him a pointer out of whim, but it seemed Remington had garnered far more than he intended.

‘Such talent… It’s a shame he’s a Narcio and not a Ragnar. The Narcio Clan has a bright future awaiting them. Unless…?’ the judge’s eyes gleamed as he looked at Remington.

Despite his old age, a small desire to take on a disciple flickered.

“Remington, you pass. You’ve not only collected the pieces but also obtained a deep understanding of the element. And so, I award you nine hundred points.”

Once again, the scoreboard changed.

1st. Remington Narcio (1,689 points)

2nd. Theo Ragnar (1,521 points)

3rd. Erika Lanke (1,326 points)

4th. Ray Ragnar (1,302 points)

…

“First place has changed hands!”

“I can’t believe that Theo’s score was actually overturned…!”

“In previous generations, even one thousand points guaranteed valedictorian. Why did I have to be a part of this generation…?!”

The examinees were beyond shocked. Despair was creeping in.

Then, following the judge’s gaze, all eyes fell on Theo. His final evaluation was still pending.

The judge spoke. “Theo Ragnar! What did you obtain, and how many did you obtain?”