Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan

Chapter 268

It would have been a lie to say he didn’t enjoy it.

For the first time in a long while, Harald felt a flicker of joy.

He had met someone in a place where he thought no one could possibly be—a young man who had recently become one of the most talked-about figures in the world.

That alone had piqued Harald’s interest. Watching the youth fight had drawn him in completely.

To achieve such strength at that age, Harald knew exactly how much someone would have to push themselves.

It was both thrilling and painful to witness.

Every moment of joy Harald felt seemed to twist into unbearable shame.

How could he dare to feel such an emotion?

As if to chastise him, the image of his daughter’s face appeared in his mind, her cold voice scolding him:

Is this the time to laugh so carelessly?

The deep darkness within Harald’s heart threatened to swallow him whole.

Even as they escaped from Viper’s domain, Harald was plagued by thoughts, one after another, unrelenting.

Was this what he had agreed to fight alongside someone for?

The devil who held the life of the person he loved most dangled her existence over his head without mercy.

Unfortunately, what Theo sought and what Harald desired were in direct conflict.

It felt like a cruel twist of fate.

Harald’s turmoil prevented him from fully committing to stopping Theo from taking Viper’s head.

Even his attacks lacked the sharpness they once carried.

“The scent of the Holy Church of Light…”

Harald murmured, replaying Theo’s words in his mind.

There was a moment that came to mind—a subtle yet telling incident.

It was during their handshake the day before.

Could it be that insidious miasma has been festering within me without my even noticing?

It seemed that Theo had detected an almost imperceptible trace of dark energy within Harald, just from that handshake.

The more Harald thought about it, the more Theo’s actions began to make sense.

“They say rumors tend to be exaggerated, but in this case… I suppose they weren’t.”

Harald let out a bitter laugh, gazing at Theo with a mix of admiration and resignation.

His grip on the handle of his massive axe tightened, as if coming to a decision.

***

A massive tidal wave surged violently, crashing toward Theo.

It seemed Harald had no intention of talking—or perhaps he wasn’t ready just yet. Instead, he bore down on Theo with relentless aggression.

Kuaaah!

The same overwhelming force that had cleaved Viper’s back now roared toward Theo like an unstoppable tsunami.

This is troublesome.

The initial blow wasn’t the end of it. Even after deflecting the axe, the waves that followed threatened to sweep Theo’s sword away entirely.

“Splitting a tidal wave with a blade isn’t exactly an easy task,” Harald remarked.

Indeed, it felt as though Theo was trying to part a violent sea with a single sword. But with a glimmer of light running down his blade, Theo began slicing through the waves.

Despite not using his full strength, Theo knew that if he let his guard down for even a moment, he would drown in this storm of attacks.

“Slicing water with a sword isn’t difficult either,” Theo retorted.

Infusing his blade with mana, Theo sharpened its edge to cut cleanly through the surging tide.

The colossal axe moved with surprising agility, tracing graceful arcs as it bore down on Theo.

Despite its immense weight, Harald wielded it with a deftness that seemed almost playful.

So, this is the Sea Sovereign.

Harald’s reputation, which had rivaled that of Theo’s father Kyle in their prime, was no exaggeration. His strength was undeniable.

Clang! Clang!

Lightning-like precision bisected the relentless waves one after another, leaving Harald with a puzzled expression.

Why is this boy…?

In a battle like this, there was no place for joy or playfulness.

Harald had launched killing strikes—blows that, if not blocked, would mean certain death.

And yet, Theo didn’t retaliate with the same murderous intent.

Even though Theo was clearly skilled enough to counterattack, his strikes lacked any semblance of killing intent.

Could he be the same as me?

Theo had already sensed Harald’s hesitation in the midst of their exchanges.

The slightly furrowed brow and the lack of true malice in Harald’s attacks made it clear—this fight felt off.

The clash was fierce in appearance but strangely hollow in essence.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Harald asked, his expression twisting with confusion.

“What do you mean?” Theo replied calmly.

Harald’s face was contorted with a mix of emotions he couldn’t articulate.

“I doubt I’ve aged so much that my junior would show mercy out of fondness,” Harald said, his tone laced with bitterness.

“And I certainly haven’t been doted on enough by my senior to feel any hesitation about killing him,” Theo countered.

“…”

Both statements were true.

It dawned on Harald that this fight had been entirely perfunctory—neither of them was fighting with true conviction.

The realization drained the strength from Harald’s arms.

His massive axe dipped toward the ground, and Theo lowered the tip of his sword in response.

A heavy silence fell between them, with no indication that the battle would resume.

It was Theo who broke the stillness.

“You seem open to conversation, senior. Am I mistaken?”

Theo sheathed his sword and visibly lowered his guard.

Harald didn’t put away his axe, but the tension in his stance diminished noticeably.

A new kind of tension emerged, one that felt less like a battle and more like an unspoken vulnerability.

“You currently stand with the Holy Church of Light,” Theo began. “But I suspect it’s not by your own will.”

At those words, Harald’s face twitched, and the air around him turned icy.

It felt like standing at the edge of a frigid winter sea, the cold cutting to the bone.

“Perhaps they hold a debt over you,” Theo continued, his voice steady.

Creak.

The veins on Harald’s hands bulged as he gripped his axe tighter.

“Or perhaps… they’ve found a way to exploit a weakness.”

“You dare imply that my house is entangled with such filth?” Harald growled.

The very notion that his noble lineage could be connected to the Holy Church was an insult.

“I meant no offense,” Theo said calmly. “But the Holy Church has a penchant for preying on people’s hopes, holding them hostage for their gain.”

Theo was piecing together what he knew from both this life and his past.

Why had Harald appeared in the Beastlands?

Why had the records of Harald’s life ended here?

The answer inevitably pointed to the Holy Church.

Before his regression, Harald’s disappearance had triggered chaos within his house.

The Harald family, known for their immense influence and indomitable strength, had erupted into a frenzy when their leader vanished without a trace.

Their rampage was so extreme that it didn’t stop at simply searching for Harald—they resorted to kidnappings and torture in a desperate bid for answers.

And the ones who stopped their rampage? The Holy Church, of course.

The Church claimed to act for the sake of the empire’s people, to protect them from the Harald family’s destruction.

But Theo knew better. The Holy Church never moved without an ulterior motive.

They had subdued the Harald family with ease, as if they had anticipated the chaos.

Soon after, the family’s vast resources and influence began flowing into the Church’s coffers like water.

It’s obvious. The Church orchestrated their rampage from the start.

They would want Harald to die here in the Beastlands.

If he perished, the Church could fully absorb the Harald family.

If he survived, they could manipulate him further or profit from the spoils of his conquests.

What exactly is binding Harald so tightly?

Theo could see no apparent flaws or weaknesses in Harald’s character or actions.

As one of the continent’s strongest warriors, what could possibly hold him hostage?

“You may have distanced yourself from your family for reasons I don’t fully understand,” Theo said. “But if this continues, your house will be in grave danger.”

“Why?” Harald demanded.

“The Holy Church speaks no truths. You’re standing in the mouth of a serpent, senior.”

The oppressive killing intent surrounding Harald began to wane.

He stared blankly at the sky for a moment before closing his eyes tightly, as if wrestling with a decision.

When he finally looked back at Theo, his gaze was sharp but contemplative.

“You’re a clever boy,” Harald admitted.

The killing intent hadn’t disappeared completely.

If anything, it had condensed, swirling like a taut bowstring ready to snap at any moment.

“Truth is a dangerous thing. If you’ve stirred up my unpleasant truths just to satisfy your curiosity, Ragnar will end with you today.”

Harald raised his axe, leveling it toward Theo.

It was clear: Harald wanted answers, and he wanted them now.

“There will be plenty of time to cross blades, senior,” Theo replied calmly. “But for now, why not give me a chance to reason with you?”

Harald’s expression froze for a moment, caught off guard by Theo’s unexpected response.

“And if I grant you such an honor,” Harald said with a faint grin, “I suspect the tale of our exchange will make fine drinking talk for you until your last days.”

“Ha!” Harald let out a hearty laugh.

It wasn’t the response Harald had expected, but it was far from unwelcome.

If Theo had tried to act overly wise or offered monetary compensation, Harald was certain he’d have killed him on the spot.

Instead, Theo’s sharp wit and humility defused the tension.

The suffocating pressure around them dissipated, replaced by Harald’s booming laughter that echoed through the air.

Good, Theo thought, relaxing as he allowed a small smile to creep onto his face.

Harald lowered his axe and shot Theo a sly grin.

“I’ll look forward to it.”