Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan

Chapter 307

Early Morning.

Theo woke up two hours earlier than others and prepared himself in silence.

He quietly left and walked through the early morning streets.

Slowly, he looked around and headed towards the square.

He gazed at the altar, inspecting it to see if there were any deficiencies.

Well-arranged flowers and a stone tablet covered with cloth caught his eye.

Theo lifted the cloth and examined the engraving, nodding in satisfaction.

He then sat on a chair in the square, closing his eyes for a moment.

‘Sorry I’m late.’

After a brief moment of silence, he returned to the patriarch’s office.

And—

“Welcome.”

Ralph was standing at the entrance.

With neatly combed hair and a calm demeanor, he greeted Theo.

“It’s still early, and you’re already up.”

“Isn’t that typical of old men?”

Ralph chuckled briefly and then lowered his head.

“I must first offer my apologies. If you ask, I will accept the blame for eavesdropping on what you were saying that day.”

“I expected as much. But what crime? You didn’t listen on purpose.”

Theo responded nonchalantly, approached Ralph, patted him once on the shoulder, and entered.

Ralph felt something stir deep within him.

He had already sworn to serve the Narsio family for life.

But now, he felt that his vow was wavering.

‘No, this is still for Narsio.’

He tried to dismiss the feeling.

In the grand scheme of things, it was true that everything was for Narsio.

Hadn’t he done similar things many times before?

Just as he had served Kalen in the past.

Ralph followed Theo without another word.

‘If this man is in power, the flag of Narsio will fly once again.’

Around Noon.

Theo finally left the patriarch’s office.

Behind him, several members of the Blue Sword Guards were carrying a coffin.

Along the road, the remaining members of the Blue Sword Guard and the White Capped Dragon Knights were lined up, wearing ceremonial attire.

Theo himself, dressed in a black suit and coat, walked between them.

Clack. Clack.

The sound of his shoes echoed clearly.

The estate was silent.

Each time the sound of Theo’s shoes rang through, the estate residents winced.

Theo climbed onto the platform and looked at the scene before him, his eyes widening.

‘Such misunderstandings.’

There were less than half the number of estate residents gathered compared to the day before.

Among them, there were no children, women, or elderly.

The people present were all young and middle-aged men.

Perhaps sensing a different kind of death, they were all dressed in neat attire, gathered in the square.

This meant they were throwing the message to Theo: if they were to die, let it end with them.

Theo closed his eyes for a moment and smiled bitterly.

He wasn’t entirely displeased with the scene.

He smiled because he liked their resolve.

Thus, Theo’s eyes glinted, and he faced them squarely.

“Thank you all for attending today.”

Theo spoke his first words, taking a deep breath.

“From this moment, we will conduct the funeral of the nobleman, Sir Wellington Narsio, who made a noble sacrifice for Ragnar. Before we proceed, I would like to give a brief speech.”

At that moment, the silence in the hall gradually started to be filled with murmurs.

• What… what is he saying?
• The funeral of Sir Wellington...?
• But he’s a hero of the North, isn’t he?

The infamous mark of a hero of the North, announced across the Winterer region, was well known.

Naturally, they thought the funeral would not take place.

In fact, the mere act of retrieving his body was already an unusual measure.

Thus, the current situation was hard to believe.

“I started this war for a simple reason. To relieve the grievance of my long-time friend, my loyal retainer. And it was never because I coveted Narsio. I merely could not delay any longer, so I acted.”

The revelation of Kalen’s behind-the-scenes machinations had also been a trigger.

However, Theo didn’t bother to bring that up.

And the murmurs among the estate residents grew louder.

Why? The question was written all over their faces.

• Why is he saying such things to us...?
• Isn’t this supposed to be confidential? Is he trying to expose everything and kill us all?
• Shh! I don’t think that’s his intention. Don’t jump to conclusions!

There was no need to reveal the truth.

He only wished to reveal it because it was a message not for those gathered here, but for someone else.

That’s why he wanted to share it.

The life he had lived on this land.

“I’ll say it again. You must discard the Narsio that remains in your hearts. If you do, I will not allow unnecessary sacrifices! You will not shed meaningless blood.”

The hall began to stir.

From the depths of their hearts, something was beginning to stir.

“Please! Embrace not Narsio, but Ragnar in your hearts! Then, I will accept you as my brothers, and I will protect your lives, your honor, and your dignity.”

Theo took a breath.

It wasn’t because he was short of breath.

He simply felt a little overwhelmed.

“I couldn’t stand by until the end, but like my comrade who sleeps beside me now…”

His last words spread softly, like the refrain of a song.

And those words penetrated the hearts of the estate residents.

They had never heard such words from Narsio.

Nor could they have imagined hearing such words now.

From Ragnar, the absolute victor of the North.

“Today, I truly admire the courage you have shown. You, who have never held a military weapon, and only have the strength to wield a sword, have shown courage by standing before me. I envy you all.”

An unknown heat began to rise in the hall.

“Today, you have shown me the pride of the North! Again, I say, I envy you all! You, who have come out with the determination of your lives, leaving your beloved families behind!”

The lifeless eyes began to shine, gradually glowing with intensity.

“Now, you too must become people of Ragnar. I will instill in you a greater sense of pride than ever before. And together, let us walk the one and only life.”

A quiet stillness fell.

Theo’s voice echoed, resounding multiple times, until everyone in the hall remained silent.

Not even a breath was heard in that silence.

Then, softly, softly.

From the corners of the room, estate residents began to kneel one by one.

No one hesitated.

It didn’t take long before everyone had knelt voluntarily.

Theo smiled in satisfaction at the sight.

He nodded once and spoke.

“Thank you. Rise. The speech ends here. Now, we will begin the funeral rites. Prepare yourselves.”

The faces of those who stood up again were filled with vitality that had not been seen before.

Theo raised a hand, and the Blue Sword Guard, who had been waiting at the entrance of the square, began to escort the coffin.

At the front was the White Dragon, who entered with a solemn expression.

In the sky, the White Capped Dragon Knights were flying in a large circle around the Narsio estate.

And—

‘Indeed…’

Theo’s lips curled into a slight smile as he gazed at the man before him.

From the east entrance, a group of priests in black robes was entering.

At that moment, his eyes met Felix’s, and Felix gave a faint smile, nodding.

‘It must have been difficult to bring them here.’

These were high-ranking priests with the royal crest embossed on their robes.

Theo hadn’t imagined they would be brought here in a single day.

This meant Ralph had met with them several times in secret.

When Theo glanced at the Black Dragon, he noticed a slight smile at the corner of his lips.

‘He deliberately didn’t let me know.’

Theo laughed bitterly, watching as the coffin was placed upon the altar.

The priests gathered around the altar, clasping their hands, and began to chant the funeral song.

As the funeral song echoed, the estate residents could not hide their tears.

Theo too felt his eyes redden from the melody.

He remembered the foolish, childish behavior, even when he was underage and encouraged to drink.

He remembered the times they exchanged swords in the Fourth Military Training Grounds, sweating and striving together.

The joyful times chatting with the Holcus siblings.

He remembered the lively moments spent shopping with Ray.

As the funeral song ended, a brief silence followed.

“We will now briefly open the coffin to allow for final farewells.”

Click.

The sound of the coffin lid being opened echoed, and Theo was the first to step forward.

Inside, Wellington lay peacefully, his eyes closed, properly prepared and dressed in his ceremonial robes, with the sword he had used in life by his side.

He looked as though he might rise at any moment, and the sight made Theo’s chest ache.

With difficulty, he forced a smile.

He wanted to send his friend off with a smile on his face, for his final journey.

‘May you rest in a good place. And watch over us.’

After a long moment of staring, Theo plucked a fresh flower from beside him, placed it in Wellington’s hand, and stepped down from the altar.

Following him, the Narsio household members and servants approached the altar to say their final goodbyes to Wellington.

And—

Click, click.

A figure was walking in from the entrance.

A gaunt, hollow-eyed person, almost like a ghost.

It was Timothy.

‘He couldn’t miss this opportunity to send off his nephew.’

Their eyes met, and Timothy paused briefly before bowing and climbing up to the altar.

And—

Ahhhhh...

His scream, filled with anguish, echoed.

It was loud enough for everyone present to hear, and many wiped away their tears at the mournful sound.

Timothy, supported by Ralph, descended from the altar.

“...Thank you, truly. Thank you.”

“Take care of yourself.”

After a brief exchange with Timothy, Theo, supported by Ralph, moved to a secluded area.

Once everyone had descended from the altar, the priests took out holy water from their robes and sprinkled it on Wellington.

“Now, we will begin the cremation.”

The priests took holy oil from their robes and began to pour it over the altar.

At the far end of the altar, a high-ranking priest took out a plain wooden staff and muttered something.

Then—

Fwoosh—!

Flames erupted in an instant, and the high-ranking priest carefully placed the fire atop the altar.

Slowly, the flames spread, engulfing the entire altar.

In an instant, the entire altar was consumed by fierce flames.

Simultaneously, the funeral march rang out loudly, continuing until the flames subsided.

Theo smiled bitterly as he watched the flames.

“Thank you for everything, my friend.”

The rising smoke ascended endlessly into the sky.

Theo hoped his voice would reach Wellington through that smoke.

He stood there for a long time, watching, as the flames began to fade, and the smoke weakened, yet he silently continued to watch until the very end.