Common sense is a set of prejudices that chains people, but it also constitutes order.
That’s why, when someone tries to break it, people instinctively react with rejection.
They don’t want to see the order they’ve believed in until now crumble.
But that only happens when someone tries to break common sense with insufficient power.
When something overwhelming shatters it head-on, what arises is reverence.
In the eyes of the tribe members, Felicia clearly belonged to the latter case.
“Is that person the great warrior of the king?”
“How disrespectful! Bow your heads!”
Seeing Felicia walking beside Lucian, the members of the tribe knelt in unison.
Before, all eyes had been focused solely on Lucian; now, it even seemed that Felicia drew more attention than he did.
At the wave of reverence, Lucian smiled slightly and said.
“So? How does it feel to be worshipped as the strongest warrior?”
“To be honest, it feels a little strange. If they’re going to pay homage, it should be to Your Majesty…”
“I’m receiving plenty too. Look.”
Lucian gestured with his chin toward the members of the tribe, who were bowing not only to Felicia but also to him.
A powerful warrior, on their own, has the qualification to be a sovereign.
And if they’re the sovereign chosen by the strongest warrior, it’s only natural to think that they’re just as extraordinary—or even more.
“Well, although not as much as you, who are famous as the strongest warrior.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what? That’s enough—don’t burden yourself with unnecessary pressure and enjoy it. It’s a sight you changed yourself through pure skill.”
Felicia wore an awkward expression at Lucian’s words, but couldn’t hide the slight blush on her cheeks.
Because she was a woman, she had been scorned by her own father and her talent had been doubted.
And now, with nothing but her swordsmanship, she had destroyed the common belief that a woman couldn’t be a warrior.
It was true that it was overwhelming, but she also felt a strange joy and satisfaction deep in her chest.
“…Even so, it’s not good for me to be receiving more attention than Your Majesty. Not just for my sake, but also from a political standpoint.”
“It’s fine. In any case, I plan to make an even greater impact today.”
Lucian had no intention of letting the situation continue like this either.
That Felicia stood out was a source of pride, but becoming a sovereign overshadowed by his own vassal was another matter.
In today’s second trial, Lucian planned to display a presence as impactful as Felicia’s, so the tundra tribes would understand what kind of being was the sovereign of that warrior.
“They’ve arrived.”
When Lucian reached the chief’s dwelling, Ivar—already waiting—muttered quietly.
For someone who couldn’t even properly declare the end of the first trial, he looked quite calm.
“Since everyone is here, I will announce the content of the second trial.”
After glancing at Ainar, Brunda, and Lucian, Ivar raised his voice so the entire tribe could hear.
“The second trial will be entrusted to our great ancestor who rests in the sanctuary. The heart of the dragon will judge for itself who has the right to challenge for the position of next chief!”
“…!?”
At Ivar’s declaration, the tribe members flinched.
It was already surprising to allow anyone but the chief to enter the sanctuary—but to entrust the trial to the heart?
“Chief, what do you mean? Is the heart of the dragon going to choose someone on its own?”
“That’s right.”
“Huh?”
“The heart of the dragon is alive. It even has the will to judge whether the one who touches it is a true warrior or a vile wretch.”
“…!?”
Faced with a revelation they had never heard before, the tribe members looked at each other in shock.
Until now, they had believed the heart of the dragon was merely a sacred relic to honor the ancestors.
To say that the heart itself breathed, had will, and judged warriors?
To the confused tribe members, Ivar continued explaining calmly.
“The heart of the dragon holds infinite power. If someone is qualified, they receive that power upon touching it. But if they are not, their body explodes and they die instantly.”
According to Ivar, the heart’s judgment and the position of chief were not directly related.
That’s why previous chiefs had never touched the heart. Gaining power would be ideal, but the possibility of rejection was clear.
“But I took that risk and asked the heart of the dragon if I was qualified. And the heart judged me worthy and granted me power. This power you all know!”
Whooosh.
Along with a harsh wind, a flame-like glow flickered around Ivar’s body.
When the scorching heat mixed with the wind and brushed against the tribe members, they all flinched.
“The blue dragon’s flames…!”
“So that power came from the heart?”
“Wasn’t it a blessing exclusive to the chief?”
Lucian glanced once at the murmuring tribe members, agitated all around.
From their reactions, it seemed they knew of the power’s existence, but not that it came from the heart.
‘Interesting. So that’s the energy that emanates from the dragon’s heart?’
The energy being released was extremely crude.
If Felicia’s was like a finely carved sculpture, Ivar’s was like firewood chopped haphazardly with an axe.
Even so, the strange shape of that energy and the heat it emitted were enough to suggest it was something special.
‘All well and good, but it’s like giving pearls to a pig. With a user like that, there’s no way to grasp its true value without testing it directly.’
Even the mightiest power is useless in the hands of someone who doesn’t know how to wield it.
Since Ivar could only release energy, nothing stood out beyond the heat it carried.
What would happen if that energy were properly refined through circulation and sword techniques?
While Lucian pondered, Ivar’s voice once again reached his ears.
“I’ve kept this hidden until now. The moment it became known, people without qualification and full of greed would flock to the sanctuary. We can’t allow the place where the dragon’s heart sleeps to be stained with blood and flesh, can we?”
“T-then, why reveal it now, right here?”
“Because a foreigner has challenged the position of chief.”
At the word foreigner, the eyes of the tribe members immediately turned to Lucian. Ivar glared at him and said.
“Following tradition, I granted him the right of succession. But is it truly right for someone from distant lands to rule over us? Is he really qualified? Should he even have been granted the right to challenge?”
“……”
No one could answer Ivar’s questions. It was the first time a foreigner had challenged for the position of chief.
Before even judging whether it was right or wrong, there was simply no precedent.
“I don’t know the answer either. That’s why I want to ask the heart of our great ancestor. Today, you will witness with your own eyes the dragon’s judgment. You will see who—between this foreigner and my sons—is more worthy of becoming chief!”
At Ivar’s powerful proclamation, the tribe members nodded in agreement.
If the heart of the dragon truly possessed its own will, there could be no fairer judgment than that.
But to Lucian, those words only prompted a mocking smile.
‘The dragon’s judgment, my ass. If you meet the conditions, you get the power—simple as that.’
Ivar’s intentions were obvious.
He would use the opportunity to cover up the fact that he had touched the dragon’s heart and simultaneously sanctify himself and his bloodline.
And if Lucian exploded and died, it would open the tribe’s eyes.
If everything went as planned, he couldn’t ask for a better outcome.
However, Ivar was overlooking one crucial detail—the possibility that Lucian, even as a foreigner, would be acknowledged by the dragon.
When that man shined even more brightly than the chief’s sons—born of the steppes—Lucian was genuinely curious to see how that tyrant would react.
***
After finishing his speech, Ivar led his two sons and Lucian toward the tribe’s sanctuary.
The tribe members followed them in a crowd, like a flock of chicks.
Judging by how they moved without any travel preparations, the sanctuary couldn’t be very far.
And indeed, after climbing a few hills guided by Ivar, they arrived at the place.
“We’re here.”
“…A hut?”
At Ivar’s declaration, Lucian was left speechless.
The place they called a sanctuary was nothing more than a shabby little hut.
It was absurd enough that it was just a shack, but its condition was even more unbelievable.
It looked so old that a simple push might cause it to collapse.
However, aside from Lucian’s group, no one seemed to find it strange; everyone maintained solemn expressions.
“Stop here. From this point on, only those who have been authorized may proceed.”
With a solemn declaration, Ivar raised his hand to block the way. Then he pointed only to his two sons and to Lucian, signaling them to move forward.
Lucian felt a strange discomfort at such reverence toward a miserable-looking hut, but he still stepped forward.
Whoosh.
“……!”
At that moment, a light pressure, as if he had submerged underwater, pressed against Lucian’s body.
He was surprised only for a moment, immediately understanding what it was.
‘Is this… residual mana?’
A trace left behind temporarily when a massive amount of mana is released in combat.
Similar to embers that linger for a while after a campfire is extinguished.
Normally, it disappears quickly, leaving only a faint sense of oddness.
But the residue here showed no signs of dissipating and was so powerful it felt like actual pressure.
‘And all this just from the heart? Not even the whole dragon—just the heart—and it still emits such tremendous energy.’
Lucian clicked his tongue unconsciously. At the same time, he understood why they had turned that hut into a sanctuary.
No matter how shabby it looked, getting close revealed such an overwhelming force that anyone would feel compelled to revere it.
“Stop.”
When the three had advanced halfway, Ivar, standing at the hut’s entrance, spoke softly. It was the signal that they should enter one by one.
Without asking who would go first, Ivar already seemed to have decided the order.
“Ainar.”
“Yes.”
Ainar, called by his father, resumed walking and entered the hut through the door Ivar personally opened for him.
Lucian crossed his arms and waited in silence.
Whooosh.
‘What is this?’
After more than ten minutes, a gentle warmth tickled Lucian’s entire body.
At the same time, the pressure in the air shifted slightly, like a wave.
Just as he felt something had changed, the hut’s door opened.
“Th-the blue flame! It’s the dragon’s power!”
“The dragon has acknowledged Ainar!”
The tribe members, watching from behind, shouted in surprise.
Just as they said, Ainar was wrapped in a mist shaped like blue flames—the same as what Ivar had shown before.
Seeing Ainar emerge with a somewhat tired expression, Ivar smiled faintly.
“Well done.”
At his father’s praise, Ainar gave a slight nod and stepped away from the sanctuary.
Despite having received the dragon’s heart’s power, he didn’t seem happy. Rather, he avoided Lucian’s gaze, as if he felt guilty.
‘What’s wrong with him?’
Lucian felt curious but knew this wasn’t the time to ask questions.
As soon as Ainar stepped away, Ivar called the next name.
“Brunda.”
“Yes.”
Brunda stepped forward with a determined look. Perhaps he felt pressured having come after his older brother.
However, it wasn’t long before Brunda also exited the hut with a confident expression, wrapped in the same blue flame mist.
“Brunda also received the dragon’s power!”
“They were both chosen!”
The tribe’s gazes now focused on the only one left Lucian. Two candidates born in the steppes had been accepted.
What would happen with the one from distant lands?
“…Foreigner.”
With a clearly reluctant tone, Ivar called Lucian. At such open hostility, Lucian chuckled mockingly and stepped forward.
When he reached the hut, Ivar whispered in his ear.
“There’s still time to give up and return to your homeland. A thief who tries to steal a treasure with an owner always ends up miserable.”
“We’ll see who the thief is, and who the real owner is.”
With a mysterious smile, Lucian brushed past Ivar and entered the hut.
But unlike the two sons, Lucian didn’t come out, no matter how much time passed.
After a tense wait, a sudden explosion shook the hut.
With the crash, the ground trembled, and the shack jolted violently, as if it might collapse at any moment.
At the sight, Ivar gave a viscous smile and turned to the tribe.
“See! The dragon’s wrath has fallen upon that foreigner who didn’t know his place…!”
Boom!
Before he could finish, an explosion erupted at the very center of the sanctuary that housed the dragon’s heart.
The hut—guardian of a thousand-year tradition—shattered, and from the wreckage emerged Lucian.
Wreathed in colossal blue flames that seemed to reach the sky.
With all eyes fixed on him, Lucian tilted his chin and said to Ivar.
“So what were you saying about the dragon’s wrath?”
____
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