Episode 104
“Release both of them.”
Points could be earned again.
But if he didn’t unlock the skills he already had, it would only delay his growth.
Zeke decided to unlock both skills.
He then opened the Dragon Skills window.
Dragon Skills (Stage 3 Unlocked): Dragon’s Eye (Expert) / Dragon’s Majesty (Expert) / Gluttony (Expert) / Word Magic (Beginner) / Dragon Scale Armor (Skilled) / Dragon’s Claw (Skilled) / Dragon’s Sense (Beginner) / Dragon’s Breath (Beginner)
Zeke decided to test Dragon’s Sense first.
A faint light flickered in Zeke’s eyes.
“Hmm?”
But nothing seemed different.
“What’s going on? I don’t notice anything unusual.”
Having recovered from the side effects of his previous state, Zeke slowly stood up.
That’s when it happened.
The room around him began to shift.
“What the…?”
The room inside the tower where Zeke stood started to display scenes from the past, as if replaying a magical recording.
Zeke paused the vision at one point.
“Aaaah!”
It was a scene of him healing Angelina in that very room.
Zeke watched himself perform the purification ritual on Angelina, as if he were an outsider.
He moved closer to where Angelina was being treated.
The surroundings changed again.
Zeke felt as if he were sinking into a deep swamp.
The scene shifted, and someone appeared before him.
“This curse should suffice. The more beautiful the target, the more they will suffer.”
A robed sorcerer was speaking to someone.
Zeke recognized the sorcerer.
It was the ancient forbidden sorcerer he had captured in a past life.
He focused on the face of the person speaking with the sorcerer.
A man with a stern face, sporting a beard from sideburns to chin.
The man spoke to the sorcerer.
“If I can’t have the jewel, it’s better it doesn’t exist. I should thank the Abyss for introducing you.”
Zeke tilted his head in confusion.
‘Abyss? What is that?’
As Zeke tried to approach the man, he felt a sudden pull.
He was whisked through a dark, narrow tunnel at breakneck speed.
When he opened his eyes, he was back in his original position.
“Gasp!”
Zeke was drenched in cold sweat.
“Is this what Dragon’s Sense is?”
An overwhelming fatigue washed over him.
It was a mental exhaustion that even his boundless stamina couldn’t replenish.
Unable to endure any longer, Zeke collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.
Zeke, who usually slept no more than four hours, didn’t wake up until twelve hours later.
“Stage 3 skills aren’t to be used lightly.”
The fact that a human could use dragon skills at all was already extraordinary.
If Dragon’s Sense, unlocked with 500 points, was this intense, he couldn’t imagine what Dragon’s Breath, which cost 800 points, would be like.
Deciding to check it out later, Zeke slowly got up and went to find Duke Graham and Catherine.
He sketched the face of the man he had seen through Dragon’s Sense and showed it to them.
“Do you recognize this man?”
Duke Graham studied the drawing carefully and nodded.
“Yes, I know him. He’s Dario Totlino, known as the Steel King of the Rom Empire, a man of immense wealth.”
Catherine frowned at the drawing of Dario.
Her voice was sharp with anger she couldn’t hide.
“Just looking at this man’s picture makes my blood boil.”
“Lady Catherine, what happened with this Dario?”
Catherine hesitated before speaking slowly.
“Sir Zeke, as a benefactor to our family, I won’t hide anything. Dario Totlino is a pervert among perverts who likes young girls.”
Zeke was taken aback by her unexpected words.
Catherine continued.
“Can you believe he sent endless letters of courtship after seeing our Angelina at a party when she was just ten? He was already older than me at the time.”
Zeke nodded, understanding Catherine’s words.
‘So that’s what he meant by preferring the jewel to disappear if he couldn’t have it. No wonder he sought out such a curse…’
Zeke spoke slowly to Duke Graham and Catherine.
“Duke, Lady Catherine. It seems that Dario Totlino is the one who cursed Lady Angelina.”
Both Duke Graham and Catherine were shocked.
“Is that really true?”
“We need to investigate further, but it’s highly likely.”
Catherine was too stunned to speak.
Zeke informed the Duke of the location of the dungeon where he had captured the ancient sorcerer in his past life.
“Capture the sorcerer who cast the curse and contact me. I’ll make sure we can prove Dario Totlino commissioned it.”
“Understood, Sir Zeke. I don’t know how to repay this debt…”
“You saved me this time, didn’t you? That’s enough.”
Zeke got up and prepared to leave for Atlas.
With the Red Lion Knights still around Panstass, he planned to discreetly cross the border using Duke Graham’s carriage.
As Zeke packed and boarded the carriage, he was surprised to find someone else inside.
“Lady Angelina?”
Angelina was in the carriage.
No one would dare touch a carriage carrying the Duke’s daughter.
Angelina smiled at Zeke.
“I’m so glad to be able to help you, Sir Zeke.”
Feeling the Duke’s consideration, Zeke settled into the carriage and headed for Atlas.
As he conversed with Angelina during the journey, the word “Abyss,” mentioned by Dario Totlino to the ancient sorcerer, lingered in his mind.
‘I don’t know what it is, but it feels ominous.’
Zeke’s reason for informing Duke Graham of the ancient sorcerer’s location was to capture Dario Totlino and uncover what “Abyss” was.
Since gaining Dragon’s Sense, Zeke felt his instincts had become sharper.
‘Those Abyss people. There’s definitely something there.’
Upon arriving in Atlas, Zeke returned to his estate discreetly.
Lady Angelina planned to stay in Atlas for a few days before returning to Panstass.
“Sir Zeke, you must visit me while I’m here.”
“Of course, Lady Angelina.”
Despite the continent’s most beautiful woman eagerly asking for his company, Zeke felt no emotional stir.
As Zeke entered the estate, Felix and Liam, who were training, rushed over.
“Master!”
“My lord!”
Having been absent for over a month without contact, both they and the rest of his household had been worried.
Zeke noticed the crates piled up in the garden and asked.
“What are these?”
Felix excitedly replied.
“The Silver Knight! Sir Carly Draker sent them!”
Zeke opened a crate.
“My goodness.”
Inside, it was filled with gold bars.
Carly had promised a reward, and he had sent several crates of gold.
Opening other crates revealed a collection of rare weapons and armor.
Liam and Felix were awestruck by the sheer scale of the gifts.
Zeke closed the crates and instructed them.
“Store these in the warehouse.”
Felix and Liam, both from humble beginnings, trembled as they carefully moved the treasure-laden crates.
Inside the estate, Duke, Farrell, and Decker all cheered to welcome him back.
After reassuring his household of his well-being, Zeke went upstairs with Duke.
“You crazy apprentice. I heard the gist from Carly. I can’t decide whether to praise you or scold you.”
“Please, praise me.”
“No way! Do you think you have ten times the lives of others? Missions are important, but your life is more important, you foolish apprentice!”
Zeke felt the affection in Duke’s harsh words and grinned.
“I’ll be more careful next time, Master.”
Duke scratched his nose awkwardly at the sudden use of “Master.”
“Ah, you rascal. Well, you did well. Thanks to you, the Four Seasons Castle is in an uproar.”
“Has there been a change in the vote for the Guardian Knight of Abel?”
“Yes, Abel himself canceled the agenda, thinking it impossible to proceed with the vote in this state.”
Zeke was surprised by Duke’s words.
He hadn’t expected Abel to cancel the vote entirely.
‘Does that mean the mission to eliminate Karus failed, and relations with the Empire have soured?’
The close relationship with the Empire was Abel’s greatest political strength.
If the Empire had withdrawn due to this incident, many elders who supported Abel might have retracted their support.
“Abel canceled the agenda and left the Four Seasons Castle. It’s not certain, but it seems he’s headed towards Alensia. The movements of the Elven Ghetto are unusual, and the situation between Alensia and the Empire is tense. But it seems he’s not intervening in the conflict, so what is he planning…?”
The situation in Alensia seemed more urgent than expected.
“I suppose I should reach out to Melissa.”
After wrapping up his conversation with the Duke, Zeke immediately contacted Melissa. It wasn’t long before he received a response. The message informed him that Princess Melissa had arrived in Atlas, and Zeke headed to the hotel mentioned in the note to meet her.
Upon entering the hotel, he found Princess Melissa waiting for him in the VIP room.
“Welcome, Sir Zeke.”
It had been a while since they last met, and though Princess Melissa was as elegant and beautiful as ever, there was a shadow over her face.
“The situation at the border doesn’t seem good,” Zeke remarked.
Melissa nodded solemnly. “There’s a problem, Sir Zeke.”
She handed him a report. As Zeke skimmed through it, he frowned.
“Are you saying the Red Plague is spreading even more, despite the use of medicine?”
Melissa’s voice was heavy with concern. “We haven’t been able to fully establish facilities for mass production yet. But the bigger issue is… mysterious figures are intercepting the medicine.”
“What do you mean by intercepting the medicine?”
“Exactly that. They’ve been destroying or stealing the wagons carrying the medicine. If they were ordinary bandits, they might demand a toll, knowing it’s medicine, but there’s been no negotiation.”
Zeke furrowed his brow at her words. “You suspect the Empire’s involvement.”
“It’s the most likely scenario.”
“Sending knights hasn’t helped?”
“I didn’t call them ‘mysterious figures’ for nothing. They appear out of nowhere, and even the knights are helpless against them.”
“Hmm… mysterious figures that even knights can’t handle.”
Zeke wondered if Abel’s departure to the Alencia conflict zone was somehow connected.
He stood up. “Let’s go.”
Melissa looked surprised. “Where to?”
“Alencia,” Zeke replied.
Melissa was taken aback. “Are you saying you’ll go there yourself, Sir Zeke?”
“Yes. Abel Draker’s movements are suspicious. It’s best to see for myself.”
Abandoning his long-sought position as a guardian knight to head straight to Alencia suggested something significant was happening there. Zeke intended to find out what Abel was up to.
He summoned Felix and Liam, packed quickly, and set off for Alencia with Melissa.
Meanwhile, Angelina, who had been waiting for Zeke’s call, had to return to Panstarrs without meeting him. However, during her week-long stay in Atlas, rumors of her beauty spread throughout the city, earning her the title of the most beautiful woman on the central continent. This inadvertently boosted the reputation of Graham Bank.
“Wow, Master, this is really…”
Felix trailed off, speechless at the scene outside the carriage. The situation at the border was far worse than expected. The area was devastated, with villages nearly in ruins from the Red Plague and attacks by lawless groups, and people had fallen victim to mercenaries turned bandits.
Princess Melissa, sitting next to Zeke, spoke up. “The situation is even worse in the Join Tribe ghetto. The conflict between the Join Tribe and the Imperial forces has intensified, resulting in many casualties.”
The Join Tribe ghetto was a demilitarized zone wedged between Alencia and the Rom Empire. Originally scattered across the undeveloped western central continent, the Join Tribe had been forced into their current ghetto by the expanding powers of the Rom Empire and the central kingdoms. Now, the Empire’s relentless ambition for territorial expansion was encroaching on the Join Tribe ghetto and Alencia.
Upon arriving at the Alencia border headquarters, Zeke and his group disembarked from the carriage. Just then, the commander of the Alencia garrison rushed over to Melissa.
“Princess, there’s a major problem!”
“What is it?”
“The supply convoy has been completely wiped out!”