Episode 115
Boom!
The grand hall of Atemfel was filled with the knights of the Draker family.
Each one was a prominent figure, holding the position of either a captain or vice-captain within the Draker knight orders.
It was at that moment—
Creak!
The doors of Atemfel swung open, and twenty-four new recruits, clad in the Draker’s exclusive uniforms, marched into the hall for their induction ceremony.
The official induction into the Draker family’s knighthood held a special significance.
It was the moment when each knight chose the order they would join, marking the start of their knightly journey.
Under the watchful eyes of the illustrious captains of the Draker orders, the new recruits walked confidently towards the podium where Arthur Draker, the head of the family, stood.
Every step was taken with care, as they aimed to leave a good impression.
Among these twenty-four recruits was Zeke.
‘This is intense.’
Unlike Zeke, the other twenty-three recruits had already endured a rigorous probation period after receiving their official knighthood.
Zeke, however, was granted a special exception due to his victory in the Draker martial tournament and his status as a Blue Knight, allowing him to skip the probation and join the induction directly.
As the new recruits entered, the hall was filled with the eager gazes of the captains, each hoping to secure the best talent, and the fervent aspirations of the recruits to join a prestigious order.
The twenty-four knights took their designated places on the podium.
Arthur Draker looked at the new recruits from the front of the podium.
Excluding Zeke, who was specially appointed, the recruit with the highest score from the official exams stepped forward to take the oath on behalf of the group.
Arthur personally pinned the dragon emblem onto each knight’s chest.
When he reached Zeke, who stood at the end due to his special appointment, Arthur spoke as he pinned the emblem on him.
“I look forward to seeing which order you choose.”
Arthur then returned to his place.
Now came the most crucial part of the induction ceremony.
The new knights had to decide which order they would join.
Each order could only accept up to three knights per cohort, so the captains had to strategize carefully to recruit the best talents.
The recruit who had taken the oath was given the first choice.
“I choose the Black Wolf Order.”
The Black Wolf Order was a direct unit of the Draker family, led by the guardian knight, Gareth Draker.
Gareth nodded approvingly at the recruit who chose his order and presented him with the Black Wolf insignia.
The other recruits also chose their desired orders based on their rankings.
While the top-ranking recruits joined their preferred orders, those in the middle ranks began to face rejections.
If a recruit was rejected by all three of their chosen orders, they would remain on standby until another order claimed them.
Despite the competitive nature, even the lower-ranked recruits were skilled, and they would eventually find a place in an order that needed manpower.
Once all the recruits from the official exams were placed, it was finally Zeke’s turn.
Zeke stepped forward.
The atmosphere in Atemfel shifted.
Despite being a special appointee, Zeke was a pureblood awakener, the youngest Blue Knight, and the youngest graduate of Valhalla, making him highly sought after by all the orders.
Among them was the Draker intelligence unit, the Black Shadow.
Baron Draker, the head of the Black Shadow, was whispering with Duke Draker.
‘Why is my mentor over there?’
Zeke felt the intense gaze from the head of the Black Shadow.
Arthur, standing behind, spoke.
“Zeke Draker, which order will you choose?”
Most expected Zeke to join the Silver Order led by Carly Draker, as rumors of her recruiting him had already spread.
Yet, the captains still held onto a sliver of hope, silently pleading with their eyes.
Then Zeke raised his head and spoke.
“I will not choose an order.”
A hush fell over the hall.
Everyone thought they had misheard.
As the silence stretched, whispers began to fill the hall.
Arthur Draker broke the silence from the podium.
“I’ll ask again. Zeke Draker, which order will you choose?”
Zeke replied in a clear voice.
“My answer remains the same. I will not choose any order.”
The murmurs among the knights grew louder.
Arthur Draker slammed his hand on the podium.
Boom!
The entire hall of Atemfel shook with the impact.
Silence returned.
Arthur descended from the podium and stood before Zeke.
“What do you mean by not choosing an order?”
“Exactly what I said. I intend to fulfill my duties as a knight independently.”
The elders behind Arthur frowned at his words.
No one in Draker history had ever made such a choice.
Arthur addressed Zeke.
“Does that mean you intend to undertake your first mission alone?”
After the induction, new Draker knights are immediately assigned their first mission.
The mission is chosen by the order’s captain, who evaluates the new knight’s performance, determining their rank.
If a new knight fails their first mission, they lose their knighthood.
Thus, the captain’s judgment and the order’s support are crucial.
Zeke nodded at Arthur.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Arthur gave Zeke a curious look, then nodded.
“Very well.”
He turned to the gathered knights.
“Zeke Draker has chosen to remain unaffiliated.”
The elders were taken aback by Arthur’s decision.
“Master, a pureblood awakener not choosing an order is against tradition!”
Arthur ascended the podium and addressed the elders.
“There is no rule in our family’s code that mandates a pureblood awakener must choose an order.”
“But… if he fails his first mission…!”
Arthur sat down with a sly smile.
“That too is his choice.”
The elders clutched their heads in frustration at Arthur’s nonchalance.
While the knights were shocked by Zeke’s decision, the captains quickly adapted, selecting first missions for their new recruits.
Whoosh!
A long parchment listing the missions unfurled from the ceiling of the hall.
The missions ranged from those impossible to complete alone to simple tasks that didn’t require a knight.
The captains studied the parchment, searching for missions that matched their order’s capabilities and would enhance their recruits’ reputations.
After all twenty-three recruits had chosen their missions, it was finally Zeke’s turn.
The scribe, frowning, spoke.
“Sir Zeke Draker, as you are unaffiliated, you must choose a mission and complete it alone.”
Zeke nodded at the scribe and scanned the parchment.
He planned to pick a simple task and focus on training for a while.
Choosing an order would mean unpredictable mission assignments, hindering his training, so he deliberately chose to remain unaffiliated.
‘Carly will understand. It might even be easier to help her from outside the order.’
As Zeke reviewed the missions, one caught his eye.
‘What’s this?’
He checked the mission again.
He hadn’t misread it.
<Locate the missing master craftsman, Golyn Yobern, in the Barbarian territory—Guild Federation request. (Difficulty: A)>
The mission was an official request from the Guild Federation, rated A in difficulty.
‘Golyn Yobern, I thought he was in Himonas.’
Zeke hadn’t expected to find news of Golyn, whom he intended to meet due to the ancient Hershion, here.
Without hesitation, Zeke chose the mission to find Golyn.
The hall buzzed with murmurs again.
The scribe, flustered, addressed Zeke.
“Sir Zeke Draker, this mission is A-rank. Undertaking an A-rank mission alone is…”
“It’s fine. Assign it to me.”
It was clear to everyone that a new knight couldn’t complete such a mission alone.
The hall was filled with whispers.
The scribe, looking troubled, reluctantly assigned the mission to Zeke.
With all missions assigned, Arthur Draker rose from his seat.
“The young dragon slayers who will usher in a new era have officially joined the family’s orders! I bless your future endeavors! May you all return safely from your first missions!”
With the head’s speech concluding the ceremony, the knights of Draker began to disperse from Atemfel like a receding tide.
Both the new recruits and the orders were set to prepare for successful mission completions.
Zeke planned to return home, prepare quickly, and head to the Barbarian territory via Argos.
‘Golyn is missing. Something must have happened.’
He decided to gather some information through Kay before setting out.
As he was about to leave the hall, someone approached him from behind.
“Zeke Draker.”
Zeke turned around, surprised to see a familiar face.
“Instructor Aul?”
It was Aul Draker, the wooden sword instructor he had met at the academy.
The man, who had always been stoic, appeared even more so now as he stood before Zeke.
Zeke realized that Aul Draker had advanced in his rank.
‘He’s broken through the Red Knight barrier.’
However, this time it seemed Zeke had gained insight more quickly through his sparring with Aul.
As Aul approached Zeke, he asked, “Why didn’t you choose to join a knight order? Any order would have welcomed you with open arms.”
Zeke hesitated, meeting Aul’s gaze before speaking slowly. “I have a feeling you’ll understand, Instructor Aul, so I’ll be honest. I needed time to train on my own, so I deliberately chose not to join.”
Aul was taken aback by Zeke’s response. Not joining a knight order for the sake of training? In the history of Dreiker, Zeke was the only one to make such a choice.
After a moment of silence, Aul nodded, his expression softening. “I see… I suppose someone like you might make that decision.”
The genius Aul sensed in Zeke was beyond his ability to judge. Perhaps, as Zeke suggested, not joining an order would indeed allow his talents to flourish more freely.
Zeke then asked Aul, “Which knight order are you affiliated with, Instructor?”
“I’m with the Celestial Sword Order.”
“The Celestial Sword Order? I’ve heard it’s a prestigious order that pursues the ultimate mastery of the sword. It suits you well, Instructor.”
The renowned Black Knight Sword King, Bernas, hailed from the Celestial Sword Order. Aul nodded and said to Zeke, “If you’re interested, you’re welcome to join anytime…”
“No, thank you,” Zeke replied, leaving Aul, the stoic man of Dreiker, looking slightly crestfallen.
Aul, preparing to leave, mentioned he would visit the estate for sparring once his mission was complete, then exited the hall.
As Zeke was about to leave the hall, a thought struck him. “Come to think of it, Abel wasn’t at the induction ceremony today.”
Abel never missed important family events. As the leader of the Red Lion Order, his absence suggested something was amiss.
“He’s probably scheming something again,” Zeke mused, shaking his head at the thought of the persistent Abel.
Once Zeke left the hall, it was empty. But then, from the shadows, someone emerged—it was Abel.
Abel stood there, fists clenched and trembling. His eyes, shockingly, were the same crimson hue as the dark sorcerer Zeke had once defeated.
Grinding his teeth, Abel muttered, “Zeke… so you’re the one who’s been meddling in my affairs all along.”