Episode 165
Jeffrick protested loudly in response to Zeke’s words.
“You might not know this, Sir Zeke, but the Solma family’s trials are no joke. They push a person’s mind and body to the absolute limit…”
Claiming the intensity of his family’s training in front of a Draker like Zeke was akin to boasting about a cocoon’s wrinkles to a butterfly, but Zeke pretended not to notice.
“I see. But regardless, Rick couldn’t handle it and ran away, didn’t he?”
“Well, that’s…”
Jeffrick was at a loss for words. He hadn’t expected Zeke to call him out so bluntly.
Zeke addressed Jeffrick directly.
“Rick, if you want to break through that wall, you need to surpass your limits. But with your current complacency, it won’t be easy.”
Rick let out a deep sigh.
“You’re right, Sir Zeke. But… I feel completely lost now.”
Zeke watched Jeffrick and clicked his tongue inwardly.
‘Still not enough.’
Zeke spoke again.
“Rick, if you truly wish to surpass your limits, I can help. But remember, every choice comes with responsibility.”
Jeffrick swallowed hard at Zeke’s words.
“What kind of responsibility?”
“You must be prepared for your entire life to change.”
Jeffrick hesitated, then nodded.
“If you’ll help me… I’ll follow you, Sir Zeke.”
“In that case, we might have to disband this party. Are you sure you won’t regret it?”
Jeffrick’s eyes wavered as he glanced at Arin, who was asleep. The life of an adventurer, traveling joyfully with loved ones, was something he cherished. But now, he had to choose a completely new path.
After a moment of contemplation, Jeffrick looked back at Zeke and nodded firmly.
“I won’t regret it.”
Zeke grinned at Jeffrick’s decision.
“Good. Jeffrick Solma, don’t forget that resolve.”
Zeke immediately began addressing Jeffrick informally. With this, three of the five-star knights, excluding the Flash Knight Reina Draker and the Silent Knight Bishop Castick, had come under Zeke’s command.
The outline of Zeke’s planned Black Sword Knights was gradually taking shape.
Upon arriving in Pansthas, Zeke and his group disembarked from the train.
However, something felt off about the atmosphere at the main station.
“What is this?”
Puzzled, they stepped outside to find knights in golden armor lined up.
Rick and his companions gaped at the sight.
“The, the Golden Knights of Graham?”
At that moment, the captain of the Golden Knights approached them with an imposing presence. He bowed respectfully and spoke in a disciplined voice.
“We received word. We will escort you safely to the Graham Duchy.”
Rick and his companions were bewildered.
They boarded the golden carriage prepared by the Graham Duchy, marveling at the luxurious leather and craftsmanship inside.
“Wow, how much would a carriage like this cost?”
“I bet, Jason, you couldn’t afford it even if you sold yourself for a hundred years.”
“Thanks for valuing me so highly, Claire.”
The carriage, which felt no vibrations, brought them to the Graham Duchy.
Upon arrival, someone was waiting for them.
It was none other than Duke Graham, Duchess Catherine Graham, and the renowned beauty of the central continent, Angelina Graham.
Seeing the Graham family come out to greet them, Rick and his companions were stunned.
“Uh, what do we do? How do we greet nobles?”
“I don’t know. Ask Rick, he’s the noble.”
Arin was too frozen to speak, and only Rick managed to regain his composure.
Then, the Graham family approached and bowed to them.
“Uh, what?”
With the nobles greeting them first, Rick and his companions hurriedly returned the gesture, flustered.
Jason was so mesmerized by Angelina Graham’s beauty that he couldn’t even greet her properly.
Angelina Graham slowly approached them, and Jason was overwhelmed by her enchanting presence.
She spoke in a bright voice.
“Sir Zeke! You captured the wicked sorcerer for me! I’m truly… moved.”
“Sir Zeke?”
Rick and his companions turned their heads in confusion. Angelina and the entire Graham family were looking at Zeke with admiration.
Zeke, feeling the weight of their gazes, turned his head awkwardly.
‘I had a bad feeling ever since the Golden Knights showed up.’
Reluctantly, Zeke bowed to Angelina.
“It was only right to do so for Lady Angelina’s honor.”
Zeke, who had been speaking in a northern dialect, suddenly switched to perfect noble pronunciation, leaving Rick and his companions speechless.
Duke Graham also approached Zeke, grasping his hand.
“Sir Zeke, you are nothing short of a benefactor to our family!”
Jason, quick on the uptake, was the first to realize Zeke’s true identity.
“Wait, Sir Zeke… Could it be… the youngest Blue Rank and Valhalla graduate! The knight who broke Lady Angelina’s curse from the Agamemnon family!”
Jason exclaimed in shock.
“Zeke Draker!”
Rick, Arin, and Claire looked at Jason as if he were speaking nonsense. But Zeke’s sheepish expression confirmed it.
The most surprised of all was Jeffrick, who stared at Zeke with a pale face.
‘What on earth have I been saying?’
Rick and his companions were invited to dine as honored guests at the Graham Duchy.
Each received a room as large as an entire floor of an inn, and they gathered in Rick’s room after changing clothes.
Rick lay sprawled out, looking like a zombie.
Jason, beside him, clutched his stomach, rolling on the floor with laughter.
“Hahaha! You bragged about the Solma family’s training to a pureblood Draker? Hahaha!”
No matter how grueling the Solma family’s training was, it couldn’t compare to the Draker family.
And to boast in front of Zeke Draker, the continent’s greatest genius, made Rick want to crawl into a hole.
Feeling utterly defeated, Rick spoke in a crawling voice to his companions.
“I guess this is it for me. I’m off to end it all. It’s been fun, everyone. Goodbye.”
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
A servant entered, conveying that Zeke had summoned them.
Rick, suddenly alert, sprang up and led his companions to Zeke’s room.
Zeke’s room was far more spacious and luxurious than theirs.
He wore a Draker-style uniform and gloves symbolizing his pureblood status.
Rick and his companions swallowed nervously at the aura of authority emanating from Zeke.
Zeke smiled at them.
“I called you here for a cup of tea before the banquet. Please, have a seat.”
Rick and his companions cautiously took the seats Zeke offered.
Even Jason and Claire, who had been mocking Rick, were now tense and swallowing hard in Zeke’s presence.
Zeke spoke slowly.
“I invited you all here to make a proposal.”
His words surprised them, and they looked at him expectantly.
“Rick has already agreed to join me. After some thought, I decided to extend the offer to all of you.”
Jason, wide-eyed, asked Zeke.
“To all of us?”
“Yes. After witnessing your skills on the recent mission, I felt it would be a waste to leave you as mere adventurers. How about joining the knight order I’ve established?”
Zeke handed them prepared contracts as he spoke.
Upon seeing the terms, Rick and his companions nearly spat out their tea in shock.
“Sir Zeke, is there a mistake in the figures?”
“No, there’s no mistake. But if you prefer, I can lower them.”
“No, no! It’s an honor, Sir Zeke! I’ll pledge my loyalty! Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty!”
Jason signed the contract without hesitation.
Claire followed suit immediately.
Only Arin hesitated, asking Zeke.
“Sir Zeke, what would my role be in the knight order?”
“A knight order doesn’t consist solely of knights. In actual combat, the role of mages is significant. You’ll learn to coordinate with other knights for efficient combat. There will also be support for circle advancement.”
Hearing about advancement support, Arin’s eyes sparkled, and she signed the contract.
Rick raised his hand.
“Sir Zeke, don’t I get a contract?”
Zeke nodded.
“Good question, Rick. As my apprentice knight, you don’t need a contract. Just do your best with what you’re assigned.”
Rick closed his eyes tightly at Zeke’s words.
With all the contracts signed, Zeke outlined the future plans to Rick and his companions.
“Once the interrogation of Dusk is complete, we’ll head to Agamemnon Castle in Mycenae. There, you’ll first train with the Rose Knights, followed by the Black Sword Knights.”
Rick and his companions tensed at Zeke’s words.
“There’s no need to worry too much. But remember, you’re no longer adventurers. Strive to meet the standards of a knight order member.”
Thus, Rick and his companions became part of the Black Sword Knights, blissfully unaware of the daunting future ahead, grinning at the substantial signing bonuses.
“Aaaah!”
In the dimly lit underground chamber of the Graham Ducal estate, Dusk’s screams echoed ominously.
Though the Graham family had their own interrogators, none could match Zeke’s expertise in extracting information.
Using a combination of holy fire, lightning skills, and light magic, Zeke relentlessly pressed Dusk for details about Narak and Dario Totlino.
What he uncovered was astonishing.
“Dario Totlino is one of the bosses of the Nostra Family?”
The Nostra Family was a sprawling mafia organization that extended across the central continent, with its roots deeply embedded in the Empire’s history.
Since the days of the Holy Empire, the Nostra Family had maintained a complex lineage and a vast network of affiliates.
On the surface, Dario Totlino appeared to be an ordinary businessman, a steel magnate. In reality, he lived under the guise of the Nostra Family.
Zeke, once a hitman and executive for the McCain Cartel that dominated the southern continent, was well aware of the Nostra Family’s immense reach.
Don Juan’s confinement to the southern continent was largely due to the mafia organizations, including the Nostra Family, that were entrenched in the central continent.
These organizations possessed traditions and operational skills that the cartel lacked, making them elusive and difficult to fully comprehend.
Zeke questioned Dusk further.
“Is the Nostra Family connected to Narak?”
Dusk, blood trickling from his mouth, replied, “I told you, I’m just a contractor. Dario had so many requests that he was treated like a VVIP. They even gave him discounts. Narak would take on such clients and introduce them to contractors like me.”
“What kind of requests did Dario make? Were they mostly personal curses, like with Angelina?”
Dusk shook his head. “No, not really. Most of the time, it was about cursing rival company executives to keep them out of business bids.”
“And who ordered the curse on Salmak?”
“I told you, that parasite was distributed by Narak. Other sorcerers have it too. How could I have cursed Salmak? Please, believe me!”
Dusk trembled, desperately asserting his innocence.
Zeke scrutinized Dusk’s eyes and expressions with his keen gaze, trying to discern the truth.
‘It doesn’t seem like it was Salmak.’
Zeke tied Dusk up again and left the cell.
If Dario, directly linked to Narak, was part of the Nostra Family, things were about to get complicated.
‘Or perhaps, being a mafia, there might be a way to infiltrate.’
As a certified Draker Knight, Zeke had the authority to conduct investigations.
If he could frame his investigation as a pursuit of mafia-related crimes, he could openly pursue Dario.
“I need to look into any cases among the Draker’s assignments that might be linked to that family.”
Though Zeke wasn’t currently affiliated with any knight order, failing to build a track record would result in a warning during the year-end evaluation.
Accumulating warnings could lead to the revocation of his knight status, so he needed to find a case to solve.
Zeke planned to delve into mafia investigations while gathering information on Narak.
“Dario Totlino, you’d better be prepared. I’m going to uncover every detail of your connection to Narak.”