Episode 173
A wagon rolled up to a farmhouse situated in the outskirts between Helly and Mycenae.
The driver, a man in disguise, glanced back at the cargo and spoke, “Master, we’ve arrived.”
The driver was none other than Richmond, cloaked in a transformation mantle.
Emerging from beneath the wagon, Zeke stretched and nodded. “We made it without a hitch.”
Zeke had escaped Helly by riding on Richmond, who had transformed into a beast. Richmond could only maintain his beast form for about an hour, so they had prepared the wagon in advance to reach the safe house before his transformation wore off.
Once off the wagon, Zeke retrieved a box hidden beneath the hay. He pried open the nailed lid to reveal Dario, cramped and curled up inside.
“Ugh…”
Dario had been trapped in the box for days, transported like cargo.
Zeke dragged the weary Dario into the farmhouse, where Boris and Visco awaited.
“Boss,” Boris greeted as Zeke tossed Dario to the floor.
“We got out clean. What about the Rose Knights and the Syndicate?”
“The Knights and Syndicate members scattered and went underground. They’ll regroup in Mycenae later.”
Both were adept at disappearing when needed.
Zeke nodded. “Put him downstairs. We’ll start the interrogation soon.”
Visco quickly grabbed Dario and hauled him to the makeshift prison in the basement.
Watching them go, Zeke turned to Boris. “What do you think of him?”
“Better than expected. He’s quick-witted and moves fast.”
“Surprising. I thought he’d be picky about who he works with.”
“He was well-liked in the 13th Division. Even voted the top agent to partner with.”
Zeke raised an eyebrow, then shifted the topic. “What’s the situation in Helly?”
“Going as planned. We’ve targeted only the front companies of the Nostra Family, and with the undead appearing, it looks like a Red Eye attack.”
“The tension between Red Eye and Nostra is working in our favor.”
“Yes, there’s been a lot of fighting in the eastern region. Soma is selling well in the Eastern Empire, and since Iason is Drake’s territory, they can’t touch it. The neutral city’s outskirts are seeing fierce territorial disputes.”
“The neutral area… where the Alchemist’s Tower is?”
“Exactly. Plenty of alchemists there, so it’s easy to find technicians to refine Soma and ships to send it to the Eastern Empire.”
“Makes sense.”
“Red Eye used to control that area, but Nostra has been expanding, even setting up workshops, which has escalated tensions.”
“I thought Red Eye only dealt in weapons. Are they into Soma now too?”
“Soma is more profitable than weapons. It’s very lucrative when sent to the Eastern Empire.”
With the Nostra Family and Red Eye, two major mafia organizations on the Central Continent, at each other’s throats, it was the perfect distraction.
Zeke instructed Boris, “Spread more false information to stir the pot.”
“What if it leads to an actual war?”
“If they start fighting, it’ll create openings for us to exploit.”
“Are you planning to wipe out the Nostra Family like the McCain Cartel?”
Zeke shook his head. “It’s different this time. The Nostra Family has some suspicious elements. We need to dig deeper and find out who their real boss is.”
Boris shook his head in disbelief. “If anyone else said that, I’d laugh it off, but coming from you, it’s no joke.”
“Did you hear anything about the Nostra Family when you were in the 13th Division?”
“The mafia wasn’t our focus, so I only heard bits and pieces from others. Nothing specific about their boss.”
Zeke, too, had no recollection of any significant events involving the Nostra Family’s boss in his past life.
“Maybe they kept a low profile during the Continental War.”
Or perhaps they were eliminated by the Empire or sided with them in the war.
“We’ll have to hope Dario gives us some answers.”
After a brief rest, Zeke headed to the basement where Dario was held.
Clang!
Dario’s wrists and ankles were shackled, yet he lunged at Zeke as soon as he entered.
“Die!”
He had hidden a metal spike, aiming to stab Zeke.
In a flash, Zeke disarmed him and hurled the spike into the stone wall, where it embedded deeply.
“Ugh…”
Realizing his strength was no match for Zeke, Dario sank into despair.
Zeke grabbed him by the throat. “Pathetic. And you’re supposed to be one of the Nostra Family’s bosses?”
He flung Dario against the wall.
“Ugh!”
The impact left Dario gasping for air.
Zeke pulled up a chair and sat in front of him. “Let’s not make this harder than it needs to be. Just answer my questions.”
Dario spat at him in defiance.
Zeke easily dodged and, unfazed, pulled out a healing potion. “They all start like this.”
He forced the potion down Dario’s throat, restoring his health and stamina against his will.
Zeke then drew a chain from his left hand.
Clink!
The chain wrapped around Dario, tightening.
“Ugh!”
He tried to bite his tongue, but Zeke anticipated it, prying his mouth open and healing him again.
Zeke grinned. “Shall we begin?”
Crackle!
Blue sparks flew as Dario’s screams echoed.
“Please, stop… just stop…”
Even death or unconsciousness was denied to Dario, thanks to Zeke’s wide-area buff.
Ten hours into the interrogation, Dario’s spirit broke.
Zeke, casually munching on a sandwich, asked, “Ready to talk now?”
Dario looked at him, defeated. “Why… why are you doing this to me?”
“I told you, I have questions.”
“Then… ask. I’ll answer.”
“I still don’t see sincerity in your eyes.”
“Damn it! I’m telling you I’ll answer! Just ask!”
Finishing his sandwich and juice, Zeke stood, causing Dario to flinch. He sat back down with his chair.
“Tell me everything you know about the Elder Dragon’s relics.”
Despite his earlier promise, Dario hesitated, but when Zeke reached for another healing potion, he panicked and spoke.
“The Empire! The Empire told us to report any ancient relics related to the Elder Dragon or immortality immediately!”
Zeke leaned in closer. “How did you come to know about Dusk?”
Dario trembled as he replied, “We hired a shaman for a curse. It was a business necessity.”
“Did you curse Lady Angelina for business too, you twisted bastard?”
Zeke sent another jolt through the chain.
Crackle!
“Argh!”
Dario foamed at the mouth and collapsed.
Zeke revived him once more.
Gasping for air, Dario barely managed to speak.
“You know that’s not what I meant. I’ll ask again. Where did you meet Dusk?”
Dario hesitated before finally admitting, “I was introduced!”
Zeke was finally getting the answers he sought.
“Where, by whom, and how were you introduced? Speak clearly.”
Dario, shaking, finally spoke. “Through Imperial connections.”
“More details.”
Dario’s eyes darted around as he struggled to continue.
“One of the Twelve Zodiac Knights, the Scorpius Knight, introduced us.”
Zeke was taken aback. “A Scorpius Knight? An Imperial legion commander introducing a shaman to the mafia?”
Dario, still trembling, added, “The Scorpius Knights and our Nostra Family are blood allies.”
“Interesting.”
Zeke hadn’t expected one of the Empire’s elite legions to be linked with the mafia.
He leaned closer to Dario. “You’re not lying, are you?”
“How could I lie about something like this? It’s the truth.”
Zeke stroked his chin, pondering. “So, the Scorpius Knights are allied with the Nostra Family. How did they introduce you to Dusk?”
“They didn’t introduce us to Dusk directly. They introduced us to a clan called ‘Narak.’”
Finally, Zeke had the answer he was looking for.
Zeke pressed Dario, feigning ignorance.
“The Abyss, you say? Never heard of it.”
“I didn’t know such people existed either, at first. To be honest, I still don’t fully understand who they are. Their communication methods are incredibly complex, and aside from being introduced to a sorcerer, I’ve hardly had any direct contact with them.”
“So, they’re the ones who introduced you to Dusk.”
“Yes.”
“Tell me more about how the Knights of the Celestial Bow introduced you to this Abyss. Who approached you first, and how did they make contact?”
Zeke asked Dario the same questions in various ways, trying to piece together the information.
The security on the Abyss’s side was so tight that even Dario’s answers revealed little of significance.
‘I thought I could uncover the Abyss’s true nature by grilling Dario.’
But their true identity was more deeply hidden than he had anticipated.
As Zeke organized his thoughts, he asked Dario about something that had been bothering him.
“Again, where did you say you first met those Abyss people?”
Dario, weary from the repeated questioning, finally spoke up.
“They blindfolded me, so I don’t know exactly where it was… but it felt like a small church.”
“What do you mean by ‘felt like a church’?”
“It didn’t have the usual church elements, but it gave off a church-like vibe.”
Zeke sensed there was a clue hidden in Dario’s vague answer.
“Dario, think carefully. Why did it feel like a church if it didn’t look like one?”
Dario strained to recall the memory.
At that moment, Zeke placed his hand on Dario’s head and used his dragon sense.
Wooooong!
Suddenly, Dario’s memories flooded into Zeke’s mind.
It was as if everything Dario had seen, heard, and felt was being kneaded into Zeke’s brain.
The most intense sensation Zeke experienced was the smell.
‘What is this scent? I’ve smelled it somewhere before.’
Then, a sound reached him.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The distant tolling of bells.
Finally, Dario’s gaze swept past.
A small, worn space with whitewashed walls and rows of tightly packed benches.
Zeke realized what Dario meant by a church-like feeling.
The structure resembled a chapel, but there were no symbols or statues of the sun god.
And then, Zeke caught the scent again.
A burning smell.
Zeke searched his memory for the source of the scent.
He had encountered it when visiting the Ishtar family.
It was similar to the smell he had noticed in the market street just before entering the main hall.
Zeke recalled that memory.
The scene of the bustling market came vividly to his mind.
Amidst the throng of merchants and people, the scent wafted up.
There was a man at the source of the smell.
He was stirring something vigorously in a large cauldron with a ladle.
A strong aroma emanated from within.
Zeke slowly opened his eyes.
He realized what the scent in his memory was.
“Coffee.”
The strong smell from Dario’s memory was none other than the aroma of coffee.