Episode 184
“Howard Draker, Chancellor of the Academy.”
Howard Draker, sporting a distinguished Kaiser mustache, extended a friendly hand towards Zeke with a warm smile.
“It’s been a while, Cadet Zeke. Or should I say, Sir Zeke now?”
Zeke shook Howard’s hand, masking his disdain.
“Please, call me whatever you like, Chancellor.”
Arthur, standing nearby, chimed in.
“Howard is no longer the Chancellor of the Academy. He’s now a member of the Cross Council.”
Zeke was taken aback by Arthur’s words.
The Draker Cross Council held judicial and internal audit authority within the family. It was the same council that had recently tried Dario in the Draker Court.
Comprising seven members, the Cross Council wielded significant power due to its control over Draker’s judicial matters.
“A traitor like Howard on the Cross Council…”
It didn’t seem like a good omen.
While Zeke quietly observed Howard, Arthur gestured for him to take a seat.
As Arthur served him tea, he remarked, “You handled the Dario case brilliantly.”
Zeke’s efforts in securing testimony from the boss of the Nostra family had become a hot topic within Draker.
Zeke bowed humbly. “I was just lucky.”
“Luck is part of being a great knight,” Arthur said with a sly grin.
“You must have been surprised by the sudden mission I assigned you.”
“Not at all. I will carry out any order you give, my lord.”
Arthur nodded, satisfied. “Zeke, you must know your name is all over the news these days.”
“I’m not too concerned about it.”
“If you aim higher, sometimes you need to get along with those who wield the pen. They might be trash, but they can be more useful than thousands of soldiers if used wisely.”
Arthur placed a newspaper in front of Zeke. The headline read, “The Knight of Haiju Takes Down the Mafia.”
Zeke looked slightly bewildered at the article.
“Looks like the nickname ‘Knight of Haiju’ is sticking.”
Arthur, glancing at the article, said, “Howard came up with an interesting idea after reading this. Why don’t you explain it, Howard?”
Howard stroked his impressive mustache and spoke, “Sir Zeke, have you ever heard of a place called Baranaon?”
“Baranaon…?”
It was a small western kingdom where Liam had been before becoming the Mercenary King in his past life. A place with a long tradition, much like Tebeia, but it had fallen victim to the Empire’s wars of conquest.
Zeke nodded. “I’ve heard it’s a small but mystical and beautiful kingdom in the west.”
“Good, that makes things easier. In Baranaon, there’s a place no one has dared to approach for a very long time.”
“A place no one can approach…?”
Howard nodded. “It’s cursed, like the House of Agamemnon. Locals call it the ‘Mansion of Wraiths.’”
“The Mansion of Wraiths?”
Zeke had never heard of it, even in his past life.
Howard continued, “Some say it dates back to the Liberation Wars, even before the Holy Empire. It’s so famous that every summer, newspapers run stories about it.”
“There must be a powerful ancient wraith or a terrible curse.”
“Despite renowned wizards investigating, no one has identified the wraith or the curse. Every year, brave knights and adventurers enter the mansion to capture the wraith, but none have returned.”
Zeke’s expression hardened at Howard’s words.
“Is this guy seriously suggesting I go there?”
His ominous feeling was spot on.
Arthur, looking intrigued, said, “If the Knight of Haiju were to lift the curse on the Mansion of Wraiths, it would cause quite a stir.”
Arthur continued, “Zeke, if you manage to lift the curse, I plan to propose you for the senior knight qualification exam this year.”
Zeke was stunned by the offer.
“Me, a senior knight?”
In the Draker hierarchy, knights were classified as regular, intermediate, and senior. Typically, after joining, one would spend about five years performing duties to learn the ways of a Draker knight.
Once they had enough experience and achievements, they could qualify for the intermediate knight promotion exam. Even after becoming an intermediate knight, failing to meet performance standards could result in demotion.
It usually took about ten years as an intermediate knight to qualify for the senior knight exam.
Arthur’s offer to skip all these steps and allow Zeke, who had just joined as a regular knight this year, to take the senior knight exam was unprecedented.
Zeke glanced at Howard, who was watching him while stroking his mustache.
“There’s definitely a trap here… but becoming a senior knight…”
Zeke coveted the senior knight rank for the privileges it offered. Senior knights could establish their own knight orders. Although Zeke had formed the Black Sword Order, they were technically his private soldiers.
As a senior knight, the Black Sword Order could officially become part of the Draker family, and he would have the right to recruit Draker knights in future induction ceremonies.
“Plus, as a senior knight, I’d have more independence and wouldn’t have to constantly watch the family’s reactions.”
Considering all aspects, accepting Arthur’s proposal seemed wise.
“I will undertake the mission you assigned, my lord.”
Arthur looked pleased with Zeke’s response.
“I knew you’d say that.”
“I will do my best to meet your expectations, my lord.”
Zeke spoke resolutely, then stood, bowed to Arthur and Howard, and left the office.
Once he was gone, Arthur burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Howard, didn’t I tell you? That kid wouldn’t hesitate to take on this mission.”
Howard nodded, conceding. “I mentioned it just in case, but I didn’t expect it to actually happen.”
Arthur, unfazed, said to Howard, “I thought you put quite a bit of effort into preparing things in Baranaon.”
Howard’s expression turned rigid at Arthur’s words.
Arthur grinned at Howard’s discomfort.
“How’s Ramon doing? You seem to see him often, but it’s been a while for me. I wonder what he’s up to, holed up in the Siemens estate.”
Arthur’s casual remark made Howard’s eyes flicker.
“Does the lord know everything already?”
Arthur approached Howard, adjusting one side of his Kaiser mustache.
“Every time I see you, I think that mustache doesn’t suit you.”
Howard felt a chilling fear from Arthur’s smile.
“If you don’t like it, I’ll change it immediately.”
“No, no. It’s your style, after all. I’m just sharing my thoughts.”
Howard trembled, sensing the hidden meaning in Arthur’s words.
“Is he telling me to sever ties with Siemens? Damn it… But if he knew everything, why send Zeke into a trap?”
Howard’s mind was a tangled mess of thoughts.
Arthur Draker’s true intentions were known only to Arthur Draker himself.
“The Mansion of Wraiths, huh? Quite the outrageous mission.”
As he headed to Atlas’s estate, Zeke mulled over the mission details.
It seemed like a joke, but Arthur Draker wouldn’t assign such a task without reason.
Zeke had a hunch about Arthur Draker’s intentions.
“The lord wouldn’t miss a petty trap set by someone like Howard.”
Even if he lifted an ancient curse, it wouldn’t justify allowing him to take the senior knight exam.
Arthur Draker was undoubtedly testing Zeke.
If he could navigate the trap set by Howard and his backer, Siemens, he would be rewarded accordingly.
Though he didn’t like it, Zeke decided to play along with Arthur’s game this time.
“Abel must have ordered this, thinking I dealt with Kay. They see this as their chance to strike.”
He hadn’t expected them to use Howard Draker to set a trap.
It was a bold move, but it presented an opportunity for Zeke.
“Whatever trap they’ve set, I’ll crush it thoroughly.”
After packing lightly at the estate, Zeke rode Bucephalus towards the west, where Baranaon awaited.
Zeke arrived in Baranaon the next day.
He wasn’t one to fall into a trap he saw coming.
His plan was to reach the mansion quickly and catch them off guard.
Baranaon was located in the western continent, bordered by the Forbidden Forest of the Forgotten, Delphoa, the Duchy of Troy, and the Joins’ ghetto.
Having never visited in his past life, Zeke needed to familiarize himself with the atmosphere.
He entered Baranaon’s capital and took a stroll through the city.
“The overall vibe is quite similar to Tebeia.”
Among the central kingdoms, Thebea was the oldest and most influential, existing long before the Liberation War.
Surprisingly, the small nation of Baranaon also boasted a history as deep as Thebea’s.
Despite its size, Baranaon was dotted with ancient ruins and shrouded in mysteries yet to be unraveled.
“This place would certainly pique the Emperor’s interest.”
It seemed the Empire’s initial invasion of Baranaon during the Continental War was driven by these very ruins.
The Mansion of Wraiths was located in the western territory of Baranaon, bordering the Forest of the Forgotten.
Zeke, wary of encountering his old mentor Nigel who resided in the forest, cautiously made his way to the mansion.
Upon reaching the western territory, Zeke inquired about the Mansion of Wraiths from the local villagers.
“Are you an adventurer? You’d be wise to turn back. No one who’s entered there has ever returned.”
He asked several villagers, but their responses were all the same.
Yet, there was something different from the curse of Agamemnon Castle.
In Agamemnon’s case, the citizens of Mycenae were repulsed by an unknown fear, whereas the villagers here harbored a strong aversion to the mansion itself.
According to them, many had witnessed dark shadows near the mansion.
The consistent descriptions of these shadows suggested that something indeed lurked there.
“A wraith that’s lingered for a thousand years. Could it be bound by a powerful ancient curse?”
If it was an ancient curse, it might be connected to the Abyss.
Ultimately, Zeke realized he would have to confront whatever trap Abel had set to understand it.
After securing lodging and waiting for the right moment, Zeke stealthily moved toward the mansion as night deepened.
Rustle, rustle—
He swiftly traversed the forest and ascended the hill where the mansion stood.
With his dragon’s gaze, he surveyed the hilltop and saw a solitary, eerie old house.
Zeke summoned his dragon soldiers to scout the area.
Then, he called forth Richmond.
“You summoned me, Master!”
Richmond had relocated his laboratory to the Duchy of Troy after dismantling Kay’s hideout.
Zeke asked Richmond, “Richmond, do you sense any dark energy or anything unusual around here?”
Richmond glanced around, then shook his head.
“Master, I don’t sense anything particularly unusual.”