Episode 21
The entire academy was abuzz with the unexpected news of Arthur Draker, the head of the Draker family, making a sudden visit.
Led by Howard Draker, the academy’s headmaster, instructors and cadets lined up from the main gate to the plaza, eagerly awaiting Arthur’s arrival.
Right on time, a rumbling sound echoed down the avenue.
Rumble, rumble!
A massive black carriage, far larger and heavier than any ordinary one, was drawn by six enormous black horses. On its side was emblazoned a golden dragon emblem.
This was Arthur Draker’s personal carriage, and it was followed by hundreds of knights.
The imposing procession was enough to make even the instructors, let alone the cadets, tense with anticipation.
Finally, the carriage came to a halt at the center of the plaza. The giant horses snorted and pawed at the ground, their breath visible in the air.
Howard Draker approached the carriage.
The door opened, and a man stepped out.
“Howard. It’s been a while.”
A middle-aged man with an air of dignified charm, his gray hair swept back. This was Arthur Draker, the head of the Draker family, one of the continent’s three transcendent families, and one of the eight strongest individuals on the continent.
Everyone gathered in the plaza, including Howard, knelt before him.
“Greetings to the master of Draker!”
Arthur raised a hand, acknowledging their bows, and placed it on Howard’s shoulder.
“You’ve been working hard.”
“It’s nothing compared to your efforts, my lord.”
“That’s reassuring.”
Arthur lifted his gaze to the young cadets lined up in the plaza. He spoke slowly, his voice carrying effortlessly across the academy.
“Cadets, rise.”
Though spoken softly, his voice reached every corner of the academy as if he were standing right beside each of them.
The cadets stood, their nerves taut.
“Young dragon slayers, you are the hope and new seeds of our Draker family.”
Everyone focused intently on the head’s gentle yet powerful voice, determined not to miss a single word.
“Dedicate yourselves to your training! Your growth is the growth of our family.”
With his brief but impactful speech concluded, the cadets saluted him.
“Honor!”
Arthur smiled, accepting their salute.
“Such spirit. Now, let’s head inside.”
The headmaster led Arthur Draker into the main academy building.
The cadets, still buzzing with excitement from having seen the head in person, returned to their respective buildings for classes.
“I can’t believe we saw the head in person. The other family members will be so jealous!”
“I’m definitely getting into Valhalla and heading to the Four Seasons Castle.”
“With your skills? Keep dreaming.”
Amidst the excited chatter, Zeke tilted his head in confusion as he made his way to the training grounds.
“The head never visited the academy before my regression. What’s going on?”
He was aware that his regression was gradually altering the future, but he hadn’t expected it to affect even the head, who resided in the Four Seasons Castle.
Puzzled, Zeke returned to the Platinum Floor, only to be summoned back out shortly after.
The head had called for him.
Zeke made his way to the headmaster’s office in the main building.
Since his regression, he had remained unshaken by most events, but now, even his steadfast mental defenses were of little help.
Thump, thump, thump!
Standing before the office door, he managed to calm his racing heart.
The door opened, and he steadied his breath as he stepped inside.
There, in the opulent office, was Arthur Draker, now dressed in casual attire, sipping whiskey from a glass.
“Come in.”
Zeke immediately knelt and greeted him with the family’s formal etiquette.
“Zeke Draker, a member of the family, pays his respects to Arthur Draker, master of all knights and guardian of the honorable dragon slayer’s name.”
Arthur laughed heartily at Zeke’s old-fashioned greeting.
“Even in the Four Seasons Castle, no one greets like that anymore. Come, sit down. No need for such formality.”
Zeke found it hard to adjust to Arthur’s friendly demeanor. His last memory of the head was from when he was seven, just before entering the cradle, when Arthur had merely glanced at him and sent him away.
Until he was expelled from the academy, Arthur had never contacted or assisted him.
In his previous life, Zeke had barely seen his father, Arthur Draker, and had no real understanding of the man.
As Zeke sat, Arthur placed a prepared cup of tea in front of him.
“I hear you enjoy tea.”
Zeke was startled by this revelation. Even the fact that he regularly ordered tea in the Platinum Lounge was reported to the head. The saying that the head of Draker knew everything, even if the emperor did not, felt all too real.
Cautious of the head’s intentions, Zeke sipped his tea.
Arthur spoke first.
“I hear you’ve become Duke’s apprentice.”
With that, Zeke realized why the head had come and why he had been summoned.
“In my previous life, the Gale Technique was never properly passed down and was nearly forgotten. Now that the successor to the family’s black knight’s ultimate technique has emerged, it’s only natural for the head to take an interest.”
Zeke nodded at Arthur.
“The Knight of the Gale has graciously taken me under his wing.”
“Duke mentioned you were quite the challenge to recruit.”
”…….”
Zeke hadn’t expected the former black knight to be so loose-lipped.
Arthur chuckled.
“Honestly, I never thought Duke, that picky fellow, would find a worthy apprentice. And certainly not my youngest son.”
Zeke’s heart pounded at the mention of being the youngest son.
Arthur looked at Zeke and asked.
“So, what is your goal? If you continue as you are, you could easily reach Valhalla…”
“My goal is to become the strongest on the continent.”
Arthur was momentarily speechless at Zeke’s declaration.
Zeke repeated himself, looking Arthur in the eye.
“My goal is to become the strongest on the continent.”
Arthur’s expression shifted, and then he burst into laughter.
“Hahaha!”
A powerful, intangible aura emanated from Arthur’s body.
Zeke clenched his teeth as the aura enveloped him.
Wherever this aura touched, it was under Arthur’s control. It meant he held the power of life and death over anyone within its reach.
“A true monster.”
Despite his amiable appearance, the man before him was undoubtedly one of the continent’s strongest.
To become the strongest, Zeke knew he would have to surpass this mountain.
Arthur abruptly stopped laughing and looked at Zeke.
“That’s the most interesting thing I’ve heard in a while.”
The aura surrounding Zeke vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Zeke was left drenched in cold sweat.
Arthur regarded Zeke with a satisfied expression and pulled something from his pocket.
“I intended to give you a gift to commemorate becoming the successor of the Gale Technique, but… it seems that gift won’t suffice.”
What Arthur produced was a small metal card, intricately engraved with the Draker dragon emblem.
Zeke was taken aback at the sight.
“Do you know what this is?”
“I understand it’s a black card issued only to top-tier VVIPs across the continent.”
“If you know, there’s no need for further explanation.”
Arthur handed the black card to Zeke.
“It’s issued in my name, but I’ll transfer it to you. Use it freely.”
A black card, especially one used by the head of Draker, would undoubtedly offer unimaginable benefits.
Before his regression, Zeke had received no such attention.
Now, as a pure-blooded awakener and the successor of the Gale Technique, his circumstances had changed dramatically.
Had he been an ordinary thirteen-year-old, he might have been thrilled to receive the card.
But Zeke immediately grasped the hidden intent behind Arthur’s gesture.
“While the card offers immense benefits, it can be rendered useless with a single word from the head.”
Moreover, every use of the card would leave a record, effectively reporting his activities to the head.
Zeke was reminded once more that the man before him wielded unparalleled power over the entire continent.
Arthur spoke again.
“I’d love to have a meal together since it’s been so long, but I have another engagement to attend.”
“Just seeing you is an honor.”
“You’ve certainly changed since before.”
“Excuse me?”
“Never mind. Off you go. I wouldn’t want to take up more of the future strongest on the continent’s precious time.”
With a gesture, Arthur dismissed him, and Zeke rose, bowed, and left the room.
Alone in the headmaster’s office, Arthur downed the rest of his whiskey.
At that moment, someone emerged from the shadows in the corner of the room.
“Playing the part of a good father, are we?”
It was none other than Duke Draker.
Duke plopped down in front of Arthur, showing no respect or formality toward the head.
Arthur grinned at Duke’s defiance.
“Why so prickly?”
“Because it’s disgusting to see you pretending to be a caring father after ignoring him since the cradle.”
“That sounds like grounds for arresting you for insulting the head.”
“Go ahead, arrest me.”
Duke shrugged off the threat, and Arthur stroked his well-groomed beard, amused by Duke’s attitude.
“Do you think Zeke can continue the progress of the Gale Technique?”
“How should I know? We’ll have to teach him more to find out.”
“Hmm… I was curious why you took on a student who hasn’t even awakened his aura.”
Arthur’s eyes gleamed.
“Seeing him today, I think I understand. It’s been a while since I’ve seen someone withstand the energy of the Astral Sword, even if it was just a faint trace.”
“Your twisted hobbies are really annoying.”
“I’ve missed your sharp tongue. No one in the Four Seasons Castle talks to me like that.”
“My condolences to the knights suffering under such a difficult head of the family.”
Arthur chuckled, reaching into his pocket to pull out a bottle of whiskey from his spatial pouch. With a flick of his hand, a glass slid from the cabinet into his grasp.
He poured the whiskey into the glass, and as he swirled it, ice formed inside.
“Care for a drink?”
He handed the whiskey to Duke and poured himself a glass as well. They both downed their drinks in one go.
“Whew… What is this? Dragon’s Breath? And the Red kind, no less. Where did you get something so rare?”
“I thought you’d appreciate it.”
“Your personality is the worst, but it’s things like this that keep me from cutting ties with you. Annoying bastard.”
Duke grumbled, savoring the whiskey. Arthur spoke up again.
“Have you heard about the strange happenings across the continent lately?”
“How would I know? I’ve been wasting away in the backwater of Troy.”
“I’m well aware that your eyes and ears are still active all over the continent.”
“Why are you probing when you already know? You sly fox.”
Arthur swirled his whiskey glass and said, “Something unusual is happening in the Rom Empire.”
“That crazy emperor has been a troublemaker since his days as crown prince. What’s he up to now?”
“Duke, do you think immortality is possible?”
“Are you joking with me right now?”
“The emperor seems to believe it is.”
“Ha, he’s completely lost it.”
“The problem is that this madman is the emperor of an empire that controls half of the central continent. He’s even formed a special unit called the Hounds.”
“The Hounds? That name alone gives me the creeps.”
“The emperor is using them to search for something.”
“What is he looking for?”
“An ancient artifact.”
“Don’t tell me he’s searching for something that grants immortality?”
“Bad premonitions have a way of coming true.”
“That’s… beyond just a bad feeling.”
Duke finished his whiskey, shaking his head. He knew the Rom Emperor was superstitious and surrounded by dubious characters, but he hadn’t expected things to go this far off course.
“Shouldn’t your family put some pressure on him?”
“We’re in an alliance to keep the Eastern Empire in check, so it’s hard to take a strong stance.”
“Ha, you’ve mellowed out. In the old days, you would’ve jumped into a fight first.”
“Being the head of a family isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
“So what’s the real reason you’re beating around the bush?”
Arthur looked at Duke and spoke.
“I’m planning to leave the Four Seasons Castle for a while.”
“Why would you leave when the Rom Emperor’s gone mad?”
“I’m heading to the Ice Mountains to find the ancient artifact the emperor is after.”
“What? Are you insane? Don’t tell me it’s because of that immortality…”
“The artifact might be linked to the traces of an Elder Dragon.”