Episode 245
“Master Eunja?”
As he stood up and looked around, he realized he was in the secluded dwelling of the hermit, nestled within a bamboo grove.
It seemed he had dozed off on the sofa.
The hermit gave his back a few pats and then lay down on a bamboo bed.
“Oh, I’m exhausted. Absolutely worn out.”
“What’s the matter?”
The hermit replied in a voice that sounded like he was on his last legs.
“Don’t even ask. Out of nowhere, a horde of beasts appeared, and I was summoned to deal with them. It was quite the ordeal.”
“A horde of beasts? Where did this happen?”
The hermit turned his head sharply and said, “To tell you that, you’d have to become a Highlander. Are you willing to swear?”
Zeke immediately stepped back. “No need to tell me.”
He wasn’t about to go through the reincarnation process again.
Seeing Zeke’s firm stance, the hermit grumbled and rolled around on the bamboo bed.
“Ah, home sweet home. I think I’ll just stay put for a while…”
“I found the sacred relic.”
At Zeke’s words, the hermit sat up in surprise.
“What? Really?”
“Yes. Just as you said, Tyr had it. But why are you surprised? I found it based on your advice.”
The hermit scratched his cheek awkwardly. “Well, I thought it was likely, but I didn’t know for sure it was the relic… But it’s good to hear I was right. Haha!”
Zeke clicked his tongue at the hermit’s awkward laughter.
The hermit, now intrigued, asked Zeke, “So, what’s the second relic? Is it a shield, like I said?”
“It’s not a shield, but it’s something similar.”
Zeke pulled out a scabbard from his inventory and showed it to the hermit. The hermit examined it closely and was taken aback.
“Wow, what is this? Magic? It seems more like… a kind of sorcery?”
“I’ve always wondered, what’s the difference between magic and sorcery?”
The hermit pondered for a moment before shaking his head. “That’s a tough question. I’m not a magician or a sorcerer, so I might not explain it well.”
“Aren’t you a magician, Master Eunja?”
“Uh, I’m a scholar.”
“A scholar? Can a scholar become part of the High Table?”
“Someone like me can. I’m not just any scholar.”
Zeke tilted his head, puzzled by the hermit’s cryptic words. “What do you mean by ‘not just any scholar’?”
“It’s hard to explain. Let’s just say I’m a scholar who has reached enlightenment and touched upon the truth.”
“I have no idea what that means.”
“Anyway, it’s something like that. The difference between magic and sorcery, simply put, is that magic tries to interpret the world’s truths through formulas, while sorcery is about understanding and accepting them in one’s own language. Magic is deductive, and sorcery is inductive, you could say.”
“What does that mean?”
“See, I told you I might not be able to explain it.”
The hermit’s explanation wasn’t particularly enlightening.
Zeke decided to cut to the chase. “The spirit of Hero Tyr revealed what the third relic is.”
“What? Really? Where is it?”
“Well… I’ve already found it.”
“What?”
Zeke took out Agamemnon’s mask from his inventory. The hermit looked at the mask and tilted his head.
“This is a relic? I don’t feel any power from it.”
“I was puzzled too, but according to Tyr, it needs to be unsealed at the Lake of the Fairies to reveal its true power.”
“Huh, the Lake of the Fairies. That’s a headache.”
Hearing the hermit’s sudden sigh, Zeke asked, “Why is that?”
“Hmm. The Lake of the Fairies… Hold on.”
The hermit waved his hand, and dozens of books appeared in the air.
As the books flipped open, the hermit scanned through their contents.
Eventually, he pulled out one book, enlarging it so Zeke could see.
“Look here.”
Zeke read the passage the hermit pointed to and was shocked.
“The Lake of the Fairies has disappeared?”
The hermit nodded. “Yes. According to the stories passed down, after the Hero King left for the land of the fairies, the Fairy King also severed contact with the physical world and closed the Lake of the Fairies.”
“Closed the Lake of the Fairies… Then why did Tyr tell us to find it?”
“It must not have been closed yet when Tyr was around.”
If the Lake of the Fairies was closed, they couldn’t activate the final relic.
Pondering this, Zeke pulled out the Absolute Compass.
The hermit looked at the compass with curiosity. “What’s that? I sense immense karma from it.”
“It’s another artifact I obtained there. It’s supposed to point in the direction of what you seek, and when I mentioned the Lake of the Fairies, it kept pointing in one direction.”
The hermit was astonished. “A compass that finds what you desire?”
He quickly summoned more books and searched through them.
Then the hermit let out a gasp of admiration. “My goodness. This is an incredible item.”
“What is it?”
“It seems to be imbued with the power of a Constellation. There are only a few items like this in the physical world.”
“Imbued with the power of a Constellation?”
“Yes. The Constellation that made it is known as ‘The Noble Step That Never Loses Its Way.’ It’s not the most powerful deity, but it’s known for aiding heroes in myths and legends.”
“Such a Constellation exists?”
“In the past, Constellations could intervene in the physical world. Even so, directly bestowing their power was impossible, but this Constellation seems to have found a way to embed its power within it.”
Zeke was slightly taken aback to learn that the seemingly ordinary compass contained the power of a Constellation.
The hermit continued to read, marveling at the stories. “Once, when the Fisher Knight Reyes was lost at sea searching for the Golden Fleece, this compass saved him from perishing.”
Zeke was familiar with the Fisher Knight Reyes.
‘If it was him… I can see how he might have gotten lost.’
There were many such stories.
The hermit came to a conclusion. “If the compass is working, it means there’s a way to find the Lake of the Fairies.”
“So, should we just follow the direction it’s pointing?”
“It’s not just pointing to a location. It could be indicating someone who knows how to find the Lake of the Fairies. It calculates various causalities, so you need to understand the context.”
Zeke recalled how the compass had consistently pointed towards Yelin.
‘Could it really mean that following Yelin will lead us to the Lake of the Fairies?’
The hermit put the books away and said, “For now, keep a close eye on the compass’s direction. I’ll ask other members about the Lake of the Fairies.”
“Understood. But Master Eunja, isn’t there an easier way to contact you?”
“Ugh, you’re a demanding one. Hold on.”
Grumbling, the hermit went to a drawer, rummaged through it, and handed Zeke a small hand mirror.
“Use this to contact me in emergencies.”
“How does it work?”
“Look into the mirror and call for me. I’ll appear in it.”
“Why didn’t you give me this earlier?”
“Even a small thing I give requires karma. I managed to catch a lot of beasts this time, so I have some to spare. Be grateful.”
Zeke nodded and accepted the hand mirror.
And at that moment, Zeke awoke from his sleep.
Back in the mansion where he originally was, he found the hand mirror in his hand.
‘The mechanics of this are fascinating.’
Shaking his head to fully wake up, he saw that the sun had already risen.
“Alright. If I follow Yelin, I’ll surely learn something about the Lake of the Fairies.”
He prepared himself and headed towards the hotel where Yelin and her group were staying.
Zeke and Yelin’s group quickly traveled to Mycenae, arriving at the newly constructed terminal.
Inside the terminal, there was a special area where Zeke had set up a private portal.
In the lounge, a mage managing the portal approached Zeke.
“Sir Zeke, I’ve set the coordinates as you requested.”
“Good. How long will it take to open the portal?”
“We can open it right now.”
“Then please open it immediately.”
The mage nodded and returned to the control room.
Zeke and Yelin’s group moved past the lounge and stepped onto the magic circle.
Vrrrrr!
A low hum resonated as the portal opened above the magic circle.
“Let’s go.”
Zeke led Yelin and her group into the portal.
Whoosh!
The portal vanished, and the scenery changed.
Zeke could smell the dry scent of sand.
Before him stood the main palace of Ishtar, a place he had visited before.
Thud!
At that moment, Yelin and the black crows accompanying her knelt.
Turning around, Zeke saw Jamila Ishtar, accompanied by hundreds of Ishtar’s mystics, making her entrance.
Dressed in traditional Ishtar attire, she glared at Zeke and spoke.
“Sir Zeke, it’s been a while.”
“It’s been a while, Lady Jamila.”
Jamila looked at Zeke and said, “I trusted you and allowed you to go to the Central Continent without issue. But to return with such disgraceful lies is unbelievable.”
She trembled with anger as she continued, “Do you know how I was treated when I asked Arthur about the marriage? He completely blocked my communication! It was a humiliating insult.”
Zeke had no words. Arthur Draker was indeed capable of such behavior.
Jamila took a deep breath, trying to calm her excitement, and glared at Zeke.
“Thinking about it, I should tear you apart right now, stuff you in a crate, and send you to that bastard Arthur…”
Her eyes shifted.
“I heard you have the Black River’s token.”
Zeke nodded at her words. “Yes, I do.”
Grinding her teeth, Jamila spoke again. “Show it to me. If it’s not the real token, you won’t leave here alive.”
It was hard to believe she was of the noble High Elf lineage, given the menacing aura she exuded.
Zeke slowly pulled out the dagger of Anexi from his coat. Jamila swallowed hard at the sight of it.
“Where on earth did you find that?”
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you.”
At Zeke’s response, Jamila’s aura flared up again, her presence so intense it seemed to pierce through him.
Barely containing her anger, she said, “Hand over the dagger, and I’ll spare your life.”
Zeke shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, my lady.”
“What? Then I’ll just have to kill you and take it myself!”
At that, Yellin, who had been kneeling on one knee, sprang to her feet. “You can’t do that!”
Hearing her daughter’s voice for the first time in years, Jamila turned her glare on her. “It was you, Yellin, who brought him to the main hall. You also refused the marriage by oath. According to the law, even as the heir, you can’t escape punishment.”
Jamila was a leader who held even her own daughter, the heir, to strict standards.
Zeke stepped forward, addressing the matriarch. “I have something to say to you, my lady.”
As Zeke spoke, Jamila unleashed her aura at him in fury.
The air hummed with tension.
Zeke stood firm against Jamila’s invisible force. As a fellow Black Knight, he could have countered it, but there was no need to reveal all his strength in enemy territory.
Jamila’s expression changed as she watched Zeke withstand her power.
“This one…”
Zeke spoke to her. “I will descend into the labyrinth myself and break the pact with the dragon.”
His words caused a stir among the elders and warriors of Ishtar standing behind her.
Jamila, taken aback by the unexpected declaration, gritted her teeth and glared at Yellin.
“So, you spilled the family’s secrets to this Draker.”
Yellin stood her ground. “It was Sir Zeke who possessed the Black River’s token. If the prophecy is true, he is the savior meant to break our family’s chains.”
The elders and warriors murmured again at Yellin’s words.
Jamila stomped her foot.
Boom!
The powerful impact shook the entire main hall.
“Silence, all of you. Yellin, do you even understand what you’re saying?”
“Of course. This is about fulfilling our family’s two-thousand-year-old wish. How could I not want that?”
Jamila struggled to suppress her anger, glaring at Yellin before turning her gaze back to Zeke.
She addressed him. “You said you’d enter the labyrinth yourself and break the pact’s chains. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Jamila let out a dry laugh. “You have no idea what kind of being the Black River’s recluse is, do you?”
At her words, Zeke glanced at Yellin.
‘So it wasn’t just any dragon.’
Jamila spoke again, slowly. “He is the first dragon to have slain another dragon, imprisoned here by an Elder Dragon.”