Episode 252
Bubbling, bubbling, bubbling!
A steaming bowl of red soup was placed in front of Hades, who sat at the banquet table.
Hades turned to Zeke, seated beside him, and asked, “What is this?”
Zeke, who hadn’t encountered such a pungent aroma in two years, braced himself for the experience. He replied, “It’s a delicacy the Ishtar family serves to their esteemed guests.”
Hades eyed the red soup with skepticism. As he glanced around, his gaze landed on a small container of Reaper Pepper, prompting another question to Zeke.
“And this?”
“It’s a seasoning. Sprinkle it on, and you’ll discover a whole new flavor.”
Dragons, in truth, don’t need food to survive. They absorb mana from the atmosphere, converting it into magical energy. Having been bound to ruins for three thousand years, Hades had lost his sense of taste and smell.
Curious about the long-forgotten experience of eating, Hades took Zeke’s advice and liberally sprinkled the Reaper Pepper into his soup. He glanced at Zeke, who confidently took a large spoonful of the soup himself. Reassured, Hades followed suit.
“Ah!”
The moment the soup touched his tongue, Hades’ face flushed a deep red. It felt as if he’d swallowed a ball of fire. He leapt from his seat, flailing wildly.
“Water! Water! Ahhh!”
Zeke watched Hades’ antics with a calm demeanor, continuing to eat his soup. Having tasted it once before, he found it more bearable this time.
‘It’s not just a joke; I can actually taste the richness beneath the heat now.’
As the intense spiciness subsided, a savory depth emerged. Zeke added more Reaper Pepper to his bowl, commenting, “Why waste such a delicious dish?”
Hades, trembling, shouted at Zeke, “This is insane! Even after three thousand years without food, I can tell this isn’t cuisine—it’s poison!”
Hades’ outburst caused the ears of the elf elders, including Jamila, to droop in disappointment. Their carefully prepared delicacy had failed to please the great being.
Seeing their dejected expressions, Hades felt a pang of guilt. “Why are they looking at me like that?”
Zeke explained, “This dish is so rare that even the Ishtar family only enjoys it once a year.”
Hades, feeling a twinge of sympathy, reluctantly sat back down. Black dragons, by nature, were sensitive and empathetic creatures. He couldn’t bring himself to reject the meal prepared with such care.
With a resigned sigh, Hades took another spoonful of the soup.
“Ugh!”
It still felt like he was downing a bowl of poison. Discreetly, he cast a cure spell to soothe his burning mouth.
Seeing Hades continue to eat, the elves perked up, their ears standing tall once more. Zeke observed the Ishtar elders with curiosity.
‘So even the fearsome Ishtar family has this side to them.’
Eventually, Hades finished the soup and collapsed in his chair.
“Damn it… I just got out of that seal, and now I’m going to die like this.”
“There’s no dragon that dies from a bit of spice,” Zeke chuckled, casting a healing spell on Hades.
As the heat subsided, Hades regained his strength and sat up. “I thought I was a goner. But you’re a knight, right? How do you know magic?”
“I’ll explain it all in due time.”
Once the other elves had finished their meal, Zeke entrusted Hades to Yellin and requested a private meeting with Jamila, the head of the family.
Jamila led Zeke to her private chamber. “Make yourself comfortable, Zeke Draker.”
Pleased with the successful meal, Jamila was in high spirits. Zeke settled onto a cushion adorned with Eastern Empire motifs.
As Jamila took her seat, a black panther curled up beside her approached. She stroked its head, and it purred contentedly before turning its gaze to Zeke.
Grrr—
The panther bared its teeth, wary of the stranger. Zeke, unfazed, used his taming skill. The panther’s demeanor shifted, and it cautiously approached Zeke, eventually nuzzling against his leg.
Jamila watched the scene with disbelief. “Nero’s never acted like this with a stranger before. You have quite the talent, Zeke Draker.”
Zeke, gently petting the panther now resting on his lap, turned to Jamila. “I have a question for you, Lady Jamila.”
She replied with a relaxed smile, “Go ahead. I’m in such a good mood right now, I could even tolerate a conversation with Arthur Draker.”
Her disdain for Arthur Draker was palpable. Unperturbed, Zeke asked what he needed to know.
“Do you know anything about the Lake of the Fairies?”
Jamila’s eyebrows twitched at the unexpected question. She spoke slowly, “The Lake of the Fairies… Why do you ask?”
Zeke realized he was on the right track. If Jamila knew nothing, she wouldn’t have reacted this way.
“I need to find the Lake of the Fairies.”
“And why do you need to find it?”
Zeke hesitated, then decided to play his trump card. “Lord Hades needs to find the Lake of the Fairies to regain his strength.”
At the mention of Hades, Jamila’s expression changed. “The great one seeks the Lake of the Fairies?”
“Yes. He’s been bound here for three thousand years and can’t fully wield his power. To restore his former glory, he must visit the sacred Lake of the Fairies.”
Zeke’s convincing explanation swayed Jamila. She furrowed her brow and spoke slowly, “My ancestors were tasked with guarding the Fairy Forest, where the Lake of the Fairies was located.”
“The Fairy Forest? I’ve never heard of it.”
“After the Fairy King sealed the path to the Lake following the departure of the Hero King Kaishir, the forest lost its power.”
The Sage of Stories had mentioned something similar.
‘When the Lake was sealed and the Fairy King’s protection vanished, the vampires from the north attacked them?’
Though the exact cause and effect were unclear, it seemed plausible when pieced together with Hades’ account.
Zeke asked Jamila, “So is the path to the Lake of the Fairies completely blocked now?”
Jamila rested her chin on her hand, contemplating. “Not entirely. But… only they know the way.”
“Who are ‘they’?”
“The Druids.”
Zeke was taken aback. “The Druids still exist?”
Druids were only mentioned in records from the Hero King’s era, so Zeke had assumed they were long gone.
Jamila explained, “The Druids and High Elves were once guardians of the Fairy Forest. We left, but the Druids remained to protect it.”
“Why is that?”
Jamila hesitated before speaking. “The Fairy King entrusted the Druids with a final hope. If someone worthy of entering the Lake of the Fairies appeared, they were to guide them.”
Zeke recalled Tyr’s mention of “the place guarded by the Druids” and nodded.
“So if we find the Druids, we can reach the Lake of the Fairies.”
“That’s the legend, but no one has entered the Fairy Forest since the Hero King’s time.”
Zeke asked Jamila, “Do you know where the Druids are?”
Jamila’s eyebrows twitched, and she shook her head. “I don’t.”
Her unexpected answer was a setback. If the Druids were the only ones who knew the way to the Lake, but their location was unknown, they were back to square one.
Then Jamila continued, “I don’t know where the Druids are now. But I do know where one of them is.”
“Where is that?”
“Aten.”
At that moment, a message appeared.
[Recalculating the optimal direction to the ‘Lake of the Fairies.’]
[Guidance will begin based on the newly calculated direction.]
The message indicated that Jamila’s answer had updated the direction.
‘So going to Aten will lead me to a Druid. But why did the compass initially point to Ishtar instead of Aten? Is this the result of a holistic causality calculation?’
While Zeke understood what the compass was pointing to, he grew more curious about how it operated.
Jamila looked at Zeke and spoke.
“Three years ago, someone claiming to be a druid appeared at the border. He asked for our help to cross the treacherous borderlands.”
“Did you help him?”
Jamila fixed Zeke with a sharp gaze before replying.
“We didn’t offer any help. We simply told him he could pass through Ishtar’s territory.”
Zeke immediately grasped the significance of her words.
No outlaw would dare set foot in Ishtar’s domain.
By granting him passage, the Ishtar family had effectively acknowledged him as their guest.
And among the outlaws, no one would dare harm a guest of the Ishtar family.
To provoke Ishtar’s wrath would mean facing the inescapable retribution of Ishtar’s ravens.
Zeke was reminded once more that the person before him was the head of the Ishtar family, one of the three great transcendent families of the continent.
“The druid of Aten owes a debt to the Ishtar family, then.”
“That’s for him to decide.”
After answering, Jamila shifted the conversation.
“So, Zeke Draker, have you decided not to marry Yellin?”
Zeke was caught off guard by the sudden return to the topic of marriage.
“Isn’t Yellin’s opinion more important than mine?”
Jamila’s expression turned slightly enigmatic at his response.
“Hmm, Yellin’s opinion…”
Zeke felt even more uneasy at her inscrutable look.
After a moment, she nodded as if she understood and gestured for him to leave.
“Very well. Go and rest. You’ve done a great service by breaking the chains of the covenant, so I’ll grant you the honor of attending the family banquet starting tomorrow.”
Zeke hesitated at her offer, looking a bit uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry, but I think I need to leave right away.”
Jamila replied nonchalantly.
“Then there’s nothing to be done.”
But Zeke noticed her ears drooping slightly.
‘Could she be disappointed that I’m leaving early?’
He had assumed her sharp tone meant she wanted him gone quickly, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
Not wanting to offend the head of the Ishtar family, Zeke quickly changed his tune.
“But since you’ve personally invited me, it would be rude to leave immediately. I’m really looking forward to the Ishtar banquet.”
At that, Jamila’s ears perked up again.
“Hmm! Well, if you’re so eager to attend, I’ll give you the chance.”
‘Yellin and the Ishtar family are easy to read. That’s a relief.’
After bowing respectfully to Jamila, Zeke left the room and followed an attendant to his quarters.
Unlike the room he had stayed in before, this one was lavishly decorated for honored guests.
A group of maids, each a stunning beauty, approached Zeke.
“Sir Zeke, we’ve prepared a warm bath for you. Allow us to assist you.”
Zeke felt overwhelmed by the excessive hospitality.
“No, that’s not necessary…”
Just then, an attendant approached him.
“Sir Zeke, Lady Yellin has come to see you.”
“Lady Yellin?”
Eager to escape the maids, Zeke quickly went to the door and opened it.
Standing there was Yellin, looking entirely different from usual.
She wore a traditional Eastern dress that accentuated her graceful figure and approached Zeke.
“Sir Zeke.”
Her eyes, clear and radiant like a lake, met his as she spoke.
“I’ve come to ask you a favor.”