Episode 253
Zeke tensed up the moment Yellin mentioned she had a favor to ask.
Her attire and the look in her eyes were anything but ordinary.
He recalled the subtle expression on Lady Jamila’s face.
“Could it be?”
It was then that Yellin spoke up.
“I wish to accompany Sir Zeke on a warrior’s journey.”
“What? A warrior’s journey, you say?”
Yellin nodded.
“Yes. As I mentioned in the labyrinth, once the shackles of the oath are lifted, my dream is to freely embark on a warrior’s journey. I wish to follow Sir Zeke to the Central Continent and pursue this path.”
Zeke pondered over Yellin’s words.
“A warrior’s journey, not a marriage proposal. That’s something I can agree to.”
Having the young lady Yellin by his side could potentially strengthen ties with the Ishtar faction in the future.
Zeke nodded at Yellin.
“Very well, Lady Yellin. If there’s anything you need for your journey, I’ll assist you. Let’s head to the Central Continent together after the banquet.”
“Th-thank you!”
Yellin beamed at Zeke’s confirmation.
“Then, please rest well, Lady Yellin.”
Zeke closed the door and retreated into his room.
As soon as the door shut, Yellin’s bright smile faded, and her ears drooped.
She trudged back to her room, where Ezgi was waiting for her.
“Miss!”
Ezgi’s eyes sparkled as she asked Yellin eagerly.
“So, what happened? What did Sir Zeke say? Are you getting married?”
Yellin shook her head.
“Ezgi, I’m going on a warrior’s journey.”
Ezgi was taken aback by Yellin’s unexpected announcement.
“What? A warrior’s journey all of a sudden?”
”…It just turned out that way.”
At twenty-nine, Yellin was considered late for marriage within the Ishtar family.
Her resolve to live as a martial artist had kept her from considering marriage, but her heart had changed after the events in the labyrinth.
In the labyrinth, when she faced Hades, Yellin felt the fear of death for the first time.
When Zeke reached out and held her hand, a warm energy enveloped her, freeing her from fear.
In that moment, Yellin had a fleeting thought.
“Is this love?”
The relief from escaping death had cracked the hardened shell around Yellin’s heart.
Mistaking Zeke’s comforting presence for love, Yellin’s thoughts on marriage had shifted significantly.
“If it’s with Sir Zeke, I feel like I could strive for the pinnacle of martial arts together.”
With this change of heart, she had intended to speak to Zeke about marriage, but the words wouldn’t come out, and she ended up asking for his help with a warrior’s journey instead.
Ezgi rubbed her forehead and said, “A warrior’s journey out of the blue. What will you tell the head of the family?”
Yellin began to remove the stifling traditional Ishtar attire as she replied, “I’ll tell them I need more time.”
Ezgi looked at Yellin and said, “Honestly, if you just went and talked to him, any man would be eager to marry you. But instead, you brought up a warrior’s journey… I should have gone with you!”
“Stop with the nonsense. Sir Zeke and I are not in such an impure relationship. We aim to pursue a higher level of martial arts together…”
Yellin’s ears turned red as she recalled Zeke’s face.
The memory of his warm presence made her blush.
Ezgi flared her nostrils and said, “Wow, I never thought I’d see you like this. You always swore you’d live as a martial artist alone… You can’t trust an elf, I tell you.”
Yellin threw a pillow at Ezgi and shouted, “Get out. Get out! Now.”
The Ishtar banquet, which lasted four long days, finally came to an end.
Hades, who had attended with Zeke, looked utterly exhausted.
“How on earth can anyone eat that poison for four days straight?”
The Ishtar traditional banquet was known for serving a rare soup, blessed by the god of the earth, for four consecutive days.
The main palace of Ishtar, as well as various spots in the city, boiled the fiery red soup to the point where the air stung your eyes.
Surprisingly, Zeke had completely adapted to the spiciness, reaching a level where he could savor the flavors based on the soup’s heat and variety.
Poseidon’s comment about Zeke having the resilience of a cockroach was proving true.
Having grown accustomed to the taste, Zeke packed some of Ishtar’s specialty tea, rare Reaper Peppers, and a few jars of spicy sauce.
“Why are you taking that poison with you?”
“Once you get used to it, you start craving it before bed.”
Hades looked at Zeke with disdain.
As they chatted, waiting for the portal inside the Ishtar palace, Yellin approached them.
“Sir Zeke.”
Zeke was about to greet her when he noticed a dozen warriors following behind her and paused.
“Huh?”
Yellin’s cousin and squire, Ezgi, along with the formidable Ishtar sorcerers, were trailing behind her.
“Lady Yellin, who are they?”
Yellin frowned slightly and replied, ”…They’re the attendants accompanying me on the warrior’s journey.”
Zeke’s jaw dropped at her words.
Just then, Lady Jamila and the elders entered the room.
“Oh, great one!”
Jamila and the elders knelt on one knee to greet Hades.
Hades waved them off dismissively. Jamila rose and turned to Zeke.
“Zeke Draker, ensure that you do not offend Lord Hades in any way.”
From Zeke’s perspective, since Hades had chosen to accompany him, there wasn’t much he could do to offend him.
“Though teasing him is quite fun.”
Hiding his true thoughts, Zeke bowed to Jamila and said, “I will serve Lord Hades with utmost sincerity.”
Jamila nodded in satisfaction and glanced at Yellin before addressing Zeke again.
“That girl has decided to embark on a warrior’s journey for some reason.”
“Yes. I’ve agreed to assist Lady Yellin with her journey. She might not be familiar with the geography of the Central Continent.”
Jamila and the other elders exchanged subtle glances at Zeke’s words.
He wondered why they kept making strange faces.
“Is there something wrong with going on a warrior’s journey?”
Jamila cleared her throat and said to Zeke, “Yes, a warrior’s journey is fine. Make sure to travel around a lot together. I’ve selected agile attendants, so if Lord Hades needs anything, have them run errands.”
Zeke looked at the formidable Ishtar warriors and said, “They seem a bit overqualified for mere errands…”
Ignoring Zeke’s comment, Jamila ordered the portal to be activated.
Vwoooom!
Zeke stepped onto the portal with a slightly uneasy expression. The rest of the group followed, and the elders waved them off.
“Yellin! Do your best!”
“Let’s see some grandkids soon!”
Yellin’s ears turned red as she was about to shout something, but the portal activated, and they vanished.
Watching the empty portal, Jamila shook her head.
“Sending a daughter off to marriage disguised as a warrior’s journey is no easy task.”
Jamila had sent Yellin on a journey that was more of a marriage expedition than a warrior’s quest.
Vwoooom!
The portal opened, and Zeke’s group arrived directly in Mycenae.
Hades floated in the air, taking a deep breath.
“Ah! This is nice. Feels good not to breathe in that sandy dust.”
Zeke addressed Hades, “Welcome to Mycenae. Let’s head to the castle first.”
Zeke boarded a waiting carriage with Hades, Yellin, and the formidable Ishtar attendants, heading towards Agamemnon Castle.
As they entered the castle, the first thing they heard was Felix’s wailing.
“Aaah! Instructor! Please, no more!”
It was Cloné, relentlessly training Felix under the guise of practice.
Felix, surprisingly resilient, had become Cloné’s sparring partner, enduring her intense training sessions.
The duels with Cloné, a red knight, were both challenging and rewarding, but she never held back, requiring Felix to give it his all.
The duels were a source of entertainment for the people of Agamemnon Castle, who gathered to watch.
Spotting Zeke entering the castle, Felix broke away from the training ground and rushed to him.
“Master! Please, take me with you!”
Cloné followed, grabbing Felix by the scruff as he clung to Zeke’s leg, and greeted Zeke.
“Captain, why did you bring so many people this time?”
It was then that Boris, who had been taking bets on how long Felix would last, saw the group accompanying Zeke and dropped his money pouch in shock.
“Th-those are…?”
Boris, who rarely showed surprise, turned pale.
The assassins from Salmak, who had been placing bets, also recognized the group and began to retreat cautiously.
Cloné tilted her head in confusion.
“What’s gotten into them?”
It was then that Cloné finally noticed Hades standing beside Zeke and was taken aback.
“Wait, is that… an elf?”
Klorne approached Hades, who had polymorphed into an elf, her curiosity piqued. Among the Ishtar members, all of whom had their faces covered, Hades stood out with his bare face.
She reached out and gently patted Hades on the head. “Wow, you’re really beautiful. I’ve never seen an elf before. You’re truly stunning.”
The Ishtar members behind her froze in shock at the sight of Klorne casually patting Hades. Hades, the subject of her attention, glared at her before looking up at Zeke.
—Why do I sense the power of light from this woman who treats her body like a canvas?
—Sister Klorne. She’s a cleric.
—What? What kind of world is this where such a cleric exists…?
Klorne, after patting Hades, pulled a dried scorpion skewer from her pocket and handed it to him before leading Felix back to the training grounds. The Ishtar warriors watched her with newfound respect.
“She just touched a dragon’s head like it was nothing.”
“She must have nine lives or something.”
“This place really isn’t to be underestimated.”
Meanwhile, Boris and the assassins from Salmak remained on high alert, unable to move as they kept a wary eye on the Ishtar entourage.
Zeke, leaving the tense standoff behind, led Hades and Yellin into the castle. Yellin marveled at the sight of Agamemnon Castle.
“This castle is magnificent. Is it yours, Sir Zeke?”
“The Agamemnon family is my maternal side.”
Hades, taking in the castle, remarked, “This place was built by a dragon.”
Zeke turned to Hades, surprised. “Dragons build castles too?”
“Dragons do whatever they please. They live by their own whims.”
“I thought it was just you, Hades. So other dragons are like that too.”
“This one’s got some nerve, trying to match wits with me.”
Feigning ignorance, Zeke turned away, examining the castle with fresh eyes. He had suspected something unusual when the Agamemnon Castle integrated with the system, but he hadn’t imagined it was dragon-made.
“Why would a dragon build a castle like this?”
The most plausible theory was that it was constructed as a fortress to fend off the Demon King’s army. Yet, as Hades suggested, it might have been built simply because the dragon felt like it.
“Who can truly understand a dragon’s mind?”
Zeke headed to the dining hall, eager to finally enjoy a proper Central Continent meal. He had grown tired of the overly spicy dishes at the Ishtar palace.
As the food arrived, Hades eagerly dug in, delighted. “Ah, this is how food should taste. I knew my taste buds weren’t broken.”
Yellin, too, slowly savored the unfamiliar Central Continent cuisine.
While they ate, a steward approached Zeke. “Sir Zeke, a message has arrived from the Four Seasons Castle.”
Zeke opened the message, recognizing it as being from Lord Arthur.
“Is it about the advanced knight exam?”
He tore open the message to find details about the exam, but it was nothing like he had anticipated.
“Get recognition from the head of the Valdek family?”
The Valdek family was one of the major allies of the Draker clan. Zeke’s companion from the cradle, Jaken, hailed from this very family.
Zeke frowned at the challenge posed by the exam. There was a significant issue with it.
“The Valdek family… they’re the biggest allies of Siemens.”