Episode 258

“That’s impressive.”

Arthur was genuinely taken aback as he unfolded the letter of recognition that Zeke had brought from Wolfgang.

Even Arthur hadn’t anticipated that Zeke would manage to earn Wolfgang Waldeck’s approval so swiftly.

Having known Wolfgang since childhood, Arthur was well aware of how, despite his outward bravado, Wolfgang was actually quite petty and narrow-minded.

Surely, Wolfgang had set an impossible test, yet Zeke had passed it within just two weeks and now stood before Arthur with the letter in hand.

Arthur set the letter down and looked at Zeke.

“Congratulations, Zeke. You’ve now earned the right to become a senior knight.”

A senior knight of the Draker family wielded significant power.

From the authority to summon Draker’s forces stationed across the continent to immunity from prosecution for crimes committed within the central continent, the privileges and powers were numerous.

But among all the privileges of a senior knight, Zeke desired only one.

“The right to establish a knight order.”

Now that he was a senior knight, Zeke could officially register the Black Sword Order he had formed as a legitimate knight order.

This would elevate the Black Sword Order from a mere private militia to an officially recognized order under Draker’s banner.

For Zeke, who was in opposition to Abel, the larger his forces grew, the more advantageous it would be.

Arthur spoke to Zeke again.

“We’ll prepare for the induction ceremony in a few days, so stay in Atlas until then. Oh, and…”

He handed Zeke an envelope.

“What’s this?”

“As a senior knight of Draker, you have the opportunity to learn a special technique. Although you’ve already learned Duke’s Gale Technique, there’s no harm in learning more. This is a list of those who wish to pass on their special techniques to you. Take a look and choose one.”

Zeke opened the envelope Arthur had given him and examined its contents.

To his surprise, it listed over ten renowned knights along with the lineages of their techniques and the characteristics of their unique skills.

Arthur chuckled as he watched Zeke.

“Actually, twice as many applied, but I narrowed it down.”

Special techniques were secret skills developed by knights of at least the Red Knight rank, containing their personal insights.

These techniques weren’t something just anyone could learn. Without sufficient talent and effort, even the best instruction wouldn’t suffice. Thus, knights of a certain caliber were always on the lookout for talented individuals.

Given Zeke Draker’s potential to not only master but also enhance these techniques, everyone was eager to teach him.

As Zeke scanned the list of illustrious knights, one name stood out.

“Who is this?”

Luther Zemben.

Despite not bearing the Draker name, he was prominently listed.

Zeke felt he had heard the name Luther Zemben somewhere before.

He soon recalled it from his past life.

“Could it be the Mage Slayer?”

During the continental war in his previous life, when the Draker family fell to Abel, many knights, led by Helen, defected from the family.

After defecting, the Draker rebels, who had been holding out in Troy, scattered following the death of Helen, the Iron Knight.

Among the defectors, one had waged a guerrilla war, assassinating imperial forces until the war’s end. He was known as the “Mage Slayer.”

The Mage Slayer primarily targeted the imperial army’s magic corps, claiming the lives of hundreds of high-ranking mages.

The damage was so severe that the imperial army dedicated all its resources to capturing him, eventually succeeding with the help of imperial Black Knights. He met his end in the ruins of Atlas Square.

It was then revealed that he was Luther Zemben, a knight of the Draker family.

Before that, he hadn’t been particularly famous, leading some to speculate that he had been a Black Knight hiding his true abilities.

Seeing Luther Zemben’s name on the list, Zeke thought that speculation might be true.

“How he managed to bypass tight security and kill high-ranking mages was never revealed.”

Zeke found himself intrigued by Luther Zemben.

While the list contained many excellent special techniques, Zeke wasn’t particularly tempted. He had already developed the Black Sword Technique, and further refining it was more important.

As he would face stronger mages and adversaries in the future, learning a combat style suited to that was necessary.

Zeke set the list down and looked at Arthur.

“I’d like to learn Sir Luther Zemben’s special technique.”

Arthur’s eyebrows twitched at Zeke’s choice.

“Once you decide, you can’t change it. Are you sure you want to choose Sir Luther Zemben?”

“Yes, I am.”

Arthur gave Zeke a curious look.

He had included Luther Zemben’s name on a whim, not expecting Zeke to actually choose him.

“Zeke Draker and Luther Zemben. How intriguing.”

Arthur stood up and said, “After the induction ceremony, you’ll receive instructions on the procedure for learning the special technique. Follow the instructions from the person in charge.”

“Understood, Master.”

As Zeke rose to leave the office, Arthur called out to him.

“Zeke, have you ever heard of the Northern Duke?”

Arthur’s sudden question caught Zeke off guard.

“Why is he asking about the Northern Duke all of a sudden?”

Zeke nodded, maintaining a calm expression.

“I’ve heard about Himonas from Golyn before. But I only know a little, just what I’ve heard in passing.”

Arthur spread out a large map on the table, pointing to the region where Himonas was located.

“The ruler of Himonas has long been called the King of the North. That ruler changed last year.”

He tapped the name Himonas with his finger.

“A girl around your age ascended to the position of Northern Duke. I was curious about how she’d survive among the greedy Northern lords, so I kept an eye on her. Something very interesting happened.”

It’s said that there’s nothing within the continent that the head of Draker doesn’t know.

And that includes the Northern Continent.

Arthur looked at the map of Himonas and the surrounding Northern territories with a look of intrigue.

“What do you think the new Northern Duke did to the Northern lords, who were several times her age?”

In truth, Zeke already knew the answer.

“She eliminated them all.”

Before Zeke could respond, Arthur continued.

“She invited all the Northern lords to her castle and held a banquet. The rough and foolish lords eagerly went, intending to devour the young duke and seize Himonas for themselves, hoping to become the King of the North. But the outcome was the opposite.”

Arthur Draker spoke with the excitement of a child with a new toy.

“The Northern Duke killed all the Northern lords. It wasn’t through some clever scheme. She challenged them to duels one by one and, under fair combat, took their heads. Very cleanly.”

Zeke vividly recalled her image in his mind.

He had always stood behind her.

Behind the fierce wolf-like Northern Duke charging at her enemies, Zeke had wielded his sword to keep foes at bay.

He silently mouthed her name.

“Alicia.”

Simultaneously, Arthur mentioned the Northern Duke’s name.

“Alicia Himonas. Zeke, remember this name well. That young wolf will one day grow as mighty as Fenrir, the Wolf King who raised the Hero King.”

Zeke nodded, burying Alicia’s name deep in his heart.

“Understood, Master.”

After that, he bid Arthur farewell and left the office.

Suppressing the memories of his past life that kept surfacing, Zeke returned to the mansion.

Upon arrival, he was greeted by familiar faces he hadn’t seen in a while.

It was Andrei and Aul.

They often visited the mansion to learn swordsmanship from Duke, and today seemed to be one of those days.

Aul extended his hand to Zeke with a welcoming smile.

“Sir Zeke. It’s been a while.”

“Good to see you, Sir Aul.”

Andrei, standing beside Aul, bowed his head to Zeke.

“I heard from Duke. Congratulations on passing the senior knight exam, Sir Zeke.”

With Zeke’s promotion, Andrei immediately adopted a more respectful tone and demeanor.

“Sir Andrei. Thank you. Please, continue to address me as before. I still have much to learn. By the way, where is Master?”

Aul answered Zeke’s question.

“He went to meet the Sword King.”

“You mean Sir Bernas?”

Andrei nodded.

“They’ve had exchanges before, apparently. Didn’t you know?”

Zeke shook his head.

“Master never mentioned Sir Bernas to me.”

With Duke absent, Zeke was about to wrap up the conversation when he noticed the Eastern-style sword Aul was wearing, reminding him of the sword he had taken from Hook.

“Sir Aul, may I ask you something?”

Aul nodded, inviting Zeke to continue, and Zeke produced the Eastern Empire-style sword he had taken from Hook.

“Have you ever seen a sword like this before?”

Aul took the sword from Zeke and examined it closely.

He soon nodded.

“This is an Eastern magic sword.”

“Yes. It originally had an evil spirit sealed within it.”

Zeke drew the sword and summoned the chains of the seal.

With a clatter, the black chains sprang from the sword.

Andrei, standing nearby, gazed at the chain with fascination.

“I haven’t seen a magic sword since our magical defense training.”

Magical artifacts were rare, and the Draker knights had a peculiar aversion to magic, so they seldom encountered magic swords. Besides, unless it was a unique item like Abel’s Red Dragon Sword, a blade enhanced with aura was far more powerful, making magic swords expensive yet not particularly useful.

It was more practical to carry a few sturdy swords or wear good armor than to enhance a sword with magic.

Aul’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of the black chain emerging from the sword. For a man as stoic as a stone, Aul Draker’s reaction was a testament to his surprise.

“This is a very rare magic sword. Where did you get it?”

“I acquired it while clearing out some pirates.”

At the mention of pirates, Aul nodded.

“Unlike my sword, this one is crafted in the style of the Murk Empire.”

“Is it different from your sword, Aul?”

Aul drew his sword to show it.

“This saber was made in an era before the current Murk Empire. It dates back to what we would call the Age of the Hero King.”

“Impressive. Is this saber a magic sword too? The blade is remarkably well-preserved for its age.”

“Ancient Eastern sabers are renowned for their durability and sharpness, no matter how much time passes. They’re considered precious weapons. I, too, came across this sword by chance.”

“So this magic sword was crafted differently from your saber, Aul.”

“I suspect this isn’t just any sword… It might have been used in the sealing rituals by the successors.”

“You mean the successors from the Eastern Continent?”

“Yes. I’ve heard they seal malevolent spirits within swords and harness that power. Occasionally, some of these swords appear at the Dortha auctions, and it seems pirates targeted one of those ships.”

Given that it was the notorious pirate Hook, it wasn’t surprising he would target a ship bound for the Dortha auction.

Zeke looked at the chains extending from the sword and remarked, “These chains must be for sealing the spirit.”

“That’s likely.”

“Do you know anything about these chains?”

Aul pondered for a moment before speaking.

“When I was stationed in the Duchy of Dortha, I once heard something similar from an Eastern successor.”

He continued, staring at the sword.

“Among Eastern magical artifacts, some are specially crafted to capture things that are invisible or intangible.”

Zeke recalled how the chains from the sword had restrained a genie.

‘The way I sealed Arataso’s soul in the Meteorite Sword with soul-binding magic must be similar.’

Zeke wondered if the soul-binding magic left by Terracan Draker had originated from the Eastern Continent.

Aul, who had paused briefly, resumed speaking.

“Creating such artifacts involves a complex process, and there’s something essential required.”

“What is it?”

Aul hesitated before slowly revealing, “They say it requires the power of a dragon.”