Episode 282
The next day, Zeke stepped out of his room with Hixon and Xeros, ready to head to Gutan’s academy.
As the elevator descended, Zeke pondered over the information he had discovered in the system the previous day.
“Who would’ve thought Richmond was a necromancer from Nirvana?”
He had always sensed something unique about Richmond, but he never imagined he hailed from Nirvana. Perhaps Richmond had kept his past as a human under wraps due to the hardships he faced, constantly pursued by the church during the Holy Empire era.
“For someone who became a lich after so much suffering, he seems remarkably sane and even cheerful.”
Most liches, consumed by bitterness, often delved into forbidden dark arts, eventually succumbing to madness. Yet Richmond had maintained his sanity for 500 years, a testament to his extraordinary mental fortitude.
Xeros interrupted Zeke’s thoughts. “What has you so deep in thought?”
Zeke turned to Xeros. “Have you ever heard of someone named Victor Nirvana?”
Xeros was taken aback. “Where did you hear that name?”
“I think I came across it in some ancient ruins.”
When in doubt, blaming ancient ruins was always a safe bet. Xeros, still a bit surprised, nodded and replied, “Victor Nirvana is known as the greatest genius in Nirvana’s history, though not widely recognized.”
“The greatest genius?”
“Yes, that’s why his name might appear in ancient ruins. But why are you so surprised?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Please, continue.”
“In the past, Nirvana had necromancers, and studying dark magic was as common as learning curse magic today.”
This aligned with what Zeke had read in the system yesterday.
“So, Victor Nirvana was a necromancer?”
“Yes, although most of his research and writings on dark magic were destroyed or lost after the Holy Empire era, his work significantly influenced Nirvana.”
“In what way?”
“His methods of writing research journals, measurement methodologies, and even the basic format of the Continental Magic Association’s papers are based on his work. He was the one who established the practice of adding abstracts and citing sources in papers.”
Zeke’s jaw dropped at Xeros’s explanation. “I had no idea Richmond had such talents.”
He had always thought of Richmond as a reclusive lich obsessed with monsters, but it turned out he was far more gifted than Zeke had imagined.
As Zeke marveled internally, Xeros clicked his tongue and continued, “Victor Nirvana was truly a loss. Unlike other geniuses like Dr. West, he was a model necromancer…”
“Who is this Dr. West?”
When Zeke inquired about West, Xeros glanced at Hixon, who shook his head. After a moment’s hesitation, Xeros replied, “That’s… a bit of a sensitive topic for us in Nirvana. I’m afraid I can’t go into detail.”
Just as the atmosphere grew awkward, the elevator arrived. Hixon quickly led Zeke to the academy hall.
Inside, a large gathering of mages awaited them. Gutan Nirvana greeted Zeke with his characteristic smile.
“Welcome, Sir Zeke Draker.”
After formally introducing Zeke, Gutan seated him on the podium, and the real discussion began. The battle magic members bombarded him with questions.
“So, what’s the average speed at which knights swing their swords?”
Zeke stood up, drew Bahamut, and demonstrated a swing. The air whistled as the blade cut through, leaving the mages in awe.
“Wow!”
Gutan, observing, commented, “I told you, when facing real knights, unexpected things happen. It’s not just about dodging their swords. The spirit they exude is invisible but should never be underestimated.”
Some inquired about the aura blade. Zeke kindly demonstrated by forming an aura blade with Bahamut.
The mages watched in fascination as the aura blade hummed to life.
Zeke tilted his head and asked Gutan, “Gutan, are there no blue-ranked knights in Nirvana?”
Gutan chuckled. “Oh, Sir Zeke, we don’t have knights here at all.”
Recalling the golems guarding the entrance, Zeke nodded. “Is there a reason for the absence of knights?”
Gutan laughed. “Any skilled knights who come here find it hard to adapt and leave quickly.”
As a knight himself, Zeke understood what Gutan meant. “I suppose even the most thick-skinned knights would find it challenging to endure here.”
Zeke extended the aura blade, adjusting its length and height, and with Gutan’s permission, sliced through a desk as a demonstration.
The mages nodded, their eyes gleaming with interest.
“Wow, if knights charge with that, there’s no stopping them.”
“Even defense magic wouldn’t work, would it?”
Gutan addressed the mages, “Remember, you can’t compare ordinary knights to Sir Zeke. He’s a red-ranked knight, a genius who can wield the aura blade with such ease. Most knights can’t maintain an aura blade for even ten minutes.”
The primary distinction between blue and red-ranked knights was how long they could sustain an aura blade. Red-ranked knights could not only maintain it but also transform its shape and use it for long-range attacks.
After hours of demonstrations and lectures, Zeke exchanged brief farewells with Gutan and the academy members, even signing a few autographs.
Once everything was wrapped up, the mages, looking like ghouls, shuffled back to their research labs.
“Even if they look like that, they’re probably the top geniuses on the continent,” Zeke thought with a wry smile as Gutan approached him.
“Sir Zeke, thank you so much for today. I never expected a red-ranked knight to demonstrate the aura blade. It was truly inspiring.”
“Not at all, Gutan. I hope this strengthens the friendship between Nirvana and us.”
Gutan smiled warmly. “Friendship is good, but an official relationship would be even better.”
He handed Zeke a letter from his pocket.
“What is this?”
“A reply to Sir Kali Draker.”
Zeke was surprised, as he hadn’t expected a response after Antonio’s firm rejection. Reading the letter, he was even more astonished.
“We appreciate Sir Kali’s friendly letter and look forward to a relationship of friendship with Sir Zeke Draker, hoping for more exchanges in the future.”
Nirvana had directly mentioned Zeke in the letter, bypassing the usual channels through Kali and Abel.
“This means they want a third option, separate from Abel and Kali. Now, Kali can only communicate with Nirvana through me.”
It was a clever move, avoiding the internal politics of the Draker family while acknowledging Zeke as a valuable partner.
Zeke tucked the letter away and smiled at Gutan. “Thank you, Gutan. I look forward to working with you.”
“If only all knights were like Sir Zeke, there’d be no conflict between mages and knights. You’re always welcome here.”
A few hours later, before dinner, Zeke received a newsletter featuring himself, Gutan, and the battle magic members prominently.
“Wow, I shouldn’t underestimate the Nirvana family as just a bunch of eccentrics. They’re efficient and thorough.”
With the newsletter circulating, Zeke’s relationship with Nirvana would soon be the talk of the continent, providing an external counterbalance to Abel’s influence.
“With Nirvana sorted, I just need to track where the fairy stones are going to catch them.”
Zeke set the newsletter aside and logged back into the system.
The mention of “Dr. West” by Xeros earlier still nagged at him.
“Who is this person that the mages of Nirvana are reluctant to discuss?”
Zeke searched the system for information on Dr. West but found nothing.
“Hmm, maybe he’s someone from after the Holy Empire.”
Thinking Richmond might know, Zeke reached out to him.
―Richmond
After several calls, Richmond finally responded.
“Yes, Master, did you call?”
Zeke, still finding it hard to believe Richmond was one of Nirvana’s greatest geniuses, shook his head and got to the point.
―Do you know anything about someone named Dr. West?
Richmond sounded puzzled. “Who is that, Master?”
It seemed Richmond had no idea either. Zeke considered pressing further but decided against it.
“Digging into unpleasant pasts might only cause pain.”
Just then, Richmond spoke again.
“Dr. West… could you mean Mad Harvey?”
―Mad Harvey?
“Yes, Harvey West. He was originally a doctor but later became a necromancer.”
―Do you know anything about him?
“Hmm, he’s someone from a higher rank than me, and he was expelled for some disgraceful incident…”
“What did he do to get kicked out?”
“Well, he conducted illegal experiments.”
―Illegal experiments? In Nirvana?
At the mention of Nirvana, Richmond suddenly started hiccuping.
“Hic. M-Master, are you saying you’re in Nirvana right now?”
―Yes, why didn’t you mention you were from Nirvana, Victor?
Hearing his real name, Richmond’s hiccups intensified.
“I-I wasn’t trying to deceive you, Master. It’s just… not the best memories.”
Zeke nodded at Richmond’s explanation.
“Being chased by the Holy Empire must’ve been tough.”
Richmond grumbled in a sulky tone.
“Back then, I was so broke from buying research materials that I had to eat at the Nirvana underground cafeteria all the time. The food was terrible, and it was hard.”
The issue Richmond brought up was different from what Zeke had expected.
“When I was there, necromancers were always doing practicals and whatnot, and it cost a fortune. I ended up becoming a lich to save on food, and I set up a lab in a dungeon to cut down on material costs.”
Zeke looked at Richmond with a bewildered expression.
“You became a lich to save money?”
It seemed odd, but it was clear he’d had a rough time.
―Yes, quite a tragic past.
“Right, Master? I didn’t bring it up because I was afraid I’d get too emotional…”
―So, what kind of experiments did Harvey West conduct?
Zeke cut Richmond off as the conversation threatened to drag on.
Richmond grumbled but answered Zeke’s question.
“Crazy Harvey, at first, he dug up corpses from graves and did all sorts of things. Then he started experimenting on live people.”
―He conducted human experiments?
“Yes. I heard he got caught and was expelled from Nirvana.”
―Do you know what kind of experiments they were?
“It wasn’t a pleasant topic, so I think the higher-ups buried the details. The atmosphere in Nirvana was a bit chaotic because of the order at the time.”
―I see. Understood.
“Oh, Master. I was going to mention, I found something inside the labyrinth. It looks like an ancient…”
Zeke cut off communication before Richmond could finish.
“Probably some trivial undead-related stuff again.”
He reopened the system window and searched for Harvey West’s name.
This time, a slew of related documents appeared.
As Zeke reviewed the contents, he was impressed.
“He was as obsessed with research as Richmond. Now I see why Xeroth called him a genius.”
He also understood why Harvey had the nickname “Mad Harvey.”
“What is this? Stitching together corpses to create a new body and infusing it with a soul to resurrect a person?”
Harvey West’s research delved into the forbidden art of human alchemy.
Zeke’s eyes stopped on one particular title.