Episode 293
The mention of Arthur Draker caused a noticeable shift in Zeke’s gaze.
“An assignment from Arthur Draker, you say? Tell me exactly what it entails.”
Bane, startled by Zeke’s intense stare, began to explain the situation.
“He discreetly tasked me with melting a block of ice containing a coffin.”
The ice, frozen by magic, couldn’t be thawed by ordinary means, which is why it was brought to someone like him, skilled in ice magic.
“A coffin encased in ice… to preserve a body, perhaps?”
“That’s what I initially thought. Normally, I wouldn’t take on such a suspicious job, but I needed money for ingredients to make an elixir at the time, so I accepted. However, upon analyzing the ice surrounding the coffin, I realized it wasn’t ordinary magic.”
“What do you mean by ‘not ordinary magic’?”
“It’s hard to explain… The ice had a quality that couldn’t be produced by conventional magical means. It was impossible to thaw.”
“So you think Arthur Draker poisoned you because you failed the assignment?”
Bane shook his head.
“No, the problem came afterward.”
Bane continued slowly.
“Suddenly, Ramon Siemens, the head of the Siemens family, came to see me.”
At the mention of Ramon Siemens, Zeke frowned.
“Why would the head of the Siemens family come to see you?”
“Ramon Siemens revealed that Arthur Draker was the one who commissioned the task and asked me about the coffin.”
“Ramon Siemens himself?”
“Yes. He came alone, without any attendants, asked about the ice, nodded when I said I couldn’t thaw it, and then left.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes, that’s all.”
“From which part of this story do you conclude that Arthur Draker poisoned you?”
Bane, trembling in his skeletal form, replied.
“Because I found out that Arthur Draker was the one who commissioned the task! There must have been a reason for the secrecy, and since I discovered it, he must have poisoned me to silence me.”
Zeke clicked his tongue at Bane’s words.
Though he despised Arthur Draker himself, he didn’t think Draker was petty enough to resort to poisoning over something like this.
‘If he intended to kill, he would have used a different method.’
In any case, poisoning and leaving the body unattended wasn’t Arthur Draker’s style.
Zeke became curious about the true nature of the coffin encased in ice.
‘What could it be that both Arthur Draker and Ramon Siemens were interested in?’
While Zeke pondered, Bane, still trembling, muttered.
“Arthur Draker… I will have my revenge on you and your kin…”
At that moment, Zeke shook his head and spoke to Bane.
“Actually, Bane, it was probably Ramon Siemens who poisoned you, not Arthur Draker.”
Bane, taken aback, asked, “Why would Ramon Siemens poison me?”
“Poisoning isn’t Arthur Draker’s style. Ramon Siemens likely confirmed that you couldn’t thaw the coffin and decided it was safe to eliminate you.”
“Because I couldn’t thaw it?”
“No, the opposite. He killed you to prevent you from ever thawing it. Ramon’s goal was likely to ensure the coffin remained sealed.”
Bane’s jaw dropped at Zeke’s words.
For decades, he had harbored a grudge against Arthur Draker, only to find out that someone else had poisoned him.
“That can’t be… It’s impossible…”
“You can trust me. No one knows Draker’s ways better than I do.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
Zeke looked at Bane and said, “Yes, my name is Zeke Draker. A direct descendant and pureblood of the Draker family.”
“Master, you’re a Draker…?”
Bane’s skeletal face turned pale at Zeke’s revelation.
Despite having conducted research in this dungeon for a long time, Bane had no idea that the Nephilim and reincarnation of the Celestial, the Snow Queen, had been sealed here.
He had only set up his lab here because training in the constant cold provided a boost in magical power.
Now that the Snow Queen was gone, the dungeon’s significance had faded, leaving only its value as an ancient ruin.
Zeke gathered everything he needed from the lab, dismissed Bane and Richmond’s summons, and made his way outside.
As he emerged from the well he had initially entered, he was surprised to find Michelle and Xeros waiting for him.
“Sir Zeke!”
Xeros rushed over to Zeke as he climbed out of the well.
“Have you completed the exploration?”
“Yes, I looked around inside, but there were only monsters and nothing special.”
Xeros glanced knowingly at Michelle, who stood behind him, and then, as if making a decision, turned to Zeke.
“Sir Zeke, I have a request.”
“Feel free to ask.”
“I wish to accompany you.”
Zeke was momentarily taken aback by Xeros’s sudden declaration.
As a Warlock and Sorcerer with the title of a 6th Circle Double Master, Xeros’s value was beyond measure.
Xeros looked at Zeke and said, “This dungeon exploration has taught me a lot. I’ve never felt so powerless in my life. I’ve realized that sitting at a desk and doing research isn’t enough. Please allow me to follow you and learn about the world.”
Zeke pretended to ponder Xeros’s words before responding slowly.
“Joining me means becoming part of my knight order. Nirvana’s mages might not be pleased with you joining the Draker-affiliated order.”
Xeros smiled and replied, “Nirvana doesn’t concern itself with such matters. In fact, they encourage gaining experience outside once a certain level is reached. Nirvana mages tend to focus too much on their own research.”
Zeke nodded in agreement with Xeros’s explanation.
“Then there shouldn’t be any issues with changing affiliations.”
“Yes, as long as I attend the family head election held every five years, there are no real restrictions.”
“Very well. If you join the Black Sword Order, I promise you the best treatment.”
Zeke promptly retrieved a prepared contract from his inventory.
“Review the contents and sign here.”
Xeros, surprised by Zeke’s swift and proactive approach, remarked, “As expected, Sir Zeke is thorough in every aspect.”
“It’s to ensure I don’t lose a valuable asset.”
After Xeros signed the contract, Zeke smiled with satisfaction.
‘A 7th Circle Master Lich and a promising genius mage. I’ve gained much from this journey to Aten.’
Zeke extended his hand to Xeros.
“I look forward to working with you, Xeros.”
“Likewise, Master!”
Having secured Xeros, Zeke turned his attention to Michelle, who was snoring under a tree stump.
Zeke nudged Michelle with his foot, waking him up.
“Hmm? Huh? You’re already out…?”
Zeke addressed Michelle.
“Michelle, it’s time to return to the village.”
Zeke instructed Xeros to settle his affairs and join the Black Sword Order at Agamemnon Castle, while he and Michelle headed to the druids’ village on the northern continent.
After Xeros departed for the central branch, Zeke summoned Bucephalus in front of Michelle.
Neigh!
Bucephalus nuzzled Zeke’s chest with a pleased whinny.
Michelle was taken aback by the sight of Bucephalus.
“My goodness. Is this the Dragon Horse King…?”
Michelle instantly recognized Bucephalus’s true nature.
“You seem well-versed in mythical creatures.”
Michelle, usually with a vacant gaze, now looked at Bucephalus with sparkling eyes.
“These magnificent horns, hooves, and the sheen of these scales! Truly a splendid creature!”
“I know that already. Michelle, which direction is the village in the north?”
“We need to head towards the Ogre Mountain Range.”
“Alright. It might be a bit bumpy, but hang on.”
Chains shot out from Zeke’s arm, wrapping around Michelle.
“Huh? What’s this…?”
Before Michelle could finish his sentence, Zeke spurred Bucephalus into the air.
“Ahhh!”
Michelle dangled from the chains as Bucephalus soared through the sky towards the northern continent.
The Ogre Mountain Range, one of the many ranges extending from the Giant Mountains, known as the roof of the northern continent, was a treacherous range that cut between the icy Himonas and the highlands of Gorka.
The range was aptly named for the abundance of ogres, a dangerous class of monsters, that inhabited it.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
True to its name, three ogres roamed the mountains, searching for prey.
Typically, ogres were solitary creatures.
However, the ogres of the Ogre Mountain Range lived in tribes, much like orcs.
The rugged terrain and formidable monsters in the mountains forced the ogres to adopt a tribal lifestyle.
As a result, the ogres here were smaller than those elsewhere.
Yet, they were much smarter and more perceptive, making them even more challenging to deal with.
Unlike other ogres who relied solely on brute strength, the ogres of the Ogre Mountain Range knew how to wield weapons and coordinate their attacks.
Three ogres had left their village to hunt and, upon spotting their prey, crouched low—an unusual tactic for ogres—and spread out to ambush.
A low growl rumbled from their throats.
Suppressing their primal instincts, they waited patiently for their prey to wander into their trap.
As soon as the prey entered the ambush zone, the ogres rose with a deafening roar.
“Raaaargh!”
The three ogres charged, but their targets remained motionless.
The ogres assumed their prey was frozen in fear, grinned with satisfaction, and lunged forward.
But then, something flashed before their eyes.
Swish—
Zeke’s sword sliced cleanly through the neck of the charging ogre.
Thud!
Zeke looked down at the fallen ogres with a curious gaze.
“An ogre wearing modified human armor and wielding weapons. I’d heard the rumors, but seeing it in person is something else.”
In his past life, Zeke had never encountered the ogres of this mountain range, even during his missions as a Highlander.
His preconceived notions about ogres were completely shattered.
Beside him, Michelle trembled with awe as she looked at Zeke.
“Wow. That was incredible! To take down those ogres in one strike.”
“Do these creatures attack druids too?”
“They charge at anything that steps outside the village, no questions asked.”
“Ogres aren’t known for such organized behavior. It’s fascinating.”
“I heard it started after the Ogre King appeared.”
“The Ogre King?”
Zeke had never heard of such a creature in his previous life.
He decided to investigate later, absorbing the fallen ogres before heading with Michelle toward the entrance of the druid village nestled within the mountains.
The village was hidden within the ogres’ territory, making it difficult for outsiders to find.
After a long trek, they finally spotted the stone towers marking the village entrance.
“Huff, huff. This way.”
Dozens of stone towers stretched upward, unlike the fortified villages of the barbarians, yet strangely, the ogres never approached this area.
As Zeke slowly approached the stone towers, a message window suddenly appeared.
[Detecting the domain ‘Fairy Forest.’]
[Recognizing user within the domain ‘Fairy Forest.’]
[The domain ‘Fairy Forest’ rejects the Immortal.]