Episode 326
Monk Bowl sprinted through the forest, clutching a basket tightly to his chest.
“Huff, huff.”
His breath came in ragged gasps, but he couldn’t afford to stop.
Arrows whizzed past him as his pursuers relentlessly closed in.
From inside the basket, a voice spoke up. It was Roban.
“Priest, please put me down. If you don’t, you’ll be in danger too…”
Ignoring Roban’s plea, Bowl only quickened his pace.
But then, an arrow struck his thigh.
Thwack!
“Argh!”
The impact threw him off balance, slowing him down considerably. Yet, he dragged his injured leg, determined to protect the basket at all costs.
Soon, figures clad in black emerged from the shadows of the forest.
Despair washed over Bowl as he recognized their attire.
“The Imperial Army.”
He recalled the rumors of a secret imperial unit, known as the “Hounds,” who handled the emperor’s dirtiest work.
Instinctively, Bowl realized these were the Hounds sent to capture Roban.
One of the masked Hounds approached the monk.
Bowl, still clutching the basket, braced himself against a tree and drew his fist back.
“Haah!”
With a fierce shout, he launched a punch imbued with aura at the approaching Hound.
Whoosh!
The Hound deftly sidestepped the attack.
“Foolish monk.”
Drawing a sword from his waist, the Hound thrust it into Bowl’s abdomen.
Thud!
With a sickening sound, Bowl collapsed to the ground, trembling with the thought of protecting Roban.
The Hound stomped on his head.
Crunch!
Only then did Bowl’s body go still.
“Annoying pest,” the Hound leader muttered, gesturing to his subordinates.
They moved to retrieve Roban from the basket.
But suddenly, flames erupted from within.
Fwoosh!
Startled, the soldiers recoiled.
“He’s using the power of the Sun Cult! Be careful!” the leader shouted.
Roban, tears streaming down his face, glared at the Hounds, his body wreathed in fire.
He knelt before Bowl’s lifeless body, igniting another blaze.
“May your noble soul burn as an eternal flame.”
Roban believed that by cremating Bowl, his soul would find peace with the Sun God.
The Hounds closed in on him.
“He’s just a kid. Knock him out and take him.”
Roban rose to his feet, defiant. Though young, he bore the mark of the Sun as the Pope’s successor.
The Sun Cult’s magic was the most potent fire magic, and the Hounds approached cautiously.
Rumble—
Four fireballs hovered around Roban, and he hurled them at the Hounds.
Fwoosh!
The Hounds dodged, rolling away from the fiery projectiles.
Boom!
Inexperienced, Roban couldn’t control the fireballs properly. Their power was immense, but they were useless if they missed.
“Huff, huff.”
Exhausted, Roban panted, sweat pouring down his face.
The Hounds, having evaded the attack, realized he was spent and relaxed their guard.
“Capture him.”
At the leader’s command, the Hounds advanced on Roban.
He tried to summon more flames, but his strength was depleted, and the fire was too weak to fend them off.
Trained knights, the Hounds easily overpowered him.
“Let go!”
Roban struggled, but the Hound leader slapped him hard.
Smack!
Roban’s cheek swelled, and blood trickled from his mouth. He slumped unconscious.
“If he causes more trouble, we’ll cut off his limbs and box him up,” the leader said coldly.
The Hounds had no compassion.
As one of them hoisted Roban over his shoulder, a whistle pierced the air.
Whooo—
The Hound leader tensed, shouting, “Enemy! Stay alert!”
Then, from the trees, a shadow descended upon the leader.
Swish—
With a swift motion, the shadow sliced the leader’s throat with a thin blade.
Thud!
The leader fell, dead before he realized what had happened.
The shadow vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
“The leader’s down! Find the intruder!”
The Hounds searched frantically.
Another whistle echoed.
Whooo—
The shadow reappeared, cutting down the Hounds with lightning speed.
Thud, thud, thud—
In an instant, the Hounds were decimated.
The shadow emerged, revealing a figure in a black cloak and a bird-like mask reminiscent of ancient imperial doctors.
Confirming Roban was still alive, the figure scooped him up and vanished into the forest.
The silent woods were left with only the bodies of the fallen Hounds.
Thud, thud, thud!
Zeke and the Black Sword Knights, stationed with the Empire’s garrison in the Ghetto region, were on their way to Iason with Helen.
They were headed to Iason, Kali’s territory, to board a ship to the Holy Kingdom.
With the Iron Legion of orcs invading the Holy Kingdom and threatening the Bardoka Holy State, Kali had dispatched an army, appointing Zeke as her representative.
Officially, that was the story. In truth, Zeke had requested it himself.
He saw the emperor’s campaign against the Holy Kingdom as the perfect opportunity to strike.
“Lord! Iason is in sight!” Deckard, the captain, called out to Zeke.
Despite the grueling march, the Black Sword Knights showed no signs of fatigue, a testament to their growth from the recent battles in the Ghetto region.
Though still composed of Blue and Purple Knights, their potential was immense, and they were expected to soon break through their limits.
“I’ll have to push them harder,” Zeke resolved as they arrived in Iason, greeted by a familiar knight.
“Sir Zeke. Welcome.”
It was Luno, whose life Zeke had saved on the Sea God’s Island.
Zeke addressed him.
“Sir Luno. It’s been a while.”
As a senior knight of the Draker, Zeke spoke informally to Luno.
After the Sea God’s Island incident, Kali had purged traitors from her ranks.
With the cleansing complete, she appointed Luno as deputy commander, entrusting him with the knights’ operations.
In her absence, he acted as the acting commander.
“Your presence suggests your sister is away.”
“Yes, Sir Zeke. The commander was summoned to Atlas for an emergency meeting.”
“With the emperor on the move, it’s understandable.”
Luno leaned in, whispering to Zeke.
“Sir Zeke, the Black Stage is waiting to see you.”
Zeke’s eyebrows twitched at the mention of the Black Stage.
He ordered the Black Sword Knights to rest and followed Luno to the Black Stage’s location.
Inside the building used by the Silver Knights in Iason, well-trained knights saluted Zeke, their respect evident.
Zeke’s exploits in the Ghetto region had spread across the continent, earning him the moniker “Knight of Salvation” and the admiration of the Silver Knights.
Avoiding their awestruck gazes, Zeke headed to the reception room where the Black Stage awaited.
Entering the room, a figure rose to greet him.
“Sir Zeke. It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Souma, deputy commander of the Black Stage’s Right Wing.”
Zeke’s eyebrows twitched again at the title.
“The Right Wing deputy commander, the one who holds the Black Stage’s intelligence.”
The Black Stage was a secretive organization, its members’ identities classified.
Especially those in the Right Wing, who handled intelligence, were virtually unknown.
Even Zeke had never met the head of the Black Stage’s intelligence before.
Souma, with his brown hair and amiable face, looked more like a mage than a spy.
Zeke introduced himself.
“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Zeke Draker.”
With introductions complete, they sat down in the reception room.
As soon as they sat down, Souma got straight to the point.
“Sir Zeke, I assume you’ve heard about the situation in the Holy Kingdom.”
Zeke nodded in acknowledgment.
“Yes, I’ve heard that a mysterious monster army has invaded the Holy Kingdom, and Emperor Rom himself has led his forces to counter the threat.”
Souma nodded in agreement and continued.
“Indeed. To elaborate, it’s been revealed that this mysterious army is composed of an ancient race known as the Orcs.”
Though Zeke was already aware of this, he feigned surprise at Souma’s words.
“Orcs? Are they different from the orcs we know?”
“They’re an ancient race from the era of the Hero King, much like the elves or druids, who are rarely seen in the present day.”
Zeke nodded thoughtfully at Souma’s explanation.
“Then why have these Orcs suddenly appeared to attack the Holy Kingdom?”
“We haven’t uncovered the reason yet. We suspect it might be an anomaly, similar to the monster incidents in the Ghetto region where you were active.”
“An anomaly, you say…”
Zeke pondered why Souma, the head of the Black Stage intelligence division, had come all the way to Iason to seek him out.
‘It can’t be just to deliver this news.’
Just then, Souma spoke slowly.
“I’ve heard you’re leading troops to aid the Principality of Vadoka in place of Lord Kali.”
“Yes, that’s correct. The Holy Kingdom is allied with the Draker family and even gifted Lord Kali a silver armor as a token of friendship. In return, Lord Kali decided to send reinforcements.”
Souma paused for a moment before speaking again, his voice measured.
“A token of friendship. A beautiful sentiment.”
He finished speaking and pulled out a scroll, activating it to create a barrier around them.
“Sir Zeke, I have something confidential to discuss.”
Seeing Souma’s sudden use of magic to create a barrier, Zeke realized there was more to this meeting.
With a serious expression, Souma continued.
“What I’m about to tell you is classified even within the Black Stage. Do you swear to keep it secret?”
Zeke nodded solemnly.
Souma resumed speaking.
“Recently, we’ve located Bacchus, the traitor to the Draker family, within the Holy Kingdom.”
The unexpected name caught Zeke off guard.
‘Bacchus? I heard he killed his mother, Carmilla, and fled from Lady Kali’s domain.’
Souma continued.
“And it’s been confirmed that Bacchus has kidnapped the Pope’s successor and is holding him captive.”
Zeke looked puzzled by this revelation.
‘Kidnap the Pope’s successor? While being pursued by the Black Stage?’
Seeing Zeke’s confusion, Souma nodded as if understanding his thoughts.
“Bacchus plans to use the Pope’s successor as leverage to negotiate asylum with the Emperor.”
Zeke turned to Souma, seeking clarity.
“Why would the Emperor want the Pope’s successor?”
Souma answered Zeke’s question.
“According to recent intelligence, the Emperor is after the relics of the first Holy King, Gio Luvern.”