Episode 360
“Julius?”
Zeke knew all too well who Julius, the consul, was from his past life. Outwardly, Julius was celebrated as a great general and a bold politician, but beneath that facade, he was a man who would do anything to consolidate his power.
Julius had solidified his position within the Rom Empire by opposing the emperor’s faction, and Zeke suspected that the current civil war, with Abel and Siemens at the forefront, was orchestrated by him. So, it was puzzling to Zeke that Julius would reach out to him at this juncture.
Boris provided more details to Zeke. “There’s a message from the Dortha Republic. They want to meet with you in secret.”
Zeke leaned back, resting his chin on his hand, lost in thought. After a moment, he looked up at Boris. “Wasn’t Julius the one who instigated this civil war?”
Boris hesitated, his expression uncertain. “Without the support of Julius, the great general and consul, Abel Dreiker wouldn’t have been able to step into the spotlight. He wouldn’t have been able to prove his royal lineage in the first place.”
Zeke already knew about Abel’s royal blood through his connection with Cain. But he hadn’t expected Abel to actually make a bid for the throne of Rom.
He asked Boris, “Did Julius vouch for Abel’s royal lineage?”
Boris nodded. “Yes, thanks to that, Abel was able to strike Rom before the other royals could make a move.”
“Even with Julius’s endorsement, the other consuls and elders wouldn’t have stayed silent.”
“Indeed, that’s where the problem arose.”
Boris swallowed hard before continuing. “After Abel seized control of Rom, he massacred not only the royals but also the elders, major nobles, and even the citizens.”
“What?”
The image of a devastated Atlas flashed through Zeke’s mind. In his past life, Abel, known as the Butcher of Atlas, had led Karus to conquer the city, resulting in a horrific massacre of civilians. The once sophisticated and advanced city of Atlas had been reduced to ruins, a city of death.
This time, it seemed the same tragedy had unfolded in Rom.
Zeke spoke with a grim expression. “Did the massacre cause a rift between Julius and Abel?”
“That seems to be the case. Among those executed by Abel were several of Julius’s allies.”
It meant Abel had killed indiscriminately, even more severely than the Butcher of Atlas Zeke remembered from his past life.
“Did something go wrong when Ramon Siemens resurrected him?” Zeke wondered. It seemed less like a strategic massacre and more like sheer madness.
If that were true, it made sense why Julius would reach out to Zeke first.
After a moment of contemplation, Zeke asked Boris, “Do you think we should proceed with a meeting with Julius?”
Boris paused before nodding. “If you’re asking for my opinion, I’d say yes.”
“Why?”
Boris answered slowly, “There are two reasons. First, we have the Second Prince, whom Julius supported, as our prisoner. We can use him to gain a legitimate reason to reclaim Rom through Julius.”
“And the second reason?”
“We can use it to persuade Daria Calvi and the Knights of the Inma Palace.”
Zeke nodded at Boris’s words. Daria Calvi had not yet betrayed the empire. Her loyalty ran deeper than Zeke had anticipated. However, if she learned that Abel had massacred Rom’s citizens and executed the royals, she might reconsider her stance.
Zeke looked at Boris. “So, you’re suggesting we use Leo and Julius to gain legitimacy and incite division within the Rom Empire through the Knights of the Inma Palace.”
Boris nodded. “Exactly. If the Second Prince, Daria Calvi, and Julius all take action, we can rally those within the empire who are dissatisfied with the current situation.”
Zeke thought of one person. “The Black Knight of the Empire and one of the continent’s top five strongest, Duke Crevan de Panion.”
He was the one who had passed down the spear techniques to Daria Calvi. Duke Crevan was a moderate within the empire. Even during the continental war in Zeke’s past life, Crevan had never taken the forefront. If he had, the northern continent might have succumbed to the empire’s power much sooner. The Black Knights were the ultimate force and secret weapon of each faction.
Thus, it was likely that Duke Crevan was observing the situation without taking action in this civil war. However, if Leo and Julius moved against Abel and Siemens, Crevan would have no choice but to act.
After considering Boris’s words, Zeke nodded. “Inform Julius that we’ll meet in the Dortha Republic. Reach out to the Zayed family for assistance.”
Zeke had maintained contact with Muhammad bin Abu Zayed, the second son of the Zayed family, with whom he had a previous connection. Muhammad was favorably inclined towards Zeke and would likely be willing to arrange this secret meeting.
Boris bowed to Zeke’s command. “Understood, boss. Also, Shadia has completed the selection process.”
Shadia had sorted through the members of the Salmak to determine who would stay, as she had mentioned to Zeke.
“How many are left?”
“About a third of those who came with us.”
“That’s more than I expected. Will there be any issues?”
“Even if there are traitors among them, we can handle it with the new recruits, so there’s no need to worry.”
With those words, Boris snapped his fingers, and to Zeke’s surprise, two figures emerged from the floor. A man wearing a skull mask and a silver-haired woman bowed to Zeke.
They were the former members of the Nostra Family’s Six, who had once attempted to assassinate Zeke.
The silver-haired woman bowed to Zeke. “Greetings, boss.”
They had been freed from their brainwashing by Arina and healed by Zeke.
Zeke nodded at them. “You’re Adol, the sand manipulator, and you’re Serena, the crystallization expert, right?”
Serena was surprised that Zeke remembered her name and nodded. “Yes, boss.”
“How’s your health after the treatment?”
In the Nostra Family, the Six were always feared. They were treated as mere test subjects, with no room for human interaction or communication. But in Arina’s and Zeke’s camp, there was none of that.
That’s why Serena and Adol had chosen to defect to Zeke’s side.
“We’re fine, boss. Thank you again for saving our lives, even though we were once your enemies.”
Thanks to Zeke’s treatment, their abilities had diminished somewhat, but they no longer had to rely on drugs to survive. Serena felt genuinely grateful to Zeke.
Zeke nodded at her words. “I’m glad to hear that.”
With Shadia, the assassins of the Salmak, and the former Six members Serena, Adol, Sion, and the former Night Killer Aaron joining Boris, the intelligence unit had grown in size.
Zeke decided to trust Boris’s assurance that they could handle any issues internally.
“Tell Shadia to bring the selected members to me. Handle the rest as you see fit.”
Boris bowed to Zeke and left the office.
Zeke decided to meet with Julius first before accepting the Sultan’s invitation. Since there was a portal set up in the Dortha Republic, it would be convenient to travel there.
“Perhaps it would be best to take Lord Hades and Lady Yellin to Dortha as well.”
With his plans in order, Zeke stood up to head back to the reception room when he heard a commotion outside.
Thud! Thud!
“Hmm?”
Something was causing a stir outside the mansion. Zeke opened the window and looked out.
Hundreds of guards and dozens of knights were gathered outside the mansion.
“What on earth?”
It seemed unlikely that they would openly attack Zeke with such a force, so he sensed something was amiss.
Then he noticed something. The guards and knights were actually on alert against a group of cloaked figures standing in front of the mansion.
“Who are they…?”
Zeke leaped out the window in an instant.
The captain of the Atlas District 5 Guard couldn’t believe what was happening.
“Monsters, they’re monsters.”
A group of hulking figures, their identities hidden beneath thick cloaks and hoods, had appeared at the gate, refusing to identify themselves and forcing their way in. The well-trained soldiers were no match for the giants’ strength, sent flying through the air and crashing into walls.
Unable to handle the situation with just the guards, the captain had called in the knights. But even the knights, wielding their aura, were no match for these giants.
The giants had laid waste to the gate, sent the knights crashing into walls, and finally entered the city of Atlas.
Atlas, known for its excellent security, had been breached by fewer than twenty individuals.
The entire city was put on high alert, with guards and knights scrambling to track down the giants.
It wasn’t long before they found traces of the giants, and to their shock, the giants had gathered in front of the mansion of Zeke Dreiker, the Knight of Salvation.
The captain of the guard, fearing that these intruders might harm the renowned Knight of Salvation, hurriedly gathered all available personnel to stop them.
He shouted at the hulking figures trying to break down the mansion’s door with their fists.
“Stop right there! Drop your weapons and kneel quietly on the ground! If you don’t comply, you’ll be dealt with immediately!”
But the giant ignored the captain’s orders and continued pounding on the door.
One of the knights standing beside the captain spoke up.
“Captain, this isn’t working. If they manage to get inside, it could cause serious trouble for Sir Zeke Draker. We should deal with them here and now.”
This knight hadn’t witnessed the giant’s earlier destruction of the gate.
The captain broke into a cold sweat at the knight’s suggestion.
‘Can we really take down those monsters with this many people?’
He wasn’t sure, but there was no other choice in this situation.
The captain closed his eyes tightly and nodded.
“Attack!”
At his command, the knights drew their swords and advanced. They summoned their aura to strengthen their bodies as they approached the giants. These were knights of the Purple Order, skilled enough to channel aura into their blades.
“Haah!”
The knight who had urged the attack charged bravely at the giants, his sword aimed at one of their backs.
Thunk!
To everyone’s surprise, the sword bounced off the giant’s back without leaving a scratch. The giant merely scratched his back as if swatting away a mosquito.
Other knights joined the fray, and only then did the giants turn their heads. They removed their hoods, revealing their faces.
The charging knights hesitated and stepped back in shock.
“Ba-Barbarians!”
The knights were well aware of the barbarians’ fearsome reputation. Their incredible physical prowess rendered both swords and aura ineffective, making them the knights’ natural enemies.
With menacing expressions, the barbarians glared at the knights, who faltered under their fierce gaze.
The captain, too, realized that this might be the end for him.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Boom!
A figure descended from the sky, landing in front of the barbarians.
The captain and the knights were taken aback when they recognized who it was.
“Sir Zeke!”
The Knight of Salvation, Zeke Draker, had appeared in person.
Zeke slowly rose to his feet and turned to face the barbarians. The guards and knights swallowed nervously as they watched him confront the barbarians.
One of the barbarians approached Zeke, moving swiftly before lunging at him.
The guards and knights cried out in alarm.
“No!”
But then, something astonishing happened.
“Zeke, my brother!”
The barbarian rushed forward and embraced Zeke.
Zeke grinned at the barbarian and said, “Iron Fist. It’s been ages.”