Episode 364

“Stop the Draker family?”

Kali nodded as she met Zeke’s confused gaze.

“It’s understandable that you’re taken aback by this sudden conversation.”

“No, it’s not that. I’m just puzzled by what you mean by stopping the family.”

Kali nodded again at Zeke’s words.

“On the surface, I was the most Draker-like knight. And I was, until I became a Guardian Knight.”

“So, did your perspective change after becoming a Guardian Knight?”

Kali took another sip of her tea, paused for a moment, and then spoke again.

“The Draker family… has far more issues than I ever imagined.”

The power of the Drakers, rulers of Midland and the central continent, was beyond comprehension. While Ishtar and Nirvana were also considered among the three great transcendent families, they couldn’t match the Drakers in actual influence. There was no single nation or empire within the central continent that could rival the Drakers, even though they hadn’t formed an empire themselves.

Zeke looked at Kali and asked, “You already knew the Drakers didn’t rise to this position cleanly, didn’t you?”

Kali shook her head at his question. “I’m not talking about the cold and ruthless methods of the Drakers.”

“Then what do you mean?”

Kali hesitated before speaking slowly. “The Draker family is trying to manipulate the central continent as they please.”

“There isn’t a place within the central continent that can oppose the Drakers anymore.”

Kali looked at Zeke and asked, “Why do you think that is? Just because the Drakers have many strong knights?”

Zeke finally understood what Kali was getting at. “Are you saying the Drakers are involved in other kingdoms as well?”

Kali nodded. “The Drakers use every method available to maintain their power. Assassination, threats, bribery, even brainwashing—they don’t hesitate.”

Zeke was shocked by Kali’s words, which were far more extreme than he had expected.

“They’re no different from those Siemens scoundrels.”

A thought suddenly crossed Zeke’s mind. “Wait, if they’re intervening in various ways for power… could it be that the Drakers were aware of all those illegal experiments by Siemens?”

Zeke realized a fact he had overlooked until now. He clenched his teeth.

“Everything Siemens did was ultimately sanctioned by the Drakers.”

Zeke was convinced that the Drakers had knowingly allowed Siemens’ illegal experiments and the dark magic rituals linked to the abyss to continue unchecked. They would reap the results under Siemens’ name and cut off any budding chaos before it grew.

It was a quintessentially Draker way of doing things.

Realizing this, Zeke clenched his fists, struggling to suppress his rising anger.

“I had almost forgotten about this cursed family since my return.”

Zeke recalled the miserable past he had suffered in his previous life and pondered the true nature of the Drakers.

At that moment, Kali spoke to Zeke. “The Guardian Knight’s role is to prevent the dark side of the Drakers from being exposed. In essence, it’s about protecting the family’s honor.”

Zeke understood why Duke had said Kali lacked the capacity. It wasn’t that she lacked ability; it was that her upright nature couldn’t endure the Drakers’ vile deeds. For similar reasons, Duke likely hadn’t become a Guardian Knight either.

In contrast, Zeke was far from having such a straightforward disposition. That’s why Arthur had chosen him as the successor over Kali.

Zeke looked at Kali and asked, “Do you want to reform the family, sister?”

Kali’s expression grew complicated at his words. She spoke with difficulty. “I… honestly don’t know. What I want to do. Zeke, I’m a knight. A knight trains with the sword, pledges loyalty to someone, and fulfills their duties. As a knight and as a Draker, I had to make very different choices. That’s why I’m still confused.”

Though she took pride in being a Draker knight, Kali couldn’t condone the Drakers’ misdeeds, leaving her in constant turmoil.

With a complex expression, Kali looked at Zeke and said, “I’m sorry, Zeke. I’ve burdened you with a difficult task.”

Zeke shook his head at her words. “No, I understand how you feel, sister.”

He took her hand and said, “As a newly appointed Guardian Knight, it’s too soon for me to judge everything. But if I ever face a major crossroads as a Guardian Knight, I’ll be sure to consult you.”

Kali smiled brightly at Zeke’s words. “That’s enough for me.”

With a lighter heart, Kali stood up. “Zeke, having you as a Guardian Knight by my side is incredibly reassuring.”

“The feeling is mutual, sister.”

After seeing Kali off, Zeke returned to his seat, but he still wore a troubled expression.

“It doesn’t seem like my sister made this decision just because she couldn’t endure the Drakers’ misdeeds.”

With his dragon’s intuition, Zeke sensed that Kali hadn’t revealed the whole truth.

“Perhaps she discovered something about Arthur Draker.”

Arthur Draker, as the head of the Draker family, held the most secrets. Kali might have become disillusioned with the head’s position after encountering Arthur’s true nature while performing her Guardian Knight duties.

Sitting in his chair, Zeke gazed out at the scenery of the Four Seasons Castle, lost in thought.

“I’m different from my sister. I will survive this hell and consume the Drakers whole.”

The bitter history with the Drakers from his past life. Zeke vowed to sever that connection in this life.

---

“We’ve arrived at the Dortha Peninsula. Please disembark safely from the shuttle. Enjoy your trip to Dortha.”

Zeke opened his eyes as he heard the announcement.

“So, we’ve reached Dortha.”

As he prepared to disembark from the portal shuttle, Hades, who was sitting next to him, began to grumble.

“Ugh, I could fly there faster myself, but here I am, stuck using this primitive portal for travel.”

Zeke looked at Hades and said, “If you transformed into your true form these days, people would panic. They believe dragons enslaved humans. What if they all turn into dragon slayers and come after you?”

Hades pouted at Zeke’s words, grumbling. Next to him, Yellin awkwardly tried to placate Hades.

“Hades, perhaps you’d like to have this to keep you occupied.”

Yellin offered some sweet treats she had prepared in advance. Hades frowned at the sight of the treats.

“Do you think I’m a child? Ugh, these people are really playing with me.”

Despite his words, Hades snatched the treats from Yellin and stuffed them into his mouth. The sweet taste significantly reduced his complaints.

Zeke smiled, satisfied with Yellin’s quick thinking.

Outside the terminal, Muhammad was waiting for Zeke once again.

“Sir Zeke!”

Muhammad greeted Zeke with a look of deep emotion.

“It’s an honor to escort the most renowned knight of the continent!”

Zeke’s appointment as a Guardian Knight was already known across the continent. His fame was such that even without making an effort to spread the news, publications were eager to report on him.

Zeke extended his hand for a handshake and smiled at Muhammad, whom he hadn’t seen in a while.

“It’s been a while. But…”

Turning his head, he saw that Muhammad had prepared a grand welcome with a lavish golden carriage adorned with flowers, and even an orchestra and dance troupe.

Though he wasn’t fond of such extravagance, he couldn’t refuse Muhammad’s gesture of goodwill.

“It’s a splendid carriage.”

Muhammad beamed at Zeke’s words.

In the end, Zeke and his companions had to travel to the hotel in the opulent golden carriage.

True to his reputation as a member of the Zayed family, Muhammad handled everything with precision. He had reserved the most secure upper floors of the hotel exclusively for Zeke and his party, ensuring no one else could enter.

The top floor was designated for Zeke, Hades, and Yellin, while separate accommodations were arranged for their guide, Luther, and Omar, the envoy from the Murk Empire.

After the meeting with Julius, they planned to head straight to meet the Sultan.

Sitting in Zeke’s room, Hades opened his third bag of treats and spoke.

“The Eastern Continent, huh. I think I visited once with Lord Hyperion.”

Hades explained that Hyperion of the Silver Clan was the most skilled and precise craftsman of magical artifacts among the dragons.

Zeke nodded in understanding, knowing that Hyperion’s prowess was evident even from the Holy King’s golem knights.

Hades reminisced about his visit to the Eastern Continent with a nostalgic look in his eyes.

“I remember having in-depth discussions with the eastern dragons about their crafting techniques with Lord Hyperion. It was quite enjoyable. But now, it’s all in the past.”

Hyperion had entered eternal rest during the Liberation War while Hades was trapped in Blanca, so they could no longer meet.

On a whim, Zeke asked Hades where Hyperion’s lair was, and Hades replied that it was in the Northern Continent.

One of the locations where the Seal of Chronos was hidden was the Northern Continent, so Zeke suspected that a fragment of the seal might be in Hyperion’s lair.

After organizing his thoughts, Zeke turned to Hades, who was sprawled out lazily.

“So, did you make any progress on the research while I was away?”

Zeke had sent the orichalcum he acquired from the cardinals and bishops in the Holy Kingdom of Vadoka to Hades as a priority. It was to keep his promise to Hades.

But Hades snapped at him.

“Are you kidding me? What am I supposed to do with that little bit? You promised to make a ton of orichalcum once you found the relic!”

Zeke clicked his tongue at Hades’ outburst.

“Didn’t you say it would take at least a week to pour power into the relic? Do you think I have nothing better to do? I’ll make more when I have the time, but for now, try to work with what you have.”

Hades grumbled about how Zeke’s promises changed depending on the situation, then waved his hand in the air. Suddenly, two suits of armor appeared out of thin air.

Zeke tilted his head, examining the armor.

“Is this Hersion too? Wait, it looks similar to the armor I found at the Dragon Slayer’s Rest and the Sky Sanctuary.”

Hades nodded.

“Yeah, I took it from those guys, Fainan and Gelion, and did some more research.”

He spun the armor around and pointed to a slot on the back.

“Do you know what this is for?”

Zeke nodded.

“Yes, I noticed back then that a high-compression mana stone fits perfectly in that slot.”

He recalled the first time he discovered the Dragon Slayer’s Rest while searching for a high-compression mana stone to create Gelion’s Furnace. The armor had been there, but it was too old to function when he tried inserting the stone.

Hades grinned and waved his hand again, producing a high-compression mana stone.

“Where did you get that? They’re hard to come by these days.”

“I found a stray fairy stone and made one.”

Zeke was taken aback.

“You can make high-compression mana stones?”

“Why are you so surprised? You just need a compressor to compress a mana stone. But if you only use mana stones, the quality drops, so you have to mix in a fairy stone for better output.”

Hades replied nonchalantly and inserted the mana stone into the slot on the armor.

Immediately, the eyes of the helmet began to glow.

At the same time, a message appeared before Zeke’s eyes.

[Recognizing Dragon Slayer exclusive equipment.]

[Magic battery installed in Dragon Slayer exclusive equipment.]

[Activating equipment.]