Episode 379
Zeke frowned at Al’s words.
“Is there a problem with our new medicine?”
Al and Jeff shook their heads vigorously in response.
“No, no way!”
“Absolutely no issues! You have to believe us!”
Zeke crossed his legs and asked, “Then why won’t the Alchemist Guild grant us approval?”
Al hesitated, glancing at Jeff, who finally spoke up after Zeke cleared his throat.
“Well, we’ve kind of fallen out of favor with the Guild…”
Zeke looked at Jeff, puzzled.
Jeff sighed deeply, looking as if the world was ending. “You see, we’ve been making a lot of… creative potions. So, naturally…”
Zeke interrupted Jeff’s trailing words. “The Alchemist Guild doesn’t trust the potions you make?”
Jeff nodded, his face pale with fear.
Al quickly jumped in to defend their work. “But this time is different! We’ve meticulously completed all clinical trials and passed every test the Guild requires!”
Jeff nodded emphatically. “Yes, even Master Feynan said the results were so good that the Guild couldn’t possibly deny us approval!”
Zeke leaned back, observing the two with a steady gaze. “Hmm, so all tests are complete, yet the Guild still won’t approve it.”
Al and Jeff clung to each other, trembling as they watched Zeke’s expression.
‘Oh no, he looks like he’s going to bury us alive.’
‘This might be the end for us.’
After pondering for a moment, Zeke asked, “How much are we pricing our antibiotic?”
Al and Jeff, still in fear, answered reflexively. “About ten silvers.”
“And the Guild’s antibiotic?”
“About ten gold for the same amount.”
Zeke raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “A hundred times the price? How about the efficacy?”
Al and Jeff suddenly became animated. “Ours is far superior!”
“There’s no comparison! The Guild’s version is trash, absolute trash!”
Zeke clicked his tongue. “It seems like they’re blocking us because our new medicine would wipe theirs off the market.”
Al and Jeff exchanged surprised glances.
“Wait, is that really it?”
“Could be. We thought they were holding a grudge because we once sprayed acne-inducing potions at their headquarters.”
Zeke realized these troublemakers had indeed done things to earn the Guild’s ire.
‘Still, rejecting a perfectly good medicine is a problem.’
Zeke slowly stood up. “Looks like I’ll have to meet with the Guild myself.”
Al and Jeff were taken aback. “You’re going personally, Sir Zeke?”
“Really?”
Zeke nodded. “I have business in the neutral city anyway. Might as well put those alchemists in their place. Al and Jeff, prepare to head to the Central Continent. Simon, what’s the fastest way to the neutral city from here?”
Simon thought for a moment before replying. “We’re not far from the sea, so summoning the Triangle from the Southern Isles, traveling to Tahuan, and then using the portal would be quickest.”
Zeke nodded. “Sounds good. It’ll be nice to see Nerissa and the merfolk again.”
The next day, after Simon contacted Nerissa, the Triangle arrived at the coast.
“Zeke!”
Nerissa waved from atop the Triangle, her face lighting up at the sight of Zeke. She approached him, riding a water dragon spirit.
Having inherited the deep-sea legacy from Poseidon, she skillfully wielded ancient spirit magic. She leapt down from the spirit’s head and stood before Zeke.
“It’s been a while.”
Nerissa greeted Zeke, her cheeks flushed. Zeke smiled and patted her head.
“Indeed. Have you been well?”
Nerissa nodded, her eyes sparkling, as if inviting him to notice any changes in her. But Zeke merely looked at her curiously, unsure of what she was expecting.
Feeling embarrassed under his gaze, Nerissa turned away, her face reddening further. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
”…?”
Leaving the flustered Nerissa behind, Zeke boarded the Triangle with Al and Jeff.
Having received Zeke’s message, Nerissa had crossed the sea overnight, her heart pounding. Now, she gritted her teeth in frustration.
‘He’s so oblivious!’
Zeke felt a strange tingling at the back of his head.
The Triangle, Captain Kidd’s legacy, was significantly faster than other ships. With Zeke, the Sea God’s Glory, aboard, the sea seemed to propel the ship forward effortlessly.
Thanks to this, they reached Golpa Harbor in just two days.
As Zeke disembarked, he patted Nerissa’s head. “Thank you, Nerissa. Let’s meet again.”
Nerissa blushed at his touch but her words were contrary. “What, you think you can see me whenever you want? I’m busy too!”
“Then I hope the opportunity arises.”
”…!”
Watching Zeke’s retreating figure, Nerissa wore a mix of regret and disappointment.
Bill, standing nearby, shook his head. “Tsk, tsk, I told you, Captain. You should be nicer to him.”
Other merfolk chimed in, offering their own comments.
Nerissa summoned a spirit and shouted, “You lot! Get lost! All of you, get lost!”
She vented her frustration on the merfolk.
After disembarking, Zeke led Al and Jeff into Tahuan.
Once a haven for criminals and the impoverished under cartel rule, it had improved significantly under the Cusco Kingdom’s governance.
Children played in the streets, and people laughed and chatted as they shopped in the market.
Zeke couldn’t help but smile at the transformed landscape, so different from the Tahuan he remembered from his past life.
Meanwhile, Al and Jeff, sitting beside him in the carriage, felt an inexplicable fear at Zeke’s smile.
The portal connecting the Southern Continent to the Central Continent was located in Tahuan and Pavela. However, with Pavela destroyed, only Tahuan remained.
Zeke had invested heavily in restoring Tahuan’s portal to serve as a gateway to the Central Continent. Despite the astronomical costs, he deemed it a worthwhile investment.
Arriving at Tahuan’s terminal, Zeke, Al, and Jeff boarded the portal shuttle to the Central Continent.
A few minutes later, they arrived in the neutral city, home to the alchemists.
Clang!
In the grand hall of the Rom Empire’s palace, a golden goblet clattered to the floor, making a sharp sound.
The attendants around turned pale, trembling in fear.
Abel, slumped on the throne, muttered incoherently, his long hair hanging down and his eyes bloodshot.
Beside the throne stood a servant of the Abyss, who gestured to a trembling attendant.
Summoned by the sorcerer, the attendant shook uncontrollably, unable to move.
When the attendant failed to approach, the sorcerer struck the floor with his staff.
Ziiing—
The attendant’s eyes rolled back, and he stiffly walked toward the sorcerer like a puppet.
The other attendants clenched their teeth, holding their breath to avoid making any noise.
As the attendant approached, the sorcerer drew a dagger from his robe and slit the attendant’s throat.
Under the spell, the attendant couldn’t even scream, standing rigidly in place.
The sorcerer fetched an empty bowl from the lavish table and collected the blood flowing from the attendant’s neck.
Once the bowl was full, the sorcerer gestured to the attendant.
Though dead, the attendant, under the dark magic’s command, moved to a hole in the corner of the hall, disposing of himself.
The hole was made for the disposal of the numerous bodies that had accumulated.
The servant presented the blood-filled bowl to Abel.
Abel, who had been muttering incoherently, lifted his head.
His eyes rolled in different directions, and his lips were blackened, a far cry from the fearsome warrior he once was.
Abel grabbed the bowl and drank the blood in one gulp.
Only after draining it did his face return to normal.
The servant approached Abel. “Your Majesty, it’s time to retire to your chambers.”
Abel, his eyes still darting around, nodded as if regaining his senses. “Ah, yes. Is it that time already?”
Abel, who had been speaking calmly, suddenly leapt to his feet.
“Bring me Zeke Draker! Get him here right now!”
In a fit of rage, Abel overturned the table in one swift motion.
He then grabbed the sword resting beside the throne.
“Where is that rat? Bring him to me immediately!”
As Abel swung his sword with wild eyes, the attendants began to edge away, terrified and eager to escape.
Just then, the door swung open, and someone entered.
It was none other than Ramon Jimenez.
With a low hum, Ramon raised his hand, and the fleeing attendants froze in place, as if turned to stone.
Ramon walked past the petrified attendants and reached out towards Abel, who was still wildly swinging his sword.
“Ughhh—”
Abel groaned as an overwhelming force restrained him, causing him to drop his sword and lose consciousness.
Ramon glanced at the unconscious Abel and spoke to the apostle standing behind him.
“The episodes are becoming more frequent.”
The apostle nodded in agreement.
“It seems the parasitic creature can’t withstand the body of a dragonkin and is causing these fits.”
The parasite had a tendency to completely dominate its host’s body, absorb its memories, and act as if it were the host. Over time, it would move to a new body. However, the time for it to transfer had passed, and with the dragon’s heart tainted by madness, even the parasite couldn’t endure the host’s body.
Ramon frowned, clearly displeased with the imperfect situation.
“Dorta was a failure. What is the priest doing?”
With Abel in this state, it was crucial to secure as many sacrifices as possible before the second baptism. The plan was to mobilize all forces and use the Dorta Republic as a scapegoat to ignite a continental war.
Julius and Zeke Draker were rumored to be holding a secret meeting, providing the perfect opportunity to eliminate both thorns in their side.
But the plan had failed completely.
They had lost both high-ranking demons they had painstakingly summoned.
Ramon clenched his teeth and glared at the apostle.
The apostle waved a hand dismissively.
“Calm yourself. Blaming us won’t improve the situation. You agreed to deploy the two high-ranking demons, did you not?”
Ramon knew this, which is why he couldn’t push back harder against the abyssal faction.
As he struggled to suppress his anger, the apostle approached him.
“The failure in the Dorta Republic is indeed painful. But, my lord, there is some good news.”
The apostle licked his black lips with a red tongue.
“We’ve discovered Arthur Draker’s weakness.”