Episode 383

“A demon summoning?”

Kunrad, the chairman, was left speechless by Zeke’s unexpected words.

Zeke glanced over the documents and continued, “You’ve had quite a few dealings with the Siemens family, haven’t you?”

Kunrad exchanged uneasy glances with the vice-chairman and other executives. Until recently, Siemens had been one of the most influential families in the central continent and a key ally of the Draker family. It was only natural for the association to engage in transactions with them.

When Kunrad remained silent, Zeke fixed him with a piercing gaze. “Why aren’t you answering?”

The sharpness in Zeke’s voice made Kunrad shrink back involuntarily. “Y-yes, that’s correct.”

“Hmm.”

Without another word, Zeke flipped through the documents again. Each turn of the page felt like a tightening noose around Kunrad’s heart. They had brought Zeke and Princess Melissa to this conference room to pressure them, but the tables had turned, and now they were the ones being interrogated.

Zeke folded the documents and looked at Kunrad. “So, what are you going to do about it?”

Zeke’s direct question, cutting through all pretense, left Kunrad sweating bullets. ‘Damn it. First, he brings up demon summoning, then suddenly mentions the Siemens family… I can’t make heads or tails of this.’

He exchanged desperate glances with the other executives, but they were just as clueless. Just then, the vice-chairman stood up and shouted at Zeke, “Sir Zeke Draker! What is the meaning of this rudeness? Demon summoning? Our tower has never been involved in such matters!”

Kunrad’s heart nearly stopped at the vice-chairman’s outburst. ‘What the hell is wrong with him today? Why is he causing such a scene?’

Despite Kunrad’s earlier warning to stay quiet, the vice-chairman had once again provoked Zeke without consulting anyone. Zeke leaned back, surveying the room with a bemused expression. “So, you claim you’ve never been involved in demon summoning. Do you have any evidence to prove that?”

Kunrad’s breath caught in his throat. ‘He’s trying to corner us by demanding proof of innocence rather than evidence of guilt.’

According to Zeke’s logic, the association would have to prove they hadn’t engaged in demon summoning, an impossible task. As silence fell over the room, Zeke slowly rose from his seat. “It seems no one here is particularly interested in this issue. Very well, I’ll report today’s events to the Black Stage.”

The mention of the Black Stage jolted Kunrad to his feet. “W-wait! Sir Zeke!”

He hurried over to Zeke, bowing his head. “You’ve come all this way; you can’t just leave like this. Why don’t we have a meal together and discuss things further?”

Kunrad’s demeanor had changed drastically from when Zeke first entered. Zeke chuckled at the sight. “No need. It doesn’t seem like the tower is particularly welcoming, so why waste each other’s time?”

At this, Kunrad gestured to the other executives, who quickly stood and bowed to Zeke. “We’ve always admired the Knight of Salvation and wished to meet you!”

“Please join us for a meal. I know a great restaurant that I’m sure you’ll love!”

“I heard you enjoy tea. How about a cup after dinner? I know a place that serves rare teas from the East.”

Seeing that the situation was turning in his favor, Zeke feigned reluctance and turned to Princess Melissa. “Well, Your Highness, what do you think? Aren’t you busy with other engagements?”

Princess Melissa furrowed her brow slightly and nodded. “Yes, my schedule is tight, but we do need to eat, so…”

With her agreement, Kunrad and the executives sprang into action. ‘Reserve a restaurant and clear it out, quickly!’

Understanding Kunrad’s silent command, the executives rushed to make arrangements. Meanwhile, Kunrad continued to stall for time, bowing and scraping before Zeke and Melissa.

Soon, Zeke, Melissa, Kunrad, and the executives arrived at the most expensive and renowned restaurant in the neutral city. The place had been cleared out in advance, leaving it eerily quiet.

Kunrad led Zeke and Melissa to the head of the table and took a seat beside them. Before the food arrived, he brought out a rare bottle of wine and poured it into their glasses. “We can’t let such esteemed guests leave without a proper send-off.”

The wine was worth a month’s salary for an average knight. Zeke, who rarely drank, and Melissa, who valued frugality, found the lavish treatment distasteful. Unaware of their feelings, Kunrad droned on about the wine’s rarity.

Zeke, growing impatient, raised his glass and downed it in one go, cutting off Kunrad mid-sentence. “Oh…”

Kunrad was momentarily speechless, watching Zeke treat the precious wine like water. Zeke looked at him and said, “I don’t see why we need everyone here for this.”

Kunrad’s face fell, realizing what was coming. ‘He’s nothing like the rumors.’

Despite his internal grumbling, Kunrad knew Zeke was a guardian knight of the Draker family, capable of such audacity. He quickly gestured for the other executives to leave.

Soon, only Zeke, Melissa, and Kunrad remained in the restaurant. When Kunrad tried to refill Zeke’s glass, Zeke snatched the bottle and drank directly from it. Kunrad’s face turned pale. ‘This guy’s insane…’

Watching Zeke treat a bottle worth hundreds of gold like cheap rum, Kunrad realized he was dealing with someone truly unhinged. After finishing the wine, Zeke addressed Kunrad. “Kunrad Mason, you must be quite wealthy, frequenting such expensive places.”

Kunrad waved his hands defensively. “N-not at all. I only come here for esteemed guests like yourself.”

Zeke fixed him with a cold stare. “Let’s speak frankly. You know why I’m here.”

Kunrad, sweating profusely, hesitated before speaking. “Is it about the new drug from Painan Pharmaceuticals?”

Zeke clicked his tongue, and Kunrad’s eyes widened in confusion. ‘That’s not it?’

Zeke shook his head. “You still don’t get it. The situation is dire.”

Kunrad was taken aback. “W-what do you mean?”

“Are you deaf? Did you forget what I said earlier about the demon summoning?”

Kunrad was flustered by Zeke’s words. ‘Wasn’t that just a scare tactic?’

Zeke tossed the documents he’d been reviewing onto the table. “If you don’t believe me, see for yourself.”

Kunrad hurriedly scanned the papers Zeke handed him, his eyes widening in shock. ‘Artificial bloodstones?’

Zeke had traced how Siemens and the Abyss were manufacturing artificial bloodstones for demon summoning. According to Richmond, creating artificial bloodstones required more than just blood and fairy stones. It involved various materials and processing techniques, which only the Alchemist Association could realistically provide on such a scale.

Zeke had zeroed in on this connection. The documents detailed how the materials processed and sent to Siemens were used to create artificial bloodstones, which were then used for demon summoning.

Kunrad stood up, trembling. “This is a misunderstanding! We never participated in demon summoning.”

Zeke’s cold gaze bore into him. “Are you saying my investigation is false?”

Kunrad couldn’t respond. Despite his focus on profit, he was a seasoned alchemist who had risen to the position of chairman. The documents weren’t baseless; they were likely true. Regardless of their intentions, providing materials for demon summoning implicated them.

In the continent, demon summoning was a grave taboo, and the law was clear: even unintentional involvement in a summoning ritual was punishable. Kunrad knew this, making it difficult to refute Zeke’s claims.

Zeke clicked his tongue at Kunrad. “If this reaches the Holy Kingdom of Vadoka, the Pope might revoke the Alchemist Association’s certification.”

Kunrad snapped back to reality at those words. ‘No, that can’t happen.’

The reason the Alchemists’ Guild holds the authority to certify potions and medicines dates back to when the Pope recognized potions as a substitute for holy water, allowing their widespread use. This certification was initially intended to ensure quality standards.

However, over time, the guild’s original purpose faded, and it became more focused on exploiting the system for its own gain.

Kunrad recalled how Zeke had recently saved the Holy Kingdom of Vadoka from a monster legion. The Pope had personally bestowed upon Zeke the title of Paladin and hailed him as the savior of the kingdom.

In this context, if Zeke were to inform the Pope that the guild had been processing materials for demon summoning, they could lose their certification authority.

It was then that Kunrad realized both he and the guild were in a precarious position.

“I must find a way to change Zeke Draker’s mind.”

He immediately rose from his seat and knelt before Zeke, bowing his head to the floor.

“Please, spare me just this once, Sir Zeke!”

Zeke looked down at the kneeling Kunrad with cold eyes. Just then, the door opened, and staff entered with food. Well-trained, they pretended not to notice Kunrad on the floor, calmly setting the dishes and politely exiting the room.

Zeke, unfazed, invited Princess Melissa to dine with him. Together, they enjoyed their meal, ignoring Kunrad’s prostrate form.

This uncomfortable scene continued until the meal was over. As they reached dessert, Zeke finally spoke.

“You’re really ruining my appetite.”

At Zeke’s harsh words, Kunrad lifted his head and moved closer.

“Sir Zeke, I was wrong. Please, just this once, spare me.”

Zeke clicked his tongue, setting down his dessert fork. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked at Kunrad.

“Kunrad Mason, do you even know what you did wrong?”

Kunrad was perceptive enough to understand. Zeke wanted the new drug from Painen Pharmaceuticals to pass without issue, emphasizing that the demon summoning was irrelevant to him, using it as leverage.

“I should have remembered that he’s a direct descendant of the Draker family, more devilish than any demon.”

Underestimating Zeke’s youthful and gentle reputation had led to this disaster. Blocking the new drug could have overturned the entire guild, so Kunrad decided to grovel.

“Please, show mercy!”

Despite Kunrad’s submission, Zeke remained silent, making Kunrad even more anxious.

Then, Zeke suddenly placed a potion in front of Kunrad. It was a potion from the city of Naga.

Kunrad, puzzled, widened his eyes at the sight of the potion. It was clearly different from the usual potions made from troll blood.

“This, this is?”

“How about it? It’s a new potion to be sold through the Reinhardt Trading Company next quarter. I’m thinking of pricing it at around 50 silver. Oh, and I won’t need the guild’s approval. I’ll be requesting it directly from the Pope.”

Kunrad’s face turned pale at Zeke’s words.

“If something like this hits the market, the guild…”

The new drug from Painen Pharmaceuticals was no longer the issue.

Zeke spoke to him.

“Kunrad Mason, I’m giving you a chance.”

Kunrad looked up at Zeke, his voice trembling.

“A, a chance? What kind…?”

Zeke’s voice was more devilish than any demon’s.

“Abandon the guild. Then I’ll open a new path for you.”