Episode 384
“Abandon the Alliance?”
Kunrad was baffled by what Zeke was suggesting.
Zeke placed a new document in front of Kunrad.
“What is this…?”
“Read it.”
Kunrad opened the document and was taken aback.
“The Alchemist Guild?”
Zeke grinned.
“It’s about cutting out the rotten parts of the Alliance and starting fresh.”
Kunrad never imagined Zeke had plans to establish a new alchemist organization.
But as he examined the document, it was clear that it had the capital, capability, and justification to replace the Alliance.
“If this Guild is established, the Alliance will be obsolete within a few years.”
Sweat trickled down Kunrad’s forehead.
With the new potion from Zeke and the innovative drugs from Feynan Pharmaceuticals, the Alliance’s products were already losing their edge.
If the new medicines from the Nagas, as mentioned in the document, were introduced, the Alliance, which had been reaping huge profits, would face severe criticism and collapse.
“If this is true, I need to switch sides quickly.”
He looked at Zeke and asked, “Sir Zeke, if I abandon the Alliance, are you saying you’ll take me into the Guild?”
Zeke glanced at Melissa, who nodded and spoke to Kunrad.
“The Alchemist Guild will be established under the leadership of the Reinhardt Trading Company, in collaboration with the Kingdom of Cusco and the Naga city in the Lush Quiet Forest. But we also need to recruit alchemists from the Central Continent. For that, we need someone with experience.”
In other words, they wanted Kunrad to bring over information and connections from the Alliance.
He was sweating profusely, his mind racing.
Then Zeke spoke to Kunrad.
“To renew, we must wash away all past mistakes. If you join the Guild, the Alliance will just be a competitor.”
Zeke leaned toward Kunrad and said, “It’s best to step on your competition early, don’t you think? Make the right decision.”
Kunrad understood what Zeke meant.
“He wants me to hand over the corruption and information tied to the Alliance.”
Using that information to stir up the Alliance would allow Zeke’s new Guild to take root.
Kunrad trembled at Zeke’s meticulous plan.
“If I don’t help establish the Guild, will he pressure the Holy Kingdom to revoke the Alliance’s license? If the Holy Kingdom of Vadoka withdraws the license, the Alliance will collapse anyway. Contrary to rumors, this man… he’s like the incarnation of a dragon.”
After finishing his dessert, Zeke stood up and escorted Princess Melissa.
He looked at Kunrad, still kneeling on the floor, and said, “Think carefully, Kunrad. Consider what you need to do to survive.”
Even after Zeke and Melissa left the restaurant, Kunrad couldn’t bring himself to stand.
His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.
After a long while, Kunrad pressed his lips together and nodded.
“There’s only one way for me to survive.”
“Phew, that was nerve-wracking.”
In the carriage back to the hotel, Princess Melissa finally let out a sigh of relief.
She had heard from Zeke how things might unfold, but she hadn’t expected it to go exactly as planned.
Knowing how alchemists usually carried themselves with such arrogance, it was hard to believe Kunrad had been so submissive.
Recalling Kunrad’s servile demeanor, Melissa looked at Zeke, who was sitting across from her, and asked, “Sir Zeke, do you really think Kunrad will betray the others?”
Zeke smiled at her question.
“What do you think, Princess?”
Melissa pondered for a moment before shaking her head.
“People don’t change that easily. Considering Kunrad’s cautious nature, I doubt he’ll abandon the Alliance.”
Zeke nodded at her assessment.
“That could be the case.”
Melissa was taken aback by Zeke’s response and asked, “Did you plan for the possibility that Kunrad might not switch sides?”
Zeke grinned and replied, “We’ve prepared for both scenarios. Whether he joins us or not, we’ll adjust our actions accordingly.”
Melissa was left in awe of Zeke’s foresight and preparation.
“He’s truly remarkable.”
To Melissa, Zeke seemed to be moving further and further out of reach.
Unaware of her gaze, Zeke looked out the window at the neutral city’s landscape.
“I’m curious to see what Kunrad will decide.”
Surprisingly, the result came quickly.
That evening, Kunrad contacted Zeke, agreeing to cooperate.
Zeke shared the news with Melissa, and they celebrated with a toast.
Though pleased, Melissa couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious as she asked Zeke, “What happens next, Sir Zeke?”
Holding a champagne glass, Zeke replied with a relaxed expression, “We proceed with establishing the Guild as planned. And we should invite journalists to cover the story.”
Melissa was startled by his suggestion.
“Are you planning to announce the creation of a new alchemist organization in the news?”
Zeke nodded.
“The more publicity, the better. If you know any news outlets, please reach out. They’ll love that you and I are involved.”
Zeke was a figure who attracted significant attention across the continent.
Especially popular were gossip articles about women associated with him.
Initially, his relationship with Angelina Graham, known as the continent’s most beautiful woman, had drawn much attention, but the lack of follow-up stories had quieted things down.
Now, with the news of a new alchemist organization and his collaboration with Princess Melissa, the impact was bound to be substantial.
Zeke looked at Melissa and said, “Princess, expect some exciting developments.”
A few days after Zeke’s visit, the Alchemist Alliance’s executives gathered in the upper-level conference room of the Red Tower.
The executives, including the president, wore anxious expressions.
The vice president turned to the president and asked, “President, is it true that Zeke Draker has agreed to strengthen ties with the Alliance and entrust us with the new drug sales?”
The other executives also looked to the president for confirmation.
Kunrad frowned at the scrutiny and snapped, “How many times do I have to tell you? Damn it, I worked hard to persuade him, so trust me!”
The executives remained skeptical, casting doubtful glances at Kunrad.
Kunrad had informed them that Zeke Draker intended to accuse the Alliance of demon summoning and use his influence to pressure them.
However, he concealed Zeke’s plan to establish a new Guild. Instead, he lied, claiming he had negotiated with Zeke to distribute Feynan Pharmaceuticals’ new drug and share the profits.
He also told them that Zeke Draker would visit today to finalize the contract.
Of course, this was a lie.
Kunrad had used this story to divert the executives’ attention while secretly handing over information about their corruption to Zeke.
He planned to escape to the Guild, leaving the Alliance executives to face the consequences.
The president had gathered them early to ensure Zeke Draker could use the evidence to arrest the executives and dismantle the Alliance.
Unaware of this, the executives continued to eye the president suspiciously, while he feigned ignorance, waiting for Zeke Draker to arrive.
Then, suddenly, one of the executives burst into the room, looking pale.
“Something terrible has happened!”
He distributed the morning news to the executives.
The headline was about the launch of the new Alchemist Guild and the groundbreaking new drug from Feynan Pharmaceuticals.
The article stated that the new drug would be distributed through the Reinhardt Trading Company with the Guild’s approval and provided free to the underprivileged.
It also mentioned that the newly established Alchemist Guild had been granted licensing authority by the Holy Kingdom of Vadoka to supply high-quality, affordable medicines.
For the Alliance, it was a complete betrayal.
The other executives, shocked by the news, stood up in disbelief.
“What is the meaning of this, President?”
Kunrad, without even reading the news, turned his head away, feigning ignorance.
“Damn it, why isn’t Zeke Draker here to arrest them already?”
At that moment, the vice president, who had been reading the news, screamed.
“What is this!”
The vice president began to have a fit, slamming the table.
He tore the news to shreds, shouting, “He promised me the Guild presidency! He used me for information and then betrayed me!”
Hearing the vice president’s words, Kunrad’s mind went blank.
“The vice president gave information to Zeke Draker? Could it be…?”
He hurriedly checked the news.
The newsletter contained something completely unexpected.
“The new head of the Alchemists’ Association will be Master Paulo, the grandson of Jabir Ibn Hassan.”
Conrad’s hands trembled as he read the news.
Master Paulo.
He was the grandson of Jabir Ibn Hassan, the man who had led the revival of alchemy in modern times.
Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, Paulo had become an exceptional alchemist and earned the title of Master.
Paulo had inherited Jabir’s spirit, aiming to create medicines that could help everyone. However, internal politics within the association had stifled his efforts.
In his attempt to expose the corruption within the association, he was instead expelled, unable to continue his life as an alchemist.
Zeke had appointed this very Master Paulo as the head of the new Alchemists’ Association.
Conrad’s eyes turned red with anger as he read the news that it was Paulo, not himself, who had become the head.
“This can’t be… This is…”
He staggered to his feet, finally realizing that Zeke Draker had deceived him.
Zeke had tricked both him and the vice president, extracting all the information about the corruption and misconduct of the association’s leaders.
Had he and the vice president openly discussed Zeke’s proposal, they would have quickly seen through his schemes.
But their selfish desire to survive had blinded them, ultimately leading to their mutual downfall.
Conrad glared at the photo of Zeke Draker in the newsletter with a look of madness.
“How dare you deceive me? I’ll use all my connections and influence to bring down Zeke Draker…”
Just then, the door to the meeting room burst open, and the captain of the Third Guard of the Neutral City entered, clad in full plate armor, accompanied by knights and guards.
He lifted his helmet, revealing his face, and addressed the association leaders.
“We have secured evidence of corruption, embezzlement, and all sorts of misconduct at the Red Tower. We will conduct a thorough investigation, so I advise you to comply.”
The knights and guards moved to arrest the association leaders.
Conrad and the others began to shout in defiance.
“Do you know who I am? I just had dinner and drinks with the mayor yesterday! Let go of me! Do you want to ruin your career as a knight?”
The leaders, who had wielded immense wealth and power over the Neutral City, tried to intimidate the knights to escape capture.
The guard captain approached and struck the defiant leader’s mouth with the pommel of his sword.
“Ugh!”
Teeth shattered and fell to the floor as the leader collapsed in pain, clutching his jaw.
The guard captain turned to the knights.
“Sir Zeke Draker has taken responsibility for this. You may use force to subdue any who resist.”
No matter how renowned the Red Tower was, it was nothing compared to the Draker family.
Without hesitation, the knights subdued the association leaders and handed them over to the guards.
“Zeke Draker! Zeke Draker!”
As the leaders were dragged away, their cries echoed, marking the end of the Red Tower, which had profited from corruption for decades.
Zeke had dismantled them without shedding a drop of blood.
A week after the fall of the Red Tower, Nikki delivered a message from Carmilla to Zeke.