Episode 390
Zeke and his companions had completed their preparations in Barkal and set out for the Ice Mountains. Thanks to their efforts in thwarting the monster legion and uncovering the empire’s schemes, they received expensive winter gear for free.
Leading the Black Spirit Brigade, the Barbarian unit, and the knights of Turn, Zeke headed towards the road leading to Himonas. Initially, the path seemed no different from any other, and their march was smooth. However, as soon as they entered the Ice Mountains, everything changed.
A biting cold seeped through their armor, enveloping their bodies.
“Everyone, take off your armor and put on the winter gear,” Zeke instructed.
The Black Spirit Brigade and the knights of Turn shed their cold armor and donned the protective winter clothing. Experiencing the chill of the Ice Mountains firsthand, they understood why mercenaries from the north were unaccustomed to wearing armor. In such a place, wearing central continent-style armor would surely lead to freezing to death.
Unlike the other knights, Reyna, dressed in her Draker uniform, only needed to add a layer of winter clothing. The Barbarians, accustomed to high-altitude living, were naturally resistant to the cold and didn’t require heavy protective gear.
Zeke, with Jerome’s cloak that had the ability to ward off cold, didn’t need to burden himself with heavy winter clothing. Prepared for the cold, he moved through the Ice Mountains, surveying the surroundings.
“It seems the monsters haven’t descended this far yet,” he thought.
If possible, he wanted to locate and destroy the gates summoning the monster legion. However, given the vastness of the Ice Mountains, finding a gate at the entrance seemed unlikely.
As night fell and temperatures dropped further, Zeke found a nearby cave for the troops to set up camp. Inside, they lit a magical stove and warmed themselves with hot soup and preserved food, gaining some respite from the cold.
Leaving the others to rest, Zeke quietly slipped out of the camp to scout the area. He followed traces of vampires he had noticed on the road. Not far from the camp, he found an abandoned house where he sensed the presence of a group of vampires.
Vampires, more resilient to cold than humans, were less affected by the northern chill. The Red-Eye vampires guarding the snow-covered house wore only leather coats, gloves, and boots.
“A human dressed like that would freeze to death,” Zeke mused.
The sudden appearance of Zeke startled the Red-Eye vampires, but recognizing him, they quietly stepped aside. Soon, Nikki approached from a distance.
“You’re late,” she remarked.
Zeke shook his head. “There was some business in Barkal.”
Nikki nodded in understanding and led him to where Bacchus and Carmilla were. Inside one of the snow-buried houses, Zeke found Bacchus and a coffin he was guarding. Bacchus greeted Zeke with a simple wave.
“Welcome. I’m brewing some tea, so just wait a moment.”
Zeke glanced at the coffin. “Is that Carmilla’s?”
Bacchus nodded as he poured the freshly boiled water into a teapot. “Yes, my mother is still in her growth phase, so she sleeps a lot. It’s better for her to rest in a coffin.”
Zeke didn’t quite understand the difference between sleeping in a coffin and a bed, but he chalked it up to vampire customs and let it go. As he sipped the tea Bacchus offered, he spoke.
“I noticed the Knights of the Great Sea Palace stationed near Barkal. Did you see them?”
Bacchus nodded. “Yes, our scouts informed us. We avoided them to prevent any unnecessary trouble.”
“I see. I took care of the Knights of the Great Sea Palace, which is why I’m a bit late.”
Bacchus nearly spat out his tea at Zeke’s nonchalant admission. “Did you just say you eliminated one of the Rom Empire’s 13 legions?”
Zeke, as if discussing a casual errand, replied, “They were in league with Siemens, so I seized the opportunity.”
Bacchus shook his head in disbelief. Even as a former member of the Black Spirit Brigade, he found Zeke’s strategic mind extraordinary. Anyone attempting to outwit Zeke would likely face a counterattack.
Ignoring Bacchus’s incredulous look, Zeke continued, “They were with dark sorcerers controlling monsters.”
He set his teacup down and asked Bacchus, “Can you send scouts to locate the gates summoning the monsters? We can pinpoint the general area and terrain.”
Bacchus turned to Nikki, who was idly filing her nails. “Nikki, you heard him. Can you do it?”
Nikki nodded, and Bacchus relayed the confirmation to Zeke. “The scout leader says it’s possible.”
“Good. Please handle the reconnaissance. If we don’t stop them now, they’ll become a significant nuisance.”
The vampires’ goal was the tomb of Caligula in the north. With the monster army stationed in the mountains, it was in their interest to find the tomb quickly.
Zeke suggested, “Let’s send out the scouts and head to Himonas first.”
Bacchus questioned, “Is it necessary to enter Himonas? If we can determine the tomb’s location, we could set up a base camp nearby for a search.”
Bacchus was eager to find Caligula’s tomb so his mother, Carmilla, could awaken her true progenitor powers. With her body weakened by the resurrection ritual, she was in a vulnerable state.
Zeke shook his head. “With monsters and dark sorcerers roaming, staying outside is risky. We should assess the situation in Himonas first before searching for the tomb.”
Zeke’s real reason for heading to Himonas was different. “The compass points to Himonas, specifically Himonas Castle.”
Whether the tomb was there or someone with knowledge of its location, they needed to go there first. With Zeke holding the compass, Bacchus had no choice but to follow.
“Understood.”
With that settled, Zeke stood and approached Nikki. He handed her a necklace.
“A token of affection?” Nikki teased.
Ignoring her, Zeke explained, “If you find the gate’s location during your search, don’t approach it. Break the gem on this necklace and run without looking back. There’s likely a demon nearby.”
The necklace, crafted from fairy stone, was enchanted by Hades to record the coordinates of its breaking point on Zeke’s map.
Nikki accepted the necklace and put it on. “How does it look?”
Zeke ignored her question, bid farewell to Bacchus, and left the house. Watching him leave, Nikki turned to Bacchus.
“Do you think Zeke Draker is interested in me?”
Bacchus didn’t bother questioning her logic. Nikki, a powerful vampire created by Carmilla’s blood decades ago, was known for her eccentric remarks despite her skills as a Red-Eye leader, illusionist, and assassin.
As Bacchus pondered when he’d get used to her quirks, a scream echoed from the coffin.
“Ah!”
Bacchus hurriedly opened the lid to find Carmilla trembling inside. “Mother, are you alright?”
Carmilla, slightly more grown than before, looked at Bacchus with teary eyes. “I had a terrible dream…”
“Was it a nightmare? Don’t worry. Arthur Draker can’t harm you anymore.”
Carmilla shook her head. “No! It wasn’t Arthur Draker! Something terrible will happen to Zeke Draker!”
Bacchus was taken aback. “Mother, what do you mean by something terrible?”
But Carmilla couldn’t answer, her body convulsing with tremors. Nikki quickly approached and cast an illusion to soothe her.
“Hush, hush, little one. Sleep well, little one.”
Under Nikki’s spell, Carmilla gradually fell asleep again. Bacchus gently laid her back in the coffin.
“Queen Carmilla isn’t yet strong enough to handle her prophecies,” Nikki remarked.
Bacchus nodded in agreement.
“Nikki, you’re right. But if your mother’s prophecy is true, something is bound to happen to Zeke.”
Prophecies through dreams were the most uncertain yet accurate of all.
The outcome could be entirely different depending on how they were interpreted.
Bacchus pondered for a moment before speaking to Nikki.
“Let’s not tell Zeke about this just yet. If we only share the outcome without the context, it might lead to even greater danger.”
Nikki nodded in agreement with Bacchus.
The two of them cast worried glances at Carmilla, who lay asleep in her coffin, before closing the lid.
“A terrible event is coming.”
Contrary to Bacchus’s intentions, Zeke had overheard their entire conversation.
The necklace he had given Nikki also functioned as a listening device.
Bacchus, with his background in the Black Stage, had a tendency to control information and only share what was certain.
Moreover, Zeke knew Bacchus to be a perfectionist and a rationalist. Such a person would distrust anything without clear causality and would interpret information in a way that made sense to him.
While this tendency usually led to more perfect information, it could also mean missing unexpected details.
The incident with the Pirate King, which nearly cost Kali her life, was one such case.
“Not everything in the world operates on logic.”
In reality, many events occurred for absurd reasons.
In this instance, if it weren’t for the listening device, Zeke would have remained in the dark because Bacchus had chosen not to share the information with him.
Zeke knew that the dream Carmilla had mentioned was a fragment of his past life, so he couldn’t dismiss this lightly.
“I wish I knew what kind of terrible event it would be. It’s frustrating.”
He decided it would be best to ask Carmilla for more details the next time they met.
After organizing his thoughts, Zeke re-entered the cave.
But something felt off about the atmosphere inside.
“What is this?”
As Zeke cautiously stepped further in, he saw that not only the knights of Turn but also the Black Spirits had drawn their weapons and were facing off against someone.
Turning his head to where their swords were pointed, he saw an uninvited guest casually sitting on a rock, eating soup straight from the pot.
A frozen bear’s foreleg was placed on a magical heater nearby.
The intruder, having finished the soup, set the pot down with a thud.
“Ah, that’s better.”
Wiping his mouth, the intruder pulled out a dagger and sliced a piece of thawed bear meat, popping it into his mouth.
Even Reina, along with the Black Spirits, the formidable knights of Turn, and even the Barbarians, could only stand there, weapons drawn, glaring at the intruder without uttering a word.
There was only one reason they couldn’t move.
They instinctively knew that moving would mean death.
The intruder, still in the same position, spoke.
“You seem to be the leader of this bunch. Come, have a seat.”
His voice commanded the crowd.
Zeke slowly walked over and sat across from the intruder.
Only then did the intruder, who had been eating bear meat, lift her head.
Her neatly braided golden hair, delicate white face, and small stature were a stark contrast to the overwhelming presence she exuded.
Zeke met her piercingly blue eyes.
It was the very face he had first thought of after his return.
Looking at her, alive and moving, Zeke found himself speaking without realizing it.
“Alicia.”