Episode 403
Why Captain Kidd’s route was tucked into Laura Agamemnon’s notebook was a mystery.
But rather than dwell on it, Zeke focused on the map and issued a command to the system.
“System, analyze and save this route.”
[Chart detected.]
[Scanning and analyzing.]
[Plotting the route on the map.]
With this, Zeke had both the unbreakable ship, the Triangle, and Captain Kidd’s route across the Dark Sea in his grasp.
“With this, I can cross the Dark Sea and reach the Final Tower.”
The Holy King had mentioned that the Final Tower housed the Book of the Dead, where the Demon King’s soul was sealed.
Even in its sealed state, the Demon King’s soul continuously emitted malevolent energy, creating monstrous beasts.
Though its exact nature was unknown, Zeke’s mentor, Duke, had once ventured to the forsaken continent on a mission and returned so traumatized that he lost his status as a Black Knight.
If a formidable Black Knight like Duke was shaken to such an extent, the place must be fraught with unimaginable danger.
Zeke, who preferred to avoid unnecessary risks, knew he had to prepare for the journey to the Book of the Dead, where the Demon King’s soul was sealed.
After folding Captain Kidd’s map, Zeke decided to gather more information about it.
Just then, he felt a vibration from his pocket.
“What is it?”
He realized it was the mirror given to him by the Hermit of Stories.
Zeke took out the mirror and looked into it. To his surprise, the Hermit appeared within.
―“Oh! I’m glad you answered!”
Zeke, not expecting such a form of communication, stared at the mirror in wonder.
“Do I just speak into it?”
―“Yes, just talk normally. I was worried you wouldn’t answer again, but I’m relieved.”
“I kept it in my pocket as you instructed. What’s the matter?”
―“Ah, our leader reached out. As I mentioned before, they want to meet you.”
The leader of the Highlanders had personally requested a meeting.
“With the beasts causing more chaos than ever, meeting the Highlander leader and securing their help would be advantageous.”
Though few in number, each Highlander was an expert in hunting these beasts.
Their direct assistance would be invaluable.
Zeke nodded at the Hermit.
“Alright. Where should we meet?”
―“Our leader is in a rather unique situation. It might be inconvenient, but you’ll have to see for yourself.”
Zeke nodded at the Hermit’s words.
“Understood. Please tell me the location.”
―“Do you know Storm Fortress?”
Zeke was momentarily taken aback by the Hermit’s words and asked again.
“Did you just say Storm Fortress?”
―“Yes, Storm Fortress. You seem to know it. That’s a relief.”
He closed his eyes briefly and opened them again.
“Are you referring to the Storm Fortress in the middle of the Storm Sea, one of the forbidden zones?”
―“Exactly. You know it well.”
The Hermit’s words made Zeke’s head throb.
“As far as I know, it’s a place no one can approach, the most forbidden of forbidden zones.”
―“That’s right. That’s why I said our leader is in a unique situation.”
It was an understatement to call it merely “unique.”
Zeke gritted his teeth and spoke to the Hermit.
”…Let’s assume that’s the case. How do I get there? There are no ships to the Storm Sea.”
―“True. Since there are no ships, we each rent a small boat and make our way there.”
“A small boat?”
―“The waves can be rough, but you’ll manage. It shouldn’t be too hard for someone like you.”
The Hermit spoke of one of the greatest forbidden zones as if it were a casual outing.
Zeke realized that arguing further would only give him a headache.
”…Alright. I’ll find a way.”
―“Oh, and you must get there within a week. Otherwise, you won’t be able to meet him.”
The conditions were demanding.
“A week, huh.”
Even if he left immediately, the timeline was tight.
After ending the call with the Hermit, Zeke stood up without delay.
“No time to rest.”
He grumbled but set off for Himonas before dawn.
Upon returning to Himonas, most of the aftermath had been dealt with.
Zeke used the power of the Three-Eyed to subjugate the Red Knights he had detained and sent them, along with the captured nightmares, to the vampires.
He couldn’t keep the Red Knights, who exuded dark energy, in Mycenae, so he planned to hide them with Carmilla and call upon them when needed to strike the enemy from behind.
For now, he had no choice but to slowly address the issue with Bishop Castik.
After quickly wrapping up the situation, Zeke had to part ways with Alicia, albeit reluctantly.
He wished he could stay in Himonas, reminiscing about old times and spending more time with her, but the urgent circumstances wouldn’t allow it.
“Zeke Draker, you are a friend of Himonas. Visit anytime. The North will remember our friendship.”
Alicia extended her hand to the departing Zeke.
Zeke looked at Alicia’s hand for a moment before reaching out to grasp it.
Though they wore gauntlets and gloves, preventing them from feeling each other’s warmth, just seeing Alicia alive was comforting to Zeke.
He spoke slowly, looking at Alicia.
“Thank you. I hope you take care of yourself, Grand Duke.”
Alicia gave him an incredulous look.
“That’s the most useless advice I’ve ever heard.”
Born of a lineage of great warriors, Alicia had never felt the need to be cautious.
Zeke, knowing she would respond that way, smiled faintly at her.
”…I’ll make sure to return.”
Zeke was particularly emotional in front of Alicia.
He steeled himself and left Himonas.
Not long after setting off, Reina approached Zeke and spoke.
“Having saved the Northern Continent, the fame of the Knight of Salvation will only grow.”
“The news outlets will probably be more interested in our marriage than that.”
Reina’s face turned crimson at Zeke’s sudden remark.
“M-marriage? What are you…?”
“Didn’t the head of the Turn family tell you? The family wishes for us to marry. There aren’t many pure-blooded Drakers of our age, after all.”
Reina was so flustered by Zeke’s casual mention of marriage that she could barely breathe.
She managed to speak, her face still flushed.
“I-I know. But… I’m not thinking about marriage yet!”
“Is that so? That’s a relief. Neither am I.”
Reina felt a pang of disappointment at Zeke’s words.
‘Does he not want to marry me? Or is it just not the right time?’
She wanted to ask outright but couldn’t bring herself to do so.
Unaware of Reina’s inner turmoil, Zeke was preoccupied with thoughts of heading to Storm Fortress.
Having gathered his thoughts, Zeke turned to look at Felix.
“Felix!”
At Zeke’s call, Felix quickly approached.
“You called, my lord.”
Zeke gave him instructions.
“I’m heading straight to Aten from here. Lead the troops back to Mycenae.”
“Why Aten, if I may ask?”
“I can’t say. Once back in Mycenae, focus on fortifying the castle. The enemy might target our base, so be prepared.”
“Understood, my lord.”
After giving Felix his orders, Zeke mounted Bucephalus and rode towards Aten.
Reina, watching from behind, looked bewildered.
She approached Felix and asked.
“Where is Sir Zeke going all of a sudden?”
“He said he’s heading to Aten.”
“Aten? For what reason?”
“He didn’t say. We’re planning to return to Mycenae as instructed. Are you heading back to Turn?”
Zeke’s sudden departure left Reina feeling unsettled.
She found herself giving an unexpected answer.
“No, I’m going to Mycenae too.”
“What? Why to Mycenae, Lady Reina?”
“Well, for joint training! I thought I’d take this opportunity to train with the Black Sword Knights and improve my skills!”
Felix, though skeptical, nodded at Reina’s explanation.
“Very well. Let’s head to Mycenae together.”
He didn’t want to discourage her desire to join the Black Sword Knights’ rigorous training.
‘She’ll probably regret it, but if she insists, there’s no helping it.’
With Reina deciding on Mycenae as her destination, the Turn Knights, eager to join the joint training, followed suit.
‘This wasn’t my intention…’
In the end, Reina and the Turn Knights set off for Agamemnon Castle with the Black Sword Knights.
Once he was a fair distance from the group, Zeke rode Bucephalus into the sky.
The harsh cold of the Northern Continent whipped around him, but Jerome’s cloak shielded him from the biting chill, allowing him to fly without difficulty.
Riding Bucephalus, Zeke took to the skies, heading straight for Aten.
He aimed for the coast rather than the center of Aten.
There, he planned to secure a boat and cross the Storm Sea to reach Storm Fortress, where the Highlander leader awaited.
“Storm Fortress. I thought it was just a storybook legend, but it turns out to be real.”
Among the Adventures of the Hero King Kaishir series, the episode “The Monster of Storm Castle” is as popular as the tale of the White Witch.
Originally, the stormy seas were calm and clear, a place where many people lived by fishing nearby.
But one day, a mischievous monster appeared, blowing its breath to capsize fishing boats, devouring all the fish with its enormous mouth, and tormenting those who tried to flee.
Because of the monster, the once tranquil sea became murky, and the fishermen had no choice but to leave.
Then, one day, the Hero King, passing by with the knights of the clock tower, heard about the monster troubling the people and immediately set out to sea.
He chased down the monster, scolded it, and extracted a promise that it would never bother the people again.
However, the monster broke its promise to the Hero King, retreating to an island and summoning fierce storms to prevent anyone from approaching the sea, which is the story of Storm Castle.
Zeke searched through the Chronicles of Kaishir for any mention of this stormy sea or the monster but found nothing.
“Is it just a story, then?”
The very idea that the leader of the Highlanders was waiting in the stormy castle where the monster supposedly lived seemed odd.
Reflecting on the tales of Storm Castle, Zeke arrived at the coast of the Aten Peninsula, hoping to find a boat to cross the stormy sea.
But when he spoke to the fishermen, they all waved their hands dismissively.
“Cross the stormy sea? Oh no, sir! That’s a dangerous thing to say. Even we, who’ve lived here all our lives, only venture to the nearby coast. The sea’s too rough to dream of going further.”
“Is there no way to reach the open sea?”
“Not at all. This place is rougher than the Sea of Death. There’s a reason it’s forbidden by the continent.”
No one dared to approach the stormy sea, known as a forbidden zone along with the Forest of the Forgotten.
Even from the nearby coast, one could see how tumultuous the sea was.
“How did the hero of the story manage to cross this on a mere rowboat?”
Zeke wondered if it was only possible because they were beings who transcended human limits.
As he surveyed the situation from the shore, Zeke considered summoning a tyrant to fly over, but he abandoned the idea, thinking it would be even harder to navigate through the storm’s domain.
Left with no other choice, Zeke decided to try his luck with an old rowboat he managed to acquire.
He went to a secluded part of the coast, summoned Bain and Richmond, and pointed to the rowboat.
“Fix this up.”
Following Zeke’s command, the two liches, a genius necromancer from Nirvana and an 8th-circle ice mage, set to work repairing the old rowboat.
Richmond summoned bones to patch the broken parts, while Bain filled the gaps with solid ice.
A few hours later, Richmond and Bain approached with satisfied expressions.
“All done, master.”
Zeke, who had been leisurely sipping tea, got up to inspect the boat they had repaired.
“What… is this?”
His jaw dropped at the sight before him.
The old rowboat was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a monstrous galleon adorned with grotesque monster bones and sharp ice blades awaited him.