Episode 42
Rumble!
The entire lair trembled under Bahamut’s fierce presence.
He turned to Shaton Draker and spoke.
“You want to leave the task of slaying the dragon to me? I knew you were audacious, but I didn’t realize you were insane.”
Despite Bahamut’s menacing aura, Shaton stood firm, continuing his words.
“Even Chronos agreed with me. You, of all beings, should understand why.”
Bahamut raised his head and roared.
“Chronos has lost his way, enchanted by humans! I don’t believe in his ridiculous prophecies!”
Bahamut bared his teeth at Shaton Draker.
“Leave my lair immediately, or I’ll kill you and every human in Chronos’s kingdom.”
“If you do that, Bahamut, you’ll face the consequences of karma.”
“Thanks to that wretch Kaishir, there are too many humans on this continent. Killing a few thousand of you won’t disrupt the balance. In fact, letting you multiply like insects is what truly disrupts it!”
As Bahamut’s rage intensified, Shaton reluctantly pulled something from his cloak.
An old pocket watch.
Shaton held it up to Bahamut.
“Chronos told me the ruler of dusk would never heed my request.”
With those words, Shaton opened the watch.
A dark mist began to rise from Bahamut’s body.
“Do you think Chronos’s power can affect me?”
He unfurled his massive wings.
The dark mist coalesced into sharp spears, poised to strike Shaton at any moment.
Then it happened.
Whirrrrr!
The pocket watch began to spin rapidly.
Bahamut, who was about to attack Shaton, suddenly froze.
Seeing Bahamut’s sudden halt, Zeke realized that the watch Shaton held was imbued with some power.
“A watch with Chronos’s power?”
Then, once more, the lair shook.
Rumble!
Bahamut writhed and let out a soul-piercing scream.
“Graaaah!”
It was as if his very essence was being torn apart.
After regaining some composure, Bahamut glared at Shaton.
“What have you done to me?”
Shaton closed the pocket watch and replied.
“I merely let you experience a fragment of Chronos’s prophecy.”
Bahamut’s glare intensified, but the dark spears he had conjured vanished.
He folded his wings and approached Shaton.
“Damn it. Making a pact with humans was a mistake.”
“I agree. Humans should have risen by their own strength, not by relying on the power of dragons.”
Bahamut, breathing heavily, spoke to Shaton.
“Hand it over. That cursed dragon-slaying technique.”
Shaton retrieved a book from his cloak.
The book floated in the air before Bahamut, its pages turning.
After reading its contents, Bahamut glared at Shaton.
“You’ve crafted something truly despicable.”
“It’s to protect this world.”
“Rubbish. It’s for humans, not the world.”
The book before Bahamut turned to ash and scattered.
Bahamut spoke to Shaton.
“I’ll keep this. If Chronos’s prophecy doesn’t come to pass, it will never see the light of day.”
“Even without the True Dragon Sword Technique, humans will find ways to grow stronger and kill each other. In time, they’ll discover how to wield aura on their own.”
“If that happens, I’ll personally ensure all humans are eradicated. This power is too dangerous for them.”
Shaton Draker addressed Bahamut.
“One day, you too will find a soul-bound partner. Then you’ll understand Chronos’s perspective.”
With those parting words, Shaton Draker left Bahamut’s lair.
Alone once more, Bahamut curled up and sank into the abyss.
Yet Shaton Draker’s words lingered in his mind for a long time.
He thought to himself that he would never take a human as a partner.
“Gasp!”
When Zeke came to his senses, he found himself standing with a sword in hand, having lost consciousness.
For a brief moment, he had vividly experienced Bahamut’s past encounter with Shaton Draker.
It seemed that the True Dragon Sword Technique, created by Shaton Draker, had been passed from Bahamut to his human partner, Terrakan Draker.
Zeke wondered why Bahamut, who disliked humans, had changed his mind and formed a pact with Terrakan Draker, passing on the technique.
There were no proper records, leaving him in the dark.
“Does the head of the Draker family know about these past secrets?”
With all traces of Terrakan Draker erased, it was unlikely that any stories of Bahamut and Shaton Draker remained.
At that moment, Zeke sensed a change.
“Has my middle dantian expanded?”
He could feel that it had grown significantly since he began training in the True Dragon Sword Technique.
Whoooom!
The amount of mana he could handle had increased, and his aura conversion was faster.
Zeke summoned his Elemental Sword.
Fwoosh!
As he activated the field of fire, flames roared from the blade.
With more mana at his disposal, the power of the Elemental Sword had also increased.
“Becoming like Master Kaishir is still a long way off, but at least I won’t meet an untimely end now.”
The southern continent was a place where danger began the moment you set foot on it.
It was a place where you couldn’t let your guard down for even a moment, so he needed to be as strong as possible before going.
Zeke resumed swinging his sword.
While Zeke was alternating between Valhalla and the training grounds, honing his skills, the awaited messages finally arrived.
The first was from Cliff, informing him that the preparations for Zeke’s first request were complete.
The second was from Kay of the Syndicate, accepting Zeke’s proposal.
To handle the Syndicate’s matters first, Zeke disguised himself as Zeke Murray and met with Kay.
The Syndicate operated a high-end lounge bar that guaranteed the privacy of its patrons.
Upon entering the bar, an attendant awaited him.
“Mr. Zeke Murray, this way, please.”
It was a place reserved for VVIPs, not ordinary guests.
From the entrance, various security spells were in place.
Inside the lounge, Kay sat waiting for him.
“Welcome.”
Kay greeted her partner, Zeke, with a smile.
Zeke took a seat beside her.
“I didn’t know Atlas had a place like this.”
In his previous life, when Zeke had visited Atlas, it was already under imperial rule.
The war had left Atlas in ruins, making its current state a stark contrast, evoking a sense of nostalgia.
Kay poured a drink for Zeke and spoke.
“It’s one of the Syndicate’s side businesses. People who conduct business in the shadows always need a discreet place to talk.”
Zeke glanced at the drink she poured and shook his head.
“I don’t drink. Next time, prepare tea instead.”
Kay laughed, surprised by his response.
“You’re not abstaining because you’re underage, are you?”
“I just don’t enjoy it, so I don’t drink.”
In his past life, Zeke hadn’t been much of a drinker either.
Moreover, with his healing factor, no matter how much he drank, he never got drunk.
Spending money on expensive alcohol seemed pointless, so he preferred to enjoy tea.
Kay clapped her hands, and a servant entered the room. She ordered tea for Zeke.
As he sipped the high-quality tea that was promptly served, Zeke looked satisfied.
“The service is quite good.”
“If you need anything else, just let me know. The desserts and food here are excellent too.”
“That’s not necessary. I’m more curious about how you made up your mind so quickly.”
Kay shifted her posture, adopting a serious expression.
“I had a lot to consider, but after seeing the items from your northern bank, I made up my mind. I have a strong feeling that you can actually pull this off.”
Kay downed her strong drink in one go.
“Whew, I’m making the biggest bet of my life.”
He refilled her glass and clinked his teacup against it.
“I’ll make sure you don’t regret that bet.”
Zeke pulled out a document he had prepared and handed it to Kay.
“What’s this?”
“Have you heard of the Reinhardt Trading Company?”
“Reinhardt? They’re rapidly growing in Alencia, right? They have branches in both the north and south.”
“I’ve set up a clean spot through them. When I head south, I’ll operate from there.”
Kay skimmed through the documents Zeke provided.
“Deputy head of the Reinhardt Trading Company’s southern branch?”
“It’s a cover identity. I’ll travel south via the Reinhardt route. Let’s meet at that spot.”
Both Zeke and Kay needed to avoid the scrutiny of the Drakers and the Syndicate.
A safe house provided by Reinhardt, with no ties to either, would allow them to evade both parties’ attention.
Kay nodded, tucking the documents away.
“So, assuming you meet Don Juan as planned, what’s next?”
At Kei’s question, Zeke set down his teacup and spoke.
“Do you know anything about the Pavela Cartel?”
Kei shook her head in response to Zeke’s inquiry.
“No, not much is known about them. All I know is they’re a bunch of nasty, rough types.”
Zeke nodded at her words.
“That’s understandable. They’re ex-pirates.”
“What?” Kei was taken aback by Zeke’s revelation.
“Pirates? Those damned scoundrels settled in the south and are running a soma business? That’s unbelievable. Pirates aren’t the type to pull that off.”
“That’s why no one has figured out the true nature of the Pavela Cartel. Otherwise, how could such a massive organization operate in the relatively small southern lands without being exposed?”
Zeke’s explanation made sense to Kei.
Realizing this, Kei’s expression twisted with concern.
“Could it be that the Pavela Cartel has been pressuring us to take over our transport routes?”
“Bingo. Those southern sea pirates are just the kind of bastards to do that.”
“Ugh.”
Learning the truth about the Pavela Cartel, Kei let out a sigh.
Currently, the syndicate’s top brass were embroiled in a heated debate over whether to continue dealing with the McCain Cartel or switch to Pavela.
If they had switched to Pavela without knowing anything, they would have lost their transport routes to the pirates and faced retaliation from the McCain Cartel.
In fact, in the timeline before Zeke’s return, the McCain Cartel had discovered Pavela’s true identity and sent hitmen and assassins to wage war against them.
As a result, the syndicate wasn’t absorbed by Pavela, but they ended up becoming subordinates to the McCain Cartel.
Zeke turned to Kei and said, “What do you think would happen if we told Don Juan about this? That the Pavela Cartel is a group of pirates and the syndicate’s leaders are considering dealing with them?”
Kei was startled by the suggestion.
“Are you asking me to be a snitch?”
“Once you wipe out the current leaders and take over as boss, does it really matter if you’re a snitch or not?”
Zeke spoke of such dangerous things with unsettling ease.
Kei finally grasped the gravity of the situation she was getting involved in.
After a moment of contemplation, she grabbed a bottle of liquor and took a long swig.
“Alright, let’s do this.”
“Great. But first, there’s something we need to take care of.”
“Something to take care of?”
Zeke looked at Kei and said, “The soma we got from McCain. Tell me where it’s being stored.”