Episode 424

Zeke opened his eyes.

“Am I back?”

He looked down to find Duke asleep, eyes closed.

Zeke recalled the imaginary world conjured by Duke’s memories.

“The guy with the bandages… Who on earth is he?”

Though it could be a figment of Duke’s imagination, something about it felt off.

“At least we managed to gather some information about the abandoned continent.”

Just then, Duke’s eyes snapped open.

“Gah!”

Startled, Duke sat up abruptly, turning to Zeke with a bewildered expression, clutching his head.

“Ugh… What just happened?”

“Are you alright?”

Zeke approached Duke, retrieving a potion from his inventory. It was a remedy from the city of the Nagas, known for its restorative properties.

Duke drank the potion Zeke handed him, taking a moment to steady his breath. He seemed to be piecing things together, nodding as understanding dawned.

“Ah… Memories I had forgotten have come back.”

He continued slowly.

“I always thought my guilt over not saving my comrades was the issue, but it seems that wasn’t it.”

Pressing his temples, Duke spoke to Zeke.

“That memory I entered… Was that you?”

Zeke nodded.

“Yes, I entered to unlock your sealed memories, Master.”

Duke sighed at this revelation.

“To think you could meddle in someone else’s memories like that. The Fairy King truly granted you a peculiar gift.”

After composing himself, Duke looked at Zeke.

“You saw him in the memory, didn’t you? The one wrapped in bandages.”

“Was that not an illusion but a real memory of yours, Master?”

Duke nodded.

“Yes, unlike the memory you intervened in, I barely survived, pushing forward by consuming the blood and flesh of my comrades to complete the mission. To find the tower.”

Zeke was taken aback.

“I thought you returned by ship immediately.”

“My heart must have reflected that in the memory. At the time, I believed finding the tower and completing the mission would honor their sacrifice. And I did find the tower.”

Duke steadied his voice as he continued.

“But in front of the tower, he was there. The one wrapped in bandages.”

Duke’s hands trembled again, but he calmed himself with deep breaths before speaking to Zeke.

“The one in bandages was like an insurmountable wall. Even if I hadn’t been exhausted, I wouldn’t have been able to get past him into the tower.”

“Was he that strong?”

From the memory alone, it was hard to gauge the strength of that presence.

Duke took another deep breath.

“His voice still echoes in my ears. It didn’t sound human. He told me to warn others not to come here.”

Zeke noticed Duke’s hands trembling.

“When I came to, I was on the ship I had arrived on. While I was unconscious, the ship had already crossed the dark sea.”

Duke rubbed his face with both hands.

“After that, my memory is hazy. I wasn’t in my right mind. I slept like the dead, only waking to drink water and eat just enough to stave off hunger. By the time I fully regained my senses, I was back on the central continent. It took over a year to speak normally and live a regular life again.”

Zeke finally understood what had happened to Duke.

“The terrible memory that vanished left a deep scar on his soul.”

The fear had embedded itself like a thorn, sealing away his power.

Having poured everything out, Duke looked somewhat relieved.

“Ah, my mind feels clearer now. If it weren’t for you, Zeke, I might have never recalled this memory and let it fester inside. Thank you.”

“No, Master. It must have been difficult to recall. You’ve been through a lot. Rest for now, and we can continue the conversation tomorrow.”

Zeke left the room to let Duke rest.

“The final tower on the abandoned continent and the mysterious guardian…”

Zeke speculated that the mysterious figure might be a guardian left by the dragons to protect the tower.

“If that’s the case, with the blessings of the Fairy King and the ancient dragon, it might not be such a threat to me.”

The abandoned continent required further contemplation.

“The important thing now is that with the sealed memory unlocked, Master is facing his trauma. He might even regain his former prowess.”

If Duke, now part of Zeke’s Black Sword Knights, regained his former strength, their power and influence would increase significantly.

Zeke had found an unexpected solution to Duke’s problem.

As he returned to his room to organize his thoughts, he was surprised to find Karus waiting for him.

“Zeke!”

Karus greeted him warmly, pulling him into an embrace.

“Touching the savior knight blessed by the Fairy King means I’ve been blessed too.”

“Still as nonsensical as ever. I thought you were with Julius. When did you get here?”

Karus sat down, clicking his tongue and shaking his head.

“Ah, Julius is giving me a headache. The man who once tried to assassinate me now insists daily that I should ascend to the emperor’s throne.”

Zeke raised an eyebrow at this unexpected news.

“I thought Julius would support Prince Leo as the next emperor.”

Karus nodded.

“That was the plan. But given the current situation, Julius seems to be using me, with my legitimate claim, to persuade the other imperial nobles. For the old families, legitimacy is crucial.”

“Is Prince Leo lower in the line of succession than you?”

“Not exactly, but the Rom Empire’s succession is more complicated than other kingdoms. The right isn’t just given to a single bloodline but also to electors, and since everyone’s interrelated, the lineage is quite tangled. That’s why I have a slight edge.”

Zeke pondered for a moment before asking.

“Is that why Abel Dreiker, or rather Abel Siemens, has a claim to the throne?”

Karus nodded.

“Yes, I didn’t know the details until I spoke with Julius. It’s a real mess.”

“How is it tangled?”

Karus hesitated before answering Zeke.

“To put it simply… the Siemens family essentially founded the current Rom Empire.”

Zeke’s eyes widened.

“Siemens founded the Rom Empire? What do you mean?”

“It’s a long story. Do you know about the Seven Kingdoms that existed on the central continent before the Liberation War?”

Zeke nodded.

“I know a bit. The Kingdom of Thebea is the only one that remains from those Seven Kingdoms.”

“Good. Most knights don’t even know the Seven Kingdoms existed.”

Karus continued.

“During the Liberation War, the dragons destroyed most human records, so there’s little left about the Seven Kingdoms. Thebea is known only because it survived. But… another of the Seven Kingdoms has been revealed.”

Zeke’s brow furrowed at Karus’s words.

“You’re not saying it’s Siemens, are you?”

Karus shrugged.

“Yes, the Kingdom of Siemens. It was one of the superpowers, leading the most powerful magical knight order at the time. Back then, mages were more powerful than knights. Knights preferred magical artifacts over the inefficient aura training methods.”

Zeke recalled seeing memories through the Holy Grail of Terracan Dreiker being pursued by Siemens’ magical knights.

“Yes, those Siemens knights. They were armed with magical armor and swords, each as strong as a blue knight.”

Of course, comparing them to today’s aura-wielding knights was impossible.

No matter how powerful the magical equipment, it couldn’t match the reflexes of a trained aura knight.

But back then, with only basic aura training available, using magical equipment was more efficient.

“The Kingdom of Siemens disappeared after the Liberation War, only to reappear when the Holy Kingdom expanded into an empire.”

Zeke was surprised by Karus’s revelation.

“Are you saying Siemens helped Saint King Geo Lubern?”

Karus nodded.

“Yes, Siemens provided significant funding to the Holy Kingdom, helping lay the foundation for the empire’s expansion.”

Zeke realized something and spoke up.

“Did Siemens withdraw after the Holy Empire was established?”

“You’re quick on the uptake. That’s right. Because of that, the Holy Empire fell into disarray not long after it was established. When the Lubern dynasty was expelled from the empire, the Pope designated certain noble families with the right qualifications and had them vote to elect an emperor.”

“Are these families the ones with the electoral rights?”

“Exactly. The Pope’s decision threw the electors into a dilemma. They had to be mindful of each other, and more importantly, they had to consider the Pope’s influence.”

“If the Siemens family was among the electors, they would have done everything in their power to sway the others to make one of their own the emperor.”

“The Pope was aware of that. But he also knew that if Siemens became emperor, it would be a clear threat to papal authority. So, he chose another family, the Constantinus. Once the Pope backed them, the other electors followed suit.”

“I bet the Siemens were furious. Seeing a weaker family like the Constantinus take the throne must have been a bitter pill to swallow.”

“Exactly. The Pope intended to use Constantinus as a puppet to control the empire. Meanwhile, Siemens faced attacks from the Pope and other electors, nearly leading to their downfall. What do you think Siemens did?”

Zeke pondered for a moment before speaking.

“They probably tried to bring Constantinus to their side, maybe even merge the families through marriage.”

Carus snapped his fingers.

“Siemens began to hide their name, subtly manipulating things from behind the scenes. Their influence deepened the conflict between the imperial and papal powers, eventually tearing the Holy Empire apart. It split into the Holy Kingdom and the Rom Kingdom, with other kingdoms gaining independence as well.”

“The Rom Kingdom absorbed other elector families and grew into the Rom Empire. Siemens’ influence must have been significant in that process.”

Carus nodded at Zeke’s observation.

“Yet, they never stepped into the spotlight, choosing instead to control Constantinus from the shadows. Do you know what Siemens did during this time? They erased their name from history. That’s why these stories aren’t recorded in the history of the Holy Empire.”

Listening to Carus, Zeke began to understand the Siemens family’s true ambitions.

In a past life, Ramon Siemens had used Abel to take over the Dreiker family and aimed to seize the empire through Cain, who wielded Caligula’s power.

Had their plan succeeded, Siemens could have quietly taken over the entire continent without ever revealing their name.

Zeke looked at Carus and asked, “Did Julius tell you all this?”

Carus shook his head. “Some of it, yes, but the deeper details came from someone else.”

“Someone else? Who?”

Carus met Zeke’s gaze and replied, “William Siemens. The heir of the Siemens family.”