Episode 45
“A Sacred Guardian Stone? Left behind by Terrakan Draker?”
Zeke was taken aback by the unexpected item as he examined the bracelet.
Why would something left by Terrakan Draker be stashed away in a corner of the archive?
He checked the bracelet’s details.
― Bracelet Information ―
Description: A bracelet embedded with a guardian stone capable of summoning a spirit beast.
Unique Ability: Summons a spirit beast that resonates with the user’s soul.
Special Note: The guardian stone is blessed by the Fairy King.
“The blessing of the Fairy King, huh.”
It was known that the Hero King Kaishir was descended from the Fairy King. Zeke had once asked Kaishir about the Fairy King while learning swordsmanship at the Hero King’s sanctuary. However, Kaishir seemed reluctant to discuss the Fairy King or the fairies.
‘Fairies are beings that exist beyond the physical realm. They only intervene in our world under extraordinary circumstances, and even then, it’s rarely a good sign. Such times often herald great upheaval.’
In stories, the Fairy King was always closely linked with heroes. And heroes don’t just appear out of nowhere; they emerge when something significant is about to happen.
Zeke wondered if the fact that the dragon slayer Terrakan Draker possessed a guardian stone blessed by the Fairy King was part of a similar narrative.
“Well, whatever the case, if it’s something left by Terrakan Draker, it must be valuable.”
Zeke decided to activate the guardian stone immediately.
“But how do I activate this thing?”
He examined the bracelet from various angles. Even consulting the system didn’t yield any instructions on how to operate it.
After wrestling with the bracelet for a while, Zeke absentmindedly channeled mana into the guardian stone.
Woooom!
The stone reacted to Zeke’s mana.
“So it works with mana…”
To manipulate mana, one must open the central energy point, which humans typically cannot do. Zeke had barely managed to gain this ability after a near-death experience. This meant the item wasn’t originally intended for human use.
Now he understood why Terrakan Draker’s legacy had been left to gather dust. Without knowing its function, it had likely been tossed into a storage box.
Zeke wore the bracelet and infused more mana into it. The guardian stone emitted a radiant light.
[The Sacred Guardian Stone is activating.]
[The Fairy King’s blessing expands the matching range to include higher-tier entities beyond spirit beasts.]
[Matching a spirit beast that resonates with the user’s soul.]
The light from the guardian stone enveloped Zeke, transforming into a shimmering haze. This haze began to draw intricate patterns on the ground.
Tssss!
Light seeped from the haze, and a shadowy figure emerged within it. The radiant light exploded outward, filling the surroundings.
[Spirit beast summoning successful.]
Zeke watched as the spirit beast emerged from the haze.
“What is this?”
[You have summoned the spirit beast, Ryoma (Dragon Horse).]
A horse of extraordinary appearance approached Zeke. It had antler-like horns on its head, was one and a half times larger than a regular horse, and its neck was adorned with dragon-like scales beneath its mane.
The Ryoma, with its sleek, bluish-gray coat, approached Zeke with an elegant gait. It lowered its stance and bowed its head, acknowledging him as its master.
[By naming the spirit beast, you can summon it anytime through the guardian stone.]
“Name it, huh?”
Zeke pondered as he looked into the Ryoma’s eyes. After a moment, he spoke slowly.
“Bucephalus.”
He named it after Bucephalus, the beloved steed of the Hero King Kaishir. As soon as he named it, Bucephalus’s information appeared.
― Bucephalus Information ―
Description: A Ryoma imbued with auspicious energy.
Unique Ability: Can summon the power of thunder from its two horns.
Special Note: King of the higher-tier spirit beasts known as Ryoma.
“King of the Ryoma?”
Though he wasn’t sure what being a king among spirit beasts entailed, he sensed it was superior to ordinary Ryoma. Bucephalus seemed pleased with the name, nuzzling Zeke’s cheek affectionately.
Zeke, too, was satisfied with Bucephalus. He felt he understood what it meant to have a spirit beast that resonated with his soul.
“Bucephalus, I look forward to working with you.”
Bucephalus nodded, as if understanding Zeke’s words. Zeke decided to test it by mounting Bucephalus. Despite its massive size, the ride was surprisingly stable.
As Zeke settled in, Bucephalus began to gallop around the area. Remarkably, there was no sound as it moved. The surprises didn’t end there; Bucephalus ran up walls and even traversed the ceiling with ease.
“Incredible! No wonder it’s a spirit beast!”
Though it appeared horse-like, Bucephalus was a higher-tier entity than typical spirit beasts, possessing a mystical power. When Bucephalus returned to its original spot, Zeke dismounted with a satisfied smile.
“Bucephalus, next time I summon you, let’s run freely in a wide-open space.”
Bucephalus neighed happily. When Zeke dismissed the summoning, the Ryoma returned to its original realm.
“What an unexpected and wonderful gift.”
He decided to take the bracelet with him, without further inspection. Although he could have hidden it using his inventory, he chose not to, knowing the archive was meticulously managed.
When Zeke emerged from the archive, he reported his choice of the seemingly ordinary bracelet. The attendant raised an eyebrow, as most people chose swords or armor. However, since the choice was up to the individual, the attendant processed the release without comment.
Zeke sensed the attendant’s curiosity but was simply pleased to have acquired the bracelet that allowed him to summon Bucephalus. The fatigue from days of partying seemed to vanish in an instant.
Zeke had intended to visit Kali while in the Four Seasons Castle, but her extended trip meant they couldn’t meet. Duke and Andrei decided to stay a bit longer, so Zeke returned to the estate by carriage.
As soon as he arrived, Decker greeted him.
“Young master, you have a visitor.”
“A visitor?”
In the drawing room, he found an unexpected guest.
“Cliff?”
Cliff Reinhardt, the head of the Reinhardt Trading Company, was waiting for him.
Cliff greeted Zeke with a respectful bow.
“Sir Zeke, congratulations on becoming an official knight of Draker.”
Zeke looked at Cliff, surprised.
“It’s a bit strange to hear you speaking so formally.”
“Given that you’re the youngest knight to be promoted on the continent and now an official knight of Draker, it’s only fitting.”
“Well, if you say so. But what brings you here? I’ve already received everything related to the first request.”
“I came to discuss something with you, Sir Zeke.”
“I’m listening. Go ahead.”
“Could you ask the others to leave us for a moment?”
Zeke chuckled at Cliff’s request.
“You certainly have a lot of demands. But since the staff can’t enter here anyway, you can speak freely.”
Cliff nodded, and a figure emerged from the back of the drawing room. It was a woman with her face hidden by a hooded cape, yet she seemed oddly familiar.
‘Could it be?’
The woman pushed back her hood, revealing her face.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Sir Zeke.”
Zeke recognized her immediately.
“Princess Melissa.”
Cliff stood and courteously escorted Princess Melissa to a seat opposite Zeke. Zeke alternated his gaze between Melissa and Cliff, piecing together the situation.
“So, the true owner of the Reinhardt Trading Company is you, Princess.”
Melissa smiled gracefully at Zeke.
“Sir Zeke, you truly are different from other knights.”
Zeke now understood why Cliff had been so desperate to procure the cure for the Red Flower Disease. It was an act of loyalty to save the life of the one he served.
Zeke addressed Melissa.
“What brings you here, Princess?”
“It seems you’re not particularly pleased to see me, Sir Zeke.”
“Not at all.”
In truth, he wasn’t. He was eager to train and master the Dragon Sword Technique to complete his quest, and any distraction was unwelcome.
Melissa chuckled at his transparent lie and spoke.
“I came to thank you in person for the cure you provided.”
“It was a fair transaction; no thanks are necessary.”
“You attached an interesting condition to the cure.”
Zeke’s expression turned serious.
“Just to be clear, the contract can’t be annulled.”
“Rest assured, I have no intention of doing so. I came here, despite the impropriety, because I have a question.”
“What would you like to know?”
At Melissa’s gesture, Cliff placed a report in front of Zeke.
“What is this?”
“Please, take a look.”
Zeke opened the document Cliff handed him. As he read, his expression hardened.
The document Melissa Alencia presented was an analysis report.
‘The Red Flower Disease might not be a natural illness but a synthetic disease created through magic?’
Melissa spoke slowly, watching Zeke’s reaction.
“I reached out to Nirvana through the Reinhardt Trading Company for a cure. We had to consider the worst-case scenario that it might not be a typical pathogen. I hoped it wasn’t true, but unfortunately, it was. The report arrived a bit late, just recently. Thankfully, I was already cured with the treatment Sir Zeke provided.”
Zeke looked at Melissa and spoke.
“Are you suggesting I created and spread this pathogen?”
“If you had, you wouldn’t have infected me with it. Synthesizing a special pathogen just to make three demands, only to cure it again, would be a loss in every way.”
Zeke hadn’t realized that the Red Blossom Plague, which he thought was a common epidemic, was actually an artificially created magical pathogen.
‘Come to think of it, the outbreak was mostly in Alencia. It even spread to the neighboring Duchy of Troy and some cities in Midland.’
Melissa pulled out another report and handed it to Zeke.
“And what’s this?”
“It’s an analysis of the increase in Red Blossom Plague cases.”
Zeke took the report and examined it.
The number of cases was steadily rising, particularly around Alencia’s border regions.
“Why are you showing me this?”
“Don’t you notice anything strange?”
Zeke slowly reviewed the report and then understood what Melissa was implying.
“The outbreak is centered around the border, yet there are no cases in the Empire.”
Melissa nodded.
“The spread is accelerating inward from the border areas of Alencia.”
Zeke tilted his head in confusion. He remembered that the plague wasn’t supposed to become widespread for a few more years.
‘Why has the timeline accelerated? Did something change because I came back?’
Princess Melissa looked at Zeke and spoke.
“I often assume the worst-case scenarios. It’s not a great habit, but it helps prevent the worst outcomes.”
She took a deep breath and continued.
“What if the Empire is creating and spreading this pathogen?”
Zeke found himself unable to respond easily to Melissa’s suggestion. If it were true, it would mean the Empire attempted to assassinate a princess using a biological weapon.
Then Melissa addressed Zeke directly.
“Sir Zeke, I need you to assure me of one thing.”
“And what would that be?”
With a trembling voice, Melissa said, “That you’re not aligned with the Empire.”
Zeke looked at her and replied, “Even if I say that, would it truly reassure you, Your Highness?”
“Sir Zeke, if I have any advantage beyond my title as a princess, it’s my ability to judge people.”
She gestured to Cliff standing behind her.
“Cliff gave me confidence, and I repaid him with trust. The Reinhardt Trading Company continues to grow and will keep growing.”
Just as Melissa predicted, the Reinhardt Trading Company would become one of the continent’s top ten trading companies.
Zeke pondered as he looked at Melissa.
‘Would aligning with the princess benefit me?’
At that moment, Melissa presented something to Zeke.
“If you can assure me, Sir Zeke, I’ll give you this.”
What she revealed was another document. Zeke checked its contents and was taken aback.