Episode 459
“Ahh…”
Yellin let out a deep sigh after downing a drink, something she rarely did.
Across from her, Hades was savoring the exotic delicacies of the Eastern Continent, a satisfied expression on his face. He glanced at her and asked, “Why the long face?”
Yellin opened her mouth to speak but then shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
Hades, having just expertly devoured a large piece of meat and spat out the bones, clicked his tongue. “Nothing, you say? Even someone as oblivious as me can see something’s bothering you. If you’re that worried, why didn’t you go with him?”
Yellin took another swig of her drink and sighed again. “Lord Hades, do you think Sir Zeke will be alright?”
“He should be fine. Though that sly sultan might try to seduce him into her bed.”
Crack!
The brass cup in Yellin’s hand crumpled like paper at Hades’ words. A servant quickly replaced it with a new one, and she filled it with more liquor, drinking it all in one go.
Just then, a group of nobles from the Murk Empire, dressed in opulent attire, approached Yellin. Surprisingly, they were elves like Omar. One of them, with skin of a bluish-gray hue, greeted her with a graceful bow and a smile.
“Lady Yellin Ishtar, I’ve heard rumors of your noble high elf lineage, but seeing you in person, your beauty is truly blinding.”
As he spoke, other young nobles, sensing an opportunity, flocked around her, eager to introduce themselves. They were all scions of prestigious families from the Murk Empire.
The first noble elf, having introduced himself, quickly stepped forward again, extending his hand to Yellin. “Lady Yellin Ishtar, would you honor me with a dance? I could teach you the ancient elven dance passed down through my family.”
Yellin looked up at him. “A dance, you say…”
Seeing her interest, the young noble beamed. “Yes, a dance with me…”
Suddenly, Yellin stood up and tore the side of her dress, revealing her slender leg. The young nobles gasped in surprise. She scanned the room and approached the one who had asked her to dance.
As Yellin, resembling a goddess of beauty, approached him, the elf’s mouth fell open in awe. But then, she reached for the sword at his waist and drew it.
Shing!
The blade, adorned with intricate designs, gleamed in the light. “I’ll just borrow this for a moment.”
Yellin removed her uncomfortable high heels and stepped barefoot into the center of the hall, sword in hand. She took a deep breath and assumed a stance.
Moments later, she began to perform a sword dance, her movements fluid and precise.
The Ishtar family had inherited the ancient elven hunting techniques, transforming them into a martial art. Yellin was now showcasing this art at its peak.
The nobles gathered in the hall watched in awe as Yellin’s sword dance unfolded before them. Even the musicians, captivated by her performance, adjusted their music to match her rhythm.
Soon, Yellin’s dance and the music blended seamlessly, as if they were always meant to be one. Everyone was mesmerized by her graceful yet powerful movements.
In truth, Yellin herself was lost in the dance, her mind free of the cluttered thoughts that had driven her to start. In this state of trance, she felt as if she and the sword had become one.
The sword hummed in her hand as she leaped into the air, the blade’s arc resembling a blooming flower. As she landed, the music came to a halt.
Emerging from her trance, Yellin opened her eyes and stood up. Those who had watched her dance were momentarily speechless, then erupted into cheers.
“My goodness! What a beautiful dance!”
“Incredible! The goddess of beauty and the sword has graced us!”
Ignoring the applause, Yellin returned the sword to its owner and quietly left the hall. Hades watched her go, patting his full belly and shaking his head.
“Falling for someone like that… tsk, tsk. Meanwhile, what on earth is Zeke doing with the sultan?”
“The aroma is delightful.”
Zeke sat across from Serazad, sipping tea. She asked him, “What did you say this tea was called?”
“It’s black tea, Your Majesty.”
Zeke was serving her the black tea he had acquired from a great sage. Serazad, a tea enthusiast, was intrigued by this new variety.
“You never cease to surprise me,” she remarked, looking at Zeke.
“Do I?”
Serazad chuckled at his playful response and stroked the fur of the white tiger lounging beside her. She then asked in a suggestive tone, “Have you reconsidered marrying me? Or perhaps we could spend a night together first. It might change your mind.”
“Thank you for the offer, but I’m fine.”
“Is it because of that high elf?”
“Lady Yellin and I aren’t like that.”
Serazad nodded, gazing into Zeke’s eyes. “I know. I can see there’s no room in your heart for any woman.”
Just then, Raven flew in and perched on Serazad’s arm. She glanced at the bird, then back at Zeke. “Why is there no room in your heart for anyone?”
Zeke paused, then looked at her seriously. “Do you remember the Abyss, the group that opened a gate in the Dortha Republic to summon monsters and beasts?”
“Yes, the ones trying to summon a demon king. Ridiculous.”
“If we don’t stop them, not only the Central Continent but the Eastern Continent will be in grave danger.”
Serazad, feeding jerky to Raven, turned her head towards Zeke. “My army is the largest and strongest in the history of the Murk Empire. Even if the Abyss controls beasts, I doubt they could defeat my million-strong force.”
“The Abyss won’t attack head-on. They’ll target your weakest points, using insidious tactics to crumble your army from within. A million soldiers could dwindle to half, then a tenth, and who knows how few in the end. And if they do summon the demon king, what good is a million soldiers?”
Serazad fell silent, stroking the white tiger and black lion beside her. Then she spoke again. “You seem to underestimate the sultan’s army.”
Raven fluttered to Zeke’s shoulder as Serazad fixed him with a sharp gaze. “If I wanted to, I could have you executed for your words alone.”
“I’d appreciate that. The person above me is quite formidable.”
Serazad couldn’t help but laugh, leaning against the white tiger, at Zeke’s description of the mighty Arthur Draker as “formidable.”
“Ah, I can’t win against you in words. They say the one who falls in love first loses, and it seems I’m the one.”
Serazad stood and approached Zeke. “If marriage is off the table, perhaps we could form a sacred pact. Who knows, one day you might change your mind.”
“You already have five concubines. Wouldn’t it be better to choose a national consort from among them rather than an outsider like me?”
Serazad shook her head. “A phoenix must be with a phoenix. How can a phoenix settle for a sparrow just because it’s alone?”
She reached out to Zeke, taking his hand and placing it over her heart. She then placed her hand over his heart.
“A sacred pact usually requires a dragon as a witness.”
Zeke’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know that. Could we ask Lord Hades?”
Serazad shook her head at his suggestion.
“Perhaps he doesn’t know how to broker a covenant of faith. Fortunately, I can forge one without a dragon, so there’s no need to worry.”
After finishing her sentence, Serazade removed one of her earrings and infused it with power.
The earring began to glow and floated into the air.
A low hum resonated.
Zeke realized that the earring contained the same dragon energy he had sensed earlier.
Serazade turned to Zeke and said, “I mentioned before that my bloodline has the ability to embrace any kind of blood.”
“Yes, you did.”
“That includes dragon’s blood.”
Zeke was taken aback by her revelation.
“Dragon’s blood, you say?”
Only then did Zeke understand how Serazade could wield the power of a dragon without sharing its heart.
“A human with dragon’s blood… If Narak knew, it would cause an uproar.”
Harvey West, the priest of Narak, had long experimented with transplanting dragon hearts into humans to create a vessel for the demon king, but he had repeatedly failed. It was impossible unless the dragon itself chose a soul mate or the person inherited the blood of a draker, who possessed immortal power.
But if Serazade’s blood had been available, those experiments might have seen progress.
“If those Narak scoundrels found out… the thought alone is terrifying.”
Fortunately, Narak, which had coiled itself around the central continent, seemed unable to extend its reach to the eastern continent just yet. But that was no reason to be complacent. If they discovered this, they would stop at nothing to obtain Serazade’s blood.
As Zeke pondered the threat of Narak, Serazade asked him, “Are you truly prepared to enter into a covenant of faith? Once the covenant is made, our souls will be intimately connected.”
“I am ready.”
Serazade gave him a captivating smile. “Very well, I, Serazade Anatolia Shilate, hereby enter into a covenant of faith with Zeke Draker.”
As she spoke, a delicate chain emerged from the glowing earring, extending towards them. It passed through Zeke’s hand resting on Serazade’s chest and her hand on his, reaching their hearts.
The chain of light connected their hands and hearts, then detached from the earring, forming a single link between them.
“You can let go now,” Serazade said, looking at Zeke.
When they released their hands, the thin chain of light remained, visibly connecting their hearts. Zeke tried to touch it, but his hand passed through as if it were intangible.
“Is this different from Solomon’s chain?” he wondered.
The earring, having completed its task, returned to Serazade’s hand.
“The covenant ceremony is now complete,” she announced.
Zeke pointed to the glowing chain. “Is this the covenant of faith?”
“Yes, remember that we are bound by this unbreakable chain at every moment.”
The chain that had connected their hearts vanished, but Zeke could still feel the bond between them.
“Those bound by a covenant of faith can communicate across any distance,” Serazade explained, closing her eyes as if to test this ability.
Zeke watched her, skeptical that such a thing was possible. But then, a message appeared before his eyes.
[A message from the system: ‘Can you hear me, my dear?’]