Episode 480
Thud, thud, thud!
A carriage rushed into the Four Seasons Castle.
Inside was none other than Howard Draker, a member of the Cross Association.
With a tense expression, he addressed the man sitting across from him.
“Soma, you’re sure about this information, right?”
The man opposite him was Soma, the deputy head of the intelligence division known as the Black Stage. With his friendly demeanor and brown hair, Soma didn’t fit the typical image of a spy chief.
He nodded in response to Howard’s question. “Yes, the news is that Zeke Draker has entered the Four Seasons Castle.”
Howard’s face darkened further at Soma’s confirmation.
Howard, a close confidant of the late Arthur Draker, was well aware that Arthur had intended for Zeke to be his successor. If Arthur hadn’t died suddenly from illness, Zeke would likely have inherited the leadership of the Draker family.
But Arthur’s unexpected death had thrown the castle into chaos. The elders, who had tentatively supported Zeke, began to reconsider.
They were now contemplating elevating Arthur’s eldest daughter, Carly Draker, to the head of the family instead.
Arthur Draker had wielded unprecedented power in the family’s history, and the elders had been forced to remain silent under his rule. Now, with Arthur gone, they saw an opportunity to assert themselves.
The elders feared that if Zeke, renowned across the continent as a knight of salvation, became the head, he might wield even more power than Arthur. They believed Carly would be easier to manage and planned to control her from behind the scenes.
Howard was at the center of this plan.
‘We need to act before Baron makes any move regarding the succession.’
Rumors of Arthur’s will circulated, but since Baron Draker, Arthur’s most loyal aide, had remained silent, it seemed likely that no clear successor had been named.
Even if a will existed, Howard believed that if the elders united behind Carly before it was revealed, they could overturn it.
With Zeke away on a mission, Howard was swiftly advancing his plans with the elders. He intended to approach Carly soon, but news of Zeke’s unexpected return had reached him.
‘We must resolve this before Zeke contacts the other elders.’
Upon arriving at the castle, Howard hurried to find the chairman of the Cross Association. As he opened the door to the chairman’s office, his face turned pale.
“Ah, Howard, you’re here too.”
Zeke Draker, holding a teacup, smiled at him.
Howard realized he was a step too late.
‘Stay calm. He just arrived and won’t know the situation yet.’
Composing himself, Howard approached Zeke with a somber expression.
“Sir Zeke.”
He placed a hand on Zeke’s shoulder.
“You must be deeply grieved by the news.”
Zeke set down his teacup and spoke.
“I was shocked at first… but the stability of the Draker family is paramount, so I must regain my composure quickly.”
Howard was taken aback by Zeke’s words.
‘Look at him, speaking as if he’s already the next head.’
The chairman, sitting nearby, nodded with a solemn expression.
“Sir Zeke’s words resonate with me. Truly a knight of the Draker family.”
Howard struggled to maintain his composure, his face twitching slightly.
‘The chairman… He promised to support Carly as the next head. Could he be having second thoughts?’
It was hard to tell if the chairman was merely putting on a show for Zeke or if he had genuinely switched allegiances.
Zeke offered Howard a seat across from him.
“Did the late head leave any final words with you, Howard?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question about the will, Howard hesitated.
“It all happened so suddenly… I don’t think the head had time to prepare.”
The chairman nodded in agreement.
“The head was young. Who could have foreseen such a tragedy? A great star of the continent has fallen.”
The chairman mourned Arthur’s death with a voice that belied his true feelings.
Zeke nodded and asked the chairman, “What are the plans for the head’s funeral?”
The funeral of the Draker head was no small matter. As the de facto ruler of the continent, it was expected to be a grand affair.
The chairman pondered before replying slowly, “Perhaps we should follow previous customs…”
But Howard interjected.
“Chairman, I have something to say about that.”
Both the chairman and Zeke turned to Howard.
Seizing the moment, Howard continued.
“The Draker family is currently at war with Siemens.”
In Jupiter, one of the major cities in the southern Rom Empire, Siemens was regrouping with Castro Pollock’s forces.
Howard reminded them of the situation and cautiously addressed the chairman.
“Intelligence reports that the Breaker Mercenary Corps recently joined forces in Jupiter.”
The mention of the Breaker Mercenary Corps darkened the chairman’s expression.
“Is that true?”
Howard nodded.
The Breaker Mercenary Corps was one of the three largest mercenary groups on the central continent.
The Breaker Mercenary Corps of Advance
The Calam Mercenary Corps of Endurance
The Brothers Mercenary Corps of Valor
These three groups were the largest on the continent.
Zeke was well aware of the Breaker Mercenary Corps.
‘In my past life, Liam absorbed them and other smaller groups to form the Stone Mercenary Corps.’
Later, he would acquire the Calam and Brothers Mercenary Corps, earning the unprecedented title of Mercenary King.
But that was in the past. Currently, the Breaker Mercenary Corps alone was powerful enough to crush the regular knights of a small kingdom.
Their alliance with Jupiter meant increased pressure on Rom, which was already struggling.
Despite Leo and Karus managing to stabilize the empire’s vassals with Duke Craven’s support, the situation remained precarious.
As Draker was aiding Rom against Jupiter, they were sensitive to any shifts in the war.
If Rom fell to Siemens, they might exploit Arthur Draker’s absence.
Howard continued.
“If the Breaker Mercenary Corps has sided with Jupiter, other groups might follow. Holding a large-scale funeral now would only give the enemy time to strengthen.”
The chairman nodded grimly at Howard’s words.
Zeke speculated on Howard’s intentions.
‘I expected Howard to make a move during this chaos. But his argument is surprisingly sound.’
Howard spoke again.
“As a member and knight of the Draker family, I urge the chairman to minimize the funeral and swiftly strike Jupiter to eliminate the Siemens threat.”
The chairman was taken aback by Howard’s sudden proposal.
Until recently, Howard had advocated for maintaining the current balance and reorganizing internally.
Howard’s eyes gleamed as he revealed his true intention.
“I propose that Sir Zeke Draker, renowned as a knight of salvation, lead this mission.”
Zeke set down his teacup.
“Are you suggesting I lead the knights to attack Jupiter?”
Howard shook his head.
“Not attack, but liberate. Just as you’ve saved other cities.”
He turned to the chairman.
“Chairman, appoint Sir Zeke as the supreme commander and prepare for a full-scale war against Siemens and Castro Pollock’s remnants. It’s the only way to prove Draker’s strength after the death of the Conqueror.”
Zeke finally understood Howard’s plan.
‘He’s trying to send me away.’
If Zeke were to lead the charge against Jupiter, he would be unable to participate in the internal affairs of the Four Seasons Castle.
Moreover, Jupiter was the largest and most fortified city in the empire, aside from Rom.
Even with Draker’s knights, a swift victory was unlikely.
‘It would take at least a year of attrition to make any headway.’
For an impromptu plan, Howard’s proposal was surprisingly coherent.
The chairman listened to Howard’s words, his expression deep in thought.
He had served as the chairman for the Drake family for over a decade.
He quickly grasped what Howard was aiming for, leaving him no choice but to ponder the situation.
If he appointed Zeke as the commander-in-chief, Zeke would likely choose Carly over him. Conversely, if he chose Carly, he would alienate Zeke and find himself at odds with Howard.
As the chairman wrestled with his decision, Zeke unexpectedly spoke up.
“I’ll do it.”
The chairman was taken aback by Zeke’s prompt response and asked again, surprised.
“Sir Zeke, are you truly willing to take on the role of commander-in-chief to strike… no, to save Jupiter?”
Zeke nodded.
“The citizens of Jupiter are suffering just like those of Rom. As a knight, it’s my duty to help them as soon as possible. I’m sure the late head of the family would have wanted this too.”
Zeke’s demeanor, as he crossed himself in respect to the late head, was the epitome of a model knight.
Even Howard was caught off guard by Zeke’s straightforward answer.
‘Zeke Drake, there’s no way he hasn’t figured out my intentions.’
Yet, Howard felt even more uneasy as Zeke seemed to play right into his plans.
Zeke slowly rose from his seat and spoke.
“Thank you for trusting me with such an important task for the family. Of course, it will require the approval of the other council members, but if entrusted, I will do my utmost. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave.”
With a polite bow, Zeke exited the chairman’s office.
The chairman and Howard were left speechless for a long moment after Zeke’s departure.
Finally, the chairman broke the silence.
“Councilman Howard, what are you thinking, sending Zeke Drake to Jupiter so suddenly?”
Howard stroked his chin, his mind racing.
He turned to the chairman and spoke in a low voice.
“First, we need to get Zeke Drake out of Atlas. The longer he stays, the more council members will waver in their support.”
Zeke Drake, the knight of salvation with overwhelming renown.
It was crucial to prevent more council members from rallying behind him without foresight.
Howard looked at the chairman and said, “I have a plan. Please inform the other council members to approve this matter.”
After a moment of contemplation, the chairman nodded.
“Understood. We must do whatever it takes to prevent another dictator like Arthur Drake from becoming the head of the family.”
‘Hmm, just as I thought. Not much different from my expectations.’
Outside, Zeke used his abilities to eavesdrop on the conversation between Howard and the chairman.
He fully understood Howard’s intentions and was already devising a plan to turn the tables.
‘Howard Drake, it’s time to set the stage to deal with this traitor.’
A cold smile played on his lips.