Episode 539
Alicia’s expression twisted at Zeke’s words.
“A mess? A mess, you say…”
Her grip tightened around the Langya Sword.
If the sword she held had been an ordinary one, not crafted from the fangs of the Wolf King Fenrir, it would have crumpled under her immense strength.
Zeke watched her and spoke calmly.
“The power of a Grand Duke is indeed formidable, but that’s all it is.”
He paused, taking a breath before continuing.
“In battle, you rely solely on brute force, failing to fully utilize your skills as a knight.”
His cold voice struck Alicia’s ears like a sharp blade.
She glared at Zeke fiercely, then slowly raised her sword.
“Actions speak louder than words.”
Zeke rose from his seat, watching her intently, but made no move to draw his own weapon. Alicia frowned.
“Are you mocking me, Zeke Draker?”
“I only wish to prove my point.”
Alicia gritted her teeth at his words, then charged at him.
Boom!
With the power of a Grand Duke, Alicia moved with the grace of a feather despite wielding a massive sword. In an instant, she closed the distance, swinging her Langya Sword with a force that seemed to tear the air apart.
Whoosh—
Zeke deftly stepped back, narrowly avoiding the blade. Alicia, anticipating this, immediately redirected her attack.
Most knights, even with the aid of aura, struggled with the weight of a greatsword, limiting their attacks to straightforward strikes. But Alicia’s strength overcame such limitations.
The Langya Sword changed direction in a flash, descending from above. Any ordinary knight would have been caught off guard by the sudden shift, but Zeke remained unfazed. He sidestepped the attack once more, then moved forward, delivering a swift kick to Alicia’s thigh.
Thud!
The sound was like an explosion, despite it being just a kick. Alicia was taken aback by Zeke’s ability to penetrate her defenses.
“Ugh!”
The heavy pain in her thigh threw her off balance. In that moment, Zeke’s hand was at her throat.
Alicia, subdued in an instant, felt cold sweat trickle down her forehead. Though it was merely a spar, the gap in their abilities was undeniable.
Zeke lowered his hand from her neck and stepped back.
“Do you understand now, Grand Duke?”
Alicia lowered her sword, her brow furrowed in frustration. In the North, no one had ever parried or dodged her strikes. Yet Zeke had done so effortlessly, forcing her to acknowledge his words.
She sheathed her sword and sank to the ground, grabbing a bottle of strong liquor and taking a long swig.
“Haah.”
Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she looked at Zeke.
“The will of Fenrir does not dwell in a woman.”
Zeke met her gaze with a steady expression, prompting Alicia to continue with a hardened face.
“Those were the words my father, the late Grand Duke of the North, left me before he died. Damn him.”
Zeke had heard this before. Alicia’s father had been displeased that the bloodline of Himonas had manifested in his daughter. In the North, where gender discrimination was rare, his reaction was unusual.
Zeke spoke, his voice steady.
“That’s utter nonsense.”
Alicia responded with a bitter laugh.
“That pathetic man saw my late mother in me. He couldn’t accept that she was stronger and a better knight than he was. He proved his own foolishness by clinging to that until his death.”
Alicia’s mother had been the greatest warrior in the North. Though not of noble birth, the late Grand Duke had married her for her strength, hoping to strengthen his bloodline. He had inherited the Himonas bloodline but couldn’t fully wield its power.
He harbored deep insecurities about his wife, Alicia’s mother, who was a formidable warrior. Alicia resembled her mother more than her father, even from a young age. She showed exceptional talent as a warrior and possessed the overwhelming power of a Grand Duke, akin to the reincarnation of the Wolf King.
The late Grand Duke felt intense jealousy towards his blessed daughter, who did not take after him, and sought to have sons with other women. But no other children were born, leaving Alicia as the sole heir.
Even so, the late Grand Duke never acknowledged her, not even on his deathbed.
‘His final words became a curse that haunted Alicia for a long time.’
In a past life, during the final war, Alicia had confided in Zeke, sharing the burdens she carried in her heart. Zeke had to leave the North for another mission, and Alicia, left alone, had fought the enemy until she took her own life.
This story remained a secret known only to Alicia and Zeke.
Words have power, and when imbued with strong resentment, they can become curses. The late Grand Duke’s parting words had lodged in Alicia’s heart, chaining her and preventing her from surpassing her limits.
Thus, Alicia could not fully harness her potential, trapped by the power of a Grand Duke.
Zeke recalled the Alicia of his past life.
‘If only she could have unleashed her full strength…’
If she had, perhaps she wouldn’t have had to end her life in that war. This regret lingered in Zeke’s mind, driving him to help her break free from her limitations and prevent another tragedy.
Zeke looked at Alicia and spoke.
“Grand Duke, listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”
His voice was firm.
“How long will you let such nonsense imprison you?”
Alicia’s expression shifted subtly at his words.
“I never thought anyone would speak so bluntly about my father’s nonsense.”
“Feeling pity for someone wallowing in such inferiority is a luxury. Surely you don’t harbor such feelings just because he’s your blood?”
Alicia fell silent for a moment.
She and the late Grand Duke had never been close. Even as a child, Alicia had surpassed her father’s strength. The late Grand Duke had envied the power of Fenrir that Alicia possessed, and her mother had become a victim of his petty jealousy.
Alicia burned with anger at her father’s unjust treatment. Yet her mother had always told her that her father was a pitiable man.
Because of her mother’s words, Alicia couldn’t completely disregard her father, and his parting words became a curse in her heart.
Listening to Zeke, Alicia realized she felt not only anger but also pity for her deceased father.
“Zeke Draker, it seems you know me better than I know myself.”
In a past life, Zeke had shared Alicia’s deepest thoughts and feelings. He wanted to untangle the complex curse that bound her heart.
He spoke to her with determination.
“Let me tell you again. Grand Duke, you are a strong and beautiful knight, more than anyone else. The power of a Grand Duke? It’s nothing. You have the potential to surpass it. So…”
He paused briefly before continuing.
“Believe in yourself.”
These were the words he had longed to say to her, transcending past lives.
Alicia’s eyes, as blue as the sky, shone as she looked at Zeke.
“Zeke Draker, when I look at you… I feel a strange sense of familiarity. Why is that?”
Zeke suppressed the surge of emotions stirred by her unchanged gaze from their past life. He wanted to tell her that he had come from a previous life and that they had shared a long history.
But he couldn’t.
The past was the past, and the present was the present. Alicia had a new life ahead of her, different from before. There was no need to drag the past into her present and confuse her.
‘My role is to help her live her life fully. Anything more would only cause harm.’
Zeke steadied his emotions and spoke in his usual tone.
“Maybe I just have a common face.”
”…I don’t think that’s it.”
“Anyway, that’s not what’s important.”
Zeke glanced around the office, changing the subject.
“There’s a confidential matter I haven’t shared with the Continental Alliance, but you should know.”
He lowered his voice.
“Behind the legion occupying Jupiter, led by Castro Pollock, is a group of dark wizards called Narak. Their goal is to summon the Demon King.”
Alicia leaned back against the sofa, nodding.
“Yes, I’m aware of that.”
“The problem is, that’s not the end of it.”
Zeke spoke slowly, his voice steady.
“The demon lords are trying to summon the demon realm into our world as soon as the Demon King descends.”
Alicia’s eyes widened in shock.
“Bring the demon realm here?”
“Yes, and if they succeed, our world will become a living hell. Humans will be reduced to their slaves.”
Alicia clenched her fists, her jaw set with determination.
“Those damned demons. I’ll tear them apart and feed them to the wolves the moment they crawl out of their pit.”
Her fierce response was fitting for someone known as the Northern Wolf.
Zeke tried to calm her down. “If the demon lords manifest in our world, it will be nearly impossible to stop them with human strength alone. We need to prepare.”
“Prepare? What kind of preparation are you talking about?”
Zeke gestured to Alicia’s sword, resting nearby.
“As I mentioned earlier, the power of the Grand Duke isn’t just about raw strength. You need to hone your skills as a knight to fully unleash the power of Fenrir, the Wolf King, contained within your sword. Only then can you stand against the demons invading our world.”
In her past life, Alicia had never fully harnessed Fenrir’s power. The war had erupted before she could reach her full potential, and a curse had shackled her heart, leaving her no room to wield that power effectively.
But now, she had the time to prepare.
Zeke looked at her intently. “You need someone to awaken the Grand Duke’s potential.”
Alicia frowned at his words. “Are you suggesting I go through basic sword training like a novice knight?”
Zeke nodded. “You might even need to learn something more fundamental. Your natural strength is so immense that you’ve skipped over the basics most knights learn. That’s what’s holding you back now.”
Though she grimaced at his suggestion, Alicia couldn’t deny the truth in his words. She had been struggling with her stagnant skills, unsure of how to advance.
But after their recent sparring, she realized she needed greater strength to fight the demons.
Seeing her deep in thought, Zeke spoke again. “Seek out Sword King Bernas. He can teach you how to fully unlock Fenrir’s power.”
Meeting Sword King Bernas was a plan Zeke had arranged for Alicia long ago. If she could fully unleash Fenrir’s power, she would gain the strength to face even the fallen stars.
Alicia looked at Zeke, her expression curious. Slowly, she spoke.
“Zeke Draker.”
Her voice carried a hint of intrigue.
“Why are you so determined to help me?”