Episode 58
“Orihalcon.”
Gellion’s fingers trembled as he caressed Zeke’s armor, Hershion.
“My goodness. I never thought I’d see orihalcon in my lifetime…”
“Is it really that rare?”
Gellion was visibly startled.
“Sir, orihalcon is said to be the most perfect material left by the gods in this world.”
“I see. So, how valuable is this orihalcon?”
“It’s known for its exceptional magical conductivity, far superior to any other metal. This means you can inscribe far more magic onto it than on any other metal of the same surface area.”
Zeke recalled what he’d learned when he first registered the armor.
“Now that I think about it, they said it had twenty-eight grand magic circles inscribed on it.”
Zeke casually asked Gellion, “How many grand magic circles can you inscribe on a regular suit of armor?”
Gellion looked at him incredulously.
“Grand magic circles? Sir, you can’t inscribe large-scale magic circles on ordinary armor at all.”
Gellion explained that it was as difficult as engraving an entire book onto a grain of rice.
Zeke marveled at the Hershion he was wearing.
“Twenty-eight grand magic circles on something that can’t even hold one… How was this made?”
It seemed even Cain, the original owner of the armor, might not have fully understood its capabilities.
Zeke asked Gellion, “Is it possible to change the form of this armor?”
Gellion shook his head vigorously.
“Orihalcon, you say? That’s impossible.”
“Is it really that hard to work with orihalcon?”
“Though it’s called the metal of the gods, it’s still metal, so it can be worked with. But the problem is that this armor is already complete. If I tamper with it and damage the magic circles, the armor might become unusable.”
Zeke understood Gellion’s concern.
“Looks like I’ll have to reserve the armor for emergencies.”
Then Gellion spoke cautiously, “Perhaps my master could do it.”
“You mean Master Golyn?”
“Yes. If anyone can alter the appearance without affecting the functionality, it’s him.”
“Do you know where Golyn is now?”
“As always, he’s probably in Himonas, crafting something.”
At the mention of Himonas, Zeke’s expression hardened.
“Himonas…”
Seeing Zeke’s serious face, Gellion added, “You might not know it well. It’s a region far to the north.”
Zeke spoke slowly, “It’s where the Northern Duke resides.”
Gellion was taken aback. “How do you know that? Even people from the central continent aren’t familiar with the Northern Duke.”
“Just happened to find out.”
Realizing Zeke didn’t want to elaborate, Gellion didn’t press further, though he was curious.
“Himonas…”
A place both dear and daunting. Zeke wasn’t ready to face what awaited him there.
“I have time. I’ll go when I’ve achieved what I need to.”
Zeke offered Gellion a room and retired to his own, lost in thought and unable to sleep.
The next day, Zeke headed to the secret branch of the Reinhardt Trading Company.
It was a place where Princess Melissa held confidential meetings about the company’s affairs, and as a director, Zeke was to join her.
“Welcome, Sir Zeke.”
Cliff, the public face of the company, greeted Zeke in the meeting room.
Princess Melissa was already there, reviewing documents.
“It’s been a while, Sir Zeke.”
She welcomed him warmly.
Zeke, Melissa, and Cliff sat at a round table to begin their meeting.
Cliff started the discussion.
“It seems the production of pharmaceuticals using soma, as you suggested, can proceed without issues. However…”
He hesitated before continuing.
“Setting up a factory to process soma into medicine within the central continent seems unlikely.”
Initially, they considered establishing a factory in the Kingdom of Alensia, but even Princess Melissa couldn’t push for it.
As a philanthropist, rumors of her supporting a pharmaceutical company processing the drug soma could tarnish her reputation.
Zeke responded to Cliff’s concern.
“What if the medicine is already processed?”
“Once processed, as long as it passes safety checks by the Mage Tower, importing it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Then that’s settled. We’ll set up a factory in the southern continent, produce the medicine there, and have Reinhardt import and distribute it.”
Melissa shook her head.
“Sir Zeke, I’m sorry, but Reinhardt Trading doesn’t have the capacity to build a large-scale pharmaceutical factory in the south. We barely managed to set up a factory for the red flower disease treatment.”
Zeke grinned.
“We’ll handle the factory. Just ensure Reinhardt gets the necessary permits from the Mage Tower once the products are ready.”
Melissa was surprised.
“You’re personally funding the factory? Is the Draker family involved?”
He shook his head.
“I’ll use my personal funds, so there’s no need to worry about the Drakers getting involved.”
Though curious, Melissa knew it wasn’t her place to question his personal finances.
“Very well. If the southern factory is established, we’ll handle importing and selling the medicine in the central continent.”
“You’ll hear from the import agency soon. Discuss the details with their representative.”
The import agency Zeke mentioned was a front for the Syndicate.
“I’ll need to find someone trustworthy to oversee the pharmaceutical factory. A reliable mage would be ideal.”
Finding trustworthy people was always the hardest part.
Once the business matters were settled, Zeke brought up another topic.
“There’s something I need to discuss with you, Princess.”
“What is it, Sir Zeke?”
“I’ve obtained new information about the Empire.”
Zeke handed over a summarized report from the southern dungeon’s laboratory.
Melissa’s expression hardened as she read it.
“My goodness. The Empire collaborated with the Scorpion Clan for biological experiments with synthetic poisons?”
Zeke nodded.
“If the red flower disease was a magically engineered illness, the Empire might have used Alensia as a testing ground for new magical weapons.”
Melissa clenched her teeth.
“I can’t believe they would do this to our people.”
Having suffered from the red flower disease herself, only to be saved by Zeke’s medicine, the Empire’s actions hit her hard.
Zeke explained his reasoning for sharing the information.
“Princess, I shared this with you because we need to keep the Empire’s actions secret for now.”
Melissa frowned.
“What do you mean, Sir Zeke? We should expose the Empire’s crimes to the international community immediately.”
“I understand how you feel, but this evidence isn’t strong enough to serve as a diplomatic weapon.”
Zeke had thoroughly reviewed the documents before reaching this conclusion.
The Empire had cleverly shifted the blame for the experiments onto the Scorpion Clan.
The Scorpion Clan, known for their dark magic, wouldn’t cause much of a stir with their human experiments.
The Empire could simply deny any connection and express regret.
Understanding Zeke’s point, Melissa trembled with frustration.
“Princess, holding onto this information could be more advantageous.”
“What do you mean, Sir Zeke?”
“The Empire doesn’t know we have this data. Given their extensive experiments, there must be direct evidence linking them somewhere.”
Melissa grasped Zeke’s strategy.
“Combine that evidence with this data to pressure the Empire more effectively.”
“Exactly. I shared this with you to prepare in advance.”
“Prepare?”
“If the red flower disease was tested in Alensia, other poisons might be tested here too. We need to develop antidotes before that happens.”
Melissa nodded firmly.
If these weapons were used in conflict zones, Alensian forces would be fighting while poisoned.
But with antidotes ready, they could turn the tables on the Empire.
“Once we catch those using these poisons, the Empire won’t be able to deny their involvement in illegal human experiments.”
“Precisely. This could elevate the Alensia-Empire conflict to a central continent-wide issue.”
The princess agreed with Zeke’s plan.
She felt reassured that bringing Zeke into the company was the right decision.
“My choice was correct.”
After conveying all the necessary information, Zeke stood up.
“I won’t be able to attend meetings for a while.”
“Ah, I see. If the opportunity arises, I’d love to invite you to Alensia, Sir Zeke. It’s a place filled with beautiful mountains and serene, tranquil lakes.”
Zeke nodded in acknowledgment. “I’m aware.”
“Have you ever visited Alensia?”
Zeke hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. “I’ve heard many good things about it. If I ever get the chance to visit, I’d appreciate a tour of its beautiful sights.”
Princess Melissa nodded enthusiastically, her face lighting up at his words.
After leaving the secret meeting, Zeke headed straight to Valhalla.
At the training grounds, he found Aster and, unexpectedly, Diego waiting for him.
“Diego? What brings you here?”
“Hey, bro! I’d feel left out if you two had fun without me, yo!”
“I thought you hated training.”
“Of course, I hate training. I’m just here to cheer you on, yay!”
Diego’s cheerful tone didn’t fool Zeke for a second.
In the end, Diego was roped into joining the training session with Zeke.
“Zeke! You’re a devil, yo! Just like a true Draker, yo!”
“Stop with the nonsense and swing your sword one more time, Diego.”
Grumbling, Diego swung his sword with a flourish, almost as if he were dancing.
The training continued, with Diego initially acting up in front of Zeke. But after being flung into the wall like Aster, he quickly fell in line.
‘They only listen when you use force, don’t they?’
Under Zeke’s rigorous guidance, Aster and Diego underwent a week of grueling training, gradually adapting to his style.
The day of their mission arrived, and the trio headed to Atlas Central Station to travel to Delphoa.
Thanks to their Valhalla student IDs, they secured seats in the first-class compartment.
As soon as they settled into the spacious compartment, Diego sprawled out on a sofa, groaning.
“I’m exhausted before the mission even starts, yo.”
Zeke warned him to keep quiet if he didn’t want to spend the journey in an invisible chair, and Diego immediately clammed up.
Just then, someone entered the compartment.
A knight in a perfectly tailored Draker uniform with a refined face.
Zeke recognized him instantly.
‘Andrei?’