Episode 68

The Draker Martial Arts Tournament.

As the name suggests, it was a tournament hosted by the Draker family.

However, it wasn’t exclusive to members of the Draker family.

Any young knight who had been promoted to a Purple Knight within the last five years could participate.

In essence, it was a competition to identify the next generation of rising stars who would lead the continent.

Zeke nodded in understanding after hearing the head of the family’s words.

“I understand.”

The head of the family looked at Zeke and asked, “Are you saying you’ll win?”

“Yes.”

Though his response was brief, Arthur could sense the determination in Zeke’s voice.

With a grin, Arthur said, “Good. I hope to present you with the winner’s medal on the final day of the tournament.”

Zeke nodded again.

Arthur, looking pleased, stood up from his seat.

“And I’ve prepared a graduation gift for you.”

He retrieved a box from his desk.

“Open it.”

Zeke opened the box Arthur had prepared, and his eyes widened at the contents.

‘This is…’

Inside the box was a metal plaque and a document.

Zeke was taken aback when he saw the metal plaque.

It was none other than a deed to a territory.

“Are you giving me a territory?” Zeke asked in surprise.

Arthur nodded. “Yes. I’ve decided to grant you the northern territory of the Troy Principality, where you recently completed your mission.”

‘A territory as a graduation gift.’

Receiving a territory was on a completely different level than being granted a knighthood.

Even a small territory allowed a knight to be called a ‘lord.’

It effectively meant being granted a noble title.

Even within the Draker family, only senior knights typically received territories.

Granting a territory to Zeke, who had just become a full-fledged knight, was an extraordinary gesture.

Zeke expressed his gratitude to Arthur.

“I will strive to meet your expectations, my lord.”

“A manager will soon visit to discuss the details of managing the territory. Professional managers will handle most of it, so you needn’t worry too much.”

“Thank you for your consideration, my lord.”

With the box and a gift of Eastern tea from Arthur, Zeke left the lord’s office.

‘I never imagined I’d become a lord at this age.’

Indeed, the Draker family was full of surprises.

As he left the summer castle, still feeling a bit dazed, someone approached him.

“Busy as always, aren’t you?”

It was Duke, looking somewhat weary.

“Master, what brings you here?”

Duke groaned. “I came to Atlas to relax by your side, but Arthur roped me into work.”

“I thought you retired, Master.”

“I retired as a knight, but my position with the Draker family is still active, so I got caught.”

“You’ve had ten years of rest; a little work won’t hurt.”

“Listen to you. You sound just like Arthur’s son. Let’s get home before we get caught by any more leeches.”

Duke hurriedly led Zeke back to the mansion.

As soon as they arrived, Duke kicked off his boots, shed his uniform, and collapsed onto the sofa.

“Ah, this is the life. Home is the best.”

“This is my home, you know.”

“A student’s home is also a master’s home, you rascal.”

Duke took a swig of the strong liquor the servant brought.

“So, why did Arthur call you? I heard it was to congratulate you on your graduation, but surely there was more to it.”

“I received a graduation gift.”

“A graduation gift? Well, Arthur is good at giving gifts. Sometimes I wonder if he’s a knight or a politician.”

Duke poured himself another drink and asked, “So, what did he give you? Usually, it’s a sword or armor.”

“I received a territory.”

“Well, a territory is nice… Wait, what did you say?”

“I was given a territory in the northern part of the Troy Principality.”

Duke was so shocked that he didn’t notice the liquor spilling from his glass.

He finally regained his composure.

“Wow, receiving a territory at your age. Arthur must be really pleased. And the Troy Principality, even the north, should have decent revenue.”

“The area where I completed my recent mission was peaceful, and the villagers were good people.”

“Well, that’s great. Having a territory is on a whole different level than just having a knighthood.”

Zeke nodded in agreement.

“There’s one more thing.”

“Did you receive another gift?”

“No, it’s more of a task. I’ve been told to participate in the Draker Martial Arts Tournament and win.”

Duke’s face darkened at Zeke’s words.

“The Draker Martial Arts Tournament, huh.”

As Duke silently sipped his drink, Zeke asked, “Why the long face, Master? Is the tournament that challenging?”

Duke shook his head. “No, with your skills, winning shouldn’t be difficult.”

“Then why do you look so concerned?”

“If it were just about skill, there’d be no problem.”

Duke set his glass down and said, “Have you ever seen the Draker Martial Arts Tournament, Zeke?”

“I’ve only heard it’s held every five years. I was too focused on my studies and training to attend.”

Duke nodded. “Then you might not know. Zeke, the Draker Martial Arts Tournament is not just a simple tournament.”

“What do you mean it’s not just a tournament?”

Duke spoke with a serious expression. “It’s a battlefield for families, disguised as a tournament.”

Zeke was taken aback by Duke’s words.

“Are you saying there’s corruption in the tournament?”

“The concept of corruption doesn’t even apply. All forms of power are allowed. It’s about determining the winner, even with those factors.”

“My goodness.”

Zeke pondered the true nature of the Draker Martial Arts Tournament.

At first, he thought he could just win all the matches, but seeing Duke’s expression, it seemed more complicated.

‘The head of the family didn’t just assign this task lightly.’

Duke then spoke to Zeke.

“Zeke, to be blunt, without a sponsoring family, it’s tough to hold your ground in the tournament.”

The mention of a sponsoring family darkened Zeke’s expression.

Achieving what he had within the Draker family without a sponsor was already remarkable.

Zeke asked Duke, “Can’t your connections help, Master?”

Duke shook his head. “Handling practical matters is one thing, but the political aspects of the tournament are beyond me. I’ve been away from the family for too long.”

It was clear that having a sponsoring family was essential.

Duke himself had started as a commoner and risen to become a Black Knight, creating a rags-to-riches story within the Draker family, so he was far from having any sponsoring family connections.

Faced with an unexpected problem, Zeke felt a headache coming on.

‘I’m really not good at this sort of thing.’

In his past life, he had fought and struggled enough, but he had no experience with politics.

Duke took a long drink and said, “I’ll reach out to some families I know, so let’s see what we can do. There’s still some time before the tournament.”

Zeke nodded.

He planned to rest for a bit in his room before resuming his training.

But as he entered his room, someone else came in.

“Decker?”

His attendant, Decker, approached Zeke.

“Young master, I have something to tell you.”

Zeke was surprised by Decker’s sudden visit and serious expression, but he decided to hear him out.

“Alright. What’s going on?”

“I overheard your conversation with Duke earlier. I understand you’ll be participating in the Draker Martial Arts Tournament.”

Zeke nodded. “That’s right. But Master said it would be tough without a sponsoring family.”

After a moment of contemplation, Decker spoke to Zeke.

“Young master, please take a look at this.”

Decker suddenly drew his sword.

A clear aura blade formed from his sword.

Zeke knew Decker was at the level of a Blue Knight, but he feigned ignorance.

“De-Decker, you’re a Blue Knight?”

Decker replied, “I know you’ve already noticed.”

Zeke felt a bit sheepish at Decker’s words.

‘He’s sharp, as always.’

Decker bowed to Zeke.

“Thank you for trusting me despite knowing my true status, young master.”

Zeke felt a twinge of guilt.

He had briefly suspected Decker might be a spy sent by other direct siblings.

Decker slowly began to speak.

“In truth, I was a knight of the Draker family.”

‘I knew it. He wasn’t just an ordinary attendant.’

“Why are you telling me this now, Decker?”

“I wanted to talk about your mother, young master.”

Zeke frowned at the mention of his mother.

‘Mother…’

Zeke had almost no memories of his mother.

She had died shortly after he was born.

He had been raised by a nanny and entered the cradle at the age of seven, where he trained with other Draker blood relatives.

There was no way Zeke could have memories of his mother.

“This is the first time anyone’s brought up my mother. No matter how much I begged my nanny as a child, it was no use. No one else ever mentioned her.”

Decker continued, “I was your mother’s bodyguard.”

“You were my mother’s bodyguard?”

“Yes. It was my duty after becoming a senior knight of the Draker family.”

Zeke was shocked to learn that Decker had been a senior knight of the Draker family.

He had suspected Decker was no ordinary knight, but he hadn’t realized he held such a high position.

Decker continued, “There’s a reason no one in the Draker family talks about your mother.”

“And what’s that reason?”

“It’s because of her family.”

“My mother’s family? I thought she was a commoner.”

Decker shook his head.

“The lady’s family… was once the most powerful among the Draker’s bloodlines. Even more so than the current Turen or Siemens.”

Zeke was taken aback by this revelation.

“Then why does no one remember them now? Or rather, why does no one want to talk about them?”

“That’s because… there were some unpleasant rumors about the family.”

“What? Just rumors? And that was enough to erase such a grand family?”

Zeke found it hard to believe.

The idea that a family of such magnitude could be nearly forgotten due to mere rumors was baffling.

But Decker spoke with a grave expression.

“To be precise, people were afraid. They avoided the family, calling it cursed.”

“A curse?”

Curses were indeed real.

Even the Scorpion Clan in the south used curse magic to harm or torment people.

However, the curse Decker referred to was of a different nature.

“What kind of curse could do that?”

“The children of the family died.”

“The children?”

Decker nodded solemnly.

“Yes. Pregnant women gave birth to stillborns, and those who were born didn’t live past the age of five.”

“Without exception?”

“Except for one, the lady who is your mother.”

Zeke looked incredulous.

“A curse that instilled fear… Well, it was worse up north. People there are particularly susceptible to superstition.”

Sometimes, such superstitions wielded more power than a dark sorcerer’s spells.

What began as simple curiosity could turn into fear as strange events accumulated.

Over time, curiosity morphed into dread.

Zeke turned to Decker.

“Decker, are you suggesting I take this cursed family as my patron?”

Decker nodded.

“Once, it was the greatest family in the central region. And you, sir, have the right to be their sole heir.”

“Hmm.”

A family once the mightiest among the Draker’s bloodlines, now forgotten by all.

For Zeke, who only needed the legitimacy of a patron family, it was a perfect fit.

He asked Decker, “So, what’s the name of my mother’s family?”

Decker spoke slowly, deliberately.

“The name of the family is…”

He pronounced it clearly.

“The House of Agamemnon.”