Chapter 245
Chapter 245
"Hermit?"
When he got up and looked around, he found himself in the Hermit's residence in the bamboo forest.
It seemed he had dozed off while sitting on the sofa.
The Hermit patted his waist and lay down on the bamboo bed.
"Oh, I'm dying. I'm dying."
"What's wrong?"
The Hermit spoke in a dying voice.
"Ugh, don't even ask. Suddenly magical beasts started pouring out from somewhere and we had to gather everyone to deal with the mess."
"Magical beasts pouring out? From where?"
At those words, the Hermit turned his head sharply and said.
"To tell you that, you'd have to become a Highlander. Want to take the oath?"
Zeke immediately stepped back.
"No need to tell me then."
He couldn't go through the reincarnation procedure again.
At Zeke's firm attitude, the Hermit grumbled while rolling around on the wooden bed.
"AHHH. Home is the best. I should just stay in and lie down for a while..."
"I found the sacred relic."
The Hermit sat up in surprise at Zeke's words.
"What? Really?"
"Yes. As you said, Tyr had the sacred relic. But why are you surprised? I found it based on what you told me."
The Hermit scratched his cheek with an embarrassed expression at Zeke's words.
"Well, I just meant it was highly likely, I didn't know for sure if it was really the sacred relic... But I'm glad it was right. HAHAHA!"
Zeke clicked his tongue at the Hermit's awkward laughter.
The Hermit brightened up and asked Zeke.
"So what's the second sacred relic? Is it a shield like I said?"
"It's not a shield, but something similar."
Zeke took out Golin's scabbard from his inventory and showed it to the Hermit of Stories. The Hermit examined the scabbard and was surprised.
"Wow, what's this? Magic? It seems more like... sorcery?"
"I've been curious about this - what's the difference between magic and sorcery?"
At those words, the Hermit thought deeply and then shook his head.
"That's too difficult a question. Since I'm not a magician or sorcerer, I don't think I can explain it."
"Hermit, weren't you a magician?"
"Ah, I'm a scholar."
"Scholar? Can a scholar become part of the High Table?"
"Someone of my level can. I'm not an ordinary scholar after all."
Zeke tilted his head at these incomprehensible words.
"What do you mean by not an ordinary scholar?"
"It's hard to explain. Let's say I'm a scholar who has attained enlightenment and touched upon truth."
"I don't understand at all."
"Anyway, something like that exists. To put the difference between magic and sorcery simply ,magic tries to interpret the truth of the world through formulas, while sorcery tries to understand and accept it through one's own language. Magic is deductive, while sorcery is inductive, you could say?"
"What does that mean?"
"That's why I said I wouldn't be able to explain it."
The Hermit of stories didn't seem to be particularly helpful in many ways.
Zeke set aside the useless talk and got to the main point.
"Hero Tyr's spirit told me what the third sacred relic is."
"What? Really? Where did he say it was?"
"Well... I've already found it."
"What?"
Zeke took out Agamemnon's mask from his inventory.
The Hermit looked at the mask and tilted his head.
"This is a sacred relic? I don't sense any power of a sacred relic?"
"I was puzzled about that too, but Tyr said we need to go to the Fairy Lake to break the seal for it to show its true power."
"Hm, the Fairy Lake. This is troublesome."
Hearing the Hermit's sudden sigh, Zeke asked.
"What's wrong?"
"Hmm. Fairy Lake... wait a moment."
As the Hermit waved his hand, dozens of books appeared in the air.
The books spread open with a SWOOSH and the Hermit examined the contents of numerous books.
Then he pulled out one book. It grew larger so Zeke could see it too.
The Hermit pointed to a passage.
"Look here."
Zeke was surprised after reading the passage the Hermit pointed to.
"Are you saying the Fairy Lake disappeared?"
The Hermit nodded.
"Yes. According to the passed-down stories, after the Hero King departed for the fairy realm, the Fairy King also cut off contact with the physical world and closed the Fairy Lake."
"The Fairy Lake was closed... Then why did Tyr tell us to find it?"
"I guess it hadn't been closed yet when Tyr was around."
If the Fairy Lake was closed, they couldn't activate the final sacred relic.
While pondering, Zeke took out the absolute compass.
The Hermit looked at the compass with curiosity.
"What's that? I sense an incredible karma from it."
"This is also an artifact I got from that place. They say it points in the direction of what you want to find, and when I mentioned the Fairy Lake, it keeps pointing in one direction."
Zeke's words surprised the Hermit of stories.
"A compass that finds what you want?"
He quickly summoned other books and searched through related content.
Then the Hermit let out a sigh.
"My goodness. This is an incredible item?"
"What's so special about it?"
"It seems to have the power of a constellation directly embedded in it. It's one of the few such items in the physical world."
"The power of a constellation is embedded in it?"
"Yes. The constellation that made it has the title 'Noble Steps That Never Lose Direction' and while it's not an incredibly powerful god, it's recorded that it often helped heroes in myths and legends in various ways."
"There are constellations like that?"
"Back then, constellations could intervene in the physical world. Still, it should have been impossible to directly give their power, but this constellation seems to have found various ways to embed its power in there."
Zeke was slightly surprised to hear that the ordinary-looking compass contained the power of a constellation.
The Hermit read more of the story and marveled.
"When the Fisher Knight Reyes was looking for the Golden Fleece, he almost died after getting lost and stranded , but it was this compass that helped him then."
Zeke knew of the Fisher Knight Reyes.
'That person... seems like someone who would get stranded often.'
There were many other such cases as well.
Looking at this, the Hermit came to one conclusion.
"If that compass worked, it means there's a way to find the Fairy Lake."
"So do we just follow the direction it's pointing?"
"It's probably not just pointing to the location. It could be pointing to someone who knows how to find the Fairy Lake. Since it calculates various causalities to guide you, you need to understand the context well."
Zeke recalled how the compass kept pointing to Yelin.
'So it really meant following Yelin would lead us to the Fairy Lake.'
The Hermit put the book away and said.
"For now, it would be good to pay attention to the compass's direction. I'll also ask other members about the Fairy Lake."
"Understood. But Hermit, isn't there an easier way to contact you?"
"Ah, you troublesome one. Wait a moment."
Grumbling, he went to the back, opened a drawer to look for something, and handed Zeke a hand mirror.
"Use this to contact me in emergencies."
"How do I use it?"
"Look in that mirror and call for me. Then I'll appear there."
"Why didn't you give this to me earlier if you had it?"
"I told you, everything I give requires karma. I'm only able to give this now because I gained some leeway after catching quite a few magical beasts, so be grateful."
Zeke nodded and received the hand mirror.
And at that moment, Zeke woke up.
Having returned to the original mansion, Zeke found the hand mirror in his hand.
'The principle behind this is quite fascinating.'
After shaking his head to properly wake up, he looked outside and saw the sun was already rising.
"Good. If we follow Yelin, we'll somehow learn about the Fairy Lake too."
He prepared and moved toward the hotel where Yelin's group was staying.
* * *
Zeke and Yelin's group immediately moved to Mycenae and arrived at the newly constructed terminal.
In an area created inside the terminal, there was a dedicated portal that Zeke had installed separately.
When they went to the lounge, the mage managing the portal approached Zeke.
"Sir Zeke, we've finished setting the coordinates you mentioned."
"Good. How long will it take to open the portal?"
"We can open it right now."
"Then please open the portal immediately."
The mage nodded and went back up to the control room.
Zeke and Yelin's group passed through the lounge and stepped onto the magic circle.
WOOOONG!
Soon a vibration sound rang out and a portal opened above the magic circle.
"Let's go."
Zeke entered the portal with Yelin's group.
WHOOSH!
As the portal disappeared, the scenery changed.
Zeke could smell the dry sand.
Before his eyes stood Ishtar's main palace that he had visited before.
THUD!
And then, Yelin and the black ravens knelt down.
When he turned around, Jamila Ishtar appeared with hundreds of Ishtar's occult practitioners.
Wearing traditional Ishtar clothing, she glared at Zeke and said.
"Sir Zeke, it's been a while."
"It has been a while, Head of the Family."
Then Jamila spoke while looking at Zeke.
"I trusted you and willingly sent you to the Central Continent. I can't believe the return for that was dishonorable lies."
She spoke while trembling.
"Do you know how I was treated when I asked Arthur about the marriage? That bastard completely blocked my communication crystal! It was nothing short of a humiliating insult."
Zeke had nothing to say to Jamila's words. Arthur Dreker was exactly the type of person to do such things.
Jamila took a deep breath to calm her excitement and glared at Zeke.
"Thinking about it, I should tear you apart right now and send you to Arthur in a box, but..."
Her gaze changed.
"I heard you have the token of the Black River."
Zeke heard those words and nodded.
"Yes, that's correct."
Jamila spoke through gritted teeth.
"Show it. If it's not the real token, you won't leave here alive."
Jamila's killing intent was terrifying, making it hard to believe she inherited the sacred High Elf bloodline.
Zeke slowly took out Anexi's dagger from his chest. Seeing that dagger, Jamila swallowed.
"...Where exactly did you find that?"
"I cannot tell you that."
At Zeke's answer, killing intent burst forth from Jamila's body again.
She too must have reached the realm of Black Knight, as invisible energy pierced Zeke's entire body.
Jamila barely suppressed her anger and said.
"Hand over that dagger. Then I'll spare your life."
But Zeke shook his head.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Head of the Family."
"What? Then I'll have to kill you and take that dagger!"
At those words, Yelin, who had been kneeling on one knee, suddenly stood up.
"That absolutely cannot happen!"
Hearing her daughter's voice for the first time in years, Jamila glared at her and spoke.
"It was none other than you, Yelin, who brought this person to the main palace. You also refused the marriage bound by oath. According to our laws, even if you are the young head of the family, you cannot escape punishment."
She was a family head who applied strict standards even to Yelin, her own daughter and young head of the family.
Then Zeke stepped forward and spoke to the family head.
"I have something I wish to tell you, Head of the Family."
As Zeke stepped forward, Jamila unleashed invisible energy toward him in anger.
WOOOONG!
Zeke took Jamila's invisible energy head-on.
As a fellow Black Knight, he could have completely deflected that energy, but there was no need to show his full abilities in enemy territory.
Jamila's expression changed as she watched Zeke withstand her power.
"This guy..."
Zeke spoke to the family head.
"I will personally go down to the labyrinth and break the pact with the dragon."
At those words, not only Jamila but also the Ishtar Hermits and warriors behind her began murmuring.
Jamila, hearing these unexpected words, gritted her teeth and glared at Yelin.
"How dare you spread family secrets to that Dreker bastard."
But Yelin didn't back down and said.
"Sir Zeke is the one who has the Seal of the Black River. If the prophecy is true, he must be the savior who will break the family's shackles."
The Hermits and warriors murmured again at Yelin's words.
Jamila stomped her foot.
BOOM!
A powerful foot technique shook the entire main palace.
"Everyone be quiet. Yelin, do you even understand what you're saying?"
"Of course. This is about solving our family's long-standing wish of two thousand years. How could I not want this?"
Jamila tried hard to suppress her anger as she glared at Yelin, then turned her gaze back to Zeke.
She spoke while looking at Zeke.
"You said you would personally enter the labyrinth and break the shackles of the pact."
"That's right."
Then Jamila smirked and said.
"You're saying such nonsense because you have no idea what kind of being the Black River's recluse is."
At Jamila's words, Zeke glanced briefly at Yelin.
'So it wasn't just any dragon.'
Jamila slowly opened her mouth again.
"He is the first dragon to kill another dragon, imprisoned here by the Hermit Dragons."