Chapter 302
Chapter 302
Chapter 302
The day after the conferring of titles, an urgent message from Kali reached Zeke.
As he checked the letter, Zeke's expression hardened.
'Helen's sister and Song of the Crouching Flame, Crosstel's Bigjo have gathered for a western conference, and a mysterious monster legion has appeared, causing them to be isolated?'
Zeke recalled the brainwashed Ogres he had discovered in the Ogre Mountains.
The Empire's plan to unleash monsters in the Ghetto area to create a pretext for war had already been set in motion.
Moreover, if the location of the conference that was supposed to be the catalyst for the Western Alliance was isolated and under attack, the situation was critical.
'If Song of the Crouching Flame and Bigjo are killed here, the Western Alliance will not be formed, and internal conflict could arise among the beastkin.'
Especially, Crosstel, a gangster organization composed of beastkin from the western region, was a place where Bigjo, a influential figure, had persuaded organizations from different factions to create a united system.
If Bigjo died, these organizations could return to hostility and enter into war.
Furthermore, if the incident was caused by a monster attack, not the Imperial army, it would be impossible to provide a just cause.
Even if the conference ended well, if Kali's army moved, the Imperial troops stationed in the Ghetto area under the pretext of a peacekeeping force would undoubtedly cause conflict.
'Still, I can enter with the permission of Allensia, using monster extermination as an excuse.'
After much deliberation, Zeke decided to go directly to the Ghetto area to rescue them.
Zeke spoke to Decker, the captain.
"Is it possible for the Black Sword Knights to set out?"
Decker nodded and replied, "We can set out immediately, but considering supplies, we need some preparation time."
Zeke shook his head at those words.
"I'll tell Princess Melissa to get supplies through the Allensia route, so that's not a problem."
"Understood. I'll prepare for departure right away."
The Black Sword Knights' official first mission was set to be clearing out monsters in the Ghetto area.
Captain Draker, Vice-Captain Farrel, and Clonne quickly began preparations.
Over two hundred knights gathered in the central training ground of Agamemnon Castle, including the Shield Unit from the 8th Delpoa Knights, former Rose Knights, archers and mages led by Claire.
"Black Sword Knights! Move out!"
Zeke, with the qualifications of a lord, led the knights to the western region's Ghetto.
* * *
Two Imperial Intelligence Agency operatives peeked their heads out from between the rocks in the wasteland and scanned the area.
Seeing the monster group in the distance, one of the operatives clicked his tongue.
"Ha, I've never seen so many Ogres gathered in a place like this. What the hell did the 13th Division do?"
Ogres were typically high-risk monsters living in deep forests.
Suddenly, groups of Ogres along with other high-risk monsters like Minotaurs and Cyclops had appeared throughout the wasteland.
These monsters had devastated the Ghetto area and blocked all paths inside.
The operatives' role was to check for any abnormalities among the monsters daily and report to their superiors.
Another operative leaning against the rock spoke.
"Stop talking nonsense. Don't you know the atmosphere isn't good since the new director took over?"
As the other operative shrugged, suddenly…
"Huh?"
A strong dust cloud could be seen rising far in the distance.
The operative exclaimed in surprise,
"S-senior, some unfamiliar guys are coming in?"
"What?"
Knights on horseback, holding weapons, were charging towards the monsters, kicking up dust.
The knight at the front raised a black sword and instantly decapitated an Ogre with an Aura Blade.
The Imperial operatives identified the knights' banner.
A red flag with a black sword emblem.
The Imperial operatives' expressions hardened.
'Draker's emblem.'
Only Draker had the privilege of using black and red together on a flag.
However, the emblem with only a black sword was something they had never seen before.
Amidst their confusion, the knights in black armor who had charged in with dust clouds skillfully cut down the monsters.
High-risk monsters were helpless and caught completely off guard.
At that moment
"The Empire's lackeys were hiding here."
Boris appeared behind the hidden operatives.
'When did he...?'
The operatives tried to create an opening to escape, but it was useless.
Visco appeared with his assassins.
Visco said to Boris,
"Commander, what should we do with these guys?"
Boris gestured and said, "Tie them up so they can't escape. I'll take them to my lord."
The Black Sword Knights swept away all the monsters in the surrounding area and returned to the Allensia border defense headquarters.
With their headquarters set up inside, Boris dragged the security agents to the central command tent where Zeke was.
THUD!
The captured agents knelt and looked up at the person sitting in the center of the tent.
A young knight wearing Draker's conquest uniform and black gloves symbolizing a pure-blooded awakener.
The agents' faces turned pale.
"Z-Zeke Draker."
Clonne, standing nearby, suddenly kicked the side of the agent who had called out his name.
THWACK!
The agent rolled to the side.
"You little punk. Is he your friend? Who are you to just call out his name like that?"
Zeke Draker, a senior Draker knight, lord of the northern region of Troy principality, heir to the Agamemnon family, and a duke of the Cusco Kingdom, was not an ordinary knight but a lord with the qualifications of a monarch.
The agent kicked by Clonne gasped, possibly with a broken rib.
Zeke looked down at the agents while sitting at an angle.
"What business does the Intelligence Agency have in the Ghetto area?"
The natural dragon-like pressure and charisma made the agents feel an instinctive fear of Zeke.
'He's... so different from the rumors...'
In the Empire, Zeke was treated as a young knight who was fortunate enough to become a pure-blooded awakener and grew up with family support.
The assessment was that Kali's influence behind him was more significant than Zeke Draker's own power.
But seeing Zeke Draker in person, all those assessments were nonsense.
He was the very embodiment of a ruler who looked down on everything.
Moreover, the other knights standing around Zeke were not to be underestimated.
It seemed they could slice their throats with the same swords that had cut down high-risk monsters.
One of the intelligence agents said to Zeke,
"W-we are Imperial military. Draker and the Empire have a non-aggression treaty..."
WHOOSH!
At that moment, Clonne picked up a mace and began to swing it vigorously.
SWISH! SWISH!
As the heavy mace cut through the air, the atmosphere seemed to tear.
The agents' faces turned white looking at Clonne.
Zeke, resting his chin on his hand, said to them,
"How dare you talk about a non-aggression treaty after arbitrarily entering the demilitarized Ghetto area."
The Imperial agent panicked,
"N-no. T-that..."
Clonne stepped forward, raising her mace.
"You little punk! Speak clearly!"
WHOOSH!
The mace swept past the agent's face.
SCREEEECH
The shock wave tearing through the air made the agent's ears ring as if his eardrums were torn, and he trembled in fear.
Zeke gestured, and Clonne immediately stepped back.
He said to Boris,
"Take them away and thoroughly investigate why they're here. If they don't talk, give Clonne a chance to crack their heads."
Clonne, stroking her mace, let out a cruel laugh.
"You guys. Endure well. I'll test just how hard your heads are."
The agents, trembling in fear, were dragged away by Boris.
As they left, Draker approached Zeke and said,
"My lord, if these monsters were indeed released by the Imperial military, they won't stay quiet."
Zeke nodded and replied,
"Probably. But they can't move too openly. If it's revealed that they attacked the Ghetto area by releasing monsters, they can't avoid international condemnation."
Farrel added,
"However, my lord, the Empire is persistent and unpredictable. If the monsters are indeed moving under their command... they might launch a full-scale offensive against us."
Zeke smiled slightly,
"If that happens, good. It'll make things easier."
* * *
Zeke entered the Ghetto area with the Black Sword Knights, crossing the Alencia border.
The Ghetto area, composed of wasteland and endless canyons, was home to dozens of small and large beastkin autonomous districts
It was a barren land, but the beastkin had defended this land of their ancestors for over hundreds of years.
The old fortress, one of the ancient ruins inside the Ghetto area, was where Helen was located.
Before directly entering there, Zeke decided to enter one of the beastkin autonomous districts to understand the Ghetto's situation.
Defeating monsters that charged at them, the Black Sword Knights rushed at full speed toward their targeted beastkin autonomous district.
The arrived district was quieter than expected.
A soil wall encircled the area, with double iron fences laid beneath it.
Watchtowers and guard posts were installed everywhere, making it seem difficult for monsters to approach.
As proof, the bodies of dead monsters were scattered in the moat in front of the iron fence, covered in dust.
Zeke sent Farrel, a honorable knight, with a letter requesting permission to enter the autonomous district.
Knowing the beastkin's nature of hating humans, Zeke expected they would not easily open their doors, even if they were coming to exterminate monsters.
In his previous life, the Western Alliance army composed of beastkin had refused to form an alliance with human armies.
The multi-ethnic alliance of the Northern Continent had even refused to participate because humans were at its core.
The only human they officially recognized was one person: Helen Draker from the Troy Duchy, who had resisted until the very end.
At that time, Helen, a Draker rebel, had resisted the Empire and Abel until her final moment, ultimately meeting a heroic death on the battlefield.
Song of the Crouching Flame, who led the Western Alliance army, had exceptionally expressed condolences for Helen Draker's death.
But Farrel, who had gone to the autonomous district, brought back an answer different from Zeke's expectations.
"My lord, the situation inside the autonomous district is not good."
"What do you mean?"
Farrel whispered quietly in Zeke's ear.
Zeke's expression hardened after hearing his words.
'An epidemic is spreading inside?'
Farrel carefully said,
"The tribal chief wants to meet my lord first."
Though he couldn't tell what kind of epidemic it was, rashly entering with the knights in such a situation would be reckless.
After pondering, Zeke gave an order.
"First, set up a base here and observe the situation."
Although the situation had turned out differently than expected, securing this autonomous district was crucial to blocking the monsters spread across the Ghetto area and rescuing Helen, Song of the Crouching Flame, and Bigjo.
As this was the closest autonomous district to the old fortress where they were isolated, Zeke wanted to secure a route to the old fortress and safely rescue those trapped.
If Song of the Crouching Flame or Bigjo were to be killed during an ambush, forming the Western Alliance army would become impossible, so he needed to move conservatively and carefully.
'I'll enter and assess the situation first.'
Zeke could remain unaffected by any epidemic.
He entered the autonomous district alone to hear the tribal chief's story.
As he stood at the entrance, the thick double iron gates opened. Zeke slowly entered.
And upon entering the autonomous district, Zeke was shocked by the scene before his eyes.