Chapter 329
Chapter 329
Chapter 329
The mages quickly recognized him and tried to counterattack in a different way, but Zeke's response was faster.
Zeke's figure disappeared and reappeared in front of them.
As his sword flashed with light, the mages' heads fell in an instant.
Through the shadows of the surviving mages, Zeke read their information and discovered their identity.
'As expected, they were Imperial bastards.'
In the end, all dozen or so mages managing the magic circle fell to Zeke's sword, and the already overflowing magic circle went into a complete meltdown without proper follow-up measures.
CRACKLE!
As the magic circle stopped functioning, the surrounding fog began to clear completely.
The orcs standing guard were suddenly bewildered.
"Wh-what?"
At that moment, something rushed toward the orcs.
"KRAAAAAAH!"
Seeing the barbarians charging with battle cries, the orcs raised their axes.
"B-block them!"
But it was useless as the clubs wielded by the barbarians sent the unprepared orcs flying in one strike.
CRACK!
The orcs collapsed with their armor crumpling under the barbarians' clubs and fists.
When Zeke returned after completely resolving the magic circle situation, none of the orcs in the vicinity were standing properly.
He recovered his strength by absorbing some of the fallen orcs.
Soon the fog cleared completely, and the knights waiting on the warships safely landed at the port.
"Sweep away all the remaining ones."
Following Decker's orders, the Black Sword Knights went on an orc hunt.
Thanks to their experience fighting many monsters and beasts in the ghetto area, the Black Sword Knights skillfully clashed with the orcs and defeated them.
In just one day, the Black Sword Knights were able to reclaim the Holy Kingdom's port.
When the situation was settled, Shadia, who was organizing the port and examining traces of remaining enemies under Zeke's orders, returned.
Shadia came back to Zeke and reported.
"Boss, there were no survivors. Most were transported, and the rest appear to have fallen victim to the Orcs."
Orcs had a habit of killing enemies and eating their flesh.
This was due to their belief that eating the enemy's blood, flesh, and heart would make them grow into stronger warriors than before.
Shadia had discovered a place where the bones of humans eaten by the Orcs were collected.
Zeke relayed this situation to the Knights.
"If we leave them be, sacrifices like this will continue to happen."
The Black Sword Knights and Silver Knights were filled with rage upon learning of the Orcs' atrocities.
Zeke requested additional reinforcements from Kali through the communication channel to secure the port, and Kali decided to dispatch additional troops through Helen.
After ending the communication, Zeke said to Decker.
"Leave this place to the Silver Knights, and the Black Sword Knights will head straight to the Vadoka Kingdom."
Following Zeke's decision, the Silver Knights would guard the port while the Black Sword Knights quickly prepared and rushed down the road connected to Vadoka.
During several days of marching, the Knights had to engage in several battles.
Not only did monsters and magical beasts block their path, but sometimes Orc legions would attack.
However, they were no match for the Black Sword Knights.
After days of traveling along the road, the Black Sword Knights reached the path leading into Badoka.
Examining the path, Zeke said to Decker.
"We'll need to split up here for a while."
"My lord, please be careful."
Zeke nodded lightly, then turned towards the monastery where Bacchus was supposedly hiding, taking only Bucephalus, Boris, and Shadia with him.
The old monastery marked as Bacchus's location was in the mountains, slightly removed from the Badoka Kingdom.
It was perfect for hiding as it was in a remote area where people rarely visited.
Zeke, Boris, and Shadia infiltrated around the old monastery through the mountains.
Before entering the monastery, Zeke set up a temporary camp in a nearby cave.
He planned to infiltrate the monastery after fully recovering their strength there.
After settling in the cave, Zeke sent out ghost soldiers to scout the surroundings and distributed food from his inventory to Boris and Shadia.
However, Shadia seemed to show strange signs.
She looked like she had something to say to Zeke.
"Shadia, if you have something to say, say it."
At Zeke's words, Shadia hesitated before speaking.
"Boss, as you may remember, the contract period with Salmak will soon expire."
Zeke nodded upon hearing Shadia's words.
"Time has already come to that."
Seeing Zeke without any particular response, Shadia rather showed a slightly anxious expression and asked him.
"I wanted to ask if you'll extend the contract."
"Contract extension…?"
At Shadia's words, Zeke raised his head, looked at her, and said.
"Do you need more time to kill me as the Mountain Elder ordered?"
At Zeke's words, Shadia flinched in surprise and trembled once.
Even though Zeke hadn't released any killing intent or put pressure on her, cold sweat ran down her forehead.
In this situation, Boris beside them was calmly eating bread with a peaceful expression.
Shadia realized that Zeke had noticed her secret orders from a very long time ago.
She looked at Zeke and said.
"...Did you bring me on this mission to dispose of me?"
At those words, Zeke smirked.
"Why would I need to kill you with my own hands when I paid good money to hire you?"
From Zeke and Boris's reactions, it didn't seem like they were trying to kill her.
She calmed her mind and said while looking at Zeke.
"If you knew the Mountain Elder's intentions, why did you keep me by your side?"
To that, Zeke replied.
"I told you. We had a contract, and I simply used your abilities according to that contract. Shadia, you were more capable than expected, making it a profitable contract for me."
At Zeke's words, Shadia slowly opened her mouth.
"Is there something you want from me?"
At those words, Zeke clicked his tongue.
"It's not what I want, but what you want."
Hearing his words, Shadia showed a confused expression.
'What I want?'
Since being raised by the Mountain Elder and becoming Salmak's disciple, she had never thought about what she wanted.
If there was a mission, she followed it, and if there was a target to kill, she killed without fail.
For someone like her, achieving what she wanted was beyond imagination.
Zeke spoke to Shadia, who was making a strange expression without saying anything.
"Don't you have anything you want for yourself?"
Shadia couldn't answer for a long time even to Zeke's direct question.
Then finally, she opened her mouth.
"...I've never thought about it."
At those words, Zeke nodded.
"You might not know well what you want. Boris, what do you want?"
Then Boris answered without hesitation.
"I dreamed of a leisurely life with time off."
"Oh my, then you chose the wrong profession."
At Zeke's words, Boris gave a bitter smile.
Boris was a talented individual who passed the Imperial Guard Knights test through difficult study and training for a comfortable pension and life without overtime work. However, during the testing process, his aptitude scores as a spy were so outstanding that he was forcibly recruited into Division 13.
Boris had become too competent and ended up far from the life he desired.
Zeke spoke while looking at Shadia.
"Everyone has something they want. Whether they can achieve it or not is a different matter."
Shadia, who had a complicated expression, looked at Zeke and said,
"May I ask what it is that you desire, Boss?"
Zeke fell silent at Shadia's words.
Boris, who was tearing and eating bread, also raised his head and looked at Zeke.
He too was equally curious about what Zeke desired and what his goals were.
Zeke slowly opened his mouth while receiving the gazes of the two people.
"I wanted to become the strongest on the continent."
Shadia and Boris had blank expressions at the unexpected answer.
Just looking at the statement about becoming the continent's strongest, it felt similar to a child saying they wanted to become a hero or find a treasure island when they grow up.
However, when Zeke, who was right in front of them, spoke of becoming the continent's strongest, it didn't feel like an empty boast at all.
He looked at Boris and Shadia and said,
"I've always wondered. Why I dreamed of becoming the continent's strongest."
The life Zeke experienced in his previous life was incomparably more painful than now.
After regressing, he didn't want to repeat that painful life from back then.
The pain he felt in his previous life was mixed with various hurts.
The sorrow from things he had to lose because he was weak, and the guilt over things he couldn't protect because of that.
The reason he dreamed of becoming the continent's strongest was because he wanted to have the freedom to not succumb to any danger by becoming strong enough to not experience all these pains.
At first, he thought becoming a Black Knight would achieve that.
But there were many hidden strong ones on the continent, and Zeke hadn't yet become the free being he had dreamed of becoming.
Zeke looked at Shadia and said,
"Shadia, I wanted to be free. Free from all those things that bind and constrain me."
The word freedom deeply embedded itself in Shadia's heart.
Zeke continued speaking.
"What bound me most was none other than the name Draker. Something that couldn't be erased even if I wanted to. I thought the only way to escape from it was to become strong enough to not be bound by that name. That's how that goal came about. To become strong enough that even the Draker, the continent's strongest family, couldn't hold me."
Boris and Shadia were surprised, feeling as if they had glimpsed the true feelings inside Zeke's hard shell.
Zeke looked at such Shadia and said,
"Shadia, you asked if I would dispose of you. My answer is no. Even if you return to Salmak, I won't harm you. The reason I can do this is because I'm stronger than Salmak. I am strong enough that even if all of Salmak struggles to kill me, they can't do anything."
Shadia knew that Zeke's words were not empty boasts.
'Salmak... can never handle Zeke Draker.'
Shadia looked at Zeke and said,
"...When I find what I want, may I tell you then?"
"Sure. I'll wait."
Shadia trembled slightly at Zeke's words.
Because she felt what was hidden in the meaning of his words.
If she chose freedom and left Salmak, Zeke would accept her without hesitation.
Shadia placed her hand on her heart.
She could hear the strong heartbeat.
She recalled the loneliness embedded in this heart.
If she betrayed the Mountain Elder, this loneliness would surely activate immediately and kill her.
The suspicious Mountain Elder had implanted such loneliness in all his subordinates, including himself.
'Can I dream of freedom that I couldn't dream of before?'
It seemed like Zeke could return freedom to her.
Even if not, Shadia didn't want to return to the Mountain Elder anymore.
She was already drawn to the existence called Zeke Draker, and wanted to watch his progress from beside him.
"Boss, I..."
Just as Shadia, who had been contemplating, was about to say something to Zeke.
Suddenly, Zeke's eyes flashed.
"Something's coming."
The ghost warriors sent for reconnaissance had sent signals about discovering something suspicious.
Zeke shared the ghost warriors' vision and observed the surroundings.
More than ten black shadows revealed themselves toward the old monastery.
People with pale skin and long hair, wearing leather clothes with no sense of season, appeared riding horses with red gleaming eyes.
Zeke immediately recognized who they were.
'They're vampires from Red Eye.'
Although Bacchus was a vampire hybrid, he hadn't known he would be connected to Red Eye, a vampire gang.
Red Eye was an armed group composed of vampires, and they were an organization with serious conflicts with the Nostra Family over the eastern sphere of influence.
While the Nostra Family was organized around blood ability users, Red Eye was centered around vampires armed with necromancy.
Zeke recalled Garin, the Royal Vampire he had killed in the Inverted Tower.
'The blood magic he used was quite troublesome.'
The blood magic book obtained from killing Garin, the Royal Vampire, remained intact in Zeke's inventory.
He had given it to Richmond to research, but since it was magic that only the vampire race could learn from the beginning, they just kept it for now, not knowing how to use it.
Zeke was certain that the Red Eye vampires were heading to the monastery.
Zeke stood up from his seat.
"They're moving. Get ready."