Chapter 364
Chapter 364
Chapter 364
'Stop the Draker family?'
Looking at Zeke's confused eyes, Kali nodded.
"It's understandable to be surprised by such a sudden topic."
"No. I was just wondering what it means to stop the family."
Kali nodded at Zeke's words.
"On the surface, I was the most Draker-like knight. I actually was. Until I received the Guardian Knight position."
"So did your thoughts change after becoming a Guardian Knight?"
Kali took another sip of tea, remained silent for a moment, then spoke again.
"The Draker family... had far more problems than I thought."
The power of Draker, the ruler of Midland who controls the Central Continent in one hand, is beyond imagination.
Although Ishtar and Nirvana are classified as the same top 3 transcendent families, they were no match in terms of actual influence.
There was no single country or empire within the Central Continent that could be compared to Draker, though they didn't take the form of an empire.
Zeke looked at Kali and asked.
"You already knew that Draker didn't rise to this position through clean methods, sister."
Kali shook her head at his words.
"What I'm talking about isn't Draker's cold and cruel methods."
"Then what is it?"
After contemplating, Kali slowly opened her mouth.
"The Draker family is trying to manipulate the Central Continent as they please."
"There's already no place within the Central Continent that can go against the Draker family."
Kali looked at Zeke and said.
"Why do you think that is? Just because Draker has many strong knights?"
Zeke finally realized what Kali was talking about.
"Don't tell me, Draker is interfering with other kingdoms too?"
Kali nodded.
"Draker uses every method available to maintain power. They don't hesitate to use assassination, threats, bribery, even brainwashing."
Zeke was shocked by Kali's words, which were much more radical than expected.
'They're no different from those Jiemens bastards.'
Suddenly something crossed Zeke's mind.
'Wait, if they're intervening in various ways for power... those many illegal experiments by Jiemens. Could Draker really have been unaware of them?'
Zeke finally realized the fact he had overlooked until now.
He clenched his teeth.
'Everything Jiemens did was ultimately done with Draker's approval.'
Zeke became convinced that Draker knew about both Jiemens's illegal experiments and the black magic rituals connected with the abyss, but chose to ignore them.
They only take the experimental results under Jiemens's name and cut off the seeds of discord before they grow bigger.
It was a very Draker-like method.
Realizing this fact, Zeke clenched his fist and tried to suppress his rising anger.
'Since my regression, I had forgotten about this cursed family.'
Zeke recalled his miserable past from his previous life and pondered the true nature of Draker.
Then Kali looked at Zeke and said.
"A Guardian Knight works to prevent such dark aspects of Draker from being exposed to the outside. Literally, they bear the duty of protecting the family's honor."
Zeke understood why Duke had said Kali lacked capability when evaluating her.
It wasn't that she lacked capability, but rather her nature was too upright to endure and witness Draker's dirty deeds.
Duke probably couldn't become a Guardian Knight for similar reasons.
In contrast, Zeke was far from having such an upright nature.
That's why Arthur must have chosen Zeke, not Kali, as his successor.
Zeke looked at Kali and said.
"Sister, do you wish to reform the family?"
Kali's expression became complicated upon hearing his words.
She opened her mouth with difficulty.
"...Actually, I'm not sure. What it is that I want to do. Zeke, I am a knight. A knight is someone who trains with a sword, shows loyalty to someone, and carries out their assigned duties well. The choices I had to make as a knight and as a Draker were so different. That's why I'm still confused."
Kali had no choice but to constantly worry, as she took pride in being a Draker knight but could not accept Draker's evil deeds.
Kali, who had been silent with a complicated expression, looked at Zeke and said.
"I'm sorry, Zeke. I ended up burdening you with a difficult task."
At those words, Zeke shook his head.
"No. I understand well what feelings you hold, Sister."
Zeke held Kali's hand and said.
"As someone who has just become a Guardian Knight, it seems premature for me to judge everything yet. However, if a major crossroads of choice comes as a Guardian Knight, I will definitely speak to you then, Sister."
Hearing Zeke's words, Kali smiled brightly.
"Yes, that's enough."
Kali rose from her seat with a much lighter expression.
"Zeke, you don't know how reassuring it is to have you by my side as a Guardian Knight."
"I feel the same way, Sister."
Zeke saw Kali off and returned to his seat.
However, upon returning to his seat, Zeke wore an unsettled expression.
'It doesn't seem like Sister made this decision simply because she couldn't bear Draker's evil deeds.'
With his dragon's senses, Zeke could feel that Kali hadn't told the whole truth.
'Perhaps she discovered something about Arthur Draker.'
Arthur Draker was the one who held the most secrets as the head of the Draker family.
Kali may have faced Arthur's true nature while performing her Guardian Knight duties and felt great aversion to the position of family head.
Seated, Zeke gazed at the view of the Four Seasons Castle and became lost in thought.
'I am different from Sister. I will definitely survive this hell and swallow Draker whole.'
The ill-fated relationship with Draker that continued from his previous life.
Zeke vowed to surely sever that ill fate in this life.
* * *
"We have arrived at the Republic of Dorta. Please exit the shuttle safely. Have a pleasant journey in Dorta."
Zeke opened his eyes while listening to the announcement.
'We've arrived at Dorta.'
As he was about to get off the portal transfer shuttle, Hades sitting next to him started grumbling.
"Sheesh, it would be faster if I just flew myself, but here I am having to move inconveniently by riding these primitive portals."
Zeke looked at Hades and said.
"People these days would be terrified if you changed into your true form. Since they believe dragons enslaved humans. What would you do if they all became Dragon Slayers and came chasing after you trying to catch Hades?"
At Zeke's words, Hades pouted and continued grumbling.
Then Yelin beside them tried to appease Hades awkwardly.
"Lord Hades. Since you might be bored, how about having these?"
Yelin took out sweet snacks she had prepared in advance.
Seeing the snacks, Hades frowned.
"Do you think I'm some child! Sheesh, these guys are really making fun of me."
Despite saying that, Hades was quick to snatch the snacks Yelin offered and stuffed them in his mouth.
His complaints notably decreased once the sweet snacks entered his mouth.
Zeke smiled with satisfaction at Yelin's quick thinking.
Outside the terminal, Muhammad was waiting for Zeke again.
"Sir Zeke!"
Meeting after a long time, Muhammad welcomed Zeke with an moved expression.
"It is an honor to serve the most renowned Knight of Salvation in the continent!"
The news of Zeke receiving the position of Guardian Knight had already spread throughout the continent.
Since Zeke's reputation was so high, news outlets competed to deliver news about him without him having to actively announce anything.
Zeke offered a handshake to Muhammad whom he hadn't seen in a while and smiled.
"It's been a while. However..."
When I turned my head, there was Muhammad who had prepared Zeke's welcome with not only flower decorations but even a band and dance troupe in a splendid golden carriage.
Although he didn't particularly like such elaborate things, he couldn't refuse because of Muhammad's sincerity.
"It's a very splendid carriage."
Muhammad beamed at Zeke's words.
Eventually, Zeke and his companions had to move to the hotel in the elaborate golden carriage.
Muhammad, true to being a member of the Jayed family, handled everything very neatly.
For Zeke, he had emptied the upper floor of the hotel with the strictest security and ensured that no one except Zeke's party could enter or leave.
The topmost floor was arranged for Zeke, Hades, and Yelin to use, while separate rooms were prepared elsewhere for Luther, who was the guide, and Omar, who was the envoy of the Murk Empire.
After the meeting with Julius here ends, they were planning to go straight to meet the Sultan.
Hades, sitting on the floor in Zeke's room, opened his third bag of snacks and said,
"The Eastern Continent, huh. I went there once before with Lord Hyperion."
Hades added the explanation that Lord Hyperion of the Silver clan was the craftsman who made the most intricate and excellent magical equipment among the dragon clan.
Zeke nodded as if he understood completely, because just looking at the King's Golem Knights showed how excellent Hyperion's skills were.
Hades recalled the time he went to the Eastern Continent with eyes lost in memories.
"I remember having deep discussions about their methods of equipment crafting when we met with the dragons of the East with Lord Hyperion. It was really enjoyable. But now that's all become a thing of the past."
Hyperion had entered eternal rest during the Liberation War while he was trapped in Blanca, so they could no longer meet.
Zeke asked Hades where Hyperion's lair was, just in case, and he answered that it was in the Northern Continent.
Since one of the locations of Chronos's seal was in the Northern Continent, Zeke thought that one of the seal fragments might be in Hyperion's lair.
After organizing his thoughts, Zeke asked Hades who was sprawled out,
"So, has there been any progress with the research while I was away?"
Zeke had prioritized sending the Orichalcon he obtained from raiding the cardinals and bishops in Vadoka Holy Nation to Hades.
It was to keep his promise with Hades.
Then Hades lashed out at Zeke.
"Hey! What am I supposed to do with that little amount?! You said you'd make tons of Orichalcon when you find the holy relic!"
Zeke clicked his tongue looking at Hades.
"You said it takes at least a week of pouring power into the holy relic. Am I someone who just plays around? I'll make more when I have time, so first try working with what you have."
Hades grumbled about how one's mind changes between entering and leaving the toilet at Zeke's words, then waved his hand in the air. Suddenly, two sets of armor appeared in the air.
Zeke tilted his head looking at the armor.
"Is this also Hersion? Wait, this looks similar to the armor I brought from the Dragon Slayer's tomb and Sky Tripe Sanctuary, doesn't it?"
Hades nodded.
"Yeah, I took what Feinan and Gelion had and researched it a bit more."
He spun the armor around and pointed to a groove that went into the back.
"Do you know what this is?"
Zeke nodded.
"Yes, I remember the high-compression magic stone fit perfectly in that groove back then."
Zeke replied while recalling when he first found the Dragon Slayer's Tomb.
He had found these armors placed in the Dragon Slayer's Sanctuary which he discovered by chance while looking for high-compression magic stones to make Gelion's furnace.
At the time, he had tried fitting the high-compression magic stone into the armor's groove, but it didn't work because the equipment was deteriorated.
Hades grinned and waved his hand again to take out a high-compression magic stone.
"Where did you get that from? It's hard to obtain these days."
"Made one since there was a fairy stone lying around."
Zeke was surprised at Hades's words.
"You can make high-compression magic stones too?"
"Why are you surprised by something like that? Just make a compressor and put the magic stone in to compress it. But if you only put in magic stones the quality drops, so you need to put in fairy stones together for better output."
Hades replied nonchalantly and inserted the magic stone he was holding into the armor's groove.
Then light started coming from the eye area of the armor's helmet.
At the same time, a message appeared before Zeke's eyes.
[Dragon Slayer exclusive equipment recognized.]
[Magic battery installed in Dragon Slayer exclusive equipment.]
[Activating equipment.]