391
Chapter 391
"Huh?"
Alicia frowned as she looked at Zeke who had called her name.
She spoke toward Zeke while emanating a rough energy.
"How do you know my name?"
Zeke was surprised at himself for unconsciously saying Alicia's name.
'Seeing her face directly, my heart wavers even though I know.'
After calming down, he spoke to Alicia in a composed voice.
"As a Guardian Knight of Draker, I naturally know the name of the Northern Grand Duke known as the White Wolf."
Startled by Zeke's words, Alicia's eyes grew fiercer at hearing the name Draker.
"A damn Guardian Knight of Draker... So you're that Zeke Draker or whatever?"
Zeke was more surprised that Alicia already knew about him.
'For Alicia, who shows no interest in outside news, to know about me... I must have become quite famous.'
Zeke maintained a deliberately calm expression and nodded.
"That's right. I am Zeke Draker."
Then Alicia picked up the Wolf fang Sword she had thrown on the ground.
The knights around them became more alert and sharpened their energy toward Alicia.
Zeke raised his hand to stop them.
"It's fine. I'll talk with the Northern Grand Duke, so everyone just continue eating."
At his command, the Black Specter Squad and Barbarian units immediately put away their weapons and returned to their seats.
The knights of Reina and Tourn hesitated at those words, but after briefly reading the situation, they sat down.
Even so, Reina couldn't take her eyes off that suspicious intruder, unable to believe they were really the Northern Grand Duke.
Alicia spoke to Zeke while holding the Wolf fang sword.
"I don't know if you're stupid or just confident. At this distance, if I swing my sword, you'll die instantly."
Zeke smiled inwardly at Alicia's words.
'She's really just like before.'
Seeing her charge forward fiercely without thinking again, Zeke felt more emotions creeping up than he had expected.
He had never felt these emotions when meeting other past life connections after regressing.
That's how special Alicia was to Zeke.
While he was away on a mission, Alicia was attacked by the Imperial Army and ultimately died in battle.
After losing her like that, Zeke left the Northern Continent and wandered aimlessly across the continent.
The Central Continent swept by the Imperial Army was utterly desolate, filled only with despair and anguish.
Consumed by thoughts that he wasn't strong enough to protect Alicia and had lost his place to stay, Zeke moved wherever his feet took him until he found the Elder Dragon's relic in the Ice Mountains.
And after a long time, he reached the now living Alicia again.
But Alicia couldn't know about that past life at all, so those memories belonged only to Zeke himself.
That's when it happened.
WHOOSH!
From her sitting position, Alicia suddenly swung the Wolf fang Sword toward Zeke.
Zeke quickly drew Bahamut to block the Wolf fang Sword.
CLANG!
When the swords collided, it sounded like a giant metal bell shattering.
Even though he hurriedly deployed a force field, his wrist tingled.
'Indeed, this is the power of a Great Warrior.'
Having been the closest companion in his past life, Zeke knew Alicia's abilities better than anyone.
The Himonas bloodline had ruled the North for a long time.
There was one reason they were able to subdue the rough lords of the North and establish themselves as kings of the North.
It was because they possessed strong power.
The power mentioned here wasn't symbolic power, but literally meant 'strength.'
The founder of Himonas was none other than a Great Warrior with the force to uproot mountains, literally strong enough to pull mountains out.
That terrifying strength was passed down through the Himonas bloodline and reached its peak with Alicia.
Before her Great Warrior strength, magic and aura and everything else became meaningless.
That's why Alicia couldn't help but be surprised seeing Zeke block her sword without difficulty.
She lowered the Wolf fang Sword and said:
"You have skills worthy of being arrogant."
Knowing Alicia's personality, Zeke knew this was high praise coming from her.
Zeke also put away Bahamut and said:
"I now understand how heavy the Guardian of the North's sword is."
Hearing Zeke's words, a strange light flickered in Alicia's eyes.
"Guardian of the North. How curious. I never expected Draker to use such an expression."
"How could I deny that Himonas is the sword that protects the North? I merely stated a fact."
At those words, Alicia let out a snicker.
Then she threw one of the frozen bear paws at her feet toward Zeke.
"Payment for the soup."
Zeke was inwardly shocked to see Alicia give him a bear paw.
'Alicia sharing food with someone...?'
As a Great Warrior, Alicia's eating habits were different.
Her principle was that without proper meals, she couldn't exert her full strength.
That's why Alicia always prioritized eating.
So her sharing food was clearly a sign of goodwill.
He picked up the frozen bear paw and used Anexi's dagger to cut off some meat and put it in his mouth.
'Bear meat. It's been a while.'
It was something he ate often when he was with Alicia.
As the bear meat entered his mouth, memories of the past surfaced freshly.
Reina wore a confused expression as she watched the two sit face to face, tearing into bear paws.
'What kind of situation is this?'
Only after finishing all the meat from the bear paw did Alicia rise from her seat.
"Whew, now I'm finally getting full."
She looked at Zeke and said.
"So what brings a Guardian Knight of Draker all the way to the North?"
Alicia was finally asking about Zeke's purpose.
Zeke also put down the cleanly stripped bone and spoke.
"I came to stop monsters trying to invade the Northern Continent."
Alicia responded as if surprised:
"For what reason would Draker? Are you using monsters as an excuse to attack Himonas?"
Alicia had absolutely no trust in Draker.
Zeke shook his head and calmly replied.
"The Empire, not Draker, has such intentions."
"What?"
When Zeke seriously responded to what was half a joke, Alicia showed a surprised face instead.
Zeke stood up and explained the situation to Alicia.
"I'm returning from stopping Imperial forces trying to invade Barkal. They've joined hands with dark mages to open gates summoning monsters. As you said, they aim to devour the Northern Continent under the pretext of a monster invasion."
Alicia frowned deeply at Zeke's words.
"These damn Empire bastards dare..."
The other knights held their breath at the murderous energy emanating from her body.
Alicia naturally exuded a different kind of pressure than knights who used aura.
'No wonder the Northern lords tremble in fear.'
More than a few lords had underestimated young Alicia and lost their lives to her.
Thanks to that, the Northern Continent could unite firmly around Alicia.
Zeke spoke to the fuming Alicia.
"If the Northern Continent falls, the Central Continent won't be safe either. I want to help the Grand Duke defeat the monster army and Imperial forces."
Alicia raised her head and looked into Zeke's eyes.
With good intuition, she often tried to determine if someone was telling the truth through their eyes, and she was usually right.
After checking his gaze, she was convinced Zeke was telling the truth.
"Fine, let's do that."
Though she disliked that he was from Draker, Alicia liked Zeke himself.
Alicia said to Zeke:
"For now, let's go to Himonas Castle together. I was chasing monsters and fell off a cliff, got lost, then came here following the delicious soup smell. My subordinates are probably looking for me."
Zeke immediately understood her words.
'She did this often. She has a terrible sense of direction too.'
Though she was sturdy enough not to get hurt, she often got lost after charging ahead recklessly by herself.
"Since we know the way to Himonas, we should go up together. Let's make plans to strike them after regrouping at the castle."
Alicia nodded at those words.
But then something strange appeared outside the cave.
Zeke and Alicia turned their heads simultaneously.
'This is the energy of magical beasts.'
Before Zeke could speak, Alicia immediately grabbed her Wolf fang Sword and rushed outside.
ROAR!
The cries of magical beasts echoed from outside the cave.
Zeke followed her out holding Bahamut.
Alicia was flying across the snow field with her Wolf fang sword, cutting magical beasts in half.
SPLASH!
In an instant, the magical beasts turned to mush, dirtying the pure white snow field.
Alicia shook the magical beast blood off her Wolf fang sword and clicked her tongue.
"Damn persistent magical beasts."
Zeke approached Alicia and asked:
"Were these magical beasts chasing the Grand Duke?"
She nodded.
"Yes, there was a large magical beast holding position above. It controlled magical beasts and monsters to keep attacking us. I went up alone to catch that beast but ended up falling from the cliff."
If it had been any knight other than Alicia, they would surely have died falling from the cliff.
'A cunning magical beast that controls monsters and magical beasts, could it be…?'
Zeke recalled the Qiongqi he faced on the Southern Islands.
He asked Alicia:
"Do you remember what the magical beast looked like?"
Alicia tilted her head before nodding.
"Hmm, how should I describe it... Like a sheep but also like a wild boar. It had sharp, stiff hair like blades all over its body."
Zeke figured out the beast's identity from Alicia's description.
'Taotie. To think one of the Four Fiends was here.'
Qiongqi and Taotie were among the Four Fiends he had caught with his past life's master, Nigel.
Though weaker than Qiongqi, Taotie was cunning and clever, making it difficult to capture.
But one thing was strange.
'I thought Taotie lived in the mountains between Thebea and Argos, not the Northern Continent.'
Unlike Qiongqi who built up power in the Southern Islands before coming to the Central Continent, Taotie's habitat had always been there.
It was strange for it to leave its habitat and come up to the Northern Continent.
Exceptional beings like the Four Fiends rarely ever left their habitats.
'Could the Abyss be behind this?'
While Zeke was pondering about Taotie, something approached from across the snow field.
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
Alicia and Zeke raised their heads to look toward the sound.
ROAR!
Surprisingly, magical beasts and monsters corrupted by magical energy were charging toward them while letting out strange cries.
Seeing this, Alicia immediately tried to rush forward holding her Wolf fang Sword.
But then Zeke blocked her path.
"What?"
Alicia responded sharply looking at Zeke who blocked her.
Though she was surprised his reaction speed matched hers, that wasn't important right now.
Zeke spoke to Alicia.
"We don't need to face them one by one here."
"You want to run away with enemies right in front?"
"I'm saying let's deal with them more efficiently."
Zeke shouted to his companions behind:
"Felix! Reina! Lead the troops to the highest point possible!"
Though Felix and Reina who had followed out late didn't know what was happening, they followed his words and led the troops to higher ground.
After confirming their quick movement, Zeke turned toward the charging magical beasts and monsters, took a stance, and activated the Lion's Roar skill.
ROAR!
Powerful vibrations spread across the snow field.
Alicia frowned watching Zeke.
"Hey, what are you..?"
That's when it happened.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
They could see massive piles of snow rolling down over the path where the magical beasts and monsters were charging.
Zeke shouted to Alicia.
"Run!"