Chapter 403
Chapter 403
The reason why Captain Kidd's route was inserted into Laura Agamemnon's notebook remained unknown.
However, instead of wondering about it, Zeke commanded the system to analyze the route.
'System, analyze and save this route.'
[Detecting sea chart.]
[Scanning and analyzing.]
[Marking the route indicated on the sea chart onto the map.]
Zeke now possessed both the Triangle, the unbreakable ship Captain Kidd used to cross the Dark Sea, and its route.
'With this, I can cross the Dark Sea to reach the Final Tower.'
The Holy King said the Book of the dead containing the Demon King's sealed soul was in the Final Tower.
Even while sealed, the Demon King's soul continuously emitted evil energy, creating demon beasts.
Though its exact form was unknown, his master Duke had suffered such severe trauma from visiting the abandoned continent on a mission that he lost his Black Knight status.
If someone as strong as Duke was shocked to that extent, it meant unimaginable dangers lurked there.
Though Zeke preferred avoiding risks, he needed to prepare since the Book of the dead containing the Demon King's sealed soul was there.
After folding Captain Kidd's sea chart, Zeke felt he needed to research more about it.
Just then, he felt a vibration from within his clothes.
'What's this?'
He realized it was coming from the mirror given by the Hermit of Stories.
Zeke took out the mirror and looked at his reflection. Surprisingly, the Hermit of Stories appeared inside.
—Oh! Glad you received it!
Zeke stared at the mirror in amazement, not knowing it could communicate this way.
"Do I just speak normally?"
―Yes, just speak comfortably. I was worried you wouldn't answer this time either.
"I kept it in my pocket as you said. But what's the matter?"
―Ah, our leader contacted me. As I mentioned before, they want to meet you.
The Highlander leader personally requested a meeting.
'If demon beasts cause more trouble than before, getting help from the Highlanders would be much more advantageous.'
Though few in number, each Highlander was an expert demon beast hunter.
Their direct help would be very beneficial.
Zeke nodded at the Hermit.
"Alright. Where should we meet?"
―Our leader is in a somewhat special situation. Though inconvenient, you'll have to go see him directly.
Zeke nodded at the Hermit's words.
"I understand. Please tell me the location."
―Do you know Storm Castle?
Hearing the Hermit's words, Zeke asked again, thinking he misheard.
"Did you just say Storm Castle?"
―Yes. Storm Castle. Seems you know it. That's good.
He closed and opened his eyes.
"You mean Storm Castle in the middle of the Storm Sea, one of the forbidden zones?"
―You know it very well. That's right, there.
Zeke's head throbbed at the Hermit's words.
"As far as I know, that place is absolutely forbidden, where no one can approach."
―Right. That's why I said our leader is in a somewhat special situation.
This was clearly beyond what could be described as "somewhat special."
Zeke gritted his teeth and spoke.
"...Let's say I accept that. How do I get there? There aren't even any ships going to Storm Sea."
―Right. Since there are no ships, we each borrow a small boat when we go in.
"What? A small boat?"
―The waves are rough, but you can somehow make it. It shouldn’t be too difficult for someone like you?
The Hermit spoke of one of the most forbidden zones as if discussing a picnic.
Zeke realized further discussion would only give him a headache.
"...I understand. I'll find a way."
―Ah, and you must come within a week. Otherwise, you won't be able to see him.
They were quite demanding in various ways.
'A week.'
Even if he left immediately, it would be very tight timing.
After ending communication with the Hermit, Zeke immediately stood up.
'No time to rest comfortably.'
Though grumbling, he headed straight to Himonas before dawn arrived.
* * *
By the time he returned to Himonas, most of the aftermath had been handled.
Zeke used the power of the Third Eye to subjugate the waiting Red Knights, then sent them along with the captured Nightmares to the vampires.
Since he couldn't keep the Red Knights emitting demonic energy in Mycenae, he planned to send them to Carmilla to be secretly hidden until needed for surprise attacks.
For now, he had to think slowly about the Bishop Castic issue as well.
After quickly settling matters, Zeke had to bid a reluctant farewell to Alicia.
Though he wished to stay in Himonas to reminisce about old memories and spend more time with her, the urgent situation wouldn't let him rest easily.
"Zeke Draker, you are a friend of Himonas. Come here anytime. The North will remember its friendship with you."
Alicia extended her hand to the departing Zeke.
Zeke stared at her hand before reaching out to grasp it.
Though they couldn't feel warmth through their gauntlets and gloves, just seeing Alicia alive brought Zeke comfort.
He slowly spoke while looking at her.
"Thank you. I hope the Grand Duke... always takes care."
Alicia made an incredulous expression at those words.
"That's the most useless advice I've ever heard."
Born with the bloodline of a Great Warrior, Alicia had never felt the need to be careful in her life.
Knowing she would respond that way, Zeke smiled slightly while facing her.
"...Make sure to return."
Zeke became particularly emotional in front of Alicia.
He forced himself to gather his emotions and left Himonas.
Not long after departing, Reina approached and said to Zeke.
"The Knight of Salvation's fame will grow even more after saving the Northern Continent."
"I think the newsletters will be more curious about news of our marriage."
Reina's face turned bright red at Zeke's sudden words.
"M-marriage? What do you..."
"Haven't you heard from the head of House Tourn? The family hopes for you and me to marry. There aren't many pureblood Drakers of matching age after all."
Reina could barely breathe as Zeke spoke casually about marriage.
With a bright red face, she managed to speak.
"I-I know. But... I'm not thinking about marriage yet!"
"Is that so? That's fortunate. Neither am I."
At Zeke's words, Reina unconsciously felt disappointed.
'Does he dislike the idea of marrying me? Or does he mean not now?'
She wanted to ask directly but couldn't bring herself to.
Unaware of Reina's inner thoughts, Zeke was lost in thought about Storm Castle.
After organizing his thoughts, Zeke turned to look where Felix was.
"Felix!"
Felix came running immediately at Zeke's call.
"You called, my lord?"
He gave orders while looking at Felix.
"I'll head straight to Aten from here. Lead the troops back to Mycenae."
"What business in Aten?"
"I can't say. When you return to Mycenae, focus on defending the castle. Be thoroughly prepared in case enemies strike our main base."
"Understood, my lord."
After giving orders to Felix, Zeke immediately rode Bucephalus toward Aten.
Watching from behind, Reina wore a dumbfounded expression.
She approached Felix and asked.
"Where is Sir Zeke suddenly going?"
"He said he's going to Aten."
"Aten? Why so suddenly?"
"He didn't tell us. We plan to head to Mycenae as our lord commanded. Will you be returning to Tourn, Lady Reina?"
Reina was confused by Zeke's sudden departure.
She unconsciously gave a different answer than planned.
"No, I'm going to Mycenae too."
"What? What business does Lady Reina have in Mycenae...?"
"W-well, joint training! I was planning to improve my skills through joint training with the Black Sword Knights!"
Felix looked doubtful at Reina’s words but soon nodded.
"Understood for now. Then let’s head to Mycenae together."
Since she wanted to participate in the hellish training of the Black Sword Knights, he had no reason to discourage her.
‘She’ll definitely regret it. But if that’s what she wants, there’s no helping it.’
When Reina chose Mycenae as their destination, the Knights of Tourn who followed her also insisted on coming along after hearing it would be a joint training with the Black Sword Knights.
‘This wasn’t my intention…’
In the end, Reina and the Knights of Tourn set off for Agamemnon Castle along with the Black Specter Squad..
Once he had distanced himself from the group, Draker mounted Bucephalus and soared into the sky.
The biting cold of the northern continent raged against him, but Jerome’s cloak blocked the dreadful chill, allowing him to fly without difficulty.
Thus, riding Bucephalus, Zeke took the aerial route straight to Aten.
However, he didn’t head for the central part of Aten but instead made his way to the coast.
There, he planned to find a ship to cross the Stormy Sea and enter Storm Castle, where the Highlander chief resided.
‘Storm Castle… I thought that was just something out of a storybook, but it actually exists.’
Among the Hero King Kaisir’s adventure series, the most popular episodes alongside the tale of the White Witch included the one about the monster of Storm Castle.
Originally, the Stormy Sea was a calm and clear body of water, where many people lived by fishing.
But one day, a mischievous monster appeared, blowing its breath to capsize fishing boats and devouring all the fish with its massive mouth before tormenting those who tried to flee.
Because of the monster, the once-tranquil sea became murky, and the fishermen had no choice but to leave.
Then one day, the Clock Tower Knights and the Hero King, who happened to be passing by, heard about the monster terrorizing the people and immediately headed out to sea.
He chased the monster down, scolded it thoroughly, and made it promise never to harass people again.
However, the monster broke its promise to the Hero King, shut itself inside an island, and in its spitefulness, summoned fierce storms that prevented anyone from approaching the sea.
That was the legend of Storm Castle.
Zeke searched through the Kaisir Chronicles videos for mentions of Storm Castle, but he couldn’t find anything about the Stormy Sea or the monster.
‘So, was it really just a story?’
Honestly, the fact that the Highlander chief was waiting in a fortress supposedly inhabited by a monster seemed odd to him.
Thinking about what he knew of Storm Castle, Zeke arrived at the coast of the Aten Peninsula.
He entered a nearby village to look for a ship that could take him across the Stormy Sea.
However, the fishermen all waved their hands in refusal as they spoke.
"You want to cross the Stormy Sea? Whoa there! Sir Knight, that's a dangerous thing to say. Even we, who have lived here all our lives, only venture out to the nearby coast. The sea is too rough to go any farther."
"Is there no way to sail into the deeper waters?"
"No way. This place is rougher than the Sea of Death itself. There's a reason this area is considered a continental no-go zone."
Along with the Forest of the Forgotten, the Stormy Sea was classified as a forbidden zone, and no one dared to approach it.
Even from the coast, one could tell how violent the sea was.
‘How did the Silver Sage from the story manage to cross this sea in just a small boat?’
He thought that perhaps it was only possible because the High Tables had surpassed human limitations.
Observing the situation at the shore, Zeke considered summoning the Tyrant to fly over, but he figured that entering the storm’s domain would make flying even more difficult, so he abandoned the idea.
Left with no choice, he decided after some deliberation to take an old boat and try to make the journey.
He moved to a secluded part of the coastline, summoned Bane and Richmond, and pointed at the boat as he spoke.
"Fix this."
Following Zeke’s command, the two Liches, who were a genius necromancer from Nirvana and an eighth-circle ice mage, diligently set about repairing the worn-out boat.
Richmond summoned bones to reinforce the broken parts, while Vane filled the gaps with solid ice.
A few hours later, Richmond and Vane approached him with satisfied expressions.
"It’s all done, Master."
Zeke, who had been leisurely sipping tea and resting, stood up to inspect the boat the Liches had repaired.
"…What is this?"
His mouth fell open at the sight before him.
The old boat was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, waiting for him was a massive, fearsome warship—adorned with grotesque monster bones and razor-sharp ice blades.