594
Chapter 594
MEEEEEEH!
The Satyr children, bearing goat horns and legs, wept sorrowfully.
Magical beasts had suddenly rushed in, destroying their village and annihilating all the Satyr warriors who tried to stop them.
The adults had hidden the children between trees behind the village to save them, but the cruel hound-like magical beasts had quickly tracked their scent.
Though the Satyr children knew they needed to hold back their cries, they involuntarily let out sounds of terror as the beasts' fierce breaths drew near.
GRRRR!
The beasts turned their heads and charged fiercely toward the trees, having seemingly located the children's position from their cries.
RAAAAR!
The beasts charged madly straight toward the trees with their massive bodies.
Any tree, no matter how sturdy, would surely be uprooted upon impact with them.
The children embraced each other and wept even more loudly.
MEEEEEEH!
Just as the beasts were about to crash into the trees.
CRACKLE!
Pure white lightning struck all around.
GRRRR!
The beasts struck by lightning collapsed to the ground, oozing viscous fluid from their mouths.
The crying children looked up in surprise at the sudden event.
Then someone approached the trees.
‘So the children are here?.’
Zeke discovered the hiding Satyr children and reached out his hand toward them.
WHOOSH
Warm golden light flowed from Zeke's hand, healing all their wounds.
The Satyr children instinctively sensed Zeke had come to save them and shed tears of relief.
After rescuing all the children hidden under the trees, Zeke loaded them onto a waiting carriage.
The magical beasts that attacked the village all lay charred, while Tantra's soldiers finished off any survivors.
After cleaning up the village attacked by magical beasts, Zeke went up behind the village holding Ascalon.
There lay an abandoned Abyss altar and neglected gate.
The Abyss had installed gates throughout the Eternal Mountains to transport magical beasts and monsters to the central continent.
After the Abyss fell, the beasts previously controlled by dark mages went berserk when the gates were abandoned, randomly attacking nearby farms and villages.
Zeke decided to destroy all abandoned gates to prevent the Abyss remnants from sending more beasts to the central continent.
He immediately fired lightning of light at the gate and altar before him.
BOOM!
With a thunderous noise, the gate and altar completely crumbled to dust.
'This should mostly take care of things.'
Having dealt with the urgent matters first, it wouldn't be easy for dark mages to reopen gates even if they were hiding here.
He planned to send Titus and Ulina to stabilize the Tantra Kingdom and devise proper countermeasures.
Though unintended, having come here and subdued the Tantra Kingdom, Zeke thought to establish a branch of the company centered on the Tantra Kingdom in the Eternal Mountains, like the southern islands and Naga cities.
The Tantra Kingdom, rich in natural resources, had sufficient development potential.
He planned to make it a hub connecting the central continent and Muruk Empire by opening up this long-isolated place due to the blood quality system.
'Though that will take quite some time.'
Thinking things were somewhat settled, Zeke decided to cross the Eternal Mountains to the Muruk Empire to contact his companions.
But then Tosabid rushed toward Zeke.
"My king!"
He stood before Zeke and continued urgently.
"Please come this way. I believe we've found what you were looking for!"
Zeke followed Tosabid down.
There, surprisingly, were dark mages bound before their underground base, captured by Tantra's soldiers.
Entering the base first, Zeke found something familiar.
"Hoo."
Communication equipment connecting to the outside was set up inside the underground base.
Zeke smiled with satisfaction.
'I can resolve the system's unstable communication network using this.'
Zeke immediately accessed the communication equipment through the system.
[External communication network secured.]
As communication blocked by the Eternal Mountains' energy stabilized, system menus appeared.
Among them, Zeke activated the system sharing function he had long blocked.
There was only one person sharing the system with him.
'Sultan of the Muruk Empire. Great Emperor Shahrazad.'
Zeke sent a message to Shahrazad through the system.
[Your Majesty, can you hear my voice.]
After sending the message through the shared system, Zeke waited briefly.
Soon a message appeared before his eyes.
[...Hmm, now I'm hearing things. This is problematic.]
Confirming the sharing function with Shahrazad was activated, Zeke sent another message.
[Your Majesty, it's really me, Zeke Draker.]
Surprisingly, messages came flooding in.
[Huh?]
[Is it really you, Zeke?]
[Not an auditory hallucination?]
[Can you hear me.]
Seeing Shahrazad's flood of messages, Zeke momentarily recalled why he had deactivated this function.
[Your Majesty, I'll explain later.]
He sent an urgent message to Shahrazad.
[I need coordinates to the imperial palace. Right now.]
* * *
Sultan Shahrazad of the Muruk Empire was watching court mages adjust the portal device settings.
Unlike usual, Shahrazad currently wore a quite expectant expression.
The court mages signaled that the settings were complete.
A eunuch approached Shahrazad.
"Your Majesty, preparations are complete."
When Shahrazad nodded, the mages activated the portal.
WHOOSH!
Light rippled in the magic circle and a portal opened above it.
ZZZZZ
Shortly after, someone walked out of the portal.
Shahrazad sprang up from her seat.
"Zeke Draker!"
Seeing Zeke emerge from the portal, Shahrazad welcomed him with delight.
Zeke bowed respectfully to such a Shahrazad.
"Your Majesty, I hope you've been well."
Shahrazad waved her hand at Zeke who showed courtesy first upon meeting.
"Enough. Such formalities aren't needed between us."
Then Raven appeared on Zeke's shoulder.
WHOOSH!
Recognizing Shahrazad, Raven flew toward her.
Seeing the phoenix, most precious being in the Muruk Empire, Shahrazad welcomed Raven with a broad smile.
"Raven! It's been a while. I missed you."
Raven perched on Shahrazad's arm and spread its wings, letting out a phoenix cry.
Zeke shook his head watching Raven.
'That cunning one. Knows exactly who's in power and sticks right to them.'
While feeding Raven prepared premium jerky, Shahrazad asked Zeke.
"Zeke, I was startled to hear your voice in my head. What happened?"
Unable to say he deliberately blocked the shared system, Zeke smoothly made up an answer.
"I'm not sure of the reason... but perhaps our hearts connected through my earnest wish to reach Your Majesty."
Shahrazad looked slightly moved by Zeke's words.
"You say you yearned for me that much."
She was a Sultan who had long guarded the throne alone at the empire's peak.
Though she had many lovers as the empire's Sultan, there was no true love she gave her heart to.
Such a Shahrazad felt her heart flutter at Zeke's single remark.
Zeke felt Shahrazad's gaze on him was like a predator eyeing prey.
Thinking she might persistently persuade him mentioning the Sultan's letter again, he quickly changed the subject.
"Your Majesty, there's a reason I came here urgently."
Shahrazad shook her head at Zeke's words.
"Still so hasty in character. First, we shall hold a seven-day feast celebrating your and Raven's return to the palace. New delicacies and entertaining performances have been prepared, and you have a duty as a guest to enjoy them."
Sultan Shahrazad's way of thinking differed from ordinary people.
Sighing inwardly, Zeke sent her a message through the shared system.
[Your Majesty, Arthur Draker is alive.]
About to guide Zeke to the prepared banquet hall, Shahrazad furrowed her brow at his message.
She sent a message back.
[What do you mean Arthur Draker is alive?.]
[Exactly as I said. Arthur Draker faked his own death. And now he's moving in the shadows to resurrect the Demon King.]
Shahrazad's expression darkened at Zeke's words.
"As you say, this is no time for feasting."
She told the eunuch to cancel the feast and took Zeke to her chamber.
In Shahrazad's chamber, the divine beasts from before startled at seeing Zeke and Raven.
They backed away hesitantly seeing the grown Raven.
Ignoring the cautious attitude of other divine beasts, Raven excitedly let out phoenix cries.
Shahrazad watched Raven as if finding it cute, then reclined on soft cushions and offered Zeke a seat.
"Words spoken here never leak outside, so speak without worry. Why did you say Arthur Draker faked his death?"
Zeke nodded and spoke to Shahrazad.
"Arthur Draker is trying to resurrect the Demon King. But I don't think that's his only goal."
"Oh? You're saying resurrecting the Demon King isn't the goal itself, but he's aiming for something else through it?"
"Yes. Arthur Draker isn't the type to aim for destroying the continent by resurrecting the Demon King. He must be hiding a more sinister purpose."
"Hmm... Arthur Draker. Though I never saw him directly, I've heard much about the Tyrant. Those who returned from the holy war called him a devil."
Zeke nodded at Shahrazad's words.
"Speaking as someone who has seen actual devils, Arthur Draker is more difficult to deal with."
Shahrazad laughed at Zeke's words.
"Haha! Zeke Draker, you've gotten better at jokes."
But seeing Zeke's serious expression, Shahrazad soon showed a surprised face.
"Not a joke?"
"Yes, before coming to the Eastern Continent, I visited the demon realm. There I discussed this matter with the demon realm's Demon lords."
Shahrazad's jaw dropped at Zeke's words.
As Sultan of the Muruk Empire that unified the entire Eastern Continent, she was rarely surprised.
But she couldn't help being surprised at Zeke's words about visiting the demon realm and meeting its Demon lords.
Shahrazad shook her head with a confused expression.
"The demon realm's Demon lords. That's hard to imagine."
"The Demon King and demon realm's great lords are no longer beings of myth and legend. They're a real problem before us now."
Shahrazad nodded at Zeke's words and spoke seriously.
"Yes, I understand the situation. Then what do you want to tell me and the Muruk Empire?"
"You must prepare troops. Arthur Draker won't be satisfied with just the central continent."
"You're saying he'll invade the Eastern Continent too? Hmm."
Shahrazad wore a troubled expression.
Then Zeke continued.
"I know what you're worried about. You're concerned about beyond the Eternal Mountains."
Shahrazad nodded at Zeke's words.
"That's right. One of the Muruk Empire's greatest purposes is guarding the Eternal Wall to prevent magical beasts from moving south. There will be strong opposition if we need to divert troops to stop Arthur Draker and the Demon King who may come at any time."
"Would it be fine if that problem were solved?"
Zeke's eyes flashed as he took something from his chest.
Shahrazad startled at what Zeke produced.
"That is...?"
What Zeke took out was none other than the royal seal of the Tantra Kingdom.