[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
Chapter 128
Al and Jeff were startled by the bubbling flask.
"Gasp! Hey, Jeff, is that...?"
"Oh my god! Brother! That's right! It's the fermentation reaction we wanted! Hurry up and get ready!"
Al and Jeff snatched the flask from Zeke's hand, placed it on the lab table, and immediately put on their goggles and masks.
Then they gestured for Zeke to step back.
He wasn't affected anyway because of his All Poisons Immunity, but seeing the twins suddenly bustling around, he got up and stepped back.
The twins started mixing various chemicals into the Soma that Zeke had fermented.
The raw Soma in the flask was repeatedly mixed with all sorts of chemicals and passed through the distillation apparatus.
About an hour later, Al carefully took out a test tube with a blue liquid from the incubator.
He then put a small amount into a beaker for reaction testing.
Al and Jeff made a sample, put it in the magnifying device, and looked inside.
Their faces hardened in an instant.
Zeke, watching this, tilted his head.
'Did it fail?'
Al and Jeff looked at each other and said,
"See that?"
"Yeah. You saw it too, right?"
Then, the two suddenly started screaming and jumping around.
"Success! It's a success!"
"Damn it! We're geniuses after all! We succeeded!"
Al and Jeff had succeeded in developing antibiotics using the Soma fermented by Zeke.
Al and Jeff shouted towards Zeke.
"Sir Zeke! How did you ferment the Soma earlier?"
"That's right! We tried fermenting it with everything, but it never worked!"
Zeke, wondering how to explain the power of decay, opened his mouth.
"It's a secret, so I can't tell you."
The two didn't have the courage to dig deeper into something a pure-blood Draker called a 'secret.'
Zeke asked Al and Jeff,
"To commercialize this antibiotic, do you need to keep fermenting the raw material?"
Al shook his head.
"With this sample, we can cultivate it and ferment the raw material."
Jeff added,
"It might take longer than what Sir Zeke did. Because cultivation takes time."
Zeke was relieved to hear their words, as he was worried about what might happen if he fermented a large quantity, although he had luckily succeeded this time.
It was safer to produce antibiotics by fermenting them safely, even if it took longer.
Zeke looked at Al and Jeff and said,
"But if you've made an antibiotic sample, you don't need additional funding, right?"
The twins' faces turned pale, and they pleaded, spitting as they spoke.
"S-Sir Zeke! This is literally just making a sample! A sample!"
"T-that's right! There are still so many things to test! We have to do clinical trials, and also..."
Zeke grinned at the two.
"Just kidding. I'll continue to support your funding."
Al and Jeff looked blank at Zeke's words.
They had been playing pranks their whole lives, but they were properly tricked by Zeke this time.
Anyway, having achieved results, Al and Jeff carefully stored the antibiotic sample and packed up their toolbox.
Zeke saw them off and said,
"Next time, I'll visit your lab."
Al and Jeff hiccuped at those words.
"Y-you don't have to..."
"W-we can just contact each other from afar."
As soon as the carriage arrived, Al and Jeff quickly put their toolbox in and ran away.
Decker, who was behind them, was surprised to see the twins fleeing in a hurry.
"Wow, you subdued those brats in an instant. You're amazing, Master."
Zeke gave a wry smile at Decker's words.
"It's harder to handle them if you think of them as children. Rather than that, Decker, I have something to tell you, so let's talk for a moment."
***
"Are you asking me to be the Knight Commander?"
Decker had a surprised expression at Zeke's words.
Zeke nodded as he sipped his fragrant tea.
"You must have heard that I didn't choose a Knight Order at the initiation ceremony."
Decker nodded and said,
"Do you know how surprised I was to hear that from Duke-nim? You said it was no big deal when you stopped by the mansion before going on the mission. But to think you went alone on an A-rank mission..."
"I'm sorry if I caused you any concern. But if I join a Knight Order, I'll be bound to them, and my freedom will disappear."
For Zeke, training alone was the way to become stronger faster.
There was no need for him to be tied to a Knight Order.
Decker said to Zeke with a worried expression,
"Master, running a Knight Order is not an easy task. Above all, it's difficult to maintain without financial backing."
"You don't have to worry about that. I have enough money."
"If you're relying on the lord's black card and the territory's taxes, you're mistaken. You can't run a Knight Order with just that..."
"Do you know the Reinhardt Company?"
Since it was the fastest growing company in Alencia, Decker had heard of it.
"Yes, I do."
"I'm the majority shareholder there."
"What?"
And Zeke continued,
"You heard the news about the Mithril mine that Graham Bank invested in recently hitting the jackpot, right?"
"I did hear about it, but..."
"I'm the majority shareholder there too."
Decker's jaw dropped, speechless.
He seemed quite surprised to see such an expression on Decker, who always maintained a calm and polite demeanor.
'It's better to hide the fact that I also run the Syndicate. Decker might faint.'
Just what he had revealed was already a level of assets that ranked among the top on the continent.
Decker wiped away his cold sweat and said to Zeke,
"Whew, I knew you were extraordinary compared to your peers, Master... but I understand. However, even with sufficient funds, running a Knight Order is no easy task."
"I've already found someone to take care of the management."
"Who is it?"
"The elders of Agamemnon said they would be happy to help. The Achilles clan, the Hector clan, and the Ajax clan also said they would support us in any way they could. The Graham clan as well."
"Oh my god..."
There would be no problem entrusting the management of the Knight Order to the elders of Agamemnon, who had run the largest Knight Order in Mycenae, as well as in the former Midland.
Moreover, with the support of the Achilles, Hector, Ajax, and Graham clans, who were prominent noble clans in the central region, it was even more reassuring.
In the end, Decker gave up in the face of Zeke's thorough preparation.
"I really can't keep up with you, Master."
"It's Decker's fault for thinking he could relax while being by my side. I'm not the type to let talented people go to waste."
His previous life was literally a shortage of talent.
Talented individuals were sacrificed every other day because of the war.
In the end, no one remained by Zeke's side when the war ended.
So he had to wander the continent, which had turned to ashes, alone and lonely.
'Compared to then, this is a paradise of talent.'
Decker asked Zeke,
"How are you planning to organize the Knight Order? Although Liam and Felix are talented, they still lack experience to be full-fledged knights."
"I'll keep those two as apprentice knights. Don't worry, you'll meet the ones who will become full-fledged knights soon."
And a week later, as Zeke said, two knights visited the mansion.
"Whoo! Zeke is rich!"
"Ugh, Diego, lower your voice. I haven't slept in a week, and my head is ringing."
It was Diego and Aster, who had completed all of Valhalla's graduation exams.
After graduating from Valhalla, the two refused all recruitment offers from other Knight Orders and came straight to where Zeke was.
Zeke greeted them at the mansion.
"Diego, Aster. It's been a while."
As soon as they arrived, Zeke put them in a carriage.
"Brother Zeke! Where are we going?"
"Just follow me without complaining."
Zeke took them to the Duchy of Troy.
After arriving in the northern part of the Duchy of Troy, which he received along with his knighthood, Diego and Aster were greatly impressed by the lord's castle that Zeke owned.
"Wow, is this castle yours, Master?"
"Yes, it's not that big, but it's comfortable enough to live in."
It was small by Zeke's standards, but it was by no means small in scale.
While Diego and Aster were looking around the castle in admiration, Decker approached from afar.
"Welcome, Master."
Decker, properly dressed in armor, was a knight, not a servant.
Diego and Aster realized at a glance that Decker was no ordinary knight.
Zeke introduced the two to Decker.
"Diego and Aster. Both are Valhalla graduates."
Decker looked at the two with satisfaction.
"You've brought excellent gems."
Decker, an experienced knight, immediately recognized their talent.
Zeke led the two, along with Decker, towards the training ground.
"Whoa."
Diego and Aster couldn't help but be surprised.
Compared to the old castle built in a classical style, the training ground was completely new and state-of-the-art.
On the training ground, Parel, a knight from the Achilles clan, was diligently training Liam, Felix, and dozens of other men.
Diego and Aster also knew these men.
They were none other than the 8th Delphi Knight Order that Zeke had hired in Delphi and sent to the south.
The Delphi knights, tanned by the southern sun, seemed much more robust than before.
Having been through hardships among the rough cartels and rebels of the south, their eyes were filled with a fierce glint, and their faces and bodies were covered in scars.
Parel, who was conducting the training, spotted Zeke and Decker and approached them.
"Lord, Commander. Welcome."
Parel had completely transferred from the Achilles Knight Order to Zeke's side.
Zeke appointed him as the Vice-Commander of the Knight Order.
Parel looked at Diego and Aster with satisfaction.
"So these are the knights you mentioned, my lord."
Seeing Parel, the league champion and a famous knight in the central region, Diego and Aster were nervous once again.
Zeke said to Decker and Parel,
"We'll be staying here for a while to organize the Knight Order. Let me know if you need anything for training."
"Yes, my lord."
Diego and Aster, under Parel's burning gaze, wondered if they had made the wrong choice.
This was the true beginning of the 'Black Sword Knights' founded by Zeke.
***
For a month, Zeke focused on establishing the foundation of the Black Sword Knights in his Troy territory.
And when things settled down to some extent, he called Felix separately.
"Ugh... You called, Master."
"I told you to call me lord."
"Ugh. It's hard to change the habit. What did you call me for, lord?"
Zeke looked at Felix and said,
"Felix, you're from the Duchy of Troy, right?"
"Yes, that's right. That's why I was chosen to guide you here in the first place."
"Is the place where you lived with your grandfather far from here?"
Felix picked up a snack from the table and said,
"No, it's not that far from here. It takes about half a day on horseback."
Zeke got up from his seat.
"Let's go."
"What? Where?"
"Your hometown."
Felix asked with a puzzled expression,
"W-why do you want to go there?"
"When I met Golin, I heard a story about a paladin who I believe was your grandfather."
"A story about my grandfather?"
"Yes. He said there was a paladin who brought him an Orichalcum hammer and asked him to make it into a sword. Does that ring any bells?"
Felix shook his head at those words.
"No. I've never seen an Orichalcum sword... My sword was also made at the village smithy. It's not that good, but I'm attached to it, so I keep using it."
Zeke stroked his chin and said,
"Maybe your grandfather left something behind. If an Arch Paladin was defrocked and risked his life to escape from the Holy Kingdom, there must be something."
"Hmm. So you're saying he wasn't simply defrocked because of internal strife?"
"That's highly likely. The Holy Kingdom appears peaceful and prosperous on the outside, but it's rotten to the core on the inside."
The Holy Kingdom had the most severe wealth disparity in the entire central continent.
The privileged class enjoyed wealth that was enviable even to royalty, while ordinary commoners lived more difficult lives than the poor in any other region.
The corruption of the church was already widely known, but since this situation had persisted for over a hundred years, there was nothing that could be done about it at present.
Felix, with an unusually sharp glint in his eyes, got up from his seat.
"If it's for my grandfather's honor, of course I have to go. Let's go, lord."
"Your enthusiasm is commendable, but wipe the snack crumbs off your mouth before you speak, Felix."
"Um. Yes, haha."
[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]