[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
Chapter 139
'Siegfried?'
It was similar to Zeke's name.
The hermit continued his explanation.
"After being expelled from the caln, Terakan wandered the continent as a free knight and met Claudia Lubern. It's said that she made him an 'Immortal Knight' through the power of the Holy Grail."
"Immortal Knight..."
Zeke recalled his own class, Immortal.
'Could Terakan Draker have also been an Immortal class?'
The thought crossed his mind, but there was no way to confirm it.
The hermit turned the page and continued the story.
"The Draker clan was famous for producing excellent swordsmen for generations. But during the Liberation War, they were too busy hiding to protect the family."
"Then, Draker didn't inherit the blood of the Dragon Slayer, but rather fled cowardly."
"Well, that's how legends are. Anyway, thanks to that, the clan has maintained its lineage to this day."
He seemed to understand why the Draker clan thoroughly censored the Dragon Slayer legend and hid the history before that.
Siegfried Draker, the hero of the Liberation War, was actually a heretic of the clan, and the actual clan didn't participate in the war.
Even if they were descendants of the Sword Saint, this was an irredeemable disgrace.
In the end, they must have hidden their shameful past and had to accept Terakan Draker back into the clan.
The bloodline of the Dragon Slayer, the knight of knights, had a great influence on establishing the legitimacy of the Draker clan.
If that legitimacy were shaken, the Draker clan's position would surely be much different from now.
'It's surprising that the true bloodline of the Dragon Slayer was actually passed down through the Healer class.'
Ironically, Zeke, a Healer class, couldn't awaken his aura and was treated like trash and expelled from Draker.
It was extremely bitter to think about the humiliation he suffered in his previous life because he couldn't awaken his aura.
Zeke understood why Arthur Draker neglected him, a Healer class.
He wondered if Arthur was worried that the hidden secrets of the clan might be leaked if he accepted Zeke, even though he had been hiding them so well.
Perhaps they abandoned Zeke without him knowing anything because there was a possibility that Draker's entire position would be shaken if that happened.
Zeke clenched his teeth.
'In the end, they abandoned me for Draker's safety and vested interests.'
Zeke clenched his fists tightly.
He was disgusted by Draker's hypocrisy and cowardice.
He reaffirmed his determination to become the strongest on the continent, put Draker under his feet, and tear off their mask of hypocrisy.
The Hermit of the Story, seeing Zeke lost in thought, said,
"Are you alright? Your face looks a bit pale."
"I'm fine. Rather than that... where is the Holy Grail now?"
The hermit closed his fan and swung it in the air.
The storybooks disappeared, and a scroll appeared in the air, unfolding with a whoosh.
A map of the continent appeared in the air.
The map gradually zoomed in and marked a spot in the desert region.
"The Holy Grail is here. After Claudia died, Terakan Draker returned the Holy Grail to where it was originally found so that it wouldn't be misused."
Zeke marked the location the hermit indicated on his map.
"The desert region. It's not an easy place to access."
"The Elf King initially created it with good intentions for humans, but it's a very dangerous object depending on how it's used. Terakan Draker must have thought it would be best to keep it out of human reach."
"It would be even more dangerous if it fell into the hands of demons."
The hermit agreed with Zeke's words and nodded.
Zeke said to the hermit,
"I'll retrieve the relic. In the meantime, please find the whereabouts of the other two."
"Okay. I'll let you know as soon as I find out. Ah, wait a minute."
The hermit went inside the house and brought something out.
"Whew, after converting the story you told me today, I have some Karma left, so I'll give you a present."
He handed Zeke an old box.
"What's this?"
"You seem to have much better equipment than I can give you, so I picked something you probably don't have. Open it after you leave."
"Okay."
Just as he was about to bid farewell to the hermit, the hermit tapped his fan. Zeke's vision flashed again.
He blinked and found himself back in the forest.
What had just happened felt like a dream.
'The Hermit of the Story. He's different from Master Nigel.'
Zeke shook his head to clear his mind and looked at the hermit's gift in his hand.
He slowly opened the box, and inside, there was a gold ring with a jewel embedded in it.
"A ring?"
Zeke examined the gold ring's information with Dragon Eye.
—Ring Information—
Description: A mystical ring with the power of luck.
Inherent Ability: Luck
Special Note: Bestows luck upon the owner of the ring.
"A ring that gives luck?"
Zeke examined the ring curiously.
He had seen various items, but this was the first time he had encountered an ability that bestowed luck.
Zeke pondered and decided to consume the lucky ring with Gluttony. Since it was a gift, he thought it wouldn't matter how he disposed of it.
'I've never wished for luck though.'
A message appeared before Zeke's eyes as he swallowed the ring with the Gluttony skill.
[Consumed the gold ring imbued with the power of luck.]
[Absorbed a portion of the ancient dragon-type power dwelling in the ring.]
[Acquired the power Fluke.]
[Due to the absorbed ability, the skill proficiency of the dragon-type skill Dragon's Sense increases.]
"Oh? Acquired a power?"
Zeke unexpectedly acquired a power.
It seemed that the one who made the ring the hermit gave him was a dragon.
He gained a lot, from acquiring a power from a simple luck-giving ring to increasing the level of the Dragon's Sense skill.
"Is this also the effect of luck?"
Zeke, satisfied with the unexpected luck, descended Mt. Ouroboros.
***
"Abel."
William Siemens entered the cabin where Abel was.
Abel was holding a strangely shaped black dagger with his eyes closed.
He slowly opened his eyes.
He sheathed the dagger he was holding and looked at William.
"What is it?"
"The rat sent a signal."
Abel's eyes sharpened at William's words.
"What did it say?"
"It said Zeke Draker set a new destination after descending Mt. Ouroboros."
"A new destination? Where?"
"The desert region."
"Hmm."
Abel slowly got up from his seat.
He looked at the map of the continent attached to the cabin wall and smirked.
"The desert region. It seems things will go well."
"Should I contact Abyss?"
Abel nodded and said,
"Yes, and also contact the Scorpion Clan and the Assassin's Guild."
"Both of them together? The Scorpion and the Assassin's Guild won't want to conduct a joint operation."
"Tell them separately, dividing the areas. So they don't miss where Zeke is going. Probably... the place he's heading to has the relic."
William gulped at the mention of the relic.
He slowly opened his mouth.
"What should we do about the Empire and the Holy Kingdom?"
"If that Zeke guy knows the location of the relic, there's no need to chase the inheritor. Anyone from the Lubern bloodline will be able to open the door."
"The Holy Kingdom has a monopoly on the Lubern bloodline."
"If we only tell the Holy Kingdom, the Emperor will throw a fit. Let's inform both sides for now."
"Both the Holy Kingdom and the Empire? Isn't that too much? What if the other side gets the relic first?"
"With that Zeke guy, I don't think even this is too much. Since I can't go myself, it's better to take precautions like this."
Madness could be seen in Abel's eyes.
William knew from experience that Abel was most dangerous at times like this.
If it weren't for the important deal coming up, Abel would have headed to the desert region himself.
Just then, someone knocked on the cabin door.
"Come in."
A Red Lion Knight opened the door, entered, and prostrated himself before the two, saying,
"Commander, they say the path to the island will open soon."
"Okay. Those merfolk are quite cautious."
"They quickly gained power among the rough pirates of the South Sea. We can't let our guard down."
Abel patted William's shoulder.
"William, this is why I like you. Let's go for now."
Abel and William left the cabin and went up to the warship's deck.
There was an island in front of dozens of warships bearing the Red Lion flag.
It was a crescent-shaped island with only one entrance.
But there was a huge whirlpool at the entrance.
Rumble!
Abel and William looked at the violently swirling whirlpool.
Then, the whirlpool gradually began to subside.
Soon, the sea calmed down as if nothing had happened.
Abel, looking at the calmed water surface, opened his mouth.
"That's interesting."
"It was said that the ancient merfolk handled mysteries beyond the magic knowledge we know. There's a rumor among pirates that Peter Pan is the one who inherited those ancient mysteries."
Just then, a small boat approached the warships from the island.
On the boat were a few young merfolk dressed as pirates.
They had webbed hands and feet, and gills on their trapezius muscles connected to their necks.
One of the merfolk who approached the warship shouted to Abel,
"Only two people are allowed to enter."
Abel jumped onto the boat the merfolk were on without hesitation.
Seeing this, William also jumped onto the boat with a resigned look.
The boat carrying Abel and William entered the crescent moon island.
As soon as the boat entered the island, the sea surface became rough again, and a huge whirlpool formed.
The crescent moon island was the headquarters where the merfolk pirates of Peter Pan's crew stayed.
A merfolk pirate guided Abel towards the headquarters building.
The structure of the building was quite unique.
It was built on the sea, with the floor connected to the sea.
Abel and William walked along the plank corridor towards where Peter Pan, the captain, was.
The door to the captain's cabin, roughly made of planks, opened.
Abel and William went inside.
But there was no one there.
William asked the merfolk who opened the door,
"Where's the captain?"
It was then.
'Why has Draker come to see me?'
The voice rose from the floor of the captain's cabin as if a vibration was echoing.
Abel looked at the seawater under the floor with amusement.
"Nice to meet you, Peter Pan. My name is Abel Draker. I'm called the Lion Sword on the continent."
Then, the seawater vibrated and conveyed the message,
'The Mad Knight.'
William's expression hardened at those words.
But Abel, as if he didn't mind, said,
"Call me whatever you like. So, aren't you coming out? I want to talk while looking at your face."
Peter Pan didn't answer.
Abel grinned and sat on the chair.
'I'll ask again. Why has Draker's kin come to the sacred sea? If you intend to invade our territory...'
"Peter Pan, we've come to propose a deal."
'A deal with Draker's kin? That's funny.'
It was Cali Draker who wiped out all the pirates in the South Sea.
It was absurd that a direct descendant of such a Draker would want to make a deal with pirates.
Abel, looking at the passage connected to the sea under the floor, said,
"If you agree to the deal, I'll tell you the location of Captain Kidd's treasure island. What do you say?"
Peter Pan was silent for a moment.
Abel, giving Peter Pan time to think, opened his mouth again.
"Peter Pan, if you join hands with me, you can become the new Pirate King. Isn't that tempting?"
Woooong!
The sea surface suddenly churned violently.
Abel grinned.
***
"Whew. Whew."
The scorching hot sunlight poured down on Zeke and Boris's heads.
Heat haze rose from the sand heated by the sunlight.
Boris looked at Zeke and said,
"Boss, how about reconsidering this one more time?"
"If I tell you one more time, it'll be exactly a hundred times, Boris."
"Even if I have to say it a thousand times, I'll do it if it means changing your mind, Boss."
"You even went to the Ishtar main house, why are you so scared?"
Boris exclaimed in frustration,
"Have you forgotten that I almost died there? Ah, anyway, we went there as guests! Oh my god, the Assassin's Guild! Boss, you're on the Assassin's Guild's kill list, why are you going there yourself?"
Zeke put his finger to his lips as if to silence Boris.
Then, he slowly pointed forward.
Two people with swords at their waists and turbans on their heads were standing on the sand dune where no one had been before.
Zeke said to Boris,
"It seems we've come to the right place."
Boris had a mournful expression at those words.
[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]