Chapter 235
Zeke intended to use Bloodshot Eyes to drain the dead blood pooled inside Cali's body. This was possible because if Zeke controlled Cali's blood with Bloodshot Eyes, he could move the blood itself.
'Whew, if I fail here, Sister Cali could become completely incapacitated.'
Zeke took a deep breath and concentrated. First, he subdued Cali's shadow with Shadow Dominion.
Tsutsutsutsu—
With her shadow subdued, Cali had no choice but to completely obey Zeke's control. In that state, Zeke activated Bloodshot Eyes.
Uwooooooong!
Through Bloodshot Eyes, he could clearly see Cali's physical condition, which was previously invisible. Clumps of dead blood were blocking her aura pathways in various places, and necrosis was progressing throughout. Furthermore, her lower dantian was gradually hardening due to the mass of dead blood.
'The situation was more serious than I thought.'
Zeke peered into Cali's body and pulled out Annexie's Dagger. He placed the dagger on the bruise on Cali's back, making a slight incision.
Black blood spurted out from the wound. Zeke dabbed the blood onto the dagger and summoned spiritual power.
Uwooooooong!
Cali's blood reacted to Zeke's spiritual power.
Kugugugugu—
Using Cali's blood as a medium, he extended his influence over the blood.
Then, the dead blood began to move slightly according to Zeke's will. As the tightly clumped dead blood gradually loosened, the pressure on Cali's blocked aura pathways slowly eased.
'I'll release the dead blood like this and expel it from her body.'
Just as Zeke was about to release the dead blood, gather it in one place, and expel it from her body, demonic energy suddenly surged from inside the clump of dead blood.
Kwaddeudeuk!
The demonic energy raged violently, crushing Cali's internal organs.
Cali's body twitched. If Zeke hadn't been holding her body with Shadow Dominion, she would have instantly vomited blood and collapsed.
Zeke calmly continued to loosen the clumped dead blood while simultaneously preparing the Holy Fire.
Tsutsutsutsu—
The flames of the Holy Fire climbed Cali's aura pathways, attempting to seize the demonic energy.
Knowing the Holy Fire was chasing it, the demonic energy fled towards Cali's heart.
However, Zeke had already prepared another Holy Fire near her heart. This was because he had already learned that when dealing with parasites, the heart and brain must be protected first.
Hwareureureureuk!
The Holy Fire near her heart blocked the path of the demonic energy.
Unable to go anywhere, the demonic energy was forced to stop in one place.
Zeke had been waiting for this moment.
He placed his palm on Cali's back and unleashed a Phantom step with Forceful Quake.
Pooong!
With a tremendous sound, both the demonic energy in Cali's body and all traces of the waves that had shaken her insides disappeared.
Zeke immediately pulled up the dead blood inside her with Bloodshot Eyes.
Then, he struck Cali's back again with Forceful Quake.
Paang!
Zeke quickly released Shadow Dominion, and at the same time, Cali regained consciousness.
"Cough!"
Cali abruptly spat out a clump of black blood.
"Haaaa."
She expelled the blood clot and took a deep breath.
Before she knew it, all the black bruises on her back had disappeared, and her complexion had returned to normal.
Cali felt the stifling energy that had been clogging her body vanish, as if her entire body had opened up.
Zeke said to Cali,
"It's not over yet. Please follow as I guide your aura."
He applied the aura cultivation method he learned from Saturn Draker to burn away even the remnants of dead blood remaining in Cali's body.
Cali corrected her posture, closed her eyes, and felt the flow of aura that Zeke was guiding.
She inhaled mana through her breath, circulated that mana through her aura pathways, and then moved it to her lower dantian.
Cali remembered this natural breathing and flow.
After a moment, Cali found herself, without Zeke's guidance, spontaneously generating aura and storing it in her lower dantian.
Uwooooooong!
And at some point, Cali recovered her aura pathways and once again generated aura.
Feeling her recovery, Cali exhaled softly and then opened her eyes wide.
"Whew."
Cali got up from her spot.
She moved her body this way and that, muttering in disbelief.
"This is incredible... I've truly recovered from my internal injuries."
Zeke couldn't bring himself to tell Cali that he had subdued her mind and manipulated her blood to heal her, so he simply smiled.
'What's good is good.'
He took out a few Healing Potions from his inventory and handed them to Cali.
"You're not fully recovered yet, so please take this divided into morning, noon, and evening doses every day. It will help with your recovery."
Cali nodded at Zeke's words.
"Understood. Zeke, I've incurred a debt I can't repay."
"Your safety is repayment enough."
Just then, Cali knelt on one knee before Zeke. She looked up at him and said,
"Zeke, I don't know how to repay you for saving my life and my knight order."
Zeke looked at Cali and said,
"I merely did what was natural."
"Anyone can easily speak of a knight's honor, but few can act as you do, Zeke."
Cali stood up and said to Zeke,
"I'll grant you anything you desire. If you ask for territory, I'll give you territory; if you ask for weapons, I'll give you weapons."
Zeke felt her sincerity in Cali's eyes. He slowly began to speak.
"If you truly mean that, I have two requests."
He continued,
"I've heard that among your territories are also the archipelagos of the Southern Sea."
Cali nodded.
"Yes, those were acquired while subjugating the pirates of the Southern Sea. They are large islands, but located in the Sea of Death, making access difficult and development impossible."
"I would like to receive ownership of those islands."
Zeke knew that once the Sea God returned and the Sea of Death gradually calmed, the potential value of that archipelago, due to its geographical location, would increase.
Cali, unaware of this fact, was simply surprised by Zeke's request. She had been willing to hand over something even more valuable, so when Zeke only requested the Southern Sea Archipelagos, she simply nodded.
"That much is not difficult to grant. What is the other request?"
"I request a permanent exemption from port usage fees for the port of Iason."
Cali smiled at Zeke's words.
"That's quite a practical request. I'll grant that too. Your ships will be exempt from port usage fees, and I'll even arrange a private dock for you."
"That's more than enough."
Zeke planned to develop the islands he received from Cali, settle the mermen there, and turn it into a hub connecting to the Kingdom of Cusco on the Southern Continent.
With Zeke's financial and human resources, developing the Southern Sea Archipelagos would not be too difficult.
Having stated all his requests to Cali, Zeke shifted the topic to Barkus Draker.
"Is it true that you came to this island after receiving intelligence from Barkus, as Luno mentioned?"
Cali nodded at Zeke's words.
"Yes, Barkus and I have a symbiotic relationship, one might say. He provides me with information, and I provide him with what he needs."
"You provide him with what he needs?"
Cali's expression became slightly troubled at Zeke's words, then she slowly began to speak.
"Zeke, why would I hide anything from you? I am protecting Barkus's mother."
Completely unexpected words flowed from Cali's mouth.
"What do you mean by protecting Barkus's mother?"
"Exactly what it means. I am protecting Barkus's mother within my territory."
"Why? Shouldn't she have her own maternal Clan?"
Then Cali shook her head.
'He has no maternal Clan?'
For the direct lineage of the Draker Clan, the maternal Clan played a significantly important role.
The direct descendants could only wield the true power of the 'Draker Clan' after undergoing fierce competition and earning the right to be the head of the household's successor.
Before that, they had to rely solely on the power of their maternal Clan or allied families.
Zeke, too, had no choice but to endure all sorts of discrimination and contempt because his maternal Clan, the Agamemnon Clan, had been sealed for 50 years due to a curse.
He had no idea that his elder brother, Barkus, was in a similar situation.
"Could it be... that having no maternal Clan means Barkus is an illegitimate child?"
Cali nodded.
"Yes. She was none other than a maid who served our father."
Zeke was quite surprised to hear Cali's words. The Draker Clan, as dragon slayers, bestowed great legitimacy upon its direct lineage.
Therefore, for the head of the Draker Clan, producing an heir was a matter that required extremely meticulous calculation.
Cali's maternal Clan, the Prana Clan, was a venerable noble and knight Clan, tracing its roots back to the Holy Divine Empire era, even if its influence as a blood relation to the Draker Clan wasn't particularly strong.
Not to mention Siemens, even Helen's maternal Clan, the Mirallis Clan, was a historical knight Clan from Thebea.
He never imagined that Arthur Draker, who had exceptional talent as a knight and remarkable political acumen, would have fathered an illegitimate child without such calculation.
'Come to think of it, he even married my mother, an heir from the cursed Agamemnon Clan... Is the head of the household unexpectedly a philanderer?'
The word "philanderer" didn't suit Arthur Draker's cold demeanor at all, but currently, that was the only conclusion he could draw.
Cali continued her explanation.
"Her name was Carmilla. One day, Carmilla became pregnant, and she gave birth to a boy. Father named the child Barkus and sent him to the manor in the Duchy of Troy, where all of us siblings grew up. And Barkus also went to the cradle when he turned seven."
The fact that Arthur Draker named the child meant that he acknowledged the child born to the maid as part of the direct lineage. The elders would have certainly disapproved of Arthur's decision, but they clearly couldn't go against the words of one of the continent's strongest individuals and the most powerful head of the Draker Clan in history.
***
'Even so, Barkus's mother must have been on pins and needles.'
The matriarchs of the direct Draker lineage, as Zeke remembered them, were all extraordinary individuals. It wouldn't have been easy for an ordinary maid to endure among such women.
Just then, Zeke asked something that suddenly came to mind.
"Did Barkus undergo pureblood awakening?"
Cali shook her head.
"No, Barkus was not a pureblood awakened. Perhaps that's why he immediately volunteered for the Black Stage as soon as he graduated from the academy."
Zeke thought Barkus's choice was quite rational. In his previous life, he too had considered joining the Black Stage if he could graduate from the academy normally.
'Of course, I was forcibly expelled before I had that chance.'
Zeke could now grasp the outline of the situation.
"I understand how Barkus delivered information to you from the Black Stage. But how did you come to protect his mother?"
"The situation is a bit complicated. Originally, Barkus's mother, even after giving birth to Barkus, remained at Four Seasons Castle as father's maid. However, she grew old and could no longer perform her duties as a maid, so she had to leave Four Seasons Castle."
"Are you saying the head of the household didn't keep her by his side?"
"Yes, since they weren't formally married in the first place, she couldn't enjoy any of the benefits a spouse of the head of the household would."
Zeke couldn't quite understand Arthur Draker's actions.
'If that's the case, why did he acknowledge Barkus as part of the direct lineage? There's something twisted about Arthur Draker's actions.'
Cali continued her explanation.
"One day, Barkus secretly contacted me. He offered to provide me with information if I protected his mother, who was leaving Four Seasons Castle."
"Was it absolutely necessary to entrust his mother's safety to you? If he's in the Black Stage, his identity would be hidden anyway, and his Clan could also live under a different identity if he applied for protection."
Cali paused for a moment, then pondered before speaking.
"Zeke, what I'm about to tell you is a secret. You must swear to keep this secret."
At Cali's serious expression, Zeke realized that an important secret was hidden and responded with a grave look.
"I swear."
Cali slowly began to speak.
"Actually, Barkus's mother, Carmilla, is a vampire."