Chapter 253
Zeke tensed for a moment at Yellin’s mention of a request.
Her expression and attire were far from ordinary—and her eyes carried a certain intensity.
It reminded him of the subtle look on House Leader Jamila’s face earlier.
“Surely not…?”
Then, she spoke.
“I’d like to accompany you on a warrior’s journey.”
“Pardon? A warrior’s journey?”
Yellin nodded.
“Yes. As I mentioned in the Labyrinth, my dream was to go on a warrior’s journey once I was freed from the shackles of the Pact. I want to go with you to the Central Continent.”
Zeke paused to consider her words.
A warrior’s journey, not a marriage… That wouldn’t be an issue.
If Yellin, the heir apparent of House Ishtar, stayed at Zeke’s side, it might even help solidify ties with the Ishtar faction in the future.
He gave her a nod.
“Very well, Lady Yellin. If there’s anything you need to prepare for the journey, I’ll help. After the banquet, let’s depart for the Central Continent together.”
“Th-thank you!”
Yellin’s face lit up with a bright smile at his reply.
“Then please rest well, Lady Yellin.”
Zeke closed the door and returned to his room.
The moment the door shut, Yellin’s cheerful expression fell, and her ears drooped.
She trudged back to her room. Ezgi, who had been waiting there, rushed up to her.
“My lady!”
Her eyes sparkled as she asked:
“So? What did he say? Is he going to marry you?”
Yellin shook her head.
“Ezgi, I’m going on a warrior’s journey.”
Ezgi blinked in surprise at the sudden announcement.
“What? A warrior’s journey? Just like that?”
“…It just turned out that way.”
At twenty-nine, Yellin was already considered late for marriage by Ishtar clan standards.
She had long insisted on living her life as a martial artist and refused marriage, but something had changed during their time in the Labyrinth.
It was there, when Yellin faced Hades, that she felt the fear of death for the first time in her life.
And it was when Zeke reached out and took her hand that a warm energy enveloped her, pulling her from that terror.
In that moment, Yellin had a fleeting thought:
“Is this what love feels like?”
That surge of relief cracked the hardened walls around her heart.
She had interpreted Zeke’s supportive power—his buff—as an expression of love. And now, her thoughts on marriage had shifted entirely.
“If it’s Lord Zeke… I feel like we could strive together toward the ultimate path of martial mastery.”
That’s why she had gone to see him, intending to bring up the subject of marriage. But she couldn’t bring herself to say it—and instead blurted out a request to accompany him on a warrior’s journey.
Ezgi put a hand to her forehead.
“A warrior’s journey? Out of nowhere? What are you going to tell the House Leader?”
Yellin began changing out of her stifling traditional Ishtar garb.
“I’ll tell her I need a little more time.”
Ezgi looked at her and muttered:
“Ugh, seriously… If you just told him, I’m sure any man would agree to marry you on the spot. But instead, you bring up a warrior’s journey? I should’ve gone with you!”
“Don’t talk nonsense. Lord Zeke and I aren’t in some improper relationship. We’re seeking a higher state of martial discipline, together—”
But in that instant, Yellin pictured Zeke’s face, and her ears flushed red.
She was remembering the warmth of his buff.
Ezgi flared her nostrils in disbelief.
“Wow. I never thought I’d see you like this. Weren’t you the one who swore you’d live your whole life as a lone martial artist? Honestly, you can’t trust a single elf.”
Yellin hurled a pillow at her.
“Get out. Out! Now!”
***
The Ishtar banquet, which lasted a grueling four days, had finally come to an end.
Hades, who had attended alongside Zeke, looked half-dead.
“Insane… How can anyone eat that poisonous sludge for four days straight?”
The infamous Ishtar traditional banquet was known for serving a rare soup blessed by the Earth God—for four days straight.
The entire Ishtar capital, not just the palace, boiled vats of the hellishly red soup to such an extent that the air stung just walking through the streets.
Surprisingly, Zeke had completely adapted to the spice, even developing a refined palate for the varying degrees and flavors of the soup.
He had proven Poseidon right: the man really did have cockroach-like resilience.
Now hooked on the flavor, Zeke had even packed a few containers of Ishtar specialty tea, rare reaper peppers, and spicy seasoning paste.
“Why the hell would you pack that poison?”
“Once you get used to it, you start craving it before bed.”
Hades gave Zeke a look of pure disdain.
As they chatted and waited near the palace portal, Yellin approached.
“Lord Zeke.”
As Zeke moved to greet her, he suddenly halted upon noticing a dozen warriors trailing behind Yellin.
‘What?’
The group of Ishtar sorcerers—Yellin’s personal guards and her cousin Ezgi among them—followed closely behind, emanating a foreboding aura.
“Lady Yellin, who are they?”
Yellin frowned slightly and answered,
“They are the attendants accompanying me on my martial training journey.”
Zeke’s jaw dropped.
Just then, the head of the clan, Jamilya, entered with the elders.
“Oh Great One!”
Jamilya and the elders knelt before Hades, greeting him respectfully.
Hades waved them off in irritation. Jamilya stood and turned toward Zeke.
“Zeke Draker, see to it that you do not offend Lord Hades in any way.”
From Zeke’s perspective, this concern was unnecessary—he was only accompanying Hades because of the god’s own insistence. There was little he could do that would be seen as offensive.
‘Though teasing him is admittedly fun.’
Suppressing that thought, Zeke bowed slightly and replied,
“I will do my utmost to serve Lord Hades with sincerity.”
Jamilya gave a satisfied nod, then glanced sideways at Yellin before turning back to Zeke.
“For some reason, that girl’s decided to embark on a martial pilgrimage.”
“Yes. I’ve agreed to assist Lady Yellin. She’s unfamiliar with the geography of the Central Continent, after all.”
At that, not just Jamilya but the elders also exchanged subtle, peculiar looks.
Zeke tilted his head in confusion.
‘Is there something wrong with going on a martial training journey?’
Clearing her throat, Jamilya addressed Zeke again.
“Very well, martial training is good. Be sure to travel far and wide together. And I’ve selected nimble ones for the journey—if Lord Hades requires anything, feel free to have them run errands.”
Zeke glanced at the intimidating Ishtar warriors.
“They seem a bit too... intense for simple errands.”
Ignoring Zeke’s comment, Jamilya instructed the portal to be activated.
Vwoooooom!
Zeke, his expression a touch reluctant, stepped onto the portal. The rest of the party followed, and the elders waved them off.
“Yellin! Do your best!”
“Let us see some great-grandchildren already!”
Yellin’s ears flushed red, and she seemed on the verge of yelling something—when the portal activated, swallowing them in an instant.
As the portal faded, Jamilya shook her head.
“Sending a daughter off to marriage disguised as martial training... how exhausting.”
Thus began Yellin’s “training journey,” a thinly veiled wedding expedition.
***
Vwoooooom!
The portal opened, delivering Zeke and the group directly to Mycenae.
Floating in midair, Hades took a deep breath.
“Ahhh! This is nice. Not having to breathe in that cursed sand and dust—I feel alive again.”
Zeke welcomed him.
“Welcome to Mycenae. Let’s head to the castle first.”
They boarded a waiting carriage and made their way toward Agamemnon Castle, with Hades, Yellin, and the fearsome Ishtar “errand-runners” in tow.
As they entered the castle, the first sound they heard was Felix’s wailing.
“Waaah! Instructor, please have mercy!”
Once again, Clone was mercilessly beating Felix under the guise of training.
Due to his unexpected resilience, Felix had become her de facto sparring partner, enduring her brutal sessions. Training with a Red Knight like Clone had its benefits, but she never held back—he had to be ready to die every time.
Their duels had become a form of entertainment for the castle's residents, who gathered to watch.
Spotting Zeke, Felix immediately fled the training ground and ran toward him.
“Waaah! M-My lord! Please take me with you!”
Clone quickly followed, grabbing Felix by the collar just as he latched onto Zeke’s leg.
“Boss, what’s with all the people you brought back this time?”
Just then, Boris—who had been collecting bets on how long Felix would last—dropped his money pouch upon seeing Zeke’s entourage.
“Th-Those people—?!”
Usually unshakable, Boris turned pale.
Even the assassins from the House of Salmak, who had also placed bets, began backing away cautiously, clearly recognizing the group's identity.
Clone tilted her head in confusion.
“What’s up with them?”
Then, she finally noticed Hades standing beside Zeke.
“Wait… is that an elf?”
Seeing Hades polymorphed into an elf, Clone’s curiosity piqued. The other Ishtar warriors had kept their faces covered, but Hades stood exposed, drawing all the attention.
She approached and reached out to ruffle his hair.
"Wow, you're so pretty. I've never seen an elf before. You're really beautiful."
As Clone gently patted Hades’ head, the Ishtar warriors behind her froze in shock.
Hades, the one being patted, glared up at her, then turned to look at Zeke.
—Why do I sense the power of light from this woman who treats my head like a canvas?
—That is Sister Clone. She's a cleric.
—What? What the hell is going on in this world… A cleric like her actually exists?
Clone continued stroking Hades’ head for a moment, then pulled out a dried scorpion skewer from her pouch and handed it to him. With that, she dragged Felix back to the training grounds.
The Ishtar warriors stared at Clone with newfound respect and bewilderment.
“She touched the head of a dragon at will.”
“She must have at least 99 lives.”
“As expected from the Draker stronghold. This place isn’t to be underestimated.”
Meanwhile, Boris and the assassins from Salmak remained frozen in place, still on high alert around the Ishtar entourage.
Zeke left the tense standoff behind, taking only Hades and Yellin with him into the castle.
Yellin looked around Agamemnon Castle, impressed.
“This castle is truly magnificent. Is it yours, Sir Zeke?”
“The House of Agamemnon is from my mother’s side.”
Hades also glanced around before commenting.
“This was built by a dragon.”
Zeke turned to him, surprised.
“Dragons build castles?”
“Dragons just do whatever they want. If they feel like building, they build.”
“I thought that kind of behavior was unique to you, Lord Hades. Turns out other dragons are like that too.”
“You little—are you trying to act like my equal?”
Zeke feigned ignorance and turned away, examining the castle anew with a fresh perspective.
He had suspected there was something special about the castle after it had been linked to the system, but he hadn’t expected it to be dragon-built.
“Why would a dragon build something like this?”
The most likely explanation was that it was designed as a defensive fortress to repel Demon King forces—but, as Hades said, it might have simply been a whim.
“Well, who can understand the mind of a dragon?”
Zeke made his way to the dining hall and ordered a proper meal in the Central Continent style.
He had grown tired of the overly spicy cuisine at the Ishtar palace and was eager for a more familiar taste.
Soon, the dishes were served. Hades, delighted, began stuffing himself enthusiastically.
“Ughhh! Yes, this is what food should taste like. So it wasn’t my tongue that was broken!”
Yellin also cautiously sampled the unfamiliar Central Continent fare.
While they were eating, a steward approached Zeke.
“Sir Zeke, a telegram has arrived from Sagyeseong.”
Zeke checked the telegram. It was from Arthur, the head of his household.
“Is this about the Senior Knight examination?”
He tore it open to read the contents.
As expected, it was regarding the exam. However, the task listed was entirely unexpected.
“Receive recognition from the head of the Valdeck clan?”
The Valdeck clan—one of House Draker’s key allied clans.
Jakhen, who had trained with Zeke in the Cradle, was from that very clan.
Zeke frowned slightly as he read.
There was one particular issue with this test:
“The Valdeck clan... is the strongest ally of Siemens.”