Chapter 270
DUDUDUDU!
Zeke took a boat from the Southern Archipelago and went straight to the Southern Continent.
After disembarking at Golpa Port, which was part of the Cusco Kingdom's territory, Zeke immediately galloped toward the Lawless Zone.
The border region connecting the Southern and Central Continents was truly a world of outlaws.
Among its areas, Black Market City was a place where all sorts of lawless individuals flocked, not just from the north, south, and Central Continent, but even from the Eastern Continent.
As a result, things that were difficult to obtain in the outside world gathered there, and the largest-scale black market had formed within the Lawless Zone.
Zeke was now heading toward Black Market City, the center of that black market.
It was the same place he had entered before to help Karus escape, only to be ambushed and forced to flee into Ishtar's Domain.
Just like last time, Zeke arrived at the fenced entrance of the Lawless Zone and approached the guard post.
Men with menacing faces aimed their crossbows at Zeke from all directions.
Among them, a man chewing on a toothpick approached Zeke.
He showed the man the pass he had received in advance from Simon. The man who had come forward checked Zeke's pass, then spat out the toothpick he was chewing.
“You came on Vito's gang's introduction? How do you know them?”
Zeke calmly gave his pre-prepared answer.
“We got acquainted while I was helping out with some smuggling in Golpa.”
At those words, the man made a sucking sound as if something was stuck in his teeth and said, “Hah, Golpa? I hear that area’s become Cusco Kingdom territory now. If you get caught smuggling, they’ll wreck your hands, won't they?”
Zeke nodded as if he understood.
“That’s how an official like me makes a living, isn’t it? If there's anything you want to bring into Golpa, let me know. I'll pull some strings for you.”
On the Southern Continent, corrupt officials were as common as stones on the road.
Perhaps because of that, the man seemed to be lowering his guard at Zeke's words.
He had heard that the newly rebuilt Cusco Kingdom was a bit different, but he seemed to think that since people lived there, there were bound to be corrupt officials.
For the man, it was actually harder to imagine an incorruptible official.
The man looked at Zeke, nodded, and then gestured to the men behind him.
The guards at the post then opened the fence.
Zeke quietly entered the Lawless Zone.
He went into the small town he had briefly stopped in before when helping Karus escape.
There, he entered the pre-designated inn and went up to find the room. As he did, a black figure appeared before him with a soft swish.
“It’s been a while, Boss.”
Shadia, the first disciple of the Master of Salmak, appeared before Zeke.
Her face was different from the last time he had seen her.
Zeke said to Shadia,
“What’s the situation on the Southern Continent?”
At his question, Shadia opened her mouth.
“It hasn't become apparent on the surface, but the cultists are extending their reach, focusing on small villages with little interaction with the outside world.”
“Do you believe they are connected to the Abyss?”
“It's difficult to be certain, but based on the circumstantial evidence from the investigation, it appears so.”
Just as Zeke had expected, the coffee-producing regions in the south of the Central Continent, where traces of the Abyss remained, were connected to the cultist group on the Southern Continent.
‘The Abyss is the thread that connects the Empire, Siemens, and Abel. If I can catch them, I can link all three together and turn the situation around.’
Zeke connected the reason why the cultists on the Southern Continent were taking so many children to Black Market City with black magic.
‘Black magic requires sacrifices. And the best sacrifices are young children. If those bastards are connected to the Abyss, it’s highly likely they are offering the children as sacrifices to make contracts with the demon race.’
This meant that if he could find out where the children taken from the south went, he could strike at the nerve center of the Abyss.
Zeke asked Shadia,
“Is there a way to find out where the children are going from Black Market City?”
Shadia nodded at his words.
“I know someone who would be very knowledgeable about this sort of business.”
“Who would that be?”
“The Guild Master of the Thieves Guild.”
Zeke was startled by Shadia’s words.
“The Guild Master of the Thieves Guild is in Black Market City?”
“There is no better place for thieves to hide than here.”
Zeke nodded at Shadia’s words.
‘That does make sense. Any stolen goods from the Thieves Guild that are difficult to dispose of on the Central Continent would all flow here anyway.’
Zeke stood up from his seat.
“No need to waste time. Let’s go meet him right now.”
***
The history of the Thieves Guild was long and deep.
It was an organization even older than the Nostra clan, which boasted a long tradition.
After all, if more than a few people gathered, there was bound to be at least one thief among them.
Coveting and stealing another's possessions was close to an instinct.
Such thieves lived by hiding in the shadows of the city, communicating in their own language and creating their own set of rules. They had realized that this was the way for them to survive longer.
The Guild Master of the Thieves Guild is commonly called the 'King of Thieves.'
The Thieves Guild deals exclusively in stealing goods and fencing the loot for a profit.
The first rule of the guild was that if a member were to accept an assassination request, they would be permanently expelled from the guild.
Because of this, the members of the Thieves Guild thought of themselves as having a gentlemanly side, and with great pride, they hated being treated the same as reckless outlaws.
The man who was the master of such a Thieves Guild, and who was called the King of Thieves.
Ankel Lombardi was a man who took immense pride in being a thief.
He was a typical man from the southern Empire, with his shirt unbuttoned to reveal a thick patch of chest hair and a magnificently groomed beard that he treated as if it were his life.
Ankel, who wore jewel-encrusted rings on all ten fingers, clasped his hands and gazed intently at Shadia, who sat before him.
“To think I would get to see the one called the Flower of the Desert in person. I truly cannot contain my surprise.”
He moved a hand back to brush his ear, and in a flash, a single red rose was held in his hand.
Ankel offered the rose to Shadia and continued,
“It may be humble compared to your beauty, Shadia, but allow me to offer you this red rose, filled with all my passion.”
Shadia, with a blank expression, took the rose Ankel offered, placed it on the tabletop, and turned her gaze to the side.
Ankel, who had been staring deeply at Shadia, followed her gaze, turned his head to look at Zeke, and furrowed his brow.
“So, who in the world are you, who came with the Flower of the Desert?”
Zeke was using a Form-Changing Cloak to alter his face.
He looked at Ankel and said,
“I want to know where the children brought from the Southern Continent are going.”
At Zeke’s words, Ankel’s eyebrow twitched.
He promptly turned his head back to Shadia and spoke sweetly.
“Señorita. Instead of staying here, how about we go out for a splendid meal? There is a place that serves a fine roasted veal that you cannot taste anywhere else, and its cooking is absolutely perfect. I have some very good quality wine, and if we spend a pleasant evening there together…”
In an instant, Shadia pulled out a dagger and stabbed the rose Ankel had given her.
The dagger instantly plunged deep into the sturdy tabletop, leaving only the hilt visible.
At that, Ankel waved his hands and said,
“Señorita! My intentions were good. Don’t be angry! A beautiful person is art in itself. We are people who deal in art! We revere art!”
Just then, Zeke, who was beside them, opened his mouth.
“How curious.”
At Zeke's words, Ankel looked at him, again with a displeased expression, and asked, “What is?”
“I was just saying it's curious to see a Red Knight playing the part of a thief and spouting such frivolous nonsense.”
At Zeke’s words, the look in Ankel’s eyes changed in an instant.
Judging by his words and actions, Ankel seemed endlessly lighthearted, but he was the King of Thieves and the Guild Master of the Thieves Guild.
However, most people were deceived by Ankel's lighthearted exterior and failed to recognize his true skill. And that was also Ankel's method.
But it seemed the man from the Central Continent before him had seen through his skill at a single glance.
‘The man brought by the Flower of the Desert. As expected, he’s no ordinary fellow.’
Zeke looked at Ankel and said,
“Originally, I was just going to take the information, but I’ve had a change of heart.”
He took off the Form-Changing Cloak he was wearing. Then, Zeke's true form was revealed.
In an instant, Ankel's expression twisted.
The moment he saw Zeke's face, he realized who he was.
He urgently gestured to the men standing behind him.
His subordinates, receiving the gesture, went outside, leaving only Ankel, Zeke, and Shadia in the room.
Zeke looked at Ankel and said,
“It seems you know who I am.”
Ankel swallowed hard and said,
“Zeke Draker, direct descendant of the Draker clan and a Pure-blood Awakened. Youngest Red Knight on the continent, Knight of the Sea Lord, and so on and so forth.”
“Good, you’re well-informed.”
Zeke said to Ankel, “I would like to make a formal request.”
At those words, Ankel replied in a low voice,
“Are you making a request as Zeke Draker?”
“That’s right. Does the Thieves Guild not accept requests from a Draker?”
Ankel slowly leaned his body forward and said,
“It’s not necessarily that… but I’m sorry, it seems I’ll have to this time. I don’t want to get caught up in a complicated matter and see unnecessary bloodshed.”
“A complicated matter. Are you talking about the Draker clan’s succession problem?”
Ankel fell silent at Zeke's words.
The Draker clan, which held sway over the Central Continent.
One of the candidates to inherit the clan was none other than the Zeke Draker before him.
If information that he had joined hands with Zeke Draker were to leak out, there was no telling what kind of retaliation might come from the other factions.
To maintain neutrality, no matter what.
That was the second rule of the Thieves Guild.
Zeke looked at Ankel and shook his head.
“I know what you're thinking, but this has nothing to do with the succession.”
“That doesn’t matter. The moment I accept your request, regardless of its purpose, the other factions will not see it that way.”
“Are you worried about retaliation from Abel's side?”
At the mention of Abel, Ankel once again fell silent.
The reason the Thieves Guild was able to maintain its existence for so long was because they were always cautious.
Zeke smiled and said to Ankel,
“Good. I like this even more. Shadia, show him the documents.”
Shadia handed the materials she had brought to Ankel.
“What is this?”
“The details of the request I wish to make.”
Ankel quickly skimmed through the contents of the report.
As he read through the information contained within, Ankel's expression slowly changed.
“This is…”
“It’s circumstantial evidence that those bastards are capturing those children to use as sacrifices for black magic. And those black magicians are connected to the Empire, Siemens, and Abel Draker's side.”
Hearing Zeke's words, Ankel glared at him and said,
“Then this is even more related to Abel Draker's side.”
“In terms of results, yes.”
Ankel closed his eyes in thought, then shook his head and slowly rose from his seat.
“…Get out. I will not accept the request.”
At that, Zeke looked at Ankel and said,
“The third rule of the Thieves Guild. Never deal in children.”
At Zeke’s words, Ankel’s pupils wavered.
Zeke looked at him and continued,
“The Thieves Guild moves goods, not people. And that applies even more so to children. Am I wrong?”
“…How do you know the rules of the guild?”
“That’s not important. What’s important is that if we don't stop these bastards, more children will be sacrificed.”
Most members of the Thieves Guild were orphans.
Abandoned by their parents for various reasons—be it war, poverty, or for no reason at all—they wandered the streets, and not a few of them eventually turned to theft to survive.
The Thieves Guild accepts quick-fingered children from among them as members.
And they use a portion of the money they steal to buy bread for the children on the streets.
Because of this, at least in the cities where the Thieves Guild operated, no children starved to death on the streets.
Ankel, too, was an orphan who had roamed the back alleys of a southern city in the Empire.
Zeke looked at Ankel and said,
“I'm asking you to help me stop them.”
Ankel looked into Zeke's eyes, which were filled with resolute determination.
After a long moment of contemplation, he let out a sigh and his body trembled slightly. Then, he slowly opened his mouth.
“The salt mine.”
Ankel met Zeke's gaze and said,
“They took the children to the salt mine.”