[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
Chapter 54
Simon pressed his blade against Zeke's throat.
"I never thought you'd actually come this far."
Despite the knife at his neck, Zeke remained calm.
"Seeing the trap you set with a mage, I had a hunch."
Zeke's composure made Simon uneasy.
Zeke continued,
"Don Juan's orders, I presume? Eliminate me before things get out of hand."
Simon pressed the knife harder against Zeke's throat.
"The Boss has plans to crush the Favela cartel. And that's not something a Central Continent brat like you can interfere with."
"That's rich. If it weren't for me, you would have lost your distribution network to the Favela cartel without even knowing it."
Simon spoke slowly,
"The Syndicate will continue to transport the cartel's goods through that woman, Kay. Of course, they'll only handle McCain's goods. Just like now."
"So you only need the Syndicate's network, and I'm expendable."
Exactly as Zeke had predicted.
Don Juan wanted to appear magnanimous and bold, but his true nature was cowardly.
At the slightest hint of danger, he would either withdraw or eliminate the threat preemptively.
Of course, this cautiousness was also the key to his rise to the top of the dangerous cartel world.
Zeke taunted Simon,
"Then why haven't you killed me yet?"
His boldness caused Simon's hand to tremble slightly.
"Simon Zapatero. No, the Shadow Ghost"
Simon was startled to hear his old name from Zeke's mouth.
It was a name he used during his days as an outlaw in the border region, a name almost no one knew now.
He lowered his voice,
"Who the hell are you? How do you know my name?"
Zeke replied calmly,
"I know more than just your name. I also know why the Shadow Ghost is working under Don Juan."
"What are you talking about?"
"Isn't it to protect the last bloodline of the Cusco Kingdom?"
Simon's blade wavered for a moment.
Zeke seized the opportunity, reinforcing his neck with Dragon Scale Armor, grabbing Simon's arm, and twisting it.
Crack!
In a swift maneuver, Simon dislocated his own shoulder to escape Zeke's grip.
Both men drew their daggers, facing off in the confined space.
"Who the hell are you?"
Zeke looked at Simon and declared,
"My name is Zeke Draker. I am a direct descendant of the Draker clan."
Simon's eyes widened.
"No way... Are you the youngest Blue ranker on the continent?"
"Well, that too."
Simon's expression darkened upon learning Zeke's identity.
Even the McCain cartel would be wiped out from the Southern Continent if the Draker clan intervened directly.
While it would be impossible to eliminate all drug traffickers in the South, they could easily eradicate the McCain cartel.
Sensing Simon's inner turmoil, Zeke spoke,
"Don't worry, Draker isn't involved in cartel affairs. This is my personal business."
Simon eyed Zeke warily.
"Why are you revealing your identity to me?"
Zeke slowly lowered his dagger.
"Simon Zapatero. Join me instead of Don Juan. I promise to help you protect the Cusco bloodline and even restore the kingdom."
Simon was taken aback by the unexpected offer.
"You expect me to believe that?"
"Wouldn't Draker be more trustworthy than a drug dealer like Don Juan?"
Zeke gestured towards the window.
"Look, the Favela cartel members are swarming in like bees. After you kill me on Don Juan's orders, how do you plan to escape? Did Don Juan promise to send reinforcements?"
There were none. As always, he would have to escape on his own.
Zeke continued, seeing Simon's silence,
"If you follow me, I promise to get you and your men out of here safely."
"Even if we escape, Don Juan's pursuit won't end."
Zeke grinned.
"You don't know me very well. Do you think I'm afraid of the likes of Don Juan? Once we leave here, I'm going straight to McCain."
Simon's face hardened.
"Don't tell me... you're targeting Don Juan."
"My goal is to make McCain and Favela tear each other apart. I've wounded Favela, now it's McCain's turn."
Zeke's words filled Simon with confusion.
The seemingly invincible McCain cartel was being played by a single person.
Zeke continued,
"Simon, I'm serious. I want you to join me."
During his past life in the cartel, Simon was the only person Zeke felt any genuine human connection with.
They weren't close enough to be called master and disciple, but they were trustworthy comrades.
Simon, the last captain of the Cusco Royal Guard, had escaped the kingdom ten years ago during a civil war, carrying the infant princess with him.
He fled with the baby to the harsh borderlands of the Southern Continent, where the military couldn't find them, and survived as a contract killer while protecting the Cusco bloodline.
His plan was to gather wealth and manpower by working as Don Juan's hitman, hoping to restore the princess to her rightful place before she came of age.
Before dying in his past life, Simon had confided all this to Zeke and entrusted him with the princess's safety.
However, Don Juan had already learned of Simon's past.
By the time Zeke went to find the princess, Don Juan had already sold her to the Cusco rebels for a ransom.
As the last of the Cusco royal bloodline, she was executed by the rebels.
Knowing this, Zeke wanted to get Simon out of the cartel.
Simon slowly lowered his dagger.
"Can you swear on what you just said?"
Zeke nodded.
"I swear on my honor as a knight."
Simon knelt before Zeke.
"Simon Zapatero, Captain of the Cusco Royal Guard, greets his master, Zeke Draker."
He immediately pledged his allegiance to Zeke.
Zeke nodded and helped Simon to his feet.
"Let's talk details after we get out of here. Where are Matteo and your men?"
"Matteo is being held captive in the next room. My men are waiting for my signal to activate the explosive scrolls. Then they'll scatter and meet at the extraction point."
"Can you gather all your men?"
"I can signal them."
"Good. I'll take care of Matteo. You signal your men to detonate the explosives and then head towards the sewer entrance we came from."
"Understood."
As Simon moved, Zeke headed towards the room where Matteo was held.
Matteo was bound and gagged.
Zeke removed the gag.
"You damn bastards!"
The moment Matteo started shouting, Zeke punched him in the face.
Wham!
"Ugh!"
Matteo's face caved in from the single blow.
Zeke growled,
"Where's the ledger?"
Even with his face caved in, Matteo tried to spit at Zeke.
Seeing this, Zeke drew his dagger and activated his lightning skill.
Crackle!
Zeke's dagger, charged with lightning, electrocuted Matteo.
"Kraaagh!"
Matteo convulsed in agony.
Zeke, radiating Dragon's Majesty, pressed him again.
Trembling, Matteo revealed the location and combination of the secret safe.
"This is what the end of the cartel looks like. Go to hell."
With that, Zeke swiftly beheaded Matteo.
He carved the McCain cartel's mark onto Matteo's forehead with his dagger.
The man had committed so many evil deeds that his death was a net positive for the world.
Leaving Matteo's corpse in plain sight, Zeke went to find the secret safe.
Click!
Inside, it was filled with cash, ledgers, jewelry, and items.
He swept everything into his inventory and returned to Matteo's office, where Simon was waiting.
"Boss, I've sent the signal. The explosives will detonate in ten minutes."
"Good. Let's go."
Zeke and Simon stealthily left Matteo's room.
However, cartel members had already swarmed the area.
"Intruders!"
"Shoot them!"
The cartel members, armed with repeating crossbows, fired relentlessly.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Dozens of bolts rained down on Zeke and Simon.
Zeke drew his scabbard and pressed the button, expanding it into a shield.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The shield, crafted by the dwarven artisan Gorin, shone as it deflected every crossbow bolt.
Zeke then drew his sword and activated the Field of Fire.
Whoosh!
Flames engulfed the hallway.
Simon, who was behind Zeke, was astonished to see the sword spewing fire.
'A magic sword?'
A magic sword with such firepower would be priceless.
Zeke brandished the flaming sword, clearing a path.
Just then
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions erupted throughout the mansion.
Simon's men had activated the explosive scrolls.
Zeke shouted to Simon,
"Grab me!"
Without hesitation, Simon grabbed Zeke.
Zeke then sprinted towards the window and leaped out.
It was a long drop, jumping without protection would have resulted in serious injury.
But Zeke activated his wind power.
Whoosh!
The wind cushioned their fall, allowing Zeke and Simon to land safely.
Simon's eyes widened further at the sight of the sword that could command both fire and wind.
Beeep!
Alarm whistles shrieked from all directions.
"Catch the intruders!"
"Fire! Put out the fire!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
More explosions followed in succession.
While the cartel members were in disarray, Zeke and Simon headed towards the sewers.
Fortunately, all of Simon's men had escaped safely.
Seeing Simon with Zeke, they realized there had been a change of plans.
Simon addressed his men,
"This is our new boss. Greet him."
Simon's unit consisted of knights who had secretly joined him to protect the Cusco kingdom.
At his command, they bowed their heads to Zeke without resistance.
"We greet our new master!"
Zeke nodded in acknowledgment.
"Let's celebrate with a drink once we get out of here safely."
They planned to use the sewers to escape, just as they had entered.
While that shouldn't be a problem, the heightened security meant any delay could lead to the sewers being blocked.
A swift escape was crucial.
Zeke activated his map and navigated through the sewers.
After hours of wading through filth, they finally reached the edge of the city.
Woof! Woof! Woof!
The sound of barking dogs echoed in the distance.
Zeke signaled for everyone to stop.
Using Dragon's Eye, he saw that they were already surrounded by pursuers.
Zeke said to Simon,
"I'll lure them away. Take your men and escape. Don't go to McCain. Head to the Central Continent and join Kay at the Syndicate."
Simon shook his head.
"I can't do that. The princess is still in McCain."
"Don't worry about that. I've already arranged for someone else to get her out."
He had already contacted Reinhardt and instructed the Gorka Rangers to extract the princess.
Simon was surprised.
"Y-you knew this would happen?"
"Why do you think Don Juan sent you and me here together? He already knew everything. He planned to eliminate the troublesome Cusco knights and hand over the princess to the rebels."
Simon and his men gritted their teeth.
"Don Juan... that bastard..."
"I'll protect the princess with my life. Don't worry and go."
Simon nodded.
"Boss, please don't die. I have so much to ask you."
"Understood. Then, I'm off!"
Zeke dashed forward.
The scent hounds, catching his scent, charged towards him.
Zeke shouted to his bracelet, "Bucephalus!"
The dragon horse was summoned, and Zeke mounted it, leading the pursuers on a chase.
Woof! Woof! Woof!
The hounds and torch-bearing pursuers followed relentlessly.
Once Zeke confirmed they were solely focused on him, he adjusted Bucephalus's speed, luring the pursuers further away from Simon and his men.
When a sufficient distance had been created, Zeke halted Bucephalus and drew his sword.
The hounds and pursuers brandished their weapons and charged at Zeke.
A massive storm erupted from his sword.
Zeke grinned.
"Now, let's have some fun."
[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]