[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
Chapter 89
Zeke looked surprised at Cali's words.
"A deal between Abel and the Empire?"
She nodded.
"Yes, we received intel. It seems Abel is going to make a big deal with the Empire. I don't know exactly what kind of deal it is, but it seems to be related to the card he's going to present to the elders to obtain the guardian knight position."
After listening to Cali, Zeke asked,
"Are you sure it's alright to entrust me with such an important mission?"
"Abel is already wary of our faction. If any of us leave, he might cancel the deal immediately. But it's difficult to entrust such an important task to an ordinary knight."
Zeke fell into deep thought at Cali's words.
'If I take on this mission, I'll officially become Cali Draker's person.'
As the winner of the martial arts tournament, Zeke was scheduled to enter Four Seasons Castle.
Four Seasons Castle was the gathering place of all the Draker blood alliance clans.
It was a place filled with nobles from various kingdoms, lords of clans, and high-ranking politicians from all over the continent.
To survive in this place, he needed strong connections.
In that sense, Cali Draker, the first in line to succeed the lordship and with the guardian knight position, was more than enough to be a strong shield to protect Zeke.
'The problem is that Sister Cali will be killed by the Pirate King in a few years.'
Since he had regressed to the past, there were already many things that were different from his previous life.
Considering the circumstances, Zeke decided that he could intervene in the confrontation between Cali and the Pirate King and save her.
'If Sister Cali stops Abel and safely inherits the lordship, we might be able to prevent the Third Continental War that the Empire is instigating.'
If that happened, Zeke could focus on training to become the strongest on the continent more stably.
The cleanest way was to gain power beyond that of a Black Knight, formally challenge Cali, receive the lordship, and become the absolute ruler.
'I don't want to rule over Atlas, which will be ruined by the war with the Empire.'
Zeke finished his contemplation and answered Cali.
"Okay, Sister. I'll take on that mission."
Cali was surprised by Zeke's calm acceptance.
It wasn't a mission to be accepted lightly, but contrary to her expectations, Zeke gave her an immediate answer.
"Are you really going to take it?"
Zeke nodded.
"Yes, when should I leave?"
Cali composed herself and said,
"The deal will take place at a casino in the Dorta Republic in a week."
"Then it's better to leave quickly. Okay, but I have a favor to ask for this mission."
"What is it? Tell me."
"I need someone from the Dorta Republic to invite me. Under the pretense of a winner's tour party for the martial arts tournament."
Cali nodded at those words.
"You mean to hide the mission under the guise of an official invitation."
"Yes, it will be difficult to enter the casino in the Dorta Republic in secret. And if I make a move, as the winner of the martial arts tournament, it will eventually reach Abel's ears anyway. In that case, it would be better to openly receive an invitation and then go to the Dorta Republic. However, since I've rejected all invitations so far, I need an invitation from a key figure in Dorta."
"Okay, I'll contact Dorta and have them select a suitable person to send an invitation."
"Thank you, Sister."
Helen, who was next to them, said to Zeke,
"Zeke, Dorta may seem glamorous and full of pleasure on the surface, but it's filled with demons inside. You must always be wary of your surroundings."
Zeke inwardly chuckled at Helen's words.
During his time as a hitman for the Southern Cartel in his past life, Zeke had experience running a casino in the Dorta Republic.
To launder the McCain Cartel's funds, he took over several hotels in the Dorta Republic and ran auction houses and arenas there, laundering the money earned from selling Soma.
Zeke, who was deeply involved in the underworld, knew better than anyone what Helen's concerns meant.
"Thank you, Lady Helen. I'll keep that in mind."
"One more thing."
"Please speak."
Helen said to Zeke, "...Speak comfortably to me as well."
Perhaps embarrassed after saying that, Helen blushed slightly.
Zeke grinned and nodded.
"Okay, Sister Helen."
Only after hearing his answer did Helen make a satisfied expression.
***
The very next day, an invitation arrived for Zeke from the Dorta Republic.
Zeke was surprised when he saw the invitation.
"The Zayed clan? Oh my god, a direct invitation from the wealthiest clan in the Dorta Republic?"
The Dorta Republic was famous for its auction houses and casinos, but it was also renowned as a production site for magic stones.
The Zayed clan owned the underwater magic stone mines in the Dorta Republic, and 70% of the magic stones supplied to the continent came from this place.
To think that they could mobilize the Zayed clan, it showed the immense influence of Cali Draker.
Zeke nodded as he looked at the invitation.
"If it's an invitation from the Zayeds, the other clans I rejected will understand."
Just then, Decker approached Zeke.
"Young Master, all the necessary documents for using the portal have been issued."
Zeke received the Draker Knight exclusive entry and exit permit that Decker handed him.
"Thank you, Decker. When did you say I have to go to the terminal?"
"It's operational this evening, so you have to leave soon."
The large-scale portal only operated twice a day.
Moreover, if he missed tonight's portal to the Dorta Republic, he would have to wait another three days.
If he was unlucky, it would take longer than going by ship.
'Thinking about it like that, the system's portal function is really a cheat.'
Of course, there were various restrictions and it required a large amount of Karma points, but being able to move to any desired location at any time was a huge advantage.
Zeke marveled at the system once again and moved towards the waiting carriage.
When he went outside, Farel was training Liam and Felix in the garden.
"Again! One more time!"
Farel was an official knight of the time-honored Thebes Kingdom, a candidate for Blue Knight, and a direct descendant of the prestigious Achilles clan.
As a famous master of traditional swordsmanship, he was perfect for teaching the two Purple Knights.
Zeke had specifically asked Farel to train them.
Felix gasped for breath, groaning.
"Ugh... Sir Farel, I think I'm going to die if I do any more."
Liam then stepped forward with his sword raised.
Felix shuddered at the sight of Liam and wailed, but he followed him.
"Ugh! Senior Liam! Please stop now!"
Zeke watched the two and then said to Decker,
"Tell Sir Farel to push Felix a little harder."
"Yes, Young Master."
Zeke stared at Decker, who answered politely, and then said,
"And Decker, reconsider returning as a knight. I need a reliable and talented person."
Decker bowed his head and replied,
"Thank you for your words, Young Master. But I'm already too rusty to be called a knight."
"Hmm."
Far from being rusty, Zeke could see that his skills were still sharp.
But Zeke nodded as he looked at Decker, who had once again declined his request.
"Okay, but when things get urgent, Decker will have to step up too."
"Yes, sir."
With that conversation, Zeke bid farewell to Decker and boarded the carriage.
Perhaps because Decker had practically raised him since his past life, he couldn't help but act a little spoiled in front of him.
'By the way, I wonder why he's so stubborn about not being a knight when he seems to have lingering feelings for the sword. Is there something I don't know?'
Zeke pondered various thoughts in the carriage as he headed towards the terminal.
When he arrived at the terminal, someone was waiting for him.
"Welcome, Master."
It was Paynun, dressed in a suit.
This was because Zeke had chosen Paynun as his companion for this mission.
The two went through the VIP procedure at the terminal and waited in the lounge for a while.
"Mr. Paynun, is this your first time in the Dorta Republic?"
Paynun shook his head.
"I often go to Dorta to obtain items needed for research. This is my first time going through a portal, though."
Just then, an announcement came on.
"The portal to the Dorta Republic will be opening soon. Passengers, please proceed to the portal shuttle and take your seats."
Zeke and Paynun used the passage connected to the lounge and sat in the first-class seats of the portal shuttle.
Top-quality leather seats, wine, and various other services were provided.
While munching on the peanuts provided, Zeke felt the surrounding magic surge.
'Oh, this is interesting.'
Soon, magic spread through the magic circle surrounding the shuttle, and a large-scale portal opened.
The shuttle slowly entered the portal.
Rumble
A slight vibration was felt.
And soon, the shuttle stopped, and the portal slowly closed.
"We have arrived in the Dorta Republic. We hope you have a pleasant trip."
People started moving busily, and Zeke and Paynun also got off the shuttle and exited the terminal.
Stepping out of the terminal, Zeke saw an incredibly luxurious carriage prepared for him.
It was a golden carriage pulled by six twin-humped camels adorned with various ornaments.
Zeke's expression darkened at the sight of the carriage.
'No way...'
"Sir Zeke Draker!"
Just then, a typical Dortan man, wearing a turban and white clothes with all sorts of ornaments made of expensive magic stones dangling from him, approached Zeke.
He recognized Zeke and embraced him.
"Welcome! Welcome!"
His Continental Common Tongue was quite natural.
Zeke replied in Dortan,
‘
"Thank you for your hospitality."
The Dortan man was surprised that Zeke spoke Dortan.
"Oh my! You speak Dortan! The God of Earth will bless you, Sir Zeke!"
He prayed loudly and led Zeke inside the golden carriage.
Only after sitting in the carriage did the Dortan man introduce himself.
"I apologize for the late introduction. My name is Muhammad bin Abu Da Zayed, the second son of the Zayed clan."
Zeke was surprised. He had guessed as much from the luxurious carriage, but he didn't expect a direct descendant of the Zayed clan to come and welcome him personally.
Muhammad looked at Zeke and said,
"First of all, congratulations on winning the Draker martial arts tournament. It is an honor for our clan that you, the winner, Sir Zeke, have accepted the invitation of the Zayed clan."
"Everyone on the continent knows the shining reputation of the Zayed clan."
"As expected of Sir Zeke, you are an honorable knight. I, Muhammad, am deeply moved."
After the formal greetings, Muhammad's expression suddenly changed.
"I've heard from Cali Draker."
Zeke also straightened his posture at those words.
"Then I don't need to make a long speech. It would be great if you could arrange a casino where the deal will take place in advance, Mr. Muhammad."
Muhammad smiled and shook his hand.
"Sir Zeke, with all due respect, there's no need for that."
"What do you mean?"
Muhammad said with a slight smile,
"No casino in the Dorta Republic can escape the influence of the Zayed clan."
Zeke understood Muhammad's words to some extent.
'Well, even when I was running a casino during my cartel days, I had a lot of trouble because of them. Because those who were instructed by the Zayeds attacked us so often.'
In fact, this was the reason why Don Juan sent Zeke to the casino in Dorta.
After Zeke was deployed and killed those who attacked them one after another, hanging their bodies in front of the Zayed mansion, they finally proposed a truce.
Considering the Zayed clan was richer than the Emperor of the Empire in terms of wealth, he could understand why they showed such confidence.
Zeke said to Muhammad,
"Alright. Mr. Paynun here is an excellent mage. He will place a wiretapping spell on the meeting place where the Empire's side will be."
Zeke hadn't brought Paynun for nothing.
He wanted to obtain evidence that Abel was trying to break the Draker clan's neutrality pledge by making a deal with the Empire.
To do this, he planned to install a wiretapping device in advance and leave it as evidence.
Muhammad smiled, revealing his white teeth.
"That's not a problem at all. Don't worry."
"And I have one more favor to ask."
"What is it? Just say the word."
Zeke whispered to Muhammad in a low voice.
Muhammad was surprised to hear Zeke's request.
"Th-that's..."
"Please."
Muhammad made a slightly troubled expression, but then nodded.
"Okay. Since it's your request, Sir Zeke, I'll do my best."
"Thank you, Mr. Muhammad."
Zeke turned his head and looked out the carriage window.
The luxurious carriage was passing through the road laid out in the wasteland of the Dorta Republic and entering the glamorous city.
The dazzling lights of Dorta, known as the city without night, were overflowing.
Zeke sharpened his mind as he looked at the splendid scenery.
[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]