The Wizard of Narak trembled as he opened his mouth in response to Zeke's question.
"H-How did you...?"
The fact that Orks had emerged from the Forest of the Forgotten was the utmost secret within Narak itself.
As the wizard rolled his eyes and hesitated, Zeke decided to search his memories directly, while accounting for any loss in the volume of information.
Tssst—
The Blood Eye manifested on Zeke's forehead.
Immediately after, Zeke began rummaging through the wizard's memories using the Authority of Shadow Domination and the Dragonʼs Senses.
He calmly examined the fragmented memories flowing in.
At the forest's outskirts, a black-robed wizard held his staff and chanted a spell, causing a Black Portal to appear before him.
'This is... the Forest of the Forgotten.'
Soon, Orks began marching out of the portal in single file.
'Doing something like that right in front of the forest, and Master just let it happen?'
Zeke, who knew Nigel's temperament well, understood that such an event in the Forest of the Forgotten was utterly impossible.
If any strange energy was detected, Nigel would immediately rush out and wipe everything clean.
Sure enough, something started flying in from the depths of the forest.
The wizard who had created the Black Portal moved busily, extending his palm toward the humans confined in cages.
The humans, drained of their vitality by the wizard, all withered into mummies and collapsed, and the wizard promptly created a red portal.
The memories cut off as the wizards and Orks entered that portal.
Zeke realized what had happened.
'They fled before Master arrived on the scene. A wizard capable of creating portals. Dark Magic? Or perhaps... an Authority obtained through a contract with a highrank demonkind.'
Zeke asked the Wizard of Narak.
"Who was the one who created the portal in the forest?"
"T-That..."
As the wizard opened his mouth to speak, an abnormal reaction occurred in his body.
"Krrk!"
Hives erupted on his skin, and soon pus oozed from him as he collapsed dead on the spot.
The ways of dying from a Geas were varied indeed.
Zeke clicked his tongue in annoyance and frowned as he extracted the necessary information before igniting flames where the Narak members had been, burning away all traces.
Then, he summoned Bucephalus and swiftly exited the Ogre Mountain Range.
*
A few days later, Zeke arrived at Agamemnon Castle.
Surprisingly, Xeros had already completed the procedures in Nirvana and was waiting at Agamemnon Castle.
Beside Xeros was Jason, who looked utterly exhausted.
"Were the two of you acquaintances?" Xeros smiled brightly and replied.
"Yes, Jason was a junior at the Magic Tower. We even took Sorcerer classes together." Xeros held the titles of both Sorcerer and Warlock.
In contrast, Jason had only mastered Earth Magic, so he hadn't yet earned the title of Sorcerer.
Jason spoke to Zeke in a voice that sounded half-dead.
"Ugh... My lord, where did you pick up this monster?" Xeros responded with a hurt expression. "Jason, monster? I'm just an ordinary wizard." Jason ground his teeth at that.
"If you're an ordinary wizard, then I'm just a mud-playing worm."
Jason had been considered a prodigy at the Magic Tower, but Xeros had been a genius on another level entirely.
Zeke looked at Jason and said.
"He's a talent I brought in to bolster the knight order's magical personnel. Soon, we'll be reinforcing the Magic Corps as well, so you'll have plenty of work ahead."
Jason nodded weakly at Zeke's words.
Arina had officially disbanded the Rose Knight Order and transferred its members to the Black Sword Knight Order.
In doing so, she had taken on the role of advisor to the Black Sword Knight Order's Magic Corps and taught magic at Agamemnon Castle.
With the addition of the Rose Knight Order's personnel, the Black Sword Knight Order now had over two hundred members, which formed a mid-sized knight order.
Zeke had hurried to Agamemnon Castle because the formal inauguration ceremony for the Black Sword Knight Order was scheduled for today.
Including the blue knight Clona, the purple knights Felix, Liam, Diego, Aster, and Rick were all slated to receive knighthoods in the name of Agamemnon.
Decker, who held a Draker knighthood, would serve as captain, Farel, who held a Thebea knighthood, as vice-captain, and once Clona received her knighthood, she would take on the vice-captain role to lead the former Rose Knight Order members.
As Zeke hurriedly entered the grand hall of Agamemnon Castle, preparations for the investiture ceremony were already complete.
'Good, I didn't miss it.'
Before entering the hall, Zeke activated his Hercion.
Shraaak!
In an instant, full plate armor enveloped his body.
The Hercion of the Goddess Theia, forged from Orichalcum, emitted a subtle glow unlike any ordinary armor.
With the Hercion donned and Jeromeʼs Cloak draped over it, Zeke looked exactly like a legendary hero.
The hall was filled not only with the elders of the Agamemnon family but also with representatives from prominent central families.
As Zeke entered, all bowed their heads in respect toward him.
He ascended the dais in the hall slowly.
Reaching the head seat, Zeke embraced Rufus, the head of the Agamemnon family and his great-uncle, in greeting.
Once Zeke sat in the chair beside Rufus, the investiture ceremony began.
Those to receive knighthoods entered the hall steadily.
Thud!
Clona, Felix, Liam, Diego, Aster, and Rick entered proudly, clad in custom armor forged by Gelion.
Surprisingly, all their armor was Hercion.
Using the drive formula refined by Hades, Feynen and Gelion had adapted it to modern armor designs and created Hercion specifically for the Black Sword Knight Order.
The sturdy yet elegant black Hercion perfectly showcased the prestige of the Black Sword Knight Order.
As they knelt before the dais, Rufus Agamemnon, the family head, rose and spoke.
"I extend my deepest gratitude to the esteemed guests who have gathered for the
Agamemnon family's knighthood investiture!" Rufus's voice echoed throughout the vast hall.
He addressed the audience.
"For the first time in sixty-five years, we bestow knighthoods in the name of the Agamemnon family upon these new knights! I have no doubt they will embody the nobility and steadfast will of knighthood in safeguarding the peace and well-being of Mycenae and the central continent!"
As Rufus continued his speech, he suddenly turned to Zeke.
"And today, I, Rufus Agamemnon, hereby transfer the authority to bestow knighthoods to my successor, Zeke Draker."
The words stunned not only Zeke but the entire audience in the hall.
Transferring the authority to bestow knighthoods was tantamount to declaring Zeke the de facto head of the Agamemnon family.
Zeke looked at Rufus with a dazed expression. Rufus grasped Zeke's shoulder and said.
"Zeke, everything in the name of Agamemnon is yours."
Rufus intended to retain only the title of family head and entrust everything else to Zeke.
Zeke accepted his great-uncle's resolve to hand over all authority and nodded.
Shing!
He drew Roland from his waist.
The audience gazed in awe at Zeke holding the jeweled sword Roland, which shone brilliantly.
Combined with his Dragon Divine Body and the Authority of Charisma, the entire hall was soon drawn into Zeke's presence.
The six kneeling before him were no exception.
Zeke touched Clona's shoulder with the sword.
"Clona Ironheart. Do you pledge to serve the Black Sword Knight Order with unwavering loyalty?"
Clona bowed her head solemnly and replied.
"I pledge my utmost loyalty to my lord."
Zeke posed the same question to the remaining five and received identical vows.
"In the name of Agamemnon, I bestow upon you the rank of knight."
As he finished speaking and raised Roland high, a brilliant light emanated from the blade.
He had invoked the Veil of Light through the Sacred Radiance Technique.
Radiant halos spread throughout the hall.
The nobles from esteemed central families trembled, crying out at the sight of the glow.
"T-The sacred light!"
"The Holy King...! The return of the Holy King!"
They felt a shiver, as if glimpsing the image of Gio Rubern, the first Holy King and emissary of light, in Zeke.
Zeke inwardly smiled with satisfaction at the astonished central nobles.
'The effect of the Sacred Radiance Technique is excellent.'
Having suddenly received the authority to bestow Agamemnon knighthoods, he had staged this to prevent any backlash from vassal families.
Since most central nobles were devout believers, he had anticipated they would react positively to light magic—and his prediction proved spot on.
The Agamemnon knighthood investiture, the first in sixty-five years, was a resounding success.
*
"Whew, me a formal knight? I still can't believe it."
After the investiture, the new knights gathered in the Round Table Chamber, Agamemnon Castle's conference room.
Clona propped her feet on the round table, pulled a dried scorpion from her pocket, popped it into her mouth, and crunched it.
Felix, sitting beside her, shook his head and said.
"Now that you're vice-captain, if you cause trouble, it'll tarnish the Agamemnon name...! Ack!"
For speaking out of turn, Felix was struck by Clona and sent flying into the wall.
Just then, Zeke and Decker entered the conference room.
Unlike her usual demeanor, Clona stood rigidly and barked.
"Attention! Salute to the lord!"
Clona had always been a knight of strong loyalty.
Now that her allegiance had shifted from Arina to Zeke, she demonstrated it accordingly.
Following Clona's command, the others quickly straightened up.
Zeke waved them off as he regarded his knights.
"Why the sudden formality? It's burdensome. At ease, everyone."
"At ease."
It was just like Clona, the former drill sergeant of the Rose Knight Order.
Zeke addressed his knight order members.
"First, congratulations on all becoming knights. I'm sure you'll handle things well, but I have one piece of advice."
He looked at them and continued.
"Never die. No matter the situation, your lives come first."
The foremost virtue of a knight was to lay down one's life for one's lord.
Yet Zeke said the opposite: prioritize your own survival.
With that, Zeke stood abruptly.
Felix asked in surprise. "Eh? My lord, is that it?" Zeke nodded.
"Yes, that's it. Is there anything else you need?"
"No, not exactly, but..."
Seeing Felix hesitate, Zeke spoke again.
"Come to think of it, I forgot one thing." He addressed the knights.
"War will break out soon."
At the word "war," Farel asked Zeke with a serious expression.
"My lord, war with whom?"
Zeke thought for a moment before replying slowly.
"The Rom Empire."
Clona muttered as she drew her Mace and tapped it against her palm. "The Rom Empire, huh. Doesn't matter who. I'll just smash their heads in." The other knights shuddered at her words.
Clona was the type to crush skulls first and ask questions later.
Zeke addressed his knights.
"Lately, Abel and the empire's movements have been suspicious. Prepare yourselves mentally."
In his previous life, the continental war Zeke fought in had erupted three years from now.
Originally, Kali would die at the hands of the Pirate King a year later, and Arthur Draker would succumb to illness, leading Abel to become head of the Draker family and launch a continental invasion alongside the empire.
In that war, cities like Atlas were reduced to ruins, and countless innocent civilians were brutally massacred.
Having lost precious people amid that horrific war, Zeke had lived this life solely hoping such tragedy would never repeat.
'Events are progressing faster than in my previous life. Probably because my interventions have altered things bit by bit.' He looked at his knights and said.
"As Clona said, it doesn't matter who the enemy is. The Black Sword Knight Order just needs to cut down and shatter whatever comes. And in that process, remember one thing: don't die."
The knights nodded with resolute gazes at Zeke's words.
Before long, all six had the eyes of true knights.
The Immortal Black Sword Knight Order.
Zeke intended to create the strongest knight order capable of devouring not only the imperial army but the entire Draker family, the pinnacle of martial might.
'In this life, I will live solely by my own will, never swayed by anyone else.'