"The leader of the High Table wants to see me?"
Zeke was taken aback by the sudden proposal from the Hermit of Stories.
Sensing his confusion, the Hermit of Stories waved his hand dismissively.
"Ah, itʼs nothing major. They just want to hear about how things are unfolding in the Phenomenal World right now. It seems the monster outbreaks and the emergence of aberrant magical beasts might be connected to the Siemens Family somehow." Zeke nodded at the Hermit of Storiesʼ words.
"To be precise, itʼs the doing of the Siemens Family and Narak." The Hermit of Stories frowned at the mention of Narak.
"The Narak bunch have been a thorn in everyoneʼs side for centuries, so thatʼs no surprise… but teaming up with the Siemens Family to cause this much chaos? Thatʼs a new low."
Zeke then explained everything he had uncovered.
He detailed how Narak had used artificial Blood Tear Stones to summon high-rank demonkind into the Phenomenal World, how they had revived dormant demonkind within it, how they had twisted Karma with the power of constellations to call forth monsters, and more.
After hearing Zekeʼs full account, the Hermit of Storiesʼ jaw dropped.
"This… these guys are completely insane, arenʼt they?"
He hadnʼt expected it to be this severe. The Hermit of Stories looked shocked, his face twisted in disbelief.
Zeke nodded and continued.
"The Emperor of Rom has even turned himself into an avatar of a fallen constellation. His entire body has become monstrous. It was the constellation known as the Serpent in the Black Mouth. Heʼs been wielding its authority to warp Karma and exert a massive influence over the Phenomenal World."
The Hermit of Storiesʼ eyes widened at Zekeʼs words.
"W-wait a second. Who did you just say?"
"Pardon? The Emperor of Rom…"
"No, that constellation!"
"The Serpent in the Black Mouth."
The Hermit of Stories pressed Zeke in a fluster.
"You faced that thing directly? No, wait—I mean, you encountered the emperor who became its avatar? And youʼre still alive? How?"
"Well, because I killed him."
The Hermit of Stories leaped to his feet at Zekeʼs response.
"You… killed it? How?"
"With this."
Zeke pulled the Holy Spear from his inventory.
The Hermit of Storiesʼ mouth hung open, refusing to close.
He hurriedly summoned a book into the air and flipped through its pages frantically, wetting his fingers as he searched for something.
"This… is this the Holy Spear?"
"Yes, even though its form has changed, you recognized it right away."
"This thing—Iʼve been a hermit for quite some time, you know. But how did you come by this?"
"The place I visited this time was the ruins of the first Holy King, Gio Rubern. I found it there."
Zeke kept his explanation concise, sticking to the essentials.
Sweat beaded on his forehead as the Hermit of Stories asked Zeke.
"So, you found the Holy Spear of the first Holy King and used it to slay the avatar of the Serpent in the Black Mouth?"
"Yes, and I even sealed it away with it."
"What?"
The Hermit of Stories repeated the question in a dazed, almost hollow tone, as if he had no energy left to be surprised.
Zeke took out the Ring of Solomon and showed it to him.
Upon confirming the seal of the Serpent in the Black Mouth—Belial—within the ring, the Hermit of Stories recoiled in horror and collapsed to the ground, his legs giving out.
"You actually sealed a fallen constellation…?"
Zeke clicked his tongue as he looked at the Hermit of Stories.
"Did you think I was lying?"
"I figured you might have dealt with the avatar somehow, but I never imagined youʼd seal the constellationʼs very source. And the Serpent in the Black Mouth, of all things. That oneʼs one of the lords of the Demon Realm."
"I did notice it was using more of its abilities than the other constellations. It was obsessed with the Holy Spear, so it fell right into my trap. It pulled out all the stops just to get its hands on this."
The Hermit of Stories nodded knowingly at Zekeʼs words.
"Itʼs probably because of the Karma."
"Why Karma? Does having this let them evade the sanctions of Karma or something?" The Hermit of Stories nodded again.
Zeke hadnʼt anticipated that at all, so this time it was his turn to be surprised.
With a wave of his hand, translucent images floated into the air around the Hermit of Stories.
Swords, vessels, goblets, statues—they all resembled extraordinary ancient artifacts.
"These are…"
"Sacred Relics. Theyʼre not on the level of the Holy Spear you possess or the Sacred
Relic of the Fairy King, but theyʼre still infused with the power of constellations."
"So Narak is using these Sacred Relics to evade the sanctions of Karma?"
"The power of the constellations embedded in the Sacred Relics contains no Karma.
Theyʼve clearly figured out a way to use that Karma-free power to bypass the sanctions. The stronger the power infused in a Sacred Relic, the greater the Karma it holds—which is why the Holy Spear you have and the Sacred Relic of the Fairy King are so coveted by them, given their high rank."
He gazed at the Sacred Relics of other constellations floating in the air and continued.
"All of these Sacred Relics are currently missing." Zekeʼs expression hardened as he heard this.
"Youʼre saying Narak and the Siemens Family stole them?" The Hermit of Stories nodded.
"Yes, and thatʼs why the High Table has been called to a grand convocation."
With another wave of his hand, a new scene materialized in the air.
Forests, mountains, rivers, seas—various locations appeared, and Zeke recognized one of them.
"Isnʼt that the Forest of the Forgotten?"
"Exactly. The Forest of the Forgotten and all those places are Forbidden Areas, off-limits to entry. But…"
The projected scenes shifted to show gates opening in each Forbidden Area, unleashing hordes of Demon Realm monsters that had been sealed away.
Zeke frowned at the sight.
"Itʼs the same method they used when they extracted the Ork Legion from the Forest of the Forgotten."
"Events like this are happening all across the continent." Zeke looked at the Hermit of Stories and asked.
"How is this even possible? They should definitely be subject to the sanctions of Karma…"
Zekeʼs eyes widened as realization dawned on him.
"Theyʼre using the power of the Sacred Relics to block the sanctions of Karma." The Hermit of Stories nodded.
"Thatʼs right. I looked into these anomalies myself and discovered that Sacred Relics stored in various kingdoms had vanished. Thatʼs why the Highlanders suspect that our enemies have devised a way to use the Sacred Relics to circumvent the sanctions of Karma."
Zekeʼs face grew grave.
He had stopped the Ork Legion that attacked the Holy Kingdom, but now far more monster legions were emerging into the Phenomenal World.
"Where are those monsters now?"
The Hermit of Stories waved his hand once more.
The scene changed to a landscape battered by fierce blizzards.
Zeke knew exactly where that was.
"The Ice Mountain Range… and Himonas."
Himonas lay at the northernmost tip of the Northern Continent, cradled by the Ice Mountain Range.
The only place a monster legion crossing the Ice Mountain Range could target was Himonas.
Zeke gritted his teeth.
"Himonas, where Alicia is, wonʼt fall easily. But if the monster legions keep pouring in endlessly, even its mighty walls will have their limits."
He wanted to head to the Northern Continent right away and halt the monster legions.
But the current situation made it difficult for Zeke to act rashly.
If the Guardian Knight Seat was bestowed upon him as Arthur Draker intended, the entire Draker Family would be thrown into turmoil.
For Zeke, he had no choice but to resolve the internal Draker Family issues first before heading north.
Sensing Zekeʼs troubled expression, the Hermit of Stories remarked. "Youʼre fidgeting like you have a personal stake in the Northern Continent." He had seen right through Zekeʼs heart.
Zeke shook his head and replied.
"Itʼs not like that. Whatʼs the Highlander response?"
"Our structure isnʼt suited for facing down legions like that. Weʼre organized in small teams, dispatched to problem areas as needed. Thatʼs why the leader wants to meet you—to discuss potential cooperation."
Having been a Highlander in his previous life, Zeke understood immediately.
Typically, Highlanders received orders, deployed to the relevant area to carry out their missions, then returned to their bases and waited for the next assignment.
Zeke himself had stayed in the Forest of the Forgotten, venturing out only for related missions to eliminate designated magical beasts before returning.
The magical beasts and monsters they faced were usually small groups or packs, not full legions marching as they were now.
Zeke looked at the Hermit of Stories and spoke. "Iʼll meet the leader. Tell me the location and time." The Hermit of Stories nodded.
"The leaderʼs in a rather unique situation, so arranging a meeting isnʼt straightforward.
Iʼll contact you once preparations are made."
"Understood."
"Do you still have the hand mirror I gave you?"
In truth, Zeke had forgotten about the hand mirror the Hermit of Stories had given him, leaving it tucked away in his inventory.
Seeing Zekeʼs sheepish expression, the Hermit of Stories clicked his tongue.
"Keep it on you at all times. That way, youʼll know when I send a signal." "Got it."
The Hermit of Stories rose from his seat and approached Zeke.
"The continent is gradually descending into chaos. You might be the one to quell it, Zeke."
"Me?"
"Yes. The master of the Sacred Relics and the Holy Spear. It seems fate is guiding you as a savior."
Zeke had no desire to take on such a burdensome role.
All he had ever wanted was freedom.
"I donʼt know how it turned out this way… but to gain that freedom, I suppose Iʼll have to deal with those bastards anyway."
The Hermit of Stories placed a hand on Zekeʼs shoulder.
"Stay vigilant. If they learn youʼre fated as a savior, theyʼll come after you even more aggressively."
At the same time, he laid a hand on Zekeʼs forehead.
"May the luck of stories be with you."
*
When Zeke opened his eyes, he was back inside the carriage.
"I must have dozed off for a bit."
Zeke replayed the conversation with the Hermit of Stories in his mind.
The Siemens Family and Narak had stolen the Sacred Relics and used them to unleash sealed Demon Realm monster legions into the Phenomenal World. And now, those legions were advancing over the Ice Mountain Range toward Himonas.
"But why are the monsters heading for Himonas?"
The Ork Legion that attacked the Holy Kingdom and the Zoin Tribe Ghetto had likely aimed to conquer those territories as forward bases for a continental war.
But Himonas held no such strategic value.
Though vast, it was perpetually cold, with most of its land barren and desolate.
Zeke doubted the Siemens Family had sent the monster legions to pressure Himonas.
"Then there must be something in Himonas that they need." Pondering deeply, Zeke recalled one possibility.
"What if thereʼs something in Himonas that could revive the Demon King?" He remembered what the Holy King had said.
To revive the Demon King, a vessel for the soul and the Book of the Lion containing the sealed soul were required.
The Book of the Lion was sealed beyond the Dark Continent, and the vessel, Abel, had died by Zekeʼs hand.
Perhaps Himonas concealed something that fulfilled one of those conditions.
"The one orchestrating all this is Ramon Siemens, head of the Siemens Family. Does
Arthur Draker know about Ramonʼs schemes?"
Arthur Draker was a man of many secrets, so it was hard to gauge his true thoughts.
Zeke decided to tackle the issues one by one, methodically.
"First, Iʼll resolve the Draker Family matter. Kaliʼs side will be key."
Kali was the direct bloodline member who had long been the presumptive heir.
They had maintained a good alliance so far, but if they entered direct competition, her stance might shift unpredictably.
Zeke even considered the possibility of Kali turning hostile.
"In that case, she wouldnʼt yield easily. It might come to bloodshed."
Lost in such thoughts, Zeke realized the carriage had already arrived at the mansion.
Returning to the Atlas Mansion after so long, Zeke stepped out and stretched.
Someone was already waiting for him at the mansion.
It was none other than Luther Zemben.
"Sir Luther. Itʼs been a while."
Luther bowed his head in greeting at Zekeʼs words.
"Sir Zeke, I heard youʼd arrived in Atlas and came right away. I hope my unannounced visit isnʼt an inconvenience."
"Not at all. I was wondering how youʼve been. Come inside."
At that moment, Luther looked at Zeke with a serious expression.
"Sir Zeke, I have something to discuss."
Zeke nodded curiously at the sudden shift in demeanor, gesturing for him to speak.
"The emissary of the Sultan wishes an audience with you."