"Sultanʼs Emissary?"
Lutherʼs words sent Zekeʼs mind racing.
One possibility immediately came to mind.
'Could a monster legion have appeared on the Eastern Continent as well?ʼ
It wasnʼt as if demons from the Demon Realm only manifested on the Central Continent.
Though of different species from those on the Central Continent, Zeke knew the Eastern Continent was also home to monsters and magical beasts.
He recalled his previous lifeʼs master, Nigel, mentioning that the magical beasts of the
Eastern Continent were stronger and more intelligent than those of the Central Continent, making them harder to deal with.
Zeke asked Luther with a calm expression.
"Why does the Sultanʼs Emissary wish to meet with me?"
Luther pondered for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.
"It seems the Sultan has heard rumors that Sir Zeke received the Blessing of the Fairy
King and obtained the power of salvation."
Zeke had suspected as much, but the suddenness of it still gave him pause. As he mulled over Lutherʼs words, the man made a slightly awkward expression and continued.
"If itʼs not too much trouble for Sir Zeke... would you be willing to meet the
Sultanʼs Emissary?"
Something occurred to Zeke at Lutherʼs words, and he asked.
"As I recall, Sir Luther was chased by the Sultanʼs warriors and became a Draker knight.
How did the Sultanʼs Emissary come to seek you out?"
At Zekeʼs question, Luther looked a bit embarrassed and replied.
"To be honest, the Sultanʼs Emissary conveyed that if you facilitate a meeting with Sir Zeke, the extermination decree against me could be lifted." Zeke asked in surprise.
"Lifted? Then doesnʼt that mean Sir Luther could return to your homeland?" Luther waved his hand dismissively.
"Thatʼs not the case. I am now a knight of Draker in my own right. Besides, who knows when the Sultan might change his mind? Itʼs more comfortable staying on the Central Continent."
Zeke nodded, seeing the logic in Lutherʼs words.
"You have a point. The Sultanʼs Emissary... It wouldnʼt hurt to meet and hear what they have to say."
Luther brightened at Zekeʼs response.
"Th-then, may I bring the Emissary here?"
"Yes, please do."
Luther hurried off, saying he would fetch the Emissary who was waiting at his residence.
Zeke entered the mansion to rest while awaiting Luther and the Sultanʼs Emissary.
About an hour later, Luther and the Sultanʼs Emissary entered Zekeʼs office.
Zeke was startled upon seeing the Sultanʼs Emissary step into the office.
'That person is...?ʼ
The one who had come as the Sultanʼs Emissary was not human, surprisingly.
'Itʼs an elf.ʼ
It was his first time seeing an elf outside the Ishtar family.
Unlike the high elf Yellin from the Eastern Continent, this elf had grayish skin and purple eyes.
He had never seen such skin and eye colors even among the Ishtars.
However, the ethereal beauty and androgynous aura typical of elves made it hard to distinguish whether the Emissary was male or female, much like with the Ishtars.
The elf Emissary bowed politely toward Zeke.
"I come to pay my respects to the Knight of Salvation. My name is Omar, eldest son of the Hidayet Family. I have come here under the great Sultanʼs command to meet with Sir Zeke."
Fluent common tongue flowed from the Emissaryʼs lips.
Zeke returned the greeting courteously.
"You must have had a long journey. Please, have a seat over here." He guided the Emissary and Luther to their seats and served tea.
Omar savored the aroma of the tea Zeke had brought and looked surprised.
"This is truly excellent tea. Itʼs very similar to the tea the Sultan once bestowed upon me."
That tea had come from the Ishtar side.
Knowing Zekeʼs fondness for tea, the Ishtars had sent the finest selections as gifts each time.
Zeke was surprised to hear that the Sultan had bestowed a similar kind of tea.
'Could the Sultan be an elf as well?ʼ
No one on the Central Continent had seen the Sultan in person, so whether he was elf, human, or dwarf remained unknown.
Moreover, the Central and Eastern Continents had been in hostile relations for a long time, with exchanges long severed.
Only a few maintained contact, and even that was usually kept secret.
Through such tales passed down, the Sultan was seen as little more than an incarnation of evil.
As Zeke pondered the Eastern Continent and the Sultan, a realization struck him.
'The way others view Draker must feel something like this.ʼ The Ishtars and druids had held similar views of Draker.
Zeke chuckled inwardly and said to Omar.
"It seems the Sultan has a great interest in tea as well." Omar nodded in agreement.
"In the palace, there has long been a tradition of cultivating and enjoying fine teas generation after generation. Though coffee is popular among the younger nobles these days, it canʼt compare to the depth of tea." Zeke nodded at Omarʼs words.
'Coffee just tastes bitter to me; I canʼt make out the flavor.ʼ
Typically, beans were ground into powder, boiled in water, and sweetened with honey, but even that felt thick and unappealing to Zekeʼs palate.
As they savored the tea for a moment, Omar set down his cup and spoke to Zeke.
"I have come here boldly, risking rudeness, because there is something I wish to request of Sir Zeke Draker."
Zeke set down his cup as well and waited for Omarʼs words.
He was curious about the message the Sultan had sent an Emissary so discreetly to convey.
Omar slowly opened his mouth.
"I have heard that Sir Zeke Draker received the Blessing of the Fairy King and awakened the Divine Beast, the phoenix." Zeke nodded at the words.
"Thatʼs right. I received the blessing from the Fairy King at the Fairy Lake."
Though it hadnʼt been a direct meeting but rather through the lakeʼs fairy, the blessing was real, so he simply acknowledged it.
Omarʼs eyes wavered at Zekeʼs words.
"Might I have the honor of seeing the Divine Beast phoenix?"
At Omarʼs cautious tone, Zeke pondered briefly before turning his head toward his shoulder.
"Raven."
At Zekeʼs call, the phoenix, who had been dozing within the boundary of dimensions, revealed itself.
Kkururururu!
As if asking why he was being called from sleep, Raven spread its wings and pecked at Zeke with its beak.
Seeing Raven like that, Omar knelt in astonishment toward the phoenix.
"Ph, phoenix...! To think the Divine Beast has truly descended into the
Phenomenal World!"
Omar began praying as he watched Raven hop down to the table and peck at the treats with its beak.
Zeke watched Omar and whispered quietly to Luther beside him.
"Why is he acting like that?"
"The Murk Empire reveres the phoenix as a sacred being. Though there are many mythical creatures on the Eastern Continent, the phoenix is an extremely rare Divine Beast... The phoenix itself is an auspicious omen, so for the Sultan, its appearance in his era alone elevates his authority immensely."
Zeke looked at Raven munching on snacks after hearing Lutherʼs explanation.
'...Like with the Zoin tribe, why do they all treat the phoenix as so sacred?ʼ
Though Raven had grown much larger and was now the size of a pretty falcon, Zeke still found othersʼ reactions unfamiliar.
After finishing his prayer, Omar looked at Zeke with even greater respect and said.
"Sir Zeke, the Sultan wishes to invite you and the phoenix to the palace."
"The Sultan is inviting me?"
Zeke couldnʼt help but be surprised.
Since the Eastern Empireʼs expedition invaded the Central Continent, exchanges between the two continents had been severed for ages.
Though goods flowed through the Dorta Republic, they werenʼt through official trade.
In such a situation, for the Sultan to personally invite Zeke was astonishing.
This seemed like an opportunity to resume exchanges between the Central and Eastern Continents.
Zeke said to Omar.
"It seems the Sultan has a keen interest in the phoenix."
Omar nodded frankly.
"Wise and mysterious Divine Beasts possess mystical powers. The Sultan wishes to invite Sir Zeke, who received the Blessing of the Fairy King, to hear the story of that time, and also to experience the mystical aura of the Divine Beast firsthand."
As Luther had said, on the Central Continent the phoenix was merely a mysterious Divine Beast, but in the Murk Empire, its symbolism was evidently profound.
Zeke asked Omar.
"If I accept the Sultanʼs invitation, how would I travel to the Eastern Continent? Crossing the Central Sea by ship would take considerable time." Omar shook his head.
"Thereʼs no need to travel by ship. A portal directly to the palace is installed in the Dorta Republic, so you can arrive quickly."
"A direct portal to the Eastern Continent?" Zeke was startled by Omarʼs words.
He hadnʼt known there was a direct portal in the Dorta Republic.
When Omar confirmed it, Zeke pondered briefly before nodding.
"Very well. I accept the Sultanʼs invitation." Omarʼs face lit up at Zekeʼs words.
Had he refused, it would have put the Emissary Omar in an awkward position.
Zeke asked Omar.
"When should I head to the palace?"
Omar smiled and replied.
"The Sultan will receive you with a grand banquet and exquisite delicacies whenever you arrive. I need only inform the palace in advance, so as long as you visit the palace with me within this year, it will be fine."
Zeke looked surprised at Omarʼs words.
On the Central Continent, it was important to set a specific time for invitations and adhere to that promise.
But the Eastern Empire seemed to have a different sense of time, distinct from Central Continent customs.
'As long as itʼs within the year, thereʼs some leeway.ʼ
Zeke had long been interested in the Eastern Continent.
He wanted to take this chance to behold the Eastern Continent and the Murk Empire, to experience a broader world.
'Lady Yellin and Lord Hades would probably enjoy going together. I should ask them.ʼ
As Zeke conversed with Omar, asking various questions about the Murk Empire, someone entered the room—it was Boris, surprisingly.
That Boris, whom he had left to wrap up affairs in the Principality, had come directly to him suggested that something had happened.
Sure enough, he approached with a stern expression and whispered in a low voice.
"Boss, itʼs an emergency."
Zeke excused himself and followed Boris out of the reception room to his office.
Boris immediately reported to Zeke.
"The Empire reports a civil war has broken out."
Zeke nodded at Borisʼs words.
With the Emperor dead in the Holy Kingʼs Tomb, he had expected the fox-like Julius to make a move.
"It was within expectations. Has Julius put forward another imperial family member?" Boris shook his head, his face grave as he spoke.
"A new figure seized control of Rom in an instant and executed all the remaining imperial family members."
Zeke furrowed his brow at the words.
'Executed the remaining imperial family?ʼ
It was common in coups to eliminate troublesome imperial kin.
The reason Zeke frowned was the mention of a new figure.
"Who is this newly appeared individual?" Boris opened his mouth.
"Abel Draker, who had gone missing, has reappeared." Zekeʼs face hardened at Borisʼs words.
'Abel is alive?ʼ
Abel had clearly died by Zekeʼs hand.
He had personally severed his neck and used the Authority of Decay on the corpse.
He couldnʼt believe Abel was alive.
Zeke asked Boris.
"Have you confirmed that Abel is alive? Itʼs not a pretender or magic?"
Boris nodded.
"Itʼs compiled from information from multiple sources. The Black Stage has also confirmed it as fact."
If even the Black Stage had verified Abel himself, Zeke had no choice but to accept he was alive.
Zekeʼs expression grew even more serious.
'He couldnʼt have just come back to life. Ramon Siemens. That bastard did something.ʼ At that moment, Boris said to Zeke.
"Boss, this isnʼt the emergency I came to report."
"Thereʼs something more urgent than this?"
Boris looked at Zeke with a grim face and spoke.
"The Empireʼs Consul, Julius, has contacted us saying he wants to meet with you."