Ramonʼs eyes widened at the apostleʼs words.
'Arthur Drakerʼs weakness.ʼ
He looked at the apostle with an expression of disbelief and opened his mouth.
"Is that true?"
At Ramonʼs question, the apostle nodded with a grotesque smile.
"Yes. If we use this, even Arthur Draker wonʼt be able to escape. No one else will ever figure out the cause of his death. The High Priest is currently preparing for the curse ritual."
The terrifying thing about ancient curses was that even the strongest black knight couldnʼt avoid them if they didnʼt know how to defend against them.
Of course, the stronger the target, the more sacrifices were needed, but Narak had been doing this for hundreds of years, so they were experts at it.
Ramon Siemens was also prepared to make any sacrifice if it meant taking down Arthur Draker.
'If we can just bring down Arthur Draker, all our past failures mean nothing.ʼ In the continental war, the Draker Family was the most concerning opponent.
It had taken him less than a week to seize Rom using Abel.
But the Draker Family was on a whole different level from the Rom Empire.
He said to the apostle,
"If we can eliminate Arthur before the Second Consecration Rite, then all our previous failures will be erased, and the plan will be as good as successful." The apostle grinned, his mouth stretching wide at Ramonʼs words.
"Of course. Thatʼs why the High Priest is putting everything into this. So please donʼt worry too much and focus on preparing for the Second Consecration Rite."
Ramon didnʼt like the apostle, who spoke sinisterly like a snake, but in the current situation, he had no choice but to borrow Narakʼs hand.
'Once the Second Consecration Rite is over, itʼll be time to clean up these guys too.ʼ
He had joined hands out of necessity, but he had no intention of going all the way with them.
Ramon looked down at the unconscious Abel and said to the apostle,
"Take good care of him. Heʼs a valuable vessel, after all." Ramon turned and left the Grand Audience Hall.
The apostle, who had been smiling at the spot where Ramon had left, suddenly twisted his face in disgust.
"Humans... such an insolent bastard."
Tssst—
The apostleʼs face peeled away, revealing his true form hidden beneath.
For a moment, the face of a demon with wriggling, grotesque tentacles appeared.
He was not an apostle of Narak, but Lopocale, a mid-rank demon who had possessed that body.
Lopocale quickly covered himself with human skin again and retracted his tentacles.
He extended his hand, lifted the unconscious Abel with magic, and carried him to a room while grumbling.
"Damn it, I didnʼt expect Nebilos and Viper to end up like that too. I was planning to watch from the sidelines and step in at the crucial moment, but this is annoying."
His master, the Squelching Pit of Darkness, preferred scheming from the shadows to gain benefits rather than stepping forward openly.
As a vassal, he followed his masterʼs tendencies and had set up a similar plan.
With stronger mid-rank demons like Viper and Nebilos taking the forefront, he had intended to just collect the human souls falling in the aftermath, but now he was stuck holding the bag.
As he grumbled inwardly in dissatisfaction, something happened.
"Hmm?"
Lopocale suddenly stopped, his body trembling.
His master, the Squelching Pit of Darkness, had sent him a message through their vassal bond.
Lopocale pondered the message from his master and then burst into laughter.
"Ha! Thatʼs a brilliant idea! This vassal shall obey the masterʼs command and capture Zeke Draker."
The Squelching Pit of Darkness wasnʼt the strongest constellation, but it had a keen insight into reading the flow of battle, which made it worth heeding regardless of loyalty.
Lopocale stroked his chin with a grotesque smile.
'Zeke Draker. So heʼs the key to this war. This might make the plan even easier.ʼ
He let out a sinister laugh as he took Abel into the room.
The fallen constellations were beginning to take notice of Zeke one by one.
*
'Neutral City. Itʼs been a while.ʼ
The last thing Zeke remembered of the Neutral City was its devastated state from the continental war.
But the city he now saw, as he sat at an outdoor café, bustled with people coming and going. Zeke felt that unique sense of freedom as he watched.
Everyone in the city seemed happy, except for the two mischievous twins sitting uncomfortably in front of him.
"Z-Zeke, Sir Zeke."
Zeke glared at Al, who had called his name without reading the room.
Al immediately shut his mouth and turned his gaze to the honey tea Zeke had ordered for him.
Upon arriving in the Neutral City, Zeke had wanted to enjoy the free atmosphere he hadnʼt felt in a long time, so he came to a café he often visited in his previous life.
But his peace didnʼt last long.
Clank! Clank!
A group of knights in full plate armor approached Zeke.
One of the knights opened his helmet and revealed his face.
He approached Zeke with a very tense expression, bowing politely.
"Sir Zeke Draker. I am the captain of the Neutral Cityʼs 3rd Defense Unit..."
Zeke raised his hand to cut off the defense captain without listening further.
It might have seemed rude, but the captain showed no displeasure and instead stood rigidly with his mouth firmly shut.
As the guardian knight of the Draker Family, a black knight, and the famed knight of salvation, Zeke was an object of admiration for all knights on the continent.
Zeke looked at the captain and said,
"Iʼm having tea. Whatʼs the matter?"
At those words, the captain gave a troubled look and glanced at Al and Jeff sitting in front of Zeke.
The captain, sweating profusely, said,
"W-Well, those gentlemen sitting with you are on the Neutral Cityʼs entry-prohibited list.
B-By the rules, we must arrest them and investigate at the defense unit." Zeke gave an incredulous look and glared at Al and Jeff in front of him.
No wonder they were acting so suspiciously; they werenʼt even allowed entry into the Neutral City to begin with.
"What the hell have you two been up to?"
Al and Jeff waved their hands frantically, sweating bullets.
"I-Itʼs really nothing big. We just pulled a few pranks!"
"Y-Yeah! It was just for laughs, but they took it way too seriously!"
At that, the captain frowned and said,
"These guys once put a diarrhea bomb in the mayorʼs cushion during the annual festival as a 'prank.ʼ The moment the mayor sat down, diarrhea-like solutions sprayed everywhere... It was total chaos."
Al and Jeff looked embarrassed and stared off in different directions.
Seeing that, Zeke clicked his tongue and said to the captain,
"Captain, I understand your dedication to your duties. But these troublemakers have business with me here."
The captain looked troubled at Zekeʼs words, implying he wouldnʼt hand over Al and Jeff.
Then Zeke removed the Dragon Slayer Badge from his lapel and handed it to the captain.
"If your superiors reprimand you for this, just mention my name and show them this badge. At least you wonʼt take the blame."
The captainʼs mouth fell open as he received the Dragon Slayer Badge.
It was the badge of a Draker Family guardian knight.
His hands trembled as he took Zekeʼs badge.
"S-Sir Zeke. Th-This..."
"Hold onto it. Iʼll come back for it once things are done."
The captain, pale-faced at Zekeʼs words, pulled out a handkerchief, carefully wrapped the badge, and tucked it into his pocket.
Then he bowed to Zeke again.
"I-Iʼm sorry for the intrusion. Please enjoy your time." The captain led the knights and guards away.
Al and Jeff sighed in relief, looking like theyʼd aged ten years, but soon reverted to their mischievous expressions.
"Wow, Draker influence is something else."
"Yeah, that leech of a captain couldnʼt even squeak and just left. We were worried for nothing."
Zeke shot a cold glare at Al and Jeff.
They, who had quickly returned to their playful demeanor, shut their mouths and stayed quiet under Zekeʼs gaze.
Zeke sipped his tea and said,
"If you cause any more trouble here, youʼll be off to the Southern Archipelago Academy for a meeting with Lady Arina."
Al and Jeffʼs faces turned pale at his words.
They had heard the rumors about Arinaʼs meetings.
Even the most vicious criminals would emerge terrified, insane with fear, or completely transformed into meek lambs after a session with her.
But what exactly she did in those meetings remained unknown, which made it all the more terrifying.
Zeke smiled in satisfaction as Al and Jeff trembled in fear.
Just then, someone approached Zeke.
"Sir Knight, would you like to buy a flower?"
A young girl was selling flowers with a basket.
Zeke nodded at the girl and handed her a gold coin.
The girl shook her head frantically, sweating.
"S-Sir Knight. A-A gold coin... h-how do I make change..."
"No need for change. The flowers are pretty, so Iʼll take the whole basket."
The girl beamed and handed over the basket.
Al and Jeff looked at Zeke curiously.
'Sir Zeke likes flowers?ʼ
'Doesnʼt suit him at all.ʼ
Ignoring their thoughts, which were obvious from their expressions, Zeke peered into the flower basket.
'There it is.ʼ
Inside the basket was a scroll from Bacchus.
The flower-selling girl had been hypnotized to deliver the scroll to Zeke.
Zeke stored the scroll in his inventory and handed the flower basket to Al and Jeff.
"Why are you giving us this?"
"I donʼt like flowers."
He looked at them and said,
"Take this and apologize to everyone in the city you upset with your antics, giving them one flower each. If you donʼt do it properly, itʼs the meeting." Al and Jeff slumped, looking like their souls had left their bodies.
Zeke left them there and stood up.
He went to a quiet spot and tore open the scroll from Bacchus.
Woooong!
The scroll activated, and something appeared before Zekeʼs eyes.
Tssst—
A small bat-like creature began circling around Zeke.
Then it flew low, as if beckoning him to follow, heading somewhere.
'A guiding spell, I suppose.ʼ
Zeke had never seen this kind of magic before, but it seemed like vampire magic.
Zeke donned his transformation cloak, changed his appearance, and followed the bat into the alley.
The Neutral City was large and free, so it naturally had a vast hidden underworld.
On the surface, the Black Market City of the lawless zone was the biggest underground market, but for illegal potions, illicit drugs, or smuggled rare materials, the Neutral Cityʼs black market was more advantageous.
Zeke had frequented this black market in his previous life too.
During wartime, supplies were always short, and the Alchemistsʼ Union jacked up prices even then, so while reliability was an issue, he had no choice but to use the cheaper knockoffs from the black market.
Following the bat deeper in, he saw a tattoo parlor in a deep alley.
Young men and women covered in tattoos stood around the shop, staring at Zeke.
Zeke checked the patches on their leather vests.
'Red Eye guys.ʼ
The black markets in the eastern region, especially in the Neutral City, were hotspots for territorial disputes between Red Eye and the Nostra Family.
Each alley had its own turf, and crossing into anotherʼs meant immediate retaliation.
This place seemed to be Red Eye territory.
One young vampire approached Zeke.
"Hey, this ainʼt a place for human scum. Get lost while Iʼm being nice."
Zeke scanned the surroundings, then finally looked up to track the bat. It was circling the entrance of the tattoo parlor.
Heʼd have to go inside.
When Zeke showed no reaction, the young vampire approached closer. "You little shit. Donʼt you understand words..." Thud!
Zeke threw a light punch to the vampireʼs jaw.
It seemed like a soft hit, but the vampire collapsed to the floor.
The other vampires leaning against the wall were startled.
Zeke looked at them and said,
"Go call your captain."