"A sword instead of a spear?"
Duke Crevan de Panion nodded.
Though puzzled, Zeke pulled Roland from his inventory and handed it to the duke.
The duke gripped the sword and pointed it at Zeke.
Woooong!
Zeke was surprised to see an aura emanating from the duke in his rider stance that was no different from when he wielded the Bright King Spear.
The duke looked at Zeke and asked, "What do you think of my form?"
"...Have you trained with a sword before?"
The duke shook his head. "Iʼve never learned proper swordsmanship. Iʼve only ever trained with the spear."
"But your stance with the sword in hand is too perfect for that."
"Does it look like a sword to you, what Iʼm holding?"
Zeke tilted his head at the dukeʼs koan-like question.
At that moment, the form of Roland in the dukeʼs hand changed.
Tssst—
The sword that had taken Rolandʼs shape suddenly became a spear in the dukeʼs grasp.
More precisely, it felt like a spear to Zekeʼs perception.
Zeke recoiled in surprise at the sharp energy emanating from the spear.
'When did the duke switch to a spear?ʼ
When Zeke looked back at Duke Crevan de Panion, he was once again holding Roland, now returned to sword form.
Only then did Zeke understand what the duke had meant.
"Youʼre saying thereʼs no need to learn the spear separately."
Duke Crevan de Panion relaxed his stance and returned Roland to Zeke. "You can form a sword with your hand, and even turn your entire body into one. So what reason would there be that you couldnʼt use a spear as a sword?"
In truth, earlier, Zekeʼs hand had become a sword, and the dukeʼs a spear.
It was something Zeke could already respond to instinctively, but due to long-ingrained training, he had been thinking of swords and spears as distinct, leading him to mistakenly believe he needed to learn the spear anew.
The duke had shattered Zekeʼs preconceptions and broadened his perspective.
'A spear and a sword are ultimately extensions of the hand. Since Iʼve already achieved Sword and Mind as One with the heart-sword, uniting with a spear should be possible too.ʼ
Having gained enlightenment from Duke Crevan de Panionʼs advice, Zeke slowly raised his hand, extending his arm forward.
Just like the duke during their earlier bout, Zekeʼs arm transformed into a spear.
Zeke swung his spear-arm.
Whoooosh!
The Holy King Spearmanship unfolded from his arm.
Rumble—
Zekeʼs spear-arm cleaved through the air without resistance.
At first, the spearmanship followed the initial forms passed down from the Holy King, but it gradually shifted into swordsmanship.
As Zekeʼs arm reverted from spear to sword form, the boundary between spear and sword crumbled.
For him now, the distinction between spearmanship and swordsmanship held little meaning.
He was able to execute sword forms with a spear, and spear forms with a sword.
In that instant, a message appeared before Zekeʼs eyes.
[Passive Skill Limit Break activates.]
[Through enlightenment, Special Skill Holy King Spearmanship fuses with Special Skill Infinite Sword Art.]
[Special Skill Infinite Sword Artʼs rank rises from SS to SS+.]
[Special Skill Infinite Sword Artʼs proficiency increases.]
The proficiency of Infinite Sword Art, which had remained at beginner level, finally rose.
As he watched Zeke execute the forms of Infinite Sword Art in a trance-like state of enlightenment, Duke Crevan de Panion wore an expression of awe, as if beholding a miracle.
The duke realized his eyes had not deceived him.
'A new wave is rising on the continent.ʼ
And at the center of that wave was Zeke Draker.
*
The plan proceeded smoothly.
Zeke and Duke Crevan de Panion agreed to duel in the Colosseum and promoted it widely.
News of the duel between the two black knights spread across the entire Central Continent.
Crowds flocked to Romʼs Colosseum to witness the clash between the Knight of Salvation and the Bright King.
Amid great anticipation, the duel took place, and after hundreds of exchanges, Zeke Draker conceded defeat to Duke Crevan de Panion, bringing the match to a close.
He acknowledged his loss and announced that the Black Sword Knight Order would withdraw from Rom.
But then, something unexpected occurred.
The citizens of Rom refused to let the Knight of Salvation, Zeke Draker, leave.
They wanted Zeke, who had saved them from Abelʼs tyranny, to remain in Rom.
The citizensʼ reaction was unexpectedly fierce, forcing Zeke to decide to stay in Rom for the time being.
Unable to remain in the imperial palace indefinitely, Zeke led his knights out and now stayed at a luxury hotel in Rom that had reopened.
Seated in his hotel suite, Zeke rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
'This throws off the plan.ʼ
Zekeʼs original intention had been to hand over Romʼs affairs to Duke Crevan de Panion, withdraw the Black Sword Knight Order, and take a brief rest himself. Under the pretext of rest, he had planned to discreetly search for the Temple of the Moon Goddess Theia and the final seal.
With so many people seeking to meet him while he stayed in Rom, it would have been hard to search freely for the temple and seal.
Moreover, the watchful eyes of Baron, Arthur Drakerʼs close aide, and the Black Stage were a concern.
After pondering, Zeke stood up.
"No helping it. Iʼll have to search as carefully as possible, find it quickly, and leave Rom at the first opportunity."
Wasting time like that wouldnʼt resolve anything, so Zeke decided to act immediately.
He first took out the Absolute Compass and pondered whether to search for the Temple of the Moon Goddess Theia or the seal first.
After some thought, he opened the mission window for finding the Temple of the Moon Goddess Theia.
—Achievement Quest (Linked)—
[Locate the Temple of the Moon Goddess Theia and obtain the authentication code. (No time limit)]
[Activate the inactive item using the obtained authentication code. (No time limit)]
[Quest Mission Reward: Title Blessing of Theia]
[Linked Quest Mission Reward: ???]
There were two inactive items related to the Moon Goddess Theia.
One was armor imbued with the Moon Goddess Theiaʼs power, and the other was the recently acquired legendary item, the Sword of Siemens Apollyon.
Both required the authentication code from the Temple of the Moon Goddess Theia to activate.
Zeke pulled the Sword of Siemens Apollyon from his inventory.
'This sword has been bothering me.ʼ
He gazed at the Sword of Siemens Apollyon, which looked identical to the one embedded in the Draker familyʼs secret chamber.
Deciding to uncover the secrets of this sword first, Zeke picked up the compass.
"Show me the location of the Temple of the Moon Goddess Theia."
Once Zeke specified the target, the Absolute Compassʼs needle spun rapidly before it suddenly stopped, pointing in one direction.
'South of Rom.ʼ
Confirming the direction, Zeke stepped out to the terrace, opened the hotel window, and took to the air.
Zekeʼs form soon vanished into the darkness without a trace.
*
Knock knock!
Baron Draker knocked on the office door.
A voice from inside invited him to enter.
Baron Draker opened the door and stepped in, seeing Arthur, the family head, adjusting his attire.
"Come in. Sit over here."
At Arthurʼs gesture, a beautiful woman in a dress, whom an attendant was helping adjust, bowed and exited the office.
Baron recognized her as a popular singer these days.
Arthur poured whiskey into a glass and handed it to Baron.
"You returned sooner than expected. I thought it would take longer." Arthur poured himself a glass and took a sip to wet his throat.
Baron placed the offered glass on the desk and looked at Arthur. "Have you heard that
Zeke Draker lost to Duke Crevan de Panion in the Colosseum?"
Arthur nodded at Baronʼs words. "Yes, I read the report from the Black Stage. Zeke pulled off quite the amusing stunt."
Arthur smirked and downed his whiskey in one go.
Looking at Baron, he said, "I didnʼt assign that mission expecting Zeke to beat the duke, but I didnʼt anticipate heʼd use it in such a way."
Baron met Arthurʼs gaze. "That match was manipulated according to Zeke Drakerʼs intent."
Arthurʼs eyebrow twitched at Baronʼs words. "Manipulated? You mean the outcome was prearranged between Duke Crevan de Panion and Zeke?"
"Yes."
Arthur stroked his chin beard thoughtfully. "Hmm, the duke isnʼt the type to agree to something like that. If true, itʼs truly surprising. The old man is even more unyielding than the Sword King."
With a serious expression, Baron said, "Zeke Draker and the Bright King clashed before the Colosseum match."
"Oh? I didnʼt know that. What was the result?"
"It ended in a draw without a clear victor."
"A draw with the Bright King."
After pondering Baronʼs words, Arthur finally spoke. "Whatʼs your take? Can we leave Zeke as is?"
Baron, who had been maintaining his usual stoic expression, fell silent for a long moment before he responded. "Zeke Drakerʼs goal is to confront the Siemens and Narak. He doesnʼt yet pose a threat to the family."
Arthur looked intrigued by Baronʼs response. "I didnʼt expect you to say that, Baron. I thought youʼd advocate reining him in before he grows further."
"Zeke Drakerʼs growth is remarkable, but compared to the familyʼs overall power, his forces are insignificant. I judge we can control him sufficiently."
The Draker familyʼs hidden strength far exceeded its visible might, and Baron knew Arthur Draker, the family head, stood at its core.
Thus, no matter how steep Zekeʼs ascent, it wouldnʼt yet interfere with family affairs.
Arthur nodded at Baronʼs assessment. "If thatʼs your feeling, then it must be so. Weʼll leave Zeke be for now. His growth benefits me too, after all."
With Zekeʼs matter settled, Arthur tapped the armrest with his fingertips.
After a moment of thought, he looked at Baron. "The important thing isnʼt Zeke. Ramon
Siemens. We still havenʼt located him?"
At Arthurʼs question, Baron slowly replied, "Weʼve pinpointed most of the Siemens forces, but the family head Ramon Siemensʼs position remains unclear."
Rumble—
A powerful wave suddenly emanated from Arthurʼs body.
His face, smiling just moments ago, hardened instantly.
In a low voice, Arthur said, "If Ramon Siemens undergoes the Second Consecration Rite, heʼll fully claim Ajitahakaʼs power. With complete Authority of Devouring, heʼll become quite the headache."
He slowly rose and walked toward Baron.
As the Black Stage captain, Baron felt his heart tighten and his breath constrict under the intensifying pressure from Arthur.
The pinnacle among the continentʼs strongest—the Overlord Arthur Draker.
Even Baron struggled to withstand the fury radiating from him head-on.
Before long, Baronʼs face paled, his body trembling.
Arthur placed a hand on Baronʼs shoulder. "The lunar eclipse approaches soon. If we donʼt find him before then, the war with Ramon will drag on long and tediously. You know how much I hate that, donʼt you, Baron?" Baron barely nodded at Arthurʼs words.
In an instant, the oppressive energy vanished.
Relieved of the pressure, Baron exhaled deeply without realizing it.
A thin trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
Arthur clicked his tongue at the sight. "Tsk, you seem a bit frail these days." He patted Baronʼs back nonchalantly.
Returning to his seat, Arthur gestured to Baron. "Find his location as quickly as possible.
Iʼm dying to see that twisted face of Ramonʼs, that fly of a man."
Regaining his composure, Baron stood and bowed as usual. "I shall carry out your orders, family head."
As Baron left the office, Arthur, now alone, rested his chin on his hand in thought.
"Ramon Siemens..."
Murmuring softly, Arthur rose and approached the window.
Gazing at the vista of Atlas beyond the Four Seasons Star, he intoned, "No matter how you struggle, you wonʼt escape my grasp in the end."
Tssst—
In that moment, Arthur Drakerʼs shadow rippled before it settled back.
A cold madness flickered in the eyes of the Overlord reflected in the window.