Dragonslayer’s Class Regression Chapter 127

Chapter 127

“Phew, it took quite a while to get here.”

It took longer than expected to reach Atlas after escaping Argos without leaving traces after destroying the Hounds’ camp.

Zeke entered the Four Seasons Castle and headed to Summer Rock where the administration department was located.

When Zeke entered looking disheveled, other knights whispered while looking at him.

‘Isn’t that Zeke Draker?’

‘He took on an A-rank mission alone, did he fail it?’

If one fails their first mission after the initiation ceremony, they have to return their knighthood.

Zeke walked towards the administration department, ignoring the whispering knights behind him.

He went to the general affairs department and handed an envelope to the person in charge.

The clerk asked Zeke in surprise.

“W-what is this, Sir Zeke Draker?”

“It’s the mission completion report. I attached the letter received from Golin Yobern inside. I also attached the verification document received from the Guild Alliance regarding the letter, please check.”

The clerk’s jaw dropped looking at the report and attached documents in the envelope Zeke brought.

The work processing and report were exceptionally neat for a knight handling their first mission.

After confirming Golin’s letter and the Guild Alliance verification document, they were even more surprised.

“D-did you really go alone to the Barbarian territory and meet Golin Yobern?”

“Yes. He was doing very well and energetic.”

The clerk was speechless at Zeke’s nonchalant response.

It was because Zeke had really completed an A-rank mission alone.

“Is it confirmed?”

The clerk barely gathered their thoughts and nodded at Zeke’s words.

“Yes, yes. Sir Zeke Draker, mission completion confirmed.”

Zeke received the mission completion certificate from the clerk and left the Four Seasons Castle, leaving behind the dumbfounded general affairs staff.

And the place Zeke visited was the hideout where Kei was staying.

Kei was startled when Zeke appeared without notice.

“Boss? You finished the mission already?”

“Yeah. More importantly Kei, I have a favor to ask.”

Zeke introduced Richmond and asked for a research lab and new identity for him to stay.

The quick-witted Richmond rubbed his hands while looking at Kei.

“Hehe. I’m in your care, madam.”

Kei was shocked to hear that Richmond was a demi-lich.

“An undead? He doesn’t look like one at all.”

“Think of him as a variant. Would it be okay for Richmond to stay in Atlas?”

Kei looked Richmond up and down before nodding.

“He doesn’t give off any undead vibes so it should be fine.”

Since Richmond only appeared to be from the snake-person Naga race on the outside, they decided to create a new identity for him as a Naga.

Zeke also requested to search for the Lubern bloodline.

“How long do you think it will take?”

“Hmm, it will take at least two weeks.”

“Alright. Let me know as soon as any information comes in.”

Zeke took out Richmond’s research materials and artifacts containing demon power brought from the camp in a gloomy room in the corner of the hideout.

“Research what this artifact is. Tell me right away if you discover anything, even if it’s minor.”

“Yes, master. Don’t worry.”

After assigning tasks to Richmond and leaving him with Kei, Zeke finally headed to the mansion.

“Welcome back, young master.”

However, something seemed off about Decker’s expression as he greeted Zeke.

“What’s wrong Decker? Did something happen?”

It was strange to see Decker looking disheveled when he normally never lost his composure.

That’s when Zeke sensed commotion from inside the mansion.

‘Hmm?’

Zeke headed straight to the reception room, leaving behind the sighing Decker.

In the reception room, two unfamiliar teenage boys were sprawled on the sofa drinking juice and eating snacks.

Cookie crumbs were scattered everywhere, and the walls were stained with strange colors.

Decker who followed trembled while frowning at those two.

Zeke realized these children were the culprits who broke Decker’s incredible patience.

The boys sprawled on the sofa were wearing robes too big for their age.

Surprisingly, their robes had the overlapping hexagon symbol representing official alchemists.

Zeke tilted his head looking at the two who resembled each other subtly.

‘Could those guys be…?’

Some people crossed Zeke’s mind.

The genius twin alchemists Al and Jeff.

That’s when Al and Jeff spotted Zeke and jumped up shouting.

“It’s the sponsor! Our sponsor is here!”

Al and Jeff, with faces still too young to be called adults, rushed towards Zeke.

Then Decker stepped in front of Zeke and said to them.

“Stop! I won’t stand for any more rudeness towards the young master!”

Zeke clicked his tongue watching Decker.

‘For the composed Decker to react this strongly, it’s obvious how much chaos these little devils caused.’

They had cute faces but their actions seemed modeled after demons.

Zeke gestured to Decker that it was fine and spoke to the twins.

“Al and Jeff. First time meeting you.”

Then the older brother Al grinned and extended his hand.

“Nice to meet you, sponsor, no, Sir Zeke Draker.”

Zeke grabbed Al’s outstretched hand.

Just then, a message window appeared.

[A drug containing large amounts of laughing mushrooms has been detected.]

[Neutralizing poison with poison immunity constitution.]

Being notorious pranksters, they had pulled a prank with laughter-inducing drugs from their first meeting.

When Zeke showed no reaction despite holding his hand, Al tilted his head, and Jeff gestured to Al as if asking what was going on.

Zeke gripped Al’s hand tightly.

Al’s face contorted at Zeke’s increasingly strong grip.

“Ugh, w-wait, please let go of my hand…”

Zeke squeezed Al’s hand even tighter.

He said with a grin.

“A pure-blooded awakener’s gloves are made of dragon leather, so they’re flexible and block various contaminants. Like laughing mushrooms, for example.”

Al and Jeff were startled by Zeke’s words.

When he let go, Al rubbed his hand while stepping backwards.

“Ugh. I thought my hand was going to break.”

Jeff shouted while looking at Zeke.

“I-it was just a little prank! Trying to break an alchemist’s precious hands! Isn’t that going too far?!”

Zeke sat on the sofa and said to the two.

“If I wanted to, I could have ripped off not just the hand but the entire arm.”

Al and Jeff’s faces turned pale at Zeke’s cold voice.

Though they were infamous troublemakers, there was an undeniable dignity about Zeke that made it impossible to act recklessly.

“B-bro, what do we do? Our plan completely failed.”

“D-damn. We needed to establish dominance early and set the mood.”

Though they lowered their voices as much as possible to whisper, Zeke could hear everything. Internally scoffing, Zeke said to Al and Jeff.

“Seems you have something to say. Say it quickly. I’m busy.”

Al and Jeff sat on the sofa, looking slightly intimidated.

Jeff spoke first to Zeke.

“How did you know we used laughing mushrooms?”

“I don’t see why I need to tell you that.”

Jeff shut his mouth tight as if he’d been hit with a counter.

This time Zeke spoke while looking at the two.

“I believe I paid enough research funds through Sir Feinan. Why did you come all the way here to find me? I thought I made it clear beforehand to minimize contact.”

Al and Jeff felt overwhelmed by Zeke’s sharp gaze and firm voice.

Al spoke with a slightly trembling voice.

“W-well. There’s a p-problem…”

Zeke frowned at Al’s words.

“Problem? Did I pay you over a hundred thousand gold to create problems?”

Al and Jeff flinched at Zeke’s words.

As he said, a hundred thousand gold was an enormous sum.

There was no other patron as generous as Zeke who freely provided such precious materials.

Al spoke carefully to Zeke in a much smaller voice.

“W-well. Rather than a problem…”

Zeke silently stared at Al intently. Al felt even more suffocated than before.

‘This is scary as hell. Damn.’

When Al couldn’t speak properly, Jeff beside him said:

“I-it won’t ferment!”

Zeke turned his head toward Jeff and spoke.

“What do you mean it won’t ferment?”

Jeff swallowed and said.

“T-to suppress Soma’s toxic effects and turn it into medicine, we need to change its properties through fermentation… but it’s not working no matter what we try. No, sir.”

Zeke pondered Jeff’s words.

‘It won’t ferment, huh?.’

Since Zeke had never learned alchemy in his previous life, Jeff’s words didn’t quite register.

Seeing that Zeke didn’t seem to understand, Al who had been watching carefully took out his tool box.

When Al opened and spread out the box, it was like a small laboratory appeared on the desk.

Zeke looked curiously at the tool box Al had laid out.

‘They say all alchemists have their own unique tool box. This is fascinating. Do they use magic to shrink everything and store it in the box?’

Zeke examined the various beakers and flasks containing liquids of all colors with interest.

Then Al pointed to one flask.

“This is Soma’s natural ingredient. According to our hypothesis, if this ferments and changes its properties, it will produce amazing effects.”

“What comes out when it ferments?”

“Have you heard of antibiotics?”

“You mean medicine that prevents infection? I know that exists already.”

Al and Jeff were surprised that Zeke unexpectedly knew about antibiotics and continued their explanation.

“The ones currently on the market are ridiculously expensive and have severe side effects – if used wrongly, the treated area could even become necrotic.”

Zeke changed his posture at Al’s words.

“So you’re saying this antibiotic from fermented Soma won’t have side effects?”

Al and Jeff’s expressions brightened as they nodded.

“That’s right! But… we can’t create fermentation samples so research isn’t progressing.”

“But why come to me? If there’s no progress, you should go do more research.”

Al and Jeff made embarrassed expressions and said to Zeke.

“W-well…”

Zeke clicked his tongue with an expression that seemed to say “don’t tell me.”

“Did you use up all the budget? The hundred thousand gold?”

Al and Jeff smacked their lips while looking in different directions.

Using such rare and expensive materials meant there was no way any budget would be left.

Al shouted toward Zeke.

“J-just trust us one more time and give us research funds! Once this antibiotic is complete! It will be an absolutely incredible medicine!”

Zeke looked at Al and Jeff with a doubtful expression.

The two looked at Zeke with eager eyes, trying to secure the budget.

He shook his head and said.

“I’m a layman in this field so I can’t make an immediate decision. I’ll ask Sir Feinan’s opinion when he returns and let you know.”

The two’s faces turned pale at Zeke’s words.

“W-well…”

If he asked Feinan about additional research funds for the two, it was obvious he would never approve.

They had been caught by Feinan using most of the budget to buy expensive materials, and then using those materials to make their prank potions.

That’s why they came to Zeke while targeting when Feinan was away on a business trip to the south.

Zeke, with his incredible perceptiveness, saw right through Al and Jeff’s true intentions.

He clicked his tongue and picked up the flask containing Soma.

“What good is skill when you’ve lost your superior’s trust? How can you be worth the money then?”

Al and Jeff couldn’t say anything to Zeke’s words.

Usually their motto was ‘amazing inventions come from pranks’ but if they mentioned that here, forget new funding – they might get both arms ripped off.

“Jeff, I think we’re done for.”

“Damn, I told you we shouldn’t get involved with Draker.”

While the twins blamed each other in hushed voices, Zeke pretended not to hear their conversation as he looked at the Soma in the flask.

‘Is fermenting this really that difficult? Isn’t fermentation a type of decay?’

At that sudden thought, Zeke tried using his power of decay as a joke.

BUBBLE! BUBBLE! BUBBLE!

The Soma that had been like white powder suddenly turned to liquid and started boiling at Zeke’s power.

The twins who had been blaming each other were startled when they saw the beaker Zeke was holding.

“Th-that reaction!”