Dragonslayer’s Class Regression Chapter 184

Chapter 184

‘Academy Chancellor Howard Draker.’

Howard Draker, sporting a Kaisir mustache, gave a friendly smile and extended his hand towards Zeke.

“Long time no see, Cadet Zeke. Oh, I should call you Sir Zeke now.”

Zeke clasped Howard’s hand while hiding his contempt.

“Please feel free to address me, Chancellor.”

Then Arthur added from the side,

“Howard is no longer the Academy Chancellor, but a member of the Cross Assembly.”

Zeke was surprised by Arthur’s words.

The Draker Cross Assembly held judicial rights and internal audit rights within the family.

The Draker Court where Dario was recently tried was also under this Cross Assembly.

The Cross Assembly consisted of seven members total, and due to holding judicial power for the Draker family, they wielded significant authority.

‘The traitor Howard is now a member of the Cross Assembly.’

It didn’t seem like a good sign.

While Zeke quietly stared at Howard, Arthur gestured for him to sit.

He served Zeke tea and said,

“You handled the Dario case very impressively.”

Zeke’s achievements in extracting testimony from the Nostra Family boss had become a major issue within Draker.

Zeke bowed his head humbly.

“It was just luck.”

“Luck is also necessary to become an outstanding knight,” Arthur smiled.

“You must have been surprised by the sudden assigned mission.”

“If it’s an order from the Lord, I will carry out anything.”

Arthur nodded in satisfaction and spoke.

“Zeke, you’re aware your name has been appearing frequently in various news outlets recently.”

“I’m not paying much attention.”

“If you want to aim higher, sometimes you need to get close to those who wield the pen. Though they’re like trash, if used properly, they can be more useful than thousands of troops.”

Arthur placed a newspaper in front of Zeke.

The headline read: ‘Knight of the Sea Crushes Mafia.’

Zeke looked slightly embarrassed.

‘At this rate, this nickname will be firmly established as a knight of the sea.’

Arthur looked at the article and said,

“Howard had quite an interesting idea. You’ll explain the details.”

Howard, twirling his magnificent Kaisir mustache, spoke.

“Sir Zeke, have you ever heard of Baranaon?”

‘Baranaon…’

In his previous life, it was a small western country where Liam was before becoming the mercenary king.

A place with traditions as old as theabea, but a tragic kingdom sacrificed in the imperial invasion war.

Zeke nodded.

“I’ve heard it’s a small but mysterious and beautiful kingdom in the west.”

“If you know about it, this will be quick. In Baranaon, there’s a place no one has been able to approach for a very long time.”

“A place no one could approach?”

Howard nodded and said,

“Like the Agamemnon family, it’s a cursed place. Locals call it the ‘Mansion of Ghosts’.”

“The Mansion of Ghosts?”

It was a place he had never heard of even in his previous life.

Howard continued,

“Before the Holy Imperial era, some say it’s been there since the Liberation War. It’s so famous that every summer, news outlets cover something about this mansion.”

“There must be a powerful ancient ghost or a terrible curse.”

“Even famous wizards have gone to investigate, but they still haven’t identified the ghost or the curse. Every year, adventurous free knights and adventurers enter to catch the ghost, but none have returned.”

Zeke’s expression hardened at Howard’s words.

‘Is this bastard suggesting I go there?’

Ominous premonitions always came true.

Arthur looked intrigued.

“If the knight of the sea resolves the thousand-year-old curse of the Mansion of Ghosts, it’ll cause quite a stir.”

Arthur looked at Zeke and continued,

“Zeke, if you resolve the Mansion of Ghosts, I’ll propose to the grand assembly that you can take the advanced knight qualification exam this year.”

Zeke was shocked.

“An advanced knight qualification for me?”

The Draker knight ranks were divided into knight, Intermediate knight, and advanced knight.

Typically, after joining, members spend about 5 years performing missions, focusing on learning the Draker knight’s demeanor and capabilities.

After building achievements and adapting to knight missions, they qualify for the Intermediate knight promotion exam.

Even after that, they must pass several strict exams to become an Intermediate knight.

Moreover, even after becoming anIntermediate knight, failing to meet mission quotas could result in being demoted to a regular knight.

One must go through this Intermediate knight process for about 10 years before qualifying for the advanced knight exam.

Yet Arthur was offering to skip all these steps and provide an opportunity for the advanced knight qualification exam.

For Zeke, who had joined as a regular knight this year, this was an unprecedented condition.

Zeke glanced at Howard while stroking his beard.

‘There’s definitely a trap here… but an advanced knight.’

The reason Zeke coveted the rank of a senior knight was none other than the benefits granted to senior knights.

Senior knights are given the qualification to establish their own knight order.

Although Zeke had created the Black Sword Knight Order, strictly speaking, they were merely Zeke’s private soldiers.

However, if Zeke became a senior knight, the Black Sword Knight Order could be incorporated into the Draker family, and from the next induction ceremony, he would also be granted the right to bring in official Draker knights.

‘In addition, becoming a senior knight would allow independent activities, meaning I would no longer have to be concerned about the family’s opinions.’

Considering various aspects, it seemed best to accept Arthur’s proposal.

“I will carry out the designated mission as the lord has instructed.”

Arthur was satisfied with Zeke’s response.

“I knew you would answer like that.”

“I will do my best to live up to the lord’s expectations.”

Zeke spoke firmly and stood up, greeting Arthur and Howard before leaving the office.

As he left, Arthur burst into loud laughter.

“Hahaha! Howard, didn’t I tell you? This guy would certainly accept the mission without hesitation.”

Howard nodded in agreement, looking somewhat resigned.

“I mentioned it just in case, but I didn’t expect it to actually work out.”

Arthur smiled casually and replied to Howard.

“Was that so? I thought you had prepared various things on the side you were hoping for, so you put in quite an effort.”

Howard’s expression instantly hardened at Arthur’s words.

Arthur smiled slyly, looking at Howard.

“How is Ramon doing? I see you often with him, but I haven’t seen him in quite a while. He’s holed up in the Jiemens main house, and I don’t know what he’s doing.”

Howard’s eyes wavered at Arthur’s casual remark.

‘Does the lord already know everything?’

Arthur rose and approached Howard, stroking one side of his Kaisir mustache.

“Every time I see you, I feel like this mustache doesn’t suit you very well.”

Howard felt fear wrapping around his entire body within Arthur’s smile.

Howard replied with a trembling voice.

“If it displeases you, I’ll change it immediately.”

“No, no. It’s your taste, so what can I do? I’m just sharing my thoughts.”

Howard trembled with fear, reading the meaning hidden in Arthur’s words.

‘Is he telling me to cut ties with Jiemens? Damn… But if he already knows everything, why did he send Zeke Draker?’

Thoughts tangled complexly, making a mess of Howard’s mind.

Arthur Draker’s true intentions would be known only by Arthur Draker himself.

* * *

“The Mansion of Ghosts. What an absurd mission.”

While heading to Atlas’s mansion, Zeke reflected on the designated mission.

Though it seemed like a joke, Zeke knew Arthur Draker would never assign such a mission without a reason.

Zeke somewhat understood Arthur Draker’s intention.

‘There’s no way the lord didn’t notice the trap set by a small-time person like Howard.’

No matter how old a curse might be resolved, it didn’t make sense to allow taking the senior knight qualification exam just for that.

Arthur Draker was clearly testing Zeke.

It meant that if he could break through the trap set by Howard and his backer Jiemens, he would be given a corresponding reward.

Zeke wasn’t pleased, but this time he decided to go along with Arthur’s plan.

‘Probably Abel’s side ordered this, thinking this is their chance to take me down.’

He had been wondering when they would move, but he didn’t expect them to use Howard Draker to set a trap.

It was quite a bold move, but for Zeke, it turned out to be an opportunity.

“I don’t know what trap they’ve laid, but I’ll thoroughly destroy it.”

Zeke arrived at the mansion, quickly packed his things, and then drove Bucephalus towards the western side where Baranaon was located.

* * *

Zeke arrived in Baranaon the next day.

Even though he knew there was a trap, Zeke was not someone who would fall for it.

His plan was to get to the mansion as quickly as possible and strike first.

Baranaon was located in the western part of the continent, bordering the forbidden Forest of the Forgotten, Delpoa, the Troy Principality, and the bird tribe ghetto.

This was a place Zeke had never been to, even in his previous life, so he needed to familiarize himself with the atmosphere first.

After entering the capital of Baranaon, he looked around the city.

‘The overall feeling is quite similar to Thebea.’

Thebea, the oldest and most influential of the central kingdoms, had existed since before the Liberation War.

Surprisingly, the small country of Baranaon also had a deep history.

Despite being a small country, Baranaon had ancient ruins and mysterious sites hidden throughout its territory.

‘The Emperor would probably like this place.’

He wondered why the Empire had first invaded Baranaon during the continental war, and it seemed to be because of these ruins.

The Mansion of Ghosts was located in the western territory of Baranaon, bordering the Forest of the Forgotten.

In the forest of the forgotten ones, there was Nigel, an old master, so Zeke was cautious, worried about possibly encountering his master, as he headed towards the location of the Mansion of Ghosts.

Upon arriving in the western territory, Zeke asked the villagers about the Mansion of Ghosts.

“Are you an adventurer? It would be better if you don’t show off your bravado and return. No one has ever entered there and come back alive.”

Although he grabbed a few villagers and asked them questions, their responses were all similar.

However, the feeling was different from the time of Agamemnon’s curse.

In the case of Mycenae, the citizens felt a rejection towards an unknown fear, whereas these villagers had a strong sense of disgust towards the mansion.

According to the villagers, quite a few people had seen black shadows appearing near the mansion.

Considering the consistent descriptions of the shadow’s form by multiple people, it seemed there was indeed something in the mansion.

‘A ghost that has remained for a thousand years. Could there be a powerful ancient curse?’

If it was an ancient curse, it might be connected to the abyss.

In the end, to understand what kind of trap Abel had set, he would have to confront it directly.

Zeke, who had secured lodging and was waiting for the right moment, moved stealthily towards the mansion as the night deepened.

SWISH!

In an instant, he crossed the forest and climbed the hill where the mansion was located.

Looking down with his dragon’s eye, he saw a single, desolate old house standing alone on the hill.

Zeke summoned a dragon warrior to scout the surroundings.

Then he summoned Richmond.

“You called, my lord!”

Richmond, who had moved his laboratory to the Troy Principality’s castle after disposing of K’s hideout.

Zeke asked Richmond, “Richmond, do you sense any magic or suspicious energy around here?”

Richmond looked around and then tilted his head.

“My lord. I don’t really feel any special energy.”

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