A Dragonslayer’s Peerless Regression – 335



Episode 335

‘Golden Dawn? Valencia?’

The Dawn Society was an organization led by Laura Agamemnon Zeke’s mother and Fab Valencia who was an Arch Paladin.

However it was surprising to Jik that the Pope was the leader of an organization with a similar name to him called the Golden Dawn and that he had the last name Valencia.

Beatrice said looking at Zeke.

“I will go down and explain.”

Zeke followed her down the secret passage.

The secret passage under the sarcophagus was quite long.

“Your Majesty is this passage an escape route that can be used in an emergency?”

“That’s right. His Majesty the Pope has informed us. For now we are using it as a means to secretly meet with the Golden Dawn organization.”

As Zeke followed Beatrice through the secret passage he suddenly discovered a giant door ahead.

The iron gate was engraved with the same insignia of the catacombs that Fab had previously created.

‘A badge of a different shape from the general badge of the Solar Church.’

Zeke asked Beatrice out of curiosity.

“Your Majesty do you know what this badge means?”

Beatrice nodded in response to Zeke’s question.

“This is the emblem used by the Order of Light which worshipped the God of Light before the current Order of the Sun.”

Zeke remembered seeing this sign on the ark too.

‘If the Church of Light used this emblem… perhaps this emblem could represent the God of Light the Creator God.’

Since Zeek didn’t know much about theology he could only guess this much.

I decided to ask Arina who is well-versed in theology for more details.

Beatrice breathed power into the curtain of light and once again the door opened by itself.

She gestured to Zeke.

“This way.”

Zeke followed Beatrice up the stairs.

When I checked the map I was surprised to see that the secret passage led from the Vatican to the outskirts of the Holy Land of Baadoca.

Get notified for updates: https://discord.gg/93rmBjgP6B

Moreover it was connected to the basement of an old warehouse so it was possible to get out without being noticed by others.

Beatrice who had come upstairs skillfully took off her robe and changed into the everyday clothes she had prepared in advance.

There her hair color was magically changed to brown so she looked like an ordinary woman not the Pope.

“Come this way Sir Zeke.”

Zeke followed Beatrice out of the warehouse.

It was a market for the common people built on the outskirts of the kingdom of Baadoka. Unlike the city center where the clergy and nobles came and went it was complex and noisy because the roads and facilities were not properly developed.

The market seemed even more chaotic perhaps because of the rumors that monsters were coming soon. People were shaking in fear and spreading ominous rumors.

“Didn’t they already burn down all the other cities?”

“Then isn’t it dangerous here too?”

“Hey then the higher-ups must have run away first! It must be okay since they’re still there!”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Those people can go to another country in one night using some kind of teleportation magic. Isn’t that why they’re holding out?”

Beatrice’s expression darkened as she saw her subjects bickering and trying to somehow shake off their anxiety.

Still she seemed to be steeling herself and walked resolutely into the old building in the market alley.

It looked like an ordinary general store but as soon as he entered Zeke realized that it was a disguise store.

The woman working at the store was a sorceress and the man who appeared to be the owner was a trained knight.

They looked at Beatrice with wary eyes as she brought in a stranger.

Then she raised her hand and reassured them.

“It’s okay. He’s here to help us. Open the second floor.”

At Beatrice’s words a magician disguised as a clerk secretly activated a hidden magic circle.

Then the firewood piled on one side of the store aligned itself to create stairs.

Beatrice led Zeke.

As I climbed the stairs surprisingly there was a situation board and various materials on the wall along with the continental map.

Beatrice smiled at Zeke and said.

“Welcome to the headquarters of the Golden Dawn Society Sir Jik.”

* * *

Kaaaaaaah!

The ominous sound of a crow cawing echoed through the air.

The soldiers lined up below were advancing making a sharp metallic sound.

The knights on horseback shouted at the soldiers.

“Oh get your heat on!”

The flag bearing the knight’s name was fluttering in the wind with a wolf’s face on it.

An endless procession of troops filling the roads of the Holy Kingdom.

Currently there is only one place on the continent that can mobilize this many troops at once: the Roman Empire.

The Knights of the Scorpio one of the 13 legions of the Roman Empire were advancing at the very front of the troops.

The one who commanded the Knights of the Scorpio was Vice-Captain Carlito Luciano who was armed with artifacts all over his body.

Previously he tried to capture Zeke with Siemens but was defeated and lost his troops. He barely managed to survive thanks to Rahim a teleporter and the leader of Six.

Although he almost lost his position as vice-captain due to the defeat at the time Carlito fortunately managed to keep his position thanks to his unique political sense and speaking skills. He volunteered to join the Emperor’s personal expedition and led additional troops.

Join our discord and ping me to update more chapters. Discord: https://discord.gg/93rmBjgP6B

Next to Calito a large man almost reminiscent of a barbarian sat on his horse with his eyes closed concentrating.

And he was Gillian Apex the Grand Master of the Knights of the Scorpio.

Gillian Apex the Knight of Scorpio was a typical boneless man unlike Carlito.

As a man with no political power and therefore no skill as a knight Calito led the Knights of the Scorpio and handled external affairs.

Gillian Apex was devoting all his time to training in order to break through the final wall to become a Black Knight.

If it weren’t for Carlito’s persuasion I would never have participated in the previous expedition.

‘I’m glad that I was able to convince you that you might gain new insight on the battlefield.’

The Knights of the Scorpio Order continued their advance towards the border areas of the Holy Kingdom where the Emperor’s troops were stationed.

Soon the road came to an end and as we crossed the hills tens of thousands of soldiers encamped on the border plains could be seen.

Silver wolf flags symbolizing the emperor were fluttering everywhere.

Calito swallowed hard and entered the Emperor’s camp.

‘Why is it so quiet?’

When Calito arrived at the camp he felt something was off about the atmosphere.

There was no way that a camp with such a large army could be this quiet.

No matter how well-disciplined the barracks were there should have been sounds of soldiers working on the fort cooking or even chatting among themselves but there was absolutely no such sound.

The silence as if there were no one around brought about an eerie ominous feeling.

Calito got off his horse and looked around the camp.

I glanced at the tents where the soldiers were staying and saw that there were some sounds inside.

But the soldiers just sat there blankly without saying a word or lay there muttering.

The soldiers who were mumbling quietly to themselves and staring somewhere with unfocused eyes without any signs of life were by no means normal.

‘What the fuck. Are you all addicted to Soma?’

As Calito shuddered at the horrifying sight a wizard in black robes suddenly appeared before him.

“Eww! What the heck I was so surprised!”

Carlito stepped back as he saw the wizard suddenly appear.

The wizard’s face was not visible because the hood was pulled down deep but his lips were stained black like a corpse’s and his black fingernails were visible.

In addition the wizard’s skin was bronzed and although he was moving he did not feel like a living person.

“His Majesty summons you two.”

The wizard’s voice was so cracked that it gave me goosebumps the whole time I was listening to it.

Suddenly Carlito thought of the Nostra Family’s bloodline power holders and the dark magicians of the Abyss that he had met while working with Siemens.

I used to think they were really strange but now I feel like they are more human than the Emperor’s army or the magicians I am facing.

‘They say the emperor mastered all kinds of magic to achieve immortality but he even kept such ungodly and dangerous-looking people by his side.’

Although Calito had deliberately participated in this battle to preserve his position he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

In fact he had participated in this expedition to try to get back on the Emperor’s side after getting sidetracked by Julius’s connection to Siemens.

Because of the negative rumors about the Emperor’s safety and other matters other knightly orders were reluctant to participate in this expedition.

In the end the emperor went on an expedition leading only his personal guards and soldiers.

Looking at that sight Carlito who had been pondering until the end persuaded Gillian to follow the emperor.

‘I heard that the target of this expedition is not monsters but the Sacred Kingdom. If the Emperor overcomes this crisis and continues to maintain his power and gradually expands the territorial war starting with the Sacred Kingdom… he will have a good chance of success.’

Carlito prided himself on having an eye for opportunity.

He was the second son of a local baron and he had the confidence to rise to this position because he had seized the opportunity.

He thought that although it was a situation that could be seen as gambling if he could just get through this moment he would be able to draw a new future.

He gathered his tumultuous mind and entered the Emperor’s barracks with Gillian.

But once he entered the Emperor’s quarters Carlito regretted his decision for the first time in his life.

The inside of the barracks was a disaster beyond compare.

A group of cultists with black lips and black fingernails were squeezing the blood of living people and mixing various drugs into the blood to create a strange potion.

The sorcerers of the cult were more evil and ghoul-like than the warlocks and they practiced taboos with impunity.

Such cultists were constantly creating terrible potions using human materials in the Emperor’s barracks.

‘Ugh.’

Even Calito who prided himself on having a strong stomach felt dizzy and nauseous from the smell of blood and strong medicine emanating from the Emperor’s barracks.

Gillian who had been keeping her eyes tightly shut also opened them and looked at the horrifying sight.

Then the wizard who guided them beckoned to them and said:

“Come this way.”

Carlito and Gillian went further inside the barracks which were like a hellish landscape to where the Emperor was staying.

The Emperor’s barracks were strewn with countless vials of potions magic circles drawn in blood and scrolls written in an unintelligible language.

Incense was constantly rising from the incense burner and just smelling that strange scent made me feel like I was going crazy.

The emperor lay in bed surrounded by a dozen or so cultists.

The bed was covered with a curtain so he could not be seen but the coffin connected to a dozen vials clearly showed how dire the emperor’s current condition was.

“Has the knight of the Scorpio Palace come?”

At that moment a voice was heard through the curtain.

Carlito was so startled by the Emperor’s clear majestic voice that he immediately fell to his knees.

“Greetings to Your Majesty! I am Carlito Luciano Vice-Captain of the Knights of the Scorpio Order. By Your Majesty’s command I have arrived here with the Knights of the Scorpio Order led by their leader Sir Gillian Apex!”

The emperor was silent for a moment after hearing Calito’s words.

Then he spoke in the same clear voice as before.

“Carlito. Yes I remember. He was a righteous man who took on many difficult tasks in place of Gillian who could not speak.”

In fact the leader Gillian was mute and unable to speak.

But few people knew that fact.

I simply thought Gillian was reserved and most external matters were handled by Carlito.

He was surprised that the Emperor remembered that fact.

“Yes Your Majesty! Do you remember me?”

“Yes I remember. He was a young man with a sharp and wise look in his eyes. It’s already been 20 years since I gave him the title.”

The Emperor’s words which included remembering the time he bestowed his name and title moved Carlito to tears.

Then I suddenly came to my senses.

‘Has the Emperor’s illness improved?’

Although I couldn’t see his face because it was covered by a curtain I couldn’t tell he was sick at all when I heard his voice.

Rather it was more powerful and majestic than the voice he had heard at the knight inauguration ceremony twenty years ago.

‘If the Emperor’s illness gets better a great opportunity will come to me.’

The horrific scene I had seen earlier was long forgotten.

Carlito was only interested in how he could maximize his own profits.

Then the emperor said to Calito:

“Calito my old friend. Will you join me and your friend Gillian in subduing the monsters that threaten the Holy Kingdom and saving the suffering citizens of the Holy Nation?”

When the Emperor casually mentioned salvation Carlito came to one conclusion.

‘The emperor’s physical condition may have improved but he is still mad.’