A Dragonslayer’s Peerless Regression – 353



Episode 353

“You’re going straight back to Atlas?”

Beatrice who was drinking tea with Zeke in the garden was startled.

Beatrice couldn’t help but be surprised when she heard that Zeke who was like a benefactor to the Holy Land had to return immediately even though she hadn’t been able to treat him properly.

Zick nodded drinking his tea.

“Yes the Lord sent word to enter the Four Seasons Castle so we should prepare right away.”

At those words Roban who was standing next to him bowed his head.

“I thought I could finally be with Sir Zeke… Couldn’t you stay in the Holy Land a little longer?”

Then Zeke laughed and ruffled Roban’s hair.

“When I’m done I’ll come back to play whenever I want. Until then listen to His Majesty’s words and focus on your training.”

At Zeke’s words Roban nodded suppressing his regret.

Beatrice who was looking at it with a gentle smile suggested to Zeke that they go for a walk in the garden separately.

According to her wishes the two of them began to walk through the garden without their escort Anthony.

As they walked in silence Beatrice spoke first.

“I don’t know how to thank you Sir Zeke.”

Zeke shook his head as he looked at Beatrice like that.

“I was just doing what I had to do as a knight. Please don’t say such things Your Majesty.”

Beatrice had never regretted so much her exalted status as Pope.

If she hadn’t been the Pope she would have wanted to be Zeke’s comrade and help him.

But as Pope and head of the Golden Dawn she had a duty to revive the Holy Kingdom which was steeped in corruption.

She forced a smile and spoke to Zeke.

“The Holy Kingdom will be your everlasting friend and steadfast companion Sir Zeke. Should you ever need anything… just let me know.”

This was all he could do now.

Zeke nodded after hearing Beatrice’s words.

“Thank you for your consideration Your Majesty.”

Then Zeke looked at her and said.

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

“By the way there is one thing I would like to ask of you Your Majesty.”

Beatrice smiled brightly at Zeke’s words.

“Tell me anything.”

Zeke slowly opened his mouth as he looked at Beatrice.

“I ask you to reinstate Sir Fab Valencia who was excommunicated fifty years ago.”

Fab Valencia who gave up his position as Arch Paladin and left the Holy Kingdom to fight against the corrupt Holy Kingdom.

Zeke wanted to defend his honor.

Beatrice smiled and nodded at his words.

“Of course Sir Zeke. That is what I have been hoping for. I will see to it that Sir Fab’s excommunication is lifted and his honor as an Arch Paladin is restored.”

Zeke listened to her and smiled as he looked at her.

“Felix will be pleased to hear Your Majesty’s decision.”

He felt that he had finished all that he had to do in the Holy Land. Feeling relieved Zeke prepared to return straight to Atlas.

* * *

On the carriage ride back to Atlas Zeke listened to Shadia’s report from across from him and spoke to her.

“Are you saying that Carlito handed over all the information?”

Shadia nodded.

“Yes boss. There was no need for further questioning. I cross-checked and found all the information credible.”

Carlito had completely turned towards Zeke.

With the emperor his last hope dead leaving the golden rule that Zeke had set aside the only lifeline that could save his life was Zeke.

Carlito planned to somehow get hold of the string called Zeke and start a new life on Drake’s side.

Because of that he told Shadia all the empire’s secrets without any reservations.

Zeke snickered as he recalled the Calito he had seen.

“Compared to Daria the conversion is so fast that it’s almost suspicious. Well I guess it can’t be helped since the burdens they carry are different.”

Daria Calvi the Grand Master of the Knights of the Inmagung Palace was still reluctant to betray the Empire as she led an order of knights made up of commoners and had even learned the art of the Hades Spear from the Duke of Craban.

So Zeke decided to first bring Gillian the leader of the Knights of the Scorpio to his camp when he woke up and then slowly persuade Daria through him.

Even after the report was over Shadia remained still sitting across from Zeke.

Zeke said as he looked at Shadia like that.

“Do you have anything to say Shadia?”

Shadia hesitated for a moment then slowly opened her mouth to Zeke.

“I have something to tell you boss.”

Zeke nodded to Shadia’s words.

“When have I ever stopped you from saying what you wanted to say? Make it easy.”

Shadia opened her mouth cautiously her face slightly relaxed at Zeke’s words.

“Do you remember what you told me before about extending my contract?”

“Contract extension… I told you to think about what you want.”

Shadia opened her mouth again after hearing Zig’s words.

“I want to get away from the old man on the mountain.”

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

For the first time Shadia was honest with Zeke about what she wanted.

She expressed her desire to be free and asked Zeke for help.

Zeke opened his mouth as he looked at Shadia like that.

“It took longer than I thought.”

Shadia was taken aback by his words.

“What do you mean…?”

“Until you ask me for help.”

Shadia realized that Zeke had already figured out her mind but had been waiting for her to ask for help herself.

Zeke said looking at Shadia.

“How can I help you?”

Shadia couldn’t readily answer Zeke’s question.

She soon opened her mouth slowly.

“The old man of the mountains takes orphans and trains them harshly in the water. It is so harsh that it is difficult for even two out of a hundred children to survive. The children who survive are given competition and are trained again. The children who survive and excel the most are accepted as disciples.”

It was Shadia who spoke openly about how the water of the Salmak the most secretive group in the desert was made.

Zeke listened to Shadia silently and then said a word.

“What do you want to say Shadia?”

“…The Old Man of the Mountain is not our teacher but our enemy.”

She said looking at Zeke.

“He also fed me his disciple loneliness and made me die if I didn’t take medicine regularly. All the other killers in Salmak including me are in a similar situation. Through research we have developed a medicine that can stop the loneliness to some extent but it is impossible to completely eliminate it.”

In fact Zeke already knew about Salmak’s loneliness before Shadia spoke. This was because in his previous life he had been assigned a mission to extract key information from Salmak.

His mission included rescuing the old man on the mountain but he was ultimately betrayed by his disciples and met a miserable death.

‘It seems that Shadia had been studying hard in her previous life and eventually found a way to overcome her loneliness.’

Shadia had created a potion that could halt Solitude’s activities which gave her time to ask Zeke for help.

Zeke waited for Shadia to make up her mind because he believed that she would truly become his only when she showed trust in him and asked for help with a sincere heart.

“It is said that it is difficult to escape from the Old Man of the Mountain as long as there is loneliness.”

“We are working on an effective antidote but it doesn’t have a long shelf life yet.”

The loneliness that the old man of the mountain had planted was so severe that even the slightest thought of her betraying him would make his heart stop.

Shadia recalled how Zeke had previously been unharmed after drinking the intangible poison she had created.

Uncharacteristic of her who is always cool and rational she developed a blind belief that Zeke would somehow be able to save her from this loneliness.

That’s why after much thought she told Zeke what was on her mind.

“Loneliness…..”

At that moment Zeke grabbed Shadia’s wrist.

Woohoo!

A golden aura emanated from Zeke’s hand and some energy flowed into Shadia’s body.

Shadia was slightly surprised by the warm air that enveloped her entire body.

But soon she opened her heart and accepted the energy that Zeke radiated with her whole body.

I felt like my body was being cleansed by Zeke’s energy.

Woohoo!

The golden aura permeated Shadia’s body.

Zeke said letting go of Shadia’s wrist.

“It’s over.”

“yes?”

Shadia was surprised by Zeke’s words and questioned back.

“You don’t have to worry your loneliness has been eliminated.”

“That kind of…..”

Shadia looked incredulous at the words that the loneliness that had tormented her for over twenty years could be so easily eliminated.

Shadia tested to see if her loneliness was really gone.

Originally even the thought of betraying the Old Man of the Mountain would cause the loneliness inside her to gnaw away at her entire body causing her hellish pain.

‘I will kill the old man on the mountain.’

But now even when she had unclean thoughts about the old man on the mountain there was no reaction.

I couldn’t feel the foreign body sensation that had always remained in my body.

In an instant Shadia’s face lit up with joy.

I was finally free from the curse of loneliness.

Shadia shed tears without realizing it at the sudden complete freedom that had come to her.

Shadia known as the flower of the desert and the most fearsome of the Salamanders cried out loud shedding tears incessantly.

Zeke looked at Shadia silently and waited for her to calm down.

And after a while Shadia finally stopped crying and raised her head.

“Master.”

Shadia knelt on the carriage floor and bowed to Zeke.

Then he slowly raised his head.

She rubbed her face with the palm of her hand.

In an instant her face changed.

Shadia’s real face hidden under the human face mask.

A cold-looking beauty with sharp eyes looked at Zeke.

“This is my real face. You saved me. Please accept me. I will serve you with all my heart for the rest of my life.”

Until now the only person who knew Shadia’s true face was the Old Man of the Mountain.

She tried to convey her true feelings to Zeke by showing her real face.

But Zeke looked at Shadia and said something unexpected.

“That’s really stupid.”

Shadia was taken aback by Zeke’s reaction.

“What do you mean by that?”

“If you are going to serve me as your master for the rest of your life why did you go out of your way to leave the Old Man of the Mountain?”

“That’s different. I was forced to become the old man of the mountains and become his disciple living as a slave in the wilderness but serving the master is of my own free will.”

“I don’t need slaves. If you need a master to bind you find someone else.”

Tears welled up in Shadia’s eyes again at Zeke’s words.

“That can’t be. It was you who saved my life. Please don’t tell me to find someone else.”

Shadia who had been imprisoned by the Old Man of the Mountain for a long time was finally free but was not mentally prepared to enjoy true freedom.

Zeke said while looking at Shadia like that.

“I need capable subordinates not slaves.”

Only then did Shadia understand what Zeke was saying and changed her words.

“I’m sorry. I will treat you as a boss not a master. Please accept me as your subordinate.”

Only then did Zeke nod.

“Okay. I’ll write up the new contract after I finish the mission. I’ll tell Boris so share the top secret information with him now.”

Shadia nodded at those words.

“Okay boss. But there’s one thing I’d like to ask you.”

Shadia opened her mouth cautiously as Zeke nodded indicating that she should ask.

“I wonder what you plan to do with Salmak and the other assassins.”

In an instant Zick’s gaze changed.

Shadia held her breath and waited for Zeke’s answer.

Slowly Zeke opened his mouth.

“There is no difference. I will help those who ask for my help and I will fight back with a sword against those who point their swords at me.”

Shadia swallowed hard at Zeke’s cold words and said.

“Boss give me a chance.”