Zeke frowned upon hearing Al's words.
"Is there a problem with our new medicine?" Al and Jeff shook their heads vigorously.
"N-No way!"
"There's absolutely no issue! Please believe us!" Zeke sat down and crossed his legs.
"But why is the Alchemistsʼ Union refusing to grant us authorization and certification?" At those words, Al glanced around before poking Jeff in the side.
Jeff initially ignored Al's signal, but as soon as Zeke cleared his throat, he immediately spoke up.
"It's because... we've gotten on the Alchemistsʼ Union's bad side...!" Zeke looked at Jeff as if asking what that meant.
Jeff let out a deep sigh, his face as if the world were ending.
"The truth is... we create so many creative medicines, right? And because of that..." Zeke cut off Jeff's trailing words.
"The Alchemistsʼ Union doesn't trust the medicines you've made?"
Jeff nodded, his face paling in fear.
Then Al protested to Zeke as if it were all so unfair.
"B-But this time is different! We've put in so much effort, completed all the clinical trials perfectly, and finished every test the Union demanded!" Jeff nodded emphatically at Al's words.
"Y-Yes, that's right. Professor Feynen reviewed the test results and said there's no way the Union wouldn't grant authorization and certification with this level of quality!" Zeke rested his chin on his hand and gazed steadily at the two of them.
"Hmm, even after all the tests are complete, the Union still won't issue authorization and certification."
Al and Jeff clutched each other's shoulders and trembled as they watched Zeke's expression.
'Oh no, that's the face that says he's going to bury us for good.' 'This is it for us.'
After pondering for a moment, Zeke asked the two.
"How much did we price our antibiotic at?"
Al and Jeff, lost in fear, answered Zeke's question reflexively.
"About ten silver."
"And the Union's antibiotic?"
"For the same volume, around ten gold."
Zeke made a face of disbelief at their words.
"A hundred times the difference? What about the efficacy?"
At Zeke's question, Al and Jeff suddenly grew excited and shouted.
"Of course ours is far superior!"
"It's not even comparable! The Union's stuff is garbage, total garbage!" Zeke clicked his tongue at their words.
"It seems like if our new medicine hits the market, the Union's drugs won't survive, so they're blocking it..."
Al and Jeff exchanged glances in surprise at Zeke's words.
"Huh? Is that how it is?"
"It could be. We thought they denied authorization and certification because we pranked their headquarters with acne-inducing potion before, but..."
From their mutterings, Zeke could tell these mischievous kids had done something to earn the Union's ire.
'Even so, rejecting a perfectly fine medicine and withholding authorization and certification was a problem.' Zeke slowly rose to his feet.
"I guess I'll have to meet with the Union directly." Al and Jeff were startled by his words.
"S-Sir Zeke is going himself?"
"Really?"
Zeke nodded.
"I have business in the Neutral City anyway. This is a good chance to put those alchemists in their place too. Al and Jeff, prepare to head to the Central Continent. Simon, what's the fastest way from here to the Neutral City?" Simon thought for a moment before speaking.
"We're not far from the sea, so calling the Triangle from the Southern Archipelago, boarding it to Tahuani, and then taking the portal should be quickest." Zeke nodded.
"That sounds good. It's been a while since I've seen Nerisa and the mermen, so let's do that."
Simon contacted Nerisa's side, and the very next day, the Triangle arrived at the coast.
"Zeke!"
Nerisa, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, waved from atop the Triangle.
She then approached on a water spirit shaped like a dragon.
Having inherited the deep-sea tribe's legacy from Poseidon, she could wield ancient spirit arts proficiently.
She jumped down from the spirit's head and stood before Zeke.
"Oh, it's been a while."
Nerisa greeted Zeke with a flushed face.
Zeke smiled at her and patted her head.
"Yeah. Have you been well?"
Nerisa nodded eagerly, her eyes sparkling.
She then stood before Zeke as if to show that nothing had changed.
But Zeke just stared at her blankly, wondering what she was doing.
Receiving Zeke's gaze, Nerisa grew embarrassed for no reason, turned away, and shouted with a red face.
"W-Why are you staring like that!"
"...?"
Leaving Nerisa, who was getting ahead of herself, Zeke took Al and Jeff aboard the Triangle.
Nerisa, who had contacted Zeke and spent the night calming her pounding heart while crossing the sea, gnashed her teeth in frustration.
'That guy has no sense at all!'
For some reason, Zeke felt a prickling at the back of his head.
*
The Triangle, Captain Kidd's legacy, was markedly faster than other ships.
With Zeke aboard, bearing the title Glory of the Sea God, the sea seemed to push the vessel forward without resistance.
Thanks to that, they reached Golpa Port in just two days.
After disembarking, Zeke patted Nerisa's head and said,
"Thanks, Nerisa. Let's meet again next time." Nerisa's face flushed at Zeke's touch.
But the words that came out were completely different.
"W-What! Don't think you can see me whenever you want just because! I'm busy too!" "Then nothing to be done. I'll hope for another chance."
"...!"
Nerisa watched Zeke's departing back with a mix of regret and disappointment.
At that moment, Bill beside her shook his head.
"Tsk tsk, Captain, what did I tell you? Be a bit kinder."
The other mermen chimed in with their own comments.
Nerisa summoned a spirit and yelled,
"You lot! Get lost! All of you, scram!"
She took out her frustration on the mermen for no reason.
Right after disembarking, Zeke led Al and Jeff into Tahuani.
Under cartel rule, it had been filled with the poor and a den for criminals fleeing the lawless zones, but since becoming part of the Kingdom of Cusco's territory, security had improved greatly.
Children played in the streets, and people laughed as they shopped in the market.
Zeke unconsciously smiled at the vastly changed scenery from his previous life.
Al and Jeff, sitting beside him in the carriage, felt an inexplicable fear at Zeke's smile.
The portals connecting the Southern Continent to the Central Continent were in Tahuani and Pavela.
But Pavela had been destroyed along with its portal, leaving only Tahuani.
Zeke had repaired Tahuani's portal to serve as the passage to the Central Continent.
It had cost an astronomical sum, but he believed it had sufficient investment value, so he allocated the budget without hesitation.
Zeke arrived at Tahuani's terminal and took a seat on the portal shuttle to the Central Continent with Al and Jeff.
A few minutes later, they arrived in the Neutral City, home to the alchemists. *
Clang!
In the Imperial Grand Audience Hall of the Rom Empire, a golden goblet rolled across the floor, emitting a sharp sound.
The attendants standing nearby trembled with pale faces.
Abel, slumped on the throne with his long hair disheveled, muttered something with bloodshot eyes.
Beside the throne stood an Apostle of Narak, who gestured toward one of the shaking attendants.
The attendant, summoned by the mage, could only tremble blue-faced, unable to move.
When the attendant didn't approach, the mage struck the floor with his staff.
Ziiing—
The attendant's eyes rolled back, and he stiffened like a rigid doll, walking forward to the mage.
The other attendants clenched their teeth and held their breath to avoid making a sound.
As the attendant approached, the mage drew a dagger from his robe.
He immediately slit the attendant's throat.
Under the spell, the attendant couldn't even scream properly and remained frozen in place.
The mage took an empty bowl from the lavish table and caught the blood flowing from the attendant's neck.
Once the bowl was full, the mage gestured to the attendant.
The already dead attendant, compelled by the wicked dark magic, obeyed the command and walked to a hole in one corner of the hall, entering it of his own accord.
It was a hole made for disposing of the many corpses produced.
The Apostle brought the blood-filled bowl to Abel.
Only then did Abel, who had been muttering while slumped, lift his head.
His two eyeballs rolled in different directions, and his blackened lips showed no trace of the red lion who once roamed the battlefields.
Abel grabbed the bowl and gulped down the blood inside in one go.
Only after draining it did his face return somewhat to normal.
The Apostle approached Abel.
"Your Majesty, it's time to retire to your chambers."
Abel, whose eyes had been darting around, seemed to regain his senses and nodded.
"Ah, yes. Has it gotten that late already?"
He spoke calmly, but suddenly jumped to his feet.
"Zeke Draker! Bring that bastard here! Bring him to me right now!" In a fit of mania, Abel overturned the prepared table in an instant.
He then drew the sword placed beside the throne.
"Where is he? That rat bastard! Bring him before me now!"
As Abel swung the sword wildly with mad eyes, the attendants began to sneak away in terror.
At that moment, the door opened, and someone entered.
It was Ramon Siemens.
Woooong!
As Ramon raised his hand, the moving attendants froze stiff in place.
Passing the stone-like attendants, Ramon extended his hand toward Abel, who was swinging his sword everywhere.
"Ughhh—"
Abel groaned under the unprecedented binding force on his body, soon dropping the sword and losing consciousness.
Ramon glanced at Abel once before speaking to the Apostle behind him.
"The episodes are coming more frequently." The Apostle nodded at his words.
"It seems the parasitic spawn can't endure the demon-dragonkin's body and is causing outbursts."
The parasitic spawn fully dominated the host's flesh, absorbed memories to act like the host, and eventually moved to another body.
It was past the time it should have transferred, and with the demon-dragonkin state bearing a dragon heart corrupted by madness, even the parasitic spawn couldn't withstand the body.
Ramon grimaced, displeased with this imperfect situation.
"Dorta has failed. What is the High Priest doing?"
With Abel in this state, they needed to secure as many sacrifices as possible before the second consecration rite.
Thus, the plan was to mobilize all forces, use the Dorta Republic as a sacrificial lamb, and ignite a continental war.
With Julius and Zeke Draker holding a secret meeting, it had been the perfect chance to eliminate both thorns at once.
But the result was total failure.
They had lost two high-rank demonkind that were hard to summon.
Ramon ground his teeth and glared at the Apostle.
The Apostle waved his hand at Ramon.
"Calm down. Blaming us won't improve the situation. Deploying two high-rank demonkind was approved by the Family Head as well."
Ramon knew this, which was why he couldn't press the Narak side harder.
As he forcibly suppressed his anger, the Apostle approached and said,
"The Dorta Republic is undoubtedly a painful failure. But Family Head, there is good news."
The Apostle licked his black lips with a red tongue and said,
"We've found Arthur Draker's weakness."