A Dragonslayer’s Peerless Regression

Chapter 35

Zeke asked with a puzzled expression.

“Guests? There shouldn’t be anyone coming to find me in Atlas.”

Leaving his room, Zeke headed to the drawing room where the guests were waiting.

“Master? Even Instructor Andrei?”

To his surprise, Duke Draker and Andrei Draker were in the drawing room.

Duke waved at Zeke and said,

“My disciple, you really are something else. Never in my life have I seen someone skip their entrance to Valhalla. Didn’t that grumpy old Flaubert give you an earful?”

Zeke sat down with a tired expression and replied.

“He already gave me a special exam to take care of that.”

“Is that so? Well, then, I guess there’s no problem.”

Duke, who knew Zeke’s skills better than anyone, wasn’t too concerned.

Zeke looked at the two of them and asked.

“But what brings both of you here? What about the Academy?”

Duke spoke in a nonchalant tone.

“Where the disciple is, the master must be. As for the Academy, Howard can take care of it just fine.”

To begin with, Duke wasn’t doing much at the Academy other than using up potions.

“I can understand Master, but… why is Instructor Andrei here…?”

Andrei looked slightly embarrassed.

Seeing this, Duke spoke in a tired tone.

“Ugh, that clingy guy. Even when I said there’s nothing more to teach him, he keeps following me around.”

Despite his words, it seemed Duke had grown fond of Andrei and didn’t completely reject his company.

“So, does that mean both of you are staying here in Atlas?”

“That’s right. Since you’ve got yourself a big mansion, let us freeload for a while.”

Zeke had no reason to refuse.

Thus, both Duke and Andrei became new additions to the mansion’s residents.

Zeke turned to Andrei and asked.

“So, are you going back to the Four Constellations?”

He shook his head.

“No, I’ve been appointed as an assistant professor at Valhalla this time.”

Considering Andrei’s relatively young age, being appointed as an assistant professor at Valhalla signified that his skills had improved significantly.

Delighted to see Zeke after a long time, Duke brought out a large amount of alcohol and started drinking heavily, even though the sun hadn’t set yet.

Zeke kept Duke company for a while before passing him off to Andrei and returning to his room to prepare for a nighttime outing.

Once the mansion was silent and everyone had fallen asleep, Zeke used Phantom Footwork, a technique that left no trace, to slip outside.

* * *

He was well-acquainted with the dark underbelly hidden beneath the grandeur of the bustling metropolis of Atlas.

Zeke entered a secluded alley on the outskirts of the city, a place rarely visited by ordinary people.

Walking further, he stepped into a rundown tavern with a battered sign barely hanging in place.

Inside, a dangerous air hung thick as individuals of questionable nature drank heavily. Zeke scanned the room before making his way to the bar, where he perched on the edge of a stool.

Turning to the bartender, he said, “A glass of dark beer. And.”

Placing a gold coin on the counter, he continued, “Tell Kay I want to meet her.”

At those words, not only the bartender but also the dangerous-looking men nearby turned their gazes toward Zeke.

Meeting their stares, Zeke grinned.

“Don’t get yourselves hurt. Just quietly go and deliver the message. Tell her Zeke Draker wants to discuss a deal with the Syndicate.”

At the mention of “Draker,” the bartender exchanged glances with a man standing near the bar. The man disappeared inside briefly before returning and motioning for Zeke to follow.

It seemed permission had been granted from above.

Zeke followed the man into the deeper part of the tavern. True to its reputation as a smuggling organization, the Syndicate had a passage leading underground.

They passed several sealed security doors and navigated multiple branching paths before ascending into a massive warehouse-like structure.

After walking past an entrance guarded by rough-looking men, Zeke was led into an area filled with goods and cargo containers.

“Wait here a moment,” the man said, heading further inside.

Moments later, the door opened again, and the man gestured for Zeke to come in.

The room was packed with various items and crates, but at its center stood a lone desk, where Kay was seated.

She was a striking woman with wavy red hair, wearing a deeply cut outfit that exposed her cleavage, exuding an air of allure.

‘Her taste in clothes hasn’t changed,’ Zeke thought to himself.

Kay fixed her gaze on Zeke’s gloves, scrutinizing them. Then, pointing to the seat across from her, she said, “Sit down for now.”

As Zeke took his seat, Kay lit a cigarette, exhaling a plume of thick smoke before speaking again.

“So, what’s the reason for the Draker household’s rising star wanting to meet me?”

If one were to choose the most renowned intelligence organizations on the continent, two names would usually come to mind: the Draker household’s Black Stage and the Rom Empire’s Intelligence Bureau.

However, there was another lesser-known but formidable network—this Syndicate.

Originally a coalition of regional smugglers, it had rapidly grown into a major transporter of narcotics in the Southern Continent.

In his past life, Zeke had a connection with the Syndicate, particularly with Kay, the woman before him.

At that time, Kay had been an executive of the Syndicate. Back then, she had approached Zeke first with a request. Through this, she secured a crucial transportation route and solidified a strong career within the Syndicate.

Thanks to her, Zeke had gained easy access to vital information across the continent.

‘Even the relic of the Elder Dragon I found before my death wouldn’t have been possible without Kay.’

Although she wasn’t yet an executive, her abilities were more than sufficient. If he could establish a rapport with her and maintain a good relationship from now on, it would undoubtedly be advantageous.

Zeke removed the gloves he was wearing and activated the Mana Reflection skill.

Crackle!

The mana-infused lights within the skill’s range flickered violently.

After putting his gloves back on, Zeke deactivated the skill.

The lights returned to their normal state.

“I showed you this because I don’t want to waste time on pointless suspicion. Let’s skip the power plays.”

Kay realized that the youngest member of the Draker household sitting before her was no ordinary individual.

Zeke looked directly at Kay and got straight to the point.

“I want to establish a deal.”

At those words, Kay frowned slightly.

“The Draker household wants to strike a deal with us? That’s about as believable as the Emperor of Rom donating to the Holy Kingdom.”

“Does the Draker family discriminate against money? Whether it’s earned by selling Soma or from taking lives, money is money.”

At the mention of Soma, Kay’s expression hardened.

The Syndicate had only recently begun smuggling Soma from the Southern Continent to the Central Continent. It was a tightly guarded secret, even within the organization.

A tense energy emanated from Kay and the men nearby.

“Planning to slit my throat and bury me?”

Suddenly, an overwhelming aura burst forth from Zeke’s body.

The killing intent radiating from him rendered the Syndicate members hidden throughout the warehouse completely motionless.

Kay inwardly cursed as she realized this young Draker was far more dangerous than the rumors suggested.

‘Damn Drakers.’

At that moment, Zeke pulled something from his coat and casually tossed it onto the table.

Kay’s eyes widened when she saw the item land on the table—a pair of earrings.

“An artifact?”

Despite her youth, Kay’s discerning eye was as sharp as it would be in the future.

Zeke smirked and said, “A popular ancient item at auctions. You’ll be even more surprised if you examine the enchantments on it.”

Though doubtful, Kay picked up the earrings and put them on.

She channeled mana to test the performance of the earrings.

“…Mana Recovery?”

Zeke smirked.

Given the limitations of modern magical technology, creating a magic item with such efficiency was impossible. The value of these earrings was, therefore, extraordinary.

Kay quietly set the earrings down and spoke.

“So, when you said you wanted to deal, you meant with these earrings?”

“This is just the start. I have even better items. Depending on the market conditions, you can gradually release them through the Dortha Auction House and convert them into cash.”

“If you’re a pureblood awakener of the Draker family, you shouldn’t have to worry about money. Why go through all this trouble?”

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

Zeke pulled out a set of documents detailing the identity of his alias, Zeke Murray, and handed them to Kay.

“Use this to open a clean account. Deposit the money into it. At the back, you’ll find a transaction contract. The items are stored at the Northern Bank, so handle the transfer procedures. The commission is 10% per transaction, with additional incentives every time the total exceeds ten thousand gold.”

Kay examined the contract Zeke had brought.

It was detailed and neatly organized, as if such transactions were a routine for him.

She looked at Zeke and asked.

“Who exactly are you?”

“You already know I’m Zeke Draker, yet you ask. Revealing my identity was my way of building trust. Of course, I trust you’ll keep your subordinates in line about this.”

Kay considered the personal information and contract before her. After a moment, she nodded.

She stood up and said, “Follow me.”

Kay led Zeke deeper into the warehouse, where her office was located.

The office was designed for handling transactions with especially important clients, equipped with soundproofing and advanced security spells.

Once Zeke was seated, Kay brought something over.

“A Covenant Oath. How very wizard-like.”

Kay wasn’t surprised that Zeke knew she was a mage. From the moment he had presented the magic item, she had suspected he came knowing her true identity.

She unfolded the contract imbued with the Covenant Oath and picked up a pen.

“This means I’m acknowledging you as my first true partner. I hope you don’t take offense.”

Having made a Covenant Oath with Kay in his previous life, Zeke wasn’t fazed by the process.

Kay pricked her finger on the needle attached to the back of the pen.

Kay signed the contract with the blood that had dripped down to the pen’s nib.

Following her, Zeke signed in the same manner.

As the ritual concluded, a mark of each other’s signatures appeared on the inner side of their wrists.

‘Huh?’

Zeke noticed something unusual about the signature etched on his wrist. It looked as if two signatures were overlapping.

‘Could it be… the Covenant Oath from my previous life has reappeared, layered over this one?’

In the case of a blood-bound Covenant Oath, the signature on the wrist disappears if the oath is broken. This serves as a way to confirm whether a contracted party has betrayed the agreement.

Though Zeke was startled by the overlapping signature, Kay didn’t seem to notice or care.

With their signatures confirmed, the two officially established a partnership.

“Now that we’re partners, care to explain? Why is a pureblood awakener of the Draker family selling stolen goods?” Kay asked.

Zeke replied, “First, those aren’t stolen goods. They’re ancient items I discovered. I won’t tell you where I found them, so don’t ask. Second, just because someone’s a pureblood awakener doesn’t mean they’re rolling in money. You need a wealthy sponsoring family for that.”

Hearing details about the inner workings of the Draker family, which were rarely known, Kay listened with intrigue.

Then Zeke turned the conversation to her.

“Is the Syndicate currently dealing with the Mechain Cartel?”

At his words, Kay’s expression hardened again.

“How do you know something that’s classified even within the organization? I only found out recently as a branch manager.”

Realizing it was pointless to hide, she reluctantly spoke.

“You’re right. We’re trading with Mechain. But recently, the Pavela Cartel has been pressuring us. They’re telling us to cut ties with Mechain and transport their goods instead.”

Currently, the Southern Continent was in a three-way power struggle between the massive cartels Pavela, Mechain, and Tahuaní.

In the near lawless lands of the Southern Continent, kingdoms had become practically meaningless.

The cartels’ military power was dozens of times stronger than that of the royal knight orders in the region.

Using this strength, the cartels produced Soma, a narcotic, in the jungles and transported it to the Central Continent.

Since the largest market for Soma was the Rom Empire, ensuring its transport to the Central Continent was crucial.

However, the border region originally used as a transport route was completely blocked after the Ishtar household, which controlled the area, issued a ban on trespassers.

Even the reckless cartels didn’t want to provoke the Ishtar household, one of the transcendental families. As a result, they had to seek alternative routes.

This led them to collaborate with the smuggling organization, the Syndicate. Through this partnership, Soma was transported via the Southern Sea, passed through the desert region, and distributed across the Rom Empire, the Central Kingdoms, and even the Northern Continent.

Soma’s popularity was driven by its dual effects: hallucinations and mana-enhancing properties, making it highly sought after by mages. Demand was consistently overwhelming.

Thanks to their monopoly on transporting cartel goods, the Syndicate not only established distribution and sales networks across the continent but also amassed enormous wealth.

Having lived through these circumstances in his previous life, Zeke was thoroughly familiar with the workings of the Southern cartels.

As he organized his memories, Zeke looked at Kay and spoke.

“Hey, Kay. I’ve got a proposal for you.”

“What kind of proposal?”

Zeke smiled calmly.

“Help me arrange a meeting with Don Juan.”

At this, Kay was visibly shocked, raising her voice involuntarily.

“You want to meet the boss of the Mechain Cartel?”

Zeke nodded.

“Yes. If you can make that happen, I’ll make you the boss of the Syndicate.”