Emperor Of Steel [EN]: Chapter 7

7. Taking the First Step

A week had passed since Luke returned from the Demon King’s castle.

After finishing his morning prayers at the temple, Priest Maron received a message that Butler Hans was looking for him. He went to the Lord’s manor to find him.

“Did you call for me?” Maron asked.

Hans, who had been deep in thought, rose from his seat as Maron arrived.

“Welcome. I have some Shalon tea, though it’s not the best. Would you like some?”

“I’m fine, thank you. More importantly, why did you call for me?” Maron asked, his expression questioning.

Hans explained the reason he had called for him.

“It’s about the young lord. You must know he’s been acting strangely lately, right?”

“Yes, his behavior has been quite unconventional since he nearly died from the Gigant’s rampage.”

He suddenly declared he would pay off the territory’s debt and stole the founder’s statue. Then, he showed incredible gambling skills in Lamer City.

Moreover, after returning from the Demon King’s castle, he ordered them to find merchants dealing in expired magic stones, rocks, and wood, claiming he needed them for training.

When one of the retainers asked why, the young lord dismissed it, saying it was necessary for his training and not to worry about it.

Not only that, but yesterday he even gave this shocking order.

“Take down all the portraits of the founder hanging throughout the manor.”

“Wh-what do you mean by that!” The retainers all jumped up from their seats as if they had made a pact.

The most vehement reaction came from Hans.

He was not only a butler but also the one who had raised the young lord in place of the deceased lord and his wife.

Therefore, he was determined to scold the young lord severely this time.

“What on earth are you thinking? First, you sell off the founder’s statue, and now you’re trying to sell off the portraits?”

“If it makes money, I’d like to.”

“Young Lord!” Hans’s roar echoed through the conference room like a dragon’s roar.

He was trembling with his fists as if he would run to Luke and punch him at any moment.

However, Luke’s expression did not change even after seeing Hans’s furious reaction.

Instead, he calmly asked this question.

“Butler, are the ancestors more important? Or is this family and territory more important now?”

“Both are important!”

“Is that so? I think differently. I don’t think we need to care about the founder anymore. The founder who died 500 years ago is of no help to us now.”

“You scoundrel! How can you say such a thing!” He was so enraged that Hans even forgot the etiquette between lord and vassal.

His hands were trembling so much that he looked like he would grab Luke by the collar at any moment.

However, whether he knew it or not, Luke’s reaction was still cold.

“It’s because you have retainers like you that the family is in this state.”

“Wh-what did you say?!”

“Think about it. What have you done for the past 500 years? Everyone has only tried to rely on the fame of the great founder!”

“Th-that is…….”

Hans tried to argue, but no words came out.

Though he didn’t want to admit it, Luke’s words were correct.

“I know that the successive heads of the family have worked hard to revive the family. But their methods were wrong. They were more focused on flaunting the founder’s fame and achievements than on developing their own abilities.”

That was the purpose of erecting the statue and covering the manor with portraits.

The descendants who grew up seeing the statues and portraits hoped to become as famous and strong as the founder.

However, the results were disappointing.

Compared to the founder, who was one of the greatest figures in the continent’s history, the descendants were disappointed with their own meager abilities and easily gave up or became frustrated.

Not only that…….

“There were also those who died in vain in wars because of the pressure of having to be a descendant who would not tarnish the founder’s name. There were also more than a few who died young without being able to bloom their talents due to overexertion.”

“That’s because of the Demon King’s curse…….”

When someone made an excuse, Luke frowned and raised his voice.

“That’s exactly the problem! If things go well, it’s thanks to the founder, and if things go wrong, it’s the Demon King’s fault? How can you grow if you don’t realize things for yourself and overcome them yourself, but just blame others!”

“…….”

“I was like that until recently. But after dying and coming back to life, I realized that this was really wrong. No matter how great an ancestor is, the founder is the founder. And I am just me!”

No one could refute Luke’s words.

Only Rogers and a few young retainers, who had been aware of the Lakan family’s problems but had not been able to speak out, silently nodded.

Even the most stubborn Hans could no longer argue and retreated weakly.

“In the future… what are you going to do?” Hans asked, his voice subdued.

At Hans’s difficult question, Luke drew his sword from his waist and shouted.

“I will only develop my skills with my own talent, and I will govern and lead this family and this territory with my own judgment!”

Clang—!

As if to confirm his sincerity, Luke plunged his sword deep into the table.

“I’ll make it clear here. I will become a man greater than the founder. So, from now on, don’t give me any useless nagging about following the founder’s example in front of me.”

The meeting, which had been like a terrifying storm, ended like that.

And immediately, the founder’s monuments in the manor were collected and locked away in the warehouse.

The scribe who recorded the major and minor events of the territory recorded this incident in detail.

Whether it prospers or falls, the descendants of the Lakan family will remember this day as the ‘Day of the Great Upheaval.’

Hans recalled the stormy events of yesterday, sighed worriedly, and spoke.

“Well, whatever the case, I’m happy with the young lord’s ambition to become greater than the founder, but I still feel a bit suspicious.”

“So, what you’re saying is……?” Maron asked.

“I even wondered if the Demon King’s curse or a vengeful spirit played some strange trick while he was unconscious.”

Due to the decline over the past 500 years, rumors spread that the Lakan barony had been cursed by the Demon King Seymon.

Hans did not believe the rumors, but he was very worried that something might have gone wrong with Lakan’s only descendant.

“Ah! You don’t have to worry about that. Actually, I’ve been a bit strange since then, so I’ve been closely observing the young lord, but I haven’t felt any evil energy.”

“Really? That’s a relief then.” Hans seemed relieved and let out a long sigh.

He was going to ask Maron because he couldn’t shake off the unease, but he was relieved that the results of the prior check were fine.

“By the way, what happened with the investigation you said you would do earlier?” Hans asked.

“Are you talking about the Gigant whose core engine went berserk?” Maron replied.

Hans had previously told Maron that he suspected the young lord’s accident.

The Gigant’s core engine had double and triple safety devices, so it rarely went berserk.

Even the occasional accidents were usually due to poor maintenance, damage in battle, or the rider making a mistake in mana control after being exhausted from a long battle.

“In the young lord’s case, the Gigant went berserk less than five minutes after he boarded it. It’s more likely that there was a problem with the machine than a mistake by the rider.”

“I was suspicious of that point, so I secretly investigated it. And I found one strange thing.”

“What do you mean by strange?” Maron asked, swallowing hard.

“One of the core engine parts had been subtly replaced.”

“Then, are you saying it was a terrorist attack aimed at the young lord?” Maron asked in surprise.

“That’s right.”

After the investigation, Hans named one of the blacksmiths as a likely suspect.

However, he received news that the man, who had suddenly disappeared, had been found dead in a neighboring territory a few days ago.

“Oh no! Who on earth!” Maron exclaimed.

“It seems that the person who instigated it from behind cut off the tail, but there are no more clues, so the investigation is at a standstill.”

“Tsk, that’s unfortunate.” Maron clicked his tongue.

Who could have dared to try to kill the sole heir of the Lakan barony?

The Lakan family had never held a grudge against anyone, nor did they have any resources that outsiders would covet.

Anyway, whoever was behind it, Hans was determined to find the culprit and punish them.

“By the way, how long will he keep doing that…….” Maron muttered, turning his gaze out the window.

Philip was making three mages run around the training grounds.

It was the young lord’s order, and the mages were running hard without making a peep.

“I can’t understand it. Aren’t they employed by the young lord? But why are they doing such a thing?” Maron wondered.

An Iron Mage is not a knight.

Whether they are rolled or ground, that is something to do in the training hall, not the training grounds.

“According to Philip, they weren’t hired but ended up in this situation after losing a bet.”

“A bet? What kind of bet?” Maron asked.

“I didn’t hear the details, but I think it was probably something related to gambling.” Hans finished speaking with an unpleasant expression.

The end of a gambler is to squander his fortune and eventually lose his freedom.

He thought that those mages had also played recklessly, lost everything to the young lord, and were dragged here in place of their debt.

“Haha! Because of gambling… what foolish brothers. They deserve to be rolled around.”

“Of course, they need to be rolled around until they wake up.” Hans agreed.

Even though it was to pay off the territory’s debt, he didn’t like the young lord for recklessly getting involved in gambling.

Perhaps that was why Hans added the glare he should have given to Luke to the mages who were rolling around in the training grounds.

Todd, Gordon, and Humphrey.

These three friends from the same hometown became mages under the same teacher.

However, they had no background, no money, and their skills were not particularly great, so they were wanderers without any affiliation.

Then, they lost a bet to Luke at the Gigant Arena last time and were dragged to the Lakan barony.

“Aigo! My body aches!” Todd groaned.

“Hah, hah, are we going to die like this?” Gordon gasped.

The three Iron Mages stopped running around the training grounds and sighed deeply.

Even though they had been dragged here, they thought the young lord would value them.

Even though they were only 2nd and 3rd circle mages, Iron Mages who could maintain Gigants were rare.

Especially in a remote, insignificant territory.

However, from the first day they arrived in the territory, the young lord called them to the training grounds and began to roll them around and torment them.

When they refused, they were punched, and when they protested why they were doing this, they were kicked.

In the end, they succumbed to the violence and rolled around as they were told. Moreover, they rolled around diligently because if they slacked off, they would be punched and kicked.

“Damn it! Who was the one who suggested we make a bet first!” Humphrey exclaimed.

“You agreed too!” Todd retorted.

“I must have been crazy to follow your words!” Gordon lamented.

They wanted to run away right now.

But the three of them couldn’t.

Because they had already made a ‘Mana Oath’ to serve Luke for the rest of their lives.

A Mana Oath is a type of magical ritual that a mage makes by putting their magic circle on the line, and it was a taboo that should not be abused.

Mana has a spiritual nature, so it is affected by human will and actions.

Therefore, it reacts to an oath constructed through a separate ritual, and if a mage acts or speaks contrary to it, the mana scatters and the magic circle is destroyed.

The pain at this time was worse than death.

That is why mages did not easily make a Mana Oath, and if they did, they never broke it.

“Huu, no matter what, we shouldn’t have made a Mana Oath.”

“But, we couldn’t just suffer such humiliation in front of so many mages, could we?”

“We were fools to fall for that cunning young lord’s trick, utter fools.”

Immediately after the duel that determined Princess Reina’s fate, the three mages had to take off their robes and burn them as punishment for losing the bet.

In front of numerous Iron Mages, they had to perform an act that denied their very identity as mages.

‘Damn it, I can’t do this!’

Even if they were just mediocre free mages, burning their robes here would make it incredibly difficult for them to continue as mages.

The rumor that they were robe-burning fools would spread like wildfire.

So, the three of them asked Luke if they could do something else instead, and Luke, as if doing them a favor, offered an alternative.

“Mages have something called a Mana Oath, right? Swear to follow me for the rest of your lives.”

At that, the three mages’ faces turned even paler than when they had lost the bet.

No matter what, they wanted to avoid a Mana Oath at all costs.

However, the only way to protect their pride as mages was to put their most important magic circle on the line.

In the end, after much conflict, they made the Mana Oath, and now they were in this mess.

“Even if we try to run away, we’re penniless, and that young lord’s escort knight is watching us…”

“What are you doing now? Have you forgotten the young lord’s order to run 50 laps around the training grounds?”

As Todd grumbled, Philip, who had been watching from afar, rushed over and yelled at them.

The three mages flinched, and Philip, like a cruel drill sergeant, pushed them harder.

“Hurry up and run! Do you think you can uphold your Mana Oath like that?”

“P-Philip, please have mercy. We’re not knights. We’re mages!”

“Mages run too. Hurry up and run! If you don’t, I’ll report you to the young lord.”

Overwhelmed by the cruel drill sergeant’s threats, Gordon collapsed on the spot and screamed.

“I can’t do it! I’d rather die…”

Gordon, about to say ‘die’, was startled and jumped up.

Luke was standing right in front of him with a devilish smile, holding a well-polished dogwood club.

“If dying is your wish, I’ll gladly grant it.”

“Ah, no! I’ll run hard!”

As if they had never complained, the three mages, including Gordon, squeezed out their strength and started running again.

It had been four days since they had strongly protested and been beaten by the young lord, not quite to death.

It was the most brutal beating they had ever received in their lives.

Moreover, he had hit them in places that wouldn’t cause lasting damage, but were incredibly painful.

But what was most terrifying was the expression Luke had worn at that time.

That eerie smile, which shouldn’t have been on the face of a handsome young boy, was something they feared seeing again in their dreams.

‘Hehehe, if I push them a little more, they’ll become useful.’

Watching the three of them stagger as they ran, Luke felt a sense of satisfaction.

He had never intended to take the three Iron Mages as his subordinates in the first place. He had just planned to humiliate them.

However, he had changed his mind along the way.

To get revenge, he needed to develop his territory, and to develop his territory, he had to strengthen the Gigant forces and do many other things.

‘To do that, I need many skilled mages.’

He could make up for their lack of knowledge and magic.

Instead, he needed to make them into subordinates who would not hesitate to jump into boiling water if he told them to.

Surprisingly, driving them to the brink was a good method.

After suffering like that, their trivial thoughts would disappear, and they would accept their reality.

Ironically, Luke had learned this cruel method not from demons, but from humans, specifically from clergymen.

He had discovered this effect in the strict rules and ascetic practices they forced upon their followers.

After watching the three mages run for a while on one side of the training grounds, Luke headed to the lord’s office in the manor.

On the desk in the lord’s office, there were piles of documents containing information about the territory that Luke had gathered over the past week.

He thought that understanding the current state of the territory was the first step to developing it, so he had gathered all the related materials.

However, as Luke examined the documents brought by the administrators, he let out a deep sigh.

“Haa, it’s even more of a mess than I expected!”

The territory’s population was barely over 20,000, and most of the young people had gone to other regions to earn money.

Two-thirds of the territory’s land was uncultivable and left as wasteland.

The remaining one-third was rocky mountains and forests, teeming with monsters.

The only decent areas were the lord’s castle and the vicinity of the fortress.

‘There are less than 500 soldiers, and only three Gigants that can move…’

Those three were also used Warrior-class models in poor condition.

Even if they broke down soon due to a lack of parts, it would be understandable.

“At least the knights’ strength is decent.”

The commander, Rogers, was an upper-level Expert, and there were as many as 10 others who had reached the Expert level.

Considering that there were only 30 knights and 50 including the apprentice knights, this ratio was remarkable.

‘So, even if they’re ruined, they’re still a hero’s family? Well, this region is the perfect place for training.’

Even during Seymon’s time, there were knights who gathered under him.

They were mostly those who had been abandoned by their superiors or falsely accused and chased away.

They trained around the fortress, and their growth was exceptionally fast.

Those who didn’t know better said they used black magic or were demon knights, but the real reason was different.

‘Does the Rakan family know about that? I should call the commander later and ask.’

Luke turned his attention back to the documents.

The territory’s annual tax revenue was barely over 100,000 pesos. Even that was barely enough to feed the poor residents, resulting in a chronic deficit.

Under these circumstances, it was difficult to even maintain the current military strength, let alone increase it.

“Can I really fight against the Imperial Family and the Veritas Magic Tower with such a territory?”

Luke felt doubtful, but he quickly changed his mind.

Still, it was better than starting with nothing, wasn’t it?

So, he decided to try as much as he could.

‘Once the materials arrive, I’ll start the golem workshop. Once the golems are produced, I’ll start developing the territory in earnest.’

Just as Luke was making plans for the future in his head, there was a knock.

Knock knock!

A servant’s voice was heard from outside the door.

“Young lord, a person from the Hades Merchant Guild has arrived and brought the items you ordered.”

“Really?”

No sooner had he finished his thought than the items he had been waiting for had arrived.

Luke, delighted, rushed to the fortress, which he had previously used as his home and production facility.

By the time Luke arrived, the fortress’s warehouse was filled with large rocks and wood.

And on one side, there was a large box, which contained depleted mana stones, as well as magical metals such as Arzen.

“The rocks are very hard. The quality of the wood is also good…”

“These are the highest-grade materials used for building fortresses and strongholds. We always handle only the best.”

The executive of the Hades Merchant Guild said with a proud expression at Luke’s evaluation.

The Hades Merchant Guild, which had named itself after the god of the underworld to emphasize its commitment to trust, was much smaller than the Alon Merchant Guild, but it was famous for being honest and thorough in its transactions.

They visited the Rakan Barony once a month to sell daily necessities, and this time, they had accepted Luke’s order and brought the supplies he needed.

“But what are you going to use these for? Are you perhaps going to repair this demon castle?”

“That’s none of your business. How much do I owe you?”

“It will be 50,000 pesos in total.”

The executive quickly handed over the receipt.

“It’s more expensive than I thought.”

“Hahaha, I told you, we only handle the best. Besides, we also need to make a living…”

“I understand. Here, check it.”

Luke handed over a promissory note for 50,000 pesos and sent all the merchants away. Then, he took the box containing the mana stones and went down to the underground workshop.

Energia.

It was a term for a power plant that supplied mana to machines or devices.

Large magic towers or workshops had one each, and they were made with Arzen cables, mana stones, and complex magic circles.

In some ways, it was similar to a Gigant’s core engine, but there was a big difference in scale and output.

The Energia that Luke had made in the past was so powerful that it could create and operate a golem army with just one unit.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve touched this.”

Luke began to work on the Energia with a nostalgic look on his face.

First, he picked out the parts that were broken or needed to be replaced. Then, he processed the metals and materials he had purchased through the Hades Merchant Guild and made the same parts.

“Hehe, my skills haven’t rusted.”

Although his body had changed and his black magic had been reduced to the 3rd circle, his experience and know-how had not changed or diminished.

He made the parts in a relatively short time and inserted them into their original places.

After reassembling the Energia, he lightly channeled some electric magic into it.

Whirr! Whirrrrr—!

The Energia began to operate with a majestic sound.

Although 500 years had passed, it moved as powerfully as if it had been newly made.

Among the devices in the workshop that received mana from the Energia, the teleportation magic circle was the first to move.

A bright light emanated from the teleportation magic circle on one side of the workshop, and it began to summon the rocks and wood from the warehouse one by one.

Thud! Thump! Thump!

Chiiiiiik—! Clang! Clang!

The workshop’s mechanical devices began to move automatically and create golems.

They shaped the rocks and wood into bodies and limbs, and the completed parts were engraved with magic circles by tools imbued with Flame magic.

Luke had automated all the machines in the golem workshop during his time as the black mage Seymon.

This was to enable mass production with minimal manpower, but it was not possible to produce them indefinitely.

In addition to common materials such as rocks and wood, making golems required precious mana stones and several magical substances.

And processing these magical substances required delicate and careful work, which could never be done by machines.

The magical materials purchased through the Hades Merchant Guild were also limited, so there were only enough to make 20 golems.

“Let’s not rush. We’ll do it one step at a time.”

You can’t do many things at once.

No matter how urgent it is, you should solve things step by step rather than rushing. That way, there won’t be any problems later on.

Satisfied that the workshop was working well, Luke moved to the secret laboratory and began to practice black magic.

In the evening, when Luke returned to the lord’s manor, Hans rushed over and nagged him.

“Young lord, did you go to the demon castle alone again?”

“I heard I used to go there often when I was young?”

“That was when the former lord was alive, and now there are people who are after your life…!”

Hans tried to explain something but then closed his mouth.

“Ahem, anyway, it’s dangerous for you to go outside the manor alone. So, please take your escort knight, Philip, with you, or refrain from going out.”

“Alright, alright.”

Luke nodded absentmindedly and had dinner before heading to the lord’s office. He wanted to use the break to plan how to develop the territory.

However, that had to be postponed for a while.

That was because Dickson and several other vassals had come to the office and were making a fuss.

“Young lord, to revitalize commerce, we need to build new roads and open more shops in the villages. We need money to build roads and shops…”

“What nonsense! We need to cultivate the land first! Isn’t agriculture the priority! Please provide funds to cultivate the land!”

“Oh my! We need to improve the living conditions of the residents to increase the population. So…”

The vassals, having met with the executives of the Hades Trading Company who were returning from their deliveries, learned that the young lord had paid a substantial sum of 50,000 pesos in cash.

This led them to understand that:

The young lord possessed significant funds, having earned a considerable amount at the Gigant Arena, enough to settle his debts and still have plenty remaining.

Consequently, they had rushed to the lord’s office, each vying for investment in their respective projects.

Luke, however, maintained a nonchalant demeanor.

He knew that, in the current situation, any investment would be akin to pouring water into a bottomless pit.

‘Wasn’t it the investment in the mine development that caused 30,000 pesos to vanish? There’s a lesson in everything.’

Without proper planning and rushing headlong into things, he had been deceived by so-called experts and on-site personnel, resulting in unnecessary expenses.

“Enough!” Luke exclaimed, raising his voice to silence the vassals. His expression was firm as he continued, “I understand your concerns. However, I have my own plans for investing in the territory, so please refrain from bringing it up again.”

“But…” one of the vassals started to protest.

“I said, no more talk!” Luke retorted.

Bang!

Luke slammed his fist on the table, causing Dickson and the other vassals to flinch. His glare was intense.

At a subtle signal from Hans, the vassals reluctantly left the office, their faces showing their disappointment.

“But why isn’t Mage Mute here?” Luke asked, finding it odd that Mute, the territory’s only mage and vassal, was absent again, just like before.

“Mage Mute says he can’t face the young lord after the last incident, so he’s been staying in the magic research lab all day,” Hans explained.

“Hmm, is that so?” Luke mused.

Mute hailed from a small-to-medium-sized magic tower in a neighboring kingdom. [Magic towers were centers of magical learning and practice.]

Disliking being confined to one place, he had left the magic tower early and wandered the continent, eventually arriving at the Rakan Territory twelve years ago.

At that time, the position of the Iron Mage [A mage specializing in the creation and maintenance of magical constructs, often related to war] in Rakan County was vacant due to the previous mage’s death from old age.

The previous Count had persistently persuaded him to join, and Mute, moved by the Count’s character and dedication, had settled down as a vassal.

Since then, he had served as the county’s sole mage and Iron Mage.

However, an incident a month and a half ago had caused him to withdraw into seclusion.

The vassals had tried to stop him, but he had insisted that everything related to the Gigant [Large, humanoid war machines powered by magic] was his responsibility and declared himself a sinner.

‘I should probably meet him,’ Luke thought.

The mage was both the most essential and the most troublesome presence when managing the territory.

He could deceive the other vassals, but a mage was a different matter.

Therefore, he decided he had to either win him over or remove him.

Luke rose from his seat and headed towards the magic research lab.

Mute’s magic research lab was located on the east side of the lord’s manor.

It was a small, two-story building; the second floor served as a residence and study, while the first floor was the research lab.

Creak!

As the wooden door opened with a groan, a middle-aged man sitting in the darkness burped and shouted, “Burp, I told you not to let anyone in!”

“Sir Mute, the young lord has come,” Hans announced.

At Hans’s words, Mute, his face flushed from drink, frowned slightly and staggered to his feet.

“The, the young lord has come?”

“Tsk, tsk, drinking from midday,” Luke clicked his tongue, observing the liquor bottles scattered around the lab.

Perhaps embarrassed to be caught in such a state, Mute hurriedly began to clean up the bottles and the scattered items.

Luke maximized his senses and observed Mute.

He could easily use Mana Scan magic [A magic that allows one to sense the magical energy of others], but he had to be cautious, as Mute could detect that he was learning magic, especially black magic.

‘Is he a 5th circle mage? His level is higher than I thought.’ [Mages are ranked by circles, with higher circles indicating greater power.]

Since Mute was a wandering mage from a small-to-medium-sized magic tower, Luke had assumed he would be around the 3rd or 4th circle, but this was unexpected.

In the meantime, Mute, having somewhat tidied up the lab, offered Luke a chair and said, “What brings you to see this wretched man at this late hour?”

“I wanted to know how long you would continue to neglect your duties,” Luke replied.

At those words, Mute laughed hollowly and shook his head. “Just dismiss me.”

“Sir Mute…”

“That accident was my fault. Even if someone else manipulated it, if I had examined the Gigant more thoroughly, it wouldn’t have happened.”

During the fifteen days that the young lord was unconscious, Mute had neither eaten nor drunk properly, and had prayed for atonement at the temple, hoping for the young lord’s recovery.

Fortunately, the young lord had miraculously recovered.

Of course, the soul inside had changed, but Mute had no way of knowing that.

“I have no intention of holding you responsible for the accident. The other vassals feel the same way. They all say it wasn’t your fault,” Luke stated.

The Rakan County was a small, impoverished territory.

Mute was the only Iron Mage, and it was rare to obtain the necessary parts or equipment on time.

Despite these challenges, Mute had silently done his best.

Even though the previous Count, the object of his loyalty, had passed away, he could have quit and left at any time.

The fact that the Rakan Territory was able to operate three Gigants in such a poor situation was entirely due to his hard work.

No one could deny that. That’s why no one blamed him for the accident.

“I appreciate your words, but I cannot forgive myself,” Mute said.

“So, you’re choosing to be negligent? Would you rather become a useless drunk and be kicked out?” Luke asked.

Mute nodded silently.

Luke frowned at his response.

‘He hated being tied down to one place, so he wandered around? Nonsense! This stubborn and rigid guy just couldn’t get along with the sly ones.’

The reason Mute had become a vassal of the Rakan County was likely because he appreciated the rigid family tradition.

He couldn’t control such a frustrating person with ordinary methods.

“I understand. If you cannot forgive yourself, then I will give you a punishment befitting that,” Luke declared.

“Young lord!” Hans exclaimed, attempting to stop him, but Luke raised his hand to halt him.

Mute seemed to have already made up his mind; his expression was blank.

Luke threw a promissory note worth 70,000 pesos at him.

“Young lord?” Mute asked, bewildered. He had expected a severe punishment, perhaps even beheading, but instead, money had been thrown at him.

“I command Iron Mage Mute: use this money to prepare for the construction of a magic tower in the territory. Purchase the necessary magic books, expand the facilities needed for Gigant repair and production, and gather and train talented individuals,” Luke ordered.

“Th, that…” Mute stammered.

“Unlike the previous lords, I plan to invest heavily in magic. Therefore, you must contribute to the future development of magic in the territory and ensure that the previous accident does not happen again,” Luke stated.

It was called a punishment, but in reality, it was a reward.

He was being supported in building a magic tower, wasn’t he?

Of course, whether he could build a proper magic tower was a matter for later.

When something he had never dared to dream of happened, Mute was speechless.

Luke gave his final command, “And never betray me or abandon this territory. This is the punishment I give to you, who knows the honor of a mage and fulfills his duty.”

Mute, who had been dazed, wiped away the tears that had welled up with the hem of his robe.

Then, he knelt properly before Luke and pledged his loyalty.

“I will accept the punishment given by the young lord for the rest of my life,” Mute vowed.

Luke, satisfied with Mute’s oath, spoke in a softer tone than before. “There are three new Iron Mages. Use them as you see fit, whether to exploit them or train them rigorously.”

“Thank you, young lord!” Mute, moved, bowed to Luke once more.

Luke left him, who had regained his energy, and returned to his office.

Following behind, Butler Hans showered him with praise, a pleased expression on his face. “You did a really great job. To persuade Mute, who is tougher than an ogre’s sinew, I will no longer underestimate the young lord as being young.”

‘Hmph, I’ve persuaded even worse guys than him,’ Luke thought.

More stubborn than Mute.

Luke had met a stubborn individual 500 years ago, during his time as the black mage Seymon.

He was called Rommel the Red Hammer, and he was known as the most stubborn among the dwarves, a race famous for their stubbornness.

Compared to the time he had persuaded him, when most words wouldn’t even make a dent, Mute was nothing.

‘The more rigid a person is, the greater their desire to be recognized, and they tend to be loyal to those who fulfill that desire.’

That’s why he hadn’t forced Mute to make a mana oath [A magical oath that binds a person to their word].

There was no need to, and in fact, a mana oath was useless for a rigid person.

If they thought something was wrong, they would turn away even if their magic circle broke.

“But, young lord, are you really going to invest heavily in magic?” Hans asked.

“Of course, because now is the era when magic engineering dominates the world,” Luke replied.

With the advent of artificial magic stones, the modern battlefield was dominated by Gigants.

The value of mages and knights had not diminished, but it was still the Gigants that played a decisive role in battle.

In addition, various types of magic artifacts were being produced and used in various fields.

Artifacts that were expensive and only produced in small quantities in the past were now being mass-produced due to the development of magic engineering and the emergence of cheap materials.

Artifacts with simple magic applied were no longer the exclusive property of mages or nobles, and magic lamps installed on every street had become a symbol of progress.

Luke, who had broadened his horizons by visiting Lamer, had no intention of ignoring this. No, he was planning to take a more active role and become the center of the new era.

“But the Rakan family was originally a prestigious family of swordsmanship,” Hans pointed out.

“That’s right. But the era of changing the world with swords alone is over. The tradition of a martial family is important, but we must accept the new power of magic,” Luke stated.

It was the same 500 years ago.

In the early days of magic civilization, knights were brutally crushed by combat golems, the prototypes of Gigants.

Of course, Rakan, a monster of his time, did appear.

However, in the grand scheme of history, he was just the last flame that burned at the end of the era of knights.

“I see, so removing the portrait of the founder was also to renew the family in line with the current era,” Hans said.

“Ahem, well, yes,” Luke replied.

In reality, it was because he didn’t want to see the face of that idiot Rakan.

So, he had persuaded the vassals with plausible words and removed everything related to Rakan.

Hans, who had no way of knowing his true intentions, was inwardly moved.

He had thought that the young lord, whose memories were not intact due to the accident, was acting recklessly without knowing anything.

But he was so worried about the family and had the intention to revive it!

“I am already old, and my thinking is outdated. But if the young lord wishes, I will gladly do my best for the new era,” Hans declared.