Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 18

8. The End of Count Monarch

1

Luke had planned to take a nap to recover from his exhaustion, but his plans were disrupted.

Rayna arrived at the lord’s manor after hearing the news.

“I heard on the way, Young Lord! They say you’ve done something incredible?”

When the special unit appeared, Rayna was visiting the Volga refugees who were building the village, offering them encouragement.

Then, she heard that the Count’s Gigantes had appeared at the lord’s castle and rushed back in a carriage. However, by the time she arrived, the battle was already over.

Although she didn’t witness it firsthand, she heard the stories from the residents and Butler Hans and learned that Luke had done a remarkable job.

“Did you perhaps use the power of the Demon King?”

Rayna asked quietly, glancing around, and Luke chuckled and shook his head.

“If I had, everyone would be talking about the Demon King’s return instead of the hero’s reincarnation, and they would have all fled.”

“Oh my, so you concealed your power as much as possible…”

“Even Gigantes can be easily dealt with if you know the trick.”

Luke spoke casually, but Rayna didn’t interpret it that way.

She believed it wasn’t just about skill; fighting a giant steel war machine with one’s bare hands required extraordinary courage.

She looked at Luke with an excited expression and said,

“I knew I was right about you, Young Lord.”

“Huh?”

“I will work hard to help the Rakan Territory prosper with you, Young Lord. Please look forward to it.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

Luke chuckled as he listened to Rayna’s vow.

Around the time Luke was having a pleasant conversation with Rayna, Todd was receiving a magical communication from the territory army in the Yotern Gorge.

– What? The Count’s special unit attacked the lord’s castle?

Rogers, who had used magical communication to announce the great victory, was shocked.

– Yes, Commander. But the Young Lord went out alone and defeated four Gigantes!

Rogers’ eyes widened at the unbelievable news.

– Is that true?

– All the residents of the lord’s castle witnessed it with their own eyes. How could I lie!

Todd, very excited, went on and on about how Luke had faced and defeated the Gigantes.

At his explanation, the people gathered around the communication crystal all wore surprised expressions.

“Wow, I knew the Young Lord was learning magic, but I didn’t know he could already use 2nd Circle magic.”

“In fact, from what I’ve seen, the Young Lord is a magical genius who appears only once in a century.”

Rogers said with a heart full of emotion at Mute’s explanation.

“More than that, I am amazed and moved by the fact that the Young Lord showed the skill to fight against Gigantes. I did teach him Gold Sword recently, but to already be using Aura so skillfully!” [Aura is a technique that enhances physical abilities]

The knights, except for Victor and Philip, widened their eyes at Rogers’ words.

“You taught the Young Lord Gold Sword?”

“No, when did you?”

At the knights’ questions, Rogers shrugged and said,

“I had a duel with the Young Lord before the Volga refugees came, and he was clumsy but already knew how to use Aura. He told me not to say anything, so I kept it a secret, but it seems he has made a lot of progress in the meantime.”

“Ha! What a moving thing!”

There wasn’t a single knight in the Rakan Knights who hadn’t been worried about the Young Lord’s slow swordsmanship progress.

Moreover, from some time ago, he seemed to be showing interest in magic rather than swordsmanship, which made them even more anxious.

But now, the Young Lord was an expert swordsman, a 2nd Circle mage, and a destroyer who defeated Gigantes with his bare hands. It was enough to bring tears to their eyes.

“Okay, everyone, let’s put the emotion aside for now and deal with the urgent matter first, shall we?”

Rogers clapped his hands, changing the atmosphere.

If they were left like this, the story would likely go in the wrong direction.

The reason he had magically communicated with the lord’s castle was not only to announce the victory, but there was something more important.

– Bring the Young Lord here, as there is something we need to urgently get his permission for.

– Understood.

Todd bowed his head and disappeared somewhere, then brought Luke back after a while.

Luke asked calmly, as if he knew they would win.

– I heard you won the battle?

– Yes! Thanks to the enemy’s carelessness, we were able to defeat them without much damage. We offer the glory of victory to you, Young Lord.

– Well, glory is not necessary. More importantly, what is the matter that needs approval?

At Luke’s question, Rogers explained what they had discussed while organizing the battlefield.

– We want to attack Lamer City as it is.

– Lamer City?

Luke’s eyes sparkled.

– Yes. Our side has suffered almost no damage. Moreover, the Gigante power cores and combat supplies used by the enemy are all in our hands. If we use this, we can easily capture Lamer City.

Immediately after the battle, this idea arose among the territory army.

Originally, they were planning to end the territory war here and receive an apology and compensation from Count Monarch.

However, they won too easily and too decisively, so everyone wanted to strike at the enemy’s heart, Lamer City.

Originally, Lamer City also belonged to the Rakan family, and if they could capture Count Monarch this time, they could also aim for the entire County.

– Wait, our side suffered no damage? And you got all the enemy’s Gigantes intact? How did that happen?

– That’s actually…

Rogers recounted what he had confirmed while organizing the battlefield.

Luke couldn’t hide his bewildered expression.

– What? The core engine of the Count’s Gigantes was missing the central magic stone?

– Yes, even when we asked the captured Iron Mages, they said they had no idea. It’s like they were possessed by a ghost.

The bewilderment in Luke’s eyes disappeared.

He roughly guessed who was behind this absurd incident after hearing the word ghost.

– How are you going to use the enemy’s Gigantes without the central magic stone?

– We will either replace them with our Gigantes’ core engines or attach their armor to our territory’s Gigantes.

– Hmm, so you’re going to disguise them like that.

Luke, who was thinking about something, boldly gave his permission.

– Good. Prepare to attack Lamer City right away.

– Thank you for your permission, Lord!

– Instead, I’ll go too, so wait for me. I must catch that pig Count with my own hands.

– Hahaha, understood.

The magical communication ended there.

Luke, who had returned to his room, looked around to see if anyone was there, then stared at a corner and opened his mouth.

“Sebastian!”

“Yes! Did you call, Master!”

Sebastian, who had returned at some point, quickly appeared in front of Luke.

He bowed, handing Luke a few magic stones he was holding in his arms.

“I, as you ordered, have perfectly carried out my mission. And I acquired a treasure you will like on the way…”

“Where are the rest?”

Luke interrupted, speaking as if he knew everything, and Sebastian sweated profusely.

“Th, that is…”

“Put them all back where they were right away. No, it would be better to just leave them nearby.”

“But Master, I worked very hard for this…”

“Do you want to live hard or die easily?”

Sebastian, startled by Luke’s low and cold rebuke, quickly replied.

“I will obey your orders!”

After speaking, Sebastian disappeared like lightning.

Luke chuckled and gave some instructions to those in the lord’s manor, then equipped himself and headed to the Yotern Gorge.

When Luke arrived after riding his horse all night, the Rakan territory army in the gorge was preparing to advance to Lamer City.

“You’ve arrived, Young Lord.”

“You’ve worked hard. But are those the Count’s Gigantes? Didn’t you say they couldn’t move?”

Luke saw the Gigantes with the Count’s insignia moving, performing basic actions.

Rogers, knowing the reason but pretending not to, answered with a dumbfounded tone.

“The missing central magic stones were in the toolboxes and parts boxes of the supply carts. It seems the Count’s Iron Mages took them out while checking and forgot about them.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, they insist that they would never do that, but… considering that they had a hard time on the way due to an epidemic, they must have been completely out of it.”

“Still, isn’t it a bit strange that all 42 were missing?”

Luke asked as if he was suspicious on purpose, but Rogers replied as if it wasn’t that strange.

“It often happens that Gigantes have collective problems during inspections on the battlefield. And there are also greedy Iron Mages who steal parts.”

“In other words, the military discipline is lax.”

“Yes, we must be careful not to let that happen to us.”

Anyway, except for the Gigantes that were damaged and could not be used immediately, the rest were handed over to the knights of the Rakan territory army.

They were not professional Gigante riders, but they had been training little by little by taking turns riding Gigantes, so they were not skilled, but they were able to move the Gigantes without difficulty.

That was enough to provide support from the rear, even if they couldn’t fight on the front lines.

“Then let’s hurry and depart. By now, the defeated soldiers will have spread the news, so they will be in an uproar over there. We must finish them off before they come to their senses and respond.”

“Understood, Young Lord.”

Luke left only the minimum number of soldiers to guard the prisoners and began to advance towards Lamer City.

They mobilized all the trailers and carriages seized from the Count’s army, so even the lowest-ranking soldiers could move quickly.

2

“Haaah! Still no news?”

Early in the morning, at the north gate of Lamer City.

A soldier who was guarding the front yawned widely and asked his companion next to him.

“I heard the knights talking yesterday, and it seems they haven’t even left our territory yet.”

“Really? I thought Baron Cayon, who has a hasty personality, would have already crossed into the Rakan territory.”

The defeat in the Yotern Gorge had not yet been reported to Lamer City.

The Iron Mages who could have used magical communication were all captured, and Baron Cayon and the surviving knights, fearing punishment for their defeat, had not returned.

“Anyway, they need to win quickly and come back.”

“I know, right? At this rate, I’ll forget what my wife’s butt looks like.”

As many of their comrades had left, the remaining soldiers’ duties had increased several times.

The gate guards, who used to work in four shifts, were now working in two shifts.

The soldiers were chatting like this because it was the best way to chase away sleepiness.

“But our territory won’t lose, right?”

“If they lose after taking that much power, they should just die by drowning in a dish of water. This is a war that they can’t lose even if they want to. To be blunt, as long as the Gigante riders don’t fall asleep, it’s as easy as eating soup.”

“Is that so?”

At that moment, a group of people was approaching the gate, cutting through the fog.

At first, they thought it was a merchant caravan that had arrived early in the morning, but it wasn’t.

“Open the gate! We’ve come to support Lamer City under the Count’s orders!”

The two surprised men quickly brought the officer who was sleeping at the guard post behind the wall.

The officer, who was wiping sleep from his eyes, asked with a bewildered face.

“What nonsense are you talking about? I haven’t heard anything about reinforcements coming.”

“I don’t know either. But looking at the uniforms and the insignia on the Gigantes, they were definitely our allies.”

“Is that so?”

The officer quickly went up to the gate and looked down.

Certainly, the soldiers’ uniforms, flags, and the insignia drawn on the Gigantes’ chests were those of the Monarch Count’s army.

“Where did you come from?”

“Never mind that, open the gate quickly! We’re in a hurry!”

As the officer hesitated, a man in fancy armor, who seemed to be a high-ranking knight, raised his voice.

“In a hurry? What are you in a hurry about?”

“What? Haven’t you been informed yet? Our expeditionary force was defeated in the Yotern Gorge! The enemy is coming this way now!”

At the high-ranking knight’s words, the officer and soldiers felt their sleepiness vanish.

“De, defeated? How did that happen?”

“The noble faction supported the Rakan territory! So open the gate quickly! The enemy might already be close!”

At the high-ranking knight’s urging, the officer panicked and replied.

“Wait a moment. I’ll contact the lord’s manor and confirm…”

“You’re an annoyingly diligent fellow. I can’t help it. If you don’t open it, we’ll open it ourselves.”

The high-ranking knight gestured behind him.

Then, the Gigantes on the trailers stood up.

“Huh? Uh oh?”

The Gigantes that had risen from the trailers immediately ran towards the gate and began to ram it one after another.

Thump! Thump!

After a few impacts, the gate finally gave way and broke.

“Uwaaaah! Get out of the way!”

“Ring the bell quickly!”

However, despite the officer’s orders, the alarm bell could not be rung.

Arrows flew and sniped all the soldiers on the gate.

“The wall has been breached. Everyone, enter!”

At the command of the high-ranking knight, or rather Luke, the Gigantes and soldiers entered Lamer City all at once.

They were not the Monarch Count’s army, but the Rakan territory army.

The Rakan territory army, disguised as the Monarch army, had been marching diligently without rest and had arrived at Lamer.

They had encountered the Monarch territory soldiers patrolling several times along the way, but they were able to pass through with disguises and appropriate excuses.

‘Hehehe! Wait for me, pig Count!’

Luke led the disguised Rakan territory army and marched straight to the Count’s lord’s manor near the north gate.

Their goals were twofold.

One was to subdue the Gigantes of the Monarch Knights, which would be the biggest obstacle to occupying the city, and the other was to secure the Count’s safety.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

The Rakan territory army, running through the city, split into two near the lord’s manor.

The unit led by Rogers broke down the main gate and entered the Knights’ headquarters next to the lord’s manor.

“Wh, what is it?!”

“Did someone cause an accident?”

The knights, who had woken up from the sudden commotion in the early morning, came out of their dormitories and widened their eyes.

They had discovered several Gigantes smashing the headquarters building.

“Don’t try to destroy the Gigantes, but collapse the headquarters building! Just make it so the riders can’t get on!”

Rogers shouted through the transmission device, smashing the pillars of the headquarters with his greatsword. That was a faster way.

“Damn it, it’s a surprise attack!” “Quickly, get the Gigantes out!” Although a significant number of Gigantes and troops had left for the territory war, seven Gigantes remained to defend Lamer City. The knights rushed towards the hangar. However, Rogers wasn’t about to let them go so easily. He kicked the ground with his Gigante, sending dirt and stones flying at the knights. “Kuaaaak!” “Keeek!” The knights, showered with dirt and gravel, had their foreheads split open and limbs broken as they tumbled to the ground. Regardless of their plight, the Rakan Gigantes succeeded in smashing all the pillars of the hangar. Rumble, rumble, rumble— Crash! The hangar building tilted and then collapsed. “Ah, this can’t be!” The Monarch knights, who had fallen to the ground and were watching the scene, let out cries of despair.

While Rogers’ unit was wreaking havoc in the Monarch Knights’ headquarters, Luke’s unit broke through the main gate of the lord’s manor. The manor’s guards, startled by the sudden attack, frantically rang the bell and launched an assault, but they couldn’t stop the Rakan Baron’s army, which was gaining momentum. “Ugh! G, Gigantes!” “Get out of my way, you bastards! I won’t forgive anyone who blocks my path!” Mir, disguised with the armor of a Count’s Gigante, rampaged fiercely. The rider inside Mir was Victor. His hands, burning with revenge, were relentless. Considering the humiliation Princess Reina and the Volga refugees had suffered, his reaction was only natural. “That old man seems to have a lot pent up inside him?” “Wouldn’t anyone? I’d be the same.” Luke, riding on the shoulder of Sting II piloted by Philip, nodded as if understanding Victor’s feelings. “Anyway, we need to secure the Count’s safety quickly, right? If that pig Count falls into that old man’s hands, he’ll be turned into a bloody mess without a doubt.” “That would be a problem.” Luke also wanted to tear Count Monarch to pieces. But now was not the time. There was no law that said you couldn’t kill a lord during a territory war. However, to govern the territory well in the future, it was better to keep the lord alive for now, as he had various information about the territory’s administration, finances, and military. ‘Moreover, Monarch is a distant relative of the Imperial Family. If I handle him poorly, the Emperor won’t stand idly by.’ Until he had properly built up his strength, it was better to avoid conflict with the Empire and the Baroque Imperial Family. ‘And considering the many atrocities he has committed so far, it would be a problem if he died too easily.’ With that in mind, Luke entered the lord’s manor. To capture Count Monarch with his own hands.

“What’s all this noise?” Count Monarch, who had barely fallen asleep at dawn after tormenting his concubine, woke up groggily to the shouts and screams coming from outside. “Hey, is anyone out there…?” Just as he was about to call a servant to find out what was going on, the bedroom door burst open and Baron Goth, still in his pajamas, rushed in. “C, Count, we’re in big trouble!” “What on earth is going on?” The Count, still unaware of the situation outside, looked very displeased. No one would be happy to have their naked body and that of their concubine seen by a subordinate. However, after hearing Goth’s next words, he jumped out of bed. “T, the Rakan territory army has invaded!” “What?!” At the unexpected news, the Count wondered for a moment if he was dreaming. As he stood there dumbfounded, Goth approached and grabbed his arm. “There’s no time for this. You must evacuate quickly.” Inside the lord’s manor, a fierce battle was raging between the two sides. The Count’s guards were barely holding them off, but it seemed like they would soon be overwhelmed by the Rakan territory army, which was advancing with Gigantes. “D, damn it, where is Count Cayon! What the hell is he doing!” He hadn’t been able to contact Count Cayon for two days. At first, he thought it was just a simple communication failure, but after two days without contact, he was starting to worry. Still, he never imagined that they would have been defeated by the Rakan Baron’s army. But now, this shocking event had occurred! “I don’t know the details, but judging from the current situation, it’s clear that Count Cayon has been defeated by the Rakan army. So you must evacuate quickly.” At Baron Goth’s repeated words, Count Monarch finally realized the situation and hastily put on some clothes. However, instead of going outside, the Count went into his study. “Count, where are you going?” “The vault, the vault!” Even when escaping, the Count couldn’t abandon his secret vault containing all his wealth. Grrrk! The Count hurriedly pushed the desk aside and lifted the wooden floor. Underneath, the door of a steel vault was visible. “Count, there’s no time to dawdle like this. The screams are getting closer, it won’t be long before they break through here. You must evacuate quickly.” “Shut up! If you want to escape, you do it!” Monarch, with bloodshot eyes, yelled at Goth and opened the door to the secret vault. “Fine, I’m out of here!” Baron Goth, deciding he couldn’t wait any longer, ran away first. Unaware that he had left, the Count grabbed a bag and began to sweep jewels, gold bars, and promissory notes into it. “Hehehe, with this, I can make a comeback no matter what…” Just as Count Monarch was putting the last promissory note into his pocket, he saw the back of a Gigante through the window. Then, the Gigante, which had been tilting, crashed through the window and into the study. Crash! “Kuaaaak!” Without any time to react, Count Monarch was crushed to death by the tens of tons of the Gigante. A fitting end for a greedy man, dying with his money. “Oops, did my foot slip?” Philip, who was driving Sting II near the lord’s manor, tried to avoid the people rushing out and ended up falling backward. They weren’t soldiers, but unarmed employees. Moreover, they were pretty maids, so he couldn’t hurt them. “Tsk, the mansion is completely wrecked. I hate writing unnecessary reports…” Muttering, Philip righted Sting II and went to support his allies. He had no idea that his actions had just killed Count Monarch.

The darkness of dawn receded, and the morning sun rose. The residents of Lamer City, who had been shaken by the sudden commotion, whispered among themselves as they looked at the Gigantes standing guard menacingly in front of the half-destroyed lord’s manor. “What’s going on? What happened?” “Did the enemy attack at dawn?” “Enemy? The Rakan Baron’s army? You must be joking?” “Anyway, they lost the territory war, so the Monarch Count’s family is finished, right?” “Hehehe, it’s good that we won’t have to see that arrogant pig Count strutting around anymore.” While the residents watched with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation, Luke and the Rakan territory army were busy cleaning up. First, all of the Count’s key aides were arrested and imprisoned, and soldiers were sent to post proclamations throughout the city. The proclamations announced the victory of the Rakan territory and included the following five clauses: 1. The lives, property, and status of good citizens are guaranteed. 2. Usury and hoarding of essential goods are strictly prohibited. 3. Food rations will be distributed to the poor. 4. Those who disturb the peace will be severely punished. 5. Members of the security forces and administrative departments must return to their posts within 24 hours and perform their duties as usual. The status and wages of those who do not return will not be guaranteed. Although they had occupied the city, the Rakan territory army alone could not manage the second-largest commercial city in the south. Lamer City alone had a population of 200,000, which was nearly ten times the population of the Rakan Baron’s territory before the Volga refugees arrived. Therefore, Luke decided to keep the lower-ranking administrators among the Count’s subordinates and most of the military personnel, except for the riders and high-ranking knights. “The good news is that the Count’s reputation was so terrible that more people than expected are defecting or cooperating with us.” “That’s a relief. Otherwise, we would have had to spit them out after capturing them.” Luke nodded without taking his eyes off the documents as Rogers reported. The prison where Count Monarch’s aides were being held was originally used to imprison those who had opposed the Count or spoken out against him. Among them were some well-known nobles, administrators, and knights. They were friendly to Luke, who had released them, and were providing considerable help in calming the public and reorganizing the administrative departments and the Count’s army. “And among the Count’s aides, there are those who are asking to submit. Baron Goth, for example, says that if he is released, he will reveal the Count’s slush funds and hidden business assets.” The sly Baron Goth had been caught by Philip while trying to escape. As the Count’s closest aide, he had practically run the territory on the Count’s behalf, so he had a lot of high-level information. “Young Lord, you must not release that man! He is an evil man who burned innocent refugees to death!” Luke calmed the agitated Victor and said, “Of course, I won’t release him. But we need the information he has. So, have Sir Victor make him confess while making sure he doesn’t die.” “Yes, leave it to me!” Victor, beaming, rushed out of the office. Luke, who had chuckled at the sight, turned his attention back to the documents in his hand. “By the way, Young Lord, when will you announce the Count’s death?” “That’s what I’m also thinking about.” After the battle, Luke had found Count Monarch’s body, which had been crushed to a pulp. It was a very awkward result for him, as he had intended to capture the Count alive and gain various benefits. “Announcing his death will make it easier to take over the Count’s territory. Otherwise, those who fear the consequences may be uncooperative or passive towards you, Young Lord.” “But if it becomes known, the Imperial Family will make an issue of it. Saying that I killed a member of the Imperial Family.” It was not forbidden to kill the opposing lord in a territory war. A lord could be injured or killed in battle. However, there had only been a handful of cases where a lord had died in a territory war. Most of them were taken prisoner and released after receiving a hefty ransom. After much deliberation, Luke finally made a final decision on the matter. “Bury the body secretly in a place where it won’t be seen, and make sure everyone keeps their mouths shut. And spread rumors that the Count seems to have run away with his wealth.” “So, you won’t announce it after all?” “It’s better not to provoke the Imperial Family, at least for now.” At Luke’s words, which emphasized the word ‘now,’ Rogers nodded silently. None of the knights of the Rakan family were without animosity towards the Imperial Family. The Baroque Imperial Family was the culprit who had oppressed the hero Rakan and confined his family to the border. Although they were forced to bow down for now due to a lack of power, none of them looked up to or considered the Imperial Family absolute. “By the way, what will you do with the other cities and towns in the Count’s territory? Our territory army is already struggling to manage Lamer.” Although they were in the process of taking control of the Count’s army, it would not be completed in a short time. The Rakan territory army was much smaller than the Monarch Count’s army. Moreover, the Count’s territory was the second largest in the south, several times larger than the Rakan Baron’s territory. It was questionable whether the managers of the Baron’s territory, who were already busy with various civil engineering projects, would be able to oversee the vast Count’s territory. “I have come up with two solutions for that.” “Two solutions?” “Yes, one is to sell the land of the Count’s territory to the surrounding lords. Let’s keep only what we can handle.” At Luke’s words, Rogers tilted his head. “Would they really buy it with money? They might try to take it by force in this chaotic situation.” “Then it would be like starting a territory war without permission. If the surrounding noble lords do that, the Emperor will be happy because he will have a reason to attack them.” Moreover, except for Marquis Myers, the military power of the lords around the Monarch Count’s territory was mediocre. They would not try to fight against the Rakan Baron’s territory, which had greatly increased its Gigante power through this territory war. “If we offer it at a low price, they are more likely to accept it.” “I see. Then what is the second solution?” “I’m thinking of applying it to Lamer. I’m thinking of leasing the rights to merchants and letting them manage it.” At those words, Rogers was startled. “Are you going to make Lamer a free city?” “It’s already well-established as a commercial city. According to these documents, the merchants have made several requests. But the pig Count was too greedy to allow it.” There were several free cities on the continent, most of which were port cities that had developed through southern trade. They were wealthy enough to buy all the land rights from the lord, and their own military power was so strong that their Gigante power alone was comparable to that of a Count’s or Marquis’s territory. “The problem is that the relationship between the two sides could be reversed. There are many territories that are swallowed up or become subordinate to free cities.” “That’s why we need to increase our stake in the free city. Then we don’t have to worry about it.” Free city management is sometimes handled by a single merchant guild, but in most cases, it is done by several merchant guilds that hold shares. ‘And in the latter case, the merchant guild with the largest share has the strongest voice.’ Therefore, if Lamer were to become a free city, Luke was planning to put Princess Reina’s Kirillov Merchant Guild in the first place. Of course, to do so, more financial preparations and measures would be needed. “Anyway, it’s a bit of a waste. Even if we sell it or entrust it, it’s like giving away the land we worked so hard to get…” “It’s better to get rid of it than to make a mess of it because we can’t manage it properly. What’s important to us now is not expansion, but internal stability.” “Yes, that’s right.” It was then, as the two lords were having their conversation. A hurried sound of footsteps was heard from outside. They were running so fast that the entire lord’s manor in Lamer was shaking. Bang! “Young Lord, we’re in big trouble!” The person who burst through the door was Philip. At the sight, Rogers shook his head as if he couldn’t help it, and Luke frowned. “What is it? Is there a rebellion or something?” There were often cases of uprisings against new rulers. Sometimes it was done by the will of the people, but sometimes it was done by the machinations of those who did not want to lose their vested interests. So Luke wondered if the Count’s subordinates outside Lamer City had done something. “Hah, hah! No, it’s not a rebellion. It’s not a rebellion, but…” Philip calmed his panting and barely managed to speak. Upon hearing his words, Luke involuntarily jumped up from his seat. “Princess Reina has been kidnapped!”