Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 37

8. Bestowal of Nobility

1

Although the war hearing was canceled, the victory celebration parade was held in grand style. In addition to the Emperor’s faction, many nobles from the noble faction, including Duke Butler, attended and graced the occasion. Luke also had to participate in the parade with his subordinates, and he was completely exhausted after driving the Gigant [a large, possibly mechanical, war machine] around the central square all day.

“Damn it! I’ll never do this again,” Philip spoke to Luke, who was grinding his teeth.

“It’s not over yet. There’s a victory celebration banquet at the Imperial Palace this evening.”

“Can’t I skip it? I’m tired.”

“You can’t. That’s where the distribution of rewards will take place. And if you’re absent, you’ll be punished for insulting the Emperor.”

“Damn it.”

In the end, Luke had no choice but to attend the victory celebration banquet.

“Please hurry. Foreign dignitaries are also coming, and if you go out looking shabby, the Emperor might get upset and send you to a place worse than the Tolude Fortress.”

“Okay, okay, just stop nagging.”

Unable to withstand Philip’s nagging like a mother-in-law, Luke struggled to lift his body from the sofa.

“Should I take a bath first?”

“Please do. It will relieve some of your fatigue. Oh, there are fragrances in the bathroom besides soap, so choose one that suits your taste.”

Just as Philip was about to push Luke into the bathroom, a knock was heard from outside, and a bellboy from the hotel entered.

“I’ve brought the tailcoat after pressing it.”

“Thank you for your hard work… What! Why is the crease like this?” Philip, who was examining Luke’s tailcoat, which the bellboy had brought, shouted. “And what are these wrinkles! Is this what you call a crease? Why did you make such a mess of this expensive suit!”

“I-I’m sorry.”

In Luke’s eyes, the pressing of the tailcoat was not that bad. However, Philip, who was once a member of the Royal Knights, was obsessed with perfect creases and lines.

“I’ll press it again and bring it back.”

“There’s no time, so hurry… Ugh, just go and bring the iron.”

Shortly after, when the bellboy brought an iron with charcoal, Philip skillfully removed the wrinkles. Moreover, he made the creases as sharp as a sword imbued with aura [a magical energy].

“This is how you do it, understand? Why do you make people tired by not even being able to do this…”

‘That guy could make a living running a laundry,’ Luke couldn’t help but chuckle at Philip, who was grumbling while doing a great job of ironing.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Beautiful fireworks adorned the dark night sky. The Imperial Palace, lit up with magic lamps everywhere, shone beautifully like a jewel. Red carpets were laid on the path to the banquet hall, and all sorts of flowers were decorated on both sides.

“It’s decorated so grandly.”

“Are all banquets held at the Imperial Palace like this?” Luke and his party, who had arrived at the Imperial Palace to attend the celebration banquet, were speechless at the lavishly decorated palace. It was an exaggeration, but Luke was well aware of Emperor Rudolf’s intentions in preparing it like this.

‘It’s self-aggrandizement. He’s just like his ancestors in this regard.’ Rudolf’s ancestor, Carnot de Barok, held lavish banquets to show off his power, even while suffering repeated defeats against the Demon King’s army. It was somewhat effective, as the human coalition forces against Seimon [likely a powerful demonic entity or force] could be formed through that banquet. Moreover, Rakan, who would later be known as the hero, was recommended at that banquet. Rudolf’s intentions were similar in that regard. He wanted to show the noble faction and foreign dignitaries that his power and wealth were still intact, and at the same time, he wanted to reassure the hearts of the Emperor’s faction nobles, who had become restless due to the war and assassination issues.

‘It might be impressive, but it also shows how desperate he has become.’ Anyway, Luke confidently headed to the banquet hall. There was no reason to be intimidated. As the person who led this war to victory(?), he thought he was the main character of this celebration banquet.

“Viscount Luke de Rakan and his party are entering!” The people who were already gathered in the banquet hall all turned their attention to the servant’s shout at the entrance.

“Is that young man the descendant of the hero…?”

“I heard he defeated 60,000 Republican soldiers in a small fortress?”

“I heard his opponent was Marquis Tyrone, who was famous during the Republican Revolution.”

Philip and Alex felt their shoulders rise with pride at the admiration and praise coming from all directions. They felt proud because they had also played a part in Luke’s achievements. Luke looked around the banquet hall, glancing at the people chattering like sparrows. He had heard that Princess Reina and her party had finished their preparations and left first, but it was not easy to find them.

“Over here, over here!” Turning his head at the familiar shout, Luke saw Reina and Anna. As Luke approached in one stride, Anna fluttered the hem of her dress and winked slyly. “Hehe! How do I look, Viscount?”

“Yes, you’re pretty.” Luke, who answered as nonchalantly as if he were replying to the question of whether he had eaten, approached Reina, who was quietly keeping her place, and kissed the back of her hand. “Beautiful. If I could put you in my pocket, I would have taken you into my arms right away.”

“Oh, my, if you say things like that, I’ll be embarrassed.” The two, who had exchanged friendly words, went to the center of the banquet hall to dance. Anna made a sullen face as she watched the two dancing to the music of the Imperial Orchestra.

“Tsk, it’s good to try, but you should pick your opponents carefully,” Philip said from the side in a pitiful tone. Having watched Anna teach Gold Sword [a specific sword style or technique] since he was assigned to the Tolude Fortress, he knew well what she was thinking.

“Hmph! Don’t mind me.”

“It’s easier to give up.”

“I told you not to mind me. If you’re bored, don’t bother innocent people and go dance.”

“Then, would you like to dance with me?” Philip extended his hand to Anna. Anna, who had a dazed expression for a moment at the kind smile that appeared on the face of the devilish instructor, blushed and took his outstretched hand. “O-Oh, don’t misunderstand. I’m just keeping you company because I’m bored.”

“Yes, I understand.” The musicians’ performance continued, and the banquet became more lively with the cheerful music. Until the Emperor arrived, Luke tried to enjoy the banquet with Reina, but the people around him wouldn’t leave him alone.

“Greetings, Viscount. I am a descendant of Sir Lorex, who once fought shoulder to shoulder with the hero Rakan…”

“My nephew is serving you at the Tolude Fortress. I’m so proud to be his uncle.”

“I came from Toledo. Don’t you know Toledo? It’s the legendary place where Rakan trained his sword.”

Those who judged that Luke would rise to success tried to build connections by bringing up even distant relatives. They were mostly lower nobles, desperate to get a connection with high-ranking nobles. Those who had no way to approach Luke tried to talk to his partner, Princess Reina.

“My wife is from Volga.”

“I met the former king a long time ago. To think that the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes back then has grown into such a beautiful princess…”

“My great-great-great-grandmother was a princess of Volga. The princess and I might be distant relatives.”

Luke tried to deal with them with an appropriate smile for reception, but their offensive(?) did not stop. Eventually, feeling extremely tired, he took Reina’s hand and escaped to a deserted terrace.

“Seriously, it seems like the ability to make people sick of you is also a talent. Do they want to get that close to me?”

“They’re blinded by power. You don’t need to deal with such people sincerely.” Just as the two, who shook their heads at each other, were about to create a pleasant atmosphere again, someone suddenly entered the terrace.

“Oh! It seems there was a guest who arrived before me. I’ll be leaving, so continue what you were doing… Huh?” The identity of the uninvited guest was Count Ferrero, the vice-commander of the Royal Knights. He was one of the Empire’s Sword Masters [a title for exceptionally skilled swordsmen] and had met Luke once before at the Imperial Palace. Holding a wine glass in one hand, he recognized Luke’s face and approached him like a shot. “If it isn’t the war hero who cut down 60,000 enemies and smashed seven fortresses! I wanted to feel your sword, and this is perfect. Let’s have a duel right now.”

This battle-crazed count seemed to have not given up on his obsession with Luke. No, it seemed he was even more eager to fight after learning of his achievements in the war with the Volga Republic. “This is a banquet hall.”

“What does the place matter when men want to clash? If you’re worried about it, we can move to a place I know.” It was a situation where he had escaped the hyenas only to encounter a saber-toothed tiger. Luke refused firmly with an annoyed expression. “No. I will never fight you.”

“Why don’t you just have one duel with me? I’m begging you…” He was about to beg Luke when he saw Reina and his eyes flashed. He made a meaningful expression and secretly sent his fighting spirit towards her. It was an action that came from the simple idea that if he made Reina uncomfortable, Luke would fight him, but it was surprisingly effective.

“You bastard!” When Reina, who was hit by the strong fighting spirit, turned pale and sat down on the spot, Luke shouted and took a step forward. At that moment, a terrifying energy poured out of his body. That energy neutralized the fighting spirit that Count Ferrero had sent and instead pushed the count back.

‘Look at this!’ Count Ferrero was surprised at Luke, who was emitting such a strong energy that it made his skin tingle. It was because his skills were better than he had thought. ‘How dare you throw your fighting spirit at someone! Should I just accept this guy?’ Luke thought he could beat Count Ferrero even without using black magic. With expert-level swordsmanship and 6th circle white magic [a high level of magic], he could not originally beat a Sword Master. However, he had a lot of experience fighting strong opponents. If he used swordsmanship and magic appropriately, he would not win, but he would never lose. However, Luke had no intention of revealing his skills inside the Imperial Palace. If it got into the ears of the Emperor, who was his enemy, it would only increase his vigilance.

“Hehehe, don’t you want to protect your beloved woman? Then you’ll have to fight me.” Count Ferrero was openly threatening him when Luke was still hesitating. If Philip saw this, he would be very disappointed, but he was the type to use such unreasonable demands without hesitation for a fight with a strong opponent. As Count Ferrero increased the intensity of his fighting spirit, Luke had no choice but to increase his energy as well.

Crack! Snap! A small flowerpot between the two shattered into powder. “This is my last warning. If you don’t withdraw your fighting spirit, you will regret it later.”

“Can’t that regret happen here?” When the last warning didn’t work, Luke finally made a decision. He decided to face him here. ‘Okay, I’ll make you shudder at the sight of me!’ He gritted his teeth and reached for his waist. And just as he was about to draw the sword he was wearing, “His Majesty the Emperor is arriving—!” At the servant’s loud shout, Count Ferrero clicked his tongue and withdrew his fighting spirit. “Seriously, His Majesty… He could have come a little later.” No matter how fearless he was, he seemed to be afraid of the Emperor, who had reached the pinnacle of knighthood. As Ferrero grumbled and stepped back, Luke let out a sigh of relief. It was the first time he felt grateful for the insidious descendant of his damned enemy.

2

As Emperor Rudolf entered the banquet hall, the music stopped and the conversation ceased. In addition, all but a few of the magic lamps were turned off. As the people bowed to the Emperor in unison, Rudolf raised his hand and returned the greeting. ‘He looks a bit tired.’ Luke, who glanced at the Emperor’s face, smiled inwardly. The Emperor’s eyes looked tired, which was not befitting of his mountain-like dignity. Considering the series of events that had occurred recently, it was inevitable that he would be exhausted.

“Everyone has come well. I am simply pleased that so many have attended to celebrate the victory.” At those words, the noble faction, who were gathered with Duke Butler, sneered inwardly. The Emperor, who was insisting that the war that everyone in the world considered a defeat was a victory, felt truly pathetic. “We are fighting against thieves who have forgotten the fundamentals of humanity and are recklessly associating with fairies. How can we stand by and watch as these lowly beings, who have forgotten their roots, try to disrupt the world by destroying the hierarchy and order of the upper and lower classes?” The Emperor, who had been arguing that the war with the Republicans was a battle of destiny that would determine the fate of the continent, spent some time criticizing the Volga Republic and spewing insults packaged in relatively polite words. “Even as the north was in chaos due to the despicable actions of the shameless thieves, there was a brave general who stood up and dealt a fatal blow to the thieves. As you all know, he is Luke de Rakan, the descendant of the Sword Emperor Rakan.” As the Emperor pointed at Luke with his hand, the light of the magic lamps focused on Luke. “Thanks to Viscount Rakan’s efforts, the thieves did not dare to ravage the Empire, and the brave soldiers of the Empire were able to drive away the thieves and protect the border. All of this can be attributed to Viscount Rakan’s achievements, so I will greatly commend the Viscount today.” At the Emperor’s words, the nobles looked at Luke with envy. Even though the Imperial Family had been keeping the Rakan family in check and ostracizing them within the Empire, they could not help but reward them if they made such clear achievements.

“Luke de Rakan, come forward.” At the Emperor’s call, Luke slowly approached him, kneeling on one knee in front of him without giving any cause for complaint. Then, Emperor Rudolf drew his sword from his waist and placed it on Luke’s shoulder, announcing the reward for his achievements. “I hereby bestow the title of Marquis upon Luke de Rakan, who has made great achievements. And in accordance with that title, I will grant him a new territory.” ‘What, what?!’ Luke was surprised, but the surprise of the noble faction lords was even greater. They had expected the Emperor to bestow a title as a reward. It was customary for those who had made achievements. However, no one had thought that he would bestow a title two ranks higher. Moreover, he was saying that he would grant a new territory befitting the title of Marquis. From Luke’s point of view, there was nothing to lose, but from the noble faction’s point of view, it was extremely troublesome. The late Marquis Cabanel had tried to entice Luke with the bait of a title and territory.

Duke Butler was also contemplating a similar strategy to bring Luke into his fold.

Although the war tribunal was canceled, considering future possibilities, it was advantageous to have the Rakan family, with their considerable influence in the South, on their side.

However, the Emperor had made the first move.

He had announced a reward that was nothing short of a bombshell.

“Your Majesty, I believe the reward is excessive,” someone protested to the Emperor. Duke Butler was startled and looked around.

He was worried that some fool from the noble faction might have stepped forward without understanding the situation.

He was deeply concerned that they might face a political attack, but fortunately, the one who protested was not from the noble faction.

“You are… Count Juke.”

The Emperor frowned at the plump, middle-aged noble whose face dripped with greed.

He knew why Count Juke was objecting to this reward.

Months ago, when Luke was appointed, Count Juke’s son, Deren de Juke, had been flogged for disturbing public morals.

The flogging had been quite severe, and Deren had gone mad even after his wounds had healed.

Naturally, Count Juke held a grudge against Luke, and when the war broke out, he was overjoyed, thinking Luke would die.

But not only had the man who should have died survived, he had also achieved great feats and was now receiving a promotion as a reward.

His eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on his forehead throbbed, causing him to commit the impudence of protesting to the Emperor without realizing it.

“There is no reason to excessively reward someone for fulfilling their duty to stop the enemy. Moreover, as I understand it, Baron Rakan attempted to surrender to the Republic.”

“I have heard that as well. But it was merely a deception, and we cannot dwell on it.”

If the North had not been ravaged and the war had proceeded as the Emperor intended, Luke would have been executed even if the surrender was a deception.

However, the Emperor was now in a position where he had to praise Luke’s achievements.

Even if it wasn’t a false surrender, even if he had written a blood oath of loyalty to the President, it had to be overlooked.

Denying the only war hero would be tantamount to admitting that this war was a defeat, not a victory.

However, Count Juke was persistent.

“That’s not all. As I understand it, Baron Rakan also embezzled war spoils.”

‘How does that pig know about that?’ Luke’s eyes widened in alarm.

He had indeed smuggled out a considerable number of Gigants [large humanoid war machines] besides the ones he brought to the capital. He had stuffed them into the subspace of his bracelet for the time being, planning to secretly give them to his subordinates later.

‘Could there be a spy of Count Juke’s left in the fortress? Or maybe he’s just making things up.’

It was common to corner political rivals with vague, hearsay-like statements.

In fact, Count Juke was just making a guess. As a descendant of a family that had been in commerce for generations, he knew that almost no one was completely clean.

However, that alone was not enough to corner Luke. The Emperor’s determination to portray a defeat as a victory was too strong.

“Silence! Don’t you know that Baron Rakan not only fulfilled his duty but also entered enemy territory and achieved the feat of subjugation?”

“That is…”

“And what were you doing while Baron Rakan and the late Count Naiman were fighting against bandits? Were you just counting gold coins in your room?”

The Emperor was determined not to tolerate anyone who opposed his decision, even if they were from the Emperor’s faction.

Therefore, Count Juke, who was neither from the Emperor’s faction nor the noble faction, was out of the question.

Count Juke was a typical bat-like individual who sought profit by taking money from both sides.

“To try to slander a person who deserves a hundred praises! I highly suspect that you are in league with the bandits. What are you doing? Take him to the Intelligence Department immediately!”

Count Juke’s face turned pale.

He had not expected the Emperor to say ‘take him away’ to the Intelligence Department, where all sorts of torture were rampant, rather than just ‘remove him’.

“H-Huk! Your Majesty! I was wrong. Please, spare me!”

As Count Juke was dragged out of the banquet hall by the Imperial Knights, everyone could reflect on the saying, ‘If you stay still, you’ll at least be in the middle.’

“Is there anyone else who is dissatisfied with the reward?”

At the Emperor’s cold question, people only looked at each other, and no one answered. No, they couldn’t.

“If not, I will assume that everyone agrees and proceed with the reward as is.”

After a slight disturbance, Luke’s promotion was officially carried out.

3

After receiving the reward, Luke returned to where his group was.

Then, everyone congratulated Luke, who had received a reward beyond their expectations.

“Congratulations, Baron. Or should I call you Marquis now?”

“Lord, you can’t just let this go. I also want to be called Baron Philip at this opportunity.”

“By the way, where is the new territory that is being granted? I wish it were close to the Rakan territory.”

Unlike his joyful companions, Luke’s expression was not so bright. Reina, noticing this, asked with a puzzled look.

“You don’t seem very happy.”

“Well, it’s just a reward given out of necessity. It makes my head hurt to think about what kind of favor the Emperor will try to extract with this.”

Although it was not being properly enforced, in a class-based society, the higher the rank, the greater the responsibility was supposed to be.

Luke was worried that the Emperor might use that principle as an excuse to pull some trick.

“If I were him, I’d probably call me for a private audience soon.”

Before the echo of Luke’s words had faded, a servant approached and delivered a message.

“Marquis Rakan, His Majesty is looking for you.”

“Just as I thought…”

Luke, as if he had expected it, nodded and rose from his seat, leaving his group behind and following the servant.

The servant led him to a secret room prepared on one side of the banquet hall.

The lavishly decorated secret room was completely isolated from the outside, and as soon as the door closed, the noisy sounds of the banquet hall disappeared instantly.

“Have you come? Sit here.”

The Emperor, who was sitting on a sofa in the center of the secret room and drinking wine, invited Luke to take a seat.

As Luke slowly approached and sat down, the Emperor poured wine into a glass himself and handed it to him.

“You have done a great job. Thanks to you, I owe you a great debt.”

“You flatter me.”

“But you see…”

The Emperor, who was slightly tipsy, continued with a somewhat dissatisfied expression.

“Why did you only break through the enemy’s castle and return? Couldn’t you have occupied it completely?”

If he had, it would have been more advantageous to claim victory. Whether they suffered damage or not, the symbolism of ‘occupying’ enemy territory was truly powerful.

At the Emperor’s complaint, Luke was inwardly dumbfounded and replied bluntly.

“It was unavoidable because there was no follow-up support at all. We lacked both troops and Gigants.”

As he said that, Luke glanced at the Emperor as if to say, ‘Why are you complaining when you didn’t do it properly?’

“But you could have taken at least one territory, couldn’t you?”

“I wanted to avoid escalating the situation. I judged that it would not be good in many ways if the war dragged on.”

As the Emperor said, if he had pushed a little harder, he could have occupied a territory across the river.

However, if he had done so, there was a high probability that the Republic army would launch a fierce counterattack, and it would only benefit the Emperor and the Empire.

That was why he had returned after securing a reasonable achievement.

“I see. I understand. Don’t worry too much. I was just saying it because I was a little disappointed.”

“I fully understand, Your Majesty.”

The conversation between the two was briefly interrupted.

The Emperor, after taking a sip of wine, turned his gaze back to Luke and spoke.

“Are you satisfied with my reward?”

“Who wouldn’t be happy to be promoted?”

“Hahaha, aren’t you worried that I might use your higher rank as an excuse to make you work hard?”

Luke, who was already worried about that point, gave an awkward smile when the Emperor pointed it out.

However, he had no intention of just being taken advantage of.

“I know that it is a virtue for those of high status to bear great responsibility. However, I am afraid that there will be those who are jealous and slanderous of someone young and still lacking like me being promoted, and who will resent Your Majesty.”

In short, he was saying, ‘Just leave me alone.’

Rudolf, the Emperor, was not one to be unaware of Luke’s true intentions.

“Lacking? Who would be dissatisfied with the promotion of someone who has achieved such great feats as you?”

“This achievement was just a stroke of luck. I am still far from being good enough.”

That was right. He was still far from being good enough.

In order to take the head of the Emperor in front of him and destroy the Veritas Magic Tower, he had to continue to build his skills and power.

“I will take care of such personnel matters, so you don’t need to worry about it. By the way, do you have any other wishes besides the reward I gave you?”

As soon as those words came out, Luke quickly blurted out his wish.

“Please discharge me.”

“Impossible.”

“Then, at least shorten my service period…”

“That is also unfair and impossible.”

‘Tch! What a damn bastard!’ Luke cursed the Emperor inwardly when he was rejected, even though he had hoped for it.

“Do you have any other wishes? If it is something I can grant, I will grant it as much as possible.”

At his words, Luke paused for a moment to think.

The Emperor would not easily kill him. Judging by the fact that he had even raised his rank, he seemed to be planning to use him as a scapegoat in the future disputes with the noble faction.

That was why he was trying to give him favors other than the reward.

‘Then it would be best to take as much as I can now.’ Thinking so, Luke suddenly demanded what he had in mind.

“Give me one Hero-class Gigant.”

“What? A Hero-class?”

“Yes, I would like it to be the latest model if possible.”

A Hero-class with an output of over 3000 phytes was truly the ultimate weapon.

In particular, a Hero-class Gigant ridden by a Sword Master-level superhuman rider was a strategic weapon that could determine the direction of a battle, or even a war.

Luke coveted the Hero-class not only for its combat capabilities but also for research purposes.

The Hero-class Gigant was a masterpiece that embodied all the capabilities of modern magical engineering.

Moreover, the latest model would incorporate the latest magic and technology.

However, Hero-class Gigants were strategic materials directly handled by the Imperial Family. Due to an agreement between the Imperial Family and the 10 Great Magic Towers, nobles could not purchase them directly, no matter how much money they had.

‘Even if I continue research at the Katarina Magic Tower based on the blueprints I acquired earlier, it will take a considerable amount of time to produce a Hero-class. Even if I commission it to the Dark Moon, it will take at least a few months…’ He wanted a Hero-class right away, so he decided to take it from the Emperor at this opportunity.

“Hmm, it is a principle that Hero-class is only allowed for knights of Sword Master level or higher… but your achievements are comparable to a Sword Master, so I will try my best.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty.”

The private audience ended there.

Although he was worried about what kind of scheme the Emperor would devise for him in the future, Luke was satisfied and withdrew, judging that he had gained enough benefits.

4

The day after the victory celebration banquet,

Luke waited for the Emperor to give him news regarding the Hero-class Gigant.

However, even after the morning passed and the afternoon was approaching, there was no contact.

‘That Rudolf, he wouldn’t be trying to back out after making such a big promise, would he?’ He vowed that he would not stand idly by if he made some kind of nonsense excuse like, ‘I tried my best, but it was difficult.’

He would spread rumors everywhere that the Emperor was incompetent and petty, and he would also make secret contact with the noble faction to pressure the Emperor and his cronies.

“Marquis, someone from the Imperial Family has come to see you!” Luke, who had quickly risen from his seat at Anna’s words, met the Imperial Knight who had come to deliver the Emperor’s message.

However, ominous words flowed from the Imperial Knight’s mouth.

“He said that the latest Hero-class Gigant is difficult.”

“Tch, I knew it…” Philip, who had heard Luke’s story yesterday and had hoped to get a ride, wore a disappointed expression.

Not only him. Anna and Alex were also disappointed, and Luke, although he did not show it, was also greatly disappointed inside.

“That’s a pity. I thought someone like His Majesty would be able to do it.”

“It’s not His Majesty’s fault. It’s because of those Veritas Magic Tower guys.”

The Imperial Knight, who seemed to have a strong sense of loyalty, began to badmouth the Veritas Magic Tower.

“The Imperial Army introduces new Gigants from Veritas every time, but those guys take it for granted instead of being grateful. No, they act like they’re doing us a favor by supplying Gigants.”

“Hmm…”

“This time, it’s the same with the latest Hero-class Gigant Atlas. They keep babbling about craftsmanship and refuse to give it to a knight who is not skilled enough, even if their achievements are high. They say that if a knight who is not skilled enough goes out and has an accident, it will lower the public perception of their Gigants.”

‘What? Atlas?’ It was interesting to learn that there was friction between the Imperial Army and the Veritas Magic Tower, which had been known to be a perfect match, but the fact that the Hero-class Gigant the Emperor was going to give him was the Atlas was even more surprising.

He had once stolen the blueprints for the Atlas from the Veritas Magic Tower branch in Brandon.

Until then, he had thought it was still under development, but was it already completed?

‘This will increase the Empire’s power a bit more.’ While Luke was lost in his own thoughts, the Imperial Knight continued to speak.

“His Majesty is also very fed up with their stubbornness. Anyway, he said he would give you another Hero-class Gigant, although it is not the latest model.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it’s called ‘Kratos.’ It’s a spare one that is 30 years old, but the core engine output is still excellent. Would you like to go see it now?”

Luke quickly followed the Imperial Knight.

The Imperial Knight led him to a military warehouse managed by the Imperial Capital Defense Force, where Kratos was stored along with several spare Gigants.

“This is Kratos!”

“It’s a masterpiece made by the Altica Magic Tower, which was one of the top 5 magic towers on the continent 30 years ago.”

Kratos, painted in a bright bluish-gray, had a massive body that surpassed ordinary Gigants and was covered in sharply angled, imposing armor.

Its appearance, like a beast waiting to be awakened from its slumber, was incomparable to the Achilles he had ridden so far.

Thanks to this, Luke unknowingly wore a satisfied smile.

“I like it.”

Although it was not the latest Hero-class Gigant he had wanted, Luke could not easily erase the smile on his face at the thought of obtaining a valuable weapon.

“Kratos… let’s get along well in the future.”

First of all, he had to become a rider who could properly unleash this guy’s power.

Thinking so, Luke decided to devote himself more to Gigant piloting training in the future.