Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 49

2. The Holy Arternia Empire

1

Having crossed the border, Luke once again sped towards the imperial capital, Bless, with all his might. He was eager to see Princess Reina as soon as possible.

However, rebel forces were rising up in various places, and the frequent troop movements made it impossible to travel quickly.

If he were caught, he could be swept up in the war before even reaching Bless.

So, he tried to avoid areas where rebellions had occurred as much as possible, but even so, he often saw deserted villages, farmlands trampled by military boots, and refugees struggling to flee.

‘Tsk, tsk, how did the Holy Arternia Empire, once called the strongest on the continent, end up like this…’

‘Isn’t it all because of the rulers’ insatiable greed? Our empire might end up like this soon too.’

Luke clicked his tongue, and Philip responded.

As he said, the situation in the Baroque Empire wasn’t good either.

Currently, the conflict between the royalist and aristocratic factions was in a lull, but over the past two years, conflicts and clashes had been occurring in various places.

If things continued like this, it was clear that the aristocratic and royalist factions would soon engage in a major fight over control of the government.

‘It’s bad for the people, but should we call it a good opportunity for us?’

If the aristocratic faction fought against the Baroque imperial family and exhausted their strength, it would be excellent for the Rakan March [a territory ruled by a marquis].

So, Luke used social gatherings as an excuse to contact key figures of the aristocratic faction, including Duke Butler, and subtly encourage their ambitions.

‘Our turn will come after that.’

Until then, the top priority for the Rakan family and its retainers was to build up their strength as much as possible.

Although the Rakan family had been promoted from a barony to a march and the Gigant [large, powerful war machines] and knight forces had increased significantly, they were still far from being able to fight the Baroque imperial family.

Dududududu!

After riding for nearly two weeks, Luke’s group arrived at the imperial capital, Bless, located on a beautiful lakeside.

The knights exclaimed in admiration at the lake, which sparkled like sprinkled pearl powder, and the white marble walls.

‘Wow! It’s smaller than Nemesis, but when it comes to beauty, this place is much better, Lord!’

‘Of course. The walls, the imperial palace, and the main buildings, including the cathedral, were all built by dwarves.’

‘Really? Is that so?’

‘Bless’s original name was ‘Eintzhofen.’ In dwarven, it means ‘fairy by the lake.’ But 1000 years ago, humans occupied this city and renamed it Bless.’

‘Oh! I never knew it had such a story!’

‘Lord, you really know everything.’

Leaving behind the knights’ respectful gazes, Luke approached the city gate.

The soldiers of the Holy Empire were conducting strict inspections, but thanks to the mercenary pass officially issued by the Kingdom of Castia, they were able to pass through the gate without any problems.

Passing through the gate, the scenery of a large and bustling street appeared before them.

There were many buildings with white bricks piled up along the wide, straight avenues. The shop buildings emphasized a solemn and elegant atmosphere rather than extravagance. Two- or three-story buildings were common, and there were occasional ten-story buildings.

Philip, who had been carefully observing his surroundings, spoke with a puzzled expression.

‘It’s unexpected. Unlike what I thought, that it would be chaotic due to the rebellion, the city is quite calm?’

Except for the frequent sight of soldiers and mercenaries among the people, the security in Bless was better than expected.

The people going about their business also seemed calm, not like the imperial capital of a country where a rebellion had occurred.

Luke’s group had heard rumors about the reason for this on their way here.

‘Is it because of the miracle that the new Pope showed?’

‘Well, we’ll see as we go.’

Luke, having unpacked at an inn near the city gate, took Philip to the mercenary guild.

Since they were disguised as a mercenary group, they had to at least pretend to do mercenary work.

The mercenary guild, which they found by asking people, was located near the main street.

Contrary to what they had expected, it was a surprisingly stylish three-story marble building, and quite a few people were bustling about.

Judging by their attire and weapons, they were definitely mercenaries, and some of them were the same ones they had seen in the Kingdom of Castia before.

‘Are you here to register with the guild?’

As they entered the building, a young woman who appeared to be a staff member approached and asked with a bright smile.

Luke nodded, and she kindly explained, pointing to the desk ahead.

‘You can fill out the forms there.’

Luke approached the desk that the young woman had pointed out. He sat down at an empty spot among the dozen or so seats.

As he sat down, a middle-aged man with a scar on his face handed him a piece of paper and said,

‘Just fill in all the blanks there.’

After filling in all the blanks on the paper and handing it over, the middle-aged man, after examining the document, expressed surprise.

‘Red Wolf Mercenary Group. A total of 32 members, and 10 of them are expert-level mercenaries?’

In fact, all of them were at least mid-expert level, but he had reduced the numbers to avoid attracting attention.

But even this was surprising, as the middle-aged man carefully examined his face.

‘I don’t think I’ve ever heard of the mercenary group’s name before. Are you perhaps a noble?’

‘A fallen noble.’

However, the middle-aged man did not believe Luke’s words.

What fallen noble would have 10 expert-level mercenaries with them?

‘Perhaps he’s a noble from a foreign country who has come to gain experience.’

In fact, there were quite a few people like this these days.

Today alone, more than ten knights or noble scions disguised as mercenaries had visited this place.

Their purpose was to earn money or gain combat experience in foreign wars.

Some had joined for political purposes, but that was not his concern. The mercenary world was a place where, as long as you had the skills, no one asked any questions.

‘The registration fee is 3000 pesos.’

At the middle-aged man’s words, Luke looked somewhat surprised.

‘3000 pesos? That’s not a small amount for a mercenary to pay.’

‘It’s expensive, but in return, we directly connect you with clients and provide after-sales service, so you can trust us.’

After paying the registration fee, Luke returned to the inn, where his subordinate, who had gone to the information guild, had already returned.

‘Did you find out about the new Pope?’

‘Yes, the basic information was the same as what we heard in the territory.’

‘Really? What about external activities?’

This was the important part. First, he had to confirm if it was Reina before he could decide whether to take her out or not.

‘After showing a miracle in the central square two months ago, she hasn’t shown her face to the public. However, she used to hold mass at the cathedral once a week, but that has also been suspended recently due to concerns about assassination.’

‘Then, do we have to infiltrate the imperial palace?’

It was obvious without even seeing it that the security of the imperial palace, where the Pope resided, would be impenetrable.

It would not be easy to infiltrate through such security, and if they were caught, they might have to face tens of thousands of soldiers and hundreds of Gigants stationed near Bless.

Among them were the strongest holy knight order on the continent, called the Undying Legion, several Sword Masters, and a Sword Sage.

No matter how many Gigants Luke had brought in his subspace bracelet, it was a force he could not contend with.

‘Hmm, it won’t be easy.’

He didn’t expect it to be easy, but he didn’t expect to face an obstacle right from the start.

Luke shook his head and then asked about the political situation of the Holy Empire.

He had received a brief report from Argos, the intelligence department of his territory, just before leaving, but it was not enough.

‘Currently, there are a total of three regions that have rebelled…’

The regions that had revolted against the Constantine faction, which had enthroned the new Pope, were the Saxon region in the northeast, the Conrad region in the southeast, and the Langhel region in the west.

Some ambitious great nobles or a minority of the seven branches that made up the Elkasel Order had joined hands with friendly lords and declared that they could not recognize the new Pope.

Archbishop Constantine was furious and hastily sent out subjugation forces, but they all failed. Due to the incompetence of the commanders and the unexpectedly strong power of the rebel forces, the initial suppression failed.

‘The other regions are more or less equal in power, but the Conrad region is the problem.’

‘The Conrad region?’

‘It’s the best granary in the Holy Empire, and Duke Perriad, the great lord and archbishop of this place, declared independence recently. So, Archbishop Constantine is busy organizing a large-scale subjugation force.’

Duke Perriad’s own forces were said to include over 300 Gigants and 50,000 troops, including knights.

With the addition of surrounding minor lords, his power was increasing exponentially over time.

‘Good work. It’s late today, so rest well, and let’s find out more information tomorrow.’

At Luke’s decision, the knights dispersed to their rooms to rest.

2

The next day, Luke left the inn alone.

Disguised as a pilgrim, he spent several hours looking around the imperial palace and came to a conclusion.

‘It’s impossible to infiltrate directly after all.’

As expected, the security was extremely tight, and high-ranking priests and holy knights with high divine power were stationed everywhere.

Black magic would be advantageous for infiltration, but as soon as he used it, they would notice and swarm like bees.

‘Then, I have to use another method…’

If the new Pope would just come out of the imperial palace, he would somehow try to make contact, but there was no sign of that happening.

It was also not easy to bribe or kidnap and brainwash the maids or servants of the imperial palace. Due to the rebellion, watchful eyes were everywhere.

‘Isn’t there a good way?’

It was when Luke was pondering that method for several days.

Philip informed him that someone from the mercenary guild had come. When he went out, it was the young female staff member he had seen at the mercenary guild before.

‘They want me to go to the guild?’

‘Yes, Mr. Aldorf asked me to bring you.’

The middle-aged man, whom he thought was a staff member of the mercenary guild, was surprisingly high-ranking. He was the third-highest-ranking executive.

That day, a staff member had been absent, and he had been temporarily filling the empty seat because he also wanted to see the mercenaries in person.

‘Are they going to introduce me to a client?’

‘Perhaps, but you can hear the details directly from Mr. Aldorf.’

At the young female staff member’s words, Luke went to the mercenary guild with Philip.

Perhaps because they had been informed in advance, there was no need to wait to meet Aldorf.

When Luke went to his room, Aldorf, who was polishing his weapon, got up from his seat and greeted him.

‘Welcome.’

‘I heard you’re a high-ranking executive of the guild. Why did you call me?’

‘Hahaha, there’s a lot to talk about, so please sit here first.’

After offering him a seat, Aldorf opened his mouth with a faint smile as Luke sat down.

‘Do you like tea? I have some rare tea that came from the southern continent this time…’

‘I don’t enjoy it, so let’s get to the point.’

‘You’re a hasty one.’

Aldorf, noticing that Luke was not an easy opponent from his words and eyes, immediately got to the point.

‘Have you ever thought about officially joining our guild?’

The mercenary guild connected mercenaries with clients and took a commission, but they also carried out requests directly.

So, most of them had their own direct mercenary groups, and that was the offer he was making.

When mercenary guilds recruit mercenaries in this way, they strengthen their power and increase profits by taking on higher-paying requests.

‘I’ll offer a generous sum. So…’

‘No.’

Aldorf clicked his tongue, watching Luke’s immediate refusal.

‘Tsk, that’s a shame, but it can’t be helped.’

Aldorf had anticipated this to some extent, sensing that Luke had his own reasons. Still, he had made the offer to test the waters, but he was flatly rejected before he could even finish his sentence.

He inwardly shook his head and explained why he had called Luke.

‘As you know, the leaders of the Holy Empire are currently mobilizing troops to fully suppress the rebels. However, the lords’ response isn’t as good as expected.’

According to Aldorf, the lords had become more hesitant after failing to suppress the rebellion in its early stages.

Therefore, Archbishop Constantine was having trouble organizing the subjugation force.

‘The central army rushed in, but the problem is the local lords. Despite the order to support the war effort, many are declaring neutrality or being uncooperative, citing their own territory’s circumstances.’

They had plenty of Gigants [large, humanoid war machines] and Riders because they controlled the central army.

However, they needed many regular troops like knights and infantry to pacify the areas where the rebellion had occurred and maintain order.

‘So, the Regent has decided to hire mercenaries on a large scale to fill the troop shortage.’

‘Hmm…’

Luke, having heard the story, showed a displeased expression. The reason he had come to the Holy Empire was to meet the new Pope.

If she was confirmed to be Reina, he would take her, and if not, he would just return.

He had come this far disguised as a mercenary group for easy infiltration, but he had no intention of getting deeply involved in another country’s civil war.

‘I…’

A thought suddenly flashed through Luke’s mind as he was about to refuse. A perfect way to meet the new Pope, who was hidden deep within the Imperial Palace.

So, he asked with an interested expression.

‘What are the conditions?’

‘Let’s see, considering you have 10 Expert-level mercenaries, the daily hiring cost would be close to 1,000 pesos. If you win the battle, you’ll receive an additional 3,000 pesos as a victory bonus.’

‘What about supplies and affiliation?’

‘Supplies, like other mercenary groups, must be handled by you. And it seems you’ll be assigned to the 4th Army under Count Marquez.’

According to Aldorf, the 4th Army was a kind of reserve force.

They were responsible for rear guard duty, escorting supply units, and filling in the gaps in the front lines when battles broke out, as well as providing support.

After hearing a few more details, Luke signed the contract on the spot.

As they left the mercenary guild, Philip, who had been silent all along, asked.

‘Lord, are you going to participate in the civil war?’

‘Yes, it seems I have to if I want to see the new Pope’s face.’

The thought that had flashed through Luke’s mind a moment ago.

It was that the new Pope might come out to the subjugation force’s send-off ceremony to give her blessing.

‘And even if that’s not the case, if I make a great contribution in the war, I’ll be called to the Imperial Palace for commendation.’

‘Then we should go on a rampage.’

Philip was not one to shy away from battle.

He judged that it would be a good opportunity since what the Lakan Knights needed most was practical experience.

‘It would also be a good experience to see how the Holy Empire wages war.’

‘And we can also study what kind of patterns a civil war follows.’

Luke, who was certain that a civil war would break out in the Baroque Empire in the near future, resolved to learn everything he could from this opportunity.

3

Count Marquez had recently been appointed commander of the Holy Empire’s 4th Subjugation Army.

However, he wasn’t made the commander of the 4th Army because he was particularly skilled in combat or had outstanding leadership abilities.

He was only selected as the commander of the 4th Army because he was a cousin of Archbishop Constantine.

The key figures in the military were about to complain about this decision, but they kept their mouths shut. Instead, they vented their anger by sweeping up the local territorial armies and hastily recruited mercenaries into the 4th Army.

‘Welcome back, Your…’

The attendant, who was about to take Count Marquez’s cloak as he returned from the Imperial Palace, quickly stepped back.

The Count’s face was flushed red.

He could immediately sense his mood.

Crash! Thud!

As soon as he entered his office, Count Marquez threw the items on his desk and shouted.

‘Aaaargh, that damn Grand Duke Gregory! Just because he’s the commander of the Undying Legion, does he think he can ignore me!’

It was known that there were officially two Sword Saints [extremely powerful swordsmen] on the continent.

One was Rudolf, the Emperor of the Baroque Empire. And the other was Grand Duke Albero de Gregory, the Saint Guard of the Holy Artenia Empire.

He was the commander of the Undying Legion, known as the strongest knight order on the continent, and was currently the commander-in-chief of the Holy Artenia Empire’s army.

He had severely scolded Count Marquez at today’s meeting of the Empire’s military leaders.

‘Count Marquez, what have you been doing since your appointment? You haven’t even been able to tally the 4th Army’s troops and equipment yet. Do you even intend to fight, or not!’

‘The inspection unit reported yesterday that you went to a salon during working hours. You have time to pat women’s butts, but not time to pat the soldiers’ shoulders?’

‘If you’re going to approach this with such a rotten mindset, take off your command and get out of here! A useless person like you would be much more helpful to our side if you were just stuck in a corner!’

Count Marquez, who had been bombarded with a storm of criticism, was thoroughly humiliated in front of dozens of generals and high-ranking nobles.

He could still hear Grand Duke Gregory’s scolding echoing in his ears, and he could still see the generals sneering at him.

Marquez knew that Grand Duke Gregory disliked him.

He must have been annoyed that he had taken a position in the subjugation force thanks to the influence of his cousin, Archbishop Constantine.

But he never thought that he would openly criticize and humiliate him like this.

Clench!

‘No matter what, I will make a contribution in this war and make that guy’s nose flat!’

Marquez vowed to get back at Grand Duke Gregory by any means necessary.

It was then, as he was grinding his teeth in his office, that a knock came, and his aide entered to report.

‘Your Excellency, the commanders of the 4th Army have all gathered.’

‘I’ll be there soon.’

Count Marquez, having calmed his breathing and suppressed his excitement, headed to the conference room next to his office.

There were about a dozen people gathered in the large conference room.

Most of them were local lords who supported Archbishop Constantine or representatives of the Clen and Great Mercenary Corps, who had been hired with a large sum of money.

Marquez, who was meeting them for the first time, tried his best to win them over with a smiling expression.

From his perspective, who had no military talent, it would be impossible to make a contribution if even they turned their backs on him.

‘If you help me make a contribution in this war, I promise you a huge reward.’

Count Marquez was incompetent as a soldier, but he was one of the richest men in the Empire, to the point that he was in charge of the funds of the Marius faction, to which Constantine belonged.

He operated dozens of farms and mines, and through his own trading company, he made huge profits every year through trade not only domestically but also with the southern continent.

He had participated in this subjugation because he wanted to make a contribution and become the second-in-command of the Marius faction.

In addition to him, there were several other high priests and high-ranking holy knights vying for the position of second-in-command in the Marius faction.

Marquez judged that if he made good use of this opportunity, he could become not only the second-in-command of the faction but also the Regent of the Holy Empire, succeeding Archbishop Constantine in the future.

‘I will provide generous financial support. If you need anything, whether it’s people or Gigants, bring them all.’

Marquez was planning to pour money into it very openly.

He firmly believed that there was nothing that money couldn’t do, and he considered money to be the most powerful force.

In any case, the lords and mercenary leaders were surprised by his bold declaration.

‘Are you, are you serious?’

‘Yes. If you want, I can issue a blank check right now.’

At those words, everyone’s expressions brightened.

There was not a single person here who disliked money.

They rose from their seats and saluted Marquez in unison, shouting.

‘We will do our best to help you, Count!’

4

The Holy Artenia Empire’s General Headquarters, located in the northern part of Bless.

On the vast parade ground in front of the headquarters building, dozens of Gigants were now facing off, emitting fighting spirit.

The Gigants, with silver crosses symbolizing the Holy Empire painted on their breastplates, had formed a siege around a red Gigant that was a head taller than them.

Among the Gigants with the silver cross emblem, there were no units with output below the Knight class. The Riders on board the Gigants were also outstanding, with at least mid-Expert level, and more than half were upper and top-tier.

Keeing— Keeeeeeng!

Drrrrrrr!

The core engines of the Gigants, reacting to the Riders’ auras, emitted a fierce noise as if they were about to explode.

The fierce and majestic momentum of this steel legion was enough to take the enemy’s breath away.

However, the red Gigant surrounded by them, and the Rider riding it, showed no signs of agitation.

‘How long are you going to keep watching? Come at me.’

A calm voice flowed from the red Gigant’s all-range communication device.

Then, among the dozens of Gigants that had formed the siege, a Hero-class Gigant with horns on its head and shoulders stepped forward and made the sign of the cross in the air.

‘Everyone, attack!’

At the roar of the commander that burst out from the Hero-class Gigant, the Gigants at the front rushed forward, holding their shields and greatswords.

The Riders on board the Gigants in the rear sang hymns loudly.

The divine power manifested by the holy knights enveloped the Gigants at the front in the form of silver holy light. As a result, the Gigants’ shields and armor became more robust, and the fear lurking in the Riders’ hearts disappeared.

Not only that.

The Gigantic Aura that bloomed from the greatswords also flickered more intensely.

Kwaaang! Thud! Crack!

Whoosh— Shuga-gak!

The combined attack of dozens of Gigants was terrifyingly powerful.

The trajectories of the greatswords imbued with Gigantic Aura densely drew through the air, and powerful shockwaves shook the ground and the atmosphere.

On top of that, the attacks that were relentlessly pushed without giving any breathing room and the meticulously executed offensive and defensive exchanges.

Even a Sword Master-level Rider would not be able to last for a moment and would have to raise both hands in surrender.

However, the slender red Gigant was unscathed in this fierce storm.

There was not even a trace of a scratch on its light armor, which would have been torn to shreds if touched. Without moving much, it lightly walked through the fierce sword winds, as if it were a falling leaf, and evaded the attacks.

And then, it would occasionally swing its sword slightly, and each time, the Gigants’ attacks would fly off in the wrong direction, or the front lines would waver and collide with each other.

‘Ugh, change the anti-superhuman formation to type B!’

At the commander’s order, the formation of the attacking Gigants changed.

The Gigants with shields and greatswords retreated, and the heavily armored Gigants with blunt weapons such as maces and morning stars stepped forward.

‘If the sword formation doesn’t work, we’ll just have to crush it with force!’

However, as the formation changed, the red Gigant’s response also changed.

A fierce aura like flames soared on the surface of the red armor, and it repelled all the heavy weapons that were being swung down.

Not only that, but the red Gigant also turned aggressive. Whenever it approached or swung its greatsword, the heavily armored Gigants would tumble pathetically to the ground.

‘Ugh! Switch to type C…!’

KWA-AH!

Before the squad leader could even issue the order, the Gigants’ front line crumbled. A section of the formation collapsed from a body slam.

They lost half their fighting force in an instant, but the squad leader stubbornly continued the attack, changing formations several times.

However, none of their attacks were effective. Instead, the red Gigant’s occasional counterattacks left all but the squad leader’s hero-class Gigant sprawled on the ground.

‘Training complete!’

As the red Gigant planted its greatsword into the ground, a booming command echoed from the transfer gate.

The Gigants, their armor dented and battered, rose to their feet and lined up on one side. The riders, emerging from their hatches, stood awkwardly in front of the Gigant formation.

After a moment, a young man with a small but sturdy build opened the hatch of the red Gigant and stood before the riders.

He looked at them with a stern face and spoke.

‘You’ve improved a lot since a month ago, but it’s still not enough. Maintaining the front line is good, but you need to focus more on improvisation and mobility.’

‘Yes, Commander-in-Chief.’

‘But it was good to see you all giving your best. Don’t dwell too much on defeat, and keep striving forward.’

They were the 1st Squad of the Undying Knights, considered the strongest knight order on the continent, and Sword Sage Grand Duke Gregory.

Grand Duke Gregory sparred with the Undying Knights once a month, personally teaching and addressing his subordinates’ shortcomings each time.

The reason why the Undying Knights, composed of paladins, were considered the strongest on the continent was not only because of the individual strength and faith of the paladins, but also because Grand Duke Gregory, the strongest knight on the continent, took a personal interest in and guided them.

In other words, the 500 Undying Knights, including the vice-commander who was a top-tier Sword Master, were essentially Grand Duke Gregory’s disciples.

It was while the Grand Duke was instructing the Undying Knights that his aide came running with news.

‘Your Highness! Marquis Leas has come to visit.’

‘Marquis Leas? What brings him here so suddenly?’

‘That is… he hasn’t disclosed his business.’

At the aide’s words, Gregory tilted his head. Leas had never done this before.

‘Well, I’ll find out when I meet him. Today’s training is over!’

With those words to the squad members, Gregory brushed the dust off his armor and headed to the headquarters building.

5

Imperial Army Commander-in-Chief’s Office.

In this office, which was more simple than extravagant, an old mage wearing a flamboyant robe sat in an armchair in one corner.

This old mage, wearing a silver cross symbolizing the Holy Empire around his neck and holding a magic staff made of carved crystal, was Marquis Leas, the Meister [Master] of the Artenia Imperial Magic Tower.

‘What on earth is His Highness Gregory thinking? Is he just going to watch the Empire collapse like this?’

In the Holy Empire, Grand Duke Gregory’s status was no lower than that of Archbishop Constantine.

No, with a single word from him, who had been the commander of the Undying Knights and the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Army for over 50 years, he could have ousted Archbishop Constantine, who was abusing his power with the new Pope.

However, Grand Duke Gregory did not seem to have any intention of a coup.

He knew well about the corruption and irregularities of Constantine’s faction and often criticized them, yet he did nothing.

‘They say that once you reach a certain level in swordsmanship or magic, you become indifferent to worldly affairs. But if that were really the case, His Highness the Grand Duke wouldn’t have remained in the military until now.’

It was while Marquis Leas was lost in thought, sipping his tea, that the door to the reception room opened and Gregory entered.

The Marquis rose from his seat and quickly bowed.

‘I greet Your Highness the Grand Duke.’

Grand Duke Gregory was not only higher in rank than Leas, but he was also over 120 years old.

He only looked young because of the Body Change phenomenon that occurred when he reached the level of Sword Sage, which restructured his body.

‘What brings you to me, Leas?’

Grand Duke Gregory asked as he sat down.

The two men, called the two pillars supporting the Empire, had a long-standing friendship. Leas’s grandfather was a close friend of Gregory’s, so they often visited each other.

However, this was the first time the Marquis had come to the Imperial Army Headquarters without notice or business, so a slight question mark appeared on Grand Duke Gregory’s face.

‘Your Highness, are you going to continue to tolerate Archbishop Constantine’s tyranny?’

As Leas opened his mouth, glancing around, Gregory made a knowing expression.

He was well aware that Marquis Leas was displeased with Archbishop Constantine, who had the new Pope on his side. He often criticized Constantine and his faction in private.

But today, he seemed to have come with a firm resolve.

‘Even with this subjugation force, it’s the same. Originally, Your Highness should have selected the leadership, but Archbishop Constantine filled it with his own people without permission, didn’t he?’

Originally, the army of the Holy Empire was under the jurisdiction of Grand Duke Gregory, the commander-in-chief. It was the Grand Duke’s authority to organize the subjugation force to suppress the rebels and to select the leaders of that force.

However, Constantine infringed on his authority by filling the leadership with his own faction.

Gregory, who had been listening to Leas’s words silently, opened his mouth.

‘But he is the regent directly appointed by His Holiness the Pope.’

‘Even if he is a regent, there are things that can be done and things that cannot. Besides, the Pope, who is said to be an angel, is a naive child who knows nothing about state affairs…’

KWA-ANG!

The table shattered under Grand Duke Gregory’s fist.

Marquis Leas was sweating profusely at the murderous aura emanating from his body.

‘Oh dear, I’ve made a slip of the tongue!’

Gregory was usually a stoic person with almost no emotional expression.

However, Leas was one of the few people who knew how terrifying he could be when he was angry.

Thirty years ago, there was a country called the Kingdom of Kalmir in the northern plains of the Holy Empire.

The king of that country was famous for being a tyrant, and he mocked the Pope who sent a letter of advice against his tyranny and committed the atrocity of burning down the temples of the Elkasel Order [the main religion of the Holy Empire].

At this time, Gregory led only the Undying Knights and invaded, occupying the Kingdom of Kalmir. And he annihilated all the countries that had protected the fleeing tyrant.

For him, faith, and the Pope, were absolute values that had to be protected at any cost.

‘I-I apologize, Your Highness.’

‘I will overlook it this time, considering my friendship with your old friend. But if you utter another word that disrespects His Holiness the Pope, I will not tolerate it.’

‘Yes, I will keep that in mind.’

A cold chill swept through the office for a while.

After a while, the Grand Duke, who had calmed his anger, spoke again.

‘I also don’t like Archbishop Constantine. That’s why I gave Count Markes a good scolding at the Imperial Army’s leadership meeting yesterday. But His Holiness the Pope is an apostle sent by the chief god Elkasel. I cannot dismiss someone whom such a person trusts and relies on just because I don’t like him.’

Gregory had no doubt that Veronica III was an angel.

He had witnessed the funeral of the previous Pope and the miracle that was shown in the Bless Central Square two months ago.

So, when Constantine removed Archbishop Michael and seized power, he only watched for the time being. Although Constantine was corrupt, he was less so than Michael.

‘But if things continue like this, this Holy Empire could be divided into several parts.’

‘I know that too. But I think of this as a trial that Elkasel has given to our Empire.’

Grand Duke Gregory’s view of the current situation was different from that of Marquis Leas.

The Holy Empire had become lax over the past years, with its expanded territory and increased population.

He judged that this civil war was an opportunity for the Holy Empire to be reborn as one.

‘If we overcome this trial, we will be reborn as the strongest empire on the continent. Then, I believe we can spread the gospel of Elkasel to the entire continent, even to the southern continent, surpassing other kingdoms and orders.’

Seeing the intense faith in Grand Duke Gregory’s eyes, Marquis Leas sighed deeply.

‘Huu, I understand. And there is one more thing I would like to tell Your Highness.’

‘What is it?’

‘It seems that the Imperial Magic Tower will have to participate in the Magic Tower War.’

At those words, Gregory frowned.

‘I told you not to get involved in that matter, didn’t I?’

‘Of course, I had no intention of getting involved either. But the reformist elders I met a few days ago told me some surprising information.’

‘Surprising information?’

‘Yes, Arsen, the Meister of the Veritas Magic Tower 500 years ago, is alive as a lich.’

THUMP!

So surprised was he that Gregory, who usually didn’t even bat an eye at ordinary matters, rose from his seat and asked.

‘Is that true?’

‘At first, I didn’t believe it either. But after seeing the data they presented, I couldn’t help but believe it.’

For the two people, the sword and the staff, which symbolized the Holy Artenia Empire, there was one more mission besides protecting the Empire and the Order.

That was the execution of evil black mages.

The reason why the Holy Empire actively intervened when the Demon King Simon shook the continent 500 years ago was precisely because of that.

‘What is the credibility of the data?’

‘I investigated it before coming here, and it seems to be true. There were also rumors that Arsen had dabbled in forbidden magic in his later years, and his cause of death was also unclear.’

At Leas’s answer, an enormous aura emanated from Gregory’s body.

The formless energy emitted by the Sword Sage became a tangible murderous intent that dominated the room.

CRACK! CLANG! CRACKLE!

The ceramic teacups and teapot, directly hit by the murderous intent, shattered, and the walls and floor of the reception room cracked like spiderwebs.

Just as even Leas, an 8th-circle archmage, was gasping for breath, Grand Duke Gregory calmed his excitement and withdrew his energy.

‘That vile fiend! Has he been deceiving the world for 500 years?’

In the past, he would have immediately declared a holy war and set out to subjugate him.

But Gregory was well aware that he could not do that now.

Even if he declared a holy war, there was a high probability that it would be criticized and suspected as a ‘ploy to quell the civil war under the pretext of external turmoil’ rather than being supported at home and abroad.

‘Above all, we must not let that cunning monster hide and disappear.’

An enemy that is revealed to the world is not to be feared, no matter how strong, but a hidden dagger is to be feared.

Because you don’t know when or where it will appear.

After thinking for a moment, Gregory looked at Leas and said.

‘Immediately help the reformists attack the Veritas Magic Tower and the Magic Alliance. I will support them with the 3rd Squad of the Undying Knights for now.’

The 3rd Squad of the Undying Knights was not the strongest within the Undying Knights, but they were a powerful force that would not be inferior anywhere on the continent.

In particular, when supported by monks and priests, a green glow emanated from their bodies, and they would rush in like fanatics, disregarding death.

In fact, it was impossible to even inflict a wound on their bodies with ordinary attacks. That was why they were called the Undying Knights.

‘Are you really going to support us with the Undying Knights?’

When Leas asked with a delighted expression, Gregory nodded.

‘Yes, I will go to His Holiness the Pope and get the approval for that.’

The only regret was that he could not move the 1st and 2nd Squads, the elite forces that guarded the Pope and defended the Imperial Palace, carelessly.

Of course, if the lich was stronger than expected, they would have to be mobilized.

But that was something to be decided after seeing the performance of the 3rd Squad.

‘Anyway, lead them and leave not a single cornerstone of the Veritas Magic Tower. Those who have rejected the grace of Elkasel and become the tools of the demon god can never be tolerated!’

Such cancerous beings could never be allowed to live.

At Gregory’s firm resolve, Leas’s face brightened.