Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 86

1. The Dark Forest

1

Sevastopol, a bustling commercial city in the southeastern part of the Volga Republic.

This city, situated along a major river flowing south, was founded by a merchant named Brat about a century ago.

The Brat Trading Company, which he established, actively supported the revolutionary forces during the Republican Revolution several decades later.

In return, they received benefits such as military supply contracts and duty-free trade rights, leading to rapid growth.

The Brat Trading Company, now among the top 10 trading companies on the continent, effectively serves as the Republic’s representative trading firm.

“What’s that carriage?”

“Looks like a priest is riding in it?”

A carriage bearing the emblem of the Elkasel Order stopped in front of the Brat Trading Company’s main branch in Sevastopol.

The company’s workers glanced at the carriage before resuming their work.

Priests often visited to purchase supplies for temples or monasteries, so it wasn’t unusual.

However, the workers stopped in their tracks when they saw the priestess who stepped out of the carriage.

Despite her cold and expressionless face, the priestess was strikingly beautiful.

“Wow, such a beauty is a priestess…!”

“I wonder if she has some tragic story that led her to become a priestess?”

“She must have been heartbroken by a bad man.”

“Hey, stop gossiping and get back to work!”

At the foreman’s shout, the workers returned to their tasks.

However, the priestess paused for a moment, as if she had heard the workers’ murmuring.

She was none other than Erewyn.

She was traveling to fulfill her promise to Luke, and she gave a wry smile at the workers’ words.

Even if she didn’t know anything else, it was true that she felt something akin to heartbreak from a bad man who had delved into black magic.

‘It can’t be helped. It’s all my fault.’

She had done things that would make Luke hate her, particularly regarding Princess Reina.

Not only that, but even after she had developed a subtle affection for him, she had always treated him with cold words and actions.

‘My teacher was right.’

She remembered Erene’s scolding her for not being more docile, saying that she would never get married.

At the time, she had scoffed at those words, but now she secretly regretted it.

‘It would be better to treat him a little more gently next time we meet, right?’

Changing her attitude was important, but achieving results was more crucial now.

As promised with Luke, she had to persuade the elves and neutralize the rampaging elven representatives.

Only then would Luke’s gaze towards the elves, and towards her, soften a little.

With that in mind, Erewyn entered the Brat Trading Company’s main building, accompanied by the guards Luke had assigned to her.

The guards were members of the Lakan Knights, disguised as holy knights of the Elkasel Order.

“What brings you here?”

The manager, who was at the counter in the center of the wide hall, addressed Erewyn and her group.

Unless it was a major transaction, it was rare for anyone to visit the main branch of the trading company directly. They could easily purchase goods at a nearby branch.

Moreover, the visitor was a priestess.

“I have come to see the head of the trading company.”

“The head of the trading company is in the capital on business…”

“The person I wish to meet is someone who appreciates cypress trees.”

With those words, Erewyn held out the silver ring she wore on her hand.

The silver ring, which had the phrase ‘Truth and Eternity’ inscribed in Elvish, was a keepsake she had inherited from her teacher, Erene.

The manager’s expression changed completely, as if he recognized the ring.

After briefly looking around, he took out a bell from a drawer and rang it three times in a row.

Then, a door on one side of the hall opened, and an armed elf warrior appeared.

“Follow him.”

At the manager’s words, Erewyn and the escort knights followed the elf warrior and entered deeper into the main branch.

After passing through winding passages and several doors, a small garden appeared.

In the garden, a middle-aged elf man wearing a straw hat was trimming a tree with large shears.

Erewyn approached him and bowed respectfully.

“The young successor of the Great Sage greets the leader of the Wind Valley.”

“Are you Erewyn Lesa?”

The man asked without turning around.

“Yes, I am, Brat.”

This elf man, who looked like a gardener, was none other than Brat Edelkron, the merchant who founded the Brat Trading Company.

Originally a promising mage, he had become a merchant in human society while concealing his identity, despite the objections of his peers.

“What drives human society now is money. I will use the power of that money to help my oppressed brethren.”

Having succeeded as a merchant, Brat used his earnings to rescue elves who had been sold into slavery and secretly established an elf community within human society.

Many elves worked in the Brat Trading Company, which could be considered the first such community.

Some of them were active openly, but many more, like the manager they had met earlier, were disguised as humans.

Although the Volga Republic treated elves better than other countries, it was still more advantageous in many ways to dress and act like humans in human society.

In any case, Brat’s activities were of great help to the elves as well as the fairies.

His foresight and contribution were significant in enabling fairies to live well in the Volga Republic.

For his contribution, he became the leader of the Wind Valley.

Among the elves, who were divided into several tribes, the Wind Valley tribe was the most numerous and powerful.

As a result, the leader of the Wind Valley was implicitly recognized as the leader of all elves.

“Did you come because of the fairy representatives?”

Brat knew exactly why Erewyn had come.

“Did you hear about it separately?”

“Amur Khan told me that you would be visiting soon.”

Amur was the leader of the Lykansloph [a tribe of beastmen].

Before coming here, Erewyn had met him first and persuaded him.

“If you heard from Amur Khan, you would know what I am going to say.”

“Of course. I entrusted the matter of the Spirit Gate to the fairy representatives, but they are trying to do something too reckless.”

The fairy leaders were scattered, and they had many responsibilities while caring for their tribes.

Therefore, they had chosen representatives who could meet and discuss matters among the fairies and had given them authority related to their duties.

“To be honest, I am in favor of opening the Spirit Gate. But I don’t want to do it to the point of provoking the Holy Empire and turning my back on someone who was recognized by the Great Sage to receive a branch of the World Tree.”

“Then…?”

“Yes, I will revoke the representatives’ authority. Especially Nanas seems to be planning something too excessive. Enough to worry the Fairy Queen.”

The fairy leaders had also been monitoring the actions of the representatives, including Nanas, amidst their busy schedules.

However, they could not revoke their authority simply for setting a grand goal of opening the Spirit Gate and inciting their brethren.

They had not yet caused any significant problems.

But now the situation had changed.

“According to recently obtained information, Nanas is recklessly sacrificing the lives of fairies under the guise of a grand cause. There are already more than a dozen victims.”

“That can’t be…! Then shouldn’t we take action quickly?”

Erewyn said in surprise.

“I am already in the process of summoning warriors.”

It was necessary for the leaders to consult with each other to revoke the authority of the representatives, but there was no time for that now.

So Brat decided to mobilize only the forces under himself, the Fairy Queen, and Amur.

That would be enough to subdue Nanas, and it would be possible to neutralize the representatives of other races by highlighting her problematic actions.

“When will the summoning of the warriors be completed?”

“Well, even if we hurry, it will take a few more days…”

While Brat was talking to Erewyn, an elf warrior ran into the garden and delivered a letter.

Brat’s face hardened as he read the letter.

“This is not good news.”

“What is it?”

“Nanas has completed the construction of a trap in the Dark Forest. Moreover, more than 100 fairies were sacrificed to build the trap.”

“The Dark Forest? If it’s a trap, could it be…!”

Erewyn couldn’t help but be shocked.

She had been wondering what Nanas was doing to cause the fairies to die.

And now she was told that a trap had been set up in the Dark Forest.

As far as Erewyn knew, that method had been used in the past to kill Sword Master Kamarov and Royal Magician Gawain of the Volga Kingdom.

‘Who is Elder Nanas trying to target by making that?’

Could it be Grand Duke Gregory, who protects Princess Reina, or another person, someone she knows?

“Excuse me, leader. I must be going.”

Feeling a sense of foreboding, Erewyn bid farewell to Brat.

“Where are you going when we haven’t finished talking yet? You’re not thinking of going to the Dark Forest, are you?”

“……”

Erewyn did not answer Brat’s question.

But Brat, who knew what that silence meant, tried to stop her.

“Don’t do anything dangerous. If you get caught up in it when the trap is activated…”

“I know very well what will happen. But I have to go.”

In the end, Brat could not break Erewyn’s stubbornness.

“Then I wish you safety.”

“You too, leader.”

Watching her disappear, he had a look of regret on his face and threw the shears he was holding.

‘I need to be more proactive.’

Thinking that, he hurried off somewhere.

2

“Is that the Melvin Valley?”

Luke stared at the valley in front of him.

The valley, thickly covered in fog, felt eerie and unpleasant.

If he hadn’t decided to eliminate Nanas and the fairy representatives, he wouldn’t have bothered to come here.

“My lord, is that the meeting place?”

“Yes, those snake-like, insidious bastards are holed up in a place that suits them perfectly.”

At Hwangbo-sung’s question, Luke spat out a venomous remark.

Luke had brought Hwangbo-sung and the Hydra assassins led by Angri as his escorts.

Because it was a matter related to his secret, he could not bring ordinary knights as his attendants.

Philip and the two demons were the only others who knew his secret, but they were busy with various matters and did not accompany him this time.

And frankly, his own power was enough to wipe out the fairies.

‘If I reveal all of my black magic and demonic power, even hundreds of fairies attacking me would not be able to defeat me.’

Luke had brought his escorts not to be protected, but to prevent the fairies from escaping.

Simply escaping was not a problem, but if they hid and continued to spread malicious rumors and gossip, it would be tiresome for him.

“I have returned, Lord.”

Angri appeared before Luke.

He had arrived here ahead of Luke and the others to gather information about the surroundings.

“Did you find out about the Melvin Valley and the fairies?”

“Yes, according to the locals, there is a Dark Forest inside the valley. They say that evil spirits live there, so they don’t go near it, but a few days ago, hundreds of fairies went in there.”

“A forest where evil spirits live…”

“They say that anyone who goes in either dies or goes mad. I suspect that a black magician or a demon cast a curse a long time ago?”

Having said that, Angri glanced at Luke’s face.

He thought that Luke, who had demons as his subordinates, might know about it.

But Luke did not react much.

There were one or two forests and valleys on the continent that had various rumors attached to them, such as evil spirits living there or vengeful spirits wandering around.

Such rumors were usually false or exaggerated.

It was often the case that nobles made up false rumors to prevent the local people from secretly poaching, or that groups who were counterfeiting money or making illegal liquor in the forest made up rumors to prevent people from coming and going.

And even if there was a monster that harmed people, when they were caught, they were usually well-known monsters like ogres or trolls, or bandits disguised as monsters.

“If there is such a curse, then the fairies who are waiting there now would all be dead or mad.”

“Yes, I also think it is unlikely, but there is one story that is bothering me.”

“A bothering story?”

“The current President of Volga, Vladimir, was hiding in the Melvin Valley during the Republican Revolution. The Volga Royal Guard Knights were dispatched to capture him, but they all disappeared after entering the Dark Forest.”

Not only that, but the royal magician who had joined to help the Royal Guard Knights had also disappeared.

“The Royal Guard Commander Kamarov and the Royal Chief Magician Gawain were well-known figures on the continent. So after they disappeared, the tide turned in favor of the revolutionary forces.”

“Hmm, there must have been ambushes or traps.”

If they used their leader as bait, the revolutionary forces at the time must have made considerable preparations.

“I also went around there before you came, my lord, and there were dark elves all over the paths.”

Angri had tried to go inside the Dark Forest but had given up.

Originally, it was said that due to their cautious nature and the extremely strict vigilance of the dark elves, who have very sensitive senses, infiltration was not easy.

“Master, what are you going to do? Are you going to investigate further before proceeding?” Hwangbo Seong, who had been listening to the story, asked.

Luke was lost in thought for a moment.

Ignoring the rumors about the forest and going in was concerning, given the disappearance of the Volga Royal Guard Knights.

Moreover, the eerie and unpleasant energy sensed in the valley was also unsettling.

“Let’s go in for now. If any problems arise, we can just get out then.”

Luke handed out teleport scrolls he had prepared in case of an emergency to his subordinates.

Then, being as cautious as possible, they headed towards the Melvin Valley.

After some time, Luke’s party arrived at the entrance of the Melvin Valley.

As Luke walked into the valley, where a thick fog hung, he stopped in his tracks.

He had sensed an unusual energy from ahead.

Hwangbo Seong, his face changing, quickly approached Luke and protected him.

“Master! Be careful. It’s a master with tremendous skill.”

“It’s alright. It’s someone I know.”

Luke reassured Hwangbo Seong and stepped forward.

Then, the figure lurking ahead revealed himself.

“What are you doing in a place like this, Grand Duke?”

“That’s what I should be asking. Why are you here?”

The person who appeared before Luke was Grand Duke Gregory of the Holy Artenia Empire.

He was leading eleven knights, two of whom were Sword Masters, and the rest were top-tier Experts. Judging by their impregnable aura and the divine power emanating from their entire bodies, they seemed to be elites handpicked from the Undying Legion.

“A fairy mage named Nanas said she would reveal other people’s secrets.”

“Did you also receive such a letter?” Grand Duke Gregory asked, frowning at Luke’s words.

“Did Nanas send a threatening letter to you as well, Grand Duke?”

“She said that if I didn’t come here by today, she would expose the true identity of His Holiness the Pope.”

According to Gregory, rumors about Reina had been circulating in Bless and the surrounding areas before the threatening letter arrived.

“There have been rumors that His Holiness the Pope is not an angel or that she is a princess from another country. But this time, it was quite specific. Her real name has even spread throughout the world.”

Gregory knew that Reina was not an angel and that she had appeared in the Holy Empire due to an unexpected accident. However, he believed that all of it was God’s will, so his loyalty to her had not changed in the slightest.

The problem was that these rumors could be politically exploited by the opposition who were dissatisfied with Reina’s reforms.

“Even now, the voices of the priests who insist that His Holiness the Pope must be verified are growing louder after hearing the rumors.”

‘Oh no, why wasn’t this news reported to me?’

Luke didn’t know, but Argos had already been aware of it. However, they were more focused on grasping the war situation in the Baroque Empire, so it had been pushed to the back burner. Moreover, Luke had left for the Melvin Valley around the time the report was about to be submitted, so he had not been able to hear the related news.

“Anyway, in the midst of all that, the threatening letter arrived. She said that if I didn’t come, she would spread even more specific evidence.”

Having said that, Grand Duke Gregory glanced at Luke and continued.

“The specific evidence that the fairy woman Nanas mentioned also included you. That His Holiness the Pope was originally your fiancée.”

“That would be a rumor that the opposition would love.”

“Indeed. But right before I left the Holy Empire, I received one more piece of information. That strange rumors were circulating in the Baroque Empire.”

With that, Gregory glared coldly at Angri and the Hydra gang. They were already quite intimidated by Grand Duke Gregory, who had been occasionally showing hostility towards them since a while ago.

‘Could it be…?’

Luke was subtly tensing up at his seemingly perceptive look when another presence appeared, diverting the attention of Luke and Grand Duke Gregory.

A dark elf warrior appeared before them.

“You were here. Nanas-nim has been waiting for you two.”

The dark elf who came to greet them was Hairun. He looked even more emaciated than when they had met before. He gave them a look that told them to follow him and then turned his back.

“Anyway, let’s talk about what I said earlier later.”

“…Yes.”

Grand Duke Gregory followed Hairun first. Luke followed behind him, inwardly sighing.

He had come all the way here to quell the false rumors, but it seemed that things wouldn’t end with just wiping out Nanas and the fairy representatives.

‘Could this be why she called us both here?’

He had a bad feeling that he might end up fighting Gregory.

3

Not long after following Hairun, they came across black, withered trees.

‘Is this the Dark Forest? How did it become like this?’

There were no signs of being burned or harmed by magic. Nor were there any signs of being invaded by demonic energy or having their life force sucked out. Nevertheless, Luke was curious as to how this had happened, so he tried to examine the trees closely by touching them directly. As a mage, he was curious about the mysterious phenomenon.

“I’m sorry, but please hurry.”

At Hairun’s urging, Luke moved his feet with a look that mixed regret for his exploration and dissatisfaction with Hairun.

‘That aside, just like Angri said, dark elves are everywhere.’

Moreover, lycanthrope warriors were hidden in the bushes, and dwarves were hidden underground. However, judging by the fact that they were not showing any particular hostility, it seemed that they did not intend to launch a surprise attack.

‘But it’s a little uncomfortable to breathe. This isn’t a high-altitude area, so why…?’

Not only that, but the black circle in his heart also seemed to have become somewhat dull. It wasn’t just Luke who felt that something was wrong; Hwangbo Seong, the assassins, and the members of the Undying Legion under Gregory also had stiff expressions.

“How much further do we have to go?” Grand Duke Gregory asked, and Hairun pointed to a structure that was dimly visible in the distance.

“It’s there. We’re almost there.”

Following Hairun, the group arrived in front of a structure in the center of the Dark Forest.

“Please go up the stairs. Nanas-nim is upstairs.”

‘It’s a strange building.’

As he climbed the stairs, Luke looked around the building in question. Too weak to be called a castle, and too low and unimpressive to be called a tower, this building was made only of metal and glass. As such, its form was completely different from that of ordinary buildings.

“Welcome. It’s nice to meet you.”

Upon entering the hall, which was built about 10 meters above the ground, they could see a fairy woman with a pale face. The fairy, with two pairs of wings on her back, had a sharp impression.

“Are you Nanas?” Luke asked, and she nodded and said,

“Yes, I am. You are Marquis Luke, right? It’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m not so pleased.”

At his blunt retort, Nanas smiled faintly and pointed to the table and chairs in the center of the hall.

“Please, have a seat. We can’t talk while standing, can we?”

At those words, Luke and Gregory sat down, and Hydra and the Undying Legion stood around them, watching their surroundings.

“So, what kind of discussion did you want to have that you sent a threatening letter?” Gregory immediately brought up the main point, and Nanas looked at him with a hasty expression before opening her mouth.

“I want Princess Reina, or rather, His Holiness the Pope, to open the gate to the Spirit Realm. That was originally promised.”

“Didn’t she already open it once? I think the promise was kept?” At Luke’s words, Nanas made a slightly displeased expression.

“It wasn’t a complete opening. That’s why I’m requesting it again.”

“Have you ever thought about why it wasn’t a complete opening? Do you think Reina deliberately didn’t open it?”

Luke had heard the story from Reina about when she went to the Spirit Realm. The story that Sylphid, the Wind Spirit King, had told Reina before giving her the power of ether. The nature of evil that had divided the world, which was originally one. It was the endless desire and the resulting strife and hatred. That nature of evil did not disappear even after the world was divided.

The fairies who built the magic civilization sought more power and resources as their civilization developed, and the spirits, tired of this, refused to be summoned, and communication with the Spirit Realm was cut off.

“And you, who lost the power of the spirits, fell. You were conquered, chased, and hunted by humans, whom you looked down on as primitive tribal slaves on the border.”

“…”

When Luke mentioned the past that was not known to the world, Nanas’s expression hardened. In contrast, Grand Duke Gregory and the members of the Undying Legion, who were encountering this secret history for the first time, wore interested expressions.

“The reason you’re trying to open the gate to the Spirit Realm is obvious. You’re trying to revive the magic empire of Avalon, which prospered like your ancestors. But is that possible just by opening the gate to the Spirit Realm?”

“What’s your reason for thinking it’s impossible?” Nanas’s voice came out sharply.

“Because it’s not an era where you can act alone anymore. Do you think that if you gain the power of the spirits, you can rule humans and enjoy glory like in the past?”

“We have no intention of conquering or dominating humans. And we know that the power of humans has become very strong due to the development of magic engineering. But…”

“Is it that you need to have the power that was the foundation of the Avalon Empire for the prosperity of the fairies? But will humans just stand by and watch you gain such great power?”

They would feel jealousy and envy, and they would likely be afraid that their current position would be reversed. If that happened, conflict would naturally arise, even if it wasn’t intended.

And Luke knew that the fairy representatives did not intend to end with just reviving the Avalon Empire.

“So, are you telling us to continue living like slaves? For your peace?”

“It’s not for the peace of humans. Aren’t there many among you fairies who desire peace? Are you going to trample on the peace of your own kind because of your ambition?”

“What they enjoy is not peace. It’s just subjugation!” Nanas said, raising her voice.

Luke looked at her with a nonchalant face and replied.

“If you put it that way, isn’t what you representatives want nothing more than absurd delusions and ambitions? The reason why the Spirit Realm is not open is not Reina’s fault. It’s just that the spirits didn’t respond because they were worried about the conflict caused by your ambitions.”

At Luke’s words, Nanas’s face turned red, and she trembled, clenching her fists.

“And you called it subjugation, but at least the fairies under me have never been subjugated, if not compliant. As much as they work for me, I have fairly paid their rights and compensation.”

The results proved that such treatment was right. The reason why the Rakan Territory had developed so rapidly in a short period of time was because it maintained such a friendly and equal relationship. Other lords and humans who had noticed this had also begun to change their treatment of fairies. It wasn’t a cataclysm, but change was definitely happening.

Even without gaining the power of the spirits, it was possible to open up a new future.

“I know very well how much the fairies have been oppressed, and I also understand that you long for the glory of the past because of that. But just as the current order of the continent is unjust, the past Avalon was also unjust. So, I, and Reina, will not tolerate a change that only swaps positions.”

Grand Duke Gregory nodded as if agreeing with Luke’s words. Nanas, who wanted to refute but could not come up with a valid basis or argument, bit her lip and said nothing.

“To be honest, I came here today thinking of wiping you out. Grand Duke Gregory over there would probably feel the same way. Because that would be better for me and Reina, as well as for the fairies.”

“…”

“If you change your minds, I’m willing to change my mind too. But if you can’t, I won’t hesitate to shed blood.”

Having said that, Luke waited for Nanas’s answer. Nanas, who had a resentful expression, suddenly smiled and opened her mouth.

“You won’t hesitate to shed blood… Indeed, those are words worthy of the successor of the Demon King Seymon’s legacy.”

“What?!” A surprised voice erupted from the members of the Undying Legion. This was because the Demon King Seymon was an existence that their predecessors in the Undying Legion had defeated at the cost of immense sacrifices about 500 years ago.

As they reflexively drew their swords, Hwangbo Seong, as well as Hydra’s assassins, quickly responded.

“Marquis Luke, the corrupted descendant of the hero Rakan. Instead of lecturing me, you should have blown my head off. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have met your end by Grand Duke Gregory’s sword.”

Nanas, who had sneered at Luke, turned her gaze to Grand Duke Gregory, who was still silent.

“Did you know? That Marquis Luke has learned black magic and was cooperating with Seymon’s remnants.”

“I heard strange rumors from the Baroque Empire. I knew that he had some hidden power when we fought once before.”

Gregory, who had risen from his seat, glared at Angri and the assassins and continued.

“I had a hunch, but seeing those tainted by demonic energy under his command here today, I knew it was true.”

‘He noticed after all.’

Hydra’s assassins were not humans but familiars. However, thanks to the potion that Sebastian had made to hide demonic energy, they were able to conceal it. But it seemed that they could not deceive the eyes of Gregory, the strongest paladin.

“I have lived my whole life upholding God’s will. Slaying evil is my duty given by God.”

Clang—!

A brilliant golden hyper aura rose from Gregory’s sword, which he had drawn in an instant.

Nanas wore a triumphant smile, and Luke, whose face had hardened, pulled up his magic power.

‘We’re going to clash after all.’

Luke had thought that such a day would come someday. However, he had not expected to fight Grand Duke Gregory at such an early time.