Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 125

3. The Missing Karen

1

The East Annex of the Royal Palace.

Though the late night had passed and dawn was approaching, a light still shone in one of the rooms.

“Haa, haaa.”

“Hang in there. You’ll be alright, I’m sure.”

Erewen cooled Karen’s forehead with a cold, damp towel.

She had been awake almost all night, but she was more worried about Karen than herself.

Karen was suffering from a severe fever and pain of unknown origin, symptoms far too intense for a small child to endure.

She, along with Jegal Soha and the royal physician, had tried every treatment they knew, but nothing worked.

The only thing that seemed to help was when Luke shared his ether with her, which seemed to calm her somewhat.

“This won’t do. I need to bring His Majesty here.”

‘Master….’

Karen muttered inwardly, watching Erewen leave the room in a hurry.

Her whole body was burning with fever, and she was in so much pain that she could barely move a finger. Even slightly turning her eyes brought tears.

It wasn’t just her body that was hurting; it felt like her soul was being torn apart.

This pain had started to appear right after she healed Luke, and it had been getting worse over time.

‘This is a divine punishment.’

The retribution of the absolute will governing the universe for trying to forcibly defy fate.

She had already lost all her power and life force, as well as the guardian amulet she had inherited from her mother, except for her ether, but it seemed that wasn’t enough to pay the price.

After all, an entire generation’s space-time had disappeared because of her actions.

Even if it was to save a world facing destruction, the loss of such a vast area could not be overlooked.

‘Hngh! I was prepared for this, but this is too much…!’

Even as someone with exceptional spiritual power, capable of handling magic, swordsmanship, divine power, and even ether, it was hard for her to endure the pain.

Nevertheless, she was holding back because she didn’t want to worry her father, Luke.

Apart from that, Karen had another concern.

‘What if Uncle Hwangbo Sung tells the truth?’

The future Hwangbo Sung, who had come with her, had disappeared after saving her father.

But before he disappeared, he seemed to have made contact with his present self.

Otherwise, the Hwangbo Sung who had visited her recently wouldn’t have looked at her with such pity.

‘Please don’t tell him! You absolutely can’t!’

She didn’t want Luke to know her true identity. She was worried about the shock her father would experience if he learned the truth.

Think about it.

What father could remain calm if he found out that his future daughter had returned to the past and sacrificed her life to save him?

Originally, Karen had planned to disappear quietly after completing her mission.

However, the future Hwangbo Sung, who had been assisting her, had disappeared, and her ether was too weak to be converted into mana circles [a magical energy source].

That was why she was unable to leave the royal palace and was being cared for by her father and Erewen, who would become her teacher in the future.

‘I can’t stay like this forever. I will never make Dad sad.’

Karen bit her lip tightly and got out of bed, enduring the pain that felt like it was tearing her body apart.

Even though she was so weak that it was difficult to walk, she moved her thin limbs and crawled towards the door.

After a struggle, she managed to reach the door.

But even if she wanted to open it, she couldn’t reach the doorknob.

If someone who didn’t know her saw her, they might think her tiptoeing and struggling was cute, but Karen herself felt like crying.

“Little one, where are you trying to go?”

A voice suddenly came from behind.

Startled, Karen turned her head with difficulty.

A bald old man was standing in front of the window, backlit by the dawn.

With his yellowish-brown skin and unique gray clothing, he seemed to be from the Southern Continent rather than the Rhodisia Continent.

‘Th-this person is…!’

Karen’s eyes widened as she examined the old man’s face. She had seen him in the future she lived in.

In the early days of her appearance in the world, he had saved her several times from Arsen and the undead.

But she didn’t know his identity.

He always disappeared after saving her.

And now, to meet him like this!

“W-who are you? And how did you get in here?”

To Karen’s question, the bald old man smiled kindly and approached her, answering.

“Amitabha [a Buddhist invocation], this old monk means you no harm. More importantly, seeing you suffer from divine punishment, it seems you are the one who twisted the threads of fate.”

“Huh?!”

Karen felt like her heart had dropped.

She didn’t know that there would be another being who knew about the rifts in dimensions besides herself.

‘Could it be a dragon? No, all dragons went extinct in ancient times. Then, could it be a demon or a subordinate of the Lich King Arsen?’

In the future she lived in, Arsen had led an undead army and plunged the continent into fear, earning the title of Lich King.

But the energy emanating from the old man was very gentle and warm, not like a demon or an undead.

Moreover, if he were a subordinate of a demon or the Lich King, there would be no reason for him to save her.

While Karen was racking her brain to figure out the old man’s identity, he spoke.

“I came to save Luke, but Luke is fine, and instead, a child is receiving divine punishment! Ah, perhaps this is the fate arranged by the World Honored One!”

The old man, uttering a sigh and words of unknown meaning, held out one hand to Karen.

Whoooosh!

A warm breeze from the old man was absorbed into Karen’s body.

‘This is ether? No, this is like….’

It was like the warm energy she had felt from her mother, Reina, when she was young.

But more surprising than the mysterious feeling was the effect of the power the old man had given her.

Along with the feeling of life filling her, Karen felt the pain that had been tormenting her disappear.

‘H-how can a human being… counteract the divine punishment issued by the absolute will of the universe?’

No matter how much ether they could absorb and use, humans, who were merely creations of God, could never match the power of God.

The same was true for dragons, who were called the strongest beings in the middle world, and for saints and saintesses, who were apostles of God.

The old man stroked Karen’s head, who was looking at him with a shocked expression, and smiled.

“You will be fine now. But this is only a temporary measure. I will teach you how to protect yourself from divine punishment, so will you come with this old man?”

‘Protect myself from divine punishment?’

Was that even possible?

Karen knew the terror of divine punishment well.

When she discovered the ruins related to the power of time, she also obtained ancient materials collected by Rudolf’s subordinates, which detailed the gruesome ends of the fairy mages who had tried to twist fate in the past.

Even those who had failed to actually change space-time could not avoid divine punishment.

So how could she avoid it?

Just as she was about to shake her head, not believing the old man’s words, he spoke.

“If you stay like this, your body will not last even a week before it disappears. Will you still stay here?”

At those words, Karen finally changed her mind.

She couldn’t stay here and make her father suffer.

‘I was going to disappear anyway. Besides, I don’t know what kind of evil plot the Lich King Arsen, who failed to kill Dad, might be planning….’

The history had already changed.

She didn’t know when she would disappear, but she was going to take responsibility for that history until the end and fight against the being trying to destroy the world.

With that resolve, Karen took the hand the old man offered.

Swish.

The two figures disappeared, and Erewen entered the room right after.

“Haa! His Majesty, of all times, to be out of the palace at a time like this….”

Luke had left late at night after hearing news of an accident at the Gigant [a large mechanical construct] production workshop in the Katarina Magic Tower.

Still, he had sent a servant to contact him, so he would be back soon.

“Huh?”

Erewen, who had been looking at Karen with a worried expression, noticed that there was no one on the bed and looked puzzled.

“Karen? Karen, where are you?”

Erewen searched the room and the entire East Annex, but she couldn’t find Karen anywhere.

2

When Karen disappeared, the royal palace was turned upside down.

Luke, who had returned after receiving Erewen’s call, summoned the commander of the Royal Knights, Hwangbo Sung, the head of the East Annex guard, and the chief of staff and reprimanded them.

“How could such a thing happen? A kidnapping in the royal palace, of all places!”

The head of the East Annex guard and the chief of staff were at a loss for words at the king’s scolding.

“W-we are deeply sorry, Your Majesty.”

“We were definitely on high alert, but….”

There was a reason why Luke thought it was a kidnapping.

Currently, Karen was not in a condition to move on her own.

‘Who kidnapped her? Could it be the Lich Arsen?’

Considering what had happened in the Southern Continent, it seemed highly likely that it was Arsen.

Back then, as soon as he dealt with the undead, he had immediately appeared and attacked the Jegal Clan.

‘It might be the same this time. After Hiros failed, he might have come directly to deal with me, and then sensed the unusual energy from Karen and kidnapped her….’

At that thought, Luke’s heart became even more urgent.

“Immediately order the Royal Knights and the First Army to search the city of Brenden and its surroundings thoroughly. Search with all possibilities open, as she may have been kidnapped by someone with malicious intent.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

While everyone else was leaving, only Hwangbo Sung remained.

Luke noticed his troubled expression and looked at him with a strange look.

“What is it, Commander? Do you know something?”

“My lord, perhaps Lady Karen has disappeared.”

“Disappeared?”

“Because history has changed, Lady Karen, who was born and raised in the previous space-time….”

“Stop!”

Hwangbo Sung immediately shut his mouth at Luke’s shout.

Luke said with an angry face.

“Do not speak of things that are not certain. Karen is the savior of my life. I want to remain optimistic until the end.”

“I apologize, my lord. My thoughts were short-sighted.”

Hwangbo Sung immediately bowed his head and apologized.

Based on the information he had received from his future self, he thought that Karen’s existence might have been erased.

But no one had seen it with their own eyes. In other words, it could be a hasty judgment.

‘I shouldn’t give up like His Majesty. And until Lady Karen’s whereabouts are confirmed, I must also keep silent about her identity.’

As long as there was even a 1% chance of hope, he should not carelessly speak and endanger her existence.

Thinking that, Hwangbo Sung did not mention it any further and left Luke’s presence.

‘You can’t disappear like this, Karen. I haven’t repaid even a little of the debt I owe you.’

Luke truly wished for Karen’s safety.

If it hadn’t been for Karen, he wouldn’t have been able to absorb the ether that had entered his body.

If that child hadn’t stepped forward, he would have been at least seriously injured as in the original history, and he would have surely lost in the fight against Hiros.

Considering that, Karen had not only saved his life but was also a benefactor who had changed the fate of Reina and many other people.

He had intended to take care of Karen, who was alone in the unfamiliar past world, like his own daughter and repay his debt, but she had suddenly disappeared!

‘This won’t do. Instead of this, I should go look for her myself.’

Luke, who had been sitting and standing for an hour, anxiously waiting for reports, finally couldn’t stand it and left his office.

But just then, a report came from the First Army.

“What? They witnessed a strangely bald old man with a girl who looked like Karen?”

“Yes, sir. A farmer living on the outskirts of Brenden testified that he saw them while going to his field early in the morning, and it matched Lady Karen’s appearance.”

Then, the chief of staff unfolded a piece of parchment with a drawing of the suspect’s description that the farmer had given him.

“Judging by his appearance and attire, he is presumed to be a priest from the Southern Continent.”

‘No, this is…?’

The old man drawn on the parchment.

Others didn’t know, but Luke recognized the bald old man in the gray robe at a glance.

The monk of the Arahan Order who had suddenly appeared and saved him when he was about to die at the hands of Arsen in the Jegal Clan.

It was none other than Great Master Nanda.

Certainly, if it was him, he had the ability to enter the heavily guarded royal palace and take Karen out without a trace. Having awakened the Six Supernatural Powers, he was a figure with god-like abilities.

‘But why Nanda?’

Why did he take Karen?

Could they have known each other before? Or did he sense something from Karen and take her on purpose? Or maybe….

‘Stop! Whatever the reason, I have to find Karen. That is the way to repay the debt I owe that child.’

Thinking that, Luke ordered that notices be posted throughout the Kingdom of Symphonia that they were looking for Karen and Nanda.

And he called Hudson and ordered him to track down the two of them.

But in the process, he received an ominous report from Hudson.

“What? Reina collapsed? Is that true?”

“Yes, she lost consciousness while urgently returning to the palace after patrolling near Bless. The high priests of the Imperial Palace seem to have announced it as simple overwork to prevent public unrest, but….”

Before Hudson could finish speaking, Luke disappeared. He had used teleportation magic.

Hudson, who was momentarily flustered, quickly regained his composure.

He could easily guess where the king had gone.

3

Luke, who had teleported from his office to the long-distance teleport gate in Brenden, immediately left for Bless, the capital of the Holy Artenia Empire.

When he appeared at the long-distance teleport gate of the Holy Palace, the paladins who were guarding it immediately opened the way for him.

That was because there had already been an order from Grand Duke Gregory.

If King Luke of Symphonia came, he was to be brought inside.

“Have you arrived, Your Majesty.”

“Reina, how is Her Holiness?”

Luke barely acknowledged Gregory’s greeting and immediately asked about Reina’s condition.

“She has been in a coma for the past few days. We’ve tried everything—magic, divine power, all sorts of methods—but to no avail.”

“What in the world happened? Did someone do something untoward?”

Untoward, in this context, meant assassination.

Knowing that there were still forces within the Holy Empire that opposed Reina’s reforms, Luke couldn’t help but suspect foul play.

“It wasn’t an assassination. She collapsed suddenly for no reason.”

Gregory explained the details as he led Luke to the bedroom where Reina was.

A few days ago, she had visited the Artenia Imperial Magic Tower during her tour. There, she had a meeting with Meister Leahs, and then she lost consciousness and collapsed.

Fortunately, she quickly regained her senses, and the tour continued.

However, three days ago, she suddenly woke up in the middle of the night with an ominous look on her face, urgently saying that she needed to contact the Symphonia Kingdom and hurried back to the palace.

The problem was that she lost consciousness again in the carriage on the way back and fell into a coma.

After hearing the series of events, Luke realized that the time when Reina’s condition first became abnormal coincided with the time when he had accepted the power of Aether and faced a crisis.

‘Could there be a connection? Or is it just a coincidence?’

As he pondered these thoughts and quickened his pace, a priestess ran from the bedroom with good news.

“Her Holiness has just woken up.”

“Really?”

At Luke’s and Grand Duke Gregory’s delighted questions, the priestess nodded.

“Yes, but she has been crying ever since she woke up.”

‘Crying?’

What on earth could be the matter?

Luke rushed to the bedroom and saw Reina, who had become very gaunt, shedding tears.

His heart ached, and he couldn’t say anything. Meanwhile, Grand Duke Gregory gestured for the paladins and priests around the bedroom to leave.

He was trying to create an environment where the two could talk freely.

Click.

Reina, who had raised her head at the sound of Grand Duke Gregory leaving, opened her mouth when she saw Luke.

“You’ve come.”

“Yes, I heard you suddenly collapsed.”

Luke sat down next to Reina and took her hand. Feeling the warmth of her beloved partner, Reina looked a little relieved.

“You’ve lost a lot of weight. I told you not to overdo it…”

“No, it’s not because I overdid it.”

Reina shook her head, wiped the tears from her eyes, and continued.

“Honey, I had such scary and sad dreams.”

“Scary and sad dreams?”

“Yes, it was a series of terrible nightmares that I don’t even want to think about.”

Reina told Luke about the nightmares she had while unconscious.

“The first dream I had was when I lost consciousness at the Imperial Magic Tower. It was a scene of a knight with a gray aura, resembling you, striking you with a sword.”

‘That was when I fought Hiroth…!’

Luke was startled as Reina’s story continued.

“I felt uneasy after having that dream, but I believed in you, so I continued with my schedule.”

And three days ago, she had a second dream.

In that dream, Luke was seriously injured and was recuperating in a place that looked like a magic tower.

But suddenly, evil undead rushed in with a gray mist and attacked the magic tower, and Luke fought against them and died in battle.

“It didn’t feel like a dream at all; it felt so real. Even after waking up, I couldn’t distinguish between the dream and reality for a while.”

‘Reina, that was actually what happened… no, what almost happened in the future.’

A tragedy that would have occurred if not for Karen’s salvation.

Anyway, it was a future that had now disappeared, but it was strange that Reina, who had been unconscious, had seen it.

‘Is it related to the power of Aether?’

According to what Hwangbo Sung, who had gained memories of the future, had told him, Karen had succeeded in reversing time and space using the power of Aether.

Perhaps the fragments of the collapsed space-time, as history changed, were visible to Reina, who possessed the power of Aether.

‘Perhaps Reina’s loss of consciousness was also related to that collapse of space-time…’

Anyway, Reina, startled, hurried back to the palace to contact Luke via magic communication, but she lost consciousness again.

“Then I had a third dream… In that dream, I was a mother to a child.”

“Yes, you were?”

Luke was startled by the sudden story.

Reina also seemed to be bewildered herself.

“It was strange. I haven’t even consummated our marriage yet.”

‘That’s because of the meddling outside.’

Grand Duke Gregory was not pleased with the marriage between the two.

Thanks to Reina’s persistence, he finally agreed, but he was adamantly opposed to them sleeping together.

His argument was that if she were to become pregnant, the barely solidified authority of the Pope could be shaken again.

Luke couldn’t really argue against that, so he had to send Reina back to the Holy Empire.

“Looking back now, I think it’s because we both desired the fruit of our love so much.”

“Maybe. There are scholars who claim that dreams are mirrors reflecting our inner consciousness.”

Luke nodded and asked Reina.

“So, what kind of child was it? Did she look a lot like you?”

“She looked like you too. She was a very cute and lively girl.”

“A tomboy, I see.”

“Yes, but suddenly…”

Reina started to sob again, tears welling up in her eyes. The scene from the dream she didn’t want to think about came to mind.

“Suddenly, a pure white light engulfed her. She was burning in the hot light, crying out in pain, begging to be saved, but there was nothing I could do.”

Luke wiped away Reina’s tears as she sobbed and comforted her.

“Calm down. It’s just a dream.”

“Is it just a dream? What if it’s a precognitive dream…”

“If that’s the case, we can be careful and prepare. So don’t worry and try to recover.”

Reina nodded at Luke’s words and nestled into his arms, burying her head in his chest.

It seemed she wanted to feel that her beloved was alive, to clearly hear his heartbeat and feel his warmth.

Luke gently stroked Reina’s head, patting her as if to reassure her.

‘A child, my and Reina’s child.’

As Luke pondered Reina’s story, he suddenly thought of Karen.

Philip had joked that she was his hidden daughter, saying she looked like him.

‘She did have some resemblance to Reina. She was cute too.’

But she wasn’t lively. She was quiet and very shy.

‘She was very fond of me. Since she came from the future, could she be…?’

Erewin had said that Karen was her teacher. When she came to the past, future Hwangbo Sung had accompanied her as a bodyguard.

And above all, she had appeared and saved him at the moment he was in crisis.

If she was going to save the world from destruction because of Arsen, she could have gone further into the past.

‘But Sir Hwangbo Sung didn’t say anything about that. Is there no connection? Or did he know and hide it?’

Luke suddenly recalled the time when he had communicated with Oster, or rather, the future Hwangbo Sung, through writing at the abandoned castle in the forest.

At that time, he had said that he couldn’t reveal Karen’s identity. He had said that even Karen helping him was quite dangerous for her.

‘Either way, I have to find her.’

Whether she was his daughter born in the future or not, she was a child he had to take care of.

4

“What. In. The. World. Is. Going. On! How. Did. That. Guy. Get. So. Strong!”

Arsen was raging.

He had just received a report that even after detonating the guardian he had painstakingly created, he had failed to inflict significant damage on Luke and the Symphonia Kingdom.

Rumble! Crash! Bang!

Arsen’s fierce rage caused the floor and pillars of the vast hall to crack or break, and small and large fragments fell from the ceiling as if it were about to collapse.

Nesta, who was prostrate before Arsen, said, sweating profusely.

“I, it seems that Luke was just lucky.”

“Even. So!”

The guardian Hiroth, who had even used the Ghost Armor, was a monster that even Gra, who had mastered 9th circle white and black magic, could not easily guarantee victory against.

It was a masterpiece that Arsen had painstakingly created for over a hundred years, and its power surpassed that of a high-ranking demon.

And yet, he was defeated by luck?

“No. I can’t. Let’s. Get. Rid. Of. Luke. First. No. Matter. What.”

Fueled by his burning rage, Arsen decided to make Luke’s assassination his top priority.

“I. Will. Go. To. Symphonia. Myself. I’ll. Go. There. Right. Now. And. Cut. Off. His. Head. And. Turn. All. His. Minions. Into. Undead!”

Nesta was startled by Arsen’s declaration and said.

“No, Master! It’s not possible right now!”

“What. Do. You. Mean. It’s. Not. Possible! What. Could. Be. More. Impossible. Than. This!”

Bang!

Arsen slammed his staff into the floor and roared.

The evil aura that emanated from his body at that moment was so terrifying that even Nesta, a 9th circle black mage, was momentarily intimidated.

However, Nesta had something he had to say, so he tried to shake off his fear and opened his mouth.

“If you leave now, Master, we will have to discard all the liches and death knights that are undergoing the first stage of enhancement. Is that alright with you?”

“Tch, that… wouldn’t. Do.”

In the test conducted in the Southern Continent, the undead army that Arsen had sent as a test was completely destroyed when they invaded the Zhuge Family.

Arsen, who had been proud of the completeness and power of his undead army, couldn’t help but feel quite displeased with the result.

Therefore, he decided to enhance the combat power of the undead army once more before deploying them in earnest.

The leaders of the Veritas Magic Tower, including Nesta and Albert, agreed to this decision without complaint.

They couldn’t dare to go against their master’s decision, but they also felt the need for enhancement.

Currently, there were many powerful individuals in the Lodisia Continent, not just Luke.

There was Emperor Rudolf, who had defeated the high-ranking demons summoned to the capital, and Shaikan, who was said to possess the power of the Divine Dragon.

In addition, there was Grand Duke Gregory, the strongest paladin, and Duke Dimitri of the Volga Republic and Duke Butler of the Livia Kingdom, who had entered the Sword Sage realm. There were far more than they had anticipated.

Moreover, the war caused by the division of the Baroque Empire had not only improved the skills of the riders but was also revitalizing the magic world, which had been in a slump since the Magic Tower War.

The development and improvement of the Gigant [a type of magical construct], as well as the skills of the war mages, were also improving.

In preparation for this, Arsen and the mages of Veritas had begun the first stage of enhancement work on some liches and death knights.

The enhancement required considerable magic power and high-dimensional black magic circles, so Arsen was directly managing and supervising the work.

If he were to leave in this situation, the enhancement would be a mess.

The undead that had been painstakingly created over many years would all be discarded.

“So please bear with it until the enhancement is stable.”

“Tch. I. Have. No. Choice.”

Arsen accepted Nesta’s plea.

He was worried that Luke might become even stronger in the future, but even considering that, he couldn’t neglect the enhancement.

He had sent out the guardian Hiroth alone, thinking it would be enough, and hadn’t he suffered a setback?

To complete his great work, he needed to see his opponents a step, or even several steps, higher and strengthen his forces.

“And Master, before invading the Lodisia Continent, we need to complete two things first. The first is to take control of the Southern Continent, and the second is to weaken the Holy Artenia Empire.”

Arsen and his subordinates considered the Lodisia Continent to be a step above the Southern Continent.

This was partly because the Lodisia Continent had a large population and the military power of the kingdoms was strong, but more importantly, it was because of the presence of the priests and paladins of each order, who were the antithesis of black magic.

So, the plan was to first take control of the Southern Continent, then rapidly increase the size of the undead army there, and then invade the Lodisia Continent.

“Yes, the. First. Plan. Was. Progressing. Smoothly.”

To take control of the Southern Continent, the first thing to do was to take control of the Song Empire.

The Song Empire, which occupied more than half of the Southern Continent, was leading the surrounding countries in terms of economy, culture, and military power.

Arsen was working to take control of the Song Empire and the Song Imperial Family, using the Hwangbo Family as a front.

Hwangbo Gwang, the head of the family, had failed to assassinate the third prince, Jo Wonrak, and had disgraced himself by losing all the undead troops he had been provided with, but he was now acting very aggressively as if to make up for it.

As a result, he had succeeded in brainwashing a significant number of court officials and turning the emperor’s attention to the second prince, Jo Wonkyun.

The fallen first prince and Jo Wonrak, a strong rival, were unable to stay in the imperial palace and were wandering around the provinces.

“Tch. If. There. Are. No. Problems. It. Will. Be. Settled. Soon.”

“Then the Song Empire will become the best supply base for creating the undead army.”

“That’s. Right. The. Problem. Is. The. Holy. Empire…”

The divine power, the antithesis of the undead.

To smoothly carry out his great work, he had to weaken the Holy Empire, which was heavily fortified with priests and paladins armed with divine power.

“But currently, there is no room to penetrate the Holy Artenia Empire. Since the civil war, the public sentiment has stabilized due to Veronica III’s reform policies, and the country’s finances are also becoming sound.”

“That. Veronica. III. Is. The. Princess. Of. The. Former. Volga. Kingdom. Right? Luke’s. Fiancée.”

“Yes, there are such rumors. There is also an argument that the strong bond between the Symphonia Kingdom and the Holy Empire is due to that.”

“Hmm, then…”

Arsen was lost in thought for a moment.

If he could weaken the Holy Empire, he could not only smoothly carry out his great work but also weaken the power of the Symphonia Kingdom.

‘Not only that, but if something happens to the Pope, or rather, the princess, Luke will go crazy.’

Arsen had no intention of killing Luke peacefully.

He planned to make him taste all sorts of pain before he died, and after he died, he would turn him into an undead slave and work him until his bones turned to dust.

‘Yes, I need to make him go crazy like Rudolf. That would be a fitting end for a noble hero’s lineage. Hehehe!’

Anyway, to do as he wished, he had to inflict damage on the Holy Empire first.

However, it would be difficult to see any effect by releasing the undead carelessly. It was a country swarming with those who wielded divine power.

“Is. There. Any. Good. Way?”

At Arsen’s question, Nesta, as if he had already thought of something, answered with a sinister expression.

“I have a good idea, would you like to hear it?”

“An. Idea?”

“Yes, you will not be disappointed.”

With Arsen’s permission, Nesta began to explain his plan, his eyes rolling slyly.

As he spoke, the smile on Arsen’s face grew deeper and deeper, and after hearing the entire plan, he even clapped and cheered.

“Heh. Heh. Heh. Heh! Good, good! Let’s. Do. It. According. To. Your. Plan.”

If all went well, the Holy Artenia Empire would suffer irreparable damage, and even if it didn’t, the Pope and the priests would lose the trust of the people.

‘And if I put up a straw man separately, I can see something very interesting.’

Adding a detailed plan to Nesta’s proposal, Arsen smiled triumphantly.

Thus, another conspiracy against Luke began to take root.