Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 116

3. The Fallen War Hero

1

‘It’s the Central Army! Reinforcements from the Central Army have arrived!’

As Ferrero led his troops forward, the citizens who had been fighting the soldiers hastily scattered. They knew they had no chance of winning against such numbers.

‘No chasing for now! Tend to the wounded first!’

At Ferrero’s command, the Central Army soldiers who had come as reinforcements rushed to their fallen comrades. Among the hundred or so soldiers who had been surrounded by the crowd and pelted with stones and clubs, not a single one was unscathed. Some even had their weapons taken away. But they were among the lucky ones. At least they hadn’t been beaten to death. There were reports from messengers that there had been quite a few fatalities at the other gates and barricades.

‘Your Excellency, the rioters are coming back!’

While they were busy treating the wounded soldiers, a knight who had been watching the front shouted. Ferrero immediately turned his gaze. More citizens were rushing in than had scattered just moments before. Three times as many, no, it looked like ten times as many. The mostly unarmed citizens pelted the Central Army led by Ferrero with stones.

‘Form ranks! Shield bearers to the front!’

As Count Ferrero’s command was given, the shield bearers stepped forward to block the flying stones. However, they couldn’t block everything that fell past their feet or over their heads.

‘Damn it, if we had the Gigantes [large, armored war machines], this would be suppressed in no time.’

‘No, if we had at least some cannons…’

The knights grumbled incessantly as they blocked stones with their shields or swords. Ferrero had left both the Gigantes and the cannons at the barracks when he set out on the suppression mission. Even when his adjutant suggested bringing them, fearing he might have forgotten in the rush, he refused.

‘Using Gigantes and cannons against unarmed citizens is a disgrace for a knight!’

Having said that, Count Ferrero strictly ordered the knights not to use their auras [a form of magical energy] or charge on horseback to attack the citizens. He also forbade the soldiers from shooting arrows or using their spears and swords to cut or stab. His orders were relayed to the troops that had been dispatched earlier, halting all acts of aggression.

‘What on earth is the commander thinking?’

‘Don’t do this, don’t do that… What is he even planning to do!’

The deputy commander and some officers voiced their complaints harshly, but the Central Army soldiers generally did not disobey his orders. However, it was questionable how long they could hold out like this.

The Central Army was not the only one that had received orders from the Emperor to suppress the riot. The Imperial Knights also rushed out into the streets of the Imperial Capital, leaving only a minimal number at the Imperial Palace, and the War Mages of the Imperial Magic Tower and mercenaries joined them. Unlike the passive Count Ferrero, they suppressed the riot very actively and fiercely. It was common for them to charge with Gigantes and trample citizens, or to ride horses and swing their spears and swords, and they even set fire to buildings with flame magic, burning to death those who had fled inside.

‘Kuaaaak!’

‘Keeek!’

‘S, save me!’

No matter how armed and numerous the citizens were, it was impossible for them to win against mages or mercenaries who had received professional combat training. Not to mention knights who had mastered aura or Gigante riders.

‘This is His Majesty’s order! Annihilate all the rioters!’

‘Do not hesitate! They are nothing but rebels!’

The commander of the Imperial Knights, who was leading the suppression, spotted an Atlas [a type of Gigante] standing still on one side and raised his voice in anger.

‘Sir Shirley! What are you doing! Why aren’t you moving!’

When the commander of the Imperial Knights shouted through the Gigante’s communication device, Shirley, who was riding the Atlas, calmly replied.

‘The machine isn’t moving at all. I think it’s broken down.’

‘Then you should get out of the Gigante and fight! Have you forgotten how to use a spear because you’ve been riding a Gigante!’

‘Tch! What a damn old geezer.’

Shirley frowned and got out of the Gigante. She was not happy with this mission. Born to a human father and a dwarf mother, she had suffered harsh persecution since childhood for being a half-blood. She had keenly felt the sorrow of the powerless and weak, and she had not forgotten that sorrow even now that she had become a Spear Master. Therefore, she could not possibly be happy with a mission that involved massacring powerless civilians like this.

‘Sir Shirley! Where are you going?’

The commander of the knights shouted when he saw Shirley running in the wrong direction. Then, Shirley pointed nonchalantly to the alleyway ahead and said.

‘The rioters escaped that way. I’m going to go and slaughter them all!’

Shirley, holding her halberd, entered the alleyway she had just pointed to. As she walked slowly, she found people hiding in a dark corner of the alleyway. Among the people were young men and women, as well as young children.

‘Hieeek!’

‘R, run away!’

Shirley reached out her hand as if to calm them, who were startled and trying to flee.

‘Whoa, whoa! Calm down. I’m just here to hide for a while, so you can all relax.’

Shirley dusted off a nearby wooden box and plopped down on it. She was planning to slack off like this until the situation calmed down.

‘Sigh, I wonder what Ferrero is doing. He must hate this kind of thing.’

Count Ferrero, who had accompanied her during the civil war in the Holy Empire before. She couldn’t help but worry about him, as she liked him for his rough but generous and relatively upright character.

2

Around the time Shirley was slacking off, the Central Army led by Ferrero was still focused on defense.

‘Your Excellency, we can’t keep holding out like this!’

‘Our soldiers are suffering heavy losses! Please give the order to suppress them!’

The officers and knights pleaded with Ferrero. Soldiers were falling one by one under the barrage of stones that rained down like a storm. Moreover, arrows were also flying sporadically, as they were using the weapons they had seized.

‘……’

Ferrero was feeling very perplexed by his subordinates’ pleas. He had judged that if they held out without engaging in hostile acts, the crowds would either disperse or retreat, but the reality was completely different. The citizens who had seen blood against the Central Army or the Imperial Knights led by Baron Dirk were not easily calming down their excitement.

‘Die! You dogs of the Emperor!’

‘Try and kill me! Just like you burned my brother to death, try and kill me too!’

As time passed, the citizens’ emotions became more and more agitated, and their attacks intensified.

‘This won’t do.’

‘That’s right, Your Excellency. Please give the order to attack…’

Clang!

Ferrero dropped his sword, and the adjutant, who had been asking for the order to attack, widened his eyes.

‘Your Excellency, what on earth are you doing?’

‘Shut up. Just watch!’

Ferrero, who had shouted angrily, got off his horse and walked towards the citizens.

‘People of Nemesis! I am Count Ferrero, the commander of the Central Army! How about calming down and having a conversation?’

‘Shut your mouth! You murderer!’

‘Die, you dog of the mad Emperor!’

Stones were concentrated on Ferrero along with curses. The knights were furious at the sight, but they stopped when they saw Count Ferrero’s gesture not to interfere.

‘I understand your resentment! But this kind of behavior will only make the situation worse!’

Ferrero continued to move forward, trying to persuade the citizens. At the same time, he took off his helmet and even his armor and protective gear. Even in the midst of this, the barrage of stones continued to pour down, but Ferrero did not try to avoid them or protect his body with aura. Naturally, his face and body were bruised, and his skin was torn, causing blood to flow profusely.

Thud!

‘Kuh!’

‘Commander!’

Eventually, an arrow flew and pierced Ferrero’s left cheek. Despite the knights’ great shock, Ferrero still ordered them not to interfere. Then, he calmly pulled out the arrow and continued to advance with his arms outstretched.

‘If you want to vent your anger, vent it on me! This whole incident is my responsibility for not serving His Majesty well!’

The crowd murmured, and the stone throwing began to subside. Count Ferrero’s bloodied appearance was so solemn and sacred that it was reminiscent of a martyr from the era when faith was persecuted in the past. After a while, when the stone throwing had completely stopped, Ferrero stood right in front of the citizens. The citizens, who had been intimidated by his momentum, hesitated and stepped back, and Ferrero knelt down on both knees and bowed his head. At that sight, not only the Central Army but also the citizens were at a loss for words. Because Count Ferrero, whom they knew, was the best war hero of the Baroque Empire who would not easily kneel even before the Emperor. Even though he could easily slaughter them all by himself if he wanted to, why was he enduring such suffering and even humiliation?

After a long silence, a young man’s cry was heard from the crowd.

‘Your actions won’t appease us! My dead brother won’t come back!’

‘You are right. I failed to save the innocent patients. I cowardly succumbed to coercion. That cowardly act has led to today’s tragedy.’

Ferrero raised his head. Blood was streaming down from the wound where the arrow had pierced him.

‘But I will no longer act cowardly. I promise that I will go to His Majesty right now and ask him to lift the blockade of the northern district and save the survivors. So, I ask you to trust me just once and protect your safety.’

Protect your safety. In other words, it meant to stop the riot and go back. If this continued, his subordinates, whose patience had reached its limit despite his pleas, would start suppressing them, and if that happened, the citizens would surely be annihilated. There was no one foolish enough not to understand his words in this place. And there was no one so callous as to ignore Ferrero, who had come forward barehanded to atone and persuade.

‘Tch, I’ll trust the Count and step back.’

‘Please save our families!’

As one person put down their stone and left, others also put down their stones and clubs and began to disperse voluntarily. The young man who remained until the end spoke in a voice that suppressed his hatred.

‘I trust you, Count, but I can never trust the mad Emperor.’

‘……’

‘I wish you would have stood on our side and fought.’

The young man, leaving behind a sigh, turned his steps with slumped shoulders. Ferrero felt bitter after hearing the young man’s lament. To be honest, he had considered the idea of standing on the side of the citizens and fighting. But he did not want to become a traitor. And as much as he had respected the Emperor, who was the strongest knight on the continent, he wanted to somehow bring him back to his senses.

‘Perhaps he has gone too far to be brought back…’

In any case, he had to keep his promise to the citizens. Thinking so, Ferrero turned his steps towards the Imperial Palace.

‘What is the matter, Count Ferrero?’

Emperor Rudolf, who had been receiving reports from messengers in the Imperial Palace, frowned when he saw Count Ferrero, who had pushed past the Imperial Knights’ attempts to stop him.

It was also displeasing that the Central Army Commander, who should have been suppressing the riots, was here, and his appearance was a mess, as if he had been beaten somewhere. Regardless of the Emperor’s displeasure, Ferrero knelt and pleaded. ‘Your Majesty, it’s not too late. Please lift the blockade on the northern streets and save the survivors.’ ‘Impossible. I’ve already explained how to eliminate the epidemic, haven’t I?’ ‘If we search, there will surely be other solutions, so please…’ Clang! The Emperor’s sword, striking the marble floor, cut off Ferrero’s words. Rudolf glared at him with fierce eyes and said, ‘From the beginning, you were against spreading Bers [a fictional plague], weren’t you?’ ‘Yes, Your Majesty. I feared such a terrible thing might happen…’ ‘So, you harbored resentment and decided to side with Leikart?’ Ferrero’s eyes widened at the Emperor’s completely unexpected words. ‘W-What are you talking about?’ ‘I’m saying you secretly stole Bers and spread it in the capital out of spite. To destroy me and my army.’ Ferrero’s voice naturally rose at the absurd misunderstanding. ‘That’s preposterous, Your Majesty! I would never betray Your Majesty or this country!’ ‘Is that what someone who kneels so easily to anyone says!’ At Rudolf’s rebuke, Ferrero realized that the Emperor’s lackeys had been watching him. He had been warned by a messenger before leaving the barracks. ‘Your Majesty, that was to disperse the people…’ ‘I don’t want to hear it! What are you doing? Drag that man away and lock him in prison!’ As soon as the Emperor’s command was given, the Imperial Guard knights surrounding the Emperor surrounded Ferrero. ‘Your Majesty! Please listen to me! Hey! Let go of me, you bastards!’ Ferrero tried to shake them off and approach the Emperor, but the Imperial Guard knights, including Baron Curian, were all Sword Masters [elite warriors]. Unlike Ferrero, who dared not draw his sword in the palace, they freely drew their swords and slashed Ferrero’s arms and legs. ‘Kuh-ack! Your, Your Majesty! You must not abandon the people of the capital! If you lose their hearts, this empire will also… Aaaack!’ ‘Drag him away quickly!’ The Imperial Guard quickly dragged the mangled Ferrero out of the palace. Marquis Vanden, who had entered the palace at that moment, cautiously spoke to Rudolf, who continued to frown. ‘Your Majesty, do you really think Count Ferrero spread Bers?’ It was true that he had vehemently opposed it from the start. However, Ferrero had no connections in the Imperial Magic Tower. Moreover, since the Emperor himself had secretly carried out the dissemination operation, the possibility of Ferrero intercepting the plague’s poison along the way was extremely low. ‘I don’t think Ferrero did such a thing either.’ ‘Then why…?’ The Emperor frowned and continued to speak to the puzzled Vanden. ‘If we only consider bravery, Ferrero is the most reckless general in the Empire. But as much as he has backbone, he is too stubborn.’ Having experienced the rebellion of the noble faction, Rudolf believed that he should only have subordinates who could absolutely obey him. Of course, they should be able to offer some opposing opinions, but he could never tolerate anyone ignoring his orders and acting as they pleased. ‘Such a man might betray me someday, so I need to take care of him now.’ At Rudolf’s words, Vanden spoke with a regretful expression. ‘But Count Ferrero is a talent that is a pity to discard. There are many talented knights under Your Majesty, but I believe it is a loss to execute a Sword Master knight with extensive war experience.’ ‘You are right. He is too valuable to get rid of to fight against the rebels who are causing trouble, calling themselves the Kingdom of Livia and the Kingdom of Symphonia. But Ferrero needs to have his spirit broken.’ Whether he was imprisoned or exiled for a while, Rudolf intended to make Ferrero clearly understand this time. Who was the supreme ruler of this country, and whose words were law and command. ‘Marquis Vanden, you should also keep this in mind. How you should behave in the future.’ At Rudolf’s warning, Vanden silently bowed his head. He was inwardly anxious. He wondered if the Emperor did not trust him because he had a history of betrayal. However, he had no intention of turning his back on the Emperor because of such minor anxiety. He only resolved to quickly destroy the Kingdom of Livia and take Butler’s head to regain trust. 3 Whirr- Whirr! ‘Slowly! Slowly! Yes, stop there!’ Along with the sound of magic machines turning, the rough voices of engineers echoed loudly in the hall. This place, where a lot of noisy commotion was taking place, was the workshop of Brenden’s old Milton Royal Magic Tower. Currently, it had been taken over by the Symphonia Royal Magic Tower and was being used as a Gigant [giant humanoid war machine] production workshop. ‘Right arm joint complete!’ ‘Left arm joint is also complete!’ Luke was watching the Gigant, whose limbs were being joined one by one, with a serious look in his eyes from a short distance away. The reason he had come here, setting aside his busy state affairs for a while, was because the Gigant being assembled now was very special. It was the 4,000-fight Hero-class Gigant Avenger, which would be his personal unit. The one whose production had been delayed due to war and nation-building was finally about to be completed. ‘What about the core engine?’ Mute answered Luke’s question immediately. ‘It will be assembled last.’ An hour later, as Mute had said, the Avenger’s core engine, which Luke had personally made, was transported suspended from a crane. Despite producing a high output of 4,000 fights, its size was about 30 percent smaller than the core engines of other Hero-class Gigants. This was the result of applying the new artificial magic stone developed by Erewin and the Taoist knowledge of Taeul provided by Jegal Soha. ‘There were no problems in the output test, but what about the activation test?’ ‘Depending on the resistance of the joints and drive units, the output may not be as expected, but we have thoroughly examined this as well, so we expect good results in the activation test as well.’ The new core engine was slowly lowered and mounted on the abdomen of the Avenger. Immediately, the engineers carried out the fixing work, and the Iron Mages [mages specializing in metal manipulation] carefully connected the Erzen cables of the main body to the core engine. Luke, not satisfied with just watching, went directly to check the connection status of each part and the Erzen cables. After completing all the work, he sealed the cover of the core engine and joined the inner and outer armor in order. ‘It’s finally complete!’ ‘Hahaha! Everyone worked hard!’ The Iron Mages and engineers cheered, popping champagne. They had been dedicated to Gigant production for a short ten years or a long several decades, but this was the first time they had produced a Hero-class Gigant. ‘Good work. I will bestow a bonus, so rest well for a few days.’ Luke praised the cheering Iron Mages and engineers and then turned his head. His eyes, looking at the newly born giant silver Gigant, were filled with joy and anticipation. ‘From now on, this guy will change the history of the continent with me.’ It would be the vanguard to destroy the Baroque Empire and defeat Arsen! After rejoicing for a while, Luke immediately climbed into the cockpit of the Avenger. He intended to test the activation right away, as if striking while the iron was hot. Not only general activation but also combat activation. It was perfect for testing because the Sword Masters, who had been scattered as commanders in each region, had come to Brenden for troop replenishment and supply issues. Wee-ing! Luke, who had boarded the cockpit, poured mana into the core engine, awakening the Gigant. As hundreds of various magic circles were activated, fire lit up in its eyes, and the core engine emitted a thunderous sound. The new Gigant needed to be broken in first. Luke repeated basic movements in place rather than complex and intense movements, then circled around the workshop. Thump! Thump! ‘Amazing. The movement is quite light yet smooth.’ The Gigants he had ridden before had a certain amount of vibration from the impact of stepping, but now there was none of that. This was because not only the core engine but also the Gigant’s frame and balance device had been improved. Luke, judging that there would be no problem even if he did combat activation right away, issued an order through the communication channel. ‘Tell the commanders in the military to come to the eastern field outside Brenden City with their Hero-class Gigants.’ ‘Understood, Your Majesty.’ As the messenger knight immediately left for the headquarters, Luke also went outside the castle. He intended to wait first and test the Avenger sufficiently. Not long after Luke came to the eastern field, four trailers came running, creating white steam and clouds of dust. On those trailers were four Hero-class Gigants, Orion, and Symphonia’s Sword Masters, Rogers, Philip, and the Renold and Renard brothers. Another companion was Hwang Bo-sung, the Fist Master and commander of the Royal Guard. While the other Sword Masters were getting into their Gigants and warming up, he summoned a wooden puppet. ‘It feels like it’s been a while since I sparred with my lord.’ ‘Well, I don’t think it’s been that long? Isn’t it because your body is itching?’ While Luke chuckled at Hwang Bo-sung’s words, Renold and Renard were busy adapting to Orion. ‘Brother, this seems better than Anubis, but the movement is too unfamiliar?’ ‘It can’t be helped. This isn’t a personal unit adjusted to our brothers’ swordsmanship.’ The Hero-class Gigant Anubis, which the Gram brothers had used in the last war, had not yet been completely repaired. Anubis was made at the Altica Magic Tower, and many detailed and sensitive parts, such as the cockpit, were severely damaged, making it difficult to repair without a high-ranking mage from the Altica Magic Tower. So, the two received Orion, which was made by the Dark Moon Magic Tower, instead. ‘A good craftsman does not blame his tools. Moreover, isn’t the purpose of this sparring to find out the performance of Your Majesty’s personal unit, the Avenger? There is no need to be overly greedy.’ ‘Still, I don’t want to just get pushed around.’ Renard already knew Luke’s skills. He had fought him once in the last war, and he had also heard stories from his brother. However, he had not fought with his brothers’ combined swordsmanship. He judged that their combined swordsmanship, which had even caused Duke Butler to fail in the past, would work against Luke as well. ‘We are ready, are you not yet?’ ‘We will be ready soon, Your Majesty.’ After a while, the masters who had finished preparing and Luke faced each other. 1 vs 5. They were all Sword Master-level powerhouses, but Luke did not think he would lose. Rogers and Philip swallowed hard, looking at his relaxed appearance. It seemed that Luke’s skills had improved further after the last war. So, just as Rogers and Philip were trying to refrain from rash attacks and observe Luke’s movements in the Avenger, Hwang Bo-sung fearlessly advanced his wooden puppet and immediately unleashed the Three Thunder God Fist. Kwarurung! A powerful fist pressure tore through the air, and lightning energy spread out chaotically. However, Luke, who had sufficiently experienced Hwang Bo-sung’s fist techniques through previous sparring, skillfully avoided the fist attack. ‘As expected, Count Hwang Bo-sung is coming out aggressively from the start.’ Hwang Bo-sung replied, as if he had heard Rogers’ words. ‘A strong person like my lord must be confronted with full power from the beginning. If you try to figure out their movements and hesitate, you will not be able to attack properly and will be defeated.’ ‘That’s true.’ Rogers and Philip, realizing their mistake, swung their greatswords and joined the attack. ‘Hahaha! Your Majesty, please forgive the rudeness of putting a scratch on your personal unit!’ ‘Is there a need to forgive? It won’t hit anyway.’ Luke, who had parried Philip’s attack from a blind spot with his greatsword, which had generated gold aura, extended his left hand towards Rogers’ Orion, which was swinging its sword down from the right. ‘Explosion!’ Kwaang! Flames exploded in front of his eyes. Rogers, who had blocked the flame attack by raising his greatsword like a shield, retreated backward and groaned. However, in the moment when their attack created an opening for Luke, the Gram brothers rushed in, swinging their boomerangs. ‘Your Majesty, this time, please receive our brothers’ combined swordsmanship!’ ‘Kuh, you won’t win as easily as before!’

The Gram brothers wielded their boomerangs like scythes and swords, forcing Luke’s Avenger into a tight spot.

Their combined swordsmanship was so powerful that it briefly put Luke on the defensive.

But only for a moment.

Luke skillfully blocked their attacks with his Gold Sword and magic. The two brothers then imbued their boomerangs with impact aura and hurled them at the Avenger.

Whirring! Whoosh—!

The four boomerangs, like living creatures, circled the Avenger with menacing sounds.

At first, Luke tried to deflect the attacks with glancing blows, but he was surprised when the deflected boomerangs returned, and the other three targeted his openings.

‘Are they controlling the trajectory with aura?’

In the Southern Continent, there was a technique called ‘Igi-Geom Sul’ [Aura-Controlled Sword Technique], and the brothers’ boomerang attacks were quite similar to it.

If it were just the Gram brothers, Luke could have handled the attacks somehow.

But now, Rogers, Philip, and even Hwangbo Sung were joining in. There was no time to leisurely analyze and block each attack.

“Triple Thunder God Fist!”

Hwangbo Sung’s Mok-woo, charging fiercely, leaped into the air and launched a kick.

“That’s the Shadowless Kick! Where’s the fist?”

“Hmph, my lord. Those who are deceived are foolish.”

As the Avenger was pushed back by the Shadowless Kick, the Gram brothers’ boomerangs pierced through from behind.

Luke quickly used Blink to evade the attack and tried to fire two Fire Arrows at the Gram brothers’ Orions.

However, Rogers, who had been waiting where Luke would Blink to, immediately swung his greatsword down.

Clang—!

“Damn it!”

“Haha. It seems I’ve been the first to be rude, Your Majesty.”

Rogers’ impact aura grazed the Avenger’s right arm armor. Although he twisted his arm at the last moment to prevent a deep cut, Luke was not pleased to see his new Gigant damaged.

“Clearly, this won’t do.”

No matter how strong he had become, his opponents were all sword masters with practical combat experience.

Realizing he had underestimated them, Luke simultaneously pulled out two cards he had been saving.

He activated the full 4,000-fight output and the latter half of the Gold Sword’s power.

Thud—!

The Avenger’s aura shifted dramatically, causing the five masters to frown.

The tingling sensation all over their bodies made them realize how strong Luke had become.

But only for a moment, they were thrilled, their fighting spirit ignited.

“Hahaha! Your Majesty, have you finally decided to get serious?”

“Then we will also fight with all our might.”

Renold leaped into the air, snatched a boomerang, and swung it down.

As if to prove his earlier words were not a lie, the boomerang was imbued with an even larger and denser impact aura.

Clang—!

“No!”

The masters didn’t expect to make the Avenger kneel with this one move, but they hoped to at least gain some momentum.

However, as soon as Luke parried with his greatsword, Renold’s Orion soared into the sky.

The Orion was also a hero-class Gigant with considerable size and weight. And on the surface, the Avenger looked lighter.

Yet, he had sent that massive body flying with a single sword strike!

But the situation didn’t end there.

As Rogers and Philip charged simultaneously, Luke, who had been gracefully wielding his greatsword, immediately plunged the tip of his sword into the ground.

Rumble!

The ground cracked and shattered as if an earthquake had struck, rising and falling in all directions.

“Whoa! Th-this is!”

“Is that an Earthquake spell?”

The masters’ Gigants, thrown off balance by the sudden attack, staggered.

In the midst of this, the out-of-control boomerangs flew haphazardly, one of them lodging in the leg of Hwangbo Sung’s Mok-woo.

“Hehehe. It’s not magic. It’s just the latter half of the Gold Sword’s swordsmanship, unleashed with the core engine’s maximum output.”

Explosions are more powerful in enclosed spaces.

Although Luke’s incomplete latter half swordsmanship was unfinished due to his lack of understanding, when unleashed from the ground with 4,000-fight output, it generated tremendous power like an earthquake.

Anyway, Luke had no intention of missing this opportunity while everyone was in chaos.

He immediately used Blink and Fly magic, slicing the right arms of the staggering Orions and thrusting his greatsword at Hwangbo Sung’s Mok-woo.

“How is it? I think this is enough to settle things?”

“Kuh, it’s frustrating, but I concede that my lord has won.”

Not only Hwangbo Sung but also the other masters gave up the sparring.

Since it was just a test to assess the Avenger’s performance, there was no need to fight more seriously. If someone were to die or get seriously injured, it would be a loss.

And even though five of them had attacked simultaneously, they couldn’t win. Dragging the fight out further would only increase the chances of them looking pathetic.

“Hah, Your Majesty’s skills have improved incredibly.”

“Indeed. It feels like just yesterday when you were learning swordsmanship under the Commander-in-Chief…”

Rogers and Philip, having dismounted from their Gigants, reminisced about the events of a few years ago.

While they were lost in reminiscence, Hwangbo Sung and the Gram brothers were discussing the Avenger.

“What do you think of its performance?”

“Compared to the Orion I piloted, its output and movement are both superior. It’s truly a Gigant developed by His Majesty himself.”

“Brother, should I ask him to make one for me later when he has time?”

Renold scolded his younger brother for asking such a thing.

“Don’t be ridiculous. His Majesty is very busy. Instead, let’s focus on adapting to the Orion. It seems better than the Anubis.”

Even the Orion was a significantly superior machine compared to the existing hero-class Gigants.

With a core engine output of 3,700-fight, it was also equipped with a low-cost synchronization helm that allowed the rider’s thoughts to be directly translated into movement.

Therefore, the Iron Mages classified the Orion as a super-hero class.

As they were each sharing their impressions of the Avenger, a messenger rushed in from the direction of the royal capital.

Luke, who had dismounted from the Avenger with a satisfied expression, saw the letter the messenger handed him and his face hardened.

“What is it, Your Majesty?”

At Renold’s question, seeing his unusual expression, Luke let out a frustrated sigh.

“It seems something I didn’t want to happen has occurred.”

“Something you didn’t want to happen?”

“There is such a thing. I’ll go ahead first, so you all clean up and follow.”

Luke hurried back to the royal palace.

Because the news was unbelievable, he intended to mobilize all his intelligence agents to verify it once more.

4

The message delivered by the messenger was a report from Baron Hudson, the former leader of Argos and current head of the intelligence bureau of the Symphonia Kingdom.

He reported that an unknown epidemic was rapidly spreading in Nemesis, the imperial capital of the Baroque Empire, and that in the process of controlling it, many patients were burned to death, causing a large-scale riot.

“Kuh, an unknown epidemic, you say?”

He already knew that Rudolf was trying to do something sinister with the Bers [a type of magical plague].

If the epidemic was indeed the Bers, the problem was whether it was leaked due to a mistake by the Baroque Empire or if it was a counterattack by the Livia Kingdom, which had avoided the disaster thanks to his information.

Therefore, Luke ordered Belpar to quickly gather information from the Hydra [Luke’s intelligence network] and the Baroque Empire’s intelligence department’s familiars.

The next morning, Belpar submitted a related report.

“Master, the epidemic spreading in Nemesis is indeed the Bers. It’s unclear whether it was leaked during the process of extracting the epidemic by the mages of the Imperial Magic Tower, but it’s certain that it was not intentional by Emperor Rudolf.”

“I see.”

Luke could be certain who the culprit was.

‘Unless Rudolf has completely lost his mind, he wouldn’t try to burn his own people in the imperial capital, his biggest support base, even if they were infected. Moreover, if an accident had occurred inside the Imperial Magic Tower, patients would have appeared there first.’

Nevertheless, the fact that patients first appeared in residential areas and markets meant that the epidemic had been introduced from an external source.

The only force outside the Baroque Imperial Magic Tower that could currently possess the pathogen was the Livia Kingdom.

With that settled, Luke immediately took out his crystal ball.

He entered the communication coordinates that allowed him to speak directly with Shaikhan and infused it with magic power.

Buzz!

After a brief flash of light on the crystal ball, Shaikhan, or rather, King Reichardt’s face appeared.

– What is it, King Luke?

Shaikhan, who had a slight smile on his lips as if something pleasant had happened, opened his mouth.

Luke frowned and asked.

“I heard an epidemic has spread in Nemesis. Is it possible that you are responsible for it?”

– Huh? What are you talking about?

“It seems the Bers I mentioned when I visited has spread. I was wondering if you had launched a counterattack with the pathogen you obtained earlier?”

At Luke’s suspicion, Shaikhan jumped up.

– What nonsense! Do you think I, who inherited the blood of the great Divine Dragon, would do something as despicable as Rudolf!

“So, you’re saying it’s not you?”

– Hah! What do you take me for! I have never given such an order, and our kingdom is not in such a desperate situation to do such a shameless thing. To suspect me just because they mishandled it and leaked it, I’m disappointed.

“If it’s a misunderstanding, I’ll apologize later. But I need to investigate this matter further, so I’ll contact you again later.”

After cutting off the magic communication with Shaikhan, Luke cursed in anger.

“Damn it! How is it that none of the Baroque bastards can be trusted!”

Although Shaikhan had vehemently denied it during the magic communication, Luke was certain that he was responsible after seeing his eyes and expression.

He had tried his best to control his expression, but he couldn’t hide it from the eyes of the Black Sage, who was called the Demon King 500 years ago and made the Rodisia Continent tremble.

‘It’s my fault. I should have handled it myself instead of telling him!’

Luke felt guilty for the people who had been killed because of this.

He decided that he would no longer share any information with the Livia Kingdom, no matter how good it was.

At that moment, Belpar, who was beside him, asked.

“Master, will you break the alliance with the Livia Kingdom?”

“No, we still need the alliance to keep the Baroque Empire in check. But since I don’t know what that Shaikhan will do, we need to send more spies to the Livia Kingdom.”

Luke had realized something from this incident.

Shaikhan was also a member of the Baroque imperial family who would do anything for his ambition and goals.

And although they were working together for the same purpose now, he had to be careful not to be betrayed.

That afternoon, Luke summoned Baron Hudson.

He was about to order him to increase the number of spies in the Livia Kingdom, but Hudson came with some rather interesting information.

“Your Majesty, do you know Count Ferrero, the commander of the Baroque Central Army?”

“Of course. Why?”

Count Ferrero was the greatest general of the Baroque Empire.

He was not only skilled in personal combat but also highly competent as a commander, with extensive practical experience and excellent tactical abilities.

Until recently, Ferrero had been constantly looking for opportunities to reclaim the fortresses in the Variand Mountains.

However, as the war with the Livia Kingdom was not going well, he was summoned by Rudolf and retreated to the imperial capital, leaving only a force to keep the south in check.

“When the epidemic spread and the riots broke out in Nemesis, Count Ferrero received orders from the Emperor to suppress them. But he refused the order and was imprisoned.”

“What? Such a thing?”

To imprison a capable general just for not suppressing a riot!

Luke, who was dumbfounded, had a meaningful glint in his eyes.

Because a good idea had just occurred to him.

“Hehehe. That’s good. We will rescue Count Ferrero.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s bring him to our Symphonia Kingdom.”

At Luke’s sudden proposal, Hudson paused for a moment before nodding.

“That seems like a good idea.”

“Right?”

“Yes, if we can convert Count Ferrero, it will be a great help to our kingdom. But it would be best to get the opinions of the military and intelligence departments regarding the rescue operation.”

Following Hudson’s suggestion, Luke immediately summoned his officials to discuss the matter.

Since there were no objections to the conversion, they immediately began planning the rescue operation for Count Ferrero.