Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 117

The Fallen War Hero

1

Phillip, utterly defeated by Luke in the Avenger’s test without even putting up a fight, was training in the Royal Capital’s First Army barracks, sweating profusely.

‘Was it like this? No, it was like this.’

The swordsmanship he was currently practicing was the latter part of the Gold Sword technique he had glimpsed during his duel with Luke.

Luke had promised to teach him the latter part after returning from the Southern Continent, but so far, he had only shown him a portion.

Part of the reason was that he hadn’t fully grasped the latter part himself, but also because he had been too busy with the war and the founding of the nation to find the time.

Phillip was aware of this, so he diligently practiced the parts he had managed to observe.

‘Commander, why don’t you take a break?’

At Anna’s words from below the training ground, Phillip deliberately put on an arrogant expression.

‘Hey, Commander? You should call me Count, or Commander-in-Chief.’

‘Hehe. Sorry. It’s just too ingrained in my mouth.’

Anna, who had originally been a member of the Unicorn Knights, had transferred to the First Army, where the Rakan Knights were stationed, after the founding of Symphonia.

Phillip, who was dating her, had pulled some strings.

‘If it’s awkward, you can call me darling.’

‘Oh my, Commander… I mean, Count!’

Anna playfully tapped Phillip’s chest as he hugged her.

The Rakan Knights, who couldn’t help but feel a surge of jealousy at the affectionate scene, secretly cursed their commander.

Perhaps their curse worked.

A royal messenger knight who entered the barracks conveyed a message to Phillip.

‘His Majesty requests your presence at the palace immediately; he has something to discuss.’

‘What? Now?’

‘Yes, please prepare at once.’

Phillip, who hadn’t even had a proper wash, hastily put on his uniform and followed the messenger knight to the palace, where he met Luke.

‘Your Majesty, what is the matter?’

‘Ah, it’s nothing much, but I just had a discussion with Marquis Rogers and some officials from the intelligence department…’

Phillip’s eyes widened at Luke’s explanation.

‘What? You’re going to rescue Count Ferrero and bring him to Symphonia?’

‘Yes, I plan to convert him to our kingdom.’

It was surprising news that Count Ferrero, whom he had served under in the past, was imprisoned, but the idea of rescuing him and bringing him to the Symphonia Kingdom to convert him was even more astonishing.

However, unlike Luke, who was full of anticipation, Phillip’s reaction was lukewarm.

He knew that Count Ferrero’s personality was as unyielding as bamboo.

‘Count Ferrero is not someone who would easily convert, is he?’

‘Then what about his conversion from the neutral faction to the Emperor’s faction?’

Originally, Ferrero was a neutral noble.

He had switched to the Emperor’s faction just before the civil war broke out.

At Luke’s question, Phillip shared his thoughts.

‘Well, you see, Count Ferrero has always admired Emperor Rudolf, the strongest knight on the continent. That’s why he easily switched sides when he was called upon by him.’

According to Phillip’s explanation, Count Ferrero was a fervent follower of chivalry.

In addition to the virtues a knight should possess, he also had a strong admiration for martial prowess.

‘Then I just need to draw him in with my martial prowess.’

At Luke’s nonchalant remark, Phillip thought of the Gold Sword.

The Gold Sword, the strongest swordsmanship on the continent.

Could Ferrero really be swayed by that swordsmanship, which he himself was now learning?

He thought it was likely.

Moreover, Count Ferrero had previously recognized Luke’s skills and had repeatedly requested duels.

He had shown that much interest in Luke, so it wasn’t impossible that he would be swayed.

‘But why was the Count imprisoned?’

As far as Phillip knew, Ferrero, who had joined the Emperor’s faction, was quite favored by Rudolf, even becoming the commander of the Central Army.

Although he had made a mistake by losing the strategically important Variand Mountains, it was more of a strategic retreat following Luke’s trickery than his own fault.

But to imprison an experienced Sword Master general overnight, he couldn’t understand it.

‘I heard he refused Rudolf’s unjust order to suppress the riot.’

‘Tsk, so that’s what happened. I always thought the Count’s personality wouldn’t mesh well with Rudolf’s…’

After hearing the detailed explanation, Phillip shook his head and shouted at Luke.

‘Please send me! I will bring the Count back safely without a single scratch!’

To rescue him from the underground prison of Nemesis, they would need to send a small number of skilled knights and mages.

That’s why Phillip wanted to go himself.

He wanted to repay the favor he had received from Count Ferrero in the past, but also, to fully grasp the essence of the latter part of the Gold Sword he had learned through his duels with Luke, there was no better experience than actual combat.

Luke had already intended to entrust the rescue operation to Phillip.

Although he denied it, in Luke’s eyes, Phillip was a battle maniac quite similar to Count Ferrero.

‘Very well. I will go with you, so prepare thoroughly.’

Phillip’s eyes widened at Luke’s reply.

‘Your Majesty, too?’

‘Yes, because I’m the only one who can instantly disarm the traps and alarm magic circles that are likely to be laid out in the underground prison.’

Currently, there were many excellent knights at the Sword Master level in the Symphonia Kingdom, but unfortunately, Luke was the only Archmage above the 8th Circle [a high level of magic].

Of course, Yohas of the Dark Moon, hidden in Jason’s territory, was at the 8th Circle, but he was a black mage.

They couldn’t openly accompany him with the knights, so he had no choice but to go himself.

‘Of course, while I’m there, it would be the icing on the cake to leave a gift for Rudolf. Hehehe!’

Luke, who smiled sinisterly, discussed with Phillip and completed the selection of the remaining personnel needed for the rescue operation.

2

Tap! Tap!

The prison located deep beneath the Nemesis Imperial Palace.

A special prison where only traitors or those who had committed crimes akin to treason were imprisoned, a man had been confined there a few days ago.

The man, with a large build and a beard as spiky as a mountain bandit, was wearing magic seals that blocked his aura on both his arms and legs.

He looked quite disheveled, as if he had suffered greatly over the past few days. His clothes were dirty and stained, and there were traces of torture all over his body.

But what was most difficult was the inability to close his eyes even for a moment.

Cold water droplets falling from the ceiling constantly pounded his body.

This was not because the prison was old, but intentionally designed to inflict the pain of insomnia on the prisoner.

If one continued to suffer from insomnia, the sound of falling water droplets would sound as loud as cannon fire.

Therefore, it was common for prisoners confined in this special prison to go insane before they died.

Despite this, the man, who had been steadfastly enduring, opened his heavily closed mouth.

‘What is the situation in the Imperial Capital?’

His gaze was directed towards the prison door.

The face of a guard was half-visible through the small iron bars.

The guard, who had come to bring food, wore a sneer on his face.

‘Are you still worried about the people, Count?’

The guard also knew the man.

The man’s identity was Count Ferrero, the commander of the Central Army of the Baroque Empire and the empire’s greatest warrior.

Normally, there was a difference in status between the two that would make it impossible to even look at each other’s faces.

However, this was the most notorious prison in the Baroque Empire. No matter who he was before, here he was just treated as a prisoner.

The guard knew that even if a Sword Sage [a very high level swordsman], not just a Sword Master, came, they would not be able to leave alive.

Even now, Count Ferrero was being dragged to the torture chamber a couple of times a day and subjected to all kinds of torture and brainwashing.

He was still holding on with the physical and mental strength of a high-level Sword Master, but he would soon become a loyal servant of His Majesty Rudolf.

‘Don’t you know why I’m imprisoned here? Just answer me.’

‘Hmph, are you that curious?’

At Ferrero’s reply, the guard opened a small door under the prison door and pushed in a piece of moldy bread, saying,

‘The epidemic is gone, and the riot has been suppressed. Also, the rebels you defended have all been captured and executed.’

At the news that the people who had returned after listening to him had been executed, Ferrero roared with a strength he didn’t know he had.

‘They were just trying to save their families and relatives!’

‘It’s no use saying that to me. I’m just a low-ranking guard. Rather, you should take care of yourself, Count. Shouldn’t you be worried about your family, who are imprisoned, rather than the people?’

‘……’

Although he didn’t show it outwardly, the faces of his family flashed through Ferrero’s mind.

His young wife, whom he had remarried after losing his first wife, and his children, whom he had late in life.

Thinking of his kind wife, who never complained about him always being busy with military duties, and his children, who said they were proud of their brave father, his heart ached more than ever.

The pain in his heart was much greater than the pain in his body.

‘It’s not too late now, so it would be best to ask His Majesty for forgiveness. If you don’t want to endanger the lives of your family by continuing to defend those lowly people you don’t even know.’

After speaking, the guard snorted and turned away.

‘Hoo-oo-oo!’

As soon as the guard disappeared, Ferrero let out a sigh that was heavier than ever.

He was worried about his family, but his heart ached too much for not keeping his promise to the people.

‘Your Majesty, you are going too far.’

Ferrero was very disappointed by the reality that the Emperor, the strongest superhuman on the continent whom he had admired, was taking a wrong path, and that his relationship with him was growing increasingly distant.

Count Ferrero’s mansion was being monitored by the Baroque Imperial Guard.

The Count’s family was trapped inside the mansion, anxiously waiting for news of their patriarch.

‘There are more skilled guys than I thought.’

‘And there are war mages hidden everywhere, though we can’t see them.’

Luke and Phillip were watching the mansion from a nearby building.

As soon as the personnel to participate in the rescue operation were selected, Luke, who had come to Nemesis, was planning to rescue Count Ferrero immediately.

He couldn’t leave the throne vacant for a long time.

However, due to the information he had received from Hydra and the Imperial Intelligence Department’s familiars, he had changed his plan.

‘Seeing that his family is confined to the mansion, it seems that Emperor Rudolf doesn’t intend to completely eliminate Count Ferrero.’

If Rudolf, who had a ruthless personality towards traitors, had really intended to eliminate Count Ferrero, he would have killed or imprisoned all of his family.

That’s why Luke had thought that the Count’s family would all be dead before he came here.

‘That’s right. But if the Count doesn’t keep his head down, his treatment will change.’

Luke changed his plan and decided to rescue Ferrero and his family at the same time.

After finishing his reconnaissance of the Imperial Palace and the mansion, Luke gathered the personnel who were participating in the operation and said,

‘The first team, led by myself and Sir Phillip, will take care of Count Ferrero. The second team, consisting of Belfar, Scarlett, and Erewin, will take care of the Count’s family, and the third team, led by Angri, will set fire to the barracks and government offices of Nemesis to divert the enemy’s attention.’

‘Understood, Your Majesty.’

‘The rescue operation will take place at midnight tonight. Everyone, be fully prepared by then.’

After giving those instructions, Luke distributed the teleport scrolls that would be used to escape from the Imperial Capital and also informed them of the rendezvous point.

On the other hand, he also prepared a gift to give to Rudolf.

In fact, he had put more effort into this ‘gift’ than the Ferrero rescue operation.

It would be of great help in the future political situation.

‘Hehehe. I’m looking forward to the reactions in many ways.’

Thinking of the Emperor jumping up and down after receiving his gift and ‘him’, Luke couldn’t help but smile.

3

On a dark night with no moon in sight.

There were a series of figures running through the streets of the Imperial Capital, taking advantage of the darkness.

Moving without a sound or a trace, they were Angri, who had been reduced to a familiar of Sebastian [a magical servant], and Belfar, and assassins from Hydra.

‘I’m realizing it again, but the abilities of the demons are truly amazing.’

Angri thought as he glanced at his subordinates.

After becoming a familiar, his physical abilities had become far superior to what they were when he was human.

Especially on a pitch-black night like tonight, his abilities seemed to be at their peak.

At first, he was greatly disappointed that he had become a slave to a wicked demon, but now that he thought about it, it didn’t seem so bad.

‘This is probably why black mages make contracts with demons to gain power.’

Thinking that, Angri stopped at a fork in the road and said to his subordinates.

‘Let’s split up here. Since we only need to divert attention, avoid unnecessary engagements.’

The Hydra agents nodded at his words and infiltrated the barracks and government offices, dodging the guard forces with ghostly movements.

Then, they lit the bags of gunpowder they had brought and threw them into the armories and document storage rooms.

Boom-! Kaboom!

Whoosh!

As soon as the Hydra agents left, flames soared from the barracks and government offices all over Nemesis, along with explosions.

‘What, what is it?’

‘You fool, this is no time to hesitate! The gunpowder has caught fire!’

Unlike the government offices, the Central Army in the barracks looked at the places where the fire was rising and scattered in a panic.

There was a considerable amount of gunpowder and shells stored in the armories.

Thanks to that, both knights and soldiers were too busy running away in a hurry rather than thinking about putting out the fire.

Kuaaaang-!

The gunpowder and shells in the armory exploded all at once, and a deafening explosion echoed throughout the area.

Along with that, a tremor like an earthquake shook the entire Nemesis.

It was at that moment that the desperate cries were heard by the Central Army knights and soldiers who were in chaos due to the shock of the explosion and earthquake.

‘Enemy attack! An enemy special forces unit has appeared!’

‘The Lybian Royal Army has invaded!’

Angri and the Hydra agents, who had committed the act and quickly disguised themselves as Central Army soldiers, ran around shouting.

They were not just shouting, but also attacking officers and knights by throwing hidden weapons.

‘Kuaaak!’

“It’s the enemy! They’ve appeared on this side!”

“Be careful! The enemy is disguised as our own!”

As chaos erupted in the barracks and fires spread throughout Nemesis, the Royal Guard Knights protecting Count Ferrero’s mansion were also caught off guard.

“What in the world is going on?” Huan, guarding the mansion, asked a female knight who had just ridden over from the barracks.

The mature-looking female knight, with striking red hair, wore a uniform bearing the Royal Guard Knights’ emblem.

“A special forces unit from the Lybian Kingdom has appeared,” she stated urgently.

“What?” Huan responded, eyes wide with surprise.

The female knight continued, “The imperial capital is under attack everywhere. The higher-ups have ordered us to leave only a minimal guard and eliminate the enemy forces.”

“But we are under imperial orders to protect this mansion. We cannot move without His Majesty’s command…”

“Do you think there’s time for that now? The commander said he would take responsibility and get post-approval from His Majesty, so move out immediately!”

“Ah, I understand. We’ll leave right away.”

Overwhelmed by the forceful female knight’s command, Huan left the mansion with only a small force.

The remaining knights spoke to the female knight with worried expressions.

“It seems the infiltrated enemy special forces are numerous.”

“Yes, and what’s more, they are said to be disguised as our allies.”

“Ha! Then it’s even more serious. By the way, which squad do you belong to? There’s no way I wouldn’t know a pretty one like you… Ack!”

An arrow pierced the brow of the hawk-nosed knight who had approached the female knight, trying to flirt with her.

The female knight, no, Scarlet, standing in front of the hawk-nosed knight as he slowly fell backward, was holding a small bow.

“W-what?”

As the knights were startled, Scarlet shot and killed all the remaining knights with a high-speed volley befitting an Advanced Bow Expert.

“Kuaaak!”

“Keek!”

Dealing with a dozen or so knights was instantaneous.

“Clean up,” Scarlet commanded.

At her words, the members of Team 2, who had been waiting nearby, quickly rushed over and removed the bodies of the fallen knights.

Meanwhile, Belfar and Erewin, who had stealthily infiltrated through the back door, subdued the remaining guards and the hidden war mages [mages specializing in combat magic].

They immediately headed to the room where Count Ferrero’s family was imprisoned.

“W-who are you?” The knights guarding the door drew their swords, but Erewin’s fire magic was faster.

Bang!

The door shattered, blowing away the knights, and Count Ferrero’s family inside the room recoiled in shock.

“W-who are you people?” the countess asked, hiding her children behind her, trying to suppress her fear.

In response, Erewin bowed politely and answered, “We are here to rescue you.”

“To rescue us?” Just as Erewin was about to explain further, Belfar spoke urgently.

“There’s no time to explain now. Emperor Rudolf has decided to destroy the Ferrero family. We must leave here quickly before the Emperor’s executioners arrive.”

It was a lie, but Erewin pretended not to know.

In the current situation, explaining that they were from the Symphonia Kingdom and that they were trying to rescue the Count would take too long.

“H-how could His Majesty do such a thing…! But if we run away, what about him? Who will save him?”

“People have already gone to his side. So, please rest assured and follow us,” Belfar urged the countess, holding the children in his arms.

The countess seemed confused, but she decided there was no time to think further in her already confined situation, and she obediently followed Belfar and Erewin.

‘The demons are more useful than I thought,’ Erewin mused.

She knew that Luke’s true identity was the black magician Seymon, who was called the Demon King about 500 years ago.

She thought his ability to summon demons and take their power was amazing, but she had concerns and doubts about using the sinister demons as his underlings.

However, when it came to being sinister, humans were worse than demons. Otherwise, why would the fairies say that humans were above demons?

Moreover, in Belfar’s case, he was a demon who had also mastered the Silver Sword, which was imbued with divine power.

‘Well, he’s an exceptional person, so it wouldn’t be strange if he controlled the Demon King instead of just demons.’

Thinking about it, that was why his teacher, Erenes, entrusted the future of the fairy race to Luke.

He was a person who looked beyond prejudice and fixed ideas, and who tried to create a new world.

‘Maybe I need to break free from prejudice and fixed ideas too.’ Erewin thought that if she loved him, and if she wanted to win his heart, she would have to do so.

4

The entrance to the imperial underground prison was located in the Royal Guard Knights’ headquarters, which was attached to the Baroque Imperial Palace.

Normally, it would have been difficult to enter due to the strict security.

However, thanks to the fire and explosion that had just occurred, about half of the Royal Guard Knights had been dispatched, and the other half were also focused on the outside, allowing Luke’s Team 1 to infiltrate easily.

“Angri is doing a better job than I thought,” Luke commented.

He had not only diverted the enemies’ attention but had also prepared well for the infiltration in advance.

The Royal Guard Knights’ uniforms and forged IDs that Luke’s group was currently wearing, as well as the map of the underground prison, were all prepared by Angri. The uniforms and IDs were so well-made that even Philip, who had been in the Royal Guard Knights in the past, could not distinguish them from the real ones.

“Give him a reward when this is over,” Philip suggested.

Luke nodded as if it was worth considering.

‘A reward… should I release him from being a servant?’

Angri was currently Sebastian’s servant.

He didn’t know what trick Sebastian had used to make him a servant, but releasing him would be simple.

He just had to say one word to Sebastian.

If Luke ordered him to release him, Sebastian, being a slave, would have to free Angri somehow.

‘No, there’s no need to rush. There aren’t many slaves as useful as him.’

It would be enough to give Angri another reward.

Thinking that, Luke walked forward and discovered a huge iron gate.

The iron gate was one of the three gates that sealed off the underground prison. It was not only engraved with complex magic circles but was also guarded by highly skilled Royal Guard Knights.

“Halt. Who are you?” A senior knight, who appeared to be the gatekeeper, stopped Luke’s group and spoke.

Luke replied calmly, “We have come to take a prisoner under the Emperor’s orders.”

“Imperial orders?” the gatekeeper asked.

“That’s right. Open the gate immediately.”

Even at the mention of imperial orders, the gatekeeper was not easily swayed. Instead, he glared at Luke suspiciously.

“According to the commander, we are not to release any prisoners until we receive separate orders. Do you have any proof that you received imperial orders?”

“No. The situation outside is so urgent that there was no time to create an order.”

“What’s going on outside? Is it related to the earthquake earlier?”

The Royal Guard Knights guarding the iron gate had been stationed here all along, so they did not yet know what was happening outside.

That was why they could only tilt their heads at Luke’s words.

“A special forces unit from the Lybian Kingdom has attacked the imperial capital. The Central Army barracks were also attacked, and the armory exploded. It’s a complete mess right now.”

“Hmm…”

“The situation is so urgent, and the enemy is appearing and disappearing so quickly, that His Majesty has decided to temporarily release Count Ferrero to give him a chance to atone for his sins. So, open the gate quickly.”

Luke’s words seemed plausible.

His combat power as an Upper Sword Master and his excellent command ability would shine in a situation like this.

Nevertheless, the gatekeeper did not move.

At this, Philip stepped forward and raised his voice, “What are you dawdling for! If the situation worsens like this, you will be held responsible!”

The gatekeeper did not respond and just stared at Philip.

Philip was secretly sweating at the gaze that seemed to see right through him.

He wondered if he had been recognized.

‘I was once in the Royal Guard Knights, so it’s not strange that someone would know me. But right now, my appearance and voice have been changed by His Majesty’s magic?’

However, there was something that could not be changed even if his appearance and voice were changed.

That was power, such as mana and aura [a person’s life force or energy].

Knights had unique mana and aura wavelengths, so skilled and perceptive knights could recognize someone by their wavelength.

As expected, the gatekeeper twitched his eyebrows and then shouted at Philip, “Aren’t you Philip, who wrote a resignation letter and ran away seven years ago! Why is someone like you disguised and here now?”

‘Damn it, did he notice?’

As things went wrong, Philip immediately drew his sword and struck down at the gatekeeper.

It was a blow imbued with Impact Aura, but surprisingly, the gatekeeper blocked his attack.

He was also a Sword Master like Philip.

‘Damn it, why is a Sword Master working as a gatekeeper for the underground prison?’

Philip couldn’t understand. With that level of skill, he could have been the commander of a Royal Guard Knights squad.

“Sound the alarm! An intruder has entered…” The gatekeeper’s words stopped mid-sentence.

It was because of the Silent magic that Luke had deployed.

At the same time as the magic was activated, the members of Team 1 rushed at the Royal Guard Knights.

In a situation where noise and voices were blocked by Silent magic, only the sparks of aura and blades clashing flashed in the area.

The knights who had been deployed in preparation for the unlikely event of Ferrero escaping were among the best in the Royal Guard, and the gatekeeper was one of the three former squad leaders.

So, the fight did not go easily, but the situation changed when Luke stepped in to support.

‘Petro Light!’

“Huk!” A purple light flashed from Luke’s eyes, and the demon’s power was activated.

Petro Light, with its power reduced to the lowest level, could not turn the gatekeeper and the Royal Guard Knights into hard stone, but it was enough to temporarily stiffen their bodies.

In the meantime, the blades of Philip and the members of Team 1 unhesitatingly cut through their necks and pierced their hearts.

‘Did we get them all?’ Philip, who had dealt with the Royal Guard Knights guarding the iron gate, wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, the magic circles engraved on the iron gate began to interlock in a complex way and activate.

Kiiiiing! Clang! Clang!

Various mechanical devices sprang up from the ground in front of the iron gate and reinforced the iron gate in multiple layers.

And the lights in the area changed from green to red.

Seeing that, Philip and the members of Team 1 had troubled expressions.

‘Damn it, it seems the bodies of the dead had tattoos linked to the iron gate’s alarm magic circle.’

Originally, there should have been a loud noise, but thanks to Luke’s Silent magic, the alarm sound was not heard.

However, perhaps sensing something was wrong from the changed lights, urgent shouts and the sound of a large number of troops approaching were heard from the entrance of the underground prison.

‘Your Majesty!’

‘There’s no need to worry,’ Luke responded to Philip’s worried gaze, waving his hand as if to say there was no need to worry.

The iron gate was reinforced and the defensive magic circles were complex, but they were not at a level that Luke could not disarm.

Luke, who had easily neutralized the magic circles with 8th Circle Anti-Magic and Open magic, opened the iron gate and entered inside.

Shortly after, when the Baroque Royal Guard Knights arrived, the iron gate was already firmly closed.

“Damn it, intruders at a time like this! Open the gate immediately!” the Royal Guard Knights commander shouted.

At his command, a war mage dispatched from the Imperial Magic Tower cast Open magic on the iron gate.

After chanting the magic for a while, he said with a troubled face, “That… it won’t open, as if someone has tampered with it from the inside.”

The reason why the iron gate did not budge was that Luke, who had entered inside, had modified the magic circles of the iron gate and changed the opening and closing formulas.

“To tamper with the formulas here, you need to be at least an 8th Circle mage. It’s beyond my ability, and we need to bring a Meister [a master craftsman or expert].”

“Tch! It can’t be helped. Secure the iron gate thoroughly. And raise the security of the imperial palace by one level!”

In any case, the intruders’ goal was to rescue Ferrero, who was imprisoned in the underground prison.

In the end, they would have no choice but to come out.

‘I need to report to His Majesty first.’

Rudolf was directly managing matters related to Ferrero.

Moreover, considering that they had taken down the security forces in an instant and even modified the magic formulas of the iron gate, they were no ordinary people.

Perhaps the Emperor or his personal guard would have to step in.

“There are intruders in the underground prison?” Rudolf, who had already woken up from the commotion in the imperial capital, frowned at the Royal Guard Knights commander’s report.

“Is this also the work of the Lybian Kingdom?” he asked.

“I believe so, Your Majesty,” Voltaire agreed from the side.

Originally, Ferrero was a neutral noble. He was friendly with Felipe and others who had plotted treason with Reikart behind them.

“Considering Ferrero’s personality, he wouldn’t have colluded with them, but they might try to rescue him and bring him to their side in this situation.”

“That’s right, Your Majesty. They haven’t left the underground prison yet. They’re like rats in a trap, so if we eliminate them all at once…”

“No, there’s no need for that. A rat cornered will bite even a cat,” Rudolf said with a thin smile, reaching for a crystal ornament on one side of his office chair.

Woo-oong!

As the Emperor’s hand touched the ornament in the shape of a dragon, a magic circle flashed on the floor of the office, and a semi-transparent three-dimensional map appeared in the air, showing the imperial palace and the underground prison.

“T-this is!” Count Voltaire was also surprised by the sight he was seeing for the first time.

As a close aide, he had served Rudolf for a long time, but he had no idea that such a thing existed in the Emperor’s office.

“Heh heh heh. It’s one of the imperial family’s secrets that the world doesn’t know. Perhaps those rats have no idea what kind of place they’ve entered,” a sinister smile appeared on Rudolf’s lips as he looked at the three-dimensional map.