Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 127

Military Parade

Military Parade

1

As the new year approached, the Royal Katarina Magic Tower in Brenden was busier than ever. This time, the military selected the Warrior-class modified Stiletto and the Knight-class Giers as the main Gigants [large, humanoid war machines] of the Symphonia Kingdom.

The selection itself wasn’t a major issue. Production could proceed step by step. The real problem was that, to streamline logistics, they issued an order to standardize the Gigant specifications, parts, and weapons. This caused an uproar among the magic towers throughout the kingdom.

The engineers at the magic tower workshops were discussing the matter.

“I heard that the purchase of Gigants by the lords has plummeted due to the military reform?”

“His Majesty has decreed that they can only own machines under 1,000 fight [a unit of power], which can only be used for monster subjugation. And even that is limited in number…”

In response, some magic towers abandoned domestic sales and boldly targeted overseas markets, or switched to producing low-output Gigants for monster subjugation, naval battles, or training. However, most small and medium-sized magic towers chose a more stable path, accepting orders from the Symphonia military, which had become the largest customer in the country, rather than taking such risks.

And that customer standardized the specifications around the Katarina Magic Tower’s Gigants. Subcontracting magic towers that supplied parts or magic stones to the Katarina Magic Tower were fine, but other magic towers were in an uproar. They had to scramble to meet the specifications belatedly, and the mages of the Katarina Magic Tower had to travel all over the kingdom to support them.

“I heard that many magic towers were forced to become subcontractors because of this?”

“They didn’t lose out completely. They received technology and know-how from our magic tower.”

Luke transferred the new Gigant and artificial magic stone manufacturing technology in exchange for the standardization. Of course, what was disclosed was limited to the Warrior-class modified Stiletto, and the Knight-class Giers was only produced at the Katarina Magic Tower.

“Anyway, it will be easier to repair on the front lines if the specifications are standardized.”

“Of course. When I was in the Milton Kingdom, I participated in the campaign to capture the fortress in the Variand Mountains, and I had a lot of trouble because the wrong Gigant parts arrived…”

Just as one of the engineers was recounting his experience, the work foreman, holding a large spanner, approached and shouted, “You bastards! Stop chatting and finish the work carefully! Do you want to work all night again because you’re being lazy?”

He was a human-dwarf hybrid with a small but sturdy build and a thick beard. He was originally a slave of one of the top 10 magic towers, but when his magic tower was destroyed in the chaos of the Magic Tower War, he fled to the Holy Empire. There, he was caught up in a civil war, and when Luke made a name for himself and expanded the Red Wolf Mercenary Corps, he came under his command. In addition to him, there were quite a few fairies or human-fairy hybrids that Luke had brought from various places in the Katarina Magic Tower.

“Ah, no, sir!”

At the foreman’s rebuke, the engineers hammered and tightened wrenches, hastily attaching the outer armor.

“We’ll be doing the painting tomorrow, so if there are any rust or scratches on the armor surface, wipe them clean or patch them up. The surface has to be clean for the paint to adhere well.”

“We’ll be using glossy paint, right?”

“Of course. That Stiletto will be in the New Year’s military parade, so pay special attention…”

Kwooooaaaaaaah!

The engineers flinched at the sudden roar. The foreman, frowning, grumbled, “Tch, it seems to be acting up again.”

“A-are we going to be okay? I heard it’s a Fallen Angel or a high-ranking demon.”

“That’s right. I hope we don’t end up like Nemesis…”

At the engineers’ concerns, the foreman glared at them as if to tell them not to say such unlucky things. However, he was also uneasy, so he didn’t scold them harshly. Five days ago, a huge high-ranking demon appeared in the forest northwest of Brenden. It was unknown which crazy black mage summoned it, but the demon that had just come up from the Demon Realm seemed very strong. The demon attacked the king and the Royal Knights, who were conducting Gigant mobility training nearby. There was an emergency, but surprisingly, the matter was resolved simply. It was easily subdued by King Luke, who was riding the Avenger.

Everyone said that it was a dangerous demon and should be killed quickly, but Luke refused. “I don’t know who summoned it to kill me, but wouldn’t it be a good spectacle? As a spectacle to liven up the New Year’s military parade.” After saying this, Luke bound the demon in layers with Hold magic and locked it in the Katarina Magic Tower’s warehouse. The captured demon thrashed about, but it had already lost most of its demonic energy, and its important bones and tendons were broken or severed. On top of that, it was wearing a powerful seal, so all it could do was struggle and scream. Nevertheless, people could not shake off their anxiety. That was because demons were imprinted in their minds as terrifying beings.

“But who summoned that demon?”

“How would I know? Probably the guys who sent the monster claiming to be a descendant of the hero last time.”

Not only the foreman, but also the officials of the royal palace and the people of the world thought so. There was also speculation that the king did not kill the demon on purpose to make a spectacle of a powerful demon and warn, ‘I am this strong, so don’t do anything reckless.’

“Anyway, His Majesty is really strong. He captured a high-ranking demon that even Emperor Rudolf barely defeated single-handedly.”

“Of course! Because he is a descendant of the hero. Moreover, I heard that he trains whenever he has time to become a stronger and greater hero than the progenitor [the original hero].”

“Ooooh, indeed…!”

The foreman, glancing at the admiring engineers, began to urge them again. “Anyway, finish the work properly! If you do a sloppy job and disgrace yourselves at the New Year’s event, you and I will all lose our heads.”

“Yes, we will keep that in mind!”

The engineers, with serious eyes, focused on their work as the foreman made a gesture of cutting his neck with his fingertips. The demon’s roar echoed again, but they paid no attention to it.

2

“That guy has a lot of energy. Well, he has to be alive until the military parade.” Luke, who was at the Katarina Magic Tower to adjust the balance of the Avenger, smiled faintly as he heard the captured Fallen Angel’s cries. Fabian, who was helping with the work, said, “The mages are quite interested in it, even though they are scared. So are the priests.”

“Well, it’s rare for people to see a demon in person.” Most people had only encountered demons through legends or records passed down from ancient times. As a result, they vaguely thought of them as evil and terrifying beings.

“Demons became that way because of the harsh environment of the Demon Realm. To survive, they had to have stronger power and a more violent personality than anyone else.”

“Come to think of it, the demons that the Progenitor uses seem a bit different. Is it the influence of coming to the Middle Realm?”

“There’s that, and there’s my influence too.”

“Well, they wouldn’t dare to disobey the Progenitor.”

Fabian recalled the time when the Fallen Angel was captured. Luke, who had gone out of the royal capital under the pretext of military training, secretly left the campsite at dawn and summoned a high-ranking demon deep in the forest. The Fallen Angel, who had been lured to the Middle Realm by a rumor spread by Sebastian, boasted arrogantly before having its vocal cords and tongue cut off by a surprise attack from Luke in the Avenger. The Fallen Angel thrashed about in pain, but it could not withstand Luke, who responded calmly. Luke, who had massively plundered the Fallen Angel’s demonic energy with the black magic Black Bind, amplified by the Avenger’s core engine, immediately fired a Thousand Bullets, beating it up enough not to kill it.

“I know you took the initiative, but I didn’t expect it to be so easily defeated. It was a Fallen Angel, a high-ranking demon, even if it was weaker than Cowlen.”

“The first blow was too fatal.”

“Ah, come to think of it, you used Gold Aura!”

The Gold Aura, imbued with the energy of demon subjugation, was like poison to demons. As a result, the wound on the Fallen Angel from the greatsword was as painful as being burned with fire. Moreover, because the energy of the Gold Aura penetrated into its body and interfered with the flow of demonic energy, the Fallen Angel had no choice but to be beaten up without being able to properly use its power or abilities.

Luke left the incapacitated Fallen Angel and returned to the campsite.

“Did you leave traces on purpose at that time?”

“No, I erased the traces. If he knew where I went, he might not have chased me.”

Demons, for whom the law of the jungle is justice, are strong against the weak and weak against the strong. The Fallen Angel, who had been beaten up by Luke enough not to die, had no intention of facing him again. It was just going to replenish its lost demonic energy by extracting the essence of humans, quickly recover from its injuries, and then return to the Demon Realm. So, it attacked the humans gathered nearby, but it happened to be the Symphonia Royal Knights that Luke had brought.

“Hahahaha. The demon’s reaction when it saw the Progenitor’s Avenger at that time was really funny.”

“Hah. It had a face like it had eaten shit. Of course, the knights who didn’t know what was going on were terrified.”

The situation that followed was as everyone knew. The Fallen Angel, who had been lured to the Middle Realm by a rumor spread by Sebastian, was captured by Luke and was in danger of experiencing a humiliation that no demon had ever experienced before.

“What are you going to do with him after the military parade?”

“I don’t need him, so I have to kill him. I have to make sure to get the summoning cost, right?”

Luke smiled greedily. Even during his Seymon days, he had summoned a Fallen Angel and absorbed its demonic energy and abilities. The Scud and Insight abilities he had acquired at that time were quite useful, so he had high expectations.

“You should try it sometime too. You have to know how to kill a demon to be called a true Dark Moon black mage.”

“Yes, Progenitor. I will try to be brave and challenge it sometime. And…”

Fabian, who was about to say something, stopped mid-sentence.

“And?”

“Ah, no, it’s nothing. I will work harder in the future.”

“Okay, do your best.”

Luke knew what Fabian was trying to say, what he wanted to ask. ‘When will black mages be able to stand proudly in the world?’ Luke knew better than anyone what the reality was like for black mages. He also had memories of being hunted down as an enemy of the world just for revealing his identity. ‘How long will I be able to hide my secret from the people of the world?’ Luke felt a slight heaviness in one side of his heart. He had defeated Hiros, but he had a feeling that his future might not have changed yet.

3

After all the preparations were completed, the day of the New Year’s military parade arrived. As it had been sufficiently advertised and promoted in advance, a considerable number of people flocked to Brenden. Not only the uninvited local nobles, but also the commoners who had some spare time all gathered. In fact, it was rare to have an opportunity to see the military power of a country at a glance, from various Gigants to the Knights and elite soldiers, unless one was a high-ranking official of the military. Therefore, the people who gathered in the central square had expectant faces.

“Your Majesty, all preparations are complete.” At the chamberlain’s words, Luke rose from his seat. “Then let’s go.” “Yes, Your Majesty.” As the two men came out of the king’s office, the Royal Knights, dressed in splendid ceremonial attire, followed them. It was specially tailored for this event, and it was more focused on style than activity.

“How many of the invited guests have arrived?” At Luke’s question, Prime Minister Hans, who had approached, answered, “You can assume that almost all of the people we sent invitations to have arrived.” Luke had sent invitations to the major nobles of various kingdoms in addition to the local lords for this parade. Since national military parades were rarely held recently due to their cost, many nobles seemed to be curious and responded to the invitation.

“How many people have gathered in the central square?” “I haven’t counted them one by one, but I think there are probably more than 400,000.”

The number of people who gathered from all over the country to celebrate the founding of the kingdom and Luke’s coronation last year was about 200,000. The fact that about twice as many had gathered meant that the people’s expectations were that high. In the training ground inside the royal palace, the Gigants belonging to the Royal Knights and the 1st to 5th Armies were lined up in rows. They were Gigants that had been specially selected and neatly painted for the military parade. Behind the Gigants, the knights and soldiers of each unit stood at attention, wearing splendid armor. It seemed that the commanders had been training them hard, as their military discipline was very strict.

“Hahahaha. Shall I summon my Gigant too?” Luke summoned the Avenger from his subspace bracelet. As Luke’s Gigant suddenly appeared, the eyes of the soldiers lined up were all focused on it. This was because the size and appearance of the Avenger were overwhelming compared to other Gigants, not just because of its appearance. The armor, which shone silver in the sunlight, and the cloak embroidered with gold thread hanging down its back, made it look like a giant warrior from a legend.

“Then, begin the parade!” As Luke, who was riding the Gigant, gave the order, the military band, which had been waiting outside the royal palace, began to play all at once. As a cheerful march began to play, starting with the bugle, the standard-bearers holding the flags symbolizing the royal family and each unit began to march out of the royal palace. Thump, thump, thump! Luke also moved the Avenger. The main gate of the royal palace had been specially modified for today’s parade, so even a Gigant over 10 meters tall could pass through the gate with dignity.

“Wow! It’s His Majesty!” “It’s His Majesty’s personal Gigant!” The people who recognized the king’s crest drawn on the Avenger’s chestplate shouted. Luke was quite a popular king among the commoners, not the nobles. This was because he had abolished the petty taxes that the nobles had been collecting under various pretexts and had halved the land tax and poll tax imposed on farmland and population. Instead, Luke developed commerce and industry to secure the kingdom’s finances. He actively promoted trade with the Southern Continent, filling the shortage of tax revenue with the enormous profits generated there, and built various workshops in local cities to encourage the production of daily necessities and goods. It was a kind of mercantilism [an economic theory that emphasizes trade and wealth accumulation]. Anyway, it was a natural reaction for the people who had benefited from the mercantilist policy to enthusiastically welcome Luke.

“Waaaaaah!” “Waaah! Long live His Majesty the King!” Behind Luke, the Gigants belonging to the 1st to 5th Armies appeared one after another.

As each unit appeared, from the Orions carrying the commanders of each army to the Knight-class Gaiuses ridden by squadron leaders and high-ranking knights, and the modified Stilettos of the regular knights, the people cheered as if they were mesmerized.

But the children were the most excited.

“Dad, when I grow up, I want to be a Gigant rider!”

“Well, to do that, you’d have to be at least a knight, even if you’re not a noble…”

“Oh, Dad! Why are you talking like an old man? They said at school that if you do well in swordsmanship class, they’ll recommend you to the military academy!”

“Really? Then you should try your best.”

While the common children were filled with dreams and ambition, the expressions of the nobles in the VIP seats varied.

“His Majesty is really pulling out all the stops.”

“Indeed. I didn’t expect him to reveal even the Hero-class, which is a top military secret.”

“Haha, with this much power, it seems like we could fight the Baroque Empire right now and not lose, wouldn’t you say?”

“The future of the kingdom is truly bright!”

The central bureaucratic nobles were relatively relaxed, but the local lords, especially those from the former Milton Kingdom, had grim expressions.

They seemed quite shocked, not realizing that the king’s forces were this powerful.

‘Compared to the regular army, our lord’s army is a disorganized rabble.’

‘Haa, we’re in a position where King Luke could crush us with a mere flick of his wrist.’

They had already sensed the disparity, but witnessing it firsthand made them feel utterly defeated.

The lords deeply understood what kind of opponent they had been trying to outmaneuver and resist.

‘This military parade is clearly a warning from the king to us.’

‘It seems it would be better to comply with the military reforms. It’s better than being destroyed as an example…’

While the local lords were seriously contemplating their future, the foreign nobles who had been invited were also observing the parade with serious expressions.

Mostly high-ranking officials from the military or administration, they were busy analyzing the newly appeared Gigants with the accompanying mages.

“The large Gigants that the commanders of each army are riding must be Hero-class, right?”

“Yes, Count. Since they have never been produced at any of the Ten Great Magic Towers, it means they were developed independently at the Symphonia Royal Magic Tower.”

Currently, the only places that produce Hero-class Gigants are a few of the former Ten Great Magic Towers that survived the Magic Tower War, and the Imperial Magic Towers of the Baroque and Holy Artenia Empires.

But for a kingdom that was founded not long ago to have developed a new Hero-class Gigant!

Gulp.

A noble from the Castia Kingdom asked with a very covetous expression.

“What is the output of the core engine?”

“Well, shall we find out?”

“Yes, please do. If the performance and price are good, we’ll import them into our kingdom.”

Such conversations taking place in various parts of the VIP seats were being collected by Argos informants stationed everywhere.

4

It was when the parade was about halfway through.

Suddenly, screams and murmuring began to be heard.

“What’s with this reaction?”

“I know. Did something huge appear?”

The people gathered on the streets began to look towards the royal palace in the distance.

And after a while, they were able to understand the reason for the commotion.

Kwoooaaaaah!

A being larger than a Gigant, with chains dangling from its arms and legs, was being dragged along like a dog.

“Kyaaaa!”

“M-My goodness! What is that monster?”

“It’s a demon! It must be a demon!”

“Look at that size! It’s really huge!”

A great commotion arose among the crowd.

Although it had seals on its arms and legs, and armed Gigants were standing guard on either side, the mere presence of a demon was enough to instill fear.

Moreover, because it was large and thrashing wildly, women and children were screaming continuously.

But the people’s agitation did not last long.

Thwack!

“Just walk forward quietly!”

A Gigant walking next to the fallen angel struck the back of its head with a large mace.

Kuh-erk!

“Where do you think you’re looking? Do you think this is the demon realm where you used to run wild?”

“You haven’t had enough of the bitter taste yet!”

The riders guarding the fallen angel mercilessly swung their maces.

The fallen angel, already having had its demonic energy taken by Luke and being thoroughly beaten, had no strength to resist.

Kuh-uh! Kkeueung!

Having been hurt a lot by the beating that lasted for a short time, the fallen angel, with tears welling up in its eyes, obediently followed the riders’ lead.

At that sight, the crowd gradually began to shed their fear.

“Haha, they’re handling a demon like a stray dog!”

“It’s just big, it doesn’t seem that different from a regular monster?”

“Y-Yeah. I heard from my grandmother that just making eye contact with a demon would steal your soul…”

Frankly, most of the information that ordinary people had about demons was exaggerated or false.

Seeing a demon that was different from what they knew, people began to feel curiosity rather than fear.

“Looking at that size and the black wings, it must be a fallen angel, but who caught that demon?”

At the words of a middle-aged priest in the crowd, a soldier controlling the people in the front said.

“His Majesty caught it himself.”

“Is that really true?”

“Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. The higher-ups say that a force targeting His Majesty summoned it.”

Information about the demon spread quickly by word of mouth.

Not only the common people but also the domestic and foreign nobles were talking while looking at the demon walking pitifully down the street like a beaten dog.

“Who are the ones targeting the King of Symphonia?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know? It must be the Baroque Empire’s imperial family or the remnants of the Veritas Magic Tower. Don’t you know that there are rumors that they cursed the Lacan family with black magic?”

“No, is that rumor true?”

“Otherwise, would the successive heads of the Lacan family have died so young? I heard that King Luke was also cursed, but he survived thanks to His Holiness the Pope.”

These series of rumors were spread by Argos agents.

There was no clear evidence, but it was plausible, so it was considered the truth among those who enjoyed gossip.

“Anyway, to capture a high-ranking demon alive, His Majesty the King is no ordinary man.”

“He is truly the incarnation of a god of war!”

“Long live King Luke!”

“Long live!”

At the shouts of the Argos agents who had infiltrated the crowd as shills, the people around them also began to shout cheers.

The entire royal capital was shaken by the cheers of hundreds of thousands of people.

That thunderous shout felt as intimidating to the lords as the army armed with Gigants, further diminishing their resistance to the king.

In fact, with today’s military parade, it could be said that the forces within Symphonia that were trying to oppose the royal authority or resist the military reforms were eliminated.

5

After the military parade ended, while the Gigants were on display for the general public in the plaza, Luke held a banquet for the domestic and foreign nobles who had come to the event.

However, this banquet was different from other banquets where people simply ate, drank, and danced.

It was a banquet that also served as an academic conference where the mages of the Royal Katarina Magic Tower and the scholars of the royal palace showcased their research results.

“Everyone, look closely. This is the secret gunpowder that defeated the Grenada Navy.”

Bang—!

“Oooooh!”

When Zhuge Soha dropped a small amount of gunpowder into a container filled with water, a pillar of water shot up with a loud bang.

The nobles, who were watching with curious eyes, couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

In various parts of the banquet hall, such magical experiments and newly developed devices were providing good entertainment.

Luke intended to show off Symphonia’s magical engineering technology with these attractions.

Meanwhile, some foreign nobles approached him to inquire about the sale of the Orions.

“Your Majesty, I am Count Nobel of the Castia Kingdom.”

“Oh, Count Nobel. Thank you for accepting the invitation. But what brings you here?”

“It’s about the new Hero-class Gigant that was revealed at today’s parade. I was wondering if you could sell it to us.”

“You mean the Orion?”

“Is the name of that new Gigant Orion, the giant hunter from ancient mythology? It seems quite fitting.”

Count Nobel had his subordinate investigate the approximate performance of the Orion.

As a result, he learned that the Orion had an amazing output of 3,700 phytes [a unit of magical power], and he was flattering Luke because he really wanted to buy it.

If the purchase was successful, his position in the Castia court would be strengthened.

“Hehe, it’s going to be quite expensive…?”

When Luke didn’t refuse outright, Nobel’s eyes sparkled.

He was confident that he could pay any amount of money.

He was a central bureaucratic noble of Castia, with considerable connections to the Minister of Finance. He also owned the kingdom’s largest trading company.

“Of course, it would be expensive. Originally, Hero-class Gigants are rare treasures that you can’t buy even with money, aren’t they? I will buy it no matter the cost, so please bestow your grace upon me.”

Except for the Ten Great Magic Towers, no country had ever sold a Hero-class Gigant, a strategic weapon developed in their own country, to another country.

Therefore, the nobles who were listening to the conversation thought that Luke would refuse.

But unexpectedly, Luke agreed.

Although the price was a huge sum of 1 million pesos.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

After Count Nobel stepped back with a happy face, Meister Mute of the Katarina Magic Tower approached Luke and asked.

“Your Majesty, are you really going to sell the Orion?”

“Yes.”

“But the Orion is one of the newest Gigants that we have only a few of in the Symphonia Kingdom. Please reconsider the sale.”

Not only Mute but also Prime Minister Hans and Marquis Rogers opposed it.

However, Luke shook his head.

In fact, there was another purpose for his military parade.

It was to prepare for Arsen, who was hiding somewhere in the Southern Continent and building his strength.

According to Hwangbo Seong, Arsen’s undead army would invade the Northern Continent in the future.

The Rodisia Continent, whose power had been drastically reduced due to the war between kingdoms, would not be able to stop it and would be destroyed. Knowing this, Luke could not stand idly by.

So, he thought of selling Gigants to the kingdoms that he had some friendship with to increase their power.

Of course, he had no intention of selling the Orion as it was.

He was planning to sell a downgraded version with the synchronization helm removed, the core engine output lowered, and the armor strength reduced by about 30%.

But even that would be more powerful than any Hero-class made by the Ten Great Magic Towers.

“Your Majesty, please sell us the Orion in the Ireah Kingdom as well.”

“We also ask for it in the Navar Principality.”

When Luke said that he was willing to sell, nobles from various kingdoms came forward to express their intention to buy.

“That’s difficult. The number of Orions that can be produced in a year is not many. So, how about buying Knight-class or Warrior-class for now?”

Luke had other Gigants to sell besides the Orion. There were the Gaius and the modified Stiletto.

“Oh! Are you talking about the units that were shown at today’s parade?”

Besides the Orion, the other Gigants also seemed to have pretty good movement and output.

“Yes. They are also more than capable in performance compared to the Gigants of other magic towers.”

Luke skillfully negotiated with the foreign nobles like a merchant.

Of course, it was basic for him to sell them at a higher price than the original.

The so-called ‘power trip’ was possible because the continental magic world had not yet recovered from the aftermath of the Magic Tower War.

Many small and medium-sized magic towers, as well as more than half of the Ten Great Magic Towers, had been destroyed or fallen, making it difficult to find new Gigants.

Moreover, since production had also decreased, the magic towers belonging to countries or noble families were busy filling their quotas.

Naturally, the performance and quality were not as good as they should have been.

In such a situation, it was impossible not to be drawn to the fact that the Symphonia Kingdom was selling excellent new Gigants.

‘Sales are not the problem, but production will be. I need to further expand the workshops of the Katarina Magic Tower or increase the number of subcontracting magic towers.’

After such a whirlwind passed, the chamberlain brought a person.

It was a person Luke had been eagerly waiting for, so he moved to a separate room to have an interview.

“Are you Marquis Albain?”

“Yes, it is an honor to meet Your Majesty, who is so highly regarded.”

A polite old scholar wearing glasses bowed to Luke.

He was Marquis Albain, the chairman of the Baroque Empire’s parliament and the head of the Albain Academy.

Having lost all his foundations due to the civil war in the Baroque Empire, he had been wandering abroad with his scholars, but he came to Symphonia after receiving Luke’s enthusiastic invitation.

“The honor is mine. I have heard that the Marquis is a person of integrity who has educated students without discrimination since his time in the Baroque Empire.”

“To say that I educated without discrimination is not true. There is no one who has discriminated against people as much as I have.”

Although Marquis Albain denied it, Luke did not care.

The discrimination he had made was not based on status or race, but on talent.

And it wasn’t that he only took care of the gifted, but he also provided step-by-step education suitable for the level of ordinary people and raised them into useful talents.

“I have recently completed the Royal Academy near Lamere City. I would like the Marquis to take the position of headmaster there.”

Luke intended to make the Symphonia Royal Academy the best in the Rodisia Continent, no, in the entire Middle Realm.

The more outstanding talents there were, the more prosperous the country would be and the more its national power would increase.

To this end, Luke was planning to actively recruit not only Marquis Albain but also any scholars with outstanding knowledge, regardless of whether they were from the Southern or Northern Continents.

“I am grateful that you value someone as lacking as me so highly.”

“Hehe, you just need to nurture outstanding talents.”

After talking about the future of the academy with Marquis Albain for a while, Luke moved back to the banquet hall.

Emperor of Steel [EN]

Emperor of Steel [EN]

강철대제
Status: Completed Author: Native Language: Korean
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[English Translation] In the realm of dark magic, Shaymon stood unrivaled, mastering the deepest and most formidable arts. Yet, his unparalleled prowess became his undoing when he was wrongfully accused of being a Demon King and met a premature death. Defiant in his final moments, Shaymon's indomitable will propels him 500 years into the future, granting him a second chance at life. However, fate plays a cruel jest: he is reborn as the descendant of his former nemesis, the revered Sword Emperor. In this new era, where the legacies of magic and swordsmanship intertwine, Shaymon must navigate the intricate dynamics of his inherited lineage while confronting remnants of his past. Armed with ancient knowledge and a renewed purpose, he embarks on a journey to reclaim his destiny, challenging the very fabric of time and power. Dive into a tale of reincarnation, redemption, and the relentless pursuit of truth in "Emperor of Steel."

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