Emperor Of Steel [EN]: Chapter 136

4. Dark Pilgrim

Luke, accompanied by Priest Luther and the Royal Knights, was diligently making his way to the Saxon Territory. Thanks to the Mass Fly spell, their journey was faster than by carriage or wagon, but it wasn’t as swift as he had hoped.

There were two main reasons for this. First, his magical power had its limits. Despite his considerable mana, carrying over twenty people through the air was no easy feat. Second, many of his companions were not accustomed to long flights. Like those on a carriage or ship, they suffered from motion sickness, experiencing dizziness and nausea. These symptoms weren’t limited to Luther; even the Royal Knights were affected. Consequently, they had to stop and rest frequently.

“How pathetic! The Royal Knights are slowing down the king! The world will laugh at this!” Hwangbo-sung reprimanded them, his face contorted in displeasure.

“W-we apologize, Commander,” the Royal Knights said, lowering their heads.

Luke, however, who was the most frustrated, defended them. “Don’t scold them too harshly. It’s my fault for forcing this unfamiliar mode of travel.”

Unless one was a mage, especially one who could use Fly magic, flying was an unusual experience. It was natural for the Royal Knights, who were used to ground combat, to struggle.

‘I should have them undergo flight training from time to time. It would be troublesome if this happens again later…’

Still, being knights with exceptional physiques and stamina, they recovered quickly. By sunset on the second day after leaving Bless, they reached the border of the Saxon Territory. The border was clearly marked by the territorial army and mages, who had dug deep trenches and set up fire magic circles to create a wall of flames, preventing the zombies from crossing.

‘It seems they are handling the situation well to prevent further spread,’ Luke thought, satisfied with the Holy Empire’s response. He led his group across the border.

“From here on, we’re in zombie territory. Everyone, stay alert. Understood?”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Even while flying, the risk of attack was high when resting on the ground. So, unlike before, Luke searched for a relatively safe place to rest. He soon found a suitable spot: the top of a rocky mountain in the middle of the forest. Though narrow, its steep sides made it difficult for zombies to approach.

Luke sent Luther and the Royal Knights down first, instructing them to prepare food and lodging.

“Huh? What’s that?” Luke, looking around from the air, noticed something strange in the distance.

“My lord, what’s wrong? Are zombies approaching?” Hwangbo-sung asked, his expression tense as Luke stared intently in one direction.

“There’s an unusual situation unfolding about two kilometers ahead. I need to investigate it for a moment.” Even though he was preoccupied with Reina, he couldn’t ignore it. The zombies ahead were behaving strangely, unlike what Priest Luther had described. Thinking it might be related to the zombie disease or its mastermind, Luke flew straight ahead, despite Hwangbo-sung’s concerns.

Kueeeeeeek!

Kuek!

Shortly after, Luke arrived at a small village on a low hill. The village was surrounded by a wooden fence, and zombies were everywhere. Up to this point, it was no different from other places in the Saxon Territory. But there was one key difference: the zombies were divided into two groups and fighting each other. About a thousand zombies were split into those with red headbands and those without. The red-headbanded zombies were preventing the others from entering the village. Moreover, unlike ordinary zombies who charged with bare hands, they were armed with weapons or farm tools like pitchforks and even used torches to launch fire attacks.

‘They’re moving in an organized way, like an army.’ Because of this, although the red-headbanded zombies were fewer, they moved and responded more efficiently. The fire attacks were particularly effective, burning away more than a dozen at once.

‘Zombies moving like an army. The only thing that can make that possible is black magic like corpse manipulation. Then…?’ Luke tried to trace the source of the black magic. He soon discovered that the magic controlling the red headbands was emanating from a watchtower in the middle of the village. A middle-aged man in a stained robe was standing on the watchtower. Every time he swung his staff and chanted a spell, the red headbands moved in perfect order.

‘He’s not just a simple black mage. Judging by how he moves the zombies in formation, he’s someone who has mastered basic military tactics.’ Perhaps he was a war mage who had gained considerable experience on the battlefield before learning black magic.

While Luke pondered and watched, the red-headbanded zombies defeated the invading zombies. Of course, the red-headbanded zombies also suffered losses. More than half were broken or eaten, but the black mage showed the ability to take control of the fallen zombies and make them new allies using corpse manipulation.

“The zombies have retreated! You can rest easy now!”

‘What, there are survivors?’ Surprised, Luke turned his gaze toward the village. At the black mage’s shout, the windows and doors of the houses began to open, and people emerged. There were easily hundreds of them. The villagers approached the black mage and bowed repeatedly.

“Th-thank you every time, Wilf.”

“It’s nothing. You’re too kind, Village Chief.”

The villagers cautiously came out of the village and repaired the wooden fence damaged in the recent battle, burning the remains of the zombies. The red-headbanded zombies also helped with this work, and the people seemed used to it, not scared or flustered.

“Good heavens, I’m seeing a rare sight. A black mage saving people…”

“Gasp!”

The black mage, who was controlling the red headbands to help the villagers, was startled by the unfamiliar voice and looked around. He discovered Luke, who had suddenly appeared in the air, and hurriedly stepped back.

“Wh-who are you?”

“I am… Count Leif of Alberville,” Luke said, using the fake identity he had used during the civil war in the Holy Empire, instead of revealing his real name. However, because he was so famous, the black mage recognized him immediately.

“Leif! You… no, are you Count Leif, the one called the Mercenary King?”

“That’s right. I came to the Saxon Territory at the call of His Holiness because of this zombie disease. But who are you? You seem different from a typical black mage…” A black mage was considered a death executor, a minion of the devil. They could never get close to ordinary people. Luke, tilting his head, remembered that he had asked Meister Johas for manpower to help him before he left and asked, “Did you come from Dark Moon?”

“Dark Moon?”

“You really don’t know Dark Moon?”

“No, I’ve never heard of it,” the black mage said, shaking his head as if he truly didn’t know.

‘What is this? A black mage here who isn’t from Dark Moon? Moreover, judging by his skills, he seems to be a 5th-circle mage and has mastered black magic up to the 3rd circle…?’ At Luke’s sharp gaze, as if seeing through him, the black mage shrank back and introduced himself. “I am a wandering mage named Wilf. As you have seen, I have learned black magic.”

“Yes, you handle zombies like your own limbs.” At Luke’s praise, Wilf turned pale and prostrated himself on the spot. Then, he clasped his hands together and begged, “I, I learned it for my own reasons. I have never sold a person’s soul to a demon or done anything bad. Please believe me!”

‘He’s too scared.’ Luke chuckled, but he thought it was understandable. In the Holy Empire, black mages were to be exterminated immediately upon discovery. But the opponent was Count Leif, the hero who had split a falling meteorite and saved the city from the brink of destruction. No matter how much he had mastered both white and black magic, he thought it would be impossible to fight against such a skilled opponent.

“You don’t have to be so afraid. I’m someone who thinks differently from the old-fashioned priests.”

“R-really?” Luke asked Wilf, who was cautiously looking up at him. “First, I want to know what’s going on. Why are you protecting this village… no, let’s start with where you learned black magic.”

“Yes, yes, I will tell you everything.” Wilf, who had been bowing repeatedly, began to tell Luke everything he was curious about in detail.

“I am originally from this village of Libek. I was born as the third son of a paper craftsman…” When Wilf was young, he delivered the paper his father made to temples or magic towers near the village. In the process, he learned to read and write, borrowed and read books, and acquired knowledge. Then, when he turned twelve, he became a disciple of a mage working at the magic tower.

“The magic tower I was in emphasized experience. They believed that real learning came from traveling around and gaining experience, rather than being stuck in a laboratory.”

“Hmm, it seems like they were from the practical school.”

Because of that, Wilf left the magic tower at the age of eighteen and traveled around the continent as a mercenary mage. In the process, he gained experience as a war mage by participating in small jobs such as monster subjugation, as well as wars in other countries.

“In the process, I met her and fell in love.”

“Her?” Luke turned his gaze to where Wilf was looking. There stood a female zombie with a red headband, dressed as a mercenary and armed with twin swords. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be a half-elf. Perhaps because Wilf had preserved her well, her beauty had not diminished despite the loss of color and expression.

“Why did she become like that?”

“Huu, it’s already been twenty years. At that time, we were hired to subjugate a black mage who was hiding in the wasteland. But…” The black mage, who was only known to be practicing corpse manipulation, turned out to be a skilled person who had gained power through a contract with a demon. The holy knights and priests of the temple that had made the request, as well as the mercenary group to which Wilf belonged, barely managed to kill the black mage after a fierce battle.

“But the sacrifice was too great. Everyone except me died. Eva also died at that time.”

“Don’t tell me, so… ?”

“Yes, it’s as you think.” Wilf, who had lost his long-time comrades and his lover Eva, almost lost his mind. Desperate to somehow revive Eva, he laid his hands on the items and black magic books left behind by the dead black mage.

“There were various black magic spells in that book, but the only thing I was interested in was the method to revive Eva. Well, I didn’t actually revive her, but I wanted to be with her somehow. I wonder what Eva would think of my greed…” Wilf sighed, looking bitter. Luke fully understood Wilf’s feelings. He too had the painful experience of losing a loved one. He thought that if he were in Wilf’s position, he would have done the same thing.

“Anyway, after that, I lived avoiding people. If I wandered around with zombies, emitting magic power from my body, I would be executed without question.” Of course, he couldn’t return to the magic tower and wandered around the wasteland. Only when he needed something did he visit villages without temples.

“Then, I learned about the terrible things that had happened recently. I was shocked to see a huge number of zombies wandering around uncontrollably. I wondered who on earth had done such an absurd thing.” The reason why a black mage uses zombies is because they need slaves who can work and fight according to their orders without eating or sleeping. But this time, an absurd number of zombies were produced, and they spread like a disease.

“I thought a lot. Should I just keep hiding as I had been, or should I use my abilities to save people?” Wilf had learned black magic, but he was fundamentally a good person. If he didn’t have the ability to save them, he wouldn’t have known, but since he did, he couldn’t help but worry.

“You ended up choosing the latter? That’s why you came to save your hometown.”

“Yes, fortunately, it wasn’t too late.” Wilf had not wasted his time while in hiding. In order to revive Eva, he continued to research black magic related to corpse manipulation so that at least her body could be maintained. Thanks to this, he was able to develop the ability to move hundreds of zombies like his own limbs, which was also a great help in saving the people of Libek village.

“The villagers are grateful, but since I’m a black mage, they are secretly afraid of me. Most of the village priests don’t even talk to me. The only one who talks to me says that at least I’ll be spared from being burned at the stake.”

“Hah, priests are always like that.” After listening to Wilf’s story, Luke looked at the villagers working with the zombies for a moment and then asked again, “Are there any people in the village who are suffering from the zombie disease?”

“Zombie disease? Ah, if you’re talking about the symptoms of flesh rotting and then dying to become a zombie, you don’t have to worry. I’ve identified the infection route and taken measures.”

“What? You identified the infection route?” Luke listened intently to the information that was worth paying attention to.

“Yes. Before I came to the village, I met some infected people and dissected zombies, and it seemed like there was a medium that spread the disease.”

“Hmm, a medium…” Luke also thought that there must be a medium that accelerated the spread of the zombie disease. However, he had no idea what that medium was. Wilf told Luke in detail what he had found out so far.

“Some infectious diseases spread through lice or fleas. The most representative one is the Black Death. It’s known that rats spread it, but in reality, it’s rat fleas that are the culprit.”

“I know that. Is it possible that the zombie disease is also transmitted through small bugs or insects?”

“I don’t think so. If that were the case, there would already be many patients in this village, but… there are no infected people here except for some who were attacked by zombies in the early days.” According to what he had found out, the territories and cities where the zombie disease had broken out and spread rapidly all had large and small rivers. However, Libek village was located far from the river, and the villagers used well water or rainwater for drinking water. Perhaps because of that, there was not a single person who had been naturally infected.

“And simply coming into contact with a zombie isn’t enough to get infected. Being bitten or splashed with zombie fluids always resulted in the disease, but only some were infected by scratches or simple contact.”

“So, the problem is with water or zombie fluids.”

“That’s right.”

As Wilf said, those two could be the vectors spreading the zombie disease.

However, even as Luke nodded, he didn’t fully trust it.

The information Wilf had given him hadn’t been properly verified yet.

There was a need to cross-check more information.

‘I need to ask the Holy Palace how and where the disease spread. No, should I ask Priest Luther first?’

Thinking that, Luke only told Wilf that they would meet again later and returned to his original campsite.

If the information Wilf had given him was true, then the method of preventing the disease had to be changed.

The river that ran through the Saxon region would surely flow to other areas as well.

If the river wasn’t controlled, the current siege would be pointless.

Around the time Luke was getting clues to stop the spread of the zombie disease, strange things were happening in Bremen, the capital of the Saxon region.

The zombies that had been occupying the city and filling the streets and squares until yesterday had all disappeared; not a single one was to be seen.

It wasn’t that they had scattered outside the city.

Rather, zombie hordes were steadily flowing in from the outside.

But even those zombies that came in disappeared one by one, and before long, none were to be seen.

If someone had seen it, it would have been a ghostly sight, but unfortunately, no one knew this fact.

Underneath Bremen City.

In Bremen, where facilities built by dwarves during the ancient magic civilization era remained, there was a fairly large underground waterway that stretched like a spider web in all directions.

However, this place, which should have been a passage for rainwater and sewage from each household, was teeming with zombies that had disappeared from the surface.

Keeeeeek!

Kikikikikiki!

The zombies, packed like bean sprouts in the underground waterway, were lined up and heading somewhere, like students in a strict academy.

The place they were heading to was the underground plaza located in the middle of the underground waterway.

This underground plaza, which was once built by dwarves as a shelter and fortress during wartime, was over 100 meters wide and long, and several tens of meters high.

Into this large underground plaza, zombies that had gathered from Bremen and nearby territories continued to pour in.

In the center of the underground plaza, there was a high platform, and around that platform, hundreds of people were gathered.

People who were clearly not zombies!

“Oh, Apostle of Elkasel!”

“Drive out the false angel and show us a new world!”

“We believe in you, Apostle!”

The people were praying and shouting madly towards the man on the platform, like fanatics.

The underground plaza was noisy with their shouts, but for some reason, the zombies did not attack them.

Rather, they seemed to be afraid of the humans, keeping a slight distance.

“Everyone, be quiet!”

Thud!

A young man wearing a splendid robe on the platform struck the platform with a golden staff in his hand.

Then, as if it had never been noisy, the underground plaza became quiet.

He was none other than Archbishop Constantine, who had disappeared from Bless.

Constantine, with a faint smile at the gazes of admiration, asked the people.

“Soon, as you all wish, the true kingdom of God will open on this land. To do so, we must first drive out those who deceive the people with false appearances and call themselves angels. Can you believe in me and follow me?”

At that question, a sturdy man stood up and shouted.

“If you say so, Apostle, I will gladly jump into a pit of fire!”

“Divine punishment to the witches and their followers!”

“We will be the foundation for purifying evil and establishing the true kingdom of God!”

As one shouted, others around him raised their voices in response.

“Hehehe. You are worthy to die and go to heaven.”

Constantine, smiling with joy, gave a series of instructions to the leader of this group and then went out of the underground plaza.

As he and his entourage boarded a boat that was floating on the large underground waterway, the boatman asked.

“Where shall we take you?”

“Let’s go to Plaza Number 8.”

There were about a dozen underground plazas built by the dwarves under the city.

In each of those underground plazas, a considerable number of survivors had become ardent followers of Constantine, staying with the zombies that had gathered from various places.

After visiting all the underground plazas and checking on the zombies and followers, he came up to the surface after a while.

The place he arrived at was the Great Temple where Archbishop Antero of Bremen had resided.

The original priests had all died or fled, and those who were now here were Count Marquez and Constantine’s followers who had accompanied him from Bless.

“Have you arrived, brother?”

“Yes, did things go well?”

At Constantine’s question, Count Marquez grinned and replied.

“Yes, with the help of the Gray Order, we have already gathered a considerable number of zombies and hidden them in the nearby forests and valleys. If that fox [a derogatory term for Veronica III] comes here, she will never be able to return alive.”

When they were in Bless, people wearing gray robes had secretly visited Constantine’s faction.

They identified themselves as priests belonging to the Gray Order, saying that they had also received a divine revelation and were ordered to follow Constantine, who had been appointed as an apostle.

It was a sect that had never been heard of before, but Constantine accepted them without a shred of doubt.

It wasn’t just because they supported or followed him.

He trusted them because he felt an aura similar to when the holy fire had descended from their leader, Beymon.

Following Beymon’s advice, Constantine led his followers to the Saxon region and first seized Bremen.

There were over 300,000 zombies in Bremen, but they were not a threat to him at all.

He believed himself to be a true apostle of God, and the zombies that were exposed to the light he emitted immediately submitted.

Moreover, although not as powerful as him, the priests of the Gray Order also knew how to subdue zombies.

Foolishly, some followers even suspected that they might be black mages.

However, after seeing those unbelievers, who did not know the will of the great God, become zombies due to disease, no one dared to utter any more nonsense.

In this way, Constantine, who had easily and secretly seized Bremen, turned some of the zombies back into humans.

It wasn’t that he was kind and turned the zombies back into humans.

He had only carefully selected and healed the personnel necessary for the great task of building the true kingdom of God.

The people who had returned to being human were mostly from the aristocratic class, such as Gigant Riders [elite knights], knights, and officials, or merchants, scholars, mages, and officers.

Of course, he didn’t just heal them based on their abilities.

He made a special effort to revive women who had outstanding appearances, even if they were incompetent.

‘Ahem, it’s not possible to create a new world with only men.’

Naturally, no one thought that Constantine was doing anything unnecessary.

Rather, those who were quick-witted would find zombies with outstanding beauty and offer them to him.

Anyway, the humans who were healed in this way became loyal followers who would carry gunpowder and jump into the fire for Constantine.

They had been saved, but it was also because of the revelations of Constantine and the Gray Order.

“Those who follow the false angel or do not follow the will of God will become beings who are neither dead nor alive and will be tormented by labor forever!”

“Only the chosen and the believers will become citizens of the new kingdom of God!”

To the ardent followers who absolutely believed in this revelation, he implanted a slight ability to command zombies.

In the fox hunt that would begin soon, they would become excellent vanguards.

“By the way, how is the Undying Legion?”

“Many died fighting against the zombies, but the ones who were hiding were captured by the Gray Order and the followers.”

“They must be formidable opponents, but you captured them well.”

“The skills of Abbot Beymon and the priests of the Gray Order are amazing.”

Contrary to what was known to the outside world, the advance party of the Undying Legion was not completely annihilated.

A very small number were holding out in Bless, waiting for reinforcements.

But unfortunately, what appeared before them was not reinforcements but Constantine’s followers.

“How was it? Did they say they would follow me?”

“Those unbelievers seem to be following that fox to the end. I’m thinking of executing them as an example.”

Replied Count Marquez.

Priests and paladins did not become zombies even if they were bitten or infected with the zombie disease.

The disease would turn to ash the moment it collided with the divine power they possessed.

There was no need to mention the Undying Legion members who had extraordinary divine power.

“Hmm, it’s a shame, but it can’t be helped.”

“What if there was a way that wouldn’t be a shame?”

The person who had just replied was not Count Marquez.

A middle-aged man wearing a gray robe was standing in front of them, having appeared out of nowhere.

He was none other than Beymon, the leader of the Gray Order.

Despite Beymon’s sudden appearance, Constantine and Marquez were not greatly surprised.

They had already seen him appear suddenly like this several times.

“Abbot Beymon, you said there was a way?”

“Yes, if we use the sacred object that our order possesses, we will be able to turn their hearts. That means we can use their military power as it is.”

“Hehehe. If that’s the case…”

Constantine and Marquez smiled sinisterly.

They had a plan to use the surviving Undying Legion members to harm Veronica III.

‘If the sword that protected the fox can harm the fox, that would also be quite meaningful!’

Think about it.

If those who were so skilled and loyal that they were the pope’s closest guards launched an ambush, how would people react?

Even if the assassination failed, the psychological shock to the pope herself, as well as her followers, would be considerable.

Furthermore, if they spread rumors that such a thing happened because Veronica III was not a true apostle of God, most people would surely believe it.

“Anyway, the perfect encirclement centered around Bremen is being completed. The witch’s lackeys wouldn’t have noticed, would they?”

At Constantine’s question, Marquez nodded.

“A few mages came to scout with Fly magic, but they didn’t come close, probably because they were afraid of becoming zombies, and just glanced around and passed by. They will never know that we are moving like this.”

“Good! But to lure the witch here, we need a pretty good bait…”

Currently, Veronica III was staying in Wolfsburg, south of Bremen.

No matter how perfect a trap they had prepared, it would be meaningless if she didn’t come here.

“Hehe. I’ve already found something suitable to use as fox bait, so I’ll show you.”

Count Marquez, with a confident expression, clapped his hands.

Then, the door of the inner chamber opened, and armed knights dragged an old priest in and made him kneel.

“Oh, this one is…?”

The old priest, wearing a stained robe, was a person Constantine knew well.

It was Archbishop Antero, who was in charge of the Saxon diocese.

He had been hiding in a shelter with some survivors, but a few hours ago, he was discovered by Marquez’s men who were searching every corner of the castle.

Antero was very curious about the people he had seen on his way here, who were walking around without paying any attention to the zombies.

He wondered what kind of people they were that they were not afraid of zombies at all.

Then, after seeing Constantine here, he roughly guessed the situation and frowned.

“It was you! You’ve done such an outrageous thing!”

“Hehe, what are you talking about? This is the divine punishment of Lord Elkasel on the witch who pretends to be an angel and her followers.”

At Constantine’s words, Antero’s face turned red, and he raised his voice.

“Divine punishment? Don’t talk nonsense! You must have colluded with black mages to seize power! Or it’s the work of a hidden force trying to take over this country by using you as a puppet!”

“What? How dare you speak such nonsense to me, the apostle of God…!”

As if intending to turn Constantine inside out, Antero continued to hurl accusations.

“You dirty and despicable man! Are you even a priest? I don’t know what you’re plotting, but it will never go your way, Constantine! You will surely receive divine punishment!”

“Kuaaak! Drag that man out right now! Drag him out and tear him to pieces!”

“Please calm down, brother. It would be a loss to kill the bait we worked so hard to get.”

Despite Marquez’s dissuasion, Constantine could not easily calm his anger.

At that moment, Beymon, who had been watching from the side, stepped forward.

He took out a black necklace with a red jewel embedded in it from his sleeve, and he shook it left and right in front of Antero’s eyes, chanting a low incantation.

“What you see in your eyes is pretense, and what you hear in your ears is false. The truth is in the mirror of your heart…”

“Wh-what is it? What are you trying to do?”

As an ominous light flickered from the red jewel of the necklace, Antero stammered and tried to turn his head.

However, Beymon’s incantation wrapped around his entire body like a chain, making him unable to move.

After a while, Antero’s eyes became hazy.

Antero, who had fallen into a dazed state as if he were drugged, bowed deeply to Constantine with an extremely polite posture as Beymon’s incantation ended.

“Oh, I greet Your Holiness, the Pope.”

“Huh? What on earth is this…?”

“Has he gone mad?”

While Constantine and Marquez were bewildered, Beymon gave a detailed explanation.

“I have just twisted the mind of this foolish man with a sacred object. So, this man is mistaking you, Apostle, for the witch he serves.”

“He mistakes me for the Pope?”

“Yes, so he will absolutely obey any order you give him.”

The spell that Beymon had just cast on Antero was an advanced form of mental magic that showed illusions and hallucinations to the opponent’s eyes.

Moreover, it even brainwashed them into absolute obedience, making them into obedient slaves.

At Beymon’s explanation, Constantine smiled wryly.

“So, the Undying Legion can be used in this way.”

“That’s right. So, there will be no problem even if we proceed as originally planned.”