Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 149

8. The Fallen Dragon

1

A mountain fortress stood on the southern border of the Volga Republic. It was the same place where Luke had met with President Vladimir before the founding of the Symphonia Kingdom.

Today, another meeting was being held here, but this time, Luke was not present. Instead, the Orc Hero Shai Khan and King Reichard of the Livia Kingdom were the counterparts.

President Vladimir, his gaze fixed on Reichard, who sat before him, spoke with a hint of displeasure, “Is it truly necessary to wear that mask?”

“I see no reason to remove it,” Reichard replied.

Duke Dimitri, the President’s attendant, bristled at Reichard’s condescending tone and instinctively reached for his sword hilt. However, President Vladimir silenced him with a look.

The opponent was a legendary Dragonian. Even if Duke Dimitri was a Sword Sage, a Dragonian was a formidable foe. He couldn’t risk a valuable Sword Sage over a minor remark.

“I don’t expect to be addressed with honorifics, but wouldn’t small gestures help strengthen the trust between our two nations?” Vladimir asked.

“We are not in a position where we need to build deep trust,” Reichard retorted.

‘Hmm, he has a point,’ Vladimir thought. He was keenly aware of the newly formed kingdoms south of the Baroque Empire: the Symphonia and Livia Kingdoms.

With these two kingdoms having broken away, the Baroque Empire was unlikely to regain its former strength. Moreover, with a threat to their south, they couldn’t recklessly deploy military forces to the north, towards the Volga Republic. This was why Vladimir wanted the two kingdoms to endure as long as possible.

‘But these two countries are heading in completely different directions.’

The Symphonia Kingdom, under Luke’s rule, was implementing numerous republican reforms: centralized military reforms, people-first policies, and active promotion of commerce and industry. Furthermore, republican activities were tolerated as long as they didn’t attempt to overthrow the state. As a result, republican ideals had spread rapidly among the youth.

The Livia Kingdom, on the other hand, was quite different. While it was unconventional in employing intelligent monsters, its national system was deeply conservative. The authority and interests of the nobles remained untouched. Moreover, under the guise of being in a state of war, they ruthlessly executed not only those who resisted but also those who engaged in even slightly suspicious activities. The same was true for republicans, whom the nobles considered a threat.

Consequently, republicans and scholars sympathetic to their cause were defecting from the Livia Kingdom to nearby Symphonia or the Volga Republic.

‘Although they have significantly reduced the people’s taxes, it was only possible because they were able to save resources by employing monsters for labor and military power.’

In essence, the Livia Kingdom wasn’t much different from the Baroque Empire. In a way, it was natural. Although Reichard had awakened the blood of a Dragonian, he was also of the Baroque imperial lineage. If they had bordered the republic, they would have been as much of a headache as the Baroque Empire.

“Even if we don’t have deep trust, we need to join forces. We have a common enemy. Isn’t that why Your Majesty came all this way?” Vladimir stated.

“That’s correct. We need your cooperation to bring down Rudolph,” Reichard agreed.

The leaders of the two countries understood that it was better to attack the Baroque Empire together than separately. That was the reason for this meeting.

As Reichard nodded, Vladimir immediately steered the conversation to the main topic. “Although the Baroque Empire has weakened, we shouldn’t underestimate Rudolph, his personal guards, and the imperial army’s military strength. Therefore, we need to take more aggressive action than we have been.”

“More aggressive action… In what way?” Reichard inquired.

“First, we need to manage and support the peasant revolts that are taking place within the Baroque Empire more systematically,” Vladimir explained.

Currently, peasant revolts were erupting across the Baroque Empire due to high taxes and various forms of exploitation caused by the long war. The Volga Republic and the Livia Kingdom were secretly providing support, not only with military supplies but also by hiring mercenaries to bolster the rebels’ strength. However, these scattered peasant rebels had limitations in significantly weakening the Baroque Empire.

“That’s something I’ve been feeling as well. I believe we need to unify the command of the rebels first,” Reichard concurred.

“But currently, there are no notable leaders among the peasant rebels,” Vladimir pointed out.

“Then we should create a unified command based on the personnel we deploy,” Reichard suggested.

Vladimir and Reichard spent a considerable time discussing ways to support the peasant rebels of the Baroque Empire and assigned roles to be shared.

“Next, we need to share information and form a common front,” Vladimir continued.

Currently, the two countries were invading the Baroque Empire from the north and west. However, by sharing information and forming a common front, they could attack the Baroque Empire more efficiently.

“That seems like a good idea,” Reichard agreed.

“And it would be wise to discuss the division of territory in preparation for the collapse of the Baroque Empire. That way, we can prevent unnecessary suspicion and conflict between us,” Vladimir added, presenting his pre-prepared proposal. “Our Volga Republic must definitely receive the 32 territories north of the Irtysh River.”

“If you combine all those territories, it’s two-thirds of the Republic. Are you confident you can manage it? Having a lot of land isn’t always a good thing,” Reichard questioned.

“That’s our concern. And if you put it that way, shouldn’t Your Majesty be more worried than us? The territory that Livia will occupy is much larger than this,” Vladimir countered.

“Well, half of my blood is Baroque, so I think I’m better at handling the aftermath than you are,” Reichard replied.

Reichard was not pleased with the proposed division of territory. He considered the entire territory of the Baroque Empire to be his. ‘Well, I’ll lend it to them for now and take it back later,’ he thought.

Of course, the Volga Republic would not willingly give it back. Sooner or later, he would have to settle things with the Volga Republic as well, and also with the Symphonia Kingdom and the Holy Artenia Empire. Only then could he reign as the dignified ruler of the continent, inheriting the blood of the Divine Dragon.

‘For now, I’ll play along. But next time, you’ll have to dance to my tune,’ Reichard thought.

‘His gaze is unsettling. I need to find a way to deal with the Dragonian,’ Vladimir mused.

With different agendas in mind, the leaders of both countries documented the matters agreed upon and affixed their signatures and seals.

“King Shai Khan, it seems like we’ll be busier from now on,” Vladimir said.

“That’s what we must do to achieve victory,” Shai Khan replied.

“Then I wish your country victory and prosperity,” Vladimir said, extending his right hand to Reichard in a gesture to shake hands.

After a moment of hesitation, Reichard reached out and accepted the handshake.

Crack—!

“……!”

At the moment their hands met, a sound like sparks flying filled the air, and a series of scenes flashed through Vladimir’s mind like lightning.

“What’s wrong?” Reichard asked, tilting his head as Vladimir flinched.

The President quickly regained his composure and smiled. “It’s nothing. I suddenly felt a bit of a chill…”

“Is that so? Perhaps I was the cause,” Reichard said, assuming that Vladimir’s reaction was due to the fighting spirit he was emitting. Although he was restraining himself during the meeting, he was still projecting a certain amount of fighting spirit to lead the atmosphere.

Of course, this was Reichard’s misunderstanding. It wasn’t his fighting spirit, but Vladimir’s precognitive ability that had suddenly manifested.

Only his closest aide, Duke Dimitri, noticed this. After Reichard and his entourage left, Dimitri immediately spoke to the President. “Did you see something?”

“It was… a huge dragon being strangled to death by a gray snake that looked like fog,” Vladimir replied.

“A dragon dying? That’s a good omen,” Duke Dimitri said, delighted. The dragon was the symbol of the Baroque imperial family, so its death could be interpreted as the destruction of the Baroque Empire.

‘Is it really a good omen?’ Vladimir thought, his mind troubled. The blood of the Baroque imperial family was not only in Rudolph but also in Reichard. Considering that, wasn’t it more likely that the Livia Kingdom would be the one to perish? More importantly, what did the gray snake that killed the dragon mean?

‘I’m uneasy. It seems like something ominous is about to happen,’ Vladimir thought, still shaken. He turned his gaze to the south, where Reichard had gone, before turning his steps towards the capital.

2

Luke, having finished all the urgent matters in Brenden, returned to Enbury City. He was there to oversee the reconstruction of the city, more than half of which had been destroyed and burned down during his battle with Arsen.

In truth, he didn’t necessarily have to take charge of this kind of work. However, he volunteered on purpose, both out of guilt for having contributed to the destruction and to boost the morale of the people, which had plummeted due to the sudden upheaval.

Clang, clang!

Swish, swish! Clang, clang!

Many people had come from all over the kingdom to volunteer. There were quite a few elves, and the dwarves, in particular, displayed the construction skills of a hundred men. The volunteers diligently helped with the reconstruction work like ants, constantly busy building broken houses and commercial buildings, and re-laying the paving stones on the melted roads.

Luke also directly used magic to remove collapsed boulders or drive wooden pillars into the ground. When the king of a nation rolled up his sleeves and took the lead, the knights of the Central Army couldn’t stand idly by. Except for a few who were on guard duty, most of the knights brought out their Gigants [large, humanoid war machines] to help with the construction. As a result, the speed of construction increased several times over.

‘Hehehe. At this rate, we can restore the city to its former state within six months,’ Luke thought, smiling with satisfaction.

Just then, a guard knight approached and carefully informed him, “Your Majesty, Count Juon and three other nobles have requested an audience.”

“Huh? Count Juon?” Luke asked, surprised. Count Juon was from the former Milton Kingdom and was a great noble who owned a large territory near Brenden. He had been inwardly displeased with Myers’ invasion of the Rakan Marquisate and had resigned from his official position under the pretext of illness. Thanks to this, he was able to fully maintain his title, territory, and his own power. Of course, the military power of his territory had been greatly reduced due to the military reforms implemented by Luke.

The other nobles who had requested an audience were also either lords or wealthy people who owned large merchant guilds.

“Will you meet them, Your Majesty?” the knight asked.

Why would they come all the way here to meet him? Intrigued, Luke accepted the audience. “Have them brought to the city hall,” he instructed.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the knight replied.

Luke headed to the city hall reception room, which was being used as a temporary office. After a short while, he met the three nobles.

“Your Majesty, you have worked hard,” one of the nobles said.

“Your Majesty is the only ruler in history who has personally taken part in the reconstruction of the city for the sake of the people,” another added.

Luke shrugged at the nobles’ flattery and replied, “Is it worse than the people who have lost their homes and livelihoods? More importantly, why did you come all the way here to meet me?”

At his question, Count Juon took out a box full of jewels from his bosom and held it out in front of him. “We, the nobles, have collected donations. Please use them to help rebuild the city.”

It seems they converted the donations into jewels to reduce the bulk.

‘Hoho, so it was these guys.’

Luke had heard from Sebastian that some nobles were gathering donations for the kingdom, which had suffered from the recent upheaval.

And it seemed that Count Juon and his group were the ones doing it.

“Oh, thank you. I won’t forget your sincerity.”

As Luke gratefully accepted the jewel box, Count Juon added a word.

“But Your Majesty, if you grant our request, we are willing to donate even more.”

“Hmm? A request?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Let’s hear it first.”

As Luke gave his permission, Count Juon swallowed hard and began to speak.

“Historically, it is the nobles who have supported the monarch and sustained the country. This has been the case in many countries throughout history, including the old Lybia Kingdom, and even among republics.”

The noble system in the Volga Republic was a bit different from other countries.

If one supported the republic, they didn’t necessarily take away the lords’ titles or territories, and even commoners could become nobles if they made contributions.

However, nobles did not have independent military power, and there were not many privileges.

Some nobles were even stripped of their titles and territories after being tried for privately punishing commoners in their own territories.

But Luke didn’t point out the details.

“So? What’s the point?”

As Luke seemed interested, Count Juon seized the opportunity and began to speak passionately.

“A monarch cannot run a country alone, and absolute power eventually corrupts. Even the wicked Baroque Empire had a council. We wish for a council made up of nobles in our kingdom as well.”

‘So, they want to share power.’

Currently, the power in the Symphonia Kingdom was concentrated in the king and his followers.

In other words, the local lords had much less power than in the past.

However, they couldn’t rebel because Luke had a firm grip on military power.

Even if the noble faction gathered strength and rebelled like they did in the Baroque Empire, it was obvious that they would be suppressed in less than a day without a single Gigant [a powerful magical construct].

So, they came up with the idea of a council.

They would contribute funds when the Symphonia Kingdom was in financial trouble, and in return, they would receive some of the power.

If a council was created, they wouldn’t be able to ignore the opinions of the local lords, who were the majority.

In other words, they could legally take over some of the national power.

Count Juon and the two nobles looked at Luke with tense faces.

Would he accept, or would he scold them?

Finally, Luke, who had been pondering, opened his mouth.

“Hmm, that sounds like a good idea.”

“Your Majesty, is that really so?”

The faces of Juon and the two nobles brightened.

“It is said that a monarch does not speak empty words. I will consider it positively, so you may leave now.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

“We will donate ten times the amount we have given now!”

The nobles celebrated their successful plan and left.

Later, Prime Minister Hans and other officials, who heard the news, jumped up and opposed it.

– Your Majesty, how can you share power with them?

– That’s right. If a council is created, they will constantly check and interfere, just like the noble faction of the Baroque Empire in the past. And they will surely demand more power.

Looking at the officials complaining through magic communication, Luke wore a meaningful smile.

“You don’t have to worry. I have a plan.”

– But…….

“Enough, how is the restoration of the port cities, including Lamer City?”

– We are currently putting in materials and manpower, but it is costing more than expected.

It was inevitable that the budget would be insufficient, as they were carrying out large-scale construction projects simultaneously.

However, the port cities needed to be restored quickly.

This was to reduce the losses from the southern trade, which was the lifeline of the Symphonia Kingdom.

“I will send funds soon, so use that to cover it.”

– Understood.

“And what about finding the hideout of the Veritas Magic Tower remnants?”

After defeating Arsen, Luke had ordered Argos to find the hideout of the Veritas Magic Tower remnants.

This was to eliminate Lich Arsen before he fully recovered his body and regained his original power.

– Chief Hudson is mobilizing all the branch agents to find them, but they have not yet found their whereabouts. I will tell them to dispatch more agents to the Southern Continent.

“Please do.”

Luke ended the magic communication and went to the window, looking up at the sky.

The sky was high and clear.

‘Hmph. Foolish nobles. Do you think things will go your way just because a council is created?’

Luke wore a bitter smile.

The nobles, including Juon, were only thinking about the existing councils.

But Luke was different from them.

Even if he created a council, he had no intention of creating a feudal-style council where power was shared with the nobles.

He was inwardly sneering when.

‘Huh? What is that?’

A dark, black cloud that appeared in the distance was gathering somewhere.

But that dark cloud was unusual.

It was as if it was born from the darkness of the source, and it had a deep and ominous aura.

The direction the dark cloud was heading was northwest, towards the Lybia Kingdom.

3

Reikart returned to the Lybia Kingdom as soon as he finished his meeting with President Vladimir.

This was because he had to reflect the agreements made with the Volga Republic and deal with the numerous issues within the kingdom.

However, while he was briefly away from the country, something unexpected happened.

And it was quite a troublesome matter.

“Your Majesty, soldiers have rioted in Samora City.”

“What, a riot? What’s the reason?”

Reikart frowned at the report from Duke Butler, the Minister of Military Affairs and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

Because of the war with the Baroque Empire, Reikart paid more attention to military affairs than other state affairs.

He not only supplied ample military supplies to prevent the morale of knights and soldiers from falling, but also paid them more than the Baroque Empire army.

But a riot?

“Did someone embezzle the funds to return to the army?”

“That’s not it. They just made a fuss because they didn’t want to go to the battlefield.”

In fact, the damage from the riot was not great.

Rather than looting civilians, the soldiers focused on marching through the streets and holding anti-war demonstrations.

However, an officer who tried to stop their unauthorized actions was beaten to death, and a battle broke out with the unit that came to suppress them, resulting in a considerable number of casualties.

“Hmph! Cowardly bastards! Execute all those involved in this incident!”

“That is what should be done. But we cannot just punish them.”

“What do you mean?”

As Reikart looked confused, Duke Butler began to explain the background of the riot.

“The soldiers who rioted this time are all conscripts. Most of them were originally day laborers or workers in mines, but they lost their jobs after the founding of the kingdom.”

It was Reikart who made them unemployed.

Reikart used lower-level monsters such as goblins and kobolds to carry out national projects such as road construction, wasteland reclamation, and mine development.

Monsters were more efficient than human workers in simple labor because they did not require any expenses other than food.

This saved national funds and reduced taxes, gaining the support of the people, but the situation was different for the lower class who lost their jobs overnight.

“Didn’t we conscript them as soldiers to solve that problem?”

“Yes, but there were many who were dissatisfied and anxious about it.”

If the unemployed were enlisted, the number of available soldiers in the royal army would increase, and the unemployed would get jobs and pay.

It should have been a win-win situation, but the reality was not so.

If it were not wartime, Reikart’s intentions would have been appropriate.

But now, they were at war.

Moreover, the opponent was the Baroque Empire.

Although it was not at the same level as in the past due to internal strife and division, it was still one of the great powers that boasted the best military power on the continent.

Naturally, the soldiers were bound to be afraid.

Those who were forcibly conscripted even though they did not want to fight were bound to have great anxiety and dissatisfaction.

“Why does the king keep trying to wage war?”

“If more soldiers are needed, why not increase the number of monster units?”

“I want to go home! I want to live without worrying about dying, even if I have to work as a day laborer!”

The soldiers who had these complaints piled up and eventually exploded, leading to the current situation.

“This is not something we can just ignore. There are similar signs in other units that are in charge of training conscripts.”

“Hmm…….”

If Butler’s words were true, he could not just punish them.

If he did not calm the wavering hearts of the soldiers, the same thing would happen again.

No, if Emperor Rudolf knew about this and incited them, it would become uncontrollable.

‘The number of monsters I can use is limited. I’m already at the limit.’

Even Reikart, who inherited the blood of the Divine Dragon, could not use monsters indefinitely.

He had not told his subordinates, but he was already at his limit.

However, it was also difficult to replace the monsters doing manual labor with conscripts.

The efficiency of the two in national projects was too different.

‘Then, should I temporarily stop the war? No, that’s also difficult. I have an agreement with the republicans, and I shouldn’t give Rudolf time to quell the domestic rebellion.’

He couldn’t do this, and he couldn’t do that, and he felt like he was losing something.

As Reikart was feeling conflicted, Duke Butler said.

“I dare to think that it is necessary to temporarily stop the war and reorganize the country as a whole. We have been running too hard so far.”

“Like Symphonia?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Butler nodded slightly in response to Reikart’s words.

He had a favorable impression of the Symphonia Kingdom.

This was because they had readily handed over his enemy, Vanden, who had betrayed him and sided with Rudolf.

Thanks to this, Butler was able to relieve the resentment that had been weighing on his chest.

“The Minister of Commerce and Industry insists that we should quickly develop the navy and engage in southern trade. As far as I know, the profits from southern trade are astronomical.”

The reason why the Marquisate of Rakan was able to defeat the Milton Kingdom and establish a nation without worrying about the Baroque Empire was because of the enormous wealth earned through southern trade.

There were ports in the western part of the Lybia Kingdom that were built under the rule of the Baroque Empire in the past.

However, their scale was not comparable to that of Lamer City or the southern port cities of the Symphonia Kingdom.

“I heard that there was a significant upheaval in the Symphonia Kingdom recently, and the damage to the port cities, including Lamer City, was great. If we take advantage of that opportunity, we can take the wealth coming from the south.”

If they could attract more merchant ships, it would not be unreasonable to make a huge amount of money through intermediary trade.

“I understand. It seems that the previous matter and this one are not easy to decide, so I will think about it more and notify you later.”

“Yes, then I will step down.”

As Duke Butler left, Reikart tapped the table with his fingertips and pondered.

“Symphonia… Symphonia…”

It was a new country that had become independent from the Baroque Empire around the same time.

However, his Lybia Kingdom and the Symphonia Kingdom had completely different atmospheres.

Unlike his country, which had been constantly fighting the Baroque Empire, Symphonia had only advanced north to Sherwood, a military stronghold, and then stopped its war activities and focused on internal affairs.

‘They are capable enough to do that. They have subordinates from the Rakan territory, the merchant guild made up of the remnants of the Volga Kingdom, and even elves who are skilled in commerce and industry.’

They were talented people who had built trust and pledged their loyalty as Luke grew his power.

Unlike Luke, Reikart had few people he could trust.

The only people who truly belonged to him were the Evra family, centered around Mitchell and Baintz.

The others, like Count Felipe, were simply afraid of him, or like Princess Margareta, they bowed their heads to exploit his power and authority.

‘Not only are there few I can trust, but there’s also a significant shortage of capable people to delegate tasks to.’

If there were individuals skilled in national finance, administration, and industrial development, he wouldn’t be in such a predicament.

However, such talented individuals were rare in the Lybia Kingdom.

No, even if they existed, they wouldn’t want to stay in a kingdom teeming with monsters and constantly at war; they would try to leave for other countries.

Conversely, there were also those who were not afraid of war.

These were knights and mercenaries who had gathered, dreaming of success or a quick fortune, and Iron Mages who had come to create or sell Gigants [large, humanoid war machines].

Reikart was diligent in recruiting Iron Mages.

To fight the Baroque Empire, he needed many Gigants, which were the main force, and mages to produce and repair them.

So, he combined several mid-sized magic towers within the kingdom to establish the Lybia Royal Magic Tower.

And he employed any Iron Mage, regardless of whether they were from the former Ten Great Magic Towers or smaller ones.

Thanks to this, he no longer had to struggle with a shortage of Gigant forces.

‘I’m frustrated; I should go take a look at the Gigant workshop.’

With that thought, Reikart quickly rose from his seat and headed to the workshop of the Royal Magic Tower, located south of the palace.

4

Clang! Clang! Clang—!

Cheeeeeeek—!

The sound of hammering and cutting metal echoed incessantly in the magic tower workshop, where Gigant production was in full swing.

“Is this the first Knight-class Gigant developed by our Royal Magic Tower?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Maister Baschli quickly stepped forward to explain in response to Reikart’s question.

He was said to have been an elder of the Fiore Magic Tower, one of the Ten Great Magic Towers of the continent, and his experience and knowledge in Gigant production were exceptionally rich.

“This Tyranno is based on the Vermilion that was produced at the Fiore Magic Tower, where I used to serve.”

“Hmm… it looks rather old-fashioned, doesn’t it?”

Baschli immediately responded to Reikart’s remark.

“However, its reliability is exceptional. The Vermilion had a relatively simple structure and few breakdowns, making it a popular masterpiece among frontline riders.”

However, the core engine output was weak for a Knight-class.

Because of this, the Fiore Magic Tower had attempted several improvements, but the improved versions had worsened the balance despite increased output, earning them harsh criticism from the riders.

Baschli believed that the problem lay in the core engine of the Fiore Magic Tower.

So, he boldly removed the engine and installed a core engine made by the Lockeed Magic Tower.

“As a result, the output increased, and the balance was stabilized without any issues.”

“Is there no problem using parts from two completely different magic towers?”

“You don’t have to worry about that. We have modified the main magic circles to ensure seamless integration. Moreover, this work was led by mages from the former Lockeed Magic Tower, so there are no problems at all.”

“I see. How is the development of Hero-class Gigants progressing?”

If Gigants were the core of military power, then Hero-class Gigants were the core of Gigant forces.

The common consensus was that even dozens of Knight-class Gigants could not defeat a single Hero-class Gigant piloted by a superhuman rider.

In the past, only the Baroque Empire and the Holy Empire among the Rodisia continent nations could produce Hero-class Gigants themselves.

However, now that number had increased, and the Symphonia Kingdom was also capable.

They had unveiled a self-developed Hero-class Gigant called Orion at the New Year’s military parade.

With the number of the Ten Great Magic Towers having significantly decreased due to the Magic Tower War, obtaining a Hero-class Gigant was like reaching for the stars.

Because of this, other countries were begging the Symphonia Kingdom to buy even one more.

Reikart did not want to fall behind them.

Contrary to his wishes, reality was not so easy.

“We are currently acquiring and disassembling a Hero-class Gigant from the former Fiore Magic Tower to reverse-engineer it. The main devices of Hero-class Gigants were produced and managed by Maister [master mage] and high-ranking officials of the magic towers, so it will take time to analyze and research them.”

“Weren’t you also an elder of a magic tower?”

“Even as an elder, I was at the bottom of the ranks. Thanks to that, I was outside the target of assassins during the Magic Tower War, and I was able to have the opportunity to serve Your Majesty like this.”

“The conclusion is that it won’t be done anytime soon.”

As Reikart showed a disappointed expression, Baschli shared some hopeful news.

“However, many talented mages have been joining recently, so research is progressing faster than expected. The famous genius mage Lavoisier from the Altica Magic Tower has also joined.”

“Lavoisier… I haven’t heard that name before?”

“He is a very famous figure in the magic world. Would you like to meet him? Lavoisier also said that it is his wish to meet Your Majesty, a descendant of the great Divine Dragon.”

At first, Reikart was going to ignore it.

However, he decided that he shouldn’t do that, considering the morale of the mages developing Gigants.

So, he decided to meet Lavoisier.

Baschli personally guided him to Lavoisier’s laboratory.

His laboratory was located in a secluded area on the outskirts of the Royal Magic Tower.

“This is the place. He dislikes mixing with people, so he conducts his research here alone.”

“He’s an odd one.”

Reikart opened the door and entered the room.

Confident in his own abilities, he had his escort knights wait outside.

‘The room is bigger than I thought.’

He had thought the laboratory would be small because the door was small.

However, the interior was large enough to lay down and assemble a Gigant.

In a dark corner of the room, a mage wearing a gray robe was tinkering with Gigant parts, engrossed in research.

“Are you Lavoisier?”

Whether he didn’t hear Reikart’s question or not, Lavoisier continued to focus on his research.

So, Reikart tried to approach him more closely to speak to him.

However, when he was almost a step away, Lavoisier turned around.

Reikart was startled when he saw his face, hidden by the hood.

Was he ugly?

This was not something that could be judged by whether he was ugly or not.

Red eyes that could not be considered human flickered from within the hood, and his hands, revealed between the sleeves, were nothing but skeletons.

‘What is this…!’

“Y.ou. are. Shai.kan!”

No sooner had the voice, which sounded like scraping metal, finished, than Lavoisier, or rather, the skeletal monster, lunged at Reikart.

Startled, Reikart immediately drew the sword from his waist and slashed the monster.

Zwaaack—!

The sword, imbued with Draconic Aura [a magical power derived from dragons] that could instantly kill even a demon, cut the skeletal monster in two.

As soon as it was cut into pieces, the skeletal monster turned into dust and scattered into the air.

Reikart thought that the power of the great Divine Dragon had annihilated it.

However, that was his delusion.

Sssssss—!

The dust of the skeletal monster, which had scattered in the air, began to wriggle like snakes and wrap around his body.

“This is bad!”

Reikart tried to shake off the dust by creating a sword wind, sensing something ominous.

However, the dust, like salmon swimming upstream, went against the sword wind and seeped into his mouth, nose, eyes, and ears.

Although the explanation was long, the actual speed was like lightning.

“Kuaaaack!”

Reikart screamed and struggled, feeling as if his brain was burning.

He even used the power of the Draconian [a person with dragon blood] to try to shake off the dust, but for some reason, it only absorbed faster.

“Kuh-uhk!”

His consciousness gradually faded in a situation where he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see, and couldn’t even hear.

Bang!

The laboratory door burst open with a violent impact.

“Your Majesty, what’s going on?”

The escort knights, who had been waiting outside, rushed in after hearing Reikart’s scream.

At first, they thought they had misheard.

The king, a Draconian who inherited the blood of the Divine Dragon, was so strong that he could eliminate them with a single strike.

He was not only skilled in swordsmanship but also in the ancient magic of Dragon Language, so even an 8th-circle archmage would not dare to oppose him.

Could such a king scream?

They thought it was a mistake, but the voice screaming was definitely Reikart’s.

So, they broke down the door and rushed inside, only to find Reikart standing there with his sword drawn.

“Your Majesty, is there an assassin?”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Reikart’s body seemed to tremble for a moment at the urgent shouts of the escort knights, and then his eyes focused.

He calmly sheathed his sword and replied.

“Why are you making such a fuss?”

“We came in because we heard Your Majesty’s scream.”

“Scream? I screamed?”

The escort knights looked bewildered at Reikart’s question.

“Yes? Weren’t you attacked by an assassin?”

“I was never attacked. Did you hear me scream?”

Reikart pointed to Baschli, who was standing behind the knights, and asked.

“I didn’t hear anything, Your Majesty. I heard the sound of metal being cut in the nearby workshop, and it seems the knights mistook that for something else. Please forgive them.”

At Baschli’s words, the escort knights tilted their heads, wondering if they had really made a mistake.

“More importantly, Your Majesty, didn’t you meet Lavoisier?”

“There was no one inside.”

No sooner had Reikart finished speaking than a young mage entered from outside.

He looked puzzled and asked Baschli.

“Maister, is that you? What brings you to my laboratory?”

“What, Lavoisier? Were you out?”

“Yes, I was looking for some necessary materials… Hiiik, Your Majesty!”

Lavoisier, who belatedly recognized Reikart, immediately prostrated himself.

Reikart, smiling faintly at him, reached out his hand to Lavoisier.

“Get up. You’re not a criminal who deserves to die, so there’s no need to bow so low.”

“H-how honored I am.”

Lavoisier, taking Reikart’s outstretched hand, smiled with joy.

However, it was not because of the joy of meeting the king.

‘You succeeded, Ancestor!’

‘Kekekeke. They called him a Draconian, but he was nothing special.’

The two exchanged glances.

In fact, Lavoisier was a black mage from the Veritas Magic Tower.

Moreover, Baschli’s true identity was Albert, a Maister from the Veritas Magic Tower.

Under Nesta’s secret orders, he had disguised himself as Baschli using magic and infiltrated the Lybia Kingdom to establish a base.

And he had lured Reikart here to face Arsen alone.

Thanks to that, Arsen was able to easily seal Reikart’s soul with a black magic secret technique and take over his body.

‘The only regret is that it’s not completely mine yet.’

Although he had taken over the body, Arsen could not use Reikart’s Dragon Language magic and swordsmanship.

Because he had sealed the soul in a hurry, he had not extracted information about Reikart’s abilities and knowledge separately.

That meant that Reikart was not an easy opponent.

However, Arsen was not worried about this.

He judged that it would take some time to analyze, but it was absolutely not impossible to obtain his power and abilities.

‘Kekekeke. Wait for me, Luke. After making the Draconian’s power mine, I will go and cut off your head.’

Reikart, or rather, Arsen, looked at the southeast where Symphonia was located and smiled sinisterly.