Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 17

7. I am the Young Lord

1

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

Four Gigantes [large, humanoid war machines] were traversing the weedy wasteland north of the Rakan Territory’s lord’s castle.

“By now, the main force should have entered the Rakan Territory, right?”

“They might be fighting the Gigantes of the Rakan Territory.”

“Tsk, if they destroy everything over there, there will be less for us to do.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

These Gigantes, moving without trailers and solely by the riders themselves, belonged to the Monarch County and had already infiltrated the Rakan Territory a month ago.

They were a special unit that Baron Goth had secretly deployed from Count Cayon.

Originally, they intended to dispatch only a small number of knights to observe the enemy’s movements and search for the missing Shadow Knights.

However, they decided to infiltrate Gigantes with the idea of disrupting the enemy from the rear when the territory war broke out, or to occupy the Rakan lord’s castle while the main force advanced.

This was because if they were lax because they thought the opponent was weak, and the noble faction intervened, it would become very troublesome.

Therefore, Baron Goth, with the permission of Count Monarch, organized four riders active in the Gigante Arena into a special unit and had them infiltrate the north of the Rakan Territory in advance.

And when the territory war broke out, he ordered them to strike the rear of the Rakan Territory.

Thump! Thump, thump!

“Anyway, I’m glad that Mylon-nim [a respectful honorific] can get his revenge this time.”

“Hehehe, you have no idea how many sleepless nights I’ve had because of that.”

The one leading the four Gigantes was Mylon, riding the Achilles at the front.

He had been thoroughly disgraced by losing to the Black Knight in the Gigante Arena, and he had also lost the Count’s trust.

So, when Baron Goth came looking for volunteers for the special unit, he set aside everything else and volunteered.

‘The Black Knight was said to be the escort of the Rakan Young Lord, right?’

The biggest reason he volunteered for this operation was that he learned that the Black Knight who defeated him belonged to the Rakan Territory.

According to Goth, the Young Lord was likely to remain in the lord’s castle.

Because if he, who had no great swordsmanship skills, went into battle and died, everything would be over.

If the Young Lord remained in the lord’s castle, then his escort knight, the Black Knight, would also be there.

‘Kuhahaha, I’ll crush him to death!’

The Gigantes of the Rakan Territory would have all been deployed to stop the main force.

If so, the lord’s escort knight would be unarmed.

In that state, he could never defeat him, who was riding Achilles.

“The lord’s castle is almost right in front of us. Increase the speed!”

Mylon, who was imagining the scene of his cruel revenge, turned to look at the Gigantes following behind and shouted.

At his command, the four Gigantes began to run even faster.

Luke was looking at the situation board spread out in the middle of the lord’s castle conference room.

On the large map of the situation board, figures representing Gigantes, knights, and infantry were placed, allowing him to see the current deployment of the territory’s forces at a glance.

As Luke was watching the allied Gigantes deployed in the Yotern Gorge, Iron Mage Todd approached him.

His friends, Gordon and Humphrey, had gone with Mute to support the Gigante unit, but he remained here to handle magical communication.

“What’s the matter?”

“The territory forces that went on an ambush just contacted us, saying that the battle has begun.”

Nodding at those words, Luke looked at Todd, whose face was full of tension, and asked.

“Do you think we will win?”

“I… I don’t know.”

Todd wanted to say that they would lose, but he vaguely evaded the question, fearing he might be hated.

Luke, who chuckled, said with a confident face.

“I think we will win.”

“Even though they are going to the Monarch County to launch a surprise attack, our forces are not that much inferior.”

Todd also knew.

That there was a big difference in power between the Monarch County and the Rakan Territory, like the difference between an adult and a child.

“Hehehe, of course, we are inferior. But I have taken measures so that we can never lose.”

At Luke’s words, a question mark appeared in Todd’s head.

‘Could it be that the Young Lord’s head has gone strange? Like he’s suffering from delusions of grandeur.’

It seemed possible since the territory might be ruined soon.

Whether he looked strange or not, Luke opened his mouth while looking out the window.

“I hope we don’t suffer too much damage…”

If Sebastian did his job well, victory was a sure thing.

What he was worried about was that the Rakan Territory’s forces would not be too damaged. Even if they won the territory war, if the damage to high-level forces such as knights, riders, and mages was great, it would be difficult afterward.

There was a limit to recruiting from outside with money, and even in remote places like the Rakan Territory, there were not many people who wanted to come.

‘But if we win this fight, that will change.’

Luke was looking out the window, waiting for the battle results to be reported.

Ding, ding, ding, ding—!

Suddenly, the bell in the lord’s castle watchtower began to ring like crazy.

‘What’s going on?’

As Luke was about to find out what was going on, the conference room door burst open and Butler Hans rushed in.

“It’s a disaster, Young Lord! Four Gigantes have appeared north of the lord’s castle.”

“What?”

Luke was startled.

He had anticipated the possibility of the enemy bypassing them, and he had taken some measures to prepare for it. Deploying artillery or cutting off the road with gunpowder.

But unexpectedly, four Gigantes appeared out of nowhere from the north, where he had not prepared at all.

“Did you confirm the insignia?”

“According to the hunter who first discovered them, there was a boar’s tusk drawn on the right side of the Gigantes’ breastplate.”

“Damn it, it’s really the Monarch County army! When on earth did they infiltrate Gigantes into our territory… !”

Luke was furious, but there was no time to be angry now. The enemy’s Gigantes would soon arrive at the lord’s castle.

The only forces Luke could use in the lord’s castle now were about a hundred old soldiers and a few old cannons on the walls.

This was because Rogers had taken most of the forces to fight the battle for the territory’s survival.

Anyway, as the situation reached this point, retired knights, including Hans, and old knights of Volga gathered around him to help.

“Young Lord, what should we do? Should we issue an evacuation order first?”

Even though there were walls, the forces to fight were not good enough, so the Gigantes would break through in an instant.

To reduce the damage to the people, it was right to issue an evacuation order as Hans said.

“Issue an evacuation order and then bring me a horse. The strongest and fastest one.”

“Yes!”

At Luke’s instruction, Hans hurriedly ran outside.

Shortly after, the watchtower bell began to ring in a different pattern. It seemed to be a signal to evacuate.

Luke glanced at Todd and said.

“If you run away, you will die.”

“I, I won’t run away.”

Even though they were bound by the oath of mana, anyone would think of running away if their life was in danger.

“I’ll believe those words.”

When he went outside, he saw residents running towards the walls with sickles, hoes, kitchen knives, and other tools.

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you all evacuating!”

At Luke’s shout, one of the old soldiers nearby said.

“Hehe, we’ve only just started to make a living, where would we go?”

“You’ll die if you fight Gigantes?”

“A person only dies once, not twice. Although the Rakan family did not have power, they have always taken good care of us lowly people. When the residents were hungry, they were hungry with us, they worked with us, and they lived with us.”

“…”

“It would be a sin to ignore the crisis of the Rakan family who took care of us, yes, it would.”

Luke was slightly moved, though he didn’t know if the old soldier’s words represented the will of all the residents.

‘The Rakan family seems to have some popularity.’

That was why the residents were so brave in defending their homes and the Rakan Territory.

‘Is the Rakan family also one that values people? Is that kind of family tradition what Rakan taught you?’

He had just thought of him as a fool who ruined his revenge, but it seemed that there were some similarities.

They were just on different paths, so they were hostile.

‘Okay, Rakan. I will protect your people and your family. I will use all my power and wisdom!’

He would definitely defeat the Count’s Gigantes!

As Luke was making up his mind, Hans brought a black horse that looked very fast.

“Here it is, Young Lord. But what are you going to do…?”

Luke, who received the reins and mounted the horse, grinned.

“I have to lure them. As far away from the lord’s castle as possible.”

“Yes? What, what do you mean!”

Before the surprised Butler Hans could stop him, Luke spurred his horse and galloped away.

As Luke approached the castle gate, the old soldiers and people who recognized him shouted.

“Wow, it’s the Young Lord!”

“The Young Lord has stepped forward to protect us!”

Luke waved to them and shouted loudly.

“Open the castle gate—!!”

At the roar that seemed to shake the heavens and the earth, the old soldiers at the castle gate opened the gate without realizing it.

Grrr, grrr, grrr!

The heavy castle gate opened, and Luke rode his horse out.

Then, in the distance, he could see the Gigantes kicking up dust as they rushed towards him.

“You came all the way here. Now you will become sacrifices for my people!”

With that declaration, Luke spurred his horse fiercely towards the Gigantes.

2

“Hehehe, that’s the lord’s castle of the Rakan Territory.”

Mylon stopped his Gigante on a hill overlooking the lord’s castle.

In the center of the lord’s castle, surrounded by low walls, was a small mansion. That was probably the lord’s residence where the Young Lord was staying.

“As expected, there are no Gigantes.”

“There are a lot of people on the walls? They must have come out to greet us, right? If they came out to fight, they must be out of their minds.”

“Kekeke, that’s right.”

Mylon, with a sinister smile, continued in a voice full of arrogance.

“Anyway, let’s smash them all and capture the Young Lord, and then enter the Demon King’s castle on that southern hill.”

“Why the Demon King’s castle?”

“We have captured the descendant of the hero, so we have to play the role of the Demon King, don’t we?”

“Hehehe, that’s true.”

“Ooh, Demon King Mylon! Ruler of Darkness〜!”

It was when Mylon was giggling with his subordinates.

A rider in the back looked at the lord’s castle and spoke in a puzzled voice.

“Captain Mylon, a horseman is running this way?”

As his subordinate said, when he looked ahead, he could see a horseman coming out of the lord’s castle and running towards them.

“Is he out of his mind? Just ignore him!”

Their goal was to capture the Rakan Young Lord in the lord’s castle.

They had to capture the Rakan Young Lord first to end the territory war.

Looting or destroying the lord’s castle was a story for later.

But the young man who rode the horse drew his sword and slashed at the leg armor of Achilles.

Clang—!

“Aah! That bastard!”

The armor of the Gigante was not damaged by ordinary attacks. So they pretended not to see the young man swinging his sword.

However, when the paint peeled off with the previous slash, leaving an ugly sword mark, Mylon glared at the young man with wide eyes.

The young man, who stopped his horse in front of him, pointed his sword and shouted loudly.

“I declare to the intruders! Get out of my land right now!!”

“What? My land? Then you are… ?”

“That’s right! I am Luke de Rakan, the Young Lord of the Rakan Territory!!”

As soon as the young man, no, Luke’s words were finished, there was an uproar within the special unit.

“Capture him!”

“Capture him first and then confirm!”

The riders, including Mylon, reached out towards the target at once.

However, Luke, as if to mock them, quickly retreated and uttered a short spell.

“Grease!”

At that moment, the ground became as slippery as ice, and the four Gigantes that had rushed in at once fell to the ground.

“Damn it!”

“Catch that rat-like bastard!”

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

Thud, thud, thud!

The four Gigantes seemed to scatter, then they surrounded Luke in a circle. And they gradually narrowed the encirclement to capture Luke.

“Hmph, slow!”

Luke quickly dodged the Gigantes’ hands, slipped between the legs of a Gigante that was trying to catch him, and slashed at its ankle joint.

Clang!

“Fool! You can’t even make a scratch on a Gigante without aura… !”

The rider who was about to laugh at Luke’s words was dumbfounded.

Suddenly, the Gigante’s right ankle seemed to clunk, and black oil poured out as if it were bleeding.

“Aah! The joint lubricant!”

The joints of the Gigante were covered with an oil film like human cartilage. This was because the parts that moved so much were prone to wear and tear.

When the lubricant was gone, an unpleasant metallic sound rang out, and the movement became stiffer and slower than before.

“Damn it! Was he an expert!”

Only then did the special unit riders see the faint purple aura on the sword that Luke was holding up.

Luke, who had passed by the Gigantes, immediately turned around and attacked the Gigante that was staggering with a broken joint.

“Damn it, do you think I’ll be fooled again!”

The rider of the broken Gigante flared up and swung his greatsword.

Luke slightly tilted his upper body to avoid the greatsword, and this time he cast a spell on the knee joint of the opposite leg.

“Fire Ball!” KWA-BOOM! The fireball launched from Luke’s hand slammed into the knee joint armor, causing a tremendous explosion. The Gigante’s thick armor and powerful frame could usually shrug off a 2nd circle spell like Fireball. However, this explosion was so powerful it could have been mistaken for a 5th circle Fire Explosion. The force shattered all the magic stones controlling the knee joint’s movement. “Oh no! Ah, no!” KWA-BOOM! The Gigante, with both legs crippled, thrashed wildly for a moment before collapsing forward. It lay there, a pathetic sight, crawling on the ground, unable to rise. “What, what was that? How could a 2nd circle magic…” “Be careful! That Rune Knight’s magic power is unusual! If possible, avoid getting hit and dodge!” Unlike the bewildered special unit riders, the people watching from the castle walls cheered. “Wow! The Young Lord defeated a Gigante!” ‘Oh, Young Lord!’ Hans, who had been anxiously watching the fight, beamed and clenched his fists. ‘Damn it, how can a Rune Knight have such magic power…’ For a low circle spell to produce the power of a high circle spell meant the caster’s magic power was exceptional. It was surprising that a Rune Knight, not a regular mage, displayed such power. Rune Knights could use both swords and magic, but they rarely excelled in either. ‘But that guy not only uses aura but also has high magic power! Why wasn’t such skill known?’ That wasn’t all. Luke possessed something even more terrifying than Mylon realized: a complete understanding of the Gigante’s basic structure. Having examined one closely, almost dismantling it, he knew exactly how it moved and where problems would occur if something broke. Besides… ‘No matter how much faster the Gigante’s reaction speed is compared to a golem, it still moves after the rider recognizes it. It doesn’t react and move immediately like a human body.’ Because of this delay, Luke could anticipate and respond to the opposing rider’s intentions and movements. ‘The high-ranking demons I fought in the past were also this big, but their movements were much faster. I’ve dealt with those guys, so why would I be afraid of these slowpokes?’ His experience made him neither nervous nor afraid. So, even when a greatsword fell or a kick flew, he could quickly maneuver his horse between the Gigantes and cast magic without hesitation. “Fire Arrow!” “Ah!” The arrow of fire from Luke’s hand struck the crystal in the Gigante’s eye area. This crystal reflected the outside scenery onto the cockpit’s site screen and was usually impervious to ordinary impacts. However, the soot from the Fire Arrow obscured the crystal, making the site screen useless. “Damn it, I can’t see anything!” “Idiot! Don’t open the hatch!” Despite Mylon’s warning, the blinded Gigante’s rider opened the hatch. He intended to look directly at the target, but Luke was waiting for that exact moment. “Wind Cutter!” “Guh!” The rider, his neck sliced by Luke’s sharp blade of wind, died instantly. The Gigante slumped down like a puppet with its strings cut. With two Gigantes defeated, frustration surged in Mylon’s heart, not bewilderment. “Damn it! Why didn’t anyone tell me that the Young Lord Rakan was this strong!” Before the expedition, no one in the Count’s territory had warned them about the Young Lord Rakan. They had thought of him as a young lord with some swordsmanship skills, but ultimately mediocre and easy to capture. Even Baron Goth, known for his caution and valuing information, had underestimated him. Yet, here he was, toying with four Gigantes, even if they were warrior-class! “Kuaaak! Damn it! Die, just die already!” His eyes wild, Mylon abandoned capturing the opponent alive and swung his mace wildly. WHOOSH! BANG! “Oh! Be careful, Captain!” “D, dangerous… Ugh!” The more agitated he became, the more his attacks missed. He only caused confusion by accidentally hitting fallen or restrained allied Gigantes. “Have you finished your tantrum?” Luke’s mocking tone, still unscathed, made Mylon’s heart freeze. ‘I, I can’t win! I can’t handle such a monster!’ Among masters, some daring individuals could fight and win against Gigantes with their bare hands. Mages were usually War Mages of the 6th circle or higher, and even upper-level knights could defeat a Gigante depending on the rider’s skill and the situation. The world called such eccentrics ‘Destroyers’. Mylon, convinced that Young Lord Luke was a Destroyer, quietly turned tail and ran. “C, Captain!” “Take us with you!” THUD THUD THUD! The subordinates riding the destroyed Gigantes pleaded, but Mylon ignored them and ran. 3 “What? Are you running away?” Luke looked pathetic as he watched Mylon flee. However, he couldn’t let him escape. Not only because he had tried to stab him in the back, but also because it would be troublesome if his true skills were revealed. The residents watching from the castle walls didn’t know much about magic, so he could deceive them with a suitable excuse, but it was difficult to deceive someone who had fought him directly. By running away, he might have figured something out. ‘I can’t just let him go!’ Luke spurred his horse and chased after Mylon. He deliberately slowed his pursuit, intending to get farther from the lord’s castle. When the castle was out of sight, Luke quickly closed the distance and bound Mylon with Black Bind. DRRRRR! “What, what is this black vine?!” When the vine suddenly sprang from the ground and wrapped around Mylon, he tried to cut it with force. But instead of being cut, he was helplessly collapsing. “What happened? Why isn’t it moving!” ‘Hmph, do you think you can escape? That’s black magic that can bind even high-ranking demons.’ Black Bind binds the target and absorbs its power. In the case of Gigantes, it also absorbs the mana that powers them, making them unable to move. However, in this process, Luke faced an unexpected crisis. ‘Huk! Mana suddenly…!’ The power absorbed by Black Bind is all absorbed by the caster, Luke. The enormous mana moving the Gigante flowed into him. ‘No, it’s dangerous to suddenly accept such a large amount of mana!’ Sensing the danger, Luke tried to cancel Black Bind. But at that moment, the Black Circle, which had been working well, suddenly stopped! “Damn it! This curse is activated again… Kuaaak!” The large amount of absorbed mana collided with the stopped Black Circle. Luke fell off his horse, the pain like a strong blow to his heart. Before he could feel the pain of falling, a pain that felt like his heart was being torn apart assailed him. “Kyak! Kuaaaak!” ‘What? Why is that guy like that?’ Mylon, who had opened the hatch and come out of his Gigante, looked at Luke rolling on the ground, puzzled. But only for a moment. He smiled slyly, drew his sword, and approached Luke. ‘If I kill this guy here, this territory war will end with the victory of our Monarch Count Territory!’ Mylon raised his sword high. But Luke was busy trying to get the stopped Black Circle moving again and deal with the large amount of mana, so he couldn’t even lift a finger. “Die, you monster Young Lord!” The sword Mylon swung down pierced Luke’s chest. But… CLANG! The sword bounced off! “W, what on earth is going on?” Bewildered, Mylon repeatedly swung his sword down. CLANG! CLANG! Each time, the sword bounced off, and his heart burned. Then, Luke’s body swelled up. DRRRR! PUH-DUH-DUH-DUH! It sounded like his clothes were stretching taut, and then his body grew 1.5 times larger. If he had been a handsome young man before, now he looked like a fierce, muscular warrior. ‘Is this guy really a monster?’ Mylon, bewildered, belatedly came to his senses and covered his sword with aura. No matter how much he had transformed into a monster that could deflect blades, he wouldn’t be able to stop aura. But at that moment, Luke opened his eyes wide and got up, grabbing the wrist of Mylon, who was holding the sword. “Kuaaak! My, my hand!” ‘Damn it, that was really close.’ At the moment of crisis, Luke unleashed the demon’s build-up ability. The moment he activated the ability engraved in his brain, the stopped Black Circle began to spin fiercely, strengthening his body. It began to change the mana that was colliding fiercely into the same nature as the demonic energy built into the Black Circle. The transformed mana, or rather demonic energy, was absorbed directly into the Black Circle, continuously building the 4th and 5th circle rings. If the demonic energy accumulated in his body while absorbing the demonic energy of the demons had not been sufficient, he would have only formed the 4th circle. He had overcome an unexpected crisis with a stroke of luck. “Heeik! P, please save me!” Mylon, caught by Luke, trembled and begged. Luke gave him a cold sneer. “You’re shameless. Begging for mercy from the person you were trying to kill just a moment ago.” “Huh? Uh, uh?! Uwaaaah!” The moment Luke’s eyes flashed, Mylon’s body began to harden. The demon’s petro light, which petrified the opponent, was activated. Before he could do anything, Mylon turned to stone to the bone. Luke threw the stone Mylon away like trash. THUD! Mylon’s body, colliding with the Gigante he had been riding, shattered into pieces. Luke dusted off his hands and released the build-up, returning to his original form. “It’s over. But what about this?” Luke looked at the Gigante that was left alone. It was scratched and all the magic stones were discharged due to the Black Bind, but it wasn’t exactly broken. It could be used again if the magic stones were replaced. “It’s a waste to throw it away… but if I take it, I’ll have to explain how I got it…” After thinking for a moment, Luke came up with a simple solution. “Yeah, I’ll just use it.” After all, the Gigante was a weapon developed from golems. He figured it could be controlled with marionette magic if properly modified. “Or I could learn how to control the Gigante. I can ask Rogers or Philip to teach me.” Having decided that, Luke put the Gigante into the subspace of his bracelet and returned to the lord’s castle. “Look! The Young Lord is coming back!” “Oh, Young Lord!” Hans and the residents, who were cleaning up the destroyed Gigantes of the special unit, cheered when they saw Luke. They had been worried since the horse the Young Lord had ridden had returned alone, but fortunately, he had returned without a scratch. “Long live the Young Lord!” “Long live the reincarnation of the hero Rakan!” ‘What? I’m the reincarnation of the hero Rakan?’ Luke looked disgruntled when he heard the residents shouting. He had used magic and aura when fighting the Gigantes, and just now he had even used the demon’s ability. But they didn’t know that and were shouting that he was the reincarnation of Rakan! In fact, if you only looked at the results, it was understandable that they would think so. He had bravely fought against four Gigantes alone to protect the residents, and after a fierce (?) battle, he had defeated and chased them away. As he entered the castle gate, the cheers of the residents grew louder. The elderly even shed tears and knelt down to pray for him. ‘Oh, come on, this is…’ “Why are you like that, Young Lord? Your face hasn’t been good since earlier.” Luke replied vaguely to Hans’ question. “Ah, it’s because I missed the guy who ran away earlier. I could have caught him if I hadn’t accidentally fallen off my horse.” “Hahaha! Don’t worry about it. He was severely beaten by the Young Lord, so he won’t even think about attacking again.” Hans continued with a truly moved expression. “This old man was really moved. I never knew that the Young Lord would fight so bravely and have such high skills…” “It was just luck. Because I charged in so aggressively, they were confused and their hands and feet got tangled. And the magic also luckily hit the Gigante’s vital points.” Hans nodded as if he understood Luke’s excuse. But the way he looked at him with admiration didn’t change. “Hahaha! Anyway, when this incident is known, everyone will definitely look at our Rakan territory again!” ‘Did I overdo it?’ Judging by his appearance, this old man seemed like he would add even non-existent facts and brag about it everywhere. Of course, not only Hans but also the other residents would be the same. ‘It can’t be helped. I’ll just have to lie and say that the blood of our foolish and great ancestor hero has awakened.’ With that in mind, Luke turned his steps toward the lord’s manor. Because of the various things that had happened, he wanted to rest for a while.