Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 178

Rudolph’s Gambit

1

The Baroque Empire.

The empire, which had prided itself on being the ruler of the continent for the past 500 years, was declining day by day. The country was fractured by civil war and was in tatters due to the emperor’s exploitation and rebellions that had broken out in various places.

To make matters worse, Emperor Rudolph had lost the favor of the clergy and the people due to his efforts to increase military power and replenish the nation’s finances. The military, once considered the strongest on the continent, was not what it used to be. The Sword Emperor and his personal guard were still powerful, but the frequent wars had rotted the military from the bottom up.

As the country’s finances declined, officers and knights were busy embezzling military supplies to fill their own pockets, and soldiers were constantly engaged in looting and desertion. With such lax military discipline, they often missed opportunities to win battles. The recent war with the Volga Republic ended inconclusively, and that was entirely because of this. Enraged, Emperor Rudolph had ferreted out and executed the corrupt officials who were eating away at the military, but nothing had changed significantly. Although no one said it aloud, everyone knew that the emperor was the reason the country had come to this state.

As a result, sensible nobles went into seclusion or frequently defected to other countries with their people. Those who could neither hide nor escape sighed and waited for a savior to appear and end this hellish situation. Perhaps that was why strange rumors were circulating throughout the empire, including the imperial capital, Nemesis.

Nemesis Imperial Palace.

Two people were in the emperor’s office. Rudolph was sitting behind a lavish desk, and Count Voltaire was standing in front of him, bowing.

“Count, I hear strange rumors are circulating in the capital?” When Rudolph asked with a chilling gaze, Voltaire inwardly broke out in a cold sweat. He had thought it was strange that he had been suddenly summoned, but he never imagined that the emperor would have heard the rumors spreading throughout the empire. He replied with the calmest face he could muster. “They are just malicious rumors spread by troublemakers. We are tracking them down and punishing them, so please do not worry, Your Majesty…”

“Is that so?” Rudolph, who had been resting his chin on the sword he was holding, remained silent for a moment before speaking again. “Still, it’s strange.”

“What is strange?” Rudolph rose from his seat and pointed to a map of the continent hanging in his office, continuing his words. “I hate to admit it, but it’s true that there are guys in this world who have the ability to kill me. Luke de Rakan, and my half-brother, Reichardt…” The emperor, who had been wearing a bitter smile, suddenly had his eyes flare up like flames. The most likely candidate to take his head had come to mind: Arsene, the undying monster of the Veritas Magic Tower!

“Why is it? Why is it that the name of a princess who disappeared 500 years ago is being mentioned, leaving these guys alone?” The last princess of the old Livia Kingdom and her knights will return and execute the bloodline of Carno de Baroque! And the flag of the forgotten kingdom will fly again! This was the rumor circulating these days. Count Voltaire had released his informants to investigate the source of this rumor. Some said they had heard it from an old elven astrologer, while others said they had heard it from the temple of the goddess Beliz. There was also a story that an old bald priest from the south had said it. The conclusion was that the exact source could not be determined. If it were the work of neighboring countries, they would have immediately tracked down and punished those spreading the rumors, but it was absurd that they were suddenly mentioning a princess from hundreds of years ago.

“We are currently treating it as the work of the Livia Kingdom and are conducting a detailed investigation.” “Reichardt’s doing… Is that really the case?” If it were him, he would have emphasized his own bloodline instead of a princess who disappeared hundreds of years ago, using his unjustly killed mother and the former emperor, whose cause of death was unclear, as justification. ‘Anyway, thanks to that princess being mentioned, something else came to mind.’ That was the ruins under the imperial palace. The ruins, which had been destroyed by the rats who had infiltrated to help Count Ferrero escape, were currently being restored and investigated. As far as Rudolph knew, the ruins were created by ancient mages who had sought the power of time in the past. He had forgotten about it for a while because the research was stagnant, but the recent rumors had brought it back to his mind.

‘I should go and see how it’s progressing.’ Rudolph was thinking of visiting the ruins, and if there was no progress, he would cut off the heads of the mages in charge of the research. The Imperial Magic Tower had not been to his liking lately. There had been several setbacks in the production of the Gigant, a decisive weapon, and loyalty to the imperial family had decreased, with some secretly fleeing. The desertion of the Iron Mages during the recent war with Volga was a prime example. It was a serious crime to desert and run to the enemy, but these guys had sabotaged the Gigant before they fled. They had broken key parts and replaced magic stones with fakes. To make matters worse, they had informed the Volga army of this fact, causing the unit to suffer a crushing defeat. Because of this, Meister Kepler, the head of the Imperial Magic Tower, had taken responsibility and stepped down. He was quickly reinstated because there was no one else with the skills to replace him, but in any case, he had not trusted the Imperial Magic Tower since then. However, there was a limit to how much he could tolerate. If they showed a disappointing performance this time as well, he would definitely reorganize the Imperial Magic Tower.

‘The republican guys and the traitors who seceded and broke away are avoiding war for the time being anyway. In the meantime, I can reorganize the Imperial Magic Tower and establish a new magic tower to replace it.’ Rudolph made up his mind and went to the ruins. The mages who were in charge of the research in the underground ruins were flustered when the emperor suddenly stormed in with his personal guard knights. However, they quickly regained their composure and greeted him. “Have you arrived, Your Majesty?” Count Lorex, the vice-meister of the Imperial Magic Tower, who was in charge of the restoration and research of the time ruins, rushed out and greeted Rudolph. Rudolph spoke to him indifferently. “Is there any progress?” “Yes, there is.” Rudolph’s eyes widened at Count Lorex’s confident answer. He had expected him to repeat the tiresome words, ‘We need more time and funding,’ with a humble expression! “I don’t like jokes these days. So, tell me honestly.” Rudolph said with a hint of murderous intent. Nevertheless, Count Lorex replied with a calm face. “I am being honest, Your Majesty. The destruction of the ruins and the rampage of the previous intruders have actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise.”

It was real. It seemed like they had really made some progress. Rudolph, delighted, grabbed Lorex’s shoulders and hurriedly asked. “Tell me, how did it turn out to be a blessing in disguise? What kind of progress have you made?” “W-Well, I will tell you, so please let go of my shoulders…” Count Lorex, whose shoulders felt like they were about to be crushed, said with a cold sweat on his forehead, and Rudolph quickly let go. Swoosh. Wiping the sweat with his sleeve, he led the emperor to a huge dome a moment later. Inside the dome, the ruins that were originally underground had been almost perfectly restored. “To be honest, when this was destroyed, we were also at a loss. We didn’t know what to restore or how to restore it.” However, in the process of cleaning up the ruins, they found a large bronze chest in the lower stratum where the ruins were originally located. Inside the chest, which was sealed with multiple layers of ancient magic, were research materials and blueprints related to the ruins.

“Oh! There was such a thing?” “Yes, Your Majesty. It seems that it was left behind in case there was a problem with the ruins in later generations.” The materials were of great help in advancing the stagnant research. Even the ether part, which was considered the most difficult, was solved. “The Meister must have reported to you before. He said that ether is needed to operate these ruins.” “Yes, the power that existed when the world was created? But I know that it is a power that cannot be realized at present.” “Yes, that was the common knowledge until now, but…” Count Lorex, with a smile on his face, presented the emperor with a research notebook. The research notebook was filled with magic circles and formulas that Rudolph found difficult to understand. “What is this?” “When these ruins were destroyed, the intruders who took out Count Ferrero, or rather, the traitor Ferrero, created a tunnel of light to escape to the outskirts of the capital. That tunnel of light was similar to a teleport gate, but it was clearly different.”

“Is it because it connects not only to the current space but also to the past or future space?” “Yes, that’s right. The ancient mages called it Warp.” When the incident occurred, warp opened twice on the outskirts of the capital. Once was used by the intruders who took Ferrero out, and the other time, an old man from the southern continent appeared with a child in his arms. Count Lorex had even fought directly with the man from the southern continent. “I investigated the Fist Master immediately after that. As a result of inquiries with merchants, priests, and warriors from the southern continent in the empire, I found out that the martial art used by the Fist Master was similar to the Three Thunder God Fist, which is passed down in the Hwangbo family of the Song Empire.” “Hmm, so that old man was from the Song Empire?” “No, it didn’t seem that simple. The Three Thunder God Fist is a martial art that few in that family have mastered.” It was said that the only successor in 300 years had also died, but recently reappeared during the civil war in the Song Empire. Surprisingly, he had become a subordinate of Luke de Rakan, the king of Symphonia.

“He is very young. He was different from the old man I saw.” “Then… that old man must have come from the past or the future.” “With that possibility in mind, I meticulously investigated the mana fluctuations in the area where the warp opened.” The investigation revealed that a different wave pattern had occurred compared to other areas. Perhaps if there were no research materials left by the ancient mages, they would have simply recognized the wave pattern as being different from other places. “Thanks to the research materials, we found out that mana was converted into ether when the warp opened. That was why a different wave pattern occurred compared to other areas.” “Oh, if mana was converted into ether…?” Rudolph, with an expectant look on his face. Count Lorex gave an answer that did not deviate from his expectations. “Since ether had already been lost in ancient times, the mages of that time were also researching ways to solve this problem. If we combine the research records in the bronze chest with the current advanced magic engineering, we can create ether.” The complex magic circles and formulas in the research notebook were the magic circles and formulas that would be used in the device that creates ether.

Rudolph, who understood what he meant, asked with a delighted expression. “So, you can artificially create ether?” “Yes, it is a very difficult and tricky method that involves reacting a large amount of magic stones to a specific wave pattern, but…” “Hahahaha! Anyway, that means it’s possible! Uahahahahaha!” The emperor’s laughter echoed loudly inside the dome. It was so moving that Rudolph himself could not remember the last time he had laughed so happily. “So, it’s possible, right? To create ether and use the ruins to turn back time to the past…!” He could turn everything back. The empire that had been torn to pieces, and the family that had been killed by a monster that he would not hesitate to grind to dust. ‘God and the devil have abandoned me. But I will transcend all of that and achieve what I desire!’ A maniacal smile appeared on Rudolph’s lips as he lit the spark of hope.

2

Karen, who had fallen into a deep sleep after dinner with Reina, was now dreaming. But the scenery in her dream was familiar. ‘This is like the garden of the Symphonia Royal Palace?’ Having lived with Luke for a while, Karen knew immediately where she was standing. Perhaps her longing to see her father was reflected in her dream. A smile was about to form on Karen’s lips when, Kwaaaang—! A huge roar and a cloud of dust rose from the direction of the Third Annex. As if that wasn’t enough, the waist of the annex building snapped in half and began to collapse. “Run, run! If you get caught in the fight, you won’t even be able to find your bones!” “What on earth is going on?” “The descendants of Rakan are fighting! His Majesty, who is a direct descendant, and Hiros, who is a collateral descendant!” Soldiers and servants guarding the palace were seen screaming and retreating. ‘Huh? Hiros?’ Hiros was the imposter who had impersonated a descendant of Rakan and was executed when she returned to the past and met Luke in the Symphonia Kingdom. In the original history, he was the culprit who defeated her father and led him to his death. ‘Am I dreaming of that day two years ago?’ It was an impressive day when the bleak future began to change, so it seemed like she was dreaming of that day’s fight. ‘My dad will win anyway…’ Thinking of watching leisurely, Karen approached the annex where her father and Hiros were fighting. But her eyes widened as she approached the annex. It was true that the two were fiercely exchanging blows, but the situation of the confrontation was very different from what she had seen and heard before.

“Kuh-uk!” Koo-oong! Luke, hit by Hiros’s sword strike, flew far away and was buried in the half-collapsed annex. “Kuhahahaha! Luke de Rakan! I will reveal to the world your true identity as a descendant of a hero who has learned black magic!” Hiros, laughing triumphantly, mercilessly poured golden aura towards Luke. Kwaang! Kwang! Kwakwakwakwang! Each time the slightly murky golden aura exploded, the annex was shattered to pieces. Luke barely managed to evade the attacks using blink magic, but after that, he began to be unilaterally pushed into a defensive position.

“Ah, Dad!” Karen, startled, tried to intervene in the fight. Even if it was a dream, she couldn’t stand by and watch her father in danger. However, some force held her firmly, preventing her from moving forward. Eventually, Luke’s sword, already on the defensive, snapped, and his right arm was severed. “Kyaaah, Dad!” Karen screamed in shock. Something was definitely wrong. In her memory, Luke had beheaded Hiros without using black magic or demonic powers. ‘That’s right, this is a dream. Yes, maybe I’m dreaming about the original history my mom told me.’ Karen, who had been screaming, tried hard to remain calm. Then, suddenly, time began to flow rapidly. Luke, defeated in the fight, used black magic to escape to Jason Territory, where the Dark Moon was located. There, Reina found him, comforted him, and nursed him back to health. However, perhaps even her divine power couldn’t save him, as Luke grew weaker and eventually died. Seeing this, Karen looked puzzled. She had clearly heard that her father was assassinated by the undead sent by Hiros. ‘Why is it different from what I know?’ The situation that followed was also strangely different. The Baroque Empire, which should have collapsed within a few years, continued to survive, causing even more chaos in the Rodisia continent. And what was even more absurd was… “The witch who defiled the name of God with sorcery and deceived the people shall be burned at the stake!” As Pope Constantine’s order was given, a haggard Reina was dragged to the central square of Bless and bound to the stake. Karen’s eyes widened as she watched the firewood piled at her feet catch fire. “No! This can’t be! Mom! Mom!” She struggled to save her mother, using magic and any means possible. But all she could do was watch the horrific scene unfold. “Hic… I don’t want this! I don’t want it to end like this!” A nightmare, a truly terrible nightmare. She wanted to wake up, but for some reason, she couldn’t even move, and the nightmare continued. She saw countless undead covering the continent and marching forward, and various countries collapsing in an instant. Eventually, before Karen could even properly grow up, the continent was destroyed. Under the red sky, on the yellow, parched land, a world of darkness and death unfolded, with only the undead wandering around. And at the center of that bleak future world, Arsen stood with a triumphant smile on his face. ‘What is this? Why am I having such a dream…’ Even in a dream, watching her parents die and the world destroyed was incredibly draining. As Karen was just sobbing, unable to understand what was happening, a solemn voice came from behind her. “Nothing is over yet. Someone else is trying to change history with their greed.” Startled, Karen turned her head. There stood someone she had seen once before. A young man with a robe embroidered with gold thread, a golden staff, and a mysterious aura that made it impossible to guess his age. ‘Ah, this person is…!’ The watcher who observes everything from the gap between dimensions. A being known to humans as Elkasel. Karen immediately knelt before him. “Your humble daughter greets the great parent.” “Huhu, how did it feel to change the past? Are you satisfied?” “The grace bestowed by the parent is something I could never repay, even if I gave my entire soul. But what were those things I just saw?” Karen saw Elkasel in her dream and realized that this was not just a simple dream. And she was worried about what he had just said. That someone else was trying to change history. There was no guarantee that someone else wouldn’t do what she had already done. So, even though she knew it was disrespectful, she couldn’t help but ask. Fortunately, Elkasel smiled and answered. “That is a new future. It is not yet certain, but if time passes as it is, there is a very high probability that it will come to pass.” “But as I know it, turning back time requires the parent’s permission. So how…?” “I am originally one who observes the universe. Neither evil nor good… I am not on anyone’s side.” “Th-then why did you appear in my dream and tell me this?” “Hahahaha, shall we call it a kind of whim?” Karen’s eyes widened at those words. She never expected such an absurd thing from such a great being, a god among gods. He wiped the smile from his face and said, “The truth is, the reason why the threads of fate have become so tangled is because of you.” “Me…? I see. It was my doing.” She was the one who turned back time and changed history. Even though it was to save the world, she had suffered tremendous pain for defying the absolute will. She thought that the divine punishment had ended after receiving her mother’s care and the ether [a mystical energy], but it seemed that there was still something she had to take responsibility for. “I have no intention of interfering in the affairs of the middle realm. Since it is something you started, you must finish it with your own hands.” With those words, Elkasel disappeared. And Karen woke up from her dream. 3 “What’s wrong, Princess? You don’t look well.” Viktor, seeing Karen come out of her chambers in the morning, asked with a worried expression. He cared deeply for Karen. It wasn’t just because she was the benefactor who had saved his life. Karen looked very much like Reina when she was young. He didn’t know the details because she hadn’t told him, but she was definitely related to Reina or the Volga royal family by blood. Naturally, he couldn’t help but be polite to her. “Well… I had a bit of a scary dream.” “Is that so? Don’t worry. They say dreams are the opposite of reality.” Karen gave a faint smile at Viktor’s words, but inwardly, she was deep in thought. ‘Who on earth is trying to turn back time? To turn back time, you must have the ruins of Avalon, and the ruins are currently buried under the Baroque Empire’s imperial palace.’ The most likely candidate was Emperor Rudolph. In the original history that Karen lived in, Emperor Rudolph had tried to restore and use the ruins of Avalon in his later years. It wasn’t that time yet, but it could have been brought forward by some variable. Next was Arsen. Like a monster who had been manipulating the world from behind the scenes for 500 years, he might have known about the existence of the Avalon ruins. There might be other candidates she didn’t know about, but the fact that the ruins were needed to turn back time remained unchanged. ‘I should talk to Dad about this.’ She couldn’t solve such an important problem alone. So, as soon as she finished breakfast, Karen returned to her room and took out the crystal ball. It was a top-of-the-line magic communication orb that Luke had sent her as a gift not long ago. As soon as she touched it, injected mana [magical energy], and set the coordinates, Luke’s face appeared on the crystal ball. – Oh, it’s Karen. What brings you to contact your dad? “Well, it’s…” – Don’t tell me you’re asking for some teachings. I don’t want to get scolded by your mom again. Karen smiled slightly at Luke’s display of being a henpecked husband, or rather, a devoted husband. She told him about the dream she had last night. – A scary dream? “Yes, so it’s…” Karen explained in detail what had happened in her dream. On one hand, she tried to mention that it was a prophetic dream given to her by Elkasel, who had sent her to the past, but for some reason, she couldn’t even utter a word about Elkasel. It was as if something was blocking her mouth. ‘Does the parent not want to be mentioned?’ That was probably right. If so, how could she convince her dad without saying it was a prophetic dream shown by a great being? Unlike Karen’s worries, Luke, who had heard the whole story, had a rather serious expression. Even though he didn’t know that Karen was his own daughter, he knew that she had come from the future by going back in time. So he quickly realized what she was worried about. – I heard from Count Hwangbo Seong. You’re a child who came from the future by going back in time. So you’re worried that someone might go back in time like you and change the current situation. Is that right? “Yes, that’s right.” Karen nodded and carefully asked a question. “…Am I worrying for nothing?” – No, you’re not. Karen was a genius mage who was the only hope of the future world. That’s why she was able to defy the order of time. But that didn’t mean she should be arrogant and assume that others couldn’t do it. One of the attitudes that a mage should abandon is arrogance. Pride and self-esteem must be maintained, but the moment you believe that your skills and thoughts are unconditionally correct, your skills stagnate and you fall behind. ‘Karen came to the present using the ruins under the Nemesis imperial palace. And those ruins still exist.’ Luke had also seen the ruins when he went to save Count Ferrero. According to what he later heard from Belfar’s servants, the ruins were completely buried when the ground collapsed due to the aftermath of the explosion after they escaped. He heard that the Baroque Empire’s Imperial Magic Tower had taken over the recovery, but he hadn’t received any further reports since then. Rudolph was more focused on the war with Volga and the Livia Kingdom, and the recovery of the ruins under the imperial palace was sluggish. ‘What if the ruins were restored? And what if the Baroque Empire activated them?’ The power of ether is essential to activate the ruins. Currently, the only people on the continent who can handle ether are Luke, Reina, and Karen. But… ‘It’s dangerous to be so sure. What if, contrary to what is known, the Baroque Empire has made significant progress in the study of the ruins and has found a way to manifest ether?’ That would be really dangerous. Emperor Rudolph would try to turn everything back, and all the achievements made so far would be for naught. She could even die at the hands of Hiros, just like in Karen’s dream. ‘No, I might go back to being a powerless border lord and be defeated without being able to do anything. Anyway, it’s not good to stay like this.’ After defeating Arsen, he had only thought about finding him and completely destroying him. He thought that with his current skills, he could defeat Rudolph even if he was a Sword Emperor. But now that the variable of the ruins had emerged, he had to reconsider the order. – I will thoroughly investigate and deal with that. You don’t have to worry. “No, I want to help too.” – It’s okay. You’ve done enough. If you get involved in something related to time again, you’ll… “I want to help! No, please let me finish it!” Despite Luke’s dissuasion, Karen insisted on helping. Elkasel had said. Since it is something you started, you must finish it with your own hands. That’s why she didn’t want to leave it all to her dad. Faced with Karen’s strong will, he eventually gave in. – Alright. You know the ruins better than I do. I’ll gather the relevant information and contact you again. “Yes, please do.” Karen breathed a sigh of relief at Luke’s words. Fortunately, it seemed like they could deal with it in some way. With that business concluded, Karen didn’t immediately end the magic communication. It seemed like her dad had something to say. – Karen, when I heard about you from Hwangbo Seong, I didn’t show it, but I had this thought. Could you be the child of me and Reina from the future? The reason Luke guessed that was because Karen looked exactly like him and Reina. Also, from the first time they met, she didn’t feel like a stranger. It wasn’t just him who thought that, Reina felt the same way, and most of the people who saw Karen thought so too. – The reason you didn’t tell the truth is probably because you were worried about your existence… Is my guess wrong? If so, feel free to laugh at me. Karen didn’t laugh. Instead, she shed tears of joy and gave a bright smile. There was a reason for that. Even though Luke had mentioned her identity, she didn’t feel any divine punishment or danger to her existence. Rather, she was filled with an indescribable joy and overflowing with energy. She felt like she could fly up to the sky right away. – Let’s talk in person next time. Until then, take care. “Yes, you too, Dad.” The magic communication ended there. But the hearts of the two people, who had been reborn as a true father and daughter, grew thicker and thicker, and were never severed.