Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 19

While Luke was away from the territory,

A group of masked figures scaled the castle walls with agile movements.

The masked figures, clad in tight-fitting leather outfits, all had slender builds and black hair.

Having infiltrated the castle, they lit a sleeping incense they had taken from their pockets.

“Ugh! Why am I suddenly so dizzy?”

“I’m suddenly getting sleepy…”

As the sleeping incense spread, the mercenary soldiers from the refugee camp who were patrolling the castle staggered and collapsed on the spot.

Those who were sleeping fell into an even deeper slumber.

‘Gasp! Could this be…!’

‘The Princess is in danger!’

Some of the veteran knights leading the mercenaries sensed something was wrong and tried to react. But in the end, they lost consciousness and collapsed.

Having subdued the guards, the masked figures began to thoroughly search the castle.

Then, they found Princess Rayna in one of the rooms, and their eyes sparkled.

“Oh, great Lord Elkasel, and Mother Belise of the earth, please watch over Young Lord Luke so that he does not lose his way…”

Rayna was looking up at the night sky outside the window, offering a prayer.

Since coming to the Barony of Lakan, she had prayed for Luke every single day.

Because his well-being was essential for the peace of her people, she always wished that he would not go astray or face danger.

Of course, she didn’t know if the great gods of heaven and earth would watch over him, who possessed the power of the Demon King.

But she felt that praying every day without fail would ease her worries.

It was while she was deep in prayer that it happened.

Suddenly, a sweet fragrance reached her nose.

“Huh? What’s this scent…?”

Rayna, turning her gaze towards the sweet fragrance wafting from the door, fell asleep without realizing it.

As she collapsed, the masked figures entered the room.

One of them took out a piece of parchment from their pocket and unfolded it.

It was a wanted poster with Princess Rayna’s face drawn on it.

“This is the woman.”

“Then let’s take her.”

They bound Rayna, who was sleeping as if in a faint from the sleeping incense, hoisted her up, and slipped out of the castle.

Swish— Swish—

Their footsteps, as they dashed through the forest and across the fields, were incredibly fast.

Their movements, covering several meters in a single stride, were like those of nimble deer. Moreover, they did not tire at all, even after running all night.

They ran north for two days without rest, finally taking a break in a valley.

“Is the Princess still asleep?”

“No, she’ll be waking up soon.”

As if hearing their words, Rayna groaned and then woke up a moment later.

She was startled by the masked figures looking down at her, but she quickly regained her composure.

A normal woman would have cried and made a fuss upon realizing she had been kidnapped, but she calmly asked a question.

“Did Count Monarch order this?”

“Do you think some pathetic noble could command us?”

Rayna tilted her head at the unexpected answer from the masked figure.

“Then who are you? It’s not something to be proud of, but I don’t think I’ve ever held a grudge against anyone, except for Count Monarch.”

She was even called the Saintess of Lamer.

She had given favors, not held grudges, except for Count Monarch.

“We cannot tell you.”

“Then where are you taking me?”

“We cannot tell you that either.”

“Then are you going to kill me?”

“No. You won’t die, but I don’t know what kind of treatment you’ll receive.”

The masked figures’ attitude was generally stiff and cold.

However, they didn’t seem to have any particular malice.

Rayna was frustrated, not knowing why these unidentified people had kidnapped her.

“Eat this.”

As she was on the verge of tears, one of the masked figures handed her a plate with dry bread and fruit.

They also loosened her ropes a little so she could eat on her own.

“I don’t want to.”

“Then starve.”

They placed the plate in front of her and began to eat.

But there was one peculiar thing.

Although the types were different, they were all eating only herbs, fruits, and nuts.

‘They’re not elves, how can they be full with just that…!’

Rayna, who had been observing them, was shocked. She pointed at them with her finger and shouted.

“Y-you’re not human!”

They were clearly either elves or dark elves. No, judging by their black hair, they were definitely dark elves.

“Why would dark elves… ?”

She had figured out their identity, but her questions only deepened. She had even less contact with the fairies [a common term for elves in fantasy settings].

Regardless of her questions, the masked figures, having finished their meal, got up and started running again, as if they had rested enough.

During the day, they used secluded mountains or forests, and at night, they crossed fields or plains for the fastest possible movement.

They were constantly heading north.

“N-no way, the Volga Republic?”

If you kept going north from the Baroque Empire, you would reach the Volga Republic.

Rayna had said it on a whim, but the dark elves, who had been trying to remain calm, flinched slightly.

They were indeed from the Volga Republic.

Silvia, the Second Bureau Chief of the Intelligence Department, who was trying to find the Tears of the Earth, had received approval from the President to bring Princess Rayna.

Thus, they, the best agents of the Intelligence Bureau, had come all the way to the Barony of Lakan.

“N-no! Let me go! I can’t die yet!”

Rayna, who had not expected their destination to be the Volga Republic, struggled.

She had heard rumors that the Volga Republic kidnapped and brutally tortured the old Volga royal family members before killing them.

Rayna had just begun to enjoy settling the refugees and running the merchant guild with the old retainers, and she thought she couldn’t die yet.

“Annoying. Gag her.”

At the emotionless words of one masked figure, another took out a black cloth from their pocket.

And just as they were about to put the cloth over Rayna’s mouth, a voice filled with murderous intent descended from the sky, along with a person who dropped down.

“Take your hands off her. If you continue to touch her with those filthy hands after I finish speaking, you will not be able to die even if you want to.”

It was Luke.

2

Upon hearing the news that Rayna had been kidnapped, Luke immediately returned to the castle.

He thoroughly searched her room and the surrounding area, but he couldn’t find any clues.

As Luke was pacing back and forth in frustration, Sebastian, who had quietly appeared, spoke.

“Master, this is the work of dark elves.”

“Dark elves? Why do you think so?”

“Because the air in this room is filled with the sleeping incense that dark elves mainly use.”

Luke had heard about the sleeping incense used by dark elves.

The sleeping incense, made with their unique secret method, was so powerful that it could knock out even a Sword Master in one go, but it had the characteristic of completely disappearing within an hour of being lit.

That’s why they made it so that no one would know they had infiltrated.

Sebastian snorted at his words.

“Hmph, even if dark elves are skilled, they cannot deceive my nose.”

Sebastian was a feline demon with a highly developed sense of smell, and he was also skilled in making drugs, making him an expert in this field, surpassing even the dark elves.

“Then you know where they went.”

“Hmm, the scent leads north. They went north.”

From then on, Luke began to chase the dark elves, with Sebastian leading the way.

He wasn’t curious about why they had kidnapped her.

He just vowed that he would never forgive them if they had laid even a finger on her.

And on the fourth day of tracking them, he found them by a secluded riverside.

“Why are you trying to kidnap her in the Volga Republic? I thought the Volga royal family no longer had the power or the will to return?”

“Kill him!”

Three dark elves, except for the one holding Rayna, suddenly attacked Luke.

Two of them spread out to the left and right, throwing hidden weapons, and one drew a dagger and attacked him head-on.

“Shield!”

A blue shield appeared in front of Luke, deflecting the hidden weapons thrown by the dark elves.

Clang!

He easily blocked the other one’s dagger attack with a sword he drew with his right hand.

“He’s a Rune Knight! Be careful!”

High Rune was the leader of the dark elves.

He hurriedly warned his subordinates after seeing Luke using magic and swordsmanship at the same time.

“Can you block my attack if you’re careful?”

This time, Luke didn’t wait and attacked the dark elves first.

Clang! Bang! Clatter!

The battle between three dark elves and Luke began in earnest.

The dark elves circled around Luke quickly and erratically, attacking in various ways.

They used hidden weapons and poison, and they also stabbed with daggers. When that didn’t work, they even took out bows from their backs and shot arrows.

However, none of their attacks worked on Luke.

This was because Luke, who had once had dark elves under his command, knew their attack methods and patterns inside and out.

In an instant, the cold eyes of the dark elves wavered.

‘What is this guy? How does he know everything about our attacks from start to finish!’

The dark elves’ forte was infiltration, assassination, and kidnapping.

That didn’t mean their combat power was low.

Although they preferred stealth and surprise attacks over direct confrontation, they were capable of handling experts.

In particular, they were specially selected agents among those dark elves.

They were capable of fighting even upper-level experts alone, but today, their strengths were not working at all.

“Hide in the reed field.”

High Rune, who was holding Rayna, retreated and gave the order.

Then, the three of them scattered and hid in the reed field.

“Hmph, do you think I wouldn’t know just because you hid your bodies!”

Luke had a subordinate who was very skilled in this area. It was Sebastian, the feline demon who was skilled in stealth, transformation, and thievery.

“They’re over there.”

Luke fired a dark bullet towards the place Sebastian was pointing.

‘Th-this attack!’

The surprised dark elves changed their positions to avoid Luke’s attack.

However, as Sebastian continued to point out their hiding places and black magic attacks kept coming, they eventually couldn’t hold out and came out of the reed field.

“Hehehe, do you feel like fighting again?”

High Rune looked at Sebastian with a very surprised expression and then asked Luke.

“Are you a black magician?”

“Why are you curious about that?”

“Depending on your answer, we might fight or cooperate.”

If a magician is traveling with a demon, there is a 99 percent chance that they are a black magician.

However, there was a 1 percent chance that it could be the opposite, so they had to confirm.

“Why? If I’m a black magician, does that mean I’m on the same side as the dark elves?”

Luke smirked.

In the past, when he was leading the golem legion, black magicians and dark elves gathered under his command.

However, not all black magicians and dark elves gathered. There were many black magicians who opposed Seimon or impersonated his name, and among the 12 tribes of dark elves, there were many who did not get along with him.

“Erenes? There was an old elf who asked a similar question in the past, it’s ridiculous.”

Flustered!

The dark elves were shocked as if struck by lightning at the name that came out of Luke’s mouth.

“D-did you just say Lord Erenes?”

High Rune asked in surprise.

“Yes. He called himself a high elf, do you know him too?”

“O-of course. If you know Lord Erenes, then you, no, you are not our enemy.”

With those words, High Rune put Rayna down on the ground.

“We cannot fight you, who knows him. We will retreat for today and come back later.”

With those words, the four dark elves disappeared into the darkness.

Luke could have chased them if he wanted to, but he didn’t want to.

His goal was to rescue Rayna safely, not to kill the dark elves.

He approached Rayna, untied her ropes, and asked.

“Princess, are you alright?”

“Young Lord Luke…”

Perhaps because the tension had been released all at once, tears welled up in Rayna’s eyes, which were trembling slightly.

“It’s okay. You can rest assured now.”

“Hic…! Thank you, thank you so much, Young Lord.”

Luke embraced her and gently patted her back.

Then, he glanced towards the north where the dark elves had disappeared. His eyes were filled with a long-standing longing.

‘Erenes, is he still alive?’

Although he had spoken sarcastically a moment ago, he was a colleague and advisor who had once placed a small hope in him.

He had thought that he would have died when he died, but it seemed he was alive.

‘If he sees me reborn as a descendant of Lakan, he’ll laugh his head off, won’t he?’

The cheerful him of the past would be rolling on the ground with tears in his eyes.

No, maybe he would even try to kill him.

He would have been disappointed in himself for dying so easily, after having placed so much hope in the past.

With a bitter smile, Luke finally turned his longing gaze away from the northern sky.

3

Below the snow-capped mountains lay a green expanse of land.

In the middle of that land, lush with trees, stood a modest villa.

The owner of the villa was a middle-aged elf with a slender frame and long, white-silver hair.

Standing on the balcony, gazing at the stars in the night sky, he suddenly bent over, coughing.

“Cough, cough!”

“The wind is cold; please go inside,” said a cold-looking female elf standing behind him.

“Heh heh, how can a mere night breeze make me cough like this? It seems my time is near,” he chuckled.

Though he appeared to be only middle-aged, he was over 1,000 years old.

His name was Erenes, and he had lived far beyond the average lifespan of elves, which was 400 years.

He was revered by all the elves and fairies of the continent as a prophet and a great sage.

The female elf, who was attending to this great sage who lived in seclusion deep in the mountains of the Volga Republic, retorted coldly at Erenes’ lament.

“You won’t die just from coughing a bit, will you?”

“A cold is the root of all diseases.”

“Summer colds are for fools. There’s no way a great sage like you would catch one.”

Erenes turned around, looking hurt by the female elf’s constant cold replies.

“Erewyn, you’re becoming more and more like an ice block. You can’t hear the words of the gods like that.”

“I have no desire to become a prophet.”

“Ah, to think my successor is someone like you…”

“It was you who arbitrarily chose me as your successor, even though I said I didn’t want to be.”

At his disciple’s sharp reply, Erenes’ dignified expression crumpled.

“Oh, really! You never give in, not even once. Why are you always like that? You never show a submissive side… That’s why you can’t get married!”

“Then why haven’t you gotten married, Master?”

“Oh, never mind…”

Erenes, looking frustrated, patted his chest and sighed briefly before looking up at the night sky again.

Erewyn, who had been quietly watching him, spoke again.

“You haven’t been observing the heavens for a while now. What brought this on?”

“The wind that had stopped is blowing again.”

“Pardon?”

“The star that fell 500 years ago is rising again… The continent will be shaken once more.”

With a nostalgic look in his eyes, Erenes went inside the villa. Then, he took out an old, elegant golden staff from an old wardrobe.

“Master, that is…”

“The Staff of God, Absolute. It’s a legendary divine artifact that the main god Elkasel used when he defeated the demons and created the world.”

At her master’s words, Erewyn, who had been cold until now, looked surprised.

To think that her master had been keeping such a great treasure, which was known to have disappeared from the world long ago, along with the branches of the World Tree!

“Of course, this is just a fake made in its image.”

“…Master.”

Just as she was about to scold him for not acting his age, Erenes threw the staff at Erewyn.

Thud!

Erewyn caught the staff in a daze.

She heard her master’s solemn voice.

“Go south.”

“Pardon?”

“You will be able to meet the broken wind.”

Erenes, his eyes gleaming with seriousness, continued to speak to Erewyn, who was tilting her head in confusion.

“Turn that wind into a storm that will sweep across the continent.”

After pondering his words for a moment, she burst out in anger.

“Oh, please speak so I can understand! Who am I supposed to meet, and what am I supposed to do!”

“I don’t know either. I’m just saying what I hear. Anyway, if you go south, you’ll know naturally.”

At Erenes’ words, she finally sighed deeply.

“Alright, I’ll go.”

Shaking her head, she went into her room and packed her bags.

Then, just as she was about to leave, she remembered something and turned to her master.

“Sylvia came yesterday and said that as soon as the dark elves bring Princess Rayna, they will bring her here.”

“Yes, when she comes, we will know the whereabouts of the Tears of the Earth.”

“Then I’ll be going. Make sure to eat on time and take care of yourself.”

Erewyn bowed to her master and then vanished from the spot with a ‘poof’.

Her full name was Erewyn Lesa.

A genius mage who had revolutionized the magic world a hundred years ago by creating artificial mana stones from crystals.

She had returned to the world after decades.

To create a storm that would sweep across the continent.

4

The victory of the Lakan Territory in the territorial war sent a great shock throughout the Empire.

All the nobles had predicted Count Monarch’s victory, and even the shrewd merchants had lined up to sell military supplies to Count Monarch.

The Emperor of the Empire, Rudolf, was also surprised.

“What? The Lakan Territory won the territorial war?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Count Voltes replied with a regretful expression.

“Did the noble faction get involved?”

“That is not the case. I was monitoring them, and none of the nobles in the south offered any help to the Lakan Territory.”

“Huh! Then how did they win?”

The Emperor had received reports and was well aware of the difference in power between the two territories.

It was known that the number of Gigantes [giant, humanoid war machines] possessed by the two territories differed by nearly 20 times.

He wondered how they had overcome that difference in power and achieved victory.

“According to the report from my subordinate who went to the site to investigate, the Count’s army was lax in their vigilance. While they were careless, the Lakan Territory’s army, which had ambushed the enemy territory in advance, succeeded in their surprise attack.”

The report that Count Voltes handed over contained more detailed information.

Rudolf looked dumbfounded as he read the report.

“Did that Baron Kayon only learn swordsmanship his whole life?”

“That is not the case. According to my investigation, he served on the border with the Northern Volga Republic for five years.”

“Then why was his vigilance so poor? Did he suddenly get dementia or go crazy?”

“It seems they were careless because they were in their own territory.”

“Tsk tsk, what a fool…! You can’t just put anyone in charge just because they’re strong. You can easily ruin an entire unit. Anyway, what happened to Count Monarch?”

“Well, according to the Lakan Territory’s announcement, it seems he ran away with the money.”

“Find out where that guy is and recover the funds. Whether he’s a distant relative of the Imperial Family or not, such an incompetent person doesn’t need to live any longer.”

“I will take care of it.”

Count Voltes, who had received the order with a bow, spoke again.

“However, there is a surprising rumor circulating regarding this territorial war.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“It is said that the Young Lord of Lakan single-handedly defeated four Gigantes attacking the lord’s castle.”

“What? Is that true!”

Emperor Rudolf, unlike his usual self, was startled and rose from his seat.

Voltes was startled, but he told him the rumors he had heard from his subordinates without exaggeration.

After listening to his explanation, Rudolf expressed strong disbelief.

“Wasn’t it you who said that the Young Lord of Lakan barely made it to Sword User? But now he’s an expert who uses aura and even knows magic? And his skills are at the Destroyer level?”

“I couldn’t believe it either, so I checked several times. But seeing that the rumor that the Young Lord is the reincarnation of Lakan is widespread in the territory, it seems to be true.”

“Then, has he been hiding his skills all this time!”

“That is highly likely.”

If the Lakan Territory was hiding something, it was highly likely that the target was the Baroque Imperial Family.

They had not forgotten the grudges of their ancestors and had been constantly striving to regain their lost glory.

That’s why he had pretended not to know when Count Monarch had applied for the territorial war.

Count Voltes spoke strongly.

“If we leave the Lakan Territory as it is, there is a possibility that it will grow into a large territory in the south. We must crush them before they grow any bigger.”

If the Lakan Territory sided with the noble faction, the southern part of the Empire would almost be controlled by the noble faction.

To prevent this, it was necessary to deal with the Lakan family.

“Do you have any good ideas?”

At Rudolf’s question, Count Voltes answered immediately as if he had already thought it through.

“We should send the army in advance.”

According to the Imperial Law, noble men had to serve in the Imperial Central Army for two years when they turned 18.

It was a kind of noblesse oblige [the obligation of the nobility to serve], and Luke was no exception.

“Originally, he would have to go next year, but the title and the position of lord can only be officially inherited when he becomes an adult.”

Because of that, Luke was still a Young Lord and acting head of the family, even though he was the only heir to the family.

“We will summon the Young Lord and grant him the title and the position of lord a year early, and in return, he will have to go to the army a year early as well.”

“Are you saying we should send him to the battlefield and kill him like his father?”

“Hehehe, no one knows what will happen on the battlefield.”

Count Voltes bowed his head with a sinister expression.

“That’s a good idea.”

The border with the Volga Republic was a place where local battles broke out several times a day.

If he was sent there, he could be killed in battle, or the Imperial Family could arrange for him to be killed.

“Okay, send a decree to the Lakan Territory. If possible, make sure to include a congratulatory message for winning this territorial war.”

“I will have the Minister of Internal Affairs, who is good at writing, send it.”

“By the way, how is the operation against the Holy Artenia Empire going?”

At Rudolf’s question, Voltes replied.

“We have contacted two promising candidates for the Pope, but both sides have rejected our proposal for now.”

“It’s not easy, as expected. So, what’s the plan?”

“We plan to maintain contact. They may not need our help now, but there will come a time when they will need it.”

“Hehehe, you’re right. So, keep knocking. Then the door will open.”

“I will keep that in mind, Your Majesty.”

After that, Emperor Rudolf talked with Count Voltes for about an hour and then left the office.

5

Step, step!

The next day, the Emperor got up early in the morning and headed somewhere.

His steps, which had been wandering around the Imperial Palace, stopped at a prayer room located deep within the palace.

“I’m going to pray, so don’t let anyone in.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The Royal Knights, as they were called, saluted and stood still.

Rudolf looked around and opened the door to the prayer room and went inside.

The prayer room was for the Emperor’s exclusive use, and only he could enter.

The prayer room was very lavishly decorated.

A magnificent statue made of ivory imported from the southern continent was placed at the front, and on the left and right walls, there were sacred paintings painted with gold and pearl powder mixed with paint.

On the table in front of the statue, a candle emitting a subtle fragrance was burning, and every time he smelled the fragrance, he felt as if his soul was being purified.

As soon as Rudolf closed the door, a person appeared from the shadow of the statue.

“Have you come?”

Surprisingly, the Emperor bowed to a grotesque figure covered in a black robe.

Despite receiving the Emperor’s greeting, the grotesque figure waved his hand as if annoyed and said,

“Why did you call me, when I’m busy?”

“I have something to ask you. Is the curse on Lakan’s descendants still in effect?”

At Rudolf’s question, the grotesque figure said in an annoyed voice.

“Every time Lakan’s descendants have children, I have gone and cursed them. What are you trying to say?”

“Recently, the Lakan Territory and the Monarch Territory fought a territorial war, and surprisingly, Young Lord Luke defeated four Gigantes. He is a Rune Knight who uses aura and magic.”

“Is that true?”

The grotesque figure asked in a startled voice.

“The rumor is widespread in the Lakan Territory. If the curse on his body is certain, isn’t this strange?”

“It’s definitely strange. I clearly cast a black magic curse on him as soon as he was born…”

The grotesque figure was surprisingly a black magician.

Moreover, he was a black magician of tremendous skill, to the point that even the Emperor, who had reached the level of Sword Emperor, felt fear.

Moreover, he had lived for an incredibly long time.

Rudolf spoke again to the old, immortal monster.

“Anyway, if the curse on him has been lifted, shouldn’t we cast it again?”

“But I have to go back to the Volga Republic now.”

He had been in the Volga Republic just a moment ago. He had returned after receiving a signal that the Emperor was urgently looking for him.

A strange light flickered in the Emperor’s eyes.

“Were you in the Volga Republic? What brought you there?”

“Kekeke, there was a bug that stole a valuable item from the Magic Tower.”

He had been searching the Volga Republic to catch the black magician who had stolen the item.

“Was there something wrong with the Veritas Magic Tower?”

“You don’t need to know. More importantly, if you’re done with your business, I should be going.”

“It’s a shame, but I can’t help it. Please check if his curse has been lifted when you return later.”

“Alright. I will do that.”

At that moment, the robed grotesque figure used long-range teleportation magic and disappeared from the prayer room.

However, Rudolf did not miss the meaningful smile he gave him before he disappeared.

It was a clear mockery.

He was mocking the Emperor, who could not support this vast empire without his power and the power of his Magic Tower.

The Emperor’s face flushed red with the surge of humiliation.

“Grind! You damned monster! I will one day destroy you and the Veritas Magic Tower that you cherish more than your life!”

A tremendous killing intent that seemed to be able to push away mountains emanated from the Emperor’s body.

(To be continued in Iron Emperor Volume 3)

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