Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 41

3. Luke’s Fury

1

Whish—!

A purple streak of light, accompanied by the fierce sound of tearing wind, shot across the sky from north to south.

The light, having traversed the Rakan territory in an instant, landed in the garden of the Lamere City Lord’s Manor shortly after.

Kwaaang!

“What was that?”

“Is it a meteor?”

The manor’s knights and mercenaries, startled, rushed to the impact site.

They were on high alert, but their surprise turned to bewilderment as a young man emerged from the crater.

“L-Lord Luke!”

“How is the Lord here?”

The young man, clad in a tattered Imperial Army uniform, was none other than Marquis Luke de Rakan, the lord of the Rakan territory.

His sudden appearance baffled everyone, as he was supposed to be at the Tolrud Fortress in the far north of the Empire.

However, Viktor, the head of the Kirillov Merchant Guild’s escort, remained composed. He simply wore a look that seemed to say, ‘This was inevitable.’

He addressed Luke as he approached.

“It seems you’ve heard the news.”

“…Where is she?”

“The dark elves are searching for the princess’s whereabouts. Erenes says she’s definitely somewhere on this continent…”

“Where is that damn high elf!”

A thunderous roar erupted from Luke’s face, contorted with fury.

Simultaneously, a purple aura surged from his body, flickering like hellfire.

The mercenaries, terrified by Luke’s murderous aura, collapsed with pale faces. Some were so frightened they soiled themselves.

‘I knew something like this would happen…’

Viktor sighed, almost in despair, at Luke’s outburst, which was even more intense than he had anticipated.

In truth, if he could find Reina, he would have seized the high elf and shaken him without hesitation.

“Understood. Please follow me, I will guide you.”

Luke followed Viktor to the mansion where Erenes was staying.

Meanwhile, news of Luke’s arrival had spread, causing a stir among the staff.

“What? The Lord has arrived?”

“He’s supposed to be on military duty. Did he get leave?”

“If not, then it’s desertion.”

“But why did he come so suddenly?”

“Isn’t it because Princess Reina hasn’t been seen lately?”

The Argos branch in Lamere City quickly moved to control the rumors.

If Luke had indeed deserted, it would be disastrous to let the Imperial Family know.

Luke had learned of Reina’s disappearance three days prior.

The one who delivered the news was Erenes, arguably the cause of the incident. He had instructed his disciple, Erewyn, to send a magical communication to Luke.

Upon hearing the news, Luke abandoned everything and headed to Lamere. He flew for three days and nights, without food or sleep, using his flight magic at full power.

He needed to know why this had happened and if Reina was safe.

Bang—!

“Erenes!!”

Luke burst into the room where Erenes was as soon as he arrived at the mansion.

The dark elves, startled by his murderous aura, tried to block his path, but they were thrown aside by the formless energy Luke unleashed.

“Calm down, I’ll explain what happened… Kyaaak!”

Luke, shaking off Erewyn who tried to grab him, approached the bed and seized Erenes by the collar, pulling him up.

“It’s been a while.”

Erenes gave a wry smile as he looked at the enraged Luke.

He recognized Luke’s true identity immediately. Though his body was that of a young man, the soul within was that of his old comrade.

“Forget about ‘a while,’ what the hell did you do! What did you do to her!”

Viktor, who had followed Luke in along with the fallen Erewyn, observed the two men’s interaction.

Their casual way of speaking and acting suggested a long-standing relationship.

‘Is he really Seimon’s reincarnation?’

As Erewyn nodded inwardly, Erenes spoke with difficulty.

“You should know what we fairies ultimately desire.”

Erenes’s wish was not the liberation of the oppressed fairies.

It was to open the closed gate of the spirit realm and restore the fairies’ lost power.

Luke knew this, but he didn’t expect things to progress this way without his knowledge.

“If you’ve cultivated yourself to that extent, you should have noticed it. That Princess Reina had a hidden power.”

“Of course, but…”

The mysterious power that Reina possessed.

Erewyn said it was the spiritual power from the time when the world was one.

“The Tears of the Earth. It was left by the last spiritist who carried on the spirituality of the World Tree in ancient times. The Volga royal family has been passing it down through generations.”

“So? How did you convince Reina?”

Luke was curious about that.

“She was afraid at first. But she overcame that fear for the sake of someone precious. And she also understood the wishes of the fairies.”

“For my sake?”

“I’m talking about the last war between the Barok Empire and the Volga Republic. When you were fighting on the front lines, we couldn’t know anything here, so we were very frustrated. So…”

Reina had asked the fairies for information about the battlefield, and in return, she agreed to grant them one wish.

That wish was to use the Tears of the Earth to open the gate of the spirit realm.

Luke, upon hearing Erenes’s story, looked dumbfounded.

“Just because of that? You’re saying she granted your wish just because she wanted to know if I was alive?”

“It may seem like a trivial reason to you, but it’s not the same for the person waiting. Especially if their feelings for you were even more special.”

“I know, I know. But…”

Luke’s fist, which was clutching Erenes’s collar, trembled.

His eyes were shaking as if tears would fall at any moment.

“Erenes, you know it too! You know why I’m fighting against this world where beast-like bastards are running rampant!”

The reason Seimon had started the war in the past was to create a world where people were treated like people.

But he had a more fundamental reason.

It was because he had lost his beloved Katarina due to the machinations of the Veritas Magic Tower and the Barok family.

His actions 500 years ago had failed because of the foolish Rakan.

But he had possessed the descendant of that bastard and had another chance, and he had met Reina, who resembled Katarina.

He had vowed not to lose Reina, who was like Katarina’s incarnation, again, and that this time he would definitely create a world where people could live like people.

But how could things have turned out like this!

And to think that it was his comrade, who had understood him and helped him 500 years ago, who had done this, he truly couldn’t have imagined it.

2

“How could I not know your heart? But don’t be too pessimistic. Princess Reina is alive. She has returned to this middle realm alive.”

Luke’s eyes flashed at Erenes’s words.

“Are you sure about that? If you’re lying to me, I’ll destroy you and the fairies.”

“Hah, have I ever said anything wrong?”

Luke couldn’t argue with that.

Erenes, the sage of the fairies, always looked far ahead and spoke. So his words were not easily fulfilled or believed.

But there were never any lies, and his predictions always came true amazingly.

If he had heeded his warning in the past to be careful of the knight who used golden aura, he would not have been defeated by Rakan.

“But with the power I have left now, I can’t tell where she is… Cough! Cough!”

“Master!”

Erewyn was startled and rushed to Erenes as he suddenly coughed violently and spat out black blood.

Luke was also surprised.

He had heard that Erenes’s health was poor, but he didn’t know it was this serious.

When he belatedly examined his condition, it was clear that it wasn’t simply a disease caused by aging.

His lungs and other vital organs were in an irreparable state of decay, and it was evident that he had been struck by powerful black magic.

“How did that happen? Who did you fight?”

“If you hear my words, you will surely be surprised and angry.”

Erenes gave a bitter smile and continued in a weak voice.

“Arsen, the one who made me like this is Arsen.”

“Arsen? Could it be…”

“Yes, it’s the Arsen you know.”

‘That bastard is still alive?!’

As Erenes spoke, Luke couldn’t help but be shocked and enraged. His fists trembled, and the aura around his body pulsed as if it would explode.

Erenes’s words reached his ears as he barely held onto his reason.

“He was blinded by greed and completely corrupted himself. Now he has become a monster that is neither alive nor dead.”

‘Lich!’

Luke, with his extensive knowledge of black magic, immediately grasped the implications of Erenes’s words.

Liches, beings with immortal bodies and limitless magical power, were so formidable that even the demonkin [a race of demonic beings] feared them.

Yet, even black mages who would willingly sell their souls for power hesitated to become liches.

Once transformed, they were forever trapped in a terrible curse, beyond the reach of divine intervention.

‘What on earth was Arsen thinking, becoming a lich?’ Luke wondered.

“That’s a poor excuse, but if I hadn’t been defeated by him, I wouldn’t have so desperately sought Princess Reina’s help. He has mastered both black and white magic, making him nearly impossible to defeat with ordinary magic or swordsmanship,” Erenes explained.

The natural counter to magic was divine power.

However, no priest on the Rodisia continent possessed enough divine power to confront Arsen.

Even the Pope of the Holy Artenia Empire would be unable to subdue him.

Therefore, Erenes concluded that the only way to defeat a lich was through the power of spirits, or spirit magic.

And to obtain that power, they had to open the gate to the spirit realm.

“Cough! Cough…! As you know, I am not afraid of death. If someone can fulfill the fairies’ wishes after I’m gone, I would be content even if I died right now. However, I fear that the being who has disturbed the balance of life and death will unleash chaos upon this world.”

If Arsen’s power as a lich continued to grow, the continent, no, the entire middle realm [the mortal world] would face destruction.

If that happened, both fairies and humans would perish.

Erenes pulled a branch of the World Tree from his pocket and handed it to Luke, continuing, “Please defeat Arsen. All the fairies will follow and assist you.”

“I will do so even without your request,” Luke replied.

He could never forgive Arsen.

Once again, Luke reaffirmed his desire for revenge and looked down at Erenes, who wore a relieved expression.

Erenes had been forcibly prolonging his life until now, but it seemed he had reached his limit. He would likely pass away within a few days.

“Then, I’ll leave the rest to you,” Erenes said.

Luke nodded lightly in response.

He turned his gaze to those who were watching him.

Erewyn and the dark elves immediately knelt and bowed their heads as soon as their eyes met his. He could sense their strong determination to follow any order he gave.

It seemed they had already agreed to follow him beforehand.

Luke spoke to them coldly and sternly, “I believe you know what you must do. I expect you not to betray my wishes and trust, even for your own sake.”

“…”

Understanding Luke’s words, they silently nodded. Everyone except Erewyn, who remained to watch over Erenes, stepped back.

Having settled the immediate situation, Luke called Viktor, who was standing stiffly to one side, and gave him an order.

“Bring Sir Pavel, as I have something urgent to discuss. And tell Meister Mute of the Katarina Magic Tower that I will be visiting soon.”

“Understood,” Viktor replied.

He had many questions, but Viktor suppressed his curiosity and silently followed Luke’s orders. What was important now was not satisfying his curiosity, but finding Princess Reina.

After Viktor left, Luke headed towards the Lord’s Manor of Lamer.

His heart was heavy, and his mind was troubled by the disappearance of Princess Reina and the news about Arsen.

However, he couldn’t afford to remain idle.

3

In the office of the Lord’s Manor, Luke met Pavel and instructed him to prepare a site to build a new village near Lamer City.

“Are we building a new village? Certainly, the number of immigrants is constantly increasing around here, but…”

“It’s not because of them. It’s to prepare for when talented people gather.”

“Are you talking about the fairies?” Pavel asked.

Pavel had already heard the gist of it from Viktor, so he quickly understood Luke’s meaning.

“That’s right. They will be beneficial to our territory in many ways,” Luke confirmed.

To support Luke, a considerable number of fairies needed to be by his side.

Luke had no intention of letting them simply idle around.

He planned to utilize the skills of the excellent blacksmiths and warriors of the dwarves, the magic-proficient fairies, and the quick and agile elves to their fullest potential.

“Of course, that may be so, but I doubt whether we can trust them. They are in league with the republicans, and didn’t they bewitch the princess and cause her disappearance?” Pavel questioned.

Pavel and Viktor, along with the old retainers of Volga, were initially unaware that Reina had gone to open the gate to the spirit realm. She had kept it secret, knowing the old retainers would oppose it.

Pavel was disappointed that Reina had left so suddenly, but he was even more resentful of the fairies.

Not only had they sided with the republicans and caused chaos in the country, but now they had made it impossible to know the whereabouts of the princess, the only remaining member of the royal family.

“Not all fairies are republicans. And they only joined forces with the republicans to survive,” Luke explained.

“But…” Pavel began.

“Above all, they feel responsible for their actions and have vowed to obey me,” Luke stated.

The fairies had already been searching for the princess’s whereabouts even before Luke arrived.

Luke knew that their motivation wasn’t solely responsibility.

He suspected that the fairies had not abandoned their goal of opening the gate to the spirit realm, despite their previous failure.

He soothed Pavel, who still looked displeased, “I fully understand your feelings. I am also frustrated and angry, but… I don’t believe we can achieve what we want by simply hating and excluding them.”

“Huu… Yes, you are right, Marquis,” Pavel conceded.

In any case, to find the princess, they needed the fairies, who had informants all over the continent, and the intelligence network of the Volga Republic, which operated around them.

“Anyway, I trust you, Sir Pavel. I will leave the issues regarding the fairies and the management of the Kirilov Trading Company and Lamer City to you,” Luke said.

“Are you returning to the Tolude Fortress?” Pavel asked as Luke rose from his seat.

“No, not immediately. I plan to stop by the Katarina Magic Tower,” Luke replied.

He had to deal with the Gigants [large, humanoid war machines] captured during the last war.

Luke planned to utilize them within the territory rather than keep them stored in the subspace of his bracelet.

Of course, to do so, he had to reveal the origin of the Gigants and the secret of the subspace bracelet to Mute, but he had already devised a way to explain it, so he wasn’t too concerned.

“Then, I’ll leave the rest to you. Please convey my intentions to the other old retainers and persuade them,” Luke instructed.

“Understood, please take care of yourself,” Pavel replied.

It wasn’t just a polite remark; Pavel sincerely wished for Luke’s safety.

The reason Reina had silently chosen to sacrifice herself was for his well-being.

Some time later, Luke arrived at the Katarina Magic Tower.

Mute, having already been contacted, was waiting for him with other Iron Mages [mages specializing in crafting and using magical machines].

“It’s been a while, Lord. I am very sorry about what happened to Princess Reina,” Mute said.

“It’s not something you need to worry about. More importantly…” Luke replied.

Luke then released the Gigants from the subspace.

As dozens of Gigants appeared on the wide site in front of the magic tower, Mute and the Iron Mages’ mouths dropped open.

“T, this is…!” Mute exclaimed.

“These were captured during the last war. I smuggled them out without the imperial family’s knowledge, so be careful what you say,” Luke warned.

“T, that’s true, but where did you take out all these things from?” Mute asked, his eyes sparkling.

In his mind, there was only one way to hide so many things so perfectly.

That was an artifact with subspace magic.

“I once rescued some fairies from slave traders on my way to the Tolude Fortress. At that time, one of the fairies gave me a subspace artifact as a thank you,” Luke explained.

At first, he considered saying that he had found it in the Demon King’s castle, but he decided against it.

It would be problematic if the mages who heard the story searched every nook and cranny of the Demon King’s castle and discovered secret laboratories or underground workshops.

“Anyway, disguise these as if they were made or improved in our magic tower and hand them over to the territory army,” Luke instructed.

“Understood. I will start replacing the armor right away,” Mute replied.

Luke, who had been nodding, suddenly remembered something and asked, “Oh, and I heard last time that you were trying to make a Warrior-class Gigant as a test?”

“Yes, would you like to see it?” Mute offered.

Luke was guided by Mute to the workshop located in the deepest part of the magic tower.

Inside the heavily guarded workshop, a white Gigant, somewhat smaller in size but very agile, was being inspected by the Iron Mages.

“It’s called ‘Stiletto.’ Although the development period was short, its basic performance is not far behind the machines of the 10 major magic towers,” Mute explained.

However, they lacked the skills to make the core parts, so they bought them from other magic towers and assembled them.

Now, they were gradually increasing the proportion of self-made parts.

“Have you made a production plan?” Luke asked.

“Yes, we are currently testing three prototypes in the field to identify problems and security issues. Once that is done, we will produce the necessary quantity for the territory…” Mute explained.

Mute detailed the production plan, which he had prepared in consultation with the heads of the territory, including the commander of the knights, Rogers, to Luke.

Luke, who seemed pleased, nodded repeatedly as he listened to Mute’s explanation.

“And based on the data and blueprints you gave us earlier, we are attempting to develop a Knight-class. However, it will take quite some time as we need to apply higher-level magic and technology than the Warrior-class,” Mute added.

“It can’t be helped. You can’t expect to achieve everything at once,” Luke replied.

Considering that the magic tower had not been established for long, it was quite an achievement to have accomplished this much. Many small and medium-sized magic towers struggled to even produce parts, let alone Warrior-class Gigants.

‘Perhaps they wouldn’t have achieved this much if it weren’t for the data and blueprints I provided earlier,’ Luke thought.

Satisfied with the progress of the Katarina Magic Tower, Luke returned to the Tolude Fortress immediately.

Mute had urged him to rest for a few days, but he refused.

It wasn’t because he was afraid of being caught for desertion, but because he felt he couldn’t bear it if he stayed in the territory and kept thinking about Reina.

4

A few days later, Luke returned to the Tolude Fortress and was puzzled by the unexpectedly calm atmosphere.

He had expected his subordinates to be in chaos because he, the commander, had suddenly left his post, but except for Philip, his subordinates were unaware that he had deserted.

They simply thought he had gone on a routine patrol nearby, as usual.

“What happened?” Luke asked.

“You’ll see when you go to your office,” was the reply.

At Philip’s words, Luke headed straight for his office. Upon entering, he saw a peculiar sight: a doppelganger, identical to himself, sitting calmly at his desk, handling paperwork. The fake Luke spotted him and rushed over, beaming. “You’ve returned, Master!” “Sebastian, was that you?” It was Sebastian, Luke’s demonic slave. With his shapeshifting ability, he had transformed into Luke while he was away, preventing any confusion. “My loyalty to you, Master, compels me to give my all…” “Yes, well done. I’ll be relying on you often in the future.” Luke, pleased that Sebastian had become quite useful, gave him a pat on the head and sat down at his desk. “Anything unusual happen while I was gone?” “The Emperor sent an inspector on a surprise visit, but I handled him appropriately. And this is a report submitted by the patrol unit…” Luke received reports from Sebastian and Philip about the events that had occurred, reading through the related documents. After catching up on the backlog of work, Philip asked him, “By the way, where did you suddenly go? I was so surprised when you, the lord, disappeared without a word.” “Well… Princess Reina has gone missing.” “What? Princess Reina, you say?” Philip looked shocked at Luke’s explanation. “No, how did that happen?” Luke gave a rough account of the story involving Reina and the fairies. After hearing his story, Philip’s jaw dropped. “Good heavens, such a thing happened! You must be devastated.” “My heart aches terribly, but I have no choice but to trust the fairies for now.” If the fairies failed to find Reina, Luke had no intention of standing idly by. Even if it meant starting a war with them, he intended to kill anyone who had even the slightest involvement in her disappearance. ‘Make sure you find her, so I don’t have to take matters into my own hands, please!’ As Luke clenched his teeth and emanated a murderous aura, Sebastian trembled. “M-Master, please, quell your bloodlust. I feel like I’m suffocating.” Seeing the demon’s face turn pale, Luke withdrew his killing intent. Thinking that he might suffer some misfortune if he stayed there, Sebastian transformed into a cat and slipped away, claiming he was going to inform Belpar of Luke’s return. And even Philip left, saying it was time to oversee the knights’ training. Alone, Luke’s mind became troubled, so he sat down to meditate. Just then, the crystal ball in his pocket vibrated loudly. Confirming it was Johas, the Meister [Master] of the Dark Moon, Luke immediately accepted his magical communication. “What is the reason for your call?” – We have had some trouble at our magic tower, and we request the help of our grandmaster. “Is it perhaps due to the conflict in the magic world?” Luke had heard about the recent events in the magic world on his way back from Lamer City. After several magic towers accused the Veritas Magic Tower of researching black magic, a series of mysterious incidents and accidents occurred. After that, dissatisfied with the Magic Federation’s inaction, the disgruntled factions seceded from the federation and formed a new organization called the Reformists. The magic world was in an uproar because of this, and Luke wondered if the Dark Moon was in trouble because of it. Every time an incident related to black magic occurred, a storm of black magic purges swept across the continent. – It’s unrelated to that. No, rather, we could say that we caused the problem. Then, Johas recounted in detail the incident where they were attacked by Arsen, the retaliation of leaking the Veritas Magic Tower’s secrets, and finally, their abandonment of their base out of fear that Arsen would attack again. Having heard the whole story, Luke nodded, understanding the situation. “So, you contacted me to request a place to relocate the magic tower?” – Yes, Grandmaster, you are a descendant of the hero Rakan by blood. We thought that it would be better to hide under your protection than to be stuck in the borderlands, to avoid the world’s attention. “Indeed, the darkest place is under the lamp [a common saying meaning the best hiding place is the most obvious].” Luke understood Johas’s words, but he expressed that relocating to the Rakan territory would be difficult. The vassals of the territory still revered Rakan like a god. If they found out that black mages were coming, and about their relationship with him, their reaction would be obvious. – Is that so? Well, I guess we have no choice but to look for a place ourselves… “Wait! There is a suitable place.” As if Luke had thought of something, Johas’s face lit up, and he listened intently to his words. “I received a territory when the Emperor granted me the title of Marquis last time. It’s called the Jason Territory, and it’s an ideal place for you.” The Jason Territory was one of the most remote border regions of the Empire. Although it was not small, it was a highland area surrounded by rugged mountain ranges, with hardly any residents, let alone any traffic with the outside world. It was a joke that if a population survey were conducted, there would be 7 monsters, 2 fairies, and 1 slave hunter and vagrant. Moreover, there were no significant resources, and the soil was not good enough for farming, so no one paid any attention to this land. The Emperor had granted this land to Luke simply to make a show of it. If there was one calculation, it was to hope that the Rakan territory’s forces would be dispersed to manage the new territory. Luke had been granted the territory the day after he received the hero-class Gigant [a large, humanoid war machine], Kratus. At the time, knowing the state of the territory, he couldn’t help but admire (?) it, saying, ‘He’s a true descendant of that damned Carno de Barok.’ But now, it seemed like the perfect place to hide his forces. “I heard there’s a ruined castle of a noble who went bankrupt trying to develop the land and mines a long time ago. If you repair it, it could be used as a magic tower.” – Oh, is that so? More than anything else, Johas was very happy that he could be under Luke’s protection. Who would imagine that black mages would set up a base on land owned by the descendant of the hero who defeated the Demon King? Of course, the magic tower building would need to be renovated, but it was not a difficult problem, as they had relocated their base more than once while fleeing. “By the way, did you take a good look at the hero-class Gigant blueprints I gave you?” – Yes, the elders were in an uproar after checking the blueprints. They were asking where you got them. When Luke first said he would give them the blueprints for a hero-class Gigant, they thought he had just gotten lucky and obtained an old blueprint from the black market. However, the blueprints that arrived were surprisingly new, containing a 3500-fight class machine with the best magical engineering technology applied. What was even more surprising was that the Gigant in the blueprints, called Atlas, was identical to the Empire’s new Gigant that Duke Dimitri had captured during the last imperial invasion. The Dark Moon had been developing a hero-class Gigant at the request of President Vladimir, but they were making slow progress due to the limitations of magic and technology. Moreover, they had lost a significant number of talented people due to Arsen’s attack, so the blueprints Luke had given them were like a blessing from the gods. The elders, who had tasted the essence of groundbreaking magical engineering technology that they could never have dreamed of, were in an uproar. Even in the midst of the busy situation of relocating the magic tower, they were fighting over who would be in charge of the hero-class development. “Heh heh heh, actually, I secretly stole it from a branch of the Veritas Magic Tower.” At Luke’s explanation, Johas slapped his knee and made a triumphant expression. – Hahaha! I’m really curious what kind of expression they would make if they knew about this. After a long time of tearing apart and chewing on their common enemy, the Veritas Magic Tower, the two returned to the topic. “When can you complete the prototype?” Luke wanted to ride the new Gigant as soon as possible. Although he had Kratus, which was also a hero-class, it would not compare in terms of performance and perfection. – We will complete it and send it to you within a month at the earliest, and three months at the latest. With the completed blueprints, it would not take long to create a prototype. However, it seemed that it would take time to relocate the magic tower, and there could be trial and error in the process of creating a hero-class for the first time. “Good. And while you’re at it, I’d like you to hand over the Knight-class as well.” The tactical manual stated that the Gigant unit was most effective when Knight-class and Warrior-class were mixed in the right proportions. Luke also agreed with that, but the problem was that there was no way to procure Knight-class units, unlike Warrior-class units. In the past, it was because the Rakan territory had no money, and now, although they had money, the magic towers, which were under the influence of the imperial family, were refusing to sell, using the excuse that the delivery contracts were delayed. That was why the Katarina Magic Tower was attempting to develop a Knight-class, but it seemed that it would take some time because their magical engineering technology was far behind. – We already have Knight-class units that we have developed. However, excluding the amount to be delivered to the Republic, the maximum is two units per month. Would that be okay? Johas asked with a cautious expression. If he had his way, he would have liked to hand over all the Knight-class units produced by the Dark Moon to Luke, his grandmaster, but he could not ignore reality. Fortunately, Luke understood the situation. “You can’t give up your stake and influence in the Volga Republic either. No, you shouldn’t neglect them, even considering that you will overthrow the Imperial Family in the future. So, do as much as you can.” – I understand. Then, I will contact you again next time. After ending the magical communication with Johas, Luke tried to meditate again. Just as he was about to cross the boundary of unconsciousness, he heard a knock from outside his office. Judging by the aura emanating from outside the door, it was definitely Anna. “Come in.” As soon as Luke finished speaking, Anna entered the office, bowed her head, and informed him that there was a summons from the Northern Army Headquarters. “They didn’t tell you what it was about?” “I asked, but they said they would tell you when you came in person.” ‘What on earth is it? Are they perhaps going to transfer me to a new post?’ Count Omar, a noble from the Emperor’s faction, had been newly appointed to the position of Commander of the Northern Army, which had become vacant due to the war with the Volga Republic. His subordinates, including Kaper, grumbled that their lord should be the commander, considering his achievements and title, but Luke did not think it was possible from the start. The Commander of the Northern Army was one of the key positions in the Imperial military, and to place a potential enemy there? That would not happen unless the Emperor had a knife to his head. In any case, there were too many eyes watching to keep him, who had a higher title than the Commander of the Northern Army, stuck in a small fortress. So, Luke thought that he would soon be promoted (?) to another position. “Well, I’ll find out when I go there.” Thinking that, Luke took a carriage with Philip and headed to Krom City, where the Northern Army Headquarters was located.