Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 48

1. The Appearance of a Wraith

1

‘Something is terribly wrong here!’

All living things in the world die.

Even the ancient dragons, who seemed to have nearly infinite lifespans, living for thousands of years, eventually died and returned to the embrace of mana.

Death is a decree set by the chief god Elkasel and an absolute law that permeates the middle realm [the mortal plane].

The only beings exempt from this law are the gods themselves.

But how could a body that died over 500 years ago be walking around alive and well?

And with all the abilities it had in life!

Though he was a black magician, Luke, who had explored the principles of the world more deeply than anyone, knew at a glance that the situation before him was terribly wrong.

Of course, there were beings like zombies or death knights that seemed to have reversed death.

However, those were just husks revived by cursed arts and dark magic, and they could never fully use their abilities from when they were alive.

If that were possible, the middle realm would have already been conquered by the undead.

‘What’s even more incomprehensible is the sensation of the soul I feel from him. It’s a large, unstable feeling, as if thousands of souls have been stitched together… what on earth is it…!’

As Luke was in confusion, the voice of the strange mage, who had the body of his past self, Seymon, reached his ears.

“There’s still a rat hiding. I told you to come out a while ago.”

‘So, I’ve been found out.’

He thought that only the initial attackers had noticed him, but that wasn’t the case.

The strange mage was accurately aware of Luke’s presence.

‘Well, with 9th circle black magic, my concealment would be easily detected…’

Luke revealed himself in front of the strange mage, his face filled with a mix of shock and anger, and asked,

“Who are you?”

“Me?”

“Yes. How can Sey…”

Just as Luke was about to question the man’s secret, the strange mage raised his right hand.

A black magic bullet formed at his fingertip and shot towards Luke in a surprise attack.

‘As expected, Dark Bullet!’

Luke anticipated the attack. That’s why he was able to dodge it.

Of course, he didn’t just dodge. He immediately channeled his magic power and launched a counterattack.

“Thunder Strike!”

Kwa-ruuung!

With a roar, fierce sparks erupted from Luke’s fingertips.

It was a powerful white magic attack that seemed capable of turning anything to ash, but it was intercepted by the strange man’s magic whip and vanished without a trace.

“You can’t defeat me with that.”

“I know!”

As he said, the lightning magic was just a feint to create an opening.

Luke rushed towards the strange mage, drawing the Iron Feather from the subspace of his bracelet.

The famous sword imbued with wind magic reacted to Luke’s magic power and his skill as a Sword Master, allowing him to unleash a storm-like rapid attack.

Fiiing! Ping-! Kang! Kaaang!

The strange mage swung his magic whip, parrying the storm of attacks.

However, he seemed to struggle with close combat, so he quickly created some distance and launched a black magic attack.

‘That’s Black Spear!’

Seeing the dozens of dark spears created by the strange mage, Luke hastily used Blink magic to evade the attack.

Then, in an instant, he quickly flew into the sky with Fly magic.

No sooner had he leaped than dark vines erupted from the ground. If he had been just a little slower, he would have been entangled.

‘As expected, he’s using Black Bind after Black Spear. He’ll probably aim above next, right?’

As Luke predicted, the strange mage, who had teleported into the air, struck down with his magic whip.

Kwaang!

Luke blocked the attack with the Iron Feather and quickly drew another sword from the subspace and threw it at the strange mage.

“Hmph, such a sloppy attack…”

The strange mage, who was parrying the flying sword, flinched and began to fall to the ground.

The sword Luke threw was the Dragon Tooth, enchanted with gravity magic.

It had only just collided, but the strange mage’s body was caught by the sword’s magic, and gravity was amplified dozens of times, forcing him to fall.

“Fire Explosion! Fire Wall! Thunder Strike!”

Luke unleashed a series of attack magic towards the strange mage who had crashed to the ground.

The flames that poured from the sky, the wall of fire that rose from the ground, and the fierce sparks relentlessly pounded the strange mage’s body.

Kwang! Kwakwang! Pupeopeong-!

Crimson flames and orange flashes that seemed to burn flesh flickered and disappeared repeatedly.

‘He might not be dead, but he must have taken some damage, right?’

Luke thought as he retrieved the Dragon Tooth.

However, a moment later, he was surprised to see the strange mage walking out from the blazing flames. He was completely unscathed.

“What a strange fellow.”

The strange mage opened his mouth, brushing off the dust and soot from his body.

He tilted his head as if he really didn’t understand, then made an annoyed expression.

“What is your identity? How can you predict and evade all my attacks?”

‘That’s because I was you.’

He knew exactly when and what magic he would deploy.

Not only that, but he also knew the preparatory stances and minor habits he took when casting magic or attacking.

‘I don’t know what kind of wraith has possessed him, but he’s faithfully copying the abilities and combat style ingrained in my body. Very honestly, that is.’

That’s why he was able to easily evade and block the attacks of the strange mage, who possessed Seymon’s abilities as the Demon King.

However, Luke also had a problem.

Unlike the hero Rakan, who had defeated him in the past, he didn’t have a powerful move to defeat the opponent in front of him.

For two years, he had diligently fought and trained, reaching the level of Sword Master, and his white and black magic had each reached the 7th circle stage.

By combining these, he could fight against a Sword Sage, but the Demon King Seymon was an exception.

Seymon was not just a black magician, but a being who could use the power of the demon race.

The opponent had not yet unleashed that power.

If he used the power of the demon race, it would become even more difficult to fight. It would be impossible to even think about defeating him.

‘That’s why I need the latter half of the Gold Sword, but it’s been lost…’

No, even if he had mastered the latter half of the Gold Sword, he shouldn’t use it now.

If he provided any clues that would reveal his current identity to the suspicious man using his old body, things could become complicated.

That’s why he didn’t use black magic, the power of the demon race, or the first half of the Gold Sword techniques when he fought him earlier.

“Can’t you hear me? I’m asking what your identity is?”

When the strange mage asked again, Luke replied curtly.

“I’m a mercenary who was taking a walk.”

“A mercenary taking a walk? You’re too skilled for a mercenary, aren’t you?”

Advanced swordsmanship and considerable magic. What mercenary would have such skills? No, with such skills, there’s no way he’d be a mercenary.

At the opponent’s questioning, Luke retorted with a nonchalant face.

“Is there a law that says a mercenary can’t be skilled? What about you? What the heck are you? I’ve never heard of such bizarre magic.”

He knew it wasn’t bizarre magic but black magic, but Luke didn’t show it at all. If he showed that he knew, the man would suspect his identity even more.

As if his acting had worked, the strange mage answered with a triumphant expression.

“It’s natural that you’ve never heard of it. It’s a legendary magic that has long been forgotten.”

“Legendary magic?”

“That’s right. This body is none other than the Demon King Seymon, who terrified the humans of the continent 500 years ago!”

Kukung!

At the strange mage’s declaration, Luke was momentarily stunned.

Then, regaining his senses, he asked,

“Who did you say?”

“Hey, are your ears blocked! I said I’m Seymon, who had an unprecedented duel with the hero Rakan 500 years ago!”

At the strange mage’s shout, Luke made a dumbfounded expression.

If it were someone else, his claim might have worked. If he showed the powerful black magic and the power of the demon race he had shown earlier, they would almost certainly believe him.

But to spout such nonsense in front of the real Seymon, of all people!

Luke frowned fiercely and raised his voice.

“You crazy bastard!”

“As expected, the same reaction. Others didn’t believe me at first either.”

The strange mage, who claimed to be Seymon, smiled thinly as if he had already expected it.

“Anyway, you’re going to die by my hand today. Consider it an honor to die at the hands of a legendary being.”

No sooner had the strange mage finished speaking than he accelerated the Black Circle and raised his hand high.

Seeing that, Luke couldn’t help but be shocked.

‘That’s Dark Ruin!’

The strongest black magic he had unleashed when he fought the hero Rakan 500 years ago.

Even though that guy is using his real body, to think he could use Dark Ruin!

‘At this distance, I can’t block it or dodge it!’

Making a quick decision, Luke launched a preemptive attack. He rushed forward and thrust his sword towards the strange mage’s heart.

However, the strange mage was faster. Having almost completed the manifestation of Dark Ruin, he brought his raised hand down towards Luke.

‘Damn it, am I too late!’

A grim look appeared on Luke’s face.

If he were hit by Dark Ruin like this, he couldn’t guarantee his survival. No, he would most likely die.

But then, something unexpected happened.

Just before the collision, the almost completed Dark Ruin suddenly vanished.

‘What?!’

The bewildered strange mage hastily retreated, avoiding Luke’s attack. He then tried to manifest Dark Ruin again to attack Luke. But strangely, it kept dissipating just before completion.

‘Why the hell…?’

He was puzzled, but the strange mage had no time to solve the mystery.

Luke was rushing at him, and he could sense the approach of people with torches not far away.

The strange mage’s eyebrows furrowed.

It was already difficult to deal with the young Rune Knight in front of him, and now it seemed like annoying gnats were about to swarm him.

He took out a magic scroll from his pocket and said,

“I’ll remember you.”

The strange mage glared at Luke for a moment, then tore the scroll with a rip.

As the teleportation magic activated, his figure disappeared in a flash of light.

“Whoa!”

Startled, Luke quickly ran to the spot where he had disappeared and picked up the torn scroll.

He intended to track the magic residue left on the scroll to pursue the escaped opponent.

Luke quickly channeled his mana.

But then, just as he poured mana into it, flames burst out, and the scroll fragment quickly turned to ash.

‘Damn it, it had a security magic to prevent tracking!’

With the clue gone, he could no longer track where the strange mage, who was using his body, had gone.

‘Damn it, there was so much I wanted to find out…!’

Luke’s nightmarish encounter ended just like that.

However, an unsettling feeling that was hard to shake off remained deep in his heart, making him feel uneasy.

2

“What the heck is going on all of a sudden?”

“I know, right?”

The knights who had rushed out of the inn after hearing the explosion returned.

Arriving at the scene, they could see the town’s security forces and other mercenaries all gathered there.

Well, it would be stranger if they hadn’t heard such a commotion.

In the open space outside the village, they saw the horribly murdered corpses and the traces of flames and lightning that had made a mess of the area.

“Who the heck fought here?”

“Those traces are from magic, right? Did the magic towers have a go at each other?”

“Well, I heard that the magic world is split in two and fighting fiercely these days, right?”

The knights murmured among themselves as they entered the inn, and they found Luke sitting in the center of the hall, drinking beer.

“Oh? Lord… no, Captain. You were here?”

“Yes, I went to the restroom for a moment, and everyone was gone. But what’s going on?”

At Luke’s question, the knights approached and answered.

“Well, it seems like a fight broke out in the open space outside the village.”

The first person to witness the incident was none other than Luke.

He had slipped away before people started gathering. He didn’t want to be suspected of being the culprit if he lingered around.

So, he calmly returned to the inn, pretending not to know anything, and listened to the knights’ story.

“Judging by the wounds left on the corpses, it seems like it was the work of one, or maybe two people.”

“And there was a corpse that was dried up and dead. It’s like the work of a black mage…”

At the young knight’s report, Victor glanced at Luke’s face.

He was one of the few people who knew that Luke had mastered black magic.

So, when it got late and they were alone, he asked him about it.

“It wasn’t me.”

“Then…?”

“It was the work of another black mage. And the dead seemed to be mercenaries from the Lockhead Magic Tower.”

The mage who had attacked Seymon earlier and the mercenaries had called him an enemy of the Lockhead Magic Tower.

As far as Luke knew, the Lockhead Magic Tower was currently at war with the Veritas Magic Tower, and its leadership had suffered a devastating blow in the early stages.

“Are you saying it’s related to the Magic Tower War? Wait, if he fought with Lockhead Magic Tower mercenaries, then that black mage is…”

“It seemed to be related to the Veritas Magic Tower, which is at the center of the Magic Alliance.”

“No way…! So the Veritas Magic Tower was really researching black magic!”

After thinking it over on his way back to the inn, Luke pointed to one person as the mastermind behind this.

That was Arsen, the founder of the Veritas Magic Tower.

Although there were several black mages on the continent, no one else but that monster who had become a lich would do such a thing.

‘Arsen, you bastard! What the hell did you do to my body!’

Luke, who was inwardly grinding his teeth, unconsciously clenched his fist.

The pewter mug was crushed, but neither the enraged Luke nor Victor, who was in shock, noticed it.

‘Anyway, some of my questions are being answered now.’

Two years ago, when he heard from Erenes, who had passed away, that Arsen had become a lich, he had wondered how the hell he could have done that.

It was because becoming a lich was such a rare magic that very few black mages knew how to do it.

‘After I died, that guy became the founder of magical engineering. It was all because he took the research results of the golem magic I left behind.’

In the process, Arsen must have secretly taken his body without Rakan knowing.

He must have obtained an ancient black magic book from his body and learned the lich magic within it.

‘And he must have been researching that black magic book for over 500 years. The monster using my body is the result of that.’

The ancient black magic book.

The ancient legacy that he had discovered with Katarina during his Seymon days contained the essence of darkness and chaos.

Luke had become a 9th-circle black mage just by acquiring some of the magic and knowledge written in that black magic book, and he had become a terrifying being known as the Demon King.

Just thinking about Arsen, who had become a lich, possessing and researching such a powerful book for over 500 years made him feel dizzy.

‘He might be stronger than I can imagine. With my current strength, it might be impossible to face him…’

As pessimism and fear arose, Luke quickly shook his head.

‘What does it matter! Whether he’s become a lich or a dark demon, I’m going to crush him! If my current strength isn’t enough, then I’ll definitely do it with the strength I’ll have tomorrow!’

As Luke was steeling his resolve, Victor, who had been deep in thought, spoke again.

“Are you going to report this to the security forces?”

“No, I don’t plan to. I don’t know if the security forces will believe me or not, and if I stay here giving testimony, I’ll just be wasting precious time. Besides, if it’s related to the Magic Tower War, things could get complicated in many ways.”

“I see. I’m glad you think so.”

Victor, who wanted to go to the Holy Artemia Empire as soon as possible to meet Princess Reina, smiled brightly at Luke’s decision.

“We’ll be leaving early tomorrow morning, so you should get some sleep too.”

“Yes, I hope you have a good rest as well, Lord.”

After finishing his conversation with Victor, Luke was about to go to his room, but he turned his steps outside.

Although he was in a hurry, he wanted to become even stronger, so he practiced his Gold Sword in the darkness.

Hoping that he would be a little stronger when the sun rose tomorrow.

3

In the east of the Baroque Empire’s Imperial Palace, there was a circular arena.

It was a place used for the Emperor’s leisure, where horse races, mobile racing competitions, and Gigant [large, humanoid war machines] gladiatorial matches were often held.

The riders participating in these Gigant gladiatorial matches were members of the Imperial Guard. They provided entertainment for the Emperor and showed off their skills at the same time.

Clang! Clang clang!

Under the warm sunlight, two Knight-class Gigants, painted in red and blue, were fiercely exchanging blows.

Emperor Rudolf was watching the match with a bored expression.

During the fierce match, fragments of greatswords and gauntlets flew around, but unlike the maids around him, he didn’t even blink.

There was a powerful barrier magic cast over the spectator seats, and with his skills, he could easily dodge or block the flying fragments.

“Who are those guys fighting now?”

The Emperor asked as he picked up a handful of almonds from a gold dish, and Count Ferrero, the vice-commander of the Imperial Guard, stood up from his seat and answered.

“They are Juan de Magreb of the Silver Guard and Dias de Galbara of the Iron Guard.”

“They’re from noble families. But why are their skills so poor? They’re supposed to be Expert-level riders, right? I think they’re too embarrassing to watch.”

At the Emperor’s rebuke, Count Ferrero couldn’t say anything.

It wasn’t because he had nothing to say, but because he had too much to say and didn’t know where to start.

Originally, the Imperial Guard was supposed to select the most outstanding knights in the Empire, but that principle was not being properly followed.

Even if someone was skilled, they might have low loyalty, or they might lack other qualities besides swordsmanship, or they might have a bad personality.

But currently, other problems were more serious than those.

There were quite a few guys who came in with the backing of a family or a powerful noble, or who bribed the commander to get in.

They weren’t completely unskilled, but the problem was that these guys neglected their training after becoming Imperial Guards.

Naturally, their skills were bound to stagnate.

No, while they were strutting around as experts and Imperial Guards, their sense of swordsmanship would often decline.

Moreover, since they were Imperial Guards and only stayed in the capital, many of them had less practical combat skills and situational awareness than the knights of the central army or the territorial armies.

The Gold Guard, which was closest to the Emperor, was better, but the Silver Guard and the Iron Guard were in a serious situation.

‘The most annoying thing is that the talentless stones are jealous of the few gems and drive them out.’

Philip was a prime example of someone the Imperial Guard had missed.

It’s said he’s already reached the highest level of Expert and became the commander of the knights in the Rakan territory. To think that such a talented person was driven out by those incompetent fools, it made my blood boil. Anyway, Count Ferrero had been trying countless times over the past two years to fix these problems. However, the commander, busy with power struggles and protecting his position, wouldn’t even listen, and the Imperial Knights would only pretend to heed his scolding. No, it would have been a relief if they had even pretended properly. There were even those who reported to the great nobles who supported them. Every time, nobles with some power would pressure him in various ways. ‘His Majesty, who is now criticizing, is also responsible for the Imperial Knights being in this situation…’ Immediately after his enthronement, Emperor Rudolf brought up the reorganization of the Imperial Knights and retired or demoted perfectly good knights to the provinces. Most of them were people favored by the late Emperor or those who supported the deceased Third Prince Reikart, and they could not return. There were quite a few skilled individuals, but instead of re-appointing them, the Emperor would seize on minor charges and send them into exile or have them executed. Not only that, but the Emperor also tried to use only people from his own faction. In fact, the reason why the noble faction constantly rebelled was that the Emperor was excessively favoring his own faction without making any concessions. If Count Ferrero, a neutral party, had not been a Sword Master of the highest level, he would have been kicked out of the Imperial Knights long ago. “Train them properly. How can the Imperial Knights maintain their dignity like this?” “Yes, Your Majesty, I will keep that in mind.” The Emperor, who had been nagging throughout the viewing, got up and headed to the main hall. 4 As soon as Emperor Rudolf arrived at the main hall, he summoned Count Voltaire, the chief chamberlain. Voltaire, who had rushed to the Emperor with light steps and bowed respectfully, had a bright expression on his face. “It seems you have some good news.” “Yes, Your Majesty. Duke Perriad has begun his actions.” “Oh, really? That is indeed welcome news!” Duke Perriad was a great lord of the Holy Artenia Empire and had been close friends with Archbishop Michael, whose whereabouts were currently unknown. Naturally, he was bound to be strongly dissatisfied with the new Pope and the Constantine faction that had enthroned her, and in fact, he had cut off all exchanges with the central government two years ago. And now, it seems that Duke Perriad is finally about to cause trouble. “Hehehe! It was worth the long wait.” “It can be said that it is because no one has appeared who can act as a link between the factions since the death of Benedict III.” The Baroque Empire had been trying to cause internal strife in the Holy Empire for a long time. So, they chose not only papal candidates but also various ‘rebel candidates’ and secretly contacted them. The result of such long efforts was Duke Perriad, who had now raised his banner. “Don’t miss this opportunity. Support them with as much combat material as possible and organize mercenaries to send. It would be good to choose useful ones to send.” “Wouldn’t it be good to send some who need to gain experience as well?” “Hmm, yes, we should. After seeing the Gigant duel [a duel between knights using large, specialized weapons] of the Imperial Knights today, I think we should even more.” Rudolf was planning to disguise the Imperial Army as mercenaries and send them to the Holy Empire. He needed to provide strong support so that the spark that had just begun to flare up would not easily die out. And he judged that the dull-witted Imperial Knights would come to their senses and properly build their skills only after tasting the blade on the battlefield. “Ah, and according to what I have found out, not only our Empire but also the northern bandits are in contact with key figures of the Holy Empire.” “Are you talking about the Volga bastards?” Emperor Rudolf’s face darkened. To him, the Volga Republic was a thorn in his side and an enemy he couldn’t chew enough. Therefore, the fact that those bastards were trying to meddle in ‘his dish’ was extremely unpleasant. “However, it seems they are working with the common people or lower-ranking priests who represent them, rather than the great nobles or high-ranking priests.” “Hmph, of course. Their goal must be to incite the foolish people and create a world where those with no roots run wild.” The Volga Republic was a country that promoted ability over lineage and the will of the people over the judgment of the monarch. Of course, there were still cases of nepotism and special appointments, and the state affairs were often swayed by the words of the president. Nevertheless, it was an enticing sound for the lower classes who had been oppressed by the long feudal class society, and conversely, it was a dangerous and outrageous remark for the nobles and monarchs. “The problem is that the antics of those rootless people are quite effective.” Even if they are uneducated, the people have eyes and ears, and they have the ability to think. Therefore, they could not help but be displeased with the power struggles of the upper classes that were causing chaos in the country, and they were fascinated by the ‘new world’ that the suspicious people were shouting about. “Fortunately, the situation is not that serious yet. It seems that the Volga bastards are more interested in other issues than incitement.” “Other issues?” “It’s about the new Pope. According to the investigation so far, there is a high possibility that she is Princess Reina, who disappeared two years ago.” “Hmm, Princess Reina…” The disappearance of Princess Reina was still a hot topic in the southern part of the Empire. That was because she, who was likely to become the mistress of the rapidly developing Rakan territory, had suddenly disappeared. The most likely theory was that she had been kidnapped by Volga Republic intelligence agents, but the exact circumstances were not revealed. In the midst of this, a new Pope who looked exactly like Reina appeared, making the continental diplomatic community puzzled. “Is she really Princess Reina?” “Judging by the way the Volga bastards are acting, it is highly likely.” “Geez, what on earth happened for her to become the Pope? Oh, by the way, have you checked on Luke’s movements?” Rudolf was aware of the relationship between Luke and Reina. Therefore, if Veronica III was indeed Reina, he judged that Luke would not stay still. “According to the information from our spies, he is currently staying in the territory. It seems he is trying to observe the situation for now since he is not in a position to go abroad recklessly.” “Hmm, is that so.” Rudolf’s expression was not very pleasant. What Count Voltaire said seemed reasonable, but based on what he had observed over the past two years, Luke was not an easy opponent. Unlike the previous members of the Rakan family, he was not rigid, and he had a bold yet cunning side. ‘He’s not an ordinary guy. He should have been dead and in a coffin by now due to all the obstacles, but he has grown into a big shot…’ As that thought crossed his mind, Emperor Rudolf’s blood boiled. That was because Lich Arsen, who had always been meddling with the Rakan family’s bloodline, had not been seen lately. He had clearly mentioned that he would reconfirm and take action regarding Luke, but nothing had changed. He said it was because of the Magic Tower War, but considering that he had not shown his face even once since then, it seemed that Arsen had no intention of interfering with Luke. Or maybe he was trying to make a fool of him. ‘Damn bone monster! Fine, if you play like that, I have my own plans.’ After grinding his teeth, the Emperor dismissed Count Voltaire and then summoned Meisin, the head of the Imperial Black Magic Order. “Did you call for me, Your Majesty?” “How is the Magic Tower War progressing?” At the Emperor’s question, Meisin lightly tapped the floor of the main hall with the black staff he was holding. Then, a hologram appeared on the floor. It was a map of the continent. The map meticulously showed the current state of the Magic Tower War on the continent. “As you can see, the Reformists are on the defensive. The Rokid Magic Tower, which had been resisting the most fiercely, has lost most of its vested rights not only abroad but also in the Kingdom of Castia, where its headquarters are located.” “Tsk, that’s not good.” Rudolf, who had instigated the fight between the two forces, was well aware of the power of the Veritas Magic Tower. And in fact, he had been secretly supporting the Reformists, hoping that they would hold out for a few more years. However, the Veritas Magic Tower, the Magic Alliance with Arsen behind it, was by no means easy to deal with. “The whereabouts of the former Meister [Master mage] of Rokid are currently unknown. The Reformists are trying to turn the tide by attempting to contact the Artenia Imperial Magic Tower.” “The Artenia Imperial Magic Tower, you say…” “As you know, it is a prestigious magic tower that rivals the Veritas Magic Tower for the top spot on the continent.” The Artenia Imperial Magic Tower was so old that it shared its history with the Holy Empire. It began when some priests who believed that the pursuit of truth was the true path to following God began to study magic, and because of that, even now, the mages of the Artenia Imperial Magic Tower were so well-versed in theology that they could be considered priests. They boasted a very high level in all aspects of magic, including magical engineering, magical medicine, and life magic, and their influence on the continent was also strong. However, they did not participate in this Magic Tower War. The reason was that as a national institution, they could not intervene in private disputes. Because of that, their influence abroad had decreased a lot, but the Artenia Imperial Magic Tower, which had a huge domestic market in the Holy Empire, did not care much. “Will those guys really move?” “Marquis Leas, the Meister of the Artenia Imperial Magic Tower, has been close to the Reformist figures for a long time. Moreover, he has a strong dissatisfaction with the high-ranking officials of the Holy Empire who are fighting for power.” “So, you mean that they might declare neutrality on domestic issues and intervene in the Magic Tower War instead?” “Yes, Your Majesty. But we still have to wait and see.” At Meisin’s words, the Emperor pondered something and then opened his mouth. “Is there any way to make them move?” If the Artenia Imperial Magic Tower were to participate in the Magic Tower War, it would have a double effect. One was to reduce the power of the rival Holy Empire, and the other was to throw a wrench in the works of that damn Arsen. It was truly a win-win strategy, but Meisin, upon hearing those words, made a troubled expression. “I am sorry, but it is difficult for us to operate in the Holy Empire. And if we are caught, it could be a big blow to the Imperial Family…” “Well, I guess so, since the Holy Empire is full of priests and holy knights. I understand. I will discuss that matter with the intelligence department. You may leave now.” Meisin, who had bowed deeply, was about to leave the main hall when Rudolf suddenly called him back, as if he had thought of something. “Wait, I have one thing to entrust to you.” “Please give me your orders.” “Go south and report on the situation in the Rakan territory and of Marquis Luke. I am worried about it.” Over the past two years, Luke had been building his power at an alarming rate, and it bothered him. And in a situation where his lover’s whereabouts had been revealed, he wondered if the guy was really staying still. “Even if it is something minor, investigate it thoroughly.” “I understand, Your Majesty.” As soon as he finished speaking, Meisin’s figure disappeared from Rudolf’s sight. Rudolf, who had risen from his throne, immediately summoned the intelligence department personnel. There was no time to hesitate in order to proceed with the Magic Tower War as he intended and to keep the Veritas Magic Tower in check.