Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 52

5. The War Begins

1

As Luke had predicted, enemies began to appear as soon as they crossed the border of the Conrad region. Hardly a day went by without small groups of soldiers launching surprise attacks or night raids.

However, the punitive force was well-prepared for this level of assault, and they did not suffer significant damage.

The problem was that these sporadic attacks were slowing down the punitive force’s advance and exhausting the soldiers.

Moreover, even the soldiers who weren’t directly fighting were becoming anxious, and their morale was gradually declining.

Among them, the 1st Army was the most fatigued. As they were at the forefront of the punitive force, they bore the brunt of the enemy’s concentrated attacks.

In response, Marquis Valentino, the commander-in-chief of the punitive force, switched the positions of the 1st Army and the 4th Army, which had been following at the very rear.

Having handed over his original reserve duty to the 1st Army, Count Marquez took the lead of the punitive force and began to lead the troops.

‘Hehehe, is this finally my chance to gain merit?’

Thinking that the opportunity had come very quickly, he ordered his subordinates to be thorough in their perimeter security.

He wanted to easily repel the rebels’ attacks and make the generals who looked down on him eat their words.

But unfortunately, the enemy did not appear. As if by agreement, the attacks stopped as soon as the 4th Army took the lead.

Marquez, who had been eagerly anticipating action, couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

“Tch, you cowards!”

Three days later, the punitive force arrived at a wide-open plain.

“Wow, it’s farmland all the way to the horizon!”

“No matter which way you look, there are only yellow wheat fields and small hills!”

The knights, upon seeing the Meltryn Plain, the largest granary of the Holy Artenia Empire, couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

Although there were several granaries in the Baroque Empire, none were as fertile and vast as the Meltryn Plain.

The Meltryn Plain was a region blessed by the gods, accounting for about half of the Holy Artenia Empire’s total food production.

The appearance of the Meltryn Plain meant that the Perriad Duchy was near.

“There’s a large village just a little further ahead. We’ll rest there tonight, so pick up the pace!”

Orders came from above to increase the speed.

The 4th Army marched at the front, continuing to move forward.

After about two more hours, as they were passing through an area with several consecutive hills, Luke approached Count Marquez with a serious expression.

“Your Excellency, Count.”

“What is it, Commander Leif?” Count Marquez, who had been talking with his aides, looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Although Marquez had failed to recruit Luke immediately, he had continued to show interest and treat him well.

That was why Luke was able to meet the Count directly without being stopped by the knights along the way.

Luke pointed to the hills and said,

“There’s a possibility that enemies are ambushing behind those. We should thoroughly search them before passing through.”

One of the nobles next to him made a dumbfounded expression at his words.

“What nonsense is that! The scouts have already checked. And how many enemies can hide in those small hills! We don’t have time to waste if we want to reach the village designated by the general headquarters!”

Due to the delayed advance, orders were constantly being issued to increase the marching speed.

In such a situation, wasting time examining the hills in detail could lead to reprimands.

However, Luke did not back down from his claim.

“What if we get ambushed because of that?”

“What? How dare a mere mercenary commander…!”

As the two men engaged in a war of nerves, Count Marquez looked troubled.

Luke and the Red Wolf Mercenary Group were talents he definitely wanted to recruit.

However, the noble who had objected to Luke’s opinion was also a man who had gained experience in the military in his younger days.

“We must search, Your Excellency!”

“No, if there’s no ambush, the general headquarters will punish us for wasting time.”

Just as Count Marquez was wavering, unable to decide what to do, Bishop Maxim, the commander of the 2nd Army, who had been closely following the 4th Army, appeared with his subordinates.

“Marquez, what are you doing instead of moving! Are you picking up gold, or are you patting a woman’s behind?”

Marquez frowned at Maxim’s sarcasm.

Maxim, a former paladin, was currently the high priest in charge of the Marius faction’s paladins and a rival of Count Marquez, vying for the second-in-command position.

They had never gotten along well, and when he openly mocked him like this, Count Marquez’s face turned red.

“It’s not that, I was discussing with my subordinates because there might be an ambush ahead.”

“Hmph, you must be scared, not discussing. If you’re so afraid, we’ll let our 2nd Army take the lead.”

With that retort, Bishop Maxim ordered his subordinates to overtake the 4th Army without even listening to Count Marquez’s opinion.

Marquez, who had suddenly been labeled a coward, was furious, but the 2nd Army was already passing the 4th Army and approaching the hills.

Even though half of the 2nd Army had entered the path between the hills, they did not receive any attacks.

As the situation unfolded, Marquez became irritated with Luke.

“Commander Leif! Because of your useless words, I’ve suddenly become a coward. How are you going to take responsibility for this…”

Just as the Count was getting annoyed with Luke, flames suddenly shot up from the path between the hills, followed by a deafening explosion and a burst of fire.

Kuwuaaaang—! Bang!

Pop pop pop—!

The gunpowder and tar buried in the ground reacted to the fire magic, creating a huge mushroom cloud.

The shockwave of the massive explosion turned the Gigants [large humanoid war machines] near the epicenter into scrap metal, and the tidal wave of flames engulfed the soldiers.

“Kuaaaak!”

“Keek!”

“S, save me!”

The knights and soldiers engulfed in flames writhed in agony.

However, no one dared to try to save them.

The hellish flames showed no sign of dying down, and the core engines of the destroyed Gigants and the gunpowder on the carts were causing chain explosions.

To make matters worse, the ambushing rebels appeared.

Having dug tunnels around the hills and hidden themselves, they used their hidden Gigants to mercilessly trample and cut down the 2nd Army, which had fallen into chaos.

“Die!”

“How dare you try to trample our homeland! Don’t leave a single one alive!”

The rebels, who poured out like a flood, caught Bishop Maxim and the 2nd Army’s leaders completely off guard, leaving them bewildered and disoriented.

Marquez and the noble who had argued with Luke earlier were speechless at the sight of the 2nd Army’s horrific defeat.

The Count, who regained his senses first, patted Luke on the shoulder and said,

“Ahem, Commander Leif. I hope you will continue to give me much advice in the future.”

“Thank you, Your Excellency. But shouldn’t we rescue our allies?”

“Of course, we must help. First, let’s report to the general headquarters…”

Count Marquez watched the 2nd Army get further ravaged before issuing a rescue order.

Although it wasn’t a long time, it felt like an eternity to the 2nd Army, who were struggling in the fiery hell.

“Damn it, don’t scatter!”

“Gigant units, protect our allies!”

Thanks to the paladins and officers who had regained their senses and controlled the remaining forces, the worst-case scenario of the 2nd Army collapsing was avoided.

When the 4th Army came to the rescue, the rebels quickly began to retreat.

Their forces consisted of only about 20 Gigants and a mere 3,000 soldiers. They were not foolish enough to engage in an all-out battle against a 150,000-strong army with hundreds of Gigants.

Moreover, their goal from the beginning was not to annihilate the punitive force.

Their aim was to strike the enemy’s vanguard and break their momentum, so once they had achieved their goal to some extent, they turned their backs without hesitation.

“Farewell, you fools! We’ll play with you again next time!”

“You damned country bumpkins! Stop right there!”

The punitive force attempted to pursue, but they hesitated and stopped, startled by the sporadic explosions of gunpowder and smoke bombs set off by the fleeing rebels. The memory of the massive explosion from earlier was still fresh in their minds.

Anyway, the battle was over, and the punitive force rescued the wounded while investigating the extent of the 2nd Army’s damage.

“10,000 casualties?”

“And over 30 Gigants were completely destroyed.”

Having suffered such losses from a small group of ambushers, it was undoubtedly a crushing defeat.

Naturally, Bishop Maxim, the commander of the 2nd Army, became the target of criticism, and his position was further weakened when it was revealed that he had ignored the 4th Army’s warning about the danger of an ambush and had overtaken them without authorization.

Count Marquez opened his mouth, pretending to console him from the side.

“Tsk tsk, you’re all being too harsh. You’re only criticizing the hero who stepped forward instead of this incompetent coward.”

“…”

“Don’t worry too much, Bishop Maxim. Today you may have to find a mouse hole, but who knows? Maybe tomorrow the brilliant sunlight will shine into that mouse hole?”

Bishop Maxim’s face contorted with shame and anger at Marquez’s consolation disguised as mockery.

Having fully enjoyed his crumpled expression, Count Marquez scoffed and turned away.

2

To get to Elbera, the capital of the Conrad region, after passing through the Meltryn Plain, there was a city that one had to go through. It was the city of Eisenberg, famous for its cross-shaped walls.

Originally, there was a dynasty of different races centered around dwarves in the Conrad region.

The capital of that dynasty was Elbera, and Eisenberg was built as a fortress to protect Elbera.

This fortress was further expanded after the dynasty was conquered by the Holy Empire, and eventually became a gateway city that one had to pass through to get from Bless to Elbera.

The office of the lord’s castle, where the cityscape of Eisenberg could be seen at a glance.

Two men stood there.

They were Marquis Parker, known as Duke Perriad’s right-hand man, and Lazuli, the head of the Flying Dragon Merchant Guild.

“I hear the punitive force will arrive here tomorrow.”

The first to speak was Marquis Parker.

He was one of the most prominent generals in the Holy Empire, and at one time, he had been at the forefront of the wars against other countries for the sake of the Empire.

But at some point, a division occurred in the Empire, and the Constantine faction seized power. Duke Perriad, who had rebelled against this, declared independence, and he suddenly became a leader of the rebels.

And now, with the Empire’s punitive force before his eyes, he couldn’t help but feel complicated.

There would surely be comrades among the punitive force who had fought shoulder to shoulder with him on the battlefields of the past.

“The reinforcements have already arrived and are fully prepared. The enemies will never be able to cross the city of Eisenberg.”

“Of course, they must.”

Marquis Parker nodded at Lazuli’s words, who had come here as the chief in charge of the reinforcements.

Having joined the rebellion following his lord, the Holy Empire’s forces were now nothing more than enemies.

No matter what the past was, enemies were to be fought and destroyed.

He decided to focus only on this.

“No more ambush tactics will work, right?”

“They worked well at first, but after being severely hit once, they are being very cautious. I don’t think any more surprise attacks will be meaningful, as they will only deplete our forces.”

“Then, is a frontal battle the only option left?”

According to the information that the spies had brought, the punitive force had a total of 150,000 troops, with about 500 Gigants and 3,000 knights.

Although they had suffered a blow in the Meltryn Plain, they had only lost a portion of their massive forces, and their strength was still superior to that of the rebels, or rather, the Conrad Kingdom’s army.

It was a formidable force that could easily crush any ordinary kingdom, but Marquis Parker was not intimidated.

The fortress walls of Eisenberg were high and thick, and the forces deployed there were also considerable.

Moreover, they had a hidden card that the enemies were unaware of.

That was the Flying Dragon.

The Gigants, cannons, and other weapons they had provided were a great help in arming the Kingdom’s army.

Not only that, but they had also brought their own mercenary unit, and their addition had greatly increased the lacking Gigant forces.

“They’ll probably be shocked.”

The Empire’s forces would be bewildered if a force they had never imagined suddenly appeared.

An army that had its spirit broken in the initial battle could never seize victory.

Marquis Parker, imagining the Empire’s forces in disarray, wore a confident expression.

“But how will you use the troops you received from the neighboring lords?”

Lazuli asked, as if curious.

“Those rat’s troops will be placed at the very front to be used up. They must pay the price for hesitating despite His Majesty’s call to arms.”

In the Conrad region, there were more than a dozen other territories besides the Perriad Duchy.

Half of them had actively responded to the rebellion, but the other half had hesitated and joined late.

Considering that there was no family that had not received help from the Perriad Duchy in the past, it was a very despicable act.

“I see. The first battle will be a Gigantic Duel, right?”

Marquis Parker nodded at Lazuli’s question.

“That’s right. It’s the best way to break the enemy’s morale and boost our own.”

Originally, they would never have dared to challenge a Gigantic Duel. After all, on the other side were Grand Duke Gregory, known as the strongest knight on the continent, and the knights of the Undying Legion.

But for some reason, Grand Duke Gregory and the Undying Legion were not participating in this punitive force.

Although there were some Sword Masters [elite warriors skilled in swordsmanship], he judged that they could be sufficiently defeated by the Sword Masters they had on their side.

‘The mercenary commander and the assault captain who came as reinforcements are said to be Sword Masters, right? They should be able to take down one or two of them.’

According to the letter from Duke Perriad, the mercenary commander of the Flying Dragon was Count Ferrero of the Baroque Empire.

If it was him, known as the Mad Dog of the Baroque Empire, he would be able to defeat one or two of the enemy’s Sword Masters.

‘Good, if we can proceed with the battle as we intend, we can win no matter what!’

With a hopeful expression, he opened the door to the office and went out to finish preparing to face the enemy.

However, he didn’t notice the chilling glint in Lazuli’s eyes behind him, a look that was different from before.

3

“Ugh, my back!”

“Blegh! I feel like I’m going to throw up everything I ate this morning.”

“My legs are so wobbly, I don’t think I can stand.”

“Ugh… how many days has it been like this!”

Among the Fourth Army, at the forefront of the subjugation force, hundreds of mercenaries groaned particularly loudly.

They dragged their feet, using their spears and swords as canes, their faces pale. It was no wonder, as they carried military packs several times heavier than those of regular soldiers.

As the groans continued, those riding horses on either side began to scold the mercenaries.

“Hey, are you slacking off? Straighten your backs!”

“What’s that guy doing, sitting down!”

“Pick up the pace! Can’t you see you’re slowing down the rest of the army!”

The ones shouting were members of the Lakan Knights. And those enduring the grueling march were the new recruits who had recently joined the Red Wolf Mercenary Company.

Gebil and the former Garlic Mercenary Company members shuddered as they watched the Lakan Knights berating them.

“Those devilish bastards!”

“Their fathers or grandfathers must be demons!”

Some of the mercenaries, grumbling under their breath, vented their frustration to Gebil.

“Why did the captain have to join the Red Wolf Mercenary Company!”

“What? You agreed to it too!”

“Damn it, who knew it would turn out like this?”

After joining the Red Wolf Mercenary Company, Gebil and his group were relentlessly pushed to their limits during the marches.

They were told they would be taught swordsmanship through sparring, but most of the time, it was just a one-sided beating with clubs.

On top of that, they were forced to walk instead of riding perfectly good horses, all in the name of building stamina, and they had to carry heavy military packs filled to the brim with supplies.

And to top it off, they were forbidden from drinking and smoking.

“Let’s just quit. We’ll die before we even get to Eisenberg.”

“Don’t even think about it. The moment we say we’re quitting, they might try to kill us.”

Gebil waved his hand dismissively at his subordinates’ suggestion.

In truth, he was the one who regretted it the most. If he could turn back time, he would undo his foolish decision.

However, a mercenary company wasn’t a place where you could just join and leave as you pleased.

Even in a mercenary company with a free-spirited atmosphere, you had to pay a withdrawal penalty, and in places with strict rules, they imposed punishments equivalent to those of the regular army. In the regular army, desertion during wartime was punishable by death.

The Red Wolf Mercenary Company fell into the latter category.

No, even the Holy Empire’s army was taken aback by how they trained their new recruits.

The most vicious of them all was Philip.

‘That damn bastard! He has no mercy, hitting the same spot over and over again!’

Gebil cursed Philip, who was riding ahead, and trudged forward.

The cursed march ended two days later when the large and magnificent walls of Eisenberg City came into view.

The subjugation force, led by the Fourth Army, arrived one after another and took their positions on the plains around the city walls.

“Announcing to the entire army! Quickly set up camp and prepare for the siege!”

After a brief rest, the subjugation force received orders from the general headquarters to set up their tents and install wooden fences around them.

At that moment, the city gates opened, and a group of soldiers came out.

Among them were several large, heavily armored Gigants [giant humanoid war machines], and one of them stepped forward and shouted loudly through the transmission device.

“I am Baron Temer, the vice-commander of the Red Rose Knights of the Konrad Kingdom! If there is anyone who will accept my sword, step forward!”

The subjugation force’s general headquarters and the riders became busy.

Luke chuckled at the sight.

‘Hah! A Gigantic Duel? To see a battle method that was said to be a relic of the past here.’

A Gigantic Duel.

It was a battle method where the outcome was decided by one-on-one duels between Gigant riders.

This was different from the commander’s battle, where superhuman riders clashed during a chaotic battle.

Unlike the commander’s battle, where nearby soldiers retreated to avoid getting caught up in the duel, a Gigantic Duel was held from the beginning.

One person from each army would come out and engage in a one-on-one match, which was more of a preliminary skirmish before the actual battle.

Such Gigantic Duels were common when Gigants first appeared as weapons.

Because it highlighted the power of the knights, many riders applied for and accepted Gigantic Duels to show off their prowess.

However, as time passed, strategies and tactics became more diverse, and a rational and calculating trend that valued results more than the honor and romance of knights became prevalent, and it began to disappear.

He never thought he would see a Gigantic Duel, which had disappeared into the annals of history and was rarely seen in other countries, in the Holy Artenia Empire.

“Seriously, a Gigantic Duel in this day and age…”

“Perhaps it’s because it’s a theocratic state, and there’s a conservative trend that values tradition.”

Philip and Victor watched the situation with Luke and talked.

In response to the rebels’ provocation, a blue Gigant from the subjugation force stepped forward.

A mocking voice flowed from the transmission device of the blue Gigant, which was armed with a large iron mace and a round shield.

“Hmph, who is it? It’s Baron Temer. I know your martial prowess well. You were infamous as a bed-wetter during the border dispute with the Tales Kingdom, weren’t you?”

“Hahahaha!”

“Oh, a bed-wetter!”

The subjugation force’s camp erupted in laughter at the blue Gigant rider’s sarcasm.

Baron Temer’s face flushed red as the laughter echoed across the plains.

Twenty years ago, Baron Temer, who was serving in the military for the first time, had wet his cockpit during his first battle.

It wasn’t because he was scared or couldn’t overcome his fear. It was because the battle had gone on for so long that he didn’t have time to relieve himself, and he had made a mistake.

To mock his honor by twisting that unavoidable accident!

“Who, who the hell are you…?”

“Me? I’m Baron Jukeval, who used to share a mess kit with you!”

“Ugh! Jukeval, you bastard!”

The two men, who had once served in the same unit, had been in a love triangle over a woman.

Naturally, their relationship had deteriorated, and as a result, they had a duel.

The duel ended in a draw.

But the problem was that the woman, who had no particular feelings for either of them, had married someone else.

Completely left in the lurch, the two of them, instead of sharing their pain, blamed each other and became sworn enemies.

“If it weren’t for you, Lilia could have been my wife!”

“Shut up! If you hadn’t torn up my love letter…!”

The two riders argued about their past for a while.

They brought up not only their silly love squabbles but also things like stealing lunch boxes during a picnic at the military academy and telling the instructor about secretly going to the red-light district.

Thanks to that, the leaders of both armies felt very embarrassed.

“Prepare yourself, Temer! I’ll engrave ‘bed-wetting traitor’ on your tombstone!”

“Hmph! I’ll use your skull as a chamber pot!”

With those words, the two riders’ Gigants collided. The two Gigants, which had charged and clashed their shields, soon began a fierce battle, wielding their iron maces and greatswords.

Clang! Crash!

Unlike their childish bickering, the two riders were skilled enough to be chosen as the first participants in the Gigantic Duel.

It was quite thrilling to see them freely control their 10-meter-tall steel bodies as if they were their own, exchanging fierce attacks and defenses.

“Win, Baron Jukeval!”

“Baron Temer! Don’t give in!”

The soldiers on both sides cheered enthusiastically, shouting the names of their respective riders.

Clang! Crack!

The two Gigants, which had collided strongly, fell apart, sparks flying.

The skills of the two, who were upper-level experts, were evenly matched.

Moreover, both Gigants were Knight-class and had similar performance, so the fight did not end even after a long time.

“It looks like Jukeval will win.”

Philip watched quietly and predicted the outcome.

“No, Temer will win.”

“Yes? Why do you think so? Jukeval’s swordsmanship is slightly better, and his Gigant’s performance seems to be slightly superior.”

Philip asked with a puzzled expression.

“Of course, Jukeval is slightly better in terms of skill and Gigant performance. But Temer is a Rune Knight [a knight who uses magic].”

“What? A Rune Knight?”

“Yes, it doesn’t seem like he’s been practicing magic for long, but in a close match like this, a decisive move can determine the outcome.”

Luke read the flow of mana in Temer’s Gigant and realized that he was a Rune Knight.

Sure enough, just as Jukeval, who had gained the upper hand, was about to deliver the final blow, Temer suddenly activated his magic.

“Grease!”

“No!”

Although it was a 1st-circle auxiliary spell, the magic was fatal when caught off guard.

As the floor became slippery, Jukeval’s Gigant lost its balance and tilted, and Temer did not miss the opportunity and thrust his greatsword.

Thwack!

Temer’s greatsword pierced the chest armor and penetrated the cockpit.

“Aaaah!”

The soldiers of the subjugation force, anticipating Jukeval’s demise, sighed with a look of pity.

Swoosh, thump!

As the rider died, Jukeval’s Gigant slowly tilted and fell backward.

“Waaaah! We won!”

“Long live Baron Temer!”

The soldiers of the Konrad Kingdom on the city walls threw their helmets into the air and cheered.

Temer paid his respects to Jukeval’s Gigant and turned around.

Although he was a sworn enemy, he felt a sense of sadness rather than joy at the thought that his lifelong rival had died.

However, a Gigant rider who had rushed out from the subjugation force grabbed his turning foot.

“Wait, Baron Temer! I will be your next opponent!”

“Who are you?”

In response to Temer’s question, the rider from the subjugation force made the sign of the cross with his Gigant’s right hand and revealed his identity.

“I am Alfred, a high-ranking paladin of the Marius Grand Temple. I want to avenge Baron Jukeval.”

Alfred did not have a close relationship with Jukeval, but he had been dispatched by Bishop Maxim’s orders.

Bishop Maxim, the commander of the Second Army, was trying to make up for the shame he had suffered in the previous ambush attack through the Gigantic Duel.

“Hmph, a lackey of a corrupt priest who is only interested in lining his own pockets by selling the name of God.”

The Marius faction was training paladins under the pretext of protecting temples and believers in various regions.

However, the paladins who were created in this way were more focused on helping the high priests and bishops with their own interests than on their original duties.

Alfred raised his voice in anger at Temer’s harsh criticism.

“How dare you utter such nonsense! Kneel down and repent immediately!”

“Repent? Don’t make me laugh! It’s your church that needs to repent! The Lord will surely punish you!”

“Aaaaargh!”

Alfred, who could no longer listen to Temer’s words, screamed and charged.

Thump, thump, thump!

The name of the Gigant that Alfred was riding was Paladin.

It was a Knight-class Gigant developed by the Artenia Imperial Magic Tower seven years ago, with an output of 2200 phytes [a unit of power].

“Holy Sword!”

A milky white light shone from Paladin’s greatsword and attacked Temer’s Gigant.

“Hmph, swordsmanship using divine power? Don’t think you can beat me with such a shallow trick!”

Temer also fought back without giving in.

Clang! Clang!

The two Gigants emitted sharp sounds as they engaged in a fierce battle.

Originally, Alfred’s skill was at the upper-middle expert level.

However, he was able to push Temer, who was an upper-level expert, by fully utilizing the performance of the divine Gigant Paladin and the Holy Sword, a swordsmanship unique to paladins.

It wasn’t a skill that would normally be pushed back, but Temer had exhausted a lot of his energy while fighting Jukeval earlier.

Moreover, his Gigant was also damaged in various places, putting him at a disadvantage.

“Ugh, Grease!”

As he began to be pushed back, Temer used magic again.

However, this time it didn’t work. As soon as the magic was activated, the Anti-Magic magic circle engraved on Paladin’s armor neutralized the magic.

Confused, Temer tried using other auxiliary spells such as Flesh and Wind, but none of them had any effect against Paladin.

“Do you think you can win with petty tricks!”

“Ugh! If my energy was intact, you would be…”

Swoosh!

In the end, the battle ended when Paladin’s Holy Sword decapitated the head of Temer’s Gigant.

“Ahem! Did you see that? Our paladins are this good, ha ha ha!”

Bishop Maxim, who was very proud of his subordinate’s achievement, smiled triumphantly at the nobles around him.

Count Marquez was watching him with a jealous look.