Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 79

4. Luke’s Conspiracy

1

Baron was a special-class assassin and the vice-master of Hydra.

A few days ago, an order came down from above.

It was to infiltrate Marquis Myers’ mansion and eliminate the witnesses and evidence related to the ongoing hearing that were the talk of the town.

However, the master who was supposed to carry out the order was nowhere to be seen.

After wasting time looking for him, Baron had no choice but to lead his subordinates himself.

“Since the opponent is Marquis Myers, one of the leaders of the noble faction, this operation will not be easy. So, be fully prepared…”

He was giving instructions to his officers when the door to the hideout burst open and Henri entered.

“Master, you’ve arrived?”

The officers all stood up from their seats and bowed respectfully to him.

Henri was a legendary assassin in the assassination world.

There was no assassin in Hydra who did not respect him.

“Where have you been? We’ve been looking for you for a while now.”

At Baron’s question, Henri waved his hand with a bothered expression and said,

“I was carrying out an important mission. More importantly, are you going to eliminate the witnesses and evidence for today’s hearing?”

“Yes, the order came from above.”

Baron pointed his thumb at the ceiling.

Above.

That meant the Baroque Emperor.

“We have to do as we’re told. But I’m going to twist the operation a little.”

“What? Count Voltaire clearly…”

“Ah, it’s not like I’m going to give up or ruin the operation. I’m just going to modify the plan for a smoother operation.”

At Henri’s explanation, Baron asked with a puzzled look.

“Master, how do you plan to modify the plan?”

“That will be decided not by me, but by that person.”

No sooner had Henri finished speaking than the door opened and a young man with platinum blonde hair and handsome features entered.

“H-He’s…!”

The officers who saw the young man all jumped up from their seats with shocked expressions.

The handsome young man with platinum blonde hair.

He was none other than Marquis Luke de Rakan, who was the number one target for elimination by Hydra.

“Master, what is the meaning of this!”

“Wasn’t Marquis Luke supposed to be dying after being attacked by the Master?”

Despite the officers’ fierce protests, Henri remained silent.

Instead of him, Luke, who had approached the officers, opened his mouth with a sly smile.

“Hehehe. Do you think I’m so weak that I would be defeated by an assassin?”

“T-Then…”

“Tsk tsk, can’t you still grasp the situation? I heard you were skilled, but you’re just a bunch of dullards.”

At Luke’s sarcasm, Baron looked at Henri with a shocked face.

“Could it be, Master has betrayed us…!”

Only then did the officers realize the truth, and they each drew their daggers and tried to attack.

However, Luke’s magic was much faster.

“Force of Gravity!”

“Kuh-ack!”

No sooner had the short incantation been uttered than all the officers in the hideout were flattened to the floor.

They tried their best, but they couldn’t move a single finger.

“Kuh-euk, Master! If His Majesty the Emperor finds out, he won’t let you get away with this!”

Baron, who barely managed to lift his head, cursed.

However, Henri turned his head away.

It wasn’t that he felt sorry for betraying his subordinates, but seeing Baron’s screaming face reminded him of his own appearance just before becoming a subordinate.

“Calm down, Baron. It’ll be over soon.”

“Shut up! Do you think you can live after doing this? After having your eyes and tongue pulled out, your limbs will be cut off…”

Whether Baron cursed or not, Luke turned his head towards the door and called out to a subordinate waiting outside.

“Belfar!”

At his call, dozens of bats flew into the room.

The bats gathered into one and transformed into a pale-faced man in a black suit.

‘A vampire!’

Baron and the assassins were startled and looked at Henri.

However, Henri didn’t explain anything to them. There was no point in talking now, so he decided to tell them later when things were settled.

“Did you call, Master?”

“Make all of these guys my subordinates.”

Even though Luke was busy creating his personal Gigant [a powerful magical construct], he came to Nemesis to make the hearing truly explosive.

To do so, it was necessary to take control of the information and assassination organizations that were called the eyes and hands of the Baroque Imperial Family.

‘Hehehe. Look forward to it, Emperor!’

Luke, who had a wicked smile on his face, said to Henri.

“The core officers have been dealt with, so you and Belfar take care of the rest.”

“I will obey your command.”

After leaving Hydra’s hideout, Luke flew to the downtown area of Nemesis with Sebastian, hiding his body with stealth magic.

There was a casino in the downtown area, and the headquarters of the information organization managed by the Imperial Family was located there.

“We need to subdue them all at once, can you do it, Sebastian?”

“Of course, Master. I’m better than that bat, if not worse.”

Sebastian thumped his chest as if to say, leave it to him.

‘Well, there are already subordinates who have infiltrated beforehand.’

The subordinates who used to be part of the intelligence department had entered the headquarters under the guise of reporting and were waiting for Luke and Sebastian to arrive.

One of the infiltrated subordinates flickered a lamp at the window.

It was a signal that the security forces guarding the outside had been dealt with.

“Well, shall we turn things upside down again?”

Luke sneaked into the headquarters, and Sebastian, who had taken out a bottle filled with poison and paralyzing drugs, followed behind him.

‘Rudolf, the eyes and daggers you used to wield will now be mine.’

That night, with the help of two demons and his subordinates, Luke succeeded in taking over the most important assets of the Baroque Imperial Family.

2

The hearing had not been held for several days.

The Emperor’s faction requested a period of observation and self-restraint, as the symptoms of the princes and princesses were getting worse.

The noble faction readily agreed.

They judged that if they forced the hearing to proceed while the princes and princesses might die, there might be sympathy for the Emperor.

And even if they dragged out the time, they didn’t think they would ever lose in the hearing as long as there were clear witnesses and evidence.

Unlike the relaxed noble faction, the Emperor’s faction was trying to find countermeasures by using the time they had gained.

Of course, the person who was trying the hardest was Count Voltaire.

“Lazuli, when are you going to eliminate the noble faction’s witnesses and evidence?”

Lazuli, who had been summoned to the Imperial Palace’s chamberlain’s office, was severely scolded by his father.

“W-Well, I…”

“Don’t you know that His Majesty the Emperor is becoming increasingly strange! If you don’t fulfill your duty quickly, this father can no longer defend you.”

As his children were on the verge of death, Emperor Rudolf was showing an increasingly mad appearance.

It was common for him to swing his sword around as if having a seizure, and to execute the priests, mages, and healers who were called in for treatment.

And yesterday, he even issued this absurd order.

“Bring me the remnants of the Arsen and Veritas Magic Tower right now! I will personally tear the limbs of those wicked bastards and crush their bones!”

It was absurd to hear him say to bring Arsen, who had been dead for over 500 years, let alone the remnants of the Veritas Magic Tower.

‘Is he going to do a post-mortem dissection like they do in the Song Empire?’

At first, they dug up Arsen’s grave on the site of the Veritas Magic Tower and brought the bones inside.

However, the Emperor went on a rampage, demanding that they bring the ‘real Arsen’.

So, while outwardly pretending to obey the order, Count Voltaire couldn’t help but feel uneasy about the Emperor’s unusual behavior.

‘Has he been greatly shocked by this incident?’

A Sword Emperor’s mind is so firm that he wouldn’t even bat an eye at most things.

However, if the problem was not external, but with the safety of his beloved family, the story would be different.

Especially if his own flesh and blood, whom he had raised with all his might, were dying, and if it was a crisis that could end the Imperial Family’s lineage.

‘The more this happens, the more careful I have to be not to fall out of favor with His Majesty. If I disturb his mood even a little, my head could be cut off.’

Thinking so, Voltaire urged Lazuli, who was flustered in front of him.

“It’s fortunate that the hearing has been postponed due to the dark clouds over the Imperial Family. If the noble faction had submitted decisive witnesses or evidence, an irreversible situation would have already occurred. So, hurry up and eliminate the noble faction’s witnesses and evidence. This is the last time I’m warning you, so keep that in mind.”

“Yes, Father.”

Lazuli, who had been severely scolded by his father, became annoyed as soon as he left the office.

‘Damn it!’

Clang!

He threw a ceramic from the Southern Continent that was decorating the hallway.

The ceramic shattered into pieces as it hit the wall.

However, throwing a ceramic was not enough to relieve his anger.

“Those damn assassin bastards! They can’t even do one thing right and dare to humiliate me!”

Lazuli, grinding his teeth, hurried to the capital’s streets.

A back alley hidden in the downtown area of Nemesis.

This place, which was always in the shade due to the tall buildings around it, had long been a slum created by prostitutes, day laborers, pickpockets, and thugs.

A carriage stopped on this street, which was so dirty, filthy, and dangerous that ordinary people wouldn’t even go near it during the day.

“What’s that?”

“Hehehe. A noble lord has taken a wrong turn.”

The thugs who were swaggering towards the carriage were startled and stepped back when dozens of armed knights appeared behind them.

“W-What? Did someone touch a child of a great noble?”

“I haven’t heard anything like that?”

The person who got out of the carriage was Lazuli.

He, who had come with the Flying Dragon’s escort knights, didn’t even glance at the bewildered thugs and went straight to the shabby three-story building in front of him.

That was Hydra’s headquarters.

Bang!

When Lazuli kicked the door open and entered, Baron and the officers inside were startled.

“Aren’t you Master Lazuli? What brings you here all of a sudden…”

Thud!

Before Baron could finish his sentence, Lazuli’s fist struck his jaw.

Lazuli, glaring at Baron as he got up with a frown, yelled as if screaming.

“How long has it been since I ordered you to carry out the operation, and you’re still dawdling!”

Lazuli, with his eyes narrowed sharply, grabbed Baron by the collar and growled.

“Is my order a joke?”

“That could never be. We were just modifying the operation for a better, more perfect result.”

“Modifying the operation?”

“Yes. And you know how the Master works, don’t you?”

“Yes, I know. That damn cautious personality of his.”

Lazuli, who had released Baron as if throwing him away, continued sarcastically.

“He’s not satisfied with the information he’s given, so he checks and reviews it himself. Yes, that’s not bad. But!”

Lazuli, who raised his voice nervously at the end, asked while grinding his teeth.

“That’s fine for a day or two, but how many days has it been! How perfect of a result are you trying to create? Why don’t you explain your measly operation to me?”

He was leisurely modifying the operation without knowing his urgent situation.

Lazuli decided that if the explanation was even slightly unsatisfactory, he would immediately twist their necks.

“I’ll give you that explanation.”

Suddenly, a clear voice was heard from behind. Startled, Lazuli quickly turned around.

Surprisingly, a person he knew well was standing there.

“M-Marquis Luke!”

“Hehehe. I didn’t know I was so popular. There’s no one who doesn’t know me among the people I’ve met for the first time in the capital.”

“B-But I heard you were dying of an illness, how…?”

“That? Of course, it’s a lie.”

Lazuli’s face twisted into a grimace at Luke’s nonchalant reply.

He assumed that Henri and the intelligence organization had reported without properly verifying the information.

However, he soon grinned, as if things had turned out perfectly.

“Hmph, you fool! If you were going to deceive us, you should have stayed hidden in the countryside. What makes you think you can waltz in here?”

This place was the headquarters of Hydra, the assassination squad operated by the Imperial Family.

There were over two hundred elite assassins here, and if he contacted them, thousands of soldiers from the Central Army and private forces of the pro-emperor nobles would arrive immediately.

“Sub-Master, I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself. Kill Marquis Luke right now!”

At Lazuli’s command, Baron and the assassins drew various hidden weapons and approached Luke.

Lazuli didn’t think they could defeat Luke, a renowned Rune Knight [a knight who uses magic runes to enhance their abilities], in a head-on fight, even if they were elite assassins.

However, he judged that they could buy some time if they joined forces with the escort knights.

‘If I call in the Central Army in the meantime, I can finish him off.’

With the thought of achieving a great feat, Lazuli wore a joyful smile on his face.

However, an unexpected situation occurred.

Instead of fighting, Baron’s group went behind Luke and stood respectfully in a row!

Lazuli, who had been smirking, now wore a bewildered expression.

“Wh-What are you doing! I told you to kill him!”

Lazuli shouted, jumping up and down, but the assassins didn’t even bat an eye.

Instead, they gave Lazuli a sly smile.

Baron, who had been hit by Lazuli a moment ago, was the one with the most mocking smile.

“Did you think I was stupid? You’re the stupid one. Did you think I would come here without any preparation?”

At Luke’s words, Lazuli asked with a doubtful expression.

“Th-Then?!”

“I’ve taken over Hydra, the Imperial Family’s dagger. Along with the intelligence organization, of course.”

Thump!

At Luke’s declaration, Lazuli felt as if thunder and lightning had struck his head.

‘How on earth? By what means?’

Numerous questions arose, but instead of finding answers, he turned and ran away.

That Hydra and the intelligence organization were under Luke’s control meant that the Emperor’s eyes and one hand were paralyzed.

‘I have to inform His Majesty and my father about this!’

He chose to flee with that thought, but he couldn’t even take a few steps.

Luke, who had instantly caught up with him using Blink [a short-range teleportation spell], grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

It happened so quickly that the escort knights from the Flying Dragon couldn’t stop him at all.

“Agh! Let go of me! I said let go!”

“Save the Master Merchant!”

Belatedly, the escort knights rushed to save Lazuli.

Luke bestowed a suitable magic upon them, who were rushing in like moths to a flame.

“Burning Off!”

Whirr!

With a single gesture from Luke, the escort knights who had rushed in turned to ashes and crumbled.

However, it didn’t end with those who had turned to ashes and disappeared.

Hearing Lazuli’s scream-like shout, other escort knights who had been waiting outside rushed in.

“Annoying flies.”

Luke, slightly frowning as if annoyed, raised one hand and then swung it down.

Kwarreung! Kwakwang!

The purple lightning that erupted from Luke’s body swept away the escort knights.

Thunder Bringer.

The demonic power he had obtained after defeating the demon general Kauren had instantly killed dozens of escort knights.

‘Good heavens!’

‘They said he was a demon who catches demons…’

The Hydra assassins, including Baron, were in shock.

They had heard various stories from Henri after becoming his subordinate demons, but they never imagined that Marquis Luke would be such a monster.

However, Lazuli was even more shocked than them.

‘Th-This is impossible!’

Lazuli wore a blank expression at the unreal result.

The escort knights he had brought were the elite of the Flying Dragon, and their skills were comparable to those of the Imperial Guard members.

And yet, they, a group of dozens, were annihilated without even swinging their swords once!

“Lazuli, was it? I won’t kill you right away. But you will have to reveal everything you know about the Emperor and the pro-emperor faction.”

“D-Do you think I’ll c-confess?”

Lazuli tried to act calm at Luke’s words, but his body wouldn’t listen. Not only his limbs but even his tongue was trembling.

“Hehehe. You can resist as much as you want. But I have many experts who are second to none on the continent when it comes to torture.”

“Y-You, how can you be a descendant of a hero!”

“It’s the Emperor and his ancestors you serve who turned the hero’s descendant into a demon king.”

Luke, who had mocked Lazuli, turned his head towards Baron.

“Now that the atmosphere is ripe, let’s execute the operation.”

“Yes, Master!”

The assassins who had become Belpar’s familiars bowed their heads in unison at Luke’s command and then left the Hydra headquarters.

3

Despite the late hour, the Marquis Myers’ mansion was brightly lit with lamps everywhere.

Through the blind spots that the light couldn’t reach, a series of figures quickly infiltrated.

Their movements were so stealthy and cautious that neither the knights and soldiers guarding the mansion nor the guard dogs with senses superior to humans noticed them at all.

‘It’s about time, isn’t it?’

The moment Baron, who was hiding behind a garden tree, looked at the mansion, flames shot up from one side of the mansion.

An agent of the Imperial Intelligence Department, who had infiltrated the Myers family as a maid long ago, had set the fire exactly at the time they had been told in advance.

“Fire! There’s a fire!”

“Bring water quickly! Hurry and put out the fire!”

The servants and soldiers ran around in a panic.

They evacuated those near the burning room and tried to put out the fire by drawing water from the well.

Some mages used water or ice magic to prevent the fire from spreading.

Taking advantage of this chaotic situation, Baron and the Hydra agents quietly slipped into the detached building.

“Who is it? Ack!”

“Wh-What… Kuek!”

The soldiers and knights guarding the detached building screamed and collapsed one after another.

Baron and his subordinates, who had taken care of all the guards standing in the hallway and in front of the doors, entered the VIP room on the third floor where the witness of the hearing was.

Indeed, a young, handsome, one-armed man was sitting on the bed with a sword in his hand.

“Who are you?”

“Hehehe. We are the assassins of Hydra, the Emperor’s dagger.”

“Tch, as expected, the vile Emperor sent his dogs.”

Aslan immediately drew his sword.

He had already woken up and prepared for the unexpected, sensing the sudden fire.

But to think that assassins would really appear!

‘But these guys are strange. They’re willingly revealing their identities in front of me…’

Is it because they are that confident in their assassination skills?

Although he didn’t understand something, his priority now was to save his life.

“Kill him!”

At Baron’s gesture, his subordinates rushed towards Aslan all at once.

Aslan also swung his sword at the assassins.

Just as both sides were about to clash,

Whirr! Whirr!

Suddenly, black nooses flew down from the ceiling and began to wrap around the assassins.

“Whoa! Dodge!”

At Baron’s shout, the assassins all quickly dodged the nooses.

They had the movements of elite assassins, but the black nooses chased after them as if they were living creatures.

In the end, the assassins had no choice but to strike the nooses with their weapons.

Clang! Clang!

As if they were ropes made of twisted wire, sparks flew the moment the black nooses collided with their weapons.

Just as they were relieved that they had deflected the nooses, iron nets poured down on the assassins’ heads.

“It’s dangerous!”

Baron, who never imagined that there would be net traps on the ceiling, drew his dagger and rushed forward.

He tried to cut through the iron nets covering his subordinates by infusing his dagger with aura [a magical energy that enhances physical abilities].

At that moment, a powerful electric magic spread through the nets.

Zzzzzzzzzzz!

“Kuaaaak!”

“Keeeeek!”

The assassins inside screamed and collapsed from the intense current.

He was wearing an anti-magic ring that could block even 4th circle magic, but even that was instantly neutralized.

The same was true for Baron.

Although he didn’t lose consciousness, white smoke was rising from his body, indicating that he had taken quite a blow.

‘Damn it!’

His face contorted as he looked around.

Figures wearing simple yet unique attire were standing in the room, having appeared out of nowhere.

Elves, dark elves, and even lycanthropes [werewolves].

‘Why are the fairy races here? Could it be that Marquis Myers has secretly joined hands with the Volga Republic?’

Clap clap clap!

While Baron was wondering, the door opened and a person entered.

The person who was entering while clapping and surrounded by escort knights was Marquis Myers.

“Hahaha. To subdue the Hydra assassins so easily, you’re worth the money I spent on you.”

“Marquis Myers, are these the ones you mentioned before…?”

Aslan approached and asked.

“That’s right. They are the hidden power of our family, ‘Aegis’.”

Contrary to Baron’s thoughts, Aegis was made up of fairies who had nothing to do with the Volga Republic.

It was an organization created by buying children among the fairies who had been captured as slaves and training them for a long time.

They were brainwashed to be fiercely loyal to the family and taught swordsmanship, magic, or espionage and assassination techniques that suited their individual characteristics.

It took a long time and a lot of money, but the predecessors of the Myers family never gave up.

As a result, the current Aegis was born.

‘Crap, I’ve been found out.’

Baron realized that today’s operation had been leaked in advance.

Otherwise, there was no way that traps like iron nets and a defense force would be hidden in the room where the target was.

“Catch him! He’s escaping!”

Marquis Myers urgently shouted when he saw Baron quickly getting up and trying to escape through the window.

However, even before he could shout, the fairies threw nooses at Baron.

Baron, who had been captured, was dragged back in front of the fairies.

‘I’m done for!’

If it were a one-on-one fight, Baron was confident that he could escape.

However, his opponents were trained fairies, and among them were dark elves who had mastered assassination techniques.

‘I have no choice. Suicide…!’

Baron tried to bite the suicide poison hidden in his teeth.

All Hydra assassins had received suicide training and were brainwashed to commit suicide if captured by the enemy. Even after becoming a subordinate demon, that point had not changed.

However, just before he could bite the poison, a dark elf struck him on the back of the head and knocked him unconscious.

“Lock these guys up in the mansion’s underground prison. Make sure to keep a close watch on them so they don’t do anything foolish!”

“Yes, Master!”

The fairies, who had saluted Myers with precision, dragged Baron and the other assassins out of Aslan’s room.

“Hah! It was a success.”

On top of the spire of the temple overlooking the Marquis Myers’ mansion.

There was a person watching the mansion in the darkness.

It was Luke.

Luke, sensing the capture of Baron and the assassins, wore a knowing smile. Although the assassination failed, he was satisfied, as that had been his intention all along.

“Myers will handle the rest effectively,” he murmured.

With that, Luke activated his teleportation magic. He had done all he could in Nemesis. The rest was up to Marquis Myers and the noble faction. Lingering would only draw unwanted attention from the nobles, so Luke decided to return to his territory. He planned to observe the unfolding situation while developing a custom Gigant [a large, powerful mechanical construct] in his domain.

*Whoosh!* A bright light enveloped him, and Luke vanished without a trace.

4

The underground training ground of the Baroque Imperial Palace. This private space of the Emperor was unusually crowded today, not only with the Emperor but also with a group of people cloaked in black robes. These were black mages, secretly raised by the Imperial Family.

Meishin and his subordinates were meticulously drawing a circular magic circle on the training ground floor. Surprisingly, it was a summoning circle designed to call forth demons. The Emperor, having lost faith in priests and healers, had decided to seek help from demons to save his ailing princes and princesses. The world would be thrown into chaos if this became known, but he was beyond caring. His children’s condition was that dire.

“Your Majesty, the summoning circle is complete. We only need to offer the sacrifices and proceed with the ritual,” Meishin reported.

“Very well. Bring in the sacrifices,” the Emperor commanded.

At the Emperor’s word, the black mages dragged in the live sacrifices, who had been prepared beforehand. The Imperial Palace maids, sensing the ominous nature of the situation, struggled against their captors. However, they were bound by ropes and were no match for the mages, who had enhanced their strength with magic.

“Kyaaak! Please, Your Majesty, save us!” one cried.

“I’ll do anything! Just please…” another begged.

They pleaded with Emperor Rudolf, but he remained unmoved. He was the kind of man who would do anything to save his children. Yet, even this cruel and heartless Emperor couldn’t help but frown when he saw the two women at the end of the line of sacrifices. They were his beloved Third and Fourth Imperial Consorts.

Unlike the maids, who resisted being dragged away, the Imperial Consorts stepped onto the summoning circle willingly, comforting the troubled Emperor.

“Your Majesty, please don’t look so distressed,” one said.

“We are grateful for this chance, even as incompetent mothers,” the other added.

A few hours earlier, the two Imperial Consorts had tried to stop Rudolf from capturing innocent maids. Though shocked by his children’s condition, the Emperor had become excessively cruel. To the Consorts, who tried to intervene, Rudolf had said, “Do not interfere. This is the only way to save our children.”

What could possibly save their children? At first, Rudolf had refused to answer their question. However, as the Consorts continued to plead, he finally revealed the truth. They were shocked to learn that the Emperor had not only been secretly raising black mages but also intended to summon demons by offering live sacrifices!

“This is the only way! Who else will help me? The Pope, who is said to perform miracles? Voltaire says the rumors have spread throughout the Holy Artenian Empire. They even say our children are sick because of divine punishment!” Rudolf lamented.

Even the Imperial Consorts, who had initially opposed the plan, couldn’t help but agree with Rudolf’s despair. After much thought, they requested to be used as sacrifices themselves. The helplessness of watching their children suffer was too much to bear.

Rudolf, startled, tried to dissuade them, but they were resolute. And now, they had reached this point.

“Is it not possible to change your minds, even now?” the Emperor asked one last time.

The Imperial Consorts shook their heads. Not only for their children but also because they were not as cold-hearted as Rudolf. They were known for their warm hearts, which had earned them many followers within the Imperial Palace. They felt deep guilt towards the maids who would be sacrificed and wanted to lessen the burden with their own lives.

“Very well, if that is your will, then so be it,” Rudolf said with a heavy sigh, drawing his sword. He approached the Consorts, who waited with their eyes closed, and thrust his sword into their hearts.

*Thud! Thud!* The Emperor’s sword pierced the hearts of the Third and Fourth Imperial Consorts in turn. With their deaths, Meishin and the other black mages began to massacre the trembling maids.

“S-Save me… Aaaagh!”

“Oh God, please look upon us…”

“You’re crazy, Emperor! You’ll surely fall into hell!”

Some begged until the end, some asked for salvation, and some cursed in anger. Their bodies, meeting different ends, cooled down, shedding crimson blood on the summoning circle.

Emperor Rudolf, who had silently watched the tragedy unfold, spoke to Meishin, “With this sacrifice, how many demons can we summon?”

“The highest grade… perhaps even a Demon King might appear,” Meishin replied. They had prepared thoroughly.

Meishin recited the final spell. The floor shook violently, and the summoning circle glowed crimson. Soon, the bodies of the sacrifices and the magic stones vanished as if they had evaporated, and the summoning circle disappeared. In its place, a dark subspace opened up.

*’A Demon King is fine, a Demon God is fine too. Whoever it is, please appear and save my children!’* Rudolf thought, stepping back and staring intently at the subspace.

5

The plains in the northeast of the Demon Realm were the territory of the Beast King Baol. The huge rocky mountain in the center was Baol’s palace, where he, his family, and his direct subordinates lived.

“Taat! Demon Claw!” one demon roared.

“Hmph, not even close!” the other replied.

On the flat ground halfway up the rocky mountain, two large, high-ranking demons that looked like winged gorillas were fighting. The red-furred demon attacked relentlessly. However, the blue-furred demon, with a deep scar near his eye, skillfully dodged or blocked, making the red demon miss.

“Hehehe! Your enthusiasm is good, but you’re still far from surpassing this brother… Huh?” the blue-furred demon said, suddenly noticing a magic circle flashing in the air. Soon after, the circle disappeared, and a subspace of unknown depth appeared in its place.

“That is, could it be… Kaaak!” he exclaimed.

“Hahaha! You showed an opening!” the red-furred demon said, knocking down his distracted brother. He then noticed the subspace and was delighted. “Oh! This is a summoning circle!”

“Hey! I found it first!” the blue-furred demon said, grabbing his brother’s ankle as he tried to jump into the subspace and knocking him down. “Can’t you give way to your younger brother?”

“You brat, there’s an order even when drinking cold water!” the red-furred demon retorted.

The demon brothers fought over the summoning circle, each trying to enter first. According to the treaty with the Divine Realm, a summoning circle opened by a black mage was the only way for demons to legally go to the middle realm [the human world]. Most young demons longed to leave the stuffy and desolate Demon Realm and rampage freely in the pleasant middle realm. These brothers, who were princes, were no different.

While the two brothers were fighting, a loud shout was suddenly heard. “You fools! What are you doing!”

“Hic, Father!” the brothers said, quickly kneeling down as a huge golden-furred gorilla emerged from the cave in the rocky mountain with other demons. This golden gorilla, wearing a ring-like crown and having three pairs of wings, was the Beast King Baol. He sternly scolded his children, pounding the ground with a large steel rod.

“I told you not to make a fuss on the rocky mountain, didn’t I? What were you fighting about?” he demanded.

“I found the summoning circle, but my brother tried to take it from me!” one brother said.

“That’s a lie. I found it first!” the other countered.

The brothers began to argue, each claiming to be first. Baol, frowning, roared so loudly that the rocky mountain seemed to shake. “Stop it, you idiots! Do you know what time it is to be fighting over a summoning circle! Don’t you know that all the demons summoned to the middle realm recently have gone missing?”

“Huh? Did that happen?” the brothers asked, looking clueless. Baol frowned, looking pathetic. “Yes, the Vampire King was furious, saying he had lost useful subordinates. I heard that Kauren went and lost contact as well.”

“Huh! That Kauren?” one brother exclaimed. The Beast King Baol and the Vampire King Leviathan were close, so they often clashed. They knew Kauren, who was known as a foolish battle maniac among the 18 generals.

“It seems there’s an unusual guy in the middle realm these days. Probably someone skilled, like the one who summoned and hunted demons about 500 years ago,” Baol said.

“If it’s 500 years ago, isn’t that when Uncle Gardan died?” one brother asked.

“Yes. That Gardan, he went out making a big fuss and died foolishly,” Baol replied, briefly recalling the past. He then gave his sons a stern warning. “Anyway, don’t even look at such things. No matter how good the middle realm is, you’ll suffer if you leave home. And don’t look down on humans just because they’re weak; they’re more despicable and vicious than demons. If you knew what happened to the elves, who were as powerful as us in the past, you’d be surprised.”

“Tch, but you’re not going, are you, Father?” one brother asked.

“You brat, am I crazy? Why would I leave my land and go to the middle realm? Who would benefit from that?” Baol retorted. The seven lords of the Demon Realm had similar powers. If they heard that the Beast King had left, they would all be happy and attack.

“Well, first of all, you’d be happy if this father left, right? You could become king,” Baol said.

“Hey, how could that be? How filial am I?” one brother replied.

“That’s a joke. What about the guy who put poison in his father’s food?” Baol asked.

“Why are you bringing up something from 300 years ago again? I’ve become a new person, no, a new demon!” the brother replied.

While the father and son were having a friendly(?) conversation, the subspace opened by the summoning circle gradually shrank. However, none of the demons showed any interest until it completely disappeared.

Emperor Rudolf waited anxiously for a demon to appear. He thought that a demon with great abilities to save his children, cursed by Arsen, would take some time to appear. However, until the subspace completely closed, not even a low-ranking demon appeared, let alone a Demon King.

“What is going on?” Rudolf asked, his eyes wide with shock. Meishin was sweating profusely. “T-That is, I have no idea what happened.”

There was no way Meishin would know. The summoning ritual was perfect. It was just that the demons were ignoring it because of Luke, who had used the summoning circle in the wrong way.

“Did it fail? Two Imperial Consorts died!” Rudolf roared.

“I will find the cause and make sure it succeeds next time. So please give me one more chance…” Meishin pleaded.

If the Emperor had been rational, he would have suppressed his anger and given them a chance to make up for it. However, Rudolf had no reason left. Rudolf’s sword, fueled by disappointment and anger, beheaded Meishin and then began to slaughter the black mages in the training ground.

“Kuaaaak!”

“Keeek!”

“The Emperor has gone mad! Everyone, run away!” the black mages scattered in all directions. However, the Emperor chased after them and killed them all. “You useless things!” he screamed.

Even after killing all the black mages, the Emperor, still not satisfied, suddenly began to chuckle, as if he had gone mad. “Kekeke… Hahaha… Kkahahahahaha!” After laughing wildly for a long time, the Emperor sat down and slammed the floor with both fists, crying out, “Am I abandoned by both God and demons! Is that really so!”

Rudolf had failed to find his last hope. However, the dark clouds hanging over the Imperial Family were not over yet. The worst situation was still waiting for him.