Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 88

3. The Vanished Luke

1

“What do you intend to do, Marquis Luke?” Grand Duke Gregory, sensing the unusual atmosphere just like Hwangbo Sung, cautiously inquired.

“I will use the power I’ve been hiding.”

“Black magic? Is that even possible?” At Luke’s words, not only Gregory but also the still-living Undying Legionnaires looked on with hopeful eyes.

They never imagined they would place such hope in black magic, which they had just moments ago shunned as an unholy power.

“It will be difficult. This damned barrier will absorb all the magical energy of black magic.” Magical energy is also a power derived from aether [aether is a hypothetical substance believed to fill the universe]. Therefore, it would not be able to escape the influence of a barrier that absorbs aether.

‘I can’t completely block the absorption. But…’

A pot with a hole will inevitably leak water. However, if there is a lot of water in the pot, it will never leak out all at once. It might even overflow. The problem is that he doesn’t know for sure how big the hole in the pot is.

‘There must be a limit to the amount of power it can absorb at once. So, the power is only sucked away and our life force is slowly depleted when we use our abilities.’ Having made that judgment, Luke spoke to Grand Duke Gregory.

“I will somehow break this iron cage. So… Your Highness, please return alive and protect Reina.”

“That sounds like a will.”

“Perhaps it is.” Gregory frowned at Luke’s bitter reply.

“You must also live. I do not wish to see His Holiness grieve.”

“Hah. Understood.” Somehow, it felt like he had been acknowledged by someone like a father-in-law regarding his relationship with Reina, so Luke unconsciously smiled. However, he couldn’t hold onto that smile for long. Because Nanas, who had been observing the situation for a while, was issuing another attack order to the fairy warriors after Erewyn’s Fire Explosion magic.

‘I need to hurry!’ Standing in front of the iron cage, Luke grabbed the bars with both hands. He could feel his life force draining away at a terrifying speed, but he didn’t care and unleashed the power of the demon.

“Build Up!” Thud thud! Pududududuk! As Luke activated the third stage of Build Up, a purple light flared up on his body like flames. At the same time, his muscles swelled as if they would tear his clothes, and his skin turned black. Small horns sprouted from his head, and scales and claws grew on his arms and the backs of his hands.

Nanas and the fairies were startled by Luke’s transformed appearance. The same was true for Gregory and the Undying Legionnaires.

“I-is this black magic?” “Oh, God!” As holy knights, they had experience finding and subduing black mages who had caused chaos in various parts of the continent in the past. They had witnessed how dangerous and powerful the power of those who had sold their souls to demons was. However, they had never seen a person transform into a demon like this.

‘No, I have seen it in records.’ The record Gregory had seen was a diary left by a holy knight who had fought against the Demon King Seymon about 500 years ago. He and his companions had ambushed the Demon King, who was patrolling an occupied territory, but they were counterattacked by Seymon, who suddenly transformed into a monster, losing all his companions, and he himself suffered an injury that resulted in the loss of one arm. Since he had already prepared himself for battle, the holy knight scolded the Demon King, intending to at least shout at him before he died. How many people did he sacrifice to gain such evil power? To that question, Seymon sneered and said this. “Do you see me as the same as those trash black mages? I just summoned demons with my blood and devoured them.” And the Demon King left the holy knight behind. When Gregory first saw this record, he thought that Seymon, like a Demon King, was lying and mocking the holy knight who had fought bravely until the end. But looking at Luke now, he wondered if his words might be true.

“Kuhhh! Damn it…!” Luke was still drawing up magical energy to break the iron cage. However, the magical energy he drew up was absorbed by the barrier as it was. This could be seen by the purple light that had flared up like flames flowing down to the ground along the iron cage. Nevertheless, Luke did not let go of the iron cage. Even as arrows shot by the fairy warriors flew and pierced his body, even as his monstrously imposing and dignified figure withered like a mummy, he persisted.

“You’re wrong, my lord. Stop now!” “You’ll die if you keep going!” “There must be another way. So…” Hwangbo Sung and Henri, as well as the Undying Legionnaires, couldn’t bear to watch and tried to stop him. The Undying Legionnaires could now clearly see. As Grand Duke Gregory had said, Luke was not tainted by evil. If he were a selfish black mage, he would not have tried to save others while sacrificing his own power and life force. However, their cries did not reach Luke. His mind was completely filled with breaking the barrier. Unfortunately, despite Luke’s painstaking efforts, no results were achieved. The barrier continued to absorb his magical energy without any change.

‘I-I’m wrong! Trying to reach the limit with my current power is…’ Luke wore a look of despair. Even after deliberately manifesting the demon’s power to maximize his potential and pouring out magical energy, he failed to reach the limit of the barrier. At this rate, he would fail. Everything would proceed according to Nanas’s intentions, who was smirking on the other side.

2

“Haaah!” Bang! Suddenly, with a loud explosion, the iron cage shook violently. Grand Duke Gregory, who had been exhausted, stepped forward and slammed his sword into the ground. When Gregory’s hyper aura, squeezed out with every last bit of strength, was added, the trap shook violently as if an earthquake had occurred. The vibration was so strong that the arrows of the fairies flying towards them were deflected by the shockwave.

“G-Grand Duke?” “It seems your power alone is not enough.” Gregory’s face and physique, which were smiling, had become gaunt. Like Luke, a large amount of power had drained from his body. However, with Gregory’s addition, an unexpected turn of events occurred. In a situation where magical energy was being absorbed, a large amount of powerful aura imbued with divine power suddenly entered, causing a collision inside the barrier. No matter how similar their origins were, magical energy and divine power were polar opposites. Naturally, a repulsive reaction was bound to occur, and this temporarily stopped the barrier’s function.

‘Huh? This damned trap has stopped?’ The first to realize that the barrier’s function had stopped was Luke, who was holding onto the bars. He did not miss this opportunity.

“Kuaaah!” Kwadudududuk! Luke, squeezing out his last bit of strength, tore apart the iron cage. As a way out opened up, Grand Duke Gregory shouted to the surviving group. “Cut off the head of that wicked fairy wench!” “Uwaaaaaa!” Even though they had almost lost all their energy, the Undying Legionnaires and assassins, whose fighting spirit had exploded like a volcano, charged towards the fairies, shouting. Hwangbo Sung, rather than following them, who were crying out for revenge, approached Luke. This was because he had torn apart the iron cage and was now sitting on the floor, completely exhausted. But suddenly, purple and gold light soared from the ground! Whoosh! It was Luke’s magical energy and Gregory’s aura that had stopped the barrier’s function. The power that had been reversed by the repulsive reaction began to swirl fiercely like a whirlwind and merge into one. In a situation where such opposing forces were merging back into one, space distorted and a subspace was created.

‘That’s!’ Luke was taken aback by the suddenly appearing subspace. Although rare, subspaces sometimes form due to unspecified causes of natural mana surges. The problem was that it was unknown where these incompletely formed subspaces would lead. No, it was possible to be trapped in the subspace forever without being able to get out. ‘I have to get away quickly…!’ The subspace began to suck in the surrounding objects. Although small in size, it had tremendous suction power. Luke, who had just exhausted his last bit of strength and was completely drained, did not have the energy left to resist that gravitational pull.

“M-My lord!” Hwangbo Sung, who saw Luke being sucked into the subspace, cried out in surprise. He hurriedly threw himself and grabbed Luke’s hand. However, the suction was so strong that he was sucked into the subspace along with Luke, unable to save him. The subspace and the whirlwind of light that had swallowed the two disappeared as quickly as they had appeared, but no one noticed. This was because a fierce battle was taking place between Gregory’s group and the fairy warriors led by Nanas.

“Die, you vile bastards!” “Kueeeek!” Due to the influence of the barrier, the Undying Legionnaires and assassins were in a state of considerable exhaustion. Nevertheless, they, burning with anger, pushed back the bewildered fairy warriors like a fierce wave. The most reckless person was Grand Duke Gregory. Even though he had not a single ounce of aura left after helping Luke, he continued to approach Nanas, relentlessly cutting down the fairy warriors who blocked his path. Nanas’s face turned pale as she watched this.

“H-How is this possible?” It was surprising that they had broken through the trap, but it was unbelievable that Gregory, who was almost exhausted, was cutting down the fairy warriors with his aura-infused sword. The same was true for the other fairies. ‘His heart… a strong fighting spirit is moving him!’ Hairun, who had received Gregory’s sword, realized what power was allowing him to fight like this. Heart Sword. It was a state that those who had learned swordsmanship from the southern continent across the sea talked about. They said that if the heart was strong, one could cut a famous sword with bare hands. Of course, Hairun didn’t believe it. He thought it was just a far-fetched idea that only appeared in novels, but that Heart Sword was now cutting his neck. Swish! ‘So, the Heart Sword is actually…’ He realized something about the principle of the Heart Sword, but Hairun fell to the cold ground without getting a chance to use it. Having defeated Hairun, Gregory rushed towards Nanas, who was trembling and trying to cast a spell.

“Sh-Shie…” Just as a shield spell was about to activate, Gregory’s sword cut off Nanas’s right arm. “Aaaaaaack!” Nanas, letting out a sharp scream, writhed in pain, clutching her wound. The pain was even greater because the mana had reversed as the spell was forcibly interrupted. Regardless, Gregory lowered his sword to deliver the final blow.

“Stop.” Thud! Along with a calm voice, a powerful shield spell deflected Gregory’s sword. Startled, Gregory looked at the elf man blocking Nanas’s path. “Who are you?” “I am Brat, the leader of the Wind Valley.” As soon as Brat appeared, the battle was halted. This was because he and the Fairy Queen, as well as the army led by Amur Khan, the leader of the Lycanthrope [a person who can transform into a wolf], had surrounded them from all sides. Looking around, Gregory wore a resentful expression.

“Was the trap not enough, so you prepared reinforcements as well?” At his rebuke, Brat shook his head. “That’s a misunderstanding. We came here to capture Elder Nanas and the fairies who are in agreement with her.” As if to prove his words, he put handcuffs on Nanas’s left arm. They were not just ordinary handcuffs, but restraints that sealed the magic power of a high-ranking mage. Suddenly, as the restraints were put on, Nanas’s eyes widened. They came to capture her? What was going on? Looking closely, the army that Brat and the two leaders had brought included not only fairies but also many humans. As it was difficult to mobilize warriors in a hurry, Brat had mobilized the guards belonging to the merchant guild.

“B-Brat-nim. What is this…?” Brat coldly retorted to Nanas’s question. “Didn’t you hear? We came to arrest you for sacrificing your own kind under the pretext of a grand cause. The Fairy Queen has already agreed.” As if to confirm that Brat’s words were correct, the gentle-looking fairy girl leading the fairy mages nodded. Nanas’s expression twisted at the sight.

“You can’t do this, Ariete-nim. Have you forgotten the wishes of the fairies… no, the elves?” Fairy Queen Ariete spoke with a resolute tone in response to Nanas’s protest. “I have not forgotten. But I believe the Elder’s method is wrong.” “So you came to stop me? Even bringing in those filthy humans?” “Even the humans that the Elder called filthy think this method is vile and despicable.” After finishing her words, Ariete gave a signal, and the fairy mages rushed in and bound Nanas. “Let me go! This can’t be! This is the only way!” She thrashed about, but she could not resist in any way with the restraints on. Nanas was dragged away, and the fairy warriors who had agreed with her were disarmed one by one.

Ariete approached Brat. Brat was approaching the unconscious Erewyn and checking her condition. “How is she?” “She has a faint breath. It seems she can be saved.” “Then we must hurry.” Grand Duke Gregory let out a sigh of relief as he watched Brat and Ariete cast recovery magic on Erewyn. Finally, the urgent situation had been resolved. ‘I was careless, unlike myself. I must be more careful in the future.’ He reflected on how his subordinates had been sacrificed and he had almost lost his life due to his rare moment of carelessness. But there were also gains. That was that he had realized the mystery of the Heart Sword. The mystery of the Heart Sword, which was known to be far-fetched, was ‘indomitable will’ that did not yield to any hardship or adversity. Thanks to that, Gregory had taken a step towards the realm of the Sword Emperor, which he had long desired but had been repeatedly blocked by a wall.

“That aside, I had forgotten about Marquis Luke for a moment while fighting.” Returning to the barrier, he looked for Luke. However, Luke and Hwangbo Sung, who should have been inside the broken iron cage, were nowhere to be seen. “Marquis Luke! Where are you, Marquis Luke?”

Hoping he might have gone somewhere else, Grand Duke Gregory looked around in all directions, searching for him. However, no matter how much he called out, there was no response, and no trace of Luke remained anywhere. 3 The Southern Continent was made up of several large and small countries and dozens of tribes. Among them, the most powerful force was the Song Empire. The Song Empire, which had once occupied more than half of the Southern Continent, had recently weakened considerably due to the successive enthronement of incompetent rulers and misgovernment. However, it was still clearly the country with the largest territory and the largest population in the Southern Continent. Nanjing was a key point of culture, commerce, and transportation representing the southern region of the Song Empire, and it was also a place where vast amounts of food gathered from the triple-cropping farmlands of the southeast. It was also the starting point of the Grand Canal leading to the capital, Daliang, so it was also called the second capital of the Song Empire. In any case, it was such an important place that high-ranking central officials and members of the imperial family often visited Nanjing. The last destination of the Third Prince, Jo Won-rak, who was currently on a tour of the southern part of the empire, was also Nanjing. “Are you feeling better, Your Highness?” Around a luxurious carriage pulled by six horses, about 500 heavily armed cavalrymen were guarding Jo Won-rak like an iron wall. Among them, a general with a strong impression, wearing golden armor, asked the carriage. “I was feeling nauseous until yesterday, but I’m fine now.” A young man’s voice, seemingly in his mid-twenties, could be heard from inside the carriage. He was the Third Prince, Jo Won-rak, who was said to be the emperor’s favorite. He, who was usually very interested in the people’s livelihood, had petitioned the emperor to go on a tour of the southern border and the southern region. His purpose was to comfort the people who were suffering from the drought, famine, and epidemics that had continued in the south for the past few years. However, during the inspection, he had a problem with his health, perhaps due to the water and food he had consumed. He had to lie down for a while due to high fever and vomiting, but fortunately, he had almost recovered after taking the medicine prescribed by the military doctor who had accompanied him on the tour. “By the way, General Zhuge, when will we arrive in Nanjing?” “We should arrive in about half a day. But is this Your Highness’s first visit to Nanjing?” “That’s right. I’ve heard that it’s so prosperous and culturally advanced that it’s said that if there’s a Moon Palace in heaven, there’s Nanjing on earth. Oh, by the way, General Zhuge, I heard you’re from Nanjing?” “Haha. To be precise, I’m from Anqing, near Nanjing.” “I see. But you must have visited Nanjing often, right?” “Yes, Your Highness. I visited often in my younger days for various reasons. Well, the Nanjing I saw was…” It was when General Zhuge Hui of the Zhuge family from Anqing, Anhui Province, was about to explain about Nanjing. Suddenly, the ground in front of them collapsed here and there, and masked figures poured out like an army of ants. “Wh-what is it?” “It’s an ambush! Protect the Third Prince!” The 500 or so heavy cavalrymen were not ordinary soldiers. They were elites selected from among the imperial guards directly under the imperial family. They were so powerful that each individual’s skill was comparable to that of a martial artist in the Jianghu [a term referring to the community of martial artists]. And the three vice-generals who commanded them were first-class martial artists, and Zhuge Hui was a master of the pinnacle realm, rare even in the Jianghu. Hiiiiing—! “Charge!” “Don’t retreat even a step!” The imperial guards and the masked men collided head-on. Soon, the noise of clashing spears and swords and shouts echoed loudly, and the stench of blood spread thickly. This was the first time Jo Won-rak had ever faced such a situation. Moreover, he was a scholar who knew nothing about martial arts, so his face turned pale at the brutal and horrific fighting that was taking place around him. “G-General Zhuge!” “Don’t worry, Your Highness. I don’t know who is targeting you, but they will soon realize that they have chosen the wrong opponent.” There was a good reason why Zhuge Hui was so confident. The fighting power of the vice-generals and soldiers here alone was enough to wipe out a sect of considerable size. Dealing with a few hundred assassins was nothing. “Deploy the Linked Formation! The archers in the rear should provide covering fire!” As Zhuge Hui had confidently stated, the masked men could not defeat the imperial guards. The imperial guards were superior in individual skill, and their organizational skills and tactical abilities were superior to those of the martial artists in the Jianghu. The defensive formation formed by such imperial guards was like an iron wall. Every time they counterattacked or the archers shot arrows filled with qi [internal energy], the masked men fell down, spraying blood. ‘Hehehe. As expected…!’ Zhuge Hui smiled with satisfaction as he watched the performance of the soldiers he had personally trained. However, that smile disappeared completely as new masked figures appeared. “Kuaaaak!” “Keeeek!” “Wh-what are these guys? Swords don’t work on them!” The three who appeared when the masked men were being pushed back were dressed in exotic attire. Two of them were wearing full-body steel armor, like knights from the Rhodisian continent, and the other was wearing a dark robe, like a mage. ‘Aren’t they Northerners? Why are they here…?’ As trade between the two continents became more active, information about knights and mages was quite well known, so Zhuge Hui could recognize their identities at a glance. However, he could not understand why they were attacking them. Kuuuuuuuuu—! Kikiki! The knight and the mage were making groans like ghosts, as if they were not normal. However, their skills were unmatched. Every time the two black knights swung their swords, about ten imperial guards fell down, spitting blood, and when the mage chanted a spell, a large explosion occurred, and the front line collapsed. Kwaaaang—! “Keeeek!” “S-save me!” In the blink of an eye, more than half of the imperial guards were killed or injured. Zhuge Hui, enraged by the sacrifice of his subordinates, swung his sword and rushed forward. “You bastards—!” Ssaeeek—! His sword, carrying the sword qi of a master of the pinnacle realm, flew faster than a ray of light. Just as he was about to cut off the masked mage’s neck, one of the black knights intervened from the side and blocked his sword. ‘Hmph, how dare you, without fear…!’ No matter how strong the opponent was, blocking the attacks of the imperial guards with their bare bodies, he was a master of the pinnacle realm. It was said that there were those who had reached the level of Master in the Rhodisian continent, a level similar to that. He had no doubt that if he, such a powerful master, attacked with all his might, he would be able to split the black knight’s body along with his sword. “I don’t know if your body is indestructible or if you’re wearing armor made of ten-thousand-year-old iron, but you won’t be able to withstand my single strike!” Kwaang! Zhuge Hui’s sword collided with the black knight’s sword. With the powerful aura, the dust rose fiercely, and the weeds were uprooted and blown away. However, the result that was revealed a moment later was very shocking. The black knight’s body, which had collided with Zhuge Hui’s sword, as well as his sword, were completely unharmed. No, if it had stopped at that level, he wouldn’t have felt it as shocking. “Cough!” When Zhuge Hui, who had attacked the black knight and retreated, coughed up black blood, the imperial guards and the Third Prince, Jo Won-rak, widened their eyes. “G-General!” “Kuh, these guys, could they be from the Heretical Church…” Before the shocked Zhuge Hui could finish his words, the black knight counterattacked. Kagagagak! The powerful attacks, as if they would collapse a mountain, came in a continuous storm, and Zhuge Hui was only able to retreat. He was not being pushed back in terms of swordsmanship, but the intangible demonic energy that the black knight was emitting was eating away at his internal energy. ‘This won’t do. He’s not an opponent I can handle.’ Moreover, the other black knight and the mage were still alive. In addition, even the masked men who had appeared at the beginning were rushing in with renewed vigor, and the imperial guards were collapsing like a sandcastle. When there were only about 100 soldiers left who could fight, Zhuge Hui had no choice but to take special measures. Pung! “Kuh?” Surprised by the flashbang that Zhuge Hui suddenly took out of his pocket and detonated, the black knight hesitated and stepped back. Zhuge Hui did not miss the opportunity and ordered the remaining soldiers. “The 2nd and 3rd platoons, stop them! The 1st platoon, escort His Highness with me!” Rushing to the carriage, Zhuge Hui pushed the coachman aside and took the reins himself. “Your Highness, hold on tight!” “I understand, General Zhuge!” Zhuge Hui quickly turned the carriage around and whipped the air repeatedly. Then, the startled horses ran like the wind, and the soldiers of the 1st platoon followed behind. The remaining 2nd and 3rd platoons blocked the masked men almost with their bare bodies. “Don’t let them get away!” “You must not let Jo Won-rak live!” The masked men, shaking off the resistance of the remaining imperial guards, chased after Zhuge Hui. The black knights and the mage, who had been fighting like machines, also rose into the sky and began to pursue Zhuge Hui. 4 In the forest near Anqing. In the center of an open space that looked as if it had been cut out, two men were lying down. One was dressed in exotic attire, but he was a Southern Continent native. However, the other had platinum blonde hair and blue eyes, and his appearance was unfamiliar. He was Luke. He had lost consciousness after being sucked into the subspace created by the collision of aura and demonic energy, and he opened his eyes groggily. Then, an unfamiliar landscape unfolded before his eyes. “Ugh… where is this?” His head throbbed, whether it was due to exhaustion or the aftereffects of going in and out of the subspace. ‘I don’t know where it is, but it’s not Melvin Valley.’ The scenery of the forest was different. There was not a single piece of iron, let alone an iron cage, and there were old tombstones and the remains of bizarre stone statues covered in moss. ‘Is it an ancient relic? The style looks similar to that of the Avalon era… ‘ Luke, who was interested in the relics, decided to study them later and put all the tombstones and the remains of the stone statues into the subspace of his bracelet. Then, he carefully examined the forest. There were many things he had never seen before, even the plants, animals, and even the insects that were scattered around. “This is a giant bamboo. It’s definitely written in books that it only grows in the Southern Continent…” “Waaaah!” Startled by the sudden shout, Luke turned his head to the side. Hwangbo Sung was standing there, having woken up at some point. He remembered that Hwangbo Sung had grabbed his hand just before he was sucked into the subspace. Of course, it didn’t help much. Anyway, Hwangbo Sung seemed to be very excited. He touched the soil, looked at the flowers and trees, and shouted with tears in his eyes. “There’s no mistake! This is definitely my homeland!” Luke could not understand what Hwangbo Sung was saying because he was speaking in the language of the Song Empire. However, he could tell from his expression alone that he was very happy. “Hwangbo Sung, what’s going on?” “My lord! This is my homeland, the Song Empire. We’ve come to my homeland!” “What? You’re saying this is the Southern Continent?” Unlike Hwangbo Sung, who was beside himself with joy, Luke’s face hardened. That was because he had suddenly dropped into the Southern Continent, thousands of kilometers away from the Rhodisian continent. In a place where the environment and culture were completely different from where he had lived until now. ‘The Song Empire… that damn subspace really dropped me off in a far place.’ It’s not that he can’t go back. Trade between the two continents is frequent, and the Kirillov Trading Company, which Luke supports, has a presence there. However, it will take quite a long time to return. The teleportation magic that transcends space also has a limit to the distance. No matter how skilled a mage is, it was impossible to cross the vast ocean. ‘Why does this have to happen when I’m busy… ‘ There are many things to take care of, such as the matters related to the fairies, as well as the rumors about himself and Reina, and the civil war in the Baroque Empire. It was frustrating to be dropped off in such a distant place in such a situation. ‘Well, is it a relief that I’m alive? And I haven’t lost my power… ‘ Even though he had exhausted all his power to break the barrier, fortunately, the Black Circle was normal. His powers, including demonic energy and aura, were intact. If he rested enough, he would soon return to his original state. ‘I hope the assassins and Grand Duke Gregory’s group escaped safely?’ He suddenly thought of them. He had seen them escaping from the iron cage he had broken at the end. With their skills and abilities, they seemed to have escaped safely, leaving the fairies behind. “First, I need to find the branch of the Kirillov Trading Company in the Song Empire. Hwangbo Sung, do you happen to know the geography of this area?” “…” “Hwangbo Sung?” Luke looked puzzled at Hwangbo Sung’s face. Hwangbo Sung, who had been so happy just a moment ago, was now frowning with a dark expression. “What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” “No, my lord. It’s nothing.” ‘It seems like there’s something.’ As Luke had expected, Hwangbo Sung was now worried about one thing. He was happy to have returned to his homeland after encountering a fortuitous event, but he was concerned about his family’s affairs. Hwangbo Gwang, his half-brother. Jealous of him, who was favored by their father, he had taken him to a distant foreign country and tried to assassinate him using San Gong Du [a type of poison], Mabi San [another type of poison], and even the demonic soldiers of the Heretical Church. Fortunately, he had survived by luck and regained his original strength after meeting his lord. He had also gained a lot of experience by competing with various strong people in unfamiliar lands. ‘I still don’t intend to take over the family. But… ‘ He wanted to settle the past for sure. That’s why he wanted to go back to his family right away and take revenge. However, no matter how much they were half-brothers, engaging in fratricide was no different from being unfilial. He didn’t want to hurt his father’s feelings, and he didn’t want to shake the family that had made a name for itself as a prestigious family. ‘Besides, it’s not good to get my lord involved in my affairs.’ Hwangbo Sung, judging that he could not trouble his benefactor, decided to put aside his private revenge for the time being. “If you go to the port, you can take a big ship to the Northern Continent, Rhodia. Fortunately, there is a large port city nearby.” “Really?” “There’s no mistake. That big rocky mountain with clouds hanging over it is Hwayong Mountain, one of the five famous mountains of Song, and it’s where the last gateway to Nanjing is located.” Nanjing was a port city located on the Yangtze River, but if you took a ship there, you could get out to the sea. “Nanjing… I’ve read about it in books. I heard it’s a pretty prosperous city in the Song Empire? It seems like you’ve been there before, Hwangbo Sung, since you know the geography of the area.” “That’s right. I went there with my father when I was young.” Hwangbo Sung, recalling fond memories, smiled bitterly for a moment and pointed to one side with his fingertips. “If my memory serves me right, there’s a road not far from here. I’ll guide you, so please follow me, my lord.” “I will.” Luke was curious about what Hwangbo Sung was worried about, but he didn’t ask him about it separately. People have their own secrets or things they can’t easily tell others. Luke, who knew that feeling better than anyone else, decided to respect Hwangbo Sung’s wishes.