Emperor of Steel

The hearing wasn’t held for several days.

As the prince and princesses’ conditions weren’t getting any better, the emperor asked them to give him some time, and the noblemen agreed readily.

It was because they guessed that the emperor’s nobles were feeling empathetic to the emperor’s condition with a possibility of the children facing death.

And even time was given, the noblemen didn’t think that they would lose the hearing, as long as they could protect their witness and evidence.

Unlike the relaxed noblemen, the emperor’s men tried to find countermeasures using the time they had earned.

Of course, Count Voltas was the one who tried harder than anyone else.

“Lazlie, when the world are you going to destroy the evidence and the witness?”

Lazlie was brought to the Imperial palace and was scolded by his father.

“That… Even I am trying…”

“Don’t you realize that His Majesty is getting nervous! If you don’t get me results quickly, even your father won’t be able to defend you any longer.”

As the children were in pain, Emperor Rudolf was becoming more and more insane.

It was becoming normal for him to wield his sword anywhere, and to execute the priests, wizards and the healers who were unable to help his children.

In addition, the orders he had given the day before were insane.

“Get the remnants of Arsene and the Veritas Magic Tower right away! I myself will tear off their limbs and crush their bones!”

They weren’t that shocked about the remnants of the Veritas Magic Tower, but they couldn’t help but feel bewildered when they heard the name Arsene, which was the name of a person from over 500 years ago.

‘Are you trying to make your administration the same as the Song Empire?’

Initially, the tomb of Arsene was dug from the site of Veritas Magic Tower, and his remains were brought to the emperor.

However, the emperor was going on and on about the ‘real Arsene’.

So, Count Voltas tried to be composed about the command of the emperor. However, Voltas couldn’t help but feel anxious about the change in the emperor.

‘Did he get extremely shocked because of these events?’

The Sword Emperor was so strong that the Sword Emperor didn’t even bat an eyelid even if everything went bad.

However, the story was different if the problem came from his children and not an outside source.

Especially, if it was his blood which the emperor had raised since they were young.

‘No matter. I need to be careful to not let His Majesty keep his eyes on me. If I do a single thing to irritate him, he will surely cut my throat.’

Thinking so, Voltas went to Lazlie, who was in front of him.

“The hearing had been delayed due to the dark clouds, which were floating on the emperor’s kids, and if the noblemen did have solid evidence and witnesses, the emperor would end up in an irreversible situation. That was why they needed to hurry up and get rid of the evidence and the witnesses of the noblemen. Remember that this is the last time.”

“Understood, father.”

Lazlie felt irritated about how his father acted toward him and left the office.

‘Sh*t!’

Crack!

He threw a southern continental pottery, which was placed for decoration in the hallway.

The pottery hit the wall and shattered.

However, the reason he threw the pottery was different.

“Those damned assassins! How dare they think about disgracing me and not be able to do a single damn thing!”

Lazlie, who was grunting, moved into the street’s capital.

A back alley behind the Nemesis, downtown.

There had always been prostitutes, thieves and a lot more people gathered in that place, and they managed to shade a tall building nearby.

A wagon stopped in that messy, dirty and dangerous street, which was gloomy even in the daylight.

“What is that?”

“Kukuku. Looks like a noble took the wrong path.”

The ruffians of the streets were angry, seeing armed knights enter their region.

“W-What? Who would dare touch the child of a noble?”

“Didn’t you hear about it?”

The one who got off the wagon was Lazlie.

With the knights of Flying Dragons, he went straight toward a three-story building that was in front of him without even giving a single glance at the ruffians.

It was the headquarters of Hydra.

Kwang!

When Lazlie kicked the door, Baron, who was inside, was startled.

“Aren’t you Young Master Lazlie? Why would you…”

Puck!

Before baron could even finish what he was saying, Lazlie hit him.

He shouted at Baron, who could only frown.

“I ordered for the operation to be carried out, but you men are still wasting time in here!”

Lazlie, who was filled with rage, grabbed Baron’s cheek and snarled.

“Do you take my orders lightly?”

“That’s not it. We were just modifying the operation for better results,” answered Baron.

“You were modifying the operation?”

“That is right, and you do know… how our Master works.”

“Yeah, I know. His filthy and discreet personality.”

Lazlie threw Baron to the side and snarled.

“The information being passed on to me isn’t enough, so I came over to check and review the work in your own place. Well, it isn’t so bad, but!”

Lazlie talked normally but then soon raised his voice in the end and continued, “It needs to be done in a day or two. Why the hell would you need a few days?! Would you mind explaining this so-called perfect operation that is going to give me a perfect result like you’re saying?”

Even without Lazlie asking, the men were all in the midst of revising the operation, and Lazlie thought that if their explanation wasn’t satisfactory, then he would just crush their necks on the spot.

“I will explain it to you.”

Suddenly, a voice had come from the back. Lazlie, who was shocked, immediately turned around to see who it was.

And surprisingly, over there was a man whom he knew very well.

“Lu… Marquis Luke!”

“Huhuhu. I never thought that I would be this popular. The first time I came to the capital no one knows who I am.”

“E-Everyone was told that you were dying from a disease because of poison. How are you?”

“Ah, that? It was an obvious lie.”

At the very natural response from Luke, Lazlie’s expression became distorted.

It was because he thought that Henry and the other members of the intelligence had reported back to him without even confirming.

However, Lazlie just laughed out loud.

“Huh, stupid man! If you’re trying to cheat me, you should at least stay in a corner. Did you come in here knowing this place?”

It was the headquarters of Hydra—an assassin group operated by the Imperial family.

And there were two hundred assassins over there, and if they managed to get information out, then around a thousand soldiers from the Central Army and the knights from the Emperor’s nobles would come right away.

“Vice, I will give you one chance to make it up. Kill Marquis Luke right away!”

At Lazlie’s orders, Baron and the assassins drew out their weapons and approached Luke.

Although Lazlie knew the men were high-level assassins, he didn’t think that they could kill Luke, who was famous for being a rune knight, in a fair match.

However, if his escort knights joined, then he thought he had a chance.

‘In the meantime, if I can bring in the Central Army, I can end this man.’

Lazlie smiled with a joyful expression, thinking that he could hit a jackpot.

However, an unexpected situation began to take place.

Rather than fighting, the men and Baron went behind Luke and took their positions.

Lazlie, who ordered them to kill, was flustered.

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

Lazlie screamed and screamed, but the assassins didn’t even blink.

Rather, they all smiled while looking at Lazlie.

More than anyone, Baron moved ahead with a ridiculing expression.

“They are stupid? The one who is stupid is you. Did you think that I would have come here without any preparation?” Said Luke with a grin on his face.

“T-Then?!”

“I took over the Hydra of the Imperial family. Of course, along with the intelligence.”

Kukung!

At the declaration of Luke, Lazlie couldn’t help but be shocked.

‘How the hell did that happen? What does he mean?’

There were so many questions running through his head, but instead of standing there and finding out the answers, Lazlie turned and ran.

The fact that Hydra and the intelligence were taken over by Luke meant that the emperor was left paralyzed on one side.

‘I need to get out of here quickly and tell this to father!’

He did decide to escape, but he couldn’t take more than a couple of steps.

Luke caught up to him in an instant using Blink.

Everything happened so fast that the escort knights belonging to the Flying Dragons didn’t even see what happened.

“Ahhh! Over here! Here!”

“Save the commander!”

Even then, the escort knights rushed over to save Lazlie.

A magic that involved fire was used by Luke to stop them.

“Burning Off!”

Wheeing!

With a hand gesture from Luke, the escort knights rushed into the fire and began to burn.

But it wasn’t the end for the knights.

Hearing Lazlie scream, the other escort knights were in a hurry.

“Bloody fly.”

Luke, who was annoyed with the men, raised his hand and then swung it to the side.

Kwaaa! Kwang!

“Kwak!”

Purple lighting came out from Luke’s body and wiped out the escorts.

Thunder Bringer.

The ability of the demon, the higher demon, one of the 18 generals of Devildom, Kauren’s ability cut down all the other escorts.

‘Oh my god!’

‘It is like a demon catching trick…’

The assassins of Hydra along with Baron were all shocked.

After he became a slave, he did hear the stories from Henry, but he never thought that Marquis Luke would be a monster like that.

However, the one who was shocked the most was Lazlie.

‘T-This makes no bloody sense!’

Lazlie had an unrealistic expression like his soul was being sucked.

The escort knights, who were in the Flying Dragons, were very strong and comparable to the SS knights in terms of skill.

Such a group of men was wiped out even without wielding their swords even once!

“Did you say your name was Lazlie? I won’t kill you right away. However, you will have to let me know everything you know about the emperor and his men.”

“Y-You think I’ll just tell you?”

At Luke’s words, Lazlie acted as if he wouldn’t let go of his loyalty. However, his entire body trembled to only give one answer.

“Huhuhu. Try to endure as much as you can, but there are many experts when it comes to torturing in this continent.”

“Y-You are the descendant of the warrior!”, said Lazlie.

“And your emperor and his ancestors were the ones who made the descendant of the warrior into a Devil King.”

Luke laughed when he heard that and looked at Baron.

“Now is the right time… to conduct the operation.”

“Yes, Master!”

The assassins, who were Balfair’s slaves, bowed their heads to Luke after receiving his order, and Luke left the place at once.