Emperor of Steel

“Bring in the infected men and burn them along with the infected regions!”

“Hurry up! We need to get it done by today!”

At the Emperor’s orders, the infected men, patients, their close relatives, and every single person who stepped into the affected area were gathered.

Driving the healthy people out of the region, the affected area was burned down, people were shocked to see their homes and properties burning.

“What are you all doing?”

“Stand back! This is the only way to get rid of the disease!”

“Even if you say that, this is too…”

“Those who won’t accept His Majesty’s commands will be punished for treason.”

The people, who didn’t have the courage to go against the army of the Emperor, moved to the northern side of the capital as the soldiers directed.

The place where they were brought to was in ruins.

After some time, the people, who arrived in the northern streets, glanced at the ground.

“You want us to live here?”

“Oh my god, the future seems dark for us.”

The streets of the northern side of the capital had already been damaged due to the battle with the demons, and because of the civil war, there was no fund to use for the north’s repairs.

As a result, most of the buildings were burnt or broken.

“Damn it, they burned our homes and drive us into such a place! What kind of law is that?! Just because he is the Emperor, he’s doing this to us?”

“Shh, lower your voice. The soldiers are watching.”

“First, let’s find out where the patients will stay.”

The men, who had the energy to move, looked for homes that had a decent condition where they could keep the infected patients with severe conditions in.

The soldiers and knights, who had brought the people into the north streets, kept their eyes open and looked for any riots.

In the meantime, the gates and roads leading to the northern streets were all closed off by the Central Army and the Knights of Guard; the area was covered with barricades.

“What is this?”

Later that night, the officer in charge of border patrol on the streets of the north pointed at a jar.

Then, someone who had come to deliver something spoke, “This is Vigorous Fire. This is what is left when it was used last time to subdue the enemy.”

“Ah, even if it rains it will keep burning… But, why bring it?”

When asked by the officers, the delivery person answered, and the reason made the officer shocked.

“Huh? What did you just say? Burn the north street?”

“Yes, they were orders from His Majesty—to incinerate all the patients.”

It wasn’t just the officer who was surprised.

The soldiers, who were in the area, were surprised to hear it as well.

Some were too shocked to speak while the others had let go of their spears.

The officer spoke with a shocked face,

“B-but many of the people there are some of the soldier’s families, relatives, and acquaintances. Some of the patients are their family members. In addition, our comrades, who led the people there, are still there…”

Many of the soldiers and patrollers in the Central Army, who were defending the capital, belonged to Nemesis.

Naturally, once they knew that the order had fallen to incinerate the people in there, the troops would turn over. Well, the entire military could revolt.

In response to the concern of the officer, the delivery person raised his voice and asked, “Then, if the epidemic spreads to the other regions and areas, will you be responsible? It is His Majesty’s words that the buds should be cut short even if it means that sacrifices should be made.”

With the words of the man, the officers could no longer refute.

Honestly, rather than refuting, he was more concerned about what would happen if the epidemic spread because of him.

Shortly after, the orders of Emperor Rudolf were issued to all the troops of the Central army.

Some of the soldiers and knights who heard of the order were shocked.

“That makes no sense! How can such things be?”

“You mean that we are going to be murderers who will kill innocent people?”

Despite the fierce protest of his men, Viscount Dick, the vice commander of the Central Army, didn’t even blink.

Srrrng!

He pulled his sword out and looked at them.

“if anyone here disobeys the order, they will be punished for treason!”

His threats weren’t empty.

The Knights of Guards immediately entered.

Eventually, the officers and soldiers were forced to obey the orders while holding their tears.

‘I hope my family is not there!’

‘God! Oh God please forgive me!’

Their hearts were praying for atonement and well being of their families. They put the fire onto their arrows and shot at the north streets.

Pung! Pung!

Hundreds of the jars of Vigorous Fire drenched the streets, and archers were on standby.

The flames roared with explosions all over the street.

As fire struck in the middle of the night, patients, suspected patients, and the soldiers who led them in there were shocked.

“W-what was that? Sudden shelling?”

“Rather than that, we need to put out the fire…!”

Wheeing!

Nemesis was a dry city that rarely saw any rain.

And on such a dry place, flames were spreading over quickly.

“Ahh! Fire!

“Save me!”

Patients, who were barely asleep because of the unfamiliar environment, jumped out of the place in surprise of the sudden shelling and flames.

However, everything around them was in fire.

Critically ill victims were swept away by the flames, and patients, who were only suspected of infections, were busy trying to help the sick in avoiding the flames.

“Go toward the gate!”

“Right! If you stay here, you’ll all die!”

People tried to escape the flames and go to the north streets.

However, the gate was locked on the outside, and the roads leading to all the other streets were blocked by tall barricades.

“Open the door!”

“Cough! Cough! What are you doing?! Open the damn door!”

No one responded from the outside. People trapped in there were flustered for not finding anyone on the outside.

“Damn it, they didn’t gather us all to just kill us off, right?”

“Open the door, you bastards! I am not infected!”

“People, it won’t work like this! We need to break the gate!”

Healthy people brought in axes and logs to break the gates and barricades.

The knights and soldiers, who led them there, helped them too.

The officers on the other side gave orders.

“What are you doing? Shoot the cannons! Burn them!”

At the words of Dick, the men who couldn’t help but follow the command fired the cannons.

Wizards dispatched by the Imperial Magic Tower showered the north street with Flame magic.

“Kuak! Help…!”

“Damn it!”

The soldiers who were trying to break the gates for the people to escape were engulfed in flames. They screamed until every last hope in them died along with the flames.

However, the soldiers who fired at the north street couldn’t get the image of innocent people burning from their eyes. They all fell down due to the guilt.

And soldiers, who couldn’t get over the guilt by crying, screamed, “This is hell! I need to get away from this hell!”

The men, who couldn’t stand their guilt, jumped down from the high buildings that they were standing on.

The flames of hell soon swallowed everybody it touched.