Emperor of Steel

Three days after the envoy left,

When he was ready to leave the lordship, Luke stood in front of the wagon and shook hands before departing.

“Butler Hans. I appoint you to be the lord’s representative, and I ask you to look after the estate while I am gone.”

“Don’t worry, please go safely, young Lord.”, responded Hans.

Hans eyes were red.

He had raised and cared for Luke since his childhood on behalf of the former lords.

He was about to explode into tears as it was like sending his own son into the battlefield.

“Isn’t it nice to take more escorts?”

Rogers was anxiously asking Luke while shaking his hands.

Luke’s only escort had been Philip.

Luke shook his head at the concern of Rogers.

“One more knight in the estate means another person to look after the place. Don’t worry about me, I can take care of myself.”

If he could do what he wanted, Luke would have chosen to leave Philip as well.

However, the retainers would be completely against it, and that was why he decided to take Philip.

Anyway, he greeted the retainers and the last one was Princess Reina.

“I will be back.”, said Luke.

“…”

At the parting statement of Luke’s, Reina’s lips wanted to speak but couldn’t say anything.

She had heard at the Victory banquet that Luke was going to enlist.

However, he himself hadn’t spoken about it and devoted himself to work.

And as she had noticed that Luke had taken his decision to leave, she didn’t want to disturb his time which he invested in planning the estate.

She thought that doing what Luke had entrusted and directed her to do would make her mind feel much easier.

But when Luke was about to leave, her sadness, regret, and unhappiness burst out.

“Young Lord, I actually wish that you don’t leave.”

“Reina…”

“I got a nice life thanks to you, young Lord, a new opportunity as well. And now the young Lord is leaving. If anything goes wrong…”

Reina’s words stopped right away.

Luke pulled her into his arms.

He gently wiped the tears from her eyes.

“You are a woman with a spirit. And you are much stronger than anyone.”

“Young Lord…”

“Just believe on the day that I come back. Please believe and wait for me.”

Luke had entrusted Reina with all of Kirillov’s merits, the mines, and the Gigants.

Because she knew her past struggles, she was a more reliable candidate than the retainers.

Reina saw the eyes of Luke which showed faith, she soon pulled something out of her sleeve.

It was a small necklace with a locket in the shape of a small shell, in that enclosed shell was a silver hair strand that belonged to Reina…

“This?”

“It is my country’s custom. The women of Volga are said to make this in order to guard their lover. It is said that the hair contains will and hope.”

Reina handed the guarding chain to Luke.

As soon as she handed it over, Luke felt something very powerful pervade him.

It wasn’t mana, nor was it some divine force.

It was something indescribable that he had felt in Reina before too, the force of nature.

He had not yet figured out why such a strange force could be felt in Reina at times.

‘I need to figure it out once I come back.’

Luke smiled and hung the guard that Reina had given. He kissed the back of her hand and got into the carriage.

After the last greeting, the wagon moved and started to speed up.

“Lord, have a nice time!”

“Come back safely!”

Luke kept on waving until Reina and the retainers were invisible.

And as the friendly faces disappeared from his gaze, he looked to the north where he was heading to.

The Baroque Imperial family and the Veritas Magic Tower.

His eyes landed on the enemies; eyes were shining ever more brightly and most radiantly than it ever had.