Emperor of Steel

Chapter 211: Red Wolf Mercenaries 4

The next day after their fierce battle with the Garlic Mercenaries.

Luke was called by Count Marcus and went over to his barracks to visit him.

After the battle was over, Luke was told that the commander was watching the battle, and he expected him to call over Luke for details soon.

He didn’t think of the possibility of being punished. If so, then all the Red Wolf Mercenaries would have already been taken into custody by the military police.

‘This is amazing.’

Luke bowed upon reaching the commander’s barracks.

The floor was covered with expensive rugs and silk insignia’s imported from the southern continent and the barracks were decorated.

In addition, the equipment in the barracks was lavish.

All of the nobility, including the pottery from the Song Empire and lacquer wares of art, were luxuries that covered the barracks.

‘He is one of the richest people in the Holy Empire, and he had a strong influence on the battlefield.’

While Luke was deep in his thoughts, Count Marcus emerged.

“Come on in.”

“You called for me, Lord?” Luke asked.

“Yes, I did. Sit down let’s talk.”

Luke sat in the place where Marcus pointed to.

Right then, a female knight who seemed to be the escort knight brought in refreshments.

Marcus poured in hot tea and added sugar using a silver spoon.

“Your name is Lev?”

“That is right.”

Luke nodded as he heard the commander refer to him with the name he registered with.

“You’re from the Castia Kingdom? I heard that you were a fallen noble, is that true?”

‘Aldof blew it.’

Some kind of information had been given over, so Luke tried to respond calmly.

“That is true.”

“The thing about Castia Kingdom; that’s a lie, right?”

There was a reason why Count Marcus asked that.

Over the past night, he understood that the Mercenary Captain Lev was Luke in disguise.

He was told of the basics by Aldof.

In the meantime, he had contacted a business headquarters with magic communication and ordered further investigations.

Small mercenary groups with Gigants, even those who lead the expert organizations, felt unusual.

“My men surveyed the Castia Mercenary Guild, and it was less than a month since your mercenary group was founded, and they weren’t aware that your mercenary had Gigants.”

“…”

“Let’s talk honestly, or we will have to regard you as a gang which has invaded our lands as rebels,” Marcus stated.

Count Marcus stated an ultimatum.

Luke took a glance at it.

“If I really was a rebel, you’re head would have already been cut off.”

“What did you say?”

When Count Marcus turned unpleasant, Luke pointed at the tent behind them.

“Don’t tell me that you believe in the escort knights who stand behind you,” Luke stated.

Was Luke aware of the escort knights that Count Marcus has hidden behind the tent? As Luke spilled the truth, he ran straight over to attack Luke.

Moreover, anticipating Luke’s ability, the ambush escorts were placed.

They weren’t weak knights who could get caught at a glance.

Nevertheless, Luke managed to notice the ambush at once.

Marcus once again felt that the skills Luke possessed weren’t normal.

Luke smiled to himself as Marcus averted his eyes to stop the energy which was overflowing from Luke’s body.

But after a while, with a sober look, he said,

“In the past, the Volga Kingdom had a knight called Belik. He turned into a full-time knight at the age of 18 and achieved numerous titles by always being in the frontlines of battle, and at the age of 27, he became the vice-captain of a knights’ division.”

“Well, I think I have heard of him. Was his nickname the Fire Storm?”

Fire Storm Belik.

It was hoped that the knight would be the sword that would protect the future of the Volga Kingdom, but he was one of the unfortunate knights who had suffered the tragedy during the upheaval of times.

“At the time of the republic rebellion in the Volga Kingdom, he struggled against the rebels who were being led by Dimitry and began to act strange. Some say he was caught and executed; some say that he fled away to the southern continent.”

Luke stopped his story there and placed a broken knife and a piece of paper on the table.

“Fire Storm Belik… is my father.”

“Is that really true?!”

“You can check the certification. It is a blood certificate issued by the Volga Royal Family.”

Marcus scrutinized the paper given by Luke.

Surely, the paper looked like it had been well kept, and the paper seemed to be as new as one could get, but the deed was written in the exact same way the Volga Royal Family used at that time.

Even the seal on it belonged to the Volga.

The seals of the royals and higher officials were specially made and could never be forged.

‘Huh, I can’t help but feel grateful for this. That was made by Sir Pavel.’

Luke knew that something unexpected would happen to his thoroughly established camouflaged status.

The blood certificate, the ones handed over to Marcus, was written and made by Sir Pavel, a former member of the bureaucracy and a long-standing exile of the royal family of Volga.

The content in it was false, but the certification was true itself.

“If you are having a hard time believing it, call out to the oldest mercenary in our group. He was a former knight of the Volga Royal Family.”

“Then, then the mercenaries that you have…” Marcus stuttered.

“The descendants of the proximal Volga Knights. I dream of monarchy, but I can’t ignore the reality of the world. That is why I am doing mercenary activities.”

“I see now. Somehow your skills were good.”

Even if one lived with high ideals, one needed money to eat and live.

Marcus, who fully understood their situation, nodded.

“Anyway, now that I know the situation, I can talk comfortably.”

“Talk about what?”

At the question of Luke, he smiled and answered,

“Do you have any intention of working under me? If you become my retainer, I promise to give you great wealth and make you into a Baron.”

Count Marcus was a tremendously rich man, but the ability of his retainers had fallen.

So, he wanted to recruit the Red Wolf Mercenaries, which was composed of Lev and the expert knights of intermediate and higher ranks.

Highly skilled mercenaries were often recruited by nobles, so there was no need for one to feel bad or proud.

Moreover wasn’t he a descendant of an exiled man?

‘Got caught!’

Luke smiled inwardly.

He could’ve ignored the Garlic Mercenaries and not have a duel with them, but he deliberately accepted it, so he could catch the commander’s attention.

Wouldn’t they get a higher chance in the battle to set a title if he only outshone himself?

“Uhm, please give me some time to think.”

Once he caught Marcus, Luke intentionally made him wait.

After the civil war, it was Marcus who wanted to get favored and supported.

Marcus didn’t assume that Luke would ask for time, which made him ask, “What else could be there for you think? You can get a title and all the beauties that you want.”

“If I was an average mercenary group, I would have surely accepted your proposal, but we have a goal.”

“Return to monarchy? Isn’t that too far away from reality? Pyotr II, the last king of Volga, is dead, and even the last princess has been removed by the republicans…”

“Well, there are other rumors.”

“Other rumors? Oh, the one saying that the pope resembles the princess of Volga, but she isn’t the princess. I have seen The Holiness with my very own eyes.”

“You witnessed it?”

“Yes, at the funeral of the former pope Benedict III. At that time…”

Marcus had given Luke a lengthy story.

Upon hearing that story, Luke confirmed that she indeed made her appearance at the same time when she went missing.

However, he couldn’t see why Reina hadn’t tried to contact him for the past two years.

‘When she first appeared, she acted like a kid? What the hell happened in the Spirit World for her to completely lose all her memories?’

This meant that if Luke did manage to meet her in the future, she might not recognize Luke or Victor.

Luke was feeling down at that point, but his idea of taking Reina seemed to bring him some strength.

A woman, who couldn’t even keep it together, was being used as a puppet.

“It isn’t just my decision. I need to persuade my subordinates too, so please give me some time.”

“How long will I have to wait?”

“I will give you a confirmation after this is done.”

Marcus felt upset with that, but he wasn’t feeling reluctant any longer.

And all thanks to him, Luke didn’t have to suffer any longer and was able to come out of the Count’s barracks with a smile.