Chapter 536 - Emperor of Steel 4 (1/2)

Around the time the Holy Empire was under the torture of the zombie disease.

The atmosphere in the Baroque Empire took a turn for the worst.

The intelligence chief, Count McMillan, spoke his final words to his family and went to the throne room.

It was because the news he had to deliver to the Emperor was truly horrible.

“Majesty. It was said that our reinforcements scattered because of loss, Marquis Vanden was captured and taken in as their prisoner after the Gigantic Duel.”

Emperor Rudolf, who was discussing about the relocation of troops with Voltas, jumped up at the report given by McMillan.

“WHAT? They couldn’t even stand for one day?”

“Th-that… it seemed like they didn’t do something to reverse the situation.”

“That stupid man!”

Seeing the wrath of the Emperor, McMillan bowed his head and trembled like a sapling.

It seemed like the Emperor’s sword would come at him, but fortunately, the Emperor never touched it.

‘I was anxious since yesterday as I couldn’t reach the SS knights with magic communication!’

And he was concerned that Vanden might have been in thoughts about surrendering to the enemies to the South.

But to collapse in just a day!

‘He must be a stupid person! If I knew this was going to happen, I would have sent some other commander…’

However, it was too late to regret it.

Rudolf who looked down talked to McMillan, who was still trembling.

“Let go of Vanden, what about the SS knights? Did Kurian contact me?”

“T-the, the SS knights are directly under Your Majesty, why would I be aware of them?”

“Kuek!”

Rudolf was angry, yet he didn’t scream. Count McMillan wasn’t wrong.

The SS knights always directly reported to the Emperor.

Of course, there would be reports which would pass through the military or the intelligence, but that would be done with prior orders. And during their current mission, such orders weren’t given.

‘By the time I wanted to contact, I couldn’t even get through them, something must have happened.’

When Rudolf was in thoughts, Count Voltas asked.

“Your Majesty, the situation in the South, we lost our hand in it, what about the troops deployed from the west? Should we move them?”

Originally, Rudolf was planning to assign the rebellion of the Symphonia Kingdom over to Vanden.

However, as the Sherwood city fell too quickly, the plans were changed.

In order to handle the situation, they decided to deploy 60,000 troops and 400 Gigants from the west to secretly move to the south and regain the lost land.

Vanden, who led the reinforcement forces, was supposed to attack the enemy by moving through the bypass route and attack Sherwood till the other troops arrived, however, Vanden collapsed too quickly.

The plan had to be executed correctly.

“For now, we move. The troops are gone, but, just as planned in the beginning, they go to the south and sweep those rebels of the south.”

“You don’t plan on driving them away by sweeping them off?”

“Yes. There will be no one we won’t kill. Not just the Variand mountain, but we will be taking the Southern sea too!”

Rudolf was planning to restore the real land, and punish the rebels who claimed to be from the Symphonia Kingdom.

It was because he saw Luke de Rakan’s moves to be a lot more drastic and dangerous than Reichard, who was an eye-catcher.

‘Since Sherwood has fallen, the central part of the Empire is in danger. If I don’t smash that man, he will end up coming for my neck…!’

If he couldn’t punish men like that, no nobles under Rudolf would trust and follow him.

At least establishing the authority as an Emperor, it was necessary for Rudolf to touch the Symphonia Kingdom and Luke.