Emperor of Steel

“I apologize, my Lord.”

As soon as they had exited the palace, Philip had apologized to Luke.

“What are you talking about?”

“Weren’t you almost ready to duel for me? I am sorry for putting you through that.”

“Well, it isn’t anything unusual.”

Maybe because of his past, the expression on Philip’s face was heavy and dark. His desire for getting revenge had been finished, however, he was still feeling uncomfortable.

Seeing Philip feeling down, Luke said,

“Don’t overthink it. Sometimes the leader of the army comes out to protect the subordinate.”

Those words of Luke made Philip feel a little better, they were easy words to say, but it was very rare for the leader of the army to go out for his men.

Philip couldn’t help but look at Luke in a new light, and soon turned the conversation.

“By the way, where is your assignment?”

“Well, that… Torlot Fortress.”

Luke had opened the appointment letter he got from Emperor Rudolf.

In the middle of the sentence was written ‘Northern Army Torlot Fortress’.

The Imperial forces of Baroque were divided into a total of five corps.

There were corps that guarded the East, the North, and the West, and of them, the side which had to fight with the Volga Republic was the Northern corps.

“Did you just say it was the Torlot Fortress?” Philip asked.

When Philip heard those words, he was rather surprised.

Since the emperor specifically asked Luke to enlist, all the retainers including Philip thought that Luke would be put in a dangerous place.

But to place Luke in the Torlot Fortress, the ultimate place where the battle with Volga Republic happened!

“Why are you so surprised? Is it a dangerous place?” Luke asked.

“The most dangerous place!”

Although Philip had been wandering in the suburbs for several years, the rumors of Torlot were well known.

“After losing the border to the Volga in the war seven years back, the northern border had no quiet day.”

It was because of the interest of the Empire and the dreams of the Volga’s republic war were preventing each other not to cross and occupy their borders.

Most borders of the two countries had turned into conflict zones, the most common and the most-fierce battles were done in Torlot.

Built on the riverside from the Volga republic, the fortress-like a dagger constantly aimed for the Republic, and too numerous aims to bring the other down.

In the meantime, there have been several instances of the stations being destroyed and damaged.

“Dammit! That Emperor is surely determined. Then, your position?”

“Was it the fortress Commander?”

“That is something we can feel glad about. The only time it is good to go there is if you can be the one on the top.”

Even if Luke was young, the emperor couldn’t help but consider Luke’s title, and his ability to defeat four Gigants all by himself.

Which was why he had given the full control and power of the fortress to Luke.

“Then, should I go straight to Torlot?” Luke asked.

“No, that isn’t how it is done. You need to stop by the northern command office and report them about it to the enlistment.”

“Is that so? Then let’s go there.”

Luke nodded his head and moved the wagon to the direction of Krom, where the northern Command office was placed.