The Machine Duke's Descent
Near the summit of Sudansan Mountain, in a ravine.
“Uwah, uuhaha…!”
Until moments earlier, the once-chaotic gorge had fallen eerily silent at the appearance of a single man.
After all, it was impossible not to recognize the face of the Iron Duke, a figure renowned across the continent for his immense influence.
‘The Iron Duke?! Why on earth is this impossible giant in a place like this!’
Coming all the way here—even before his existence was fully confirmed—was nothing short of an act of great risk.
If the Ouparts were missing or he failed to locate them, the rigid nobility—who prized honor and title above all—would have laughed at him across the entire continent.
Of course, Amerk had come for his missing son, not the Ouparts, but no one else knew the full details of his mission.
Kwoong! Kwoowooong—!
With every thunderous step Amerk took, the men around him instinctively shrank back in fear, clearing the path.
“G-g-g, g-g-g-g-g…!”
“Hm? Kuhahahaha!”
When a soldier stared at him, too terrified to speak, Amerk laughed uproariously.
Uuuuwoong!
“Uuk!”
The sheer force of his voice sent everyone in the ravine reeling; those who stood lost their balance and collapsed, others toppling like dominoes.
“Jerred. Is he here?”
Amerk, still chuckling, suddenly wiped the smile from his face and murmured quietly.
His summons echoed from somewhere high above in the vast sky.
“Commander Jerred! We await Your Highness’s command!”
“Come to me.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Before the words had even left his lips, a fully mechanized knight crashed down beside Amerk.
Kwaang! Kwaaaang—!!
Then, one after another, hundreds more knights dropped from the skies into every corner of the ravine.
“Eh, e-eh…!”
The knights who landed on the ground knelt on one knee before Amerk, their voices shaking the earth as they paid homage.
““The Machine Knight Corps honors Duke His Highness, lord of the nation!!””
“Hmph.”
Amerk nodded solemnly to the overly formal knights.
Meanwhile, the factions fighting in the ravine wilted under the overwhelming presence and died inside.
“Jerred.”
“Yes! Your Highness. Command me.”
“As you know, I dislike chaos and disorder.”
“This humble one understands Your Highness’s will.”
Swish, swish—!
Finally, Jerred spread his wings like a great bird and spoke low.
“From this moment on, I grant every soul here a moment of respite. If anyone remains afterward, they will understand why we are the greatest knight corps on the continent. If you have multiple lives, I recommend trying it once.”
“W-wait…! We were only sent by His Majesty the King to—!”
The commander dispatched from the Kingdom of the East tried to speak, but his voice gradually died.
He had come under the pretext of the King’s order, but he could not dare to refuse in front of Amerk.
This was true even for those blinded by greed.
Not only power, but also the machine—positioned at the pinnacle within the Iron Duke—had not brought his entire knight corps.
If he dared utter a single wrong word, his life would be over anyway. What was a faint Ouparts compared to that?
Desire and greed were fleeting things, easily cast aside before the shadow of death.
‘Who on earth is this guy rolling around here! Stop blocking the way and get lost!’
Of course, if someone else with overwhelming strength had made such a demand, they would have been beaten to a pulp.
In the end, Amerk and his knights regained their senses and withdrew from the ravine without exception.
“Your Highness, we will begin guarding the perimeter immediately.”
“Understood.”
Most of the knights, excluding Jerred and a few senior officers, scattered to take up positions, and the ravine fell unnaturally silent.
In the quiet, Amerk was just gathering his thoughts when a middle-aged man in a white robe crossed the air lightly.
Despite the strong wind, his robe fluttered as if he were a celestial being.
Jerred and the other knights immediately paid him respect.
““We pay homage to the greatest pillar of the continent.””
Originally, the Iron Duke’s forces had shown no respect even to the Seven Pillars before him.
After all, they believed they were equal to or stronger than the Seven Pillars.
Yet Cheongtong received equal courtesy because he was Amerk’s lifelong friend and advisor.
“And you—weren’t you in the Imperial Capital for the Princess Council?”
“I came here the moment the council ended. The immense yet familiar aura drew me this way.”
“Already ended? Then where is His Majesty?”
“His Majesty has already returned ahead. To his duchy.”
“Hm, I see.”
“I heard from His Majesty. The general situation, at least. Then let us enter quickly. It seems the child is down there.”
Having finished speaking, Cheongtong slowly drew his sword, intending to slice the entire mountain in half, but Amerk stopped him.
“No, I have no intention of entering here.”
“After coming this far, you refuse to enter? What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Even if it weren’t me, the child, the heirs of the Grand Duke—Blanser—and the Ahrirang lineage have already gone in.”
“Hm? Children inside? The Ahrirang lineage’s children? This is bad. Jakson must have taken the wrong path.”
Amerk’s information made Cheongtong close his eyes for a moment, gauging the presences far below, then open them again.
“Hmph, but with those children alone, it seems insufficient. What if the child does something and—!”
“Then that would be… hm, his fate….”
Amerk clenched his fists, sweat beading on his brow as he barely continued.
“Hehehe, you speak that way but are clearly worried deep down, aren’t you? Then I shall watch and wait. Whether they can overcome this crisis or not.”
* * *
At that very moment.
“Hm?”
Ran was filled with question marks in his mind at the truly unexpected visitor.
‘Sixth Seat? Why is he looking for me? We don’t have any special connection, so was it because of them?’
“Please, take a seat here.”
Following Ran’s guidance, Jakson sat calmly and began to speak.
“Hmph, I have a matter that brought me to find you….”
“Puhup!”
“…?”
Ran, unable to hold back a laugh at Jakson’s tone, let it out.
Wolhyang, who had been about to warn him, watched Ran smile instead of growling and stayed silent.
‘Even at the Princess Council earlier, I can’t get used to that old geezer’s speech.’
“Ah, sorry. We’ve only just met. Well, what business do you have with me?”
“I heard that the children are staying at the National Academy. I wanted to meet them after such a long time… Could you arrange for me to see them?”
Jakson searched his memories from long ago.
The chubby-cheeked, short-limbed children following him closely in the old days.
To be reunited with them after so long—it brought a smile to his face.
But reality was not so kind.
“Eh? What should I do? They have left the Imperial Capital due to unavoidable circumstances.”
“Eh? W-when? Where?”
“They left for Okjeo five days ago. If you truly wish to see them, either come there yourself or wait here until they return.”
“….”
Jakson’s face fell at the realization that he had been tricked, and he opened his mouth in a long sigh.
“Ah…”
* * *
Stumble. Stumble.
“Hoo.”
Blanser’s forehead veins bulged as he watched Junior approach.
‘Even after being beaten like that, he hasn’t fallen? Is he immune to pain?’
When fighting Junior, Blanser had struggled more than he expected.
Of course, there was plenty of reason for that.
Junior was unconscious, so Haru had told him not to go too hard, and he had held back to avoid serious injury.
That was why Blanser couldn’t easily bring him down.
Even though he moved only according to orders while unconscious, Junior’s Cheneung was on another level.
‘I hate to admit it, but I’m the only one who can physically overpower him.’
“Tch.”
Blanser was thoroughly dissatisfied with the current situation.
He had not shown it outwardly, but it rankled him that Junior, whom he acknowledged as his only rival, was humiliated by something as petty as mind control.
“You’re too pathetic to watch. Do you truly have the right to be called the successor of Duke His Highness and my rival?!”
“…!”
Blanser’s rebuke seemed to restrain Junior’s movements.
‘Now! I have to take them down in one go before the hyungs see! Well, it should be fine.’
“Haaaaap-!!”
The seasoned Blanser did not miss the gap.
Whoosh.
Blanser staggered toward Junior, who was off-balance, and swept his arm to flip him.
He then pinned the fallen Junior and relentlessly struck his vital point.
According to Haru and Teraden, and especially Maru, Blanser would follow orders without question. But Haru had seemed distracted while blocking an attack, and Teraden was treating wounds.
Maru, who had been swinging a massive hammer, had already disappeared past the corridor with the woman.
There were still Carvin and his group who had agreed to ally during escape, but.
‘What could they do?’
No one was left to speak to him now.
Crunch. Creak—! Squeak.
Junior, defenseless against Blanser’s merciless onslaught, finally lost consciousness.
“Hmph, for now that’s two losses, one win, one draw.”
Normally he would have been elated, but the current Blanser was calmer than ever.
After savoring the joy of victory for a moment, he roughly carried the fallen Junior and then went to help Haru.
“Hyung! I’ll help too…!”
“Ah… Here… …Everything!”
“Eh? I didn’t catch that.”
“Hoo… I’m fine, so go over there and help Maru…!”
“Impossible!”
“Kuek…!!”
“Uh… I understand, Hyung!”
‘I have to finish cleaning up the Maru side and help the hyungs.’
Blanser slung the unconscious Junior over his shoulder and hurried toward the corridor where Maru had vanished, following Haru’s instructions.
Clink clink.
The dazed Junior swayed on Blanser’s shoulder.