Emperor of Steel

“And the Libiya Kingdom’s dynamics?”

Count Voltas, who just reported to Emperor Rudolf regarding the war, nodded his head at the Emperor’s question.

“Yes, Your Majesty. It was strange, but the monsters are spreading across the borders. Perhaps, the Vers we used the other day is working.”

“Kuekk. Looks like it worked well.”

Honestly, until hearing back the official report, Rudolf was concerned that their plan was unsuccessful.

It was because his troops hadn’t returned.

‘Hmm, maybe they couldn’t get back to us because they were exposed to that disease and collapsed right there. It was said that it was a terrible disease.’

Voltas spoke to Rudolf who was deep in his thoughts, “I heard that it was quite serious, and they are adding new troops in the border forts. At this opportunity, for us to move… it would be impossible, right?”

“Obviously. As the disease will spread to us, we can crack open a border and send them some medicines and potions telling them that I sent them.”

‘He must be glad.’

It wasn’t like Voltas didn’t know Rudolf’s thoughts.

Even when using the disease, Rudolf wanted to kill nobles and the people too, and when the situation turned favorable to him, he would use it.

Perhaps, once the relief supply arrived, the people of Libiya and the nobles would feel grateful for the Emperor.

Also, there was no way that the people would know that the Emperor was the one who spread the disease to them.

“Anyway, can we relax and watch the situation? Well, there is Luke in the south.”

“Why don’t we use the disease over there too?”

At Voltas’s question, Rudolf shook his head.

“It will be too difficult to send it in. The troops in the south are handled a lot differently than ours.”

The door of the office opened wide, and Marquis Kepler, the Meister of the Imperial Magic Tower, came rushing in.

“Y-Your Majesty! We are in trouble!”

“What is it?!”

Rudolf frowned. However, he was shocked when he heard what Kepler had to say.

“Vers is spreading in the capital.”

“W-what are you talking about?! Why would that spread in the capital?”

The Emperor, who got up from his seat, immediately grabbed the neck of Kepler.

Vers was clearly handed to the best agents and were pushed into the Libiya Kingdom.

However, the epidemic was spreading to the capital?

“Kuek! T-that… We aren’t sure why. In the process of extracting the disease bottles and transferring it over here, we are checking if maybe a wizard got infected…”

“Shut up! Are you sure that Vers is the disease that is spreading throughout the capital?”

He wondered if they were mistaking another disease for this epidemic.

However, Marquis Kepler nodded with a pale face.

“The symptoms include a high fever, and at the rate in which the disease is spreading, it is clear that it is Vers.”

“This thing!”

Kwang!

The Emperor, who was angry, hit the table with his fist.

The hard marble table in front of him got smashed.

However, that didn’t seem to relieve his anger. The epidemic wouldn’t stop.

Shortly after, the other heads entered the Imperial office.

As the epidemic occurred in certain parts of the capital regions, it was needed to take measures.

Gathering the officials of the Imperial palace and the commanders of the military, Rudolf began to look for measures.

“Currently, we have blocked the Imperial path, but with the rate of transmission, we shouldn’t feel relieved. So Your Majesty, please hurry outside the capital.”

In response to that, Rudolf bit his lips because he didn’t like the solution since he had to run away without doing anything.

It was the same feeling of helplessness he had felt when he lost his children due to Arsene’s curse.

“If you let this go, the capital will be destroyed. What can we do?”

“Unfortunately, this disease has no cure…”

Kepler closed his mouth.

Rudolf was staring at Kepler with anger in his eyes. He grabbed the hilt of his sword.

‘Keuk, why did I have to ask for the spread of the disease?!’

Kepler was very sorry.

‘I never thought that disease would get leaked out. He shouldn’t have spoken at all from the beginning.’

And now, there was no solution, and it seemed like his neck would be Rudolf’s target.

“There is no cure, but we need to stop the spread.”

“Is there a way?”

“Yes, eradicate the sick patients and those who came in contact with that person and the place where that person went.”

Eradication was either containment or killing.

“Are you sure that killing is the only way?”

Kepler nodded his head at Voltas’s question.

“There is nothing else other than that. Unless we kill everyone who has been infected and everyone they came in contact with, we won’t be able to eradicate the disease.”

According to Kepler, to get rid of Vers, the Emperor had to burn everything.

“Is there any other way? We already have thousands of patients identified… No, tens of thousands who had contact with the ones who had the disease.”

“You want the entire nation to turn into this? If we don’t do this, the capital, the entire continent will be over!”

Bang Bang Bang!

When the Emperor banged the table, Voltas and Kepler became quiet.

“Do it according to Kepler’s directions. Take down the patients and also those who have been in contact with them. Take them to the north of the capital, and burn the area for purification.”

Rudolf decided to sacrifice some of the people instead of fleeing away from the capital.

“Majesty!”

“That is too much!”

When some nobles including Count Ferrero tried to rebel, Rudolf pulled out his sword.

“I will not hear any other opinion against this! If you want to voice your opinion, be ready to sacrifice yourself, or move while you have time!”

“… We will follow your command.”

The nobles yielded to the Emperor and went out of the room.

They were all people who thought ‘this shouldn’t be done’, but none of them could do anything other than to hold their trembling hands.