Emperor of Steel

Victor asked with anxiousness clearly registered on his face after seeing Karen leave her room very early in the morning.

He felt responsible for Karen.

It wasn’t just because he felt like he owed it to her for saving his life.

Karen looked very much like the little Reina he knew. He didn’t know the details about Karen, but it seemed like she had ties with Reina or the Volga royal family.

Of course, his attitude toward her was because he found her cute.

“That... I had a scary dream.”

“Is that so? Don’t worry. I will make that dream never come close to you again.”

Karen smiled at Victor’s words but was soon lost in her thought.

‘Who the hell would try to turn back time? In order to turn back time, the ruins of Abaron are needed, and the only place is currently buried under the Baroque Imperial palace.’

The most promising person to do it was Emperor Rudolf.

Even in the original history where Karen lived, Emperor Rudolf did try to restore and use the ruins of Abaron years later.

It wasn’t the time yet, but maybe the change in variable had caused the situation to accelerate.

The next one would be Arsene.

He might have known about the existence of the Abaron ruins. He was a monster who had slaughtered the world by staying in the dark for 500 years.

There could have been other candidates who she didn’t know about, but the fact that the ruins were able to turn back time remained unchanged.

‘I need to talk with dad.’

One couldn’t solve his or her problems at once or by themselves.

So Karen went into her room right after having her breakfast and pulled out her crystal ball.

It was a high-end magic communication crystal that Luke had sent to her as a gift.

The moment she infused mana and set the coordinates, Luke’s face popped up right away.

-Oh oh, Karen. What made you contact your dad?

“That...”

-Please don’t ask me to teach you anything. I don’t like getting scolded by your mom.

Karen smiled when Luke said that.

She talked to him about her dream.

-A scary dream?

“Yes, that was...”

Karen explained everything in detail.

On one hand, she even wanted to mention the foresight dream that El Kassel had given her, the man who sent her to the past and changed the future, but she couldn’t speak it out.

It was as if something was blocking her mouth.

‘Does he not want to be mentioned?’

Maybe that was true.

So, how could she pursue her dad without even telling her dad what she even saw in her dream?

Unlike Karen, Luke seemed quite serious to listen to it.

He didn’t know that Karen was his own daughter, but he did know that she came back from the future.

So he was able to understand what she was so concerned about.

-I heard from Count Hwang Bo-sung that you are a child from the future. That is why you are worried that someone like you would go back in time and change the situation. Right?

“Yes. That is it.”

Karen nodded and asked, “... Is it wrong to worry?”

-No, it is not.

Karen was the only genius wizard. The only hope for a new world.

Therefore, she was able to come back in time.

But that didn’t mean that the others couldn’t do it.

The one thing that wizards shouldn’t have was arrogance.

Pride and self-esteem had to be preserved, but the moment one believed that their skills and thoughts were unconditionally current, their power would turn stagnant, and they would fall behind.

‘Karen came to the present by using the ruins in the basement of the Imperial palace. And that ruins still exist.’

When Luke went in to rescue Count Ferrero, he saw those ruins.

Later, according to Belfair’s slaves, the ruins were completely buried underground due to the explosion that happened later.

He did hear that the Imperial family would like to take it out, but he never received any reports on it.

Rudolf was more concerned with the war with Volga and Libiya Kingdom, so the removal of the ruins was slowed down.

However, once again, the ruins seemed to have emerged, and the order of the world had to be reconsidered again.

-I will thoroughly investigate and deal with it. You don’t have to worry about it.

“No, I want to help.”

-It is alright. You did a lot. Also, if you get involved in time-related things...

“I will help! No, I need to end it!”

Despite Luke’s words, Karen said that she wanted to help.

Like El Kassel had said. What was started had to be finished by the same hands.

So she didn’t want it to be left in her father’s hands.

And Karen’s strong will eventually made Luke take back his words.

-Fine. You know the ruins better than me. Once we have gathered the relevant information, I will contact you again.

“Yes, please do that.”

At Luke’s words, Karen sighed out of relief.

Fortunately, it seemed like she could help with it.

And that was done, but Karen didn’t immediately end the magic communication.

It was because Luke seemed to have something more to add.

-Karen, when I heard from Hwang Bo-sung, I didn’t say it out loud, but I thought about it. Maybe you are the child of me and Reina from the future...

Luke came to that decision because Karen resembled him and Reina a lot.

Besides, since the first time they met, it didn’t seem normal.

It was not just Luke, but Reina thought so too, and those who met Karen would always say that as well.

-The reason you didn’t tell me the truth was because it might have caused a problem with your existence in this world... Am I wrong? If it is, then laugh out loud.

Karen didn’t laugh.

Rather, she was shedding tears of joy and smiled brightly.

There was a reason for it.

It was because even after Luke mentioned her real identity, she didn’t feel any danger to her existence.

Rather, joy and vitality seemed to have overflowed into her because of those words.

It seemed like she could fly up to the sky at any moment.

-Next time, let’s meet in person and talk. And stay well till then.

“Yes, daddy. You too.”

The magic communication ended there.

However, the hearts of the two, which were born as a true father and daughter, pounded harder than ever, turning their string of relationship thicker than ever, and never to be cut off.