Kays Translations

Chapter 52: Lord Asgard – Lord’s Past (2/3)

The burning border. The adults falling, one by one.

The wreckage of destroyed EU KOG units.

A force of sheer power trampled over everything in its path.

There was no such thing as a “strategy”—only overwhelming numbers, advanced technology, and raw strength, crushing everything in a flash.

Before they even had time to evacuate, the enemy appeared. And within hours, the base had fallen.

“Is this… the end?”

The one who muttered this in the command room of the surrounded base was Daniel.

A heavy silence filled the air. Even Lord remained quiet.

Until now, Lord had treated all of this like a game.

He was still too young to truly understand what it meant to fight.

But today, for the first time, he grasped what was happening.

And slowly, he began to understand the true nature of war.

“Uncle…”

“I’m sorry, Lord. You’ve done more than enough.”

Was there any way to save everyone?

No matter how much he thought, this was far beyond the realm where tactics or battle strategies could make a difference.

If only they had even half the enemy’s strength, they might have had options.

But this was the outskirts of the border. The difference in military power was more than tenfold.

“So we’ve already been completely surrounded… Such overwhelming force… So this is the power of the legendary Holy Knights… How can anyone possibly stop them?”

Then, the Supreme Commander finally spoke, issuing his last order.

“…This is my final command. Stay close to those you love. I am proud to have fought alongside you all.”

At his words, everyone saluted, tears in their eyes.

One by one, the soldiers left the command room.

Many of them had been living in this base with their loved ones.

They spent their final moments with their wives and children.

And so did Daniel.

“Scarlett… It’s time for the last resort.”

“…I understand.”

“Mom, what do you mean by ‘last resort’?”

Scarlett knelt down to Lord’s level and gently grasped the ring hanging from his neck.

“Lord, listen carefully. You are half-Asgardian… and not just any Asgardian. You carry the blood of the emperor.”

“What…!?

“I’m sorry for keeping it from you. Your father is… Orgol Asgard. The current emperor.”

She revealed the truth to her son.

Once, long ago, Scarlett had caught the emperor’s eye and bore his child.

That was back when relations between the EU and the Empire were still friendly, and people could travel freely between the two.

But Scarlett was not an Asgardian by birth. That fact had earned her many enemies.

And the emperor had done nothing to protect the weak.

Fearing for Lord’s life, Scarlett fled from the Asgard Empire.

The one who helped her escape was her older brother—Daniel.

But as international relations worsened, the divide between the EU and Asgard deepened into an irreversible rift.

The Cold War began. Diplomatic ties were severed.

And now, it had escalated into full-scale war.

The emperor himself had likely long forgotten about Scarlett and Lord.

But…

“That’s why… I am sending you to the Asgard Empire. There’s a chance they might kill you. But staying here means certain death.”

Revealing his royal lineage and handing him over to the empire—

It was their only option.

Scarlett knew that the EU’s future was grim. She understood that this was their last chance.

And Lord… Lord was no ordinary child.

He had an extraordinary gift.

She believed he would survive.

“…So I’m going to Asgard now?”

“Yes.”

“A messenger from the enemy has arrived. What should we do?”

“The emperor’s orders are to execute them all. We must obey. But… at least hear them out. Consider it a final act of mercy.”

The emperor’s commands were absolute.

Even so, Sieg hesitated to slaughter the EU forces—among them, people who were once his friends.

But he buried his emotions and focused on the mission.

That was the duty of a professional soldier.

Still, Sieg’s true nature couldn’t be entirely suppressed.

He decided to listen to the words of a man who was fully aware of his impending death yet still wished to convey something.

The surrounding KOG units halted their attack.

Resistance had already ceased. At Sieg’s command, they could take the base at any moment.

And the captured messenger brought before him was none other than Daniel.

“We have no intention of fighting! I know I will die here. But please, at least read this letter.”

Sieg saw the resolve in Daniel’s eyes.

Even as an enemy, he couldn’t help but respect the soldier who was ready to sacrifice his life for a mission.

So, he accepted the letter.

He read its contents in silence—

And his expression changed.

“…Is this true?”

“Yes. He is inside. He carries the ring as proof. Please… Just the two of them…”

“……Understood. In the name of Sieg Sylphid, I swear that I will deliver them safely to His Majesty.”

“…I see. Thank you.”

A gun was aimed at Daniel’s head.

Sieg turned his back to him.

“…Don’t hold a grudge. We are soldiers.”

“I understand.”

Scarlett and Lord were taken under Sieg’s protection and placed into a transport vehicle.

Many of the people who had lived at the base were captured.
Lord did not know what became of them.

However, the echoing gunshots gave him a grim understanding.
Even an eight-year-old could feel his chest being torn apart at the realization of death.

And so, Lord was taken away.
Before him stood the 99th Emperor, Orgel Asgards.

“Scarlett… it has been a while. Nearly five years, I believe.”

“…Yes.”

“I understand why you fled. To think you had escaped all the way to the EU… no wonder you weren’t found. But it no longer matters. I have no interest in you anymore. Guards, take her to the dungeon.”

“Mother!”

“Wait.”

Scarlett was led away to another room.
Lord reached out to grab her hand, but Sieg held him back.
Now, only Sieg, Lord, and Orgel remained.

The Emperor looked down at the young boy.
A child who, in some way, resembled himself.

“Lord… I was the one who gave you that name. It means ‘to become a ruler.'”

“Tch! Are you truly my father? If so, then let my mother—”

“Yes, I am. But before that, answer me this—did you truly defend that border?”

“I only proposed the plan. The others turned it into a real strategy. It was not my strength alone. However, I am undeniably the one who devised it.”

Sieg, listening from the side, felt both awe and shock.
An eight-year-old child, formulating strategies with a clear purpose, had troubled the Asgard Empire to the point of forcing the Holy Knights into action.

It was almost impossible to believe such a thing had actually happened.

Even now, after his mother had been taken away, his momentary shock had already passed.

(This boy… he’s truly intelligent. And his mental fortitude…)

Speaking to the Emperor with unwavering eye contact—something even seasoned soldiers struggled to do.

Moreover, he was brought here as a prisoner.
A normal child would be in tears, unable to even hold a conversation.

And yet, he understood his position perfectly.
He even made sure to assert his own value.

Seeing this, the Emperor laughed.
He liked the strong. And even more so when that strength came from his own blood.

“Hmph. Sieg, assign the finest strategists as his instructors. Lord, prove your worth. If you do, I will not kill you. You and your mother will live.”

“Does that mean… you acknowledge him, Your Majesty?!”

“Yes. But he has one year. Within a year, he must be ready to enter the battlefield. And he must keep winning. If he achieves the results I desire, I will spare his mother and set her free.”

Hearing this, Lord’s tear-filled eyes blazed with determination.

“…Promise me… you must swear it. That you will save my mother.”

(What kind of child is this…? Are these truly the eyes of an eight-year-old? He is the same age as my daughter…)

“Hahaha! I like those eyes. Very well, I will keep my promise. Win one hundred battles. Win, and you shall have your mother back.”

The Emperor laid out two conditions:

1. Within one year, Lord must acquire enough knowledge to be deployed onto the battlefield.
2. He must keep winning and produce results worthy of the Emperor’s recognition.

If he met these conditions, his mother’s life would be spared.
Until then, he would not be allowed to see her.

Thus, Lord’s battle began.

“I-It’s brilliant!”
“At only eight years old… truly, he is of the royal bloodline.”
“Then, Lord-sama, let us proceed with this next scenario.”

In war simulations, he effortlessly crushed every strategist who challenged him.
He absorbed every lesson he was taught, studied the ancient texts, and refined his skills.

The finest minds across the empire took turns instructing him, yet none lasted more than half a month.

As part of his mental training, he played chess.
Within a year, he had mastered it to the point of winning the Asgard Empire’s championship.

Talent is a gift from the gods.
With the effort of one, he could achieve what took others a hundred.

But even more terrifying—he worked harder than anyone else.
Against such a genius, ordinary men had no hope of winning.

A genius who also worked tirelessly—such beings are rarer than miracles.

Ordinary people learn to work hard because of their limitations.
Geniuses, knowing their talent, often abandon effort altogether.

Yet, once in a generation, a monster is born.
A genius forced by fate itself to push beyond his limits.
Lord Asgard was undeniably such a being.

But in the depths of this prodigy’s heart, there was only the memory of his kind mother.
As long as his efforts could save her, that was all that mattered.

He suffered to the point of coughing up blood.
The phrase “sacrificing sleep” became literal.
Day after day, he absorbed everything, pushing himself with an obsession that bordered on madness.

And then, the time came.
The promised year had passed.

The prodigy of his era, Lord Asgard, was about to enter his first battle.

“Mother… I am going now.”

A devilish strategist who would plunge the EU into terror.
A boy who nearly destroyed the country he once sought to protect—all for the sake of his mother.

His war had begun.

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