The Return of the Limited-Time Sword Master

Chapter 34: Dreams and Bubbles (4)

On the Cracian Continent, regardless of the nation, an individual’s rank was determined by their strength.

There were exceptions, such as commoner officials, but among nobles, the rule of “the strong prevail” was the norm.

This happened naturally, as each noble manifested their unique abilities and was required to master either magic or martial arts.

As a result, it was safe to say that the lord of a domain or the head of a family was typically the strongest in their respective territory.

In the Altaria Empire, the strongest individuals of their time were, in fact, the Emperor and the heads of the three great noble families.

However, being powerful didn’t mean they could act recklessly.

On the contrary, their strength imposed responsibility and duty upon them.

For example, in the event of war, the most powerful person had to confront the strongest enemy on the other side. No matter how many weaker individuals banded together, they couldn’t take down a single powerful opponent.

‘The mindset of the ruling class may be just, but the drawbacks can’t be ignored.’

There was significance in having the highest commander fight directly in battle.

Their valor could boost the morale of their troops.

The problem arose if they were defeated.

The highest-ranking commander usually held the core of the forces. If such an individual lost or died at the hands of the enemy, the morale of the entire army would plummet.

Whirrr.

Martin placed his zweihander, Kaizen, into his subspace and wiped the blood off his face with his right hand.

Then, gripping Valdemar’s neck with his left hand, he lifted off the ground.

His body was already a wreck after the fierce battle with Valdemar, and now, using his flight ability was pushing his body to its limit.

But Martin forced himself to endure the pain.

No matter how much he hurt, he had to finish what needed to be done.

“Martin Adalbert has beheaded the ringleader of the rebellion, Valdemar von Rustal!”

Martin’s voice echoed across the Cheloti Mountains.

Naturally, the eyes of everyone on the battlefield turned upward, and they could all clearly see Valdemar’s severed head.

“The young lord has slain the traitor!”

“Let’s finish off the remaining rebels!”

The members of the White Dragon and Gold Dragon Knights shouted with resounding voices.

Although they followed Martin out of loyalty pledged by Lucas Hoffman and Philip Alofs, some still had doubts.

After all, despite his strength as a 7-circle mage, Martin had been afflicted with the Dragon’s Curse.

It had been hard for them to trust that he could perform well in battle, but with this fight, Martin instilled absolute confidence in his followers.

On the other hand, those who sided with House Rustal were now in despair.

They had no legitimate reason to rebel in the first place.

They had attempted to assassinate Martin through the Blood Sword Guild and embezzled dungeon spoils that were strictly forbidden by the royal family.

Valdemar von Rustal and House Rustal were clearly the ones at fault.

Now that their leader, Valdemar, was dead, they had no future.

“Spare anyone who surrenders! But kill all those who resist!”

Martin’s voice, amplified by mana, boomed across the battlefield.

In response, the members of the White Dragon and Gold Dragon Knights fought with even more ferocity.

Conversely, the Green Dragon Knights couldn’t put up much resistance.

Many of the common soldiers armed with magic rifles and cannons either threw down their weapons and fled or surrendered on the spot.

With the treacherous terrain of the Cheloti Mountains, it was nearly impossible for the average person to escape quickly, but no one seemed to care anymore.

Thud.

Having completed his task, Martin descended to the ground.

And he landed right beside Sien.

The moment she saw Martin, she opened her subspace and handed him a top-tier potion.

“You know how awful you look right now, don’t you? Drink this before the others’ morale drops.”

“I will. Thanks, Sien.”

Without hesitation, Martin downed the potion.

Instantly, the pain that had been tearing through his body began to subside.

“I still have a long way to go. I didn’t even get hit once, and yet I’m already exhausted.”

“Well, if you were aiming to destroy my composure, congratulations, Martin. You succeeded.”

Sien smiled softly.

At the same time, Martin noticed her right hand clenching into a fist.

He instinctively shivered.

“You reached the level of a 7-circle mage at just 18. On top of that, you defeated Valdemar von Rustal, the head of a branch family, in a one-on-one fight. And yet you’re saying you still have a long way to go? Hm?”

“W-Well, I didn’t mean it that way…”

“I don’t mind humility, but when it’s excessive, it becomes deceit. It’d be good for you to understand that.”

“I’ll keep that in mind! I’m really sorry!”

Martin quickly straightened up and shouted.

His instincts warned him: if he said anything wrong now, he’d really get hit.

Even though he had taken the potion, his body wasn’t fully healed. He couldn’t guarantee what would happen if he got hit while still in this condition.

Satisfied with Martin’s response, Sien nodded slightly.

“Lucas Hoffman of the White Dragon Knights has slain Laust Fuller!”

“Philip Alofs of the Gold Dragon Knights has taken down Klazen Wagner!”

At that moment, good news echoed across the battlefield, and Martin quickly turned his body.

Lucas Hoffman and Philip Alofs were holding up the heads of their enemies high in the air.

With the deaths of Valdemar and the heads of the Green Dragon Knights, the forces of House Rustal completely collapsed.

Most of the common soldiers surrendered, while the knights chose to flee.

But none succeeded in escaping.

The members of the White Dragon and Gold Dragon Knights, boasting superior combat power, relentlessly pursued the fleeing enemies and slaughtered them all.

“I-I surrender…”

“It’s too late. You should’ve taken the chance when I offered it.”

Lucas sneered at a member of the Green Dragon Knights.

His sword swung down, and blood and heads flew.

With that, the battle at the Cheloti Mountains finally came to an end.

—

After the battle, Martin immediately headed to House Rustal’s estate.

As soon as he arrived, he set fire to the family’s flag and nameplate.

He then declared that the Adalbert family would directly govern not only Talonia City but also all of House Rustal’s territory.

In fact, multiple officials, including Zerv Netz, the Adalbert family’s secretary, were dispatched via portal to Talonia City.

Upon their arrival, they immediately began administrative duties, reviewing the internal affairs of House Rustal.

Additionally, the Gold Dragon Knights remained stationed in Talonia City to prevent the citizens from falling into chaos.

While executions were scheduled for Pierre the Secretary and other key vassals, Martin didn’t wait for that.

There was someone else who truly deserved execution.

That’s why, with Sien and the White Dragon Knights, he used a portal to return to the Adalbert estate.

Thud, thud.

Emerging from the portal, Martin headed straight for the main building of the estate.

There, Vincent von Igreet, Elder Aren, Elder Marius, and other key figures of the Adalbert family were gathered.

‘You could at least try to hide your emotions.’

Martin chuckled inwardly.

Those like Vincent, who supported him, were beaming with joy.

In contrast, the two elders and other heirs from the branch families were eyeing him with discomfort.

What bothered Martin most was Adel Bitenfeld’s odd smile, but he decided to ignore it.

“What is the meaning of this, young lord? You claimed there would be an investigation, yet you’ve sparked a war!”

“Even if House Rustal committed crimes, war is an entirely different matter. You’ve bypassed the council’s authority! This is clearly an overreach of power.”

Elders Aren and Marius scolded him with stern faces.

But Martin didn’t bat an eye.

“I made an unavoidable choice to minimize our losses. Had we given them more time, they would’ve received reinforcements or strengthened their defenses, causing us greater harm. Not to mention, they could have hidden their embezzled funds.”

“What do you plan to do about the pressure from Marquis Royce? If they decide to challenge us with a territorial war…”

“Since it was House Rustal that committed the initial crime, we hold the moral high ground. Marquis Royce cannot intervene. Even if they did, the other princes and princesses wouldn’t stand idly by. Supporting House Rustal, who committed treason, would reflect poorly on them.”

“Marquis Royce has the strength to push past that, young lord.”

“Then we’ll fight, Elder Aren. You know as well as I do that House Adalbert does not bow to external pressure.”

“That’s a reckless statement.”

“I’d say it’s Elder Marius who’s shirking responsibility. You too, Elder Aren. You both seem to be defending traitors.”

At Martin’s words, Elders Aren and Marius closed their mouths tightly.

The assassination attempt through the Blood Sword Guild could have been dismissed as internal strife.

But Valdemar and the previous heads of House Rustal had blatantly violated imperial law to amass wealth. Associating with Valdemar wouldn’t benefit anyone, especially given the clear-cut charge of treason.

“If you have nothing more to say, I’ll get back to finishing my business.”

Without waiting for a response from the two elders, Martin loosened up and made his way toward the center of the gathered circle.

There stood Vincent, standing tall and proud, and Stefan, kneeling on the ground. Stefan’s body was covered in bruises and wounds.

Despite his condition, Stefan glared at Martin with a murderous look.

“Just a few hours ago, he tried to flee beyond Varehein City’s walls.”

“Who caught him?”

“I was bored, so I went after him myself. If I had sent my subordinates, there would’ve been unnecessary bloodshed.”

“Thank you for your efforts, Vincent.”

“No need for thanks over something like this.”

Though he downplayed his actions, Vincent smiled faintly.

He then casually stepped aside, giving Martin space to speak with Stefan.

“Stefan Rustal.”

“…Do you really think you can handle Marquis Royce, my maternal grandfather?”

“You and your father say the exact same thing. What’s the point of worrying about what happens after you die? It’s not like you’ll be around to see it.”

“…”

“Enough pointless talk. Listen up. Valdemar von Rustal is dead by my hand. House Rustal has been officially dissolved, and its territory will be governed by the Adalbert family for the time being. I plan to erase every trace of the history your family built.”

Trembling with rage, Stefan’s body shook violently.

The thought that his father, whom he had respected all his life, had been defeated by this terminally ill man before him—it was unbearable.

The idea that the glorious history of his family was being wiped away was equally devastating.

He was consumed by hatred.

He wanted nothing more than to rip Martin Adalbert apart, the man who had destroyed his family and stood in his way until the very end.

In a final desperate attempt, Stefan burned his life force to fulfill his last wish.

“Martin Adalbert!”

He shot up from his kneeling position in a fit of fury.

But that was all he could do.

Before he could take a single step, he collapsed, face-first onto the ground.

It was gravity manipulation, an application of Omni Distortion.

Stefan couldn’t resist the immense force crushing his body. He could only flail his limbs helplessly.

Even in such a pitiful state, Stefan forced himself to lift his head and glare at Martin.

Blood-tears streamed from his eyes.

It was a gruesome sight, but Martin didn’t avert his gaze.

“If you have any pride as a knight, draw your sword, Martin Adalbert! Fight me honorably, one on one!”

“Enough with the righteous act, Stefan. There’s no honor in being a traitor.”

“You won’t die peacefully either! Even after death, I’ll curse you with all my might!”

“Ha. That won’t even scratch me.”

Martin smirked slightly.

He was already afflicted with something far worse than a curse: the Dragon’s Curse.

Stefan’s threat of a posthumous curse meant nothing to him.

Whirr.

Martin drew Kaizen from his subspace.

He gripped the sword’s hilt with both hands and raised it high.

At that moment, Stefan squeezed out the last of his strength to shout.

“Kalain Gustin, Adel Bitenfeld, Simon Fezek! Watch closely with your own eyes! This demon will drag you all into ruin one day! If you don’t want to end up like me, think very carefully about what you do next!”

“For your final words, you’re still trying to stir up trouble. You really are just like your father.”

“Don’t you dare insult my father!”

“Insult? I’m just stating facts. Anyway, I hope you feel relieved now. Goodbye.”

Slash!

The blade of Kaizen fell, and Stefan’s head rolled across the ground.

With this, the direct line of House Rustal was severed completely.

Martin didn’t care and turned his gaze to the elders and branch family heirs.

Their expressions were all grim.

All except for Adel Bitenfeld, who was still faintly smiling.

“Anyone who bares their fangs at me will meet the same fate as House Rustal. If anyone’s harboring ulterior motives, you’d better be prepared.”

This was a declaration of war.

A warning that he would show no mercy to traitors.

Of course.

‘Even if I say this, you’ll still be consumed by your ambitions.’

But unlike before, no one would openly challenge him now.

Instead, they’d resort to more underhanded methods to try and take his place.

‘Not that it matters.’

He would crush all the traitors.

That was the only vow he needed to keep.

For now, though, he’d have to put that task on hold.

Other issues were about to arise.

In his previous life, he had only heard about it through rumors, but this time, he would directly intervene and resolve it.

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