The Return of the Limited-Time Sword Master

Chapter 59: Cleanup Time (4)

A member of the White Dragon Knights received a potion from Martin.

He forcibly fed it to Jurgen von Brightner.

The bleeding from Jurgen’s severed right arm stopped entirely, and the intense pain disappeared.

It was at that moment.

‘Now!’

Jurgen realized this was his last chance.

He immediately tried to bite his tongue, squeezing the last remnants of mana from the mana cores in his heart and head.

But his attempt was quickly thwarted.

Martin acted first, stomping his right foot on Jurgen’s head, pinning him to the ground.

Thud!

“Gah!”

Jurgen coughed up blood as his head slammed into the dirt.

He struggled to lift himself with his remaining left arm, but Martin didn’t budge.

“Suicide isn’t an option. There’s still so much I need to hear from you.”

“You… you won’t get anything out of me!”

“I never understood why those in high positions always think they can keep their mouths shut. In the end, they’re far more talkative than their subordinates.”

Thud!

Without missing a beat, Martin kicked Jurgen in the head again.

The blow sent Jurgen rolling, leaving him staring up at the sky.

The humiliation he felt was immense, but it didn’t end there.

Plop.

Martin sat down on Jurgen’s abdomen, staring down at him.

Now serving as an unwilling chair, Jurgen seethed with unbearable shame and rage.

“You should show some respect between nobles… Aaargh!”

Before he could fully voice his fury, Jurgen let out a gut-wrenching scream.

His left arm twisted inward, breaking, and tearing through flesh.

Blood poured out, and the muscles swelled grotesquely like an overinflated balloon.

His vision turned white, and the pain overwhelmed him, leaving him unable to think.

The pain was indescribable, as if his very soul was being wrung out.

Martin, who had been using Omni Distortion on Jurgen’s left shoulder, finally let go.

The pain vanished as if it had never been there, but Jurgen’s face remained deathly pale.

Kuaaa!

Fritz Khan and the other White Dragon Knights directed their killing intent at Jurgen, incensed by his earlier behavior.

“Enough,” Martin said calmly.

At his command, the knights quickly withdrew their murderous aura, though their expressions remained stern.

But Martin paid them no mind and lightly patted Jurgen’s head.

“If you want to die peacefully, I suggest you mind your words, Jurgen von Brightner. And remember this: If you fail to answer my questions properly or say something I don’t like, you’ll realize that the pain you just felt was nothing in comparison.”

“Hah!”

Jurgen instinctively shuddered in fear.

As a member of the Brightner family, he had fought countless battles in dungeons from a young age.

Through those battles, he had accumulated numerous scars and faced death many times.

His hard-fought efforts had earned him the status of a 6th-circle mage and the headship of the family.

Yet, he was certain.

Nothing he had ever experienced compared to the agony he had just endured.

And to hear that it was only a taste of what was to come?

Shiver.

Despite his best efforts, his body began to shake uncontrollably.

“I take it you’re ready to talk now, right?”

“That… that is…”

“You’re still going to keep your mouth shut? Not the wisest choice, but fine. I’ll just have to keep my promise.”

Martin began to summon his mana again.

“I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything I know!” Jurgen screamed, panicked.

Martin smiled with satisfaction and nodded, signaling for him to continue.

“First question. Why was the Dark King interested in your drug plantation? Sure, Claudel-based drugs sell well, but someone like the Dark King wouldn’t risk clashing with the King of Medicine just for that. There must be something more.”

“…About a year ago, the Dark King came to me directly. He said he had discovered a new method for refining Claudel. He offered to let me keep all the profits from the drug trade, as long as I grew Claudel. In exchange, I had to hand over all the research data to him.”

“So, it’s essentially a new drug. How is it refined?”

“Unlike the current drugs, which require mana to be infused into Claudel’s petals, this one is different. It’s made by mixing Claudel’s raw extract with powdered magic stones.”

“And the effect?”

“For those without abilities, it opens the mana core in their head. For those with abilities, it increases their circle by one.”

“What?!”

Martin’s eyes widened in genuine shock at Jurgen’s explanation.

Murmurs spread among the others as well.

Opening the mana core in one’s head meant gaining a unique ability.

In other words, it provided a way to artificially awaken unique abilities.

Considering that only those with unique abilities could become nobles, this revelation was nothing short of revolutionary.

“Is that… even possible? You’re not lying, are you?”

“Why would I lie about something like that?”

Martin fell silent for a moment.

Jurgen had no reason to lie, but the information was so unbelievable that it was hard not to doubt.

“…Alright. So the Dark King worked with you because of this. But if the drug is that powerful, why hasn’t it been revealed yet?”

“Because it’s not perfected yet. The Dark King called it ‘Doom.’ Anyone who took it gained the ability, but none survived longer than half a day.”

“So, the side effects are still too severe?”

“Yes. He’s been researching here to find a way to eliminate the side effects. But then all of this happened.”

Jurgen spoke as if he had given up.

Watching him, Martin sank into thought.

‘Even seven years from now, the side effects haven’t been resolved.’

Before his betrayal and death, Martin had traveled extensively and experienced many things as the head of the Adalbert family.

Thanks to his position, he had access to information that ordinary people could never obtain.

With his exceptional memory, he recalled nearly everything he had learned.

And there had been no mention of a drug called Doom.

This suggested that the side effects had not been resolved, even in the future.

For now, that was that—but there was another important question.

“Was the Gustin family involved in running the drug plantation?”

“No. Only a handful of people, including the Dark King and me, knew about the drug plantation. I didn’t even tell my wife and children.”

“So, the funds you sent to the Gustin family came from falsifying the mine’s output?”

“H-how do you know about that…?”

Shake.

Jurgen’s eyes trembled violently.

Falsifying the mine’s output and sending the excess profits to the Gustin family was top secret.

Martin casually mentioned the information, leaving Jurgen utterly baffled.

He couldn’t comprehend how Martin knew such a sensitive secret.

“It’s no wonder the Adalbert family claims dominion over the North. Uncovering secrets like these is child’s play for us.”

“I’ve been dancing in the palm of your hand this entire time.”

“You alone weren’t enough. I was hoping to get a hold of the Gustin family’s weak spot, but that seems impossible now.”

If the Gustin family had been involved with the drug plantation, they could be taken down.

However, as it stood, their only wrongdoing was gaining unfair profits.

Falsifying the mining output was entirely the fault of the Brightner family, and Martin couldn’t directly implicate the Gustins in this without evidence.

‘Should I forge some evidence?’

Soon, the documents and ledgers from the Brightner family would be in Martin’s hands.

If the Gustin family had made any mistakes, it wouldn’t be difficult to exaggerate their crimes, add what was needed, and subtract where convenient.

No matter how much they denied it, no one would believe them given their past misconduct.

However, Martin quickly dismissed the idea of overreaching.

Though the leverage he had on the Gustin family was limited, he had already ruined their most powerful supporter.

He had many more cards left to play against them, and risking exposure by forging evidence was unnecessary.

“Alright, since you’ve spoken cooperatively, I’ll grant you a peaceful death. Do you have anything else to say?”

Jurgen hesitated for a moment before speaking heavily.

“Could you spare my family?”

“As long as they weren’t involved in the drug plantation.”

“As I said earlier, only a few knew about it. The majority, including my family, were unaware.”

“Very well. If it’s proven that they weren’t involved in the operation, they’ll be spared. The other crimes aren’t punishable by death. However, losing your territory is unavoidable.”

“Damn it.”

“What good is regret now? You should’ve lived within your means from the start.”

“…Hmph.”

“If you have a message for your family, now’s the time. I’ll make sure they receive it.”

“Tell them… tell them I’m sorry.”

“I will.”

Swish!

Martin swung Kaizen in a clean arc.

Like a guillotine, the blade came down, decapitating Jurgen in one swift motion.

“I’ll head back to the mine. Fritz Khan, take control of the Brightner family’s estate.”

“At your command, young master,” Fritz Khan responded calmly.

Satisfied with the knight’s capable demeanor, Martin nodded and used Spatial Movement to vanish.

Though Jurgen von Brightner had been defeated, Martin still had much work ahead of him.

* * *

Kalain stood before his father, Mateus von Gustin’s office.

‘What’s going on?’

His father never summoned him while he was focused on his training.

So something significant must have happened.

Knock knock.

“It’s me, my lord.”

“Come in.”

With permission granted, Kalain entered the room.

To his surprise, two others were already there—Andreas Schneider, the leader of the Red Dragon Knights, and his vice-captain, Karsten Frings.

Both of them wore grim expressions, and Kalain’s instincts told him that something serious had occurred.

Mateus then confirmed Kalain’s suspicions with a statement that shocked him to his core.

“Jurgen von Brightner has been killed.”

“What?! What do you mean? Why… how could Jurgen suddenly die?”

“The young master of the Adalbert family, Martin, declared it himself. He claimed that Jurgen was running a drug plantation in cooperation with the Dark King.”

“What? How could there be a drug plantation in Fratel City when it’s just a mining town?”

Kalain was dumbfounded.

He knew that his family and the Brightner family were in close cooperation.

It was their financial support that allowed his father to secretly strengthen the family’s power.

But a drug plantation? It didn’t make sense to him.

“According to the young master, there was a mine with an underground lake where Claudel was being cultivated. Jurgen and the Dark King supposedly attempted an assassination to cover up the truth. If that’s true, then Jurgen’s death is justified.”

“But executing a fellow noble without a proper trial is wrong! How could the young master carry out an execution without due process?”

“Who could stop the young master in this situation? Not only was there a drug plantation, but Jurgen also attempted to assassinate him. This makes it a case of self-defense. What’s more pressing is that the young master now controls the Brightner family’s estate, including all their information. In the process, our involvement may come to light.”

“Is that really such a big problem?”

“You’re right, Kalain. It might not be. But we can’t dismiss the possibility that the young master could forge evidence to frame us as accomplices.”

“…Given the way he’s been acting lately, that’s not entirely impossible. But Martin usually prioritizes efficiency. I doubt he’d go out of his way to take unnecessary risks.”

“Even considering that, the threat remains. The young master specifically targeted the Brightner family, with whom we were closely associated. Considering the incident with the Rustal family, it’s clear he’s already aware of our ties.”

“You mean there’s a good chance he knows about other vulnerabilities as well?”

“Precisely. Once a few weaknesses are exposed, it’ll only be a matter of time before we fall to the young master.”

Kalain realized something then.

His usually cautious father was uncharacteristically decisive today.

“That’s why I’ve made up my mind. It’s time to achieve the long-held ambition of our family and fulfill the wishes of our ancestors.”

“I agree with your decision, father. But is it possible? Recently, the heads of the Fezek and Bitenfeld families have been leaning toward pledging allegiance to the young master. Even with our hidden strength, it would be difficult to oppose him on our own.”

“You’re right. It would be difficult alone. But what if we had allies?”

Mateus smiled slyly and glanced toward the door.

“Come in.”

Step, step.

At Mateus’ words, a man entered the room.

“You!”

Kalain was shocked the moment he saw the man’s face.

It was someone no martial artist could fail to recognize.

Moreover, this man was the confidant of Nicholas von Royce.

The fact that he was here could only mean one thing.

The Royce Marquisate, one of the most powerful families after the three great noble houses, had extended its hand toward the Gustin family.

‘It’s an unbelievable situation.’

No matter how powerful the Royce family was, they couldn’t compare to the Adalbert family, one of the three great noble houses.

However, the strength of the Adalbert family had waned since the previous head’s reign. By now, they were no longer considered an unstoppable force.

They were no longer viewed as equals to the royal family or the other great noble houses.

Of course, even in decline, the Adalbert family remained stronger than the Royce family.

But that was only considering their officially recognized forces.

The Royce family had hidden much of their strength.

Exactly how much was unknown.

But it was a fact that the Royce family had long coveted the position of one of the three great noble houses.

They had been secretly building their forces for that very purpose.

Now, if the Royce family attacked from the outside while the Gustin family undermined the Adalberts from within…

‘Martin, your struggle is over.’

Kalain was certain of their victory.

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