The Return of the Limited-Time Sword Master

Chapter 61: Cleaning Time (6)

After discussing the future of Varehein City, Martin called for Sien and Fritz Khan separately.

The first to speak was Fritz.

“The Gustin family has received illegal subsidies from the Brightner family. Although it’s not enough to discuss extermination, the fact that they’ve committed a crime is clear.”

“So? You’re saying they should be punished?”

“That’s the principle.”

“Deputy Commander Fritz’s opinion is certainly the right one. But shouldn’t we consider that it’s not the right time to act hastily?”

Sien presented an opinion directly opposing Fritz.

Naturally, both Martin and Fritz turned their attention toward her.

“Some of the individuals who’ve opposed the young lord are beginning to show signs of submission recently. Elder Aren and the head of the Fezek family are prime examples. On the other hand, although not openly, there are still forces trying to distance themselves from the main house.”

Since they were discussing an important matter, Sien used formal language.

Martin nodded as if to urge her to continue.

“Though the Bitenfeld family’s stance is ambiguous, to be honest, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Gustin family declared a rebellion or independence at any moment.”

“If that’s the case, then even more reason…”

Fritz Khan furrowed his brow and interrupted, but Sien firmly cut him off.

“No. If we press them too hard now, the opposition to the head of the family could rally around the Gustin family. The Bitenfeld family would likely jump on board immediately.”

Martin summarized her opinion.

“So you’re saying we shouldn’t touch the Gustin family recklessly, at least not until we’ve built up solid justification so no one can come to their aid.”

“Yes, exactly.”

Martin thought her argument made sense.

The Gustin family was the strongest of the five branch families.

Though they weren’t powerful enough to take on the main house alone, the real issue was Mateus von Gustin.

He had the capability to pull in other branch families or elders to his side whenever he wanted.

Even those who were inclined to side with him.

One wrong move, and the entire family could split in half.

‘It’s not time to fight yet.’

He knew that conflict was inevitable and that the day would come when they’d have to face each other head-on.

But they needed to weaken the enemy’s strength as much as possible while bolstering their own forces before that clash.

A pyrrhic victory would be meaningless.

“Since we’re already on the topic of the Gustin family, I want to ask both of you something.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“What do you think of tying the drug farm incident to the Gustin family? After all, it wouldn’t be hard to fabricate evidence. There’s no better justification than this.”

Although he had already resolved not to do it, Martin asked just in case.

However, both of them reacted negatively.

“Unless we can tamper with the Gustin family’s records, fabricating evidence would be pointless. While there are more who support the young lord’s cause, it’s not absolute.”

“I agree with Miss Sien. Didn’t the young lord say it himself? Mateus von Gustin is no fool. He would undoubtedly find the flaw in our logic and use it to tear us apart.”

“Got it. Let’s forget I mentioned it.”

As both opposed the idea, Martin completely abandoned his plan to fabricate evidence.

Besides, they already had one weak point in the Gustin family.

And he knew other ways to push them into a crisis.

There was no need to take unnecessary risks.

“Regardless, the Gustin family remains the most unstable element within the main house. When the time comes, we need to uproot them for good.”

“When that day arrives, the White Dragon Knights will lead the charge and drag the traitors to ruin.”

“Good.”

Fritz Khan showed firm resolve.

Even though they were a branch family, there was no mercy for traitors.

Martin grinned at his determination.

“Where’s our next destination, young lord?”

This time, it was Sien who asked the question.

“We’ll be visiting several places, but the most important one is definitely Akela City.”

“Sigh. So it’s come to that, huh?”

“What can we do? It’s a place we must pass through if we want to reach the Imperial Capital.”

Free City Akela.

A city located on the border between the northern region ruled by the Adalbert family and the western region dominated by the Imperial Family.

For that reason, the mayor was always someone with no ties to either power.

Neither the Adalbert family nor the Imperial Family had any influence over the city.

In essence, Akela was a truly independent free city.

“On the surface, it’s a prosperous trading city, but in reality, it’s different. Illegal activities are rampant, and the black market is thriving. There are even rumors circulating that slaves, officially banned across the continent, are being sold there.”

“It’s a filthy place.”

Martin fully understood Sien’s sentiments.

Anyone with an upright nature would naturally loathe Akela City.

But this time, they had no choice but to visit it, and it wasn’t just because of its geographical importance.

‘The current mayor is connected to Nicholas von Royce.’

He had long been obsessed with elevating his family into the ranks of the top three noble houses.

That’s why he had married his daughter off to Valdemar von Rustal.

In that sense, Akela City served as a foothold and forward base for the Royce Marquisate’s ambitions in the north.

It was, in fact, the largest obstacle to the northern unification.

To prevent them from extending their influence into the north, they needed to deal with it.

There was also another reason they had to go.

‘It’s an opportunity to make ties with non-human races.’

Elves and dwarves.

They were races that, along with humans, made up the continent’s inhabitants.

However, due to their small numbers and inability to control a single dungeon entrance, they had been pushed aside by humans.

As a result, they had retreated into the depths of the wilderness, making them hard to find.

But in Akela City, they were being secretly traded at high prices.

Of course, through illegal slave markets.

If they could free them and shut down the slave market?

It would be the perfect first step to getting closer to those races.

There was much to be done in Akela City.

The problem was that all of it was difficult.

‘Besides the nobles, there are plenty of other obstacles.’

Akela City had another nickname: the City of Desire.

In reality, all kinds of underworld figures were operating in secret there.

Even the Assassin’s Guild led by the Dark King, which they had recently faced, had its base in that city.

Although the Dark King wasn’t particularly involved in the slave trade, most of the underworld organizations had their hands in it.

On top of that, there were countless others who could interfere.

In other words, conflict was inevitable.

“Many forces will be watching the young lord closely after this move. It will be impossible to operate in secret like before.”

“I’m sure of that.”

“And there’s another issue. Akela City officially restricts the entry of knight orders, doesn’t it? Even under the pretense of protecting the young lord, the movements of our members will be limited.”

“Well, that’s just something we’ll have to endure.”

Given what had been done, all kinds of interference and restrictions were to be expected.

The underworld figures and the nobles of Akela City would certainly go to great lengths.

But Martin had no intention of giving up.

For the sake of his family, and for his own future, it had to be done.

“Anyway, it’s late. You both should rest.”

At Martin’s words, Sien and Fritz bid farewell and left the room.

Left alone, he retrieved a communication crystal from his subspace.

Vrrr.

As he injected mana into it, a bright light emanated from the crystal.

Inside, the figures of two individuals appeared.

“We greet the young lord.”

“We greet the young lord.”

The captains of the White Dragon Knights and the Gold Dragon Knights, Lucas Hoffman and Philip Alofs, respectively, were the ones who appeared.

“There’s something I need both of you to do. Commander Lucas, head to the Altair Forest, and Commander Philip, go to the Ranens Mountains.”

Both locations were in the northern part of the Empire.

The former was famous for being home to elves, and the latter to dwarves.

However, both races were notorious for their disdain toward humans.

In fact, no northern faction had managed to establish contact with them, except for the Adalbert family, who had maintained regular exchanges with them.

‘That was several hundred years ago.’

At some point, all communication had ceased completely.

Before returning to the past, Martin had met the elves once, but that was as far as it went.

“Make sure to convey my intentions. If they don’t believe you, feel free to invoke the name of the Adalbert family. I’m determined to use this opportunity….”

Martin gave his orders, and both commanders accepted them.

After ending the communication, there were still more people Martin needed to contact.

However, this time he felt slightly, very slightly, nervous.

It was because of who he had to contact.

But that hesitation only lasted a moment, and Martin infused mana into the communication crystal.

As light radiated from the crystal, a woman’s figure appeared.

– “Although it’s just a communication, this is our first time speaking directly, young lord.”

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness, the Princess.”

Martin greeted Claudia Altaria, the First Princess of the Altaria Empire, calmly.

From here on, things would get truly serious.

—

Martin’s party remained in Varehein City for another week.

They stayed to help stabilize the city and assist Sara Meinert, the newly appointed mayor.

Even if that wasn’t the case, it was natural to take care of Varehein City, as it had now become directly under the control of the Adalbert family.

With Martin’s full support, Sara declared the official dissolution of the Brightner family.

As a result, Jurgen’s family members were all exiled to the maternal relatives of his wife.

The knights, mages, and others involved in the drug farms and the oppressive rule received due punishment.

Some tried to resist, but it was meaningless.

Fritz Khan and the White Dragon Knights swiftly delivered retribution.

In the end, the city found complete peace.

In fact, it could be said that the entire city was now brimming with hope for the future.

“Thank you so much for all your help. Thanks to you, I can now work with peace of mind.”

Sara bowed deeply to Martin and Sien, who stood in front of the car.

To her, the two were benefactors.

Had she not met them, she would never have seen a day like this.

Martin waved his right hand lightly in response to Sara’s bow.

As if against her will, Sara found herself straightening up.

“How can the mayor of an entire city bow so easily?”

“The mayor of Varehein City is now a direct vassal of the Adalbert family head. Isn’t it natural to show respect to one’s superior?”

“If I recall correctly, you weren’t this talkative when we first met.”

“Anyone meeting the young lord of the Adalbert family for the first time would react the same way I did.”

Martin felt relieved as he watched Sara’s confident demeanor.

By becoming his direct vassal, she had laid a foundation for herself.

However, aside from that, she still lacked real military power or political influence.

Even with the Cry of Freedom, it wasn’t enough to fully support her as a mayor.

But Martin, knowing her true potential, wasn’t overly concerned.

‘If the Sara Meinert I know is anything like before, she’ll handle the position of mayor just fine.’

He was genuinely satisfied with the excellent vassal he had gained.

Vrrr.

Next, Martin opened his subspace, and a sword emerged from within the spatial rift.

It was a beautifully crafted longsword, with a blue magic stone embedded in its hilt.

“This is the holy sword Karadyl. It’s imbued with magic that enhances physical abilities and mana. It was stored in the Brightner family’s treasury, and from now on, it’s yours.”

“A-A holy sword? It’s far too precious for someone like me. It should at least be given to someone who can use an inherent ability…”

“That sword will become the symbol of the mayor of Varehein City. So, shouldn’t you be the one to wield it?”

The word “symbol” left Sara with no room to refuse.

In the end, with trembling hands, she reached out and grasped the sword’s hilt.

As befitting a holy sword brimming with immense power, she could feel energy surging through her body the moment she held it.

“I’ll have to train hard. At the very least, I need to be strong enough to be worthy of the sword.”

“If it’s you, I believe you’ll reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship, at least up to the 5th Circle.”

“Your words alone give me strength.”

“Then work hard. I have high expectations for you.”

“I’ll do my best to meet them.”

Sara responded in a composed tone.

After nodding, Martin got into the car.

Tap, tap.

At that moment, Sien quietly approached and embraced Sara.

Sara, too, embraced her in return, as if she had been waiting for it.

“Let’s meet again… though it might be difficult, right? Even though there are Warp devices in both Varehein City and Fratel City, we’ll both be incredibly busy.”

“Even if we can’t meet, we can always keep in touch, right? I’m not going to lose a friend I’ve just made just because we’re busy.”

“Me neither.”

When Sara answered confidently, Sien smiled brightly.

In just two days of uniting the protesters, they had grown remarkably close, and as a result, they had become friends.

Both treasured the newfound bond between them.

After saying their goodbyes, Sien climbed into the driver’s seat.

The car started immediately, and they set off for Free City Akela.

Two vehicles carrying the White Dragon Knights followed behind them.

“Thank you so much, young lord!”

“We will never forget your grace!”

As the vehicles left, the citizens, who had gathered outside the city gate, raised their voices in unison.

It was the proper gesture to show respect to the benefactor who had freed them from tyranny.

‘Now the real journey begins.’

The past week has been relatively peaceful.

With Martin around, everyone had been cautious and restrained.

But now he is gone.

No matter how much she had taken control as mayor, it didn’t change the fact that she was now alone.

That’s why she had to prove herself.

She had to show that she was truly deserving of her position as mayor.

‘I can do this.’

Hadn’t she already overcome the hardest trial?

There was no way she would yield to a challenge of this level.

And so, Sara Meinert, the first mayor of Free City Varehein, steeled herself for what lay ahead.

TL Note: Rate us on NOVEL UPDATES