ALL NOVEL Chapter 72
Chapter 72: The Time of Reckoning (3)
“The dwarves have begun attacking the inner fortress!”
“…This is driving me insane.”
Jerome Metzelder buried his face in his hands.
The news of Martin killing Simone Royce already gave him a splitting headache.
After all, no matter how much Simone had been stripped of his succession rights, he was still Nicholas von Royce’s biological grandson.
‘And on top of that, he already killed Stefan Rustal.’
Martin had taken both Nicholas’ grandson and step-grandson.
How would Nicholas react?
Even imagining it made Jerome feel faint. And now, a horde of dwarves was invading.
The fact that the outer walls, which were regarded as an impenetrable fortress, had fallen in less than an hour only worsened his headache.
“How long do you think the inner walls can hold?”
“The knights and mages are fighting valiantly, but it’s only a matter of time before they fall!”
“Send an urgent message to the head of the Adventurer’s Guild! Get the adventurers to join the defense as well!”
“Th-they’ve said that war isn’t something they want to get involved in…”
“They’ve got the nerve to spout such nonsense? Tell the head this: if they keep dragging their feet, I’ll make sure the entire underworld knows what they’ve been up to in the black market!”
“I will deliver the message immediately!”
The secretary hurriedly left the office.
No sooner had he exited than another secretary entered, his face pale.
Jerome knew immediately that his troubles were far from over, and his instincts were right.
“Urgent news! A large group of elves has raided the black market and completely burned down the slave market! Many VIPs have been taken hostage!”
“…Damn it.”
Unable to contain his fury, Jerome cursed loudly.
It was already overwhelming to deal with one crisis, but now these disasters are happening one after the other.
He couldn’t think of a single solution.
There was also something else gnawing at his mind.
‘No matter how discreetly they moved, a group of dwarves or elves would have left traces. Yet, no one detected them.’
Everyone had been too busy monitoring Martin, who was wreaking havoc across the north.
As this realization dawned on him, Jerome’s expression twisted.
‘Could he have deliberately killed Simone Royce just to divert attention?’
Given the current situation, it seemed highly likely.
Thud!
Jerome shot up from his seat.
“Where is the Young Master now?”
“We received word about an hour ago that he entered Gourmet Street!”
“What about the White Dragon Knights?!”
“I confirmed just before I came here—they’re still at city hall!”
“Send troops to subdue them immediately! If they resist, it’s fine to kill them!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Despite the chaos, I don’t think there’s much to worry about. No matter how wild they get, they’ve got limited numbers.”
With those words, Jerome flung open the window of his office.
He jumped out and sprinted toward the inner fortress.
He intended to personally lead the troops and crush the dwarves.
But his plans were quickly thwarted.
Boom!
The tightly closed gates of the inner fortress collapsed with a thunderous crash.
‘It wasn’t from bombardment.’
The force that destroyed the gates was far more powerful than any artillery.
Recognizing that it had been an attack from a strong individual, Jerome tensed.
Boom!
A loud explosion followed as fragments of the gate scattered in all directions.
Then, the dwarven elder, Paolo, entered the inner fortress.
Upon spotting Jerome, he grinned.
“So, you’re the leader of this cursed city.”
“And what if I am?”
“You ask the obvious. It’s time for you to pay for your crimes—with your life, of course.”
Thud!
Paolo stomped his foot on the ground.
Suddenly, spear-like spikes shot up from the earth, all aimed at Jerome.
It was the activation of Paolo’s unique ability, Stone Manipulation.
But Jerome wasn’t going to just stand there.
“Hahp!”
With a loud shout, Jerome thrust his right fist forward.
In an instant, his punch shattered dozens of stone spears.
But that wasn’t the end.
Jerome activated his own unique ability, Body Reinforcement.
It was an extension of physical enhancement, but more exceptional.
His body became as hard as diamond, making him capable of withstanding attacks from opponents stronger than himself.
‘If I kill him, the dwarves will fall.’
Jerome quickly came to this conclusion and charged at Paolo.
Seeing him approach, a cruel smile spread across Paolo’s face.
“You’ve got guts.”
Thud! Thud!
The surrounding rocks floated into the air and gathered around Paolo’s hammer.
They formed a larger hammer, which Paolo gripped firmly with both hands.
Jerome scoffed at the sight.
‘You think you can beat me with a pile of rocks?’
As the distance between them closed, Paolo swung his massive rock hammer.
But Jerome didn’t defend.
He intended to withstand the blow with his body, then immediately land a punch on Paolo.
However, at that moment—
Boom!
A spike-shaped spear shot up from the ground beneath Jerome.
It struck him directly under the chin.
“Gah!”
Jerome staggered with a short cry.
It didn’t hurt much.
But the dizziness was so severe that he lost control of his body.
‘N-no!’
As he lost control, his Body Reinforcement weakened for a moment, and in that instant, Paolo’s hammer struck Jerome’s head.
“Aaagh!”
With a horrific scream, bright red blood spewed from Jerome’s mouth.
The excruciating pain and dizziness caused him to collapse to the ground.
He tried desperately to move, but his body trembled uncontrollably.
“The fate of those who overestimate their abilities is always miserable.”
Paolo stomped down on Jerome’s chest.
He raised his hammer, now returned to its original form, and aimed it at him.
“You knew our people were being enslaved, yet you turned a blind eye. Even worse, you allowed the slave market to continue. Taking your life won’t be enough to atone for your sins, but I’ll make sure it’s taken.”
“Wait, please!”
Paolo paused, just as he was about to bring down his hammer.
He turned to look at the woman who had spoken—it was Sien.
Just before Martin had left, he had told her the truth and entrusted her with a task.
She had been waiting for the right moment to act, and the White Dragon Knights had cleared a path for her as soon as she arrived.
“Why are you stopping me, member of the Adalbert family?” Paolo asked.
“That man is the mayor of a city recognized by the Empire. While we may get away with instigating a fight, killing him would lead to irreversible consequences.”
“I don’t care if we go to war with the Empire. As long as I can get my revenge, that’s enough for me.”
“Please, just hold off for a little longer. The Young Master swore that this man would be punished under Imperial law. He made this vow in the name of the Adalbert family. So, just this once, trust him.”
Paolo’s eyes flickered at Sien’s words.
If it had been anyone else, he might not have listened. But ignoring Martin’s proposal was not easy.
It was thanks to Martin’s help and information that Paolo and his people had been able to settle even a fraction of their long-standing grudge.
And if Martin’s promise to punish this mayor under Imperial law came true, the man would not only lose his life, but also his honor.
Paolo glanced at the other members of his tribe gathered around him.
Though their faces were grim, none voiced opposition to Sien’s plea.
“Seems I have no choice. I’ll accept your suggestion this time. But on one condition—I must be present at the trial.”
“Of course.”
Sien answered with relief, then turned her gaze to Jerome, her expression hardening.
“Jerome Metzelder, you are under arrest for not only allowing the slave market to continue, but also for aiding in its operation.”
“Do you think you can handle the consequences? Do you know who’s backing me—”
Wham!
Jerome’s words were cut off as Sien slapped him hard across the face.
“I don’t care who’s behind you. We are the Adalbert family.”
“There are many in the White Dragon Knights who understand the value of honor. Perhaps I can trust them a bit,” Paolo remarked.
“I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations,” Sien responded sincerely.
Paolo, sensing her honesty, smirked and nodded.
—
The aura blade wrapped around Heinz’s sword blazed like fire.
Though it was a pale blue, so it didn’t give the appearance of actual flames.
Boom!
Martin blocked Heinz’s powerful strike with a perfectly timed upward slash of his holy sword, Karadyl.
In the same movement, he subtly twisted his sword to absorb the impact completely.
‘They say his swordsmanship talent is the best on the continent…’
Heinz furrowed his brow.
Their swordsmanship was both at the 4th circle.
However, despite having more mana and superior physical abilities, all of Heinz’s attacks were easily neutralized.
It was a testament to Martin’s overwhelming skill with the sword.
In other words, when it came to pure technique, Heinz couldn’t match Martin.
‘Then I’ll just keep pressing him until he falls.’
With their swords locked together, Heinz waved his left hand.
Splash!
From seemingly nowhere, a torrent of water surged forth.
The water vibrated intensely, sharpened into blades.
‘Impressive, I’ll give him that.’
To summon such a large-scale attack from the moisture in the air was no easy feat.
However, it was a technique Martin had encountered before, making it easy to counter.
Proving this, Martin calmly waved his left hand.
Whirrrrr.
The space around them distorted, forming a dark void that swallowed the water in an instant.
Though he had effortlessly neutralized the attack, Martin couldn’t afford to relax.
Even as Heinz unleashed his unique ability, he relentlessly continued his barrage of sword strikes.
Each time their blades clashed, fragments of light and shockwaves erupted.
The force of the blows caused nearby buildings to crumble, and the roads beneath them to crack.
“Hahp!”
Heinz infused his aura blade with water’s sharpness, adding an extra layer of lethality.
He lunged in close, preparing to strike down at Martin.
But then—
Hiss!
At that moment, Heinz caught a glimpse of Martin’s pitch-black eyes.
It was only for a split second, but it sent shivers down his spine, and Heinz reflexively halted his movement.
Swish!
A golden aura blade sliced past his face, grazing him and sending strands of his hair fluttering to the ground.
Hum.
Simultaneously, Martin vanished and reappeared behind Heinz.
Using Instant Step, Martin closed the distance in a flash and thrust his left fist forward. Heinz quickly twisted his body, raising his sword to block.
Boom!
An explosive sound rang out.
‘What kind of power…?’
Heinz was genuinely shocked.
Cracks had appeared in his aura blade, even though it was reinforced with water’s cutting edge.
His right arm, gripping the hilt of his sword, was numb from the impact.
Martin was often considered lacking in physical strength.
Yet, here he was, delivering such powerful martial arts techniques.
Whoosh!
But Heinz didn’t have time to dwell on it.
Martin had seized the initiative and was now launching an unrelenting flurry of strikes.
Each blow was as fast as a magic bullet, yet incredibly precise.
Clang! Clang! Boom!
Heinz fought back, meeting Martin blow for blow, but soon regretted it.
No matter what he did, he couldn’t wrest control of the fight from Martin.
Even when he poured more mana into his aura blade and unleashed his unique ability in a frenzy, the result was the same.
“Take this!”
Dozens of streams of water erupted, encircling both Martin and Heinz, as if Heinz was preparing for a desperate, self-destructive attack.
But it had no effect on Martin.
He simply used Spatial Movement to escape the attack effortlessly, widening the distance between them by more than 100 meters.
The water streams stopped in their tracks and then dissipated.
“When I heard from Paragon that you managed to land a blow on him, I thought he must’ve gone easy on you. But I was wrong. Your talent with the sword is terrifying.”
“Don’t think flattery will get you any mercy from me.”
“I admit it. You have every right to be arrogant. To defeat you, I’ll have to put everything on the line.”
With that, Heinz raised his left hand.
“You know, Young Master, that Gourmet Street is closest to the Debritz River, don’t you?”
Rumble!
As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of massive streams of water surged over the walls of the city.
“No matter how old I get, with the environment like this, there’s no way I can lose. So, let me declare it now—this place will be your grave.”
“You really should retire. You’ve clearly lost your mind.”
Martin scoffed.
He knew the river was nearby.
He also understood that it gave Heinz an advantage.
But none of that changed anything.
He was still certain that the victory would be his.
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