ALL NOVEL Chapter 86
Chapter 86: Hierarchy Re-organization (1)
It had been some time since Martin returned from the capital, and as the days grew colder, winter began to settle in. The new year was fast approaching, and Martin found himself smiling.
_”What on earth are you? No, how in the world are you even possible?”_
Arelia von Adalbert looked at Martin in utter disbelief. Having missed out on his training during the northern tour and his time in the capital, she had pushed him through an intense regimen. And now, she was genuinely astonished.
Astonished by the overwhelming talent of her descendant.
The Second Chapter of Arelia Swordsmanship, the Chapter of Flames, was far more difficult to master than the First Chapter, the Chapter of Wind. Yet Martin had rapidly absorbed it, and he was now on the verge of facing the final test.
She had expected it would take at least six months, but Martin had far exceeded those expectations.
“If I show humility now, you’d probably scold me, right?”
_”Of course. If you did that, it would be deceitful. And deceivers deserve to be punished.”_
“I’ll be careful then.”
Martin chuckled at Arelia’s stern response. But the moment of humor passed quickly as both of them grew serious.
Arelia drove her sword into the ground.
Boom!
A fierce earthquake shook the dry wasteland, splitting the earth wide open. From the cracks, scorching hot lava gushed forth, some of it erupting into fountains aimed directly at Martin.
But Martin didn’t panic. He gripped Karadyl, his holy sword.
In an instant, wind gathered around the blade, spinning rapidly.
‘The key to the Chapter of Flames is to spin the wind at high speed and crash it against the surface of space to generate heat.’
It was essentially friction heat.
Fwoosh!
The whirlwind flared red, transforming into fire. Then, the golden aura blade merged with it.
Martin swung Karadyl downward.
The radiant blade of molten gold cleaved the lava cleanly in two.
_”Excellent.”_
Whoosh.
Nodding with approval, Arelia vanished, only to reappear 100 meters away using spatial movement.
_”The second test is the same as the first. Approach me using only the Chapter of Flames.”_
“Understood.”
Martin replied calmly, surveying his surroundings. By now, the lava had formed a vast lake. Just being near its heat made it feel as though his entire body would melt.
‘The power of a 10-circle master is truly immense.’
He now understood why 10-circle masters were referred to as absolute beings. Still, that didn’t mean he was afraid.
Facing Arelia directly might be one thing, but he couldn’t afford to harbor fear during a mere trial. He wouldn’t be worthy of bearing the Adalbert name otherwise.
‘I need to finish this quickly.’
Though Martin’s body was weaker than most, and he was more vulnerable to the lava’s heat, the sheer intensity of the heat was staggering. Even Sien, with her robust physique, wouldn’t last long in such an environment.
This gave Martin clarity about what he needed to master in this trial.
‘If the purpose of the First Chapter was synchronization, the Second Chapter is about release.’
In the First Chapter, he had learned to manipulate wind, becoming one with the raw power it provided.
The Second Chapter demanded that he momentarily explode with that power, unleashing it.
The requirement to finish the trial quickly was no doubt tied to this.
Rumble!
Martin channeled every ounce of mana from the cores in his abdomen and head. The curse of the dragon meant that an extraordinary amount of mana was stored in his body, overloading his mana circuits. But he ignored the pain and focused entirely on fortifying the fiery power of Karadyl.
He compressed the mana further and further.
Flash!
Moments later, the flaming aura blade emitted a brilliant glow, changing shape. If the aura blade had previously resembled a blade of light, it now looked like a sword forged entirely of fire overlaying Karadyl.
“Haaah!”
Martin swung Karadyl with all his might.
The blazing sword gleamed, and in an instant, a blinding flash of molten gold surged forth.
Boom!
The golden flash cut through the lava lake completely, revealing the molten ground beneath.
Martin stepped across the air, quickly closing the distance between him and Arelia.
“Huff… Huff… How did I do?”
_”…Let me say this: after seeing your talent, no descendant will ever surprise me again.”_
“I’m just glad I could meet your expectations.”
_”No, it’s beyond that. Your talent is singular. I doubt anyone like you will ever be born again.”_
“For someone like me, though, reaching 8-circle took a long time.”
_”You greedy fool.”_
“Well, it’s just that my enemies are too strong.”
The strongest among them was Mateus von Gustin, the key figure in Martin’s current plans.
Mateus, an 8-circle master like the Crimson Reaper, was far more dangerous because he was still in his prime. The Crimson Reaper, due to his age, could no longer fight at full strength.
Although Vincent von Igreet was stronger, Martin couldn’t rely solely on Vincent to handle everything.
Since it was highly likely that Martin would have to face Mateus personally, he needed to grow even stronger.
_”They say troubled times breed heroes, but your fate seems a bit excessive.”_
“It doesn’t matter. By the way, when do you think I’ll reach 8-circle, ancestor?”
_”Now that you’ve mastered both the Chapter of Wind and the Chapter of Flames, you’ve gathered all the pieces. As long as you find the right opportunity, there’s no reason you can’t ascend at any time.”_
“The right opportunity, huh…”
_”Don’t rush. You’re doing more than well enough already. In any case, congratulations on mastering the Second Chapter.”_
“That’s all thanks to your excellent teaching.”
_”I’d normally be pleased to hear that, but coming from you, it feels strange.”_
“I mean it sincerely.”
At Martin’s words, Arelia simply shook her head.
“Thinking you’re an impudent descendant.”
– “So, what will you do next?”
“I have someone I need to meet. I’ve been staying put for the past few days, so it’s time to make a move.”
– “You’re the most pitiable person in the world. To think that someone fell for your scheme of all people. I can’t even imagine how miserable the end will be.”
“If they had lived within their means from the start, they wouldn’t have fallen into the trap. Well, I’ll be back to see you later.”
– “Very well. Next time, you’ll learn about the Field of Gravity. Though it pales in comparison to the ‘Gravitational Domination’ of those Altaria imperial bastards, it’s still worth learning.”
“Isn’t Omni Distortion all about versatility? I’ll enjoy learning anything.”
– “Your tongue, as always, is something else. Now, be off.”
“Yes.”
Martin politely bowed and left the Overlord’s chamber.
He immediately used spatial detection to scan the entire estate.
‘As expected.’
One person was missing, just as he had predicted.
Whirrrr.
Martin’s body vanished into a gap in space.
* * *
Inside a dark, secret chamber.
Two elders of the Adalbert family and three heads of branch families had gathered.
However, none of them were physically present.
They were communicating through magic crystals, evidenced by their bodies being made entirely of light.
The atmosphere was heavy when Mateus von Gustin was the first to speak.
– “You’ve all heard by now. Marquis Nicholas von Royce has declared war on the heir.”
Five days ago, the Marquis of Royce had officially declared a territorial war against the Adalbert family.
As a result, everyone’s expressions were grim.
The Royce family, for a long time, had been considered just beneath the top three prestigious families.
Of course, that alone wouldn’t make them a match for the top three, but the problem was that the Adalbert family had been declining ever since the former family head took power.
While Martin’s rise as the new heir had helped recover some strength, major issues still remained.
The internal conflict within the Adalbert family had not been resolved.
Even with all their power, it would be hard to win under such circumstances.
To make matters worse, facing the Royce family while divided? The chance of collapse before the year’s end was high.
– “We should never have provoked Marquis Royce directly. But the heir has done something irreversible just to elevate his own status. Because of that, we’re the ones suffering.”
– “No need to beat around the bush. What’s your point, Mateus?”
Oliver von Bitenfeld asked bluntly.
Mateus glanced around at the others before he spoke.
– “Marquis Nicholas von Royce has reached out, offering to join forces with us.”
– “He says ‘join forces,’ but doesn’t he just want us under his thumb?”
Oliver von Bitenfeld immediately raised an objection.
The most important issue was independence.
Even if they ousted the main family, bowing to someone who filled the void would render the rebellion meaningless.
Mateus shook his head as if he had been waiting for this question.
– “That’s not the case. He’s offering to share the profits of the dungeon with the three branch families, including myself.”
– “What’s the split?”
– “The Royce family takes 40%, while we get 20% each. And he promises our independence.”
– “It’s not a bad deal, assuming we maintain a good relationship.”
– “I don’t think there will be any need to fight. None of us want to be swallowed by the Royce family.”
After concluding his conversation with Oliver, Mateus turned to Elder Aren and Elder Marius.
– “He’s made a promise to you as well. He’s willing to give you territory where the lord’s seat is currently vacant.”
– “If Marquis Royce is offering even that, then he must be quite determined. I see no downside from my perspective.”
Elder Marius was pleased, feeling validated by the offer.
In contrast, Elder Aren’s expression was complicated, which Mateus didn’t miss.
– “Is there something you’re dissatisfied with, Elder Aren?”
– “That’s… not it.”
– “I can see what you’re thinking. Ever since the heir’s tour, several lordship positions have become vacant. It wouldn’t be strange to believe you could become a lord just by siding with the heir. Am I wrong?”
– “Hmm.”
– “Let me be clear. You’re gravely mistaken. You’ve been watching the heir closely, so you should know how ruthless he is. To him, both you and I are nothing but dissidents. When the time comes, he will surely seek to eliminate us.”
Elder Aren couldn’t refute Mateus’ words.
Hadn’t everyone who opposed Martin ended up losing their lives?
Though those who had openly rebelled were the ones who died, he hadn’t crossed that line yet.
Still, as Mateus said, the chance of Martin showing leniency was slim.
– “That’s all I have to say. Has anyone made their decision?”
– “I accept Marquis Royce’s offer.”
– “I, too, wish to walk the same path.”
Oliver and Elder Marius answered immediately.
Mateus nodded in satisfaction.
He then looked alternately at Elder Aren and Wilhelm von Fezek, who had remained silent the entire time.
– “I… need more time to think.”
– “I feel the same.”
– “Though I’m not sure what there is to think about, since the answer is obvious, I’ll respect your decision. Just keep in mind that Marquis Royce’s offer has an expiration date.”
Despite his words, Mateus had already made up his mind.
Wilhelm and Elder Aren were no longer trustworthy.
There was no benefit in associating with those who couldn’t make quick decisions before an important matter.
Moreover, it was clear that both of them had other motives.
– “Then, we’ll end the meeting here. I may have relayed Marquis Royce’s words this time, but next time, we’ll be able to talk with him together.”
With Mateus’ final words, all the lights in the chamber disappeared.
Elder Aren, having cut the communication, let out a quiet sigh.
“Hah. Nothing is ever easy.”
Ever since he had awakened his unique ability, he had dreamed of becoming a lord.
Just as the heads of the branch families had longed for independence.
However, vacant lordship positions were rare, and thus, he had kept that dream alive in his heart for a long time.
Then, he had earned recognition and became an elder of the Adalbert family, which he had been content with—until the sudden death of the former family head.
If the Adalbert main house fell, its vast territory would lose its master overnight.
Claiming part of it and becoming a lord would not be difficult.
“But now, I can become a lord without all that. There’s no need to oppose the heir and give up everything I’ve built…”
“You truly are a wise man, Elder Aren.”
“Wha—!”
A familiar voice startled Elder Aren into a genuine fright.
Whirrr.
Before him, space twisted, and through the gap, a figure stepped out.
It was Martin.
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