The Return of the Limited-Time Sword Master

Chapter 41: The Crack (3)

Aren Cruse, Marius Protal, Mateus von Gustin, Oliver von Fezek, and Wilhelm von Bitenfeld.

The two elders of the main family and the three heads of the branch families gathered in Elder Aren’s room.

Even with all five of them present, the room was eerily quiet.

They weren’t fools. How could they not understand?

Martin’s proposal was a deliberate attempt to sow discord and break their alliance.

Yet, they couldn’t easily dismiss it.

The bait was simply too tempting.

An independent lordship with its own territory, or the promise of independence and elevation in rank.

The former was the dream of the elders, and the latter was the desire of the branch family heads.

Now, with such an opportunity within reach, it was only natural for all of them to feel a sense of urgency.

The elders, in particular, were the most shaken.

It made sense. While the heads of the branch families might have been subtly looked down upon, they were still rightful lords with their own territories. Moreover, there were few lords more powerful than them, so overt disrespect was rare.

In contrast, the elders had barely been granted their titles by the former head of the family, and even those were temporary, limited to their lifetimes.

The magnitude of desperation was different.

“With a new proposal on the table, the previous deal is now meaningless. So, let me ask again—what can you offer us?”

Elder Aren finally broke the silence, his gaze shifting from one branch family head to another.

Elder Marius said nothing but nodded in agreement with Aren’s words.

“This is absurd, Elder Aren. Do you really believe that even if you destroy the core, the heir will hand over the territory so easily? This is clearly a ploy to break our alliance!”

“Not to mention, by the time we find the core in such a vast dungeon, there will be countless skirmishes, and our forces will be significantly depleted. Why are you so eager to fall for such an obvious scheme?”

Oliver and Wilhelm argued, their expressions full of frustration.

But Elder Aren met their eyes with a calm, indifferent expression.

And in that moment, he realized.

There was a gulf between them that could never be bridged.

“You are well aware that the situation has changed drastically from when we first agreed to cooperate.”

When the former head of the family had died, and they first held a grand meeting, their conclusion had been simple.

First, reduce Martin to a commoner and expel him from the Adalbert family.

After that, the branch family heads would compete among themselves, with the losers gaining independence.

The main family’s territory would then be divided, and the elders would be granted their own lordships.

That had been the agreement among them.

But with Martin’s awakening of his unique ability, everything had started to unravel from the very beginning. And now, after his defeat of Valdemar von Rustal, their plans had crumbled into nothing.

“Those who oppose the heir now will face destruction, just like Valdemar von Rustal. Do you still desire to rise as the head of the family, knowing this?”

Twitch.

At the mention of Valdemar’s name, Oliver and Wilhelm’s expressions darkened with anger.

Yet neither of them could muster a response.

Even Mateus remained silent, his eyes closed, avoiding the conversation.

Aren, undeterred, continued to speak.

“It is clear that both we and you have already fallen out of favor with the heir. However, those of you who already possess much can simply bide your time and withdraw with little loss.”

“In contrast, we have nothing but our positions as elders of the main family and temporary titles that hold no lasting power.”

“They are hollow positions. The moment the heir ascends as the head of the family, all of it will vanish. And yet, if you expect us to continue taking all the risks, shouldn’t you offer us more in return?”

“I agree with Elder Aren. That would be a fair deal, wouldn’t it?”

“……”

Oliver and Wilhelm hesitated, realizing that given the clear difference in their circumstances, no matter what they said, it would be difficult to persuade the elders.

It was at this moment that Mateus finally spoke for the first time.

“Elder Aren, don’t you have your own share of responsibility to bear?”

“What do you mean by that, Mateus?”

“What was the cause of all this? You’re the one who gave the heir 100 days. All because you wanted to show off your benevolence to others.”

“Indeed, I was the one who proposed it first. But what difference does that make? You all agreed to it as well. Even Vincent von Igreet approved.”

We are all responsible.

Aren quickly retorted, and Mateus nodded in acknowledgment.

Vincent had genuinely wanted to give Martin a chance.

The other heads and elders had agreed merely to mock Martin.

As for Mateus, he hadn’t voiced any opinion at the time. He had remained a bystander and, as such, had no grounds to press the issue further.

“The heir used that opportunity as a stepping stone to seize the power he now holds, and your role was the most significant in enabling that. Whether you like it or not, your opinion was accepted. And that’s why you’re trying to play it safe now, aren’t you, Elder Aren?”

“……”

“But it seems you no longer hold any place in the heir’s heart.”

Aren’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“What are you implying?”

“If the heir truly cared for you, would Elder Oriana be standing by his side right now? Of course not.”

“That’s…”

“As you said, we stand to lose little by backing down now. Even if the heir dislikes us, as long as we don’t make foolish moves like Valdemar, he won’t do much. But it’s different for you and Elder Marius. Do you really think the heir will leave you alone, after you’ve already gone against the former head’s last wishes?”

“Mateus von Gustin!”

Aren Cruse was known for keeping his composure in any situation.

But this time, he couldn’t contain his anger, stomping his foot in frustration.

In his right hand, a sword had suddenly appeared, and it was already slicing through the air, aimed directly at Mateus.

He hadn’t even infused it with mana or aura.

Even so, it was a strike more than capable of killing someone.

Halt.

But Elder Aren stopped just short of advancing further.

Mateus’s sword was already at his throat.

Had he taken one more step, the blade would have pierced through his neck.

“Are you calm now? If you want to let off more steam, I’ll face you properly.”

Mateus responded in a relaxed tone.

Without a word, Elder Aren sheathed his sword.

In his anger, he had drawn his weapon this time, but even he knew the reality of the situation.

The gap between him and his opponent was clear.

Mateus von Gustin was the only other 8-circle master besides Vincent.

“It’s regrettable that we’re dancing to the tunes of the young master, but in a situation where we can’t trust each other, cooperation isn’t an option. Let’s each deal with the core of the monster wave on our own.”

With that, Mateus stood up.

Oliver and Wilhelm followed him out.

“…What do you think, Elder Aren?”

“We should also focus on finding the core. The rest can be handled afterward.”

“We’re having a hard time in our old age.”

“The day when we achieve our dreams is not far off. We must endure this level of hardship.”

“I agree. But we need to make sure those half-baked ones who are acting all high and mighty get a taste of their own medicine.”

“We’ll think of a way to handle that, too.”

Elder Aren and Elder Marius’ eyes gleamed.

Even though they said this, in the end, they couldn’t help but become competitors.

They both knew that well.

Martin’s intentions had worked perfectly.

* * *

On Mount Ellot, located on the western outskirts of Varehein City, Martin stood, staring at Christian Havertz in front of him.

The A-class adventurer, recognized throughout the continent, was smiling brightly, a smile that didn’t suit his age of 34.

It felt like he was looking at a mischievous child.

“Are you sure about this? Even if you’re a member of the Adalbert family, the young master won’t go easy on you.”

“I hope you won’t end up crying and asking for mercy later.”

“That’s never going to happen.”

“We’ll see. Time will tell.”

“There’s one thing I’ve learned in my 34 years of life. Sometimes, you just know things without experiencing them.”

“And sometimes, people end up getting shattered because of that misconception.”

Martin didn’t lose a word.

Christian, realizing that arguing was pointless, immediately began drawing out his mana.

Whoosh!

Blue flames rose like an aurora, coloring the surroundings.

Martin also drew mana from his cores in his abdomen and head, and a golden energy surged forth.

“Aren’t you going to draw your sword?”

“I should be the one asking that.”

“I’m strong even without drawing my sword. But haven’t you focused solely on swordsmanship? If we’re going to fight, it should be fair.”

“I think deciding whether to draw my sword after I gauge your skill isn’t too late.”

“What?”

“I’m curious. Are you worth me drawing my sword?”

“You’ve got some nerve, young master. I promise you’ll regret not drawing your sword against me.”

“I’d like that.”

Fwoosh!

As soon as Martin finished speaking, the wide-spread flames transformed into spheres, each the size of a fist.

There were nearly 100 of them.

Without stopping, Christian extended his left fist.

In response to his will, the fiery spheres trailed long tails and rained down toward Martin.

“Hoo.”

Martin clenched his right fist tightly.

As he followed the breathing technique of Rothar Martial Art, mana gathered in his fist, and he threw it forward with all his strength.

At the same time, he didn’t forget to use Omni Distortion to warp space.

Boom!

The golden stream of air, empowered by the Spatial Repulsion ability unique to the Igreet family, surged forward like a whirlwind.

It instantly swept away all the fiery spheres.

However, Martin didn’t feel satisfied.

‘Damn.’

The scattered flames flickered and then shrank into small dots.

Moreover, the energy from each dot wasn’t much weaker than the previous spheres.

On top of that, the number had increased, completely surrounding Martin in a sea of flaming dots.

‘His ability to control mana is impressive.’

If he had his sword, it would have been different, but with his bare hands, he couldn’t manipulate mana that delicately.

Both the Rothar Martial Art and Omni Distortion were far from being precise.

But that was the extent of it.

Hadn’t he learned that from passing Arelia’s test?

The key was in the flow.

‘I’ll shatter it in one blow.’

Determined, Martin thrust his left fist this time.

An even larger torrent than before surged forth, once again infused with the mysteries of Spatial Repulsion.

Boom, boom, boom!

The moment the golden current collided with the flames, an enormous shockwave ripped through the ground.

Dust continuously shot up into the sky, darkening it.

It was a scene of utter destruction, but Martin and Christian stood unharmed.

“Wow. The combination of a unique ability and martial arts is truly terrifying. And later, I’m going to have to punch the idiots who said the young master was only skilled in swordsmanship. You’ve got such incredible martial arts skills—what, do they have eyes just for decoration?”

“The Adalbert family is the continent’s foremost swordsmanship house. Being skilled in swordsmanship is nothing surprising. It’s just expected. If you want proper recognition, you’ve got to excel in something else too, whether it’s martial arts or whatever.”

“So that’s what it means to be from a prestigious family… By the way, how about now? Are you still not going to draw your sword against me?”

Woooong.

Instead of replying, Martin opened his subspace.

From within, the treasured sword Kaizen emerged.

Only then did Christian nod in satisfaction.

Fwoosh.

Blue flames swirled into the shape of a ring, distorting the space.

From within the rift, the hilt of a greatsword emerged, and Christian pulled it out with all his strength.

“As expected of an A-class adventurer. Using flames to affect space.”

“Come on, at 7-circle, anyone can do this kind of thing, can’t they? Well, it might be something the young master, a spatial ability user, will never fully understand.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

From the 7th circle onwards, one could influence space with their unique ability or martial arts.

Of course, it was nothing compared to space-based abilities, so it wasn’t of much significance to direct members or branch members of the Adalbert family.

“Shall we begin?”

“Let’s do this.”

Boom, boom, boom!

As soon as they spoke, the golden currents and blue flames engulfed the surroundings.

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