Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Chapter 18: Founding Festival (6)
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‘Even when my life was at its toughest, I never wrote a will.’
Yet here I was, scribbling one out in the prime of my life. It felt strangely surreal.
Not that I was gripped by anxiety or worry.
I was banking on my experience removing the magic formations from High Elf Solen and Dwarf Andrea in the free city of Akella.
While Martin leisurely drafted his will, Rihardt arrived at the annex where the emperor resided, bringing everyone along.
The heads and heirs of the three great noble houses, along with the core nobles of the three factions—they all stared at Martin with expressions of utter disbelief, regardless of their affiliations.
‘The moment I take my eyes off him, he stirs up trouble.’
‘At this rate, he really might give me a heart attack.’
Meanwhile, Claudia and Vincent openly sighed.
The shocking words had left them questioning their own sanity.
As they shook their heads, Werner von Klaus spoke up.
“……You once said he’d unconditionally grow into an equal. But that’s a tale for the future. It’d be a problem if you deluded yourself into thinking you’ve already reached our level, acting head.”
“I’ve never once thought that, Duke Klaus.”
“Even in this situation, you lie? Didn’t you say it yourself? That you see what Karl and I cannot. I was floored when I heard it.”
“I have to agree with him this time. Care to explain in detail, acting head?”
Following Werner, Karl von Ferdinand’s gaze turned to Martin.
They had suppressed their power to the utmost, considering the emperor’s frail health.
Even so, their eyes brimmed with immense force—enough to rattle Martin’s mind on its own.
But Martin merely tensed for a moment; he wasn’t shaken.
Having spent time with them since the grand assembly, he’d grown somewhat accustomed to their presence.
Besides, his mental fortitude was rock-solid regardless.
‘Compared to actual death, this is nothing.’
Those unaware of Martin’s circumstances clicked their tongues at his composure.
To withstand the gaze of 10th Circle absolutes without flinching, even if they weren’t using their power?
What kind of iron will was that?
Ignoring the reactions, Martin answered calmly.
“Reaching the 10th Circle means mastering the principles of the world. I can’t truly grasp what that entails, being as limited as I am, but I do know it lets you see things others can’t. And the same goes for me. Unlike you all, I suffer from the dragon’s curse.”
“We know those afflicted with the dragon’s curse are sensitive to mana flows.”
“It’s more than that, Duke Ferdinand. The dragon’s curse is essentially mana taking human form. It constantly amplifies, suppressing bodily functions and ultimately replacing them. That’s why those with the curse don’t just see flows—they see everything related to mana.”
“So that’s how you saw it? The magic formation embedded in His Majesty’s body.”
“Yes. For those who doubt, I’ll show you the curse first. I’ve staked my life on proving this is true, and this is the will I’ve written.”
Martin alternated glances between Karl and Werner as he held up the will.
Claudia and Vincent flinched, but Werner merely scoffed.
“You just keep topping yourself, acting head. If you make a mistake, His Majesty could suffer. And if that happens, staking your life or not, you’ll lose it anyway. What’s the point of that statement? Or do you delusionally think your life equals His Majesty’s?”
“I wouldn’t say they’re equal, but I don’t think they’re all that different. The moment I die, the Adalbert direct line ends completely. For the first time in Alteria Empire history, one of the three great houses would be extinguished. That’s got to count for something, right?”
Martin smiled as he replied.
It wasn’t wrong, so Werner fell silent.
Karl then stepped in.
“There’s merit to it.”
“……What?”
“Despite the best healers attending him, His Majesty shows no improvement. If anything, he’s weakening. With the Adalbert acting head claiming to have found another issue, isn’t it worth believing him once?”
“……You mean that seriously?”
“Didn’t the young acting head stake his life? No one would speak idly in this situation.”
Karl replied evenly, then scanned the faction leaders one by one, starting with his grandson.
“I intend to respect the Adalbert acting head’s view. What say you all?”
“Whew. It’s true His Majesty hasn’t improved in ages. Rationally, I resist, but part of me wants to believe.”
“I feel the same. Still, the Adalbert acting head has pulled off near-miraculous feats so far. I want to trust in that possibility.”
Rihardt and Claudia answered with grim faces.
“And you, Second Prince?”
“I…….”
Theodore hesitated to speak.
What if Martin really woke the emperor?
He was already the acting head of one of the three great houses. Young and low in rank, he resisted officially becoming head, but solving this would be beyond Marquis Royce’s control.
In other words, Claudia’s standing—bound in alliance with him—would skyrocket.
But he couldn’t recklessly refuse either.
‘If I oppose and that bastard Martin succeeds, I’ll go down as the empire’s worst ungrateful son in history.’
Common sense said failure was more likely.
The problem was Martin’s history of defying common sense—multiple times.
And right now, his eyes burned with conviction.
It made Theodore uneasy.
Swoosh.
Just in case, Theodore glanced at Nicholas.
But his grandfather only stared back with a stern face, offering no gesture.
Still, Theodore grasped his intent and finally forced out the words.
“……I’m in favor as well.”
“Even now, will you oppose, Werner?”
“Do as you like. But know this: I opposed it. You’ll share responsibility for whatever follows, Karl.”
“Of course.”
As Karl responded calmly, Werner turned away in clear displeasure.
Ignoring him, Karl looked to Martin.
“Then I leave it to you, acting head.”
“I’ll make it happen.”
Martin steeled his resolve.
* * *
The emperor looked no different from a corpse to anyone watching.
A faint breath was the only sign he still lived, but he could close his eyes at any moment.
‘Whew.’
Martin steadied his breathing inwardly.
He cautiously placed both hands on the emperor’s abdomen.
The onlookers watched in silence.
Kuuuooo!
At last, Martin drew up his mana and injected it into the emperor’s body.
That was when it happened.
Kwaaaang!
A pitch-black aura, visible only to Martin, blocked the mana’s entry as if lying in wait. The backlash made the emperor’s body convulse.
“Your Majesty! Martin Adalbert, how dare you…….”
“Restrain yourself, Second Prince!”
Theodore froze at Karl’s shout.
“No one interferes with the Adalbert acting head until there’s a result. I say this on my name.”
Karl warned once more.
Werner scoffed lightly, but he was the only one who could.
The rest clamped their mouths shut and tensed their bodies.
To avoid rash actions.
All eyes returned to Martin.
But he didn’t notice.
He’d poured every ounce of focus into the emperor’s body.
‘It’s showing me the depths of malice.’
The magic formation wasn’t content with converting the emperor’s mana to black curse—it used it to resist Martin’s power.
And it tried to invade his body.
‘If I let that in, I’ll end up like His Majesty.’
Absurd, but he wasn’t flustered.
He’d known it would be tough from the start.
Martin maximized his mana to block the black curse, then unleashed All-Things Distortion in earnest.
Flash!
The mana inside the emperor’s body gleamed brilliant gold.
The black curse resisted fiercely in turn, dark currents rising from his form.
“That’s not His Majesty’s aura!”
“His Majesty really is cursed!”
Those who saw the black currents couldn’t hide their shock.
Martin’s words had proven true.
“I’ve proven the curse exists, so now I’ll remove it!”
Shouting this, Martin drew up even more mana.
The black curse tried to resist the golden mana, but Martin wouldn’t allow it.
‘Tighten.’
At its master’s will, the golden mana clung firmly to the black curse.
And squeezed viciously.
Unable to withstand the pressure, the black curse shrank relentlessly.
Unless the magic’s caster intervened personally to reinforce it, the black curse was doomed to vanish.
‘Why isn’t it acting?’
He’d expected interference, but there was no sign.
He wanted to check faces, but he couldn’t.
Even a moment’s lapse could ruin everything.
Pushing aside curiosity, Martin focused all his mana on the formation’s center.
Applying insights from Adalbert swordsmanship.
All to shatter its core.
Boom!
Another explosion echoed inside the emperor, and he vomited blood, unable to endure the shock.
The watchers flinched, but Karl’s warning kept them silent.
‘It’s over.’
At Martin’s intent, the golden mana struck the black curse.
Kwaaaang!
The core shattered at last, and dark currents billowed from the emperor’s body.
“You removed the curse?!”
“If it’s truly gone, that’s a monumental feat.”
Murmurs rose among the crowd, but they quickly died.
“Ugh.”
The emperor groaned.
The first sound since collapsing, drawing all heads instinctively.
Tremble.
His eyelids quivered like they were lifting a massive boulder.
But it didn’t last long.
After minutes of effort, he opened his eyes.
“Ugh.”
Thus, the emperor of the Alteria Empire, Erwin von Alteria, regained consciousness.
He winced at the long-lost light, of course.
The three royals rushed to his side.
“It’s Rihardt, Your Majesty! Can you see me?!”
“It’s Claudia, Your Majesty!”
“Your second son, Theodore, is here too!”
“……I see you all fine, so quiet down. My head’s pounding like it’ll burst.”
Uncharacteristic for someone bedridden for years, the emperor’s voice was steady.
Stunned by the unexpected words, the siblings fell silent.
Humm.
A thick green aura rose from the emperor’s body and floated in the air.
“We have much to discuss, but it’ll wait, Martin Adalbert.”
Martin started to reply, but the emperor turned first.
And fixed his gaze on Werner von Klaus.
“Thanks to you, I got a long, restful break, Duke Klaus. Never rested so peacefully in my life—should I be grateful?”
The emperor asked with a smile.
Martin’s expression darkened in contrast.
‘As expected…….’
His hunch was right.
But he wasn’t the only one who caught the implication.
Everyone stared at Werner in genuine shock.
“……Is His Majesty’s word true, Werner?”
“Heh. Things turn out like this again.”
Werner laughed in response to Karl’s question.
It was an admission of fact, and shock and dismay filled the annex.