Chapter 129
Chapter 129
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: The Start of the Turbulent Times (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Richardt and Claudia had both suffered crushing defeats at the hands of their respective opponents, the Klaus family and the Second Prince's faction.
As a result, both ended up with negative images attached to them, but Claudia bore the brunt of the harsher criticism.
That was because the Free City of Akella had fallen back into Nicholas von Royce's hands.
This gave the Second Prince's faction a foothold for advancing into the North, which in turn caused massive trouble for their ally, Martin.
And that wasn't the end of it.
The underworld organizations based in Akella City had all joined the Second Prince's faction en masse.
While they couldn't operate alongside regular troops due to the nature of the underworld, the mere fact that they could shake things up from the shadows was a boon for the Second Prince's faction.
'Well, it's not like we came out of it with nothing but losses.'
Martin, disguised as a red-haired man, sat on the walls of Akella City, lost in thought.
When he had first formed an alliance with Claudia, their presences had been on equal footing.
But thanks to his string of achievements, the Adalbert family's forces had recovered to near their peak, and his personal prestige had soared immensely.
He had declared he wouldn't claim the family head position until he reached the 9th Circle, so he remained the acting head, but he was no longer on the same level as Claudia.
'And they know that full well.'
Now that he had completely seized control of the North, he could bow out of the succession struggle without much loss.
Claudia, on the other hand?
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she'd collapse immediately without his support.
That's why she had stepped up to defend the Free City of Akella to boost her own presence, but what a twist.
Instead of succeeding, she had only cemented her image as incompetent by losing the city.
In the end, she was now in a position where she had no choice but to cling to him even more.
It was no overstatement to say he effectively held the lifeline of the First Princess's faction in his grasp.
If he won the civil war and placed her on the throne, he could control the entire Alteria Empire.
'Losing one city? I can take it back later... For now, I should be satisfied with having the First Princess's faction completely in my pocket.'
The Adalbert family and the North weren't so fragile that they'd crumble from losing a single city.
If Theodore or Nicholas came charging in blindly, drunk on their victory, they would sincerely regret their decisions.
With that thought, Martin used Distortion of All Things to manipulate the light, completely concealing his body.
Theodore had banned civilians from moving outside, so he needed to hide his presence.
Woooong.
He then activated spatial teleportation and descended to the base of the walls.
From there, he headed toward the gourmet district.
'It’s improved a lot.'
It had been wrecked in the fight with Heinz Schwarzebeck, but most of the repairs were now complete.
It was a shame he couldn't see the streets bustling with customers due to the restrictions, but he decided to save that for next time.
Martin pressed on, minimizing the sound of his footsteps.
When he arrived in front of the restaurant 'Fate's Crossroads,' he stopped.
The door was firmly shut, but he paid it no mind.
'Doors and walls are meaningless to someone with spatial abilities.'
To avoid overlapping with anyone else, Martin first deployed spatial probing.
Translucent beams of light instantly enveloped the entire building, relaying the interior details to his mind.
Woooong.
Finding an empty space, he activated spatial teleportation again and successfully entered the shop.
He then withdrew the light to reveal himself, while simultaneously releasing the polymorph artifact to return to his original form.
"Who the hell are you...?"
"No, you're Martin Adalbert?!"
The assassin guild's killers lunged at the sudden intruder.
But they froze upon immediately recognizing Martin.
Even as they exuded terrifying killing intent, Martin showed no fear.
"I confirmed the Shadow King is underground. Mind if I go meet him?"
"Akella City has fallen, and yet your arrogance remains unchanged, Martin Adalbert."
The young assassin glared at Martin with a look of utter disbelief.
"I didn't lose because of any mistake on my part, so there's no reason to change my attitude. And the Adalbert family isn't so weak that losing one city puts us in crisis."
"Even with all of Akella City's underworld organizations joining them, you think that?"
"Aren't you overestimating yourselves? You're nothing but thugs at best."
"...You're courting death."
"Come on. Didn't I tell you before? If you think you lot can pull that off, you're sorely mistaken."
Kuuooo!
At Martin's words, the assassins' killing intent thickened even more.
Martin, however, maintained his relaxed demeanor.
That was when it happened.
-Enough of that. Send the guest below.-
The Shadow King's voice echoed through the air.
The assassins withdrew their killing intent and parted to clear a path.
Their piercing glares at Martin didn't soften, though.
"I just don't get why so many people overestimate their own abilities."
Martin mocked the assassins right up to the end.
He descended to the basement and found the Shadow King drinking in a room.
"Long time no see, Shadow King. We've got a lot to talk about, just between us?"
Thud.
Martin sat on the sofa across from the Shadow King.
He grinned and stared straight at him.
* * *
'What an absurd talent.'
The Shadow King stuck out his tongue as he watched Martin beaming at him.
Reaching the 7th Circle just last year had already made him the fastest-growing talent on the Krasian continent, by no exaggeration.
And now, not even that long after hitting 7th Circle, he was already at the 8th? It beggared belief.
"Talk...? I don't feel obligated to explain that, do I?"
The Shadow King countered in a leisurely tone.
He was surprised, sure, but not intimidated.
"Well, I think it'd be best for both of us if you told me now. Losing Akella City is whatever, but I'm a bit pissed that you broke your promise."
"I didn't break any promises. I worked to take control of the underworld, and nearly four-tenths of the organizations swore loyalty to me. I even tried to avoid clashes with those hostile to me."
"Then why did they all side with the Second Prince?"
"Nicholas von Royce promised them. If they helped take you down, he'd restore Akella City to how it was. He also promised to make them masters of the slave trade."
"So you swore to cooperate too?"
"As if. I just said I'd step back. I think that fulfills my duty, don't you? Our relationship isn't so tight that I'd risk my life for it."
"I won't deny that."
Their alliance was real, but it ended there.
They had never built a friendship deep enough for true loyalty.
Not that the Assassin Guild alone could stand against the Second Prince's faction—or rather, the Royce Marquisate—even if they were closer.
"What I really want to ask is something else. Isn't it time you explained about Doom? You said you'd tell me when the time came."
"You're gravely mistaken, acting head. I never said a word back then."
"Sometimes silence is an answer, isn't it?"
"You jumped to conclusions on your own."
"So you don't want to tell me?"
"The Assassin Guild values credibility above all. We can't divulge client information related to commissions. It's not a matter of like or dislike."
"The great Shadow King is mincing words? Well, even you would have to be scared. It's a commission from Werner von Klaus, head of one of the three great noble houses."
Flinch!
The Shadow King shuddered just as Martin's words ended.
His face twisted slightly.
It was only for a split second, but Martin didn't miss it.
A brighter smile crept across his lips.
"So Klaus the Duke really was behind it."
"...Just a shot in the dark, huh. I'm still green."
"Not exactly. I had already figured it was either Werner von Klaus or Nicholas von Royce. I just thought the former was more likely."
"What's your basis?"
"Think about it. A drug that forces unique abilities to manifest, even at the cost of one's life—it's something that could change the continent's history. Who but the head of one of the three great noble houses could conduct such research? Well, you turned my suspicions into certainties."
The Shadow King gave a bitter smile at Martin's near-mocking words.
He felt it every time they met, but this young acting head toyed with people far too easily.
It was ridiculous how his countless years rolling in the underworld felt meaningless.
"Fine, you caught the client, but I'm not spilling the details. Same goes for Doom. I don't know much anyway. When I took over the research, Doom didn't turn people into bombs yet."
"The most important thing in fighting enemies is information. Doom isn't some disease, so I doubt there's a straightforward way to block it, but gathering as much intel as possible is still best."
"And if I refuse to talk to the end? Gonna force my mouth open?"
"If it comes to that, I'd hate to, but... I'm willing."
"I get that reaching 8th Circle has you brimming with confidence, but claiming you can take on the entire Assassin Guild alone is hubris. Even if not, if we fight, the fallout will spread, and the underworld groups and Second Prince faction will join in. You sure you can handle that?"
"You know how hard it is to catch someone who can use spatial teleportation. Well, not until Nicholas von Royce or the Royce Marquisate's knight commander shows up, anyway."
Kuuooo!
Golden aura rose from Martin's body, clashing against the ashen aura from the Shadow King.
The impact shattered objects in the room, but neither cared.
Martin declared in a confident voice.
"As of today, the Assassin Guild is disbanded. You'll serve as my direct retainer from now on. In return, I'll guarantee you a lordship or elder position. Of course, I won't kill your men either. Can't waste useful subordinates by taking their lives."
"I don't dislike you, but as an adult, I think it's time I taught you a lesson. Not everything in the world goes your way."
Swish.
At the Shadow King's words, assassins appeared from shadows all around the room.
How much grief had Martin caused them over time?
The thought of settling that grudge had them burning with fighting spirit.
"There are people in the world who can teach me, but you're not one of them."
He had given them a chance before, but bungling the cleanup once was enough.
To secure a definitive victory in this war, he needed the Assassin Guild under his control.
That was the only way to rein in the pesky underworld scum.
'If I can make the Second Prince and Royce Marquis eat dirt too, even better.'
If he rampaged here and they still couldn't catch him, their reputations would tank.
It would also plant the idea that Claudia lost, but he was uninvolved.
"That's why I love high-stakes battles. Win just once, and you take everything."
Thud.
Martin took a step forward, and the assassins charged at him.