Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Monster Wave (1)
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-To the one who destroys the core of the Monster Wave, I shall grant the old territory of the Rustal family and appoint them as an independent lord.-
-To those without unique abilities, I shall bestow commensurate rewards.-
Unlike the fee waiver, not every adventurer could benefit this time.
The reward would go to only one person—the one who destroyed the core.
Moreover, the most crucial reward, the territory, could only be claimed by those with unique abilities: nobles alone.
Even so, Martin's declaration was more than enough to shake the Alteria Empire.
The reason was simple.
It had ignited the desires of those nobles.
A thousand years had passed since the founding of the Alteria Empire.
Naturally, all the good land suitable for territories had long since been claimed.
Nor was territory expanding through conquest wars.
In fact, since the Great War two hundred years ago, the empire's borders had not grown an inch.
With the number of territories fixed, the number of those with noble bloodlines only increased day by day.
Inevitably, those unable to obtain territories harbored resentment.
And into this situation came Martin's declaration.
That one could become the lord of the old Rustal family territory.
Thus, nobles with ambitions flocked to Barehain City.
* * *
"This is our last chance to break away from the Adalbert family."
Adel Bittenfeld stared at her father, Oliver von Bittenfeld.
"As you know, Father..."
"This is an official occasion. Use proper titles."
"I'm sorry. As the family head knows, the young master's forces are growing stronger at a rapid pace. Those who were watching the situation are steadily siding with him. There's no benefit in competing with him now that his momentum has peaked."
"Even if we win, we'd suffer massive losses."
"Yes. Of course, becoming head of the Adalbert family would allow us to recover quickly. But the Gustin family and Pezeks family won't just sit idly by. I believe it would be far more advantageous for us to seize the Rustal territory and declare independence."
"Concentrating on destroying the core would indeed be the rational choice."
Oliver's expression was calm as he spoke.
But Adel read the displeasure laced in his tone.
"I have no intention of recklessly pursuing the family's long-cherished wish. As you say, one misstep could cost us everything."
"That's a relief..."
"But the timing and place were inappropriate, Adel Bittenfeld. I, as family head, have officially entered the battlefield. And our family members are watching. Was there any need to make such a morale-crushing statement here?"
Oliver glanced around.
Fifty members of the Bittenfeld family's proud Azure Dragon Knights stood there.
Adel promptly apologized.
"I'm sorry. I'll be more careful."
"And the chance for me to become family head hasn't completely vanished. Many high nobles are dissatisfied with the young master's actions. Just yesterday, the Second Prince personally warned him."
The Second Prince, Theodoor Alteria, had sent an official document.
No, it was more like a warning letter.
It stated that accepting more adventurers beyond this point would lead to great regret.
Martin had scoffed and ignored it, but Oliver saw it as an opportunity.
"Nicholas von Royce, the leader of the Second Prince's faction, is openly showing his hatred toward the young master."
"Because he killed the young master's cherished grandson, Stefan Rustal."
"Exactly. It's been delayed by the Monster Wave, but he will surely act. And when he does, the story changes."
"That makes sense."
"We must do our utmost while the opportunity remains. Remember, a compromising attitude achieves nothing."
"I fully understand the family head's grand ambition. I'll do everything to fulfill the family's long-cherished wish."
"Good. Unless you want your younger brother to take the successor position."
It was no way to treat a daughter, but Adel bowed her head with a calm expression.
Then she turned her body.
Diamond Armadillos, the monsters that mainly appeared on the 15th floor, swarmed.
Their appearance resembled ordinary armadillos.
But their size was over ten times larger, and their carapaces boasted hardness rivaling diamonds.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
The moment they spotted the Bittenfeld family members, they curled into balls like cannonballs.
They charged with terrifying spins.
The assault, led by their hardened shells, could shatter the dungeon's terrain in an instant, but Adel stepped forward unfazed.
"Uul-weeek!"
"Uul-oo-eek!"
The massive bodies of two Diamond Armadillos floated up before crashing down on Adel.
Kwa-aang!
But their attacks only pulverized the floor behind her.
She hadn't dodged.
The monsters had passed right through her body.
Phantasm Shift.
A unique ability that placed the body between the gaps of space, letting all physical contact phase through.
It was the most difficult spatial ability to deploy, but also the most threatening.
Wooong.
Adel teleported onto the back of one targeting her. She immediately slashed down with her sword, the blade effortlessly piercing the diamond-hard carapace.
When the blade reached the center, Adel reverted it while unleashing blue aura.
Kwa-jik!
The hard shell cracked from the inside out and split apart.
Adel pressed forward, and the blade sliced across the Diamond Armadillo's back.
In the end, with more than half its body severed, the creature perished.
From there, Adel weaved through the monsters, and the massacre began.
'He's my father, but he's really an idiot.'
It was ridiculous for someone with no talents beyond swordsmanship to strut around claiming he'd become head of the Adalbert family.
Even so, until recently, she'd let it slide.
Martin hadn't awakened his unique ability, so the qualification to become head of the main family had passed to the branch heads.
'But that justification is gone now.'
Martin had perfectly proven his worthiness to become head and nearly seized real power.
On top of that, he'd now captured public opinion.
Yet Oliver clung to vain hopes—it was laughable.
'At this rate, the family will be ruined.'
Martin Adalbert, now baring his fangs fully, would never forgive those who defied him.
Genuinely worried for the family's future, Adel pondered her own path.
One thing was certain: her envisioned future held no place for her father or younger brother.
* * *
With a flood of noble-born adventurers joining, the defensive line grew even more solid.
Thus, Martin could head into the dungeon with peace of mind.
"How does it feel? You're single-handedly shaking up the Alteria Empire's political landscape."
"Not particularly exciting. Just that the empire's been stuck in a rut all this time?"
"Aren't you scared? You've thoroughly pissed off the high nobles. Even the imperial family warned against siphoning more adventurers."
"If they didn't like it, they should've prepared beforehand. They were too busy with their power struggles to respond, so why are they bitching at me?"
Martin made no effort to hide his annoyance.
Sien stuck out her tongue at the sight.
"I guarantee you're the only one not scared of the Second Prince's warning. Plus, Marquis Royce is grinding his teeth over you."
"What can they do even if they're pissed? As long as the First Prince and First Princess remain strong, they have no sway over us."
The Second Prince's faction was doing well enough, but among the three factions, the First Prince's led the pack.
And the First Princess's wasn't to be underestimated either.
If he rashly deployed forces, the balance could collapse, so the Second Prince wouldn't act recklessly.
This warning was clearly just to placate his subordinate nobles.
That's why Martin ignored it outright.
"So the biggest current threat is someone outside our group destroying the core. Especially if a branch family head does it—that'd be a real pain."
"That's why we're rushing down here, right?"
"Funny. You're leaving almost all the fighting to me."
"What can I do? If I go all out in a place like this, I'll burn out fast."
"You sure talk a good game."
Sien wrinkled her nose and grumbled.
The two had now descended to the 16th floor.
Known as the start of the mid-layers, the 16th floor was home to large monsters with regeneration, requiring caution.
Unless you were Sien, that is.
"Krraaaah!"
Kwa-aang!
A troll over 3 meters tall swung its long stone club, smashing into Sien's body.
Normally, she'd be turned into mincemeat and sent flying.
But that didn't happen. Instead, the stone club shattered into countless fragments.
"Get lost."
Sien delivered a low kick with her right foot.
It struck the troll's left calf in an instant.
Kwa-ang!
With just that, the troll's left leg exploded like a bomb.
Caught off guard, it lost balance.
Sien thrust her right fist toward the falling head.
It was a telegraph-punch anyone could see coming, but its power was monstrous.
Kwa-aang!
The troll's head—and nearly half its upper body—burst apart.
No matter its regeneration, it couldn't restore its head to normal, and thus it died.
"Wanna learn Lothar Fist Arts, Sien? You could become the empire's strongest."
"Pass. Lothar Fist Arts is too much thinking—such a hassle. Martial arts are meant to be unleashed with bold, straightforward strikes."
Sien's face clearly showed her annoyance as she replied.
She acknowledged the destructive power of Lothar Fist Arts.
But that was it.
"I can smash whatever I want without it. Learning it would be inefficient for me."
"Hmm. Can't argue with that—it's a shame."
"Good, you get it. Anyway, 20th floor, right? Where we're meeting the others."
"Yeah. As long as we arrive within three days."
"Three days... Easy."
"What's the big deal about reaching the 20th? It's after that that's annoying."
Sien nodded at Martin's response.
The mid-layers started at 16, but from the 21st floor onward, descending grew difficult.
Due to the surge in monsters with special abilities.
That's why they'd planned to link up with Lucas Hoffmann, Philip Alrops, and Oriana Flores on the 20th.
But he had one more task.
To move in sync with the Bittenfeld family's movements as much as possible.
'Repaying debts is such a pain.'
The top priority was destroying the core.
Only then would the Monster Wave end.
There were other reasons besides that.
Another goal was deeply personal.
Adel Bittenfeld.
Repaying the debt he owed her.
Before his regression, she'd saved his life.
He knew it meant little now.
She had no way of knowing.
'Still, a debt's a debt.'
So even while exterminating monsters, he kept searching for Bittenfeld family members.
'The incident happens on the 34th floor.'
If they reached there first, it could be a problem, but he wasn't worried.
Given the dungeon's current state, they'd likely meet before then.
After that, matching their pace would let him repay it fully.
"That said, let's not get complacent."
"Naturally."
Martin and Sien steeled themselves and pressed on.
Three days later, they arrived at the rendezvous point.
Everyone had made it on time, and fortunately, no one was left behind.