Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Longing for Freedom (5)
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The knights and guards completed their encirclement.
Yet Martin remained motionless, his gaze fixed solely on the Shadow King.
The bastard was the most dangerous presence here, and fleeing recklessly could lead to massive losses.
“7th Circle, body techniques, and wind-based innate abilities. Even after confirming the key details, no one comes to mind, which means you're a new powerhouse. The continent's vastness hits home every time like this. If it's not too much trouble, mind taking off your mask?”
“I'm too shy to show my face in a place crawling with people like this. So how about you take off your mask instead, Shadow King? There are way more people curious about your face than mine.”
Martin countered in a calm tone.
But his voice was different from before.
To completely conceal his identity, he had manipulated the air to alter his voice.
“By the way, is it okay for the Shadow King to be interested in a drug plantation? That's squarely in the Drug King's territory. Breaking underworld taboos won't end well for you.”
“Cut the bullshit!”
As soon as the words “drug plantation” left Martin's mouth, Jürgen von Brightner's face twisted in a scowl as he shouted.
The expressions of the surrounding knights grew even more menacing.
In contrast, the guards hearing this for the first time were utterly bewildered.
“If you're going to pretend to be an industry insider, you should do it right. Your acting sucks, and you just don't give off that vibe.”
“Guess acting really isn't my thing. Anyway, it's a genuine question. Even for the Shadow King, clashing with the Drug King isn't ideal, right? The fact that you're getting involved anyway means... there's something really good in the Brightner family's drug plantation?”
“Kill him! Right now...!”
“Your subordinates can't handle it.”
The Shadow King cut off Jürgen.
Sssr.
At the same time, his shadow writhed and split into dozens of tendrils.
They then burst up from the ground, like snakes raising their heads.
“I'll handle it. I'm dying to see the face under that mask.”
“I was curious about what the famous Shadow King looks like too. If I'd known we'd meet like this, I would've prepared myself mentally.”
“Let's see who reveals the other's face first. This'll be an interesting contest.”
“You're the only one who thinks that.”
Chwak!
No sooner had Martin finished speaking than the dozens of shadow tendrils shot forward.
Just like in the initial ambush, every one was coated in aura blades.
To counter, Martin lowered his stance and pulled back his right fist.
Then, he thrust it forward with full power.
Infusing it with the internal-exploding Lota-style body techniques and the external-shattering All-Distorting Strike.
Kwaaaang!
One fist clashed against dozens of shadow tendrils.
The result was immediate.
The shadows rippled and snapped all at once, then returned to normal shortly after.
‘His identity's getting more intriguing by the minute.’
Feeling intense curiosity, the Shadow King flicked his right index finger.
His shadow stretched out, connecting to the shadows of those around him.
Chwaaak!
This time, hundreds of shadow tendrils erupted.
Impressive enough on its own, but every single one was wrapped in aura blades.
Martin openly showed his disbelief.
‘The sheer amount of mana is insane.’
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he had the most mana of anyone Martin had faced so far.
More than even Vincent, an 8th Circle mage, which meant he was born with some special constitution.
But while it was surprising, it wasn't despair-inducing.
No matter how much mana the opponent had, it couldn't compare to Martin, afflicted by the Dragon's Curse.
Whiiiing!
Whirlwinds formed around Martin.
Each one taller than the Brightner mansion, and their number kept growing.
“Uwaaaak!”
“Aaaak!”
The guards lost their balance first and toppled over.
The knights braced by stabbing their weapons into the ground, but that was their limit.
No one could move.
Yet Martin and the Shadow King ignored their surroundings and launched attacks at each other.
Kwakwakwa!
Hundreds of shadow tendrils clashed against the twelve whirlwinds, tearing into each other.
The massive force uprooted flowers and trees, flipping the garden's ground.
Ornate fountains and decorations shattered or flew everywhere.
Pabat!
Undeterred, the Shadow King charged at Martin as if it were nothing.
His hand, now a blur of indigo light, gripped a dagger.
Kwaaaang!
Martin likewise kicked off the ground with full force and swung his fist to smack the dagger aside.
From there, blows faster than sound rained down on each other.
‘Can't drag this out.’
If it were a pure one-on-one with just the Shadow King, Martin was willing to settle it.
But Jürgen was here too.
He was a 3rd Circle in magic and 6th Circle in innate ability.
Fine for a one-on-one melee, but right now, Martin was pinned by the Shadow King.
If Jürgen supported with magic, it could get dangerous.
He needed to escape this place as quickly as possible.
The problem was that the Shadow King knew this too, meticulously keeping his distance to avoid any variables.
‘In that case!’
Martin took the risk and stomped the ground repeatedly.
Aiming to close in on the Shadow King in one burst.
“Where!”
The Shadow King slashed upward with the dagger gripped in reverse, but it didn't rise properly.
Martin had blocked the blade with his left fist.
And that wasn't the end.
Kwang!
Stomping fiercely, Martin thrust his shoulder into the opponent's chest.
A roar erupted as the Shadow King's body was pushed back.
“Ugh.”
He let out a groan, but that was it.
He minimized the damage by retreating just before the impact fully transferred.
But Martin didn't miss the brief opening and detonated the whirlwinds.
Kwaaaang!
A fierce explosion rang out, but the shockwave didn't spread.
The Shadow King had used his shadows to suppress the force itself.
“See you next time.”
With an infuriating shout, Martin turned and fled at full speed.
The barrier blocked him, but he punched a hole through it.
Jürgen tried to hurl magic at the escaping foe.
The Shadow King stopped him.
“Stand down. We'll meet again soon enough.”
“What do you mean?”
Following his business partner's intent, Jürgen withdrew his mana, though irritation flickered in his eyes.
The drug plantation was his Achilles' heel.
Now that it was exposed, anything could happen, yet the other man seemed utterly relaxed.
It genuinely pissed him off.
The Shadow King eased his discontent.
“The guy's goal was the mine map. Meaning he already knew about the drug plantation itself. We should inform the Adalbert family or the branch houses, but he didn't. Why do you think that is?”
“...To save the people in the drug plantation?”
“Exactly. They're surely worried. About us wiping out the plantation if he tips them off rashly. And a powerhouse like that is bound to be tied to the Cry of Freedom. Think those guys, who treasure their comrades, would sit still?”
“Unlikely.”
The Shadow King nodded at Jürgen's response.
“We've got warp magic circles set up in the drug plantation anyway. Once contact comes in, we move and catch him then.”
“Might as well uproot the Cry of Freedom while we wait.”
With that, Jürgen eyed the Shadow King.
“I'll let it slide this time, but if something like this happens again, make sure you catch the intruder. You haven't forgotten already, have you? You're the one who requested the deal first.”
“I haven't forgotten, so don't worry.”
The Shadow King shrugged lightly.
‘Things are getting interesting.’
Even if it was for his goals, hanging around with someone he disliked was exhausting.
And now he'd found someone who could provide entertainment.
He'd make good use of him.
The Shadow King resolved as much.
* * *
The moment the Brightner mansion vanished from sight, Martin teleported back to where Cien and Sara were.
He informed them of everything, including the Shadow King's presence.
Cien scowled at the unexpected development, while Sara's face drained of color.
If the Assassin Guild got seriously involved, even the Adalbert family would hesitate to act rashly.
‘I never saw the Shadow King coming.’
He already knew the Brightner family was growing drugs and what effects they had.
The only unknown was the plantation's location, so he'd gathered intel for that.
Fortunately, Sara Minehart knew, shortening the process.
‘Only factored in the Drug King.’
All drugs went through the Drug King.
No noble could change that.
But what was this?
The Drug King wasn't involved; the unrelated Shadow King was.
The implication was simple.
“The drugs the Brightner family grows... they aren't ordinary.”
“Yeah. That's why the Shadow King risked clashing with the Drug King to get in on it. Anyway, getting to the plantation's going to be tricky. It'll definitely be guarded by his personal assassins.”
“Could be he sneaks in alone quietly. He wouldn't want the Drug King catching wind either. Either way, the Brightners will beef up security even more.”
Answering thus, Martin looked at Sara.
Her complexion was still poor.
“Even if the Assassin Guild gets involved, I'm moving forward. Taking out scum like them only solidifies my position. Even without that, getting tangled up with them does me no favors. But there's one issue.”
“...I know what you're worried about. My comrades or other citizens could die.”
“Yeah. If things go wrong, they might wipe out the plantation itself. Since the map I grabbed doesn't show it, there's no evidence. Are you prepared for the sacrifices?”
Flutter.
Sara's pupils and eyebrows trembled greatly at Martin's question.
But only for a moment; she steadied her breathing.
Then, she looked straight at Martin and spoke.
“For the past 1,000 years, successive emperors and the heads of the three great noble houses have ruled as absolute powers. Their might was near-omnipotent, to say nothing less.”
“True enough.”
“To truly ascend as head of the Adalbert family, wouldn't Young Master need to pull off something near-miraculous?”
“Wow, pulling me into it like that.”
“Took one on the chin, Martin.”
“Yeah.”
Cien teased playfully, and Martin laughed.
Being merely strong wasn't enough to claim absolute power.
You became truly great by achieving the impossible.
“Good thing I listened to Captain Lucas.”
“Shouldn't you regret not bringing more? No matter how elite the White Dragon Knights are, one squad can't handle the Brightners.”
“Still, with the vice-captain, we can at least keep them in check.”
But that alone wasn't sufficient.
How could they resolve this?
The group dove into serious discussion.