Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Chapter 11 Cleanup Time (1)
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Jurgen von Brightner was bold.
The moment Martin fled, he declared a state of emergency.
Inspections and patrols were intensified as a result, but that wasn't the end of it.
Guard soldiers burst into citizens' homes and searched every inch.
In the process, a large number of Cry of Freedom operatives hiding in safehouses were captured.
And all that in a mere half day.
At this point, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that only Sara Minehart remained among the leadership.
But even after watching the scene from a nearby mountain thicket, she didn't urge Martin and Sien to rescue their comrades. No, she couldn't.
She didn't have the authority to do so.
That didn't mean the two had no intention of helping her.
They were simply still racking their brains, unable to come up with a good plan yet.
So even if it hurt her heart, they had to proceed with utmost caution.
'I can't rely on just the two of them.'
The Adalbert family was the hegemon of the northern Alteira Empire, a fact no one could deny.
Martin, who was set to become the next family head, was essentially the king of a nation in his own right.
But even he couldn't recklessly interfere in the affairs of an independent lord who wasn't a branch family.
A lord's autonomy was a right that deserved protection.
Of course, with the drug farm exposed, Jurgen von Brightner's downfall was all but assured.
But that alone would likely end as a personal failing.
That was why the Cry of Freedom—and by extension, the citizens of Pratal—had to prove it.
They had to show that they truly yearned for freedom.
Only then could Martin crush the entire Brightner family.
'There is a way.'
One misstep could lead to even more sacrifices.
Even knowing that, Sara didn't waver.
"Young Lord."
"Yeah."
"You mentioned it earlier. That the Cry of Freedom has been preparing demonstrations with the citizens for a long time."
"Ah, right. You said you wanted to show your longing for freedom."
"That's correct. With this emergency decree, I'm essentially the only leader left. But the comrades in safehouses outside the city are surely safe. And plenty of citizens who sympathize with our cause remain."
"So? You're planning to hold an official demonstration?"
"Yes. Of course, we absolutely won't resort to violence."
"Jurgen von Brightner won't just sit idly by... Huh. That's a clever move."
A certain possibility suddenly flashed in Martin's mind, and he was impressed.
"Not bad. You haven't even met me yet, and you've already factored my knight order into your plan."
"I've thought it was suspicious from the start. The young lord of the Adalbert family is on the move, yet he only has one escort knight. That means the others are waiting elsewhere. If they enter the city in time for the demonstration..."
"The Brightner family won't be able to use force recklessly."
"Exactly."
"It's a good plan. But can you really pull off a demonstration?"
"We've prepared a lot up until now. We've taken a big hit from this emergency decree, but we haven't lost everything. We still need the young lord and Lady Sien's help, of course."
"Impressive."
"Pardon?"
Sara was flustered by Martin's sudden words.
"If you can wield aura, you could serve as a knight in most families. Yet you gave up a stable life to join the struggle."
"I feel the same way as the young lord. Even if this ends successfully, you won't gain any direct benefit. You'll only increase your chances of dying. And yet, you're giving it your all."
Sien backed up Martin's sentiment.
Flustered by the sudden praise, Sara's face flushed red, but only briefly.
She replied in a calm tone.
"I didn't originally think about freedom. I knew the situation was wrong, but I didn't plan to change it. Then I met someone."
"Who?"
"Hmm. Their face was covered in bandages, so I don't know who it was. But their words still linger in my heart. They said freedom isn't given by anyone or obtained on its own—it's seized through struggle."
The moment Sara finished speaking, Martin's expression changed.
But Sara, recalling the words she'd heard, and Sien, watching her, didn't notice.
'Wings of Freedom. Who would've thought I'd hear their ideology here.'
He thought he'd been through a lot and knew plenty.
Yet unknown things kept emerging, which was fascinating.
Martin quickly schooled his expression and focused on Sara's words.
"The moment I heard that, I resolved myself. To show our clear will and seize freedom. Of course, I know the odds are slim in reality, but I wanted to show the others. Especially the former head of the Adalbert family... I believed he wouldn't ignore our wishes."
"If it were my father, he surely would've understood your intent. I do too."
"I'm truly grateful for that."
"Well, you can save the thanks for later. So, how do you plan to hold the demonstration? The current situation makes it hard to move carelessly."
"There's a secret passage into the city. First, we'll link up with the comrades in the safehouses outside, then meet with our supporters."
"Sien."
"Yes."
"Follow Sara Minehart and protect her. With your spatial movement, you'll do fine."
"Got it."
Even as Martin's escort, Sien agreed readily.
Having read her lord's firm resolve, she couldn't betray it.
"Young lord! That's too much..."
"I'm not particularly invested in your wishes. But your actions help me. That's why I'm assigning Sien. Make sure you achieve your goal."
"Thank you! I will!"
"That's the spirit. But I can't give you much time. For the sake of those captured, we need to wrap everything up in two days, right?"
"I agree."
"When the demonstration kicks off in full two days, my knight order will move. So focus on your objective without worry."
"I'll never forget this favor."
"I believe you."
After responding to Sara, Martin looked at Sien.
"Go with Sara and gather the operatives in the safehouses."
"What about you?"
"I'm taking over the drug farm. We need proof they were running it too. If that bastard Jurgen tries to clean it up, I have to stop him."
"Don't push yourself too hard."
"Don't worry. I'll head out first."
Woooong.
After their farewells, Martin teleported to his destination.
"Let's move. Time's short."
"I leave it to you, Lady Sien."
"Likewise."
Once Martin vanished from sight, the two women sprang into action.
* * *
The city's checkpoints were thorough, but meaningless to Martin.
Crossing through space alone let him bypass ordinary security.
Mine number two, the entrance to the underground lake.
Woooong.
The space in front of the mine entrance warped.
But the guarding soldiers sensed nothing amiss, and paid the price dearly.
Crack.
"Gahk!"
One guard collapsed with the sound of his neck snapping.
"Wha—what..."
His comrade panicked at the sudden event but couldn't finish his words.
A hand burst from a spatial rift and seized his throat.
Crack.
The moment force gripped it, his neck snapped.
As the last guard's body went limp, Martin stepped out from the rift.
He grimaced.
"What a mess."
Martin scanned the surroundings with a look of disbelief.
The tunnel interior was choked with sand dust, making it hard to breathe.
Without the protective stone he'd prepared, he'd have been in trouble.
Vowing to resolve this, he descended deeper into the tunnel.
It wasn't smooth sailing.
Brightner family knights and guards were posted everywhere en route to the farm.
Bang bang bang!
"Block him! Don't let him through!"
"Call the knights, quick!"
Magic gun bullets poured endlessly.
But as time passed, fear deepened on the guards' faces.
Not a single ferocious bullet came near Martin.
They all dropped to the floor or hit the walls.
And that wasn't all.
Their shouts and gunfire didn't spread outward.
As if blocked by walls.
"If you've sinned, you must pay."
Martin extended his right index finger.
The drug farm was the Brightner family's ultimate secret.
Working here meant knowing the truth, which made them accomplices.
Their sentence could only be death.
Boom!
"Arrrgh!"
"Aaaah!"
With a flick of his right index finger, amplified gravity crushed the guards.
Their bodies burst, losing even human shape.
Afterward, more guards and knights blocked his path.
But none stopped Martin.
He strolled leisurely through the tunnel, leaving countless corpses in his wake.
He arrived at his goal effortlessly.
A massive lake filled his vision, welcoming him.
"A lake this huge inside a mine..."
Even before his regression, he hadn't known.
If Sara hadn't told him, he'd never have found out.
Calming his surprise, Martin turned his head.
Near the lake, vibrant red flowers blanketed the area.
Miners high on drugs tended them diligently.
Martin soon recognized them.
"Clodel."
An ancient term meaning red star.
True to its starry name, it was stunningly beautiful and famous as an ornamental flower.
But its true use was different: refining it into drugs.
Grinding magic crystals into powder and mixing with clodel petals made the narcotic.
Inhaling it hyper-developed the senses, granting extreme pleasure.
The problem was.
'It wouldn't catch the Dark King's interest.'
Clodel was a drug the Drug King particularly monitored.
No reason for the Dark King to risk conflict over it.
But Martin decided not to dwell, only briefly.
Prioritizing tasks over unknowns.
Woooong.
Activating spatial scan, golden light threads spread like spiderwebs across the ground.
He sensed everyone's presence here, detecting multiple experts deeper in the tunnel.
One had reached the 5th Circle—the site's overseer, no doubt.
Finishing the scan, Martin teleported instantly, space warping as he vanished.
He reappeared in the drug farm's management office, a amused smile on his face.
He recognized the face.
"Pierre Brightner."
The man was Jurgen von Brightner's cousin, someone he'd met before regression.
"You bastard... Hng!"
Pierre, engrossed in desk work, was genuinely shocked.
The family's most secret site had been breached.
By their worst enemy, no less.
"Y-young lord?! How are you here...?"
"There's nowhere in the north I can't go. But that's not important now."
Roooar!
Martin unleashed his presence.
Pierre's face paled.
Thud!
"Intruder!"
"Kill him! Don't let him escape!"
Knights sensing Martin rushed into the office.
Pierre immediately ordered them.
But Martin remained calm.
"Guess I'll have to impose on you."
Kwa-kwa-kwa!
Golden blade winds engulfed the office.
"Arrrgh!"
"Uwaaah!"
Screams echoed as blood rained down.
But no one died, not even Pierre.
Though they'd lost at least one limb.
The reason for sparing them was simple.
"I'll be in your care for two days. Do as I say, and you'll find peace. I stake my castle on it. You can refuse, of course—but then you'll learn why dying might be better."
Martin warned with a smile.
Pierre and the knights could only nod.