Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Chapter 11: Cleanup Time (4)
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A member of the White Dragon Knights received a potion from Martin.
He forced it down Jürgen von Brightner's throat.
At once, the blood flowing from his severed right arm stopped completely, and the excruciating pain vanished.
That was when it happened.
*Now!*
Jürgen realized this was his last chance.
He immediately tried to bite his tongue.
While squeezing out the last dregs of mana from the mana cores in his heart and head.
But his plan was thwarted in an instant.
Martin had already stomped down on his head with his right foot.
Thud!
“Gahk!”
Jürgen, smashed into the ground, vomited blood.
He tried to push himself up with his remaining left arm somehow, but Martin didn't budge an inch.
“No suicide. I've got way too many questions for you.”
“You... you'll get nothing out of me!”
“I'll never understand why you big shots think your lips are sealed. In the end, you're always looser than your underlings.”
Crack!
The moment the words left his mouth, Martin kicked Jürgen in the head.
The impact sent Jürgen rolling once, leaving him staring up at the sky.
That alone was humiliating enough, but it was nothing compared to what came next.
Thump.
Martin straddled his abdomen and looked down at Jürgen.
Reduced to a mere seat, Jürgen seethed with overwhelming shame and rage, letting out a roar of fury.
“The etiquette between nobles... Graaaah!”
Before he could vent it all, Jürgen let out a wretched scream.
The bone in his left arm snapped inward, tearing through flesh.
Blood poured out as his muscles ballooned like inflated balloons.
His vision went white, leaving him unable to think.
It was agony so intense it felt like it was wringing out his very soul.
Martin, who had been using Distortion of All Things, released his grip on Jürgen's left shoulder.
Just like that, the pain vanished as if by magic, but Jürgen's face remained deathly pale.
Grooooowl!
Fritz Kahn and the other White Dragon Knights focused their killing intent in fury at his words.
“Enough.”
At Martin's command, the knights quickly withdrew their auras.
Their grim expressions lingered, though.
Martin ignored it all and tapped Jürgen's head.
“If you want to close your eyes in peace, watch your mouth, Jürgen von Brightner. And remember this: if you don't answer my questions properly or give me any bullshit from now on, you'll learn that what just happened was nothing.”
“Hk!”
Jürgen recoiled instinctively.
Born into the Brightner family, he had fought countless brutal battles in dungeons since childhood.
He had accumulated innumerable wounds and tasted the terror of death.
Those efforts had propelled him to the 6th Circle and eventually to family head.
And so he could declare with certainty:
Nothing he had endured before compared to that pain.
And this was just the appetizer?
Tremble, tremble.
His body began shaking uncontrollably, against his will.
“You must be ready to talk now. Right?”
“T-That's...”
“Gonna keep your mouth shut to the end? Not the smartest choice, but oh well. A promise is a promise.”
Martin began to gather mana.
“I-I'll talk! I'll tell you everything I know!”
Jürgen screamed in terror.
Only then did Martin nod in satisfaction and speak.
“First question. Why did the Dark King take an interest in your drug farm? Sure, Clodel drugs sell well. But a guy like the Dark King wouldn't risk clashing with the Drug King over something that minor. There has to be more to it.”
“...About a year ago, the Dark King came to me personally. He said he'd discovered a new refining method for Clodel. He urged me to grow it, promising me all the profits from the drugs. In exchange, I handed over all the research data to him.”
“So basically, it's a whole new drug. How do you refine it?”
“Regular drugs just need to infuse mana into Clodel petals, but this is different. You mix Clodel extract with crushed magic crystals.”
“And the effects?”
“For the powerless, it opens the mana core in their head. For those with abilities, it adds one more circle.”
“What?!”
The moment Jürgen finished explaining, Martin was genuinely shocked.
Murmur, murmur.
The others were just as stunned.
Opening the mana core in the head meant acquiring a unique ability.
In other words, there was now a way to artificially awaken unique abilities.
Considering that only those with unique abilities could become nobles, this was nothing short of a revolution.
“You're saying... that actually works? You're not lying?”
“Why would I lie?”
Martin fell silent for a moment.
There was no reason for Jürgen to lie.
But it was so absurd he couldn't help doubting it.
“...So, I get that the Dark King partnered with you for this. But if it's that powerful, why hasn't it spread yet?”
“Because it's not complete. The Dark King called it Doom. Anyone who took it gained the power but died in less than half a day.”
“So you can't use it properly yet?”
“Exactly. He was researching here to eliminate the side effects. Then this happened.”
Jürgen answered in resignation.
Watching him, Martin sank into thought.
*It's certain they never fixed the side effects even seven years from now.*
Before his regression, even after being betrayed and killed, he had traveled widely and experienced much as the head of the Adalbert family.
His position had given him access to information ordinary people could never touch.
His exceptional memory retained most of it, and there was no drug called Doom anywhere in those records.
Which meant they likely never fully resolved the side effects.
That was one thing, but there was another crucial question.
“Was the Gustin family involved in running the drug farm?”
“No. Only me, the Dark King, and a few others know about it. I didn't even tell my wife or children.”
“So the funds you sent to the Gustin family were all from fudging your mine output.”
“H-How did you...”
Twitch, twitch.
Jürgen's eyes darted wildly.
Falsifying mine output and sending the profits to the Gustin family were top secrets.
Yet Martin mentioned it casually.
It was incomprehensible.
“The Adalbert family doesn't claim to be the hegemon of the North for nothing. Uncovering that much is child's play.”
“We've been dancing in the palm of your hand.”
“You alone aren't enough. I was hoping to grab the Gustins by the throat, but that fell flat.”
If the Gustin family was tied to the drug farm, he could take them down.
But as it stood, their only crime was unjust enrichment.
Falsifying output was the Brightners' fault, so he couldn't deal a fatal blow to the Gustins.
*Maybe I should fabricate some evidence.*
Soon, the Brightner ledgers and documents would be in his hands.
Since the Gustins had dirt first, inflating their crimes or adding more wouldn't be hard.
Their denials wouldn't matter—people wouldn't believe them after what they'd done.
But after a brief deliberation, Martin decided.
No need to push it.
He had a weakness on the Gustins, weak as it was, and he'd toppled their biggest backer.
There were plenty of other cards to bring them down; better not risk exposure.
“Fine, you talked nicely, so I'll give you a clean death. Anything else to say?”
Jürgen hesitated, then spoke gravely.
“Could you possibly spare my family?”
“If they had nothing to do with running the drug farm.”
“As I said, only a few know. Most are in the dark.”
“Hmm. If it's proven they weren't involved, I'll let them live. The rest isn't a capital offense. They'll lose their lands, though.”
“Damn it.”
“Too late for regrets. You should have known your place from the start.”
“Sigh.”
“Any last words for your family? I'll pass them on.”
“...Tell them I'm sorry.”
“Got it.”
Slash!
Martin swung Kaizen down.
The blade fell like a guillotine, severing Jürgen's neck.
“I'm heading back to the mine. Vice-captain, take control of the Brightner family.”
“As you command, Young Lord.”
Fritz Kahn replied steadily.
Martin nodded at his reliability, then cast spatial transfer.
He had succeeded in taking down Jürgen von Brightner, but there was still much to do.
* * *
Callaine stood before his father, Mateus von Gustin's office.
*What's going on?*
His father never called him away from training.
For him to summon him suddenly meant something had happened.
Knock, knock.
“It's Callaine, Family Head.”
“Come in.”
At the permission, Callaine entered.
And was slightly surprised.
The Red Dragon Knights' captain, Andreas Schneider, and vice-captain, Carsten Frings, were already there.
Their expressions were unmistakably grim, confirming Callaine's instincts.
Then Mateus drove the nail in, delivering a massive shock.
“Jürgen von Brightner is dead.”
“What?! W-What do you mean? Why would Jürgen...?”
“The Young Lord declared it himself. Said Jürgen was colluding with the Dark King to run a drug farm.”
“What? How could they run a drug farm in Pratel City, which only has mines?”
Callaine reacted with disbelief.
He knew his family collaborated with the Brightners.
Their funds had allowed the family head to secretly bolster their forces.
But a drug farm out of nowhere?
He couldn't make sense of it.
“According to the Young Lord, there was a mine with an underground lake where they grew Clodel. He said Jürgen and the Dark King attempted assassinations to keep the truth hidden. If true, Jürgen deserved death.”
“But the Young Lord's actions aren't right either! Executing a fellow noble without a proper trial?”
“Who can stop the Young Lord right now? It's not just the drug farm—he tried to assassinate him, so it's self-defense. And the Young Lord's moves aren't the issue now. With the Brightners under his control, he'll get all their information. That'll expose our family's misdeeds.”
“Isn't that such a big deal?”
“You're right there, Callaine. But we can't rule out the Young Lord fabricating evidence to paint us as accomplices once he has the info.”
“...The current Young Lord could definitely go that far. But he pursues efficiency. I doubt he'd overreach needlessly.”
“Even so, the problem remains. He targeted the Brightners precisely because they collaborated with us. The Rustal incident proves he knew.”
“So he likely knows our other weaknesses too?”
“Exactly. One or two more slip-ups, and we'll fall to him before we can act.”
Callaine caught on immediately.
His always-cautious father was uncharacteristically resolute.
“That's why I've decided. To fulfill the family's long-cherished wish, our ancestors' dream.”
“I agree with you, Family Head. But is it safe? The Pax and Athenfeld family heads have been showing signs of bowing to the Young Lord lately. Even with our hidden forces, taking him down alone would be tough, right?”
“You're right—we can't do it alone. But what if we have reinforcements?”
Mateus smiled faintly.
He turned toward the door.
“Come in.”
Step, step.
As soon as he spoke, a man entered.
“You!”
Callaine was startled upon recognizing him.
No one who pursued martial arts could be unaware of this figure.
Moreover, the man was Nicholas von Royce's right-hand man.
His presence here meant one thing.
The family boasting the might just below the Three Great Houses was reaching out to the Gustins.
*Impossible under normal circumstances.*
Even the mighty Royce Marquis family couldn't compare to the Adalberts, one of the Three Great Houses.
But the Adalberts' power had begun waning since the previous head and could no longer claim absolute supremacy.
Not on par with the imperial family or the other Great Houses.
Of course, even in decline, the Adalberts outmatched the Royces.
Based solely on openly displayed forces.
*The Royce Marquis family has many hidden ones.*
He didn't know the exact extent.
But it was true they'd long eyed the Three Great Houses' seats.
They had secretly built up their strength for it.
In this situation, if the Royces struck from outside and the Gustins from within?
*Martin, your struggles end here.*
Callaine was certain of victory.