Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Chapter 14: Demon Subjugation Hall (7)
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The two were still locked in a standoff, fist and sword pressed against each other.
The one who broke the impasse was Rihart.
"Hah!"
With a sharp kiai, he thrust out his left hand.
It wasn't just to attack.
Kwah-kwah-kwah!
A surge of green energy poured from his left palm, pulling at Martin's body.
To be more precise, it tried to pull him in.
'Who decided that?'
Kwah-kwah-kwah!
Golden energy flowed out centering on Martin's body, spreading like a spiderweb and anchoring into the space around them.
He had used Distortion of All Things to fix his body in place within the space.
Seeing this, Rihart was genuinely impressed.
'To find a countermeasure that quickly. The title of history's greatest genius is no exaggeration.'
With the opponent anchored to the space, he couldn't be pulled by attractive force.
Even switching to repulsive force wouldn't push him away.
In an instant, one of his powerful cards had been sealed.
But Rihart wasn't disappointed.
That counter had a clear weakness.
Namely, that Martin himself couldn't move.
Rihart swung his right hand down from above.
Reinforced gravity then crushed down on Martin.
Kwahng!
'What the—?!'
Rihart's eyes trembled.
It wasn't just because the attack had cratered the empty ground.
What truly flustered him was that the distance between him and Martin had suddenly widened.
'Using space compression like this.'
Not only in swordsmanship, but his talent for unique abilities was overwhelming.
But his surprise was fleeting.
Now that he understood the technique, he could predict what Martin would do next.
Rihart swiftly crossed his arms to guard his body.
At the same time, he maximized Attraction Manipulation, twisting the surrounding space.
Kwahng!
No sooner had he assumed his defensive stance than an aura blade slash struck.
Normally, a fierce explosion would have erupted, but this time was an exception.
The space twisted by attractive force had absorbed the explosion and all its shockwaves entirely.
But Martin wasn't disappointed.
'Buying time is more than enough.'
Wung.
Martin immediately activated spatial translocation.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind Rihart and swung his sword horizontally.
Unlike his own swift attack, the opponent hadn't properly responded yet.
If things continued like this, Kaizen would carve a massive gash into his side.
'It won't end that easily.'
Martin heightened all his senses to the maximum.
Ready to react instantly to whatever happened next.
Chwaak!
A spatial translocation normally allowed no room for evasion.
But this time was different.
The blade of the holy sword Kaizen sliced futilely through empty air.
The golden slash met the same fate.
It was the result of Rihart's body being sucked into a rift in space.
The vanished Rihart reappeared above Martin's head, stomping down with his right foot.
And that wasn't the end.
He used repulsive force to accelerate himself to the maximum.
'He can't use either spatial translocation or compression now.'
Less than a second remained until the attack landed.
No matter how much of a genius Martin was, it was impossible to turn the tables with a unique ability in that time.
But then—
Shweeeek!
Suddenly, space tore open, and a golden slash came flying in.
Rihart's face paled at the unexpected development.
'That's the one from just now!'
It was unmistakably the slash that had cut through empty air.
The problem was the timing.
Its speed made evasion via spatial translocation impossible.
Grinding his teeth, Rihart desperately thrust out his right hand.
Pouring in the full power of his aura blade and Attraction Manipulation.
Kwahng!
"Urk!"
A groan escaped Rihart's lips.
A long gash appeared on his right palm, blood streaming from it.
But he had no time to tend to the wound.
Martin had thrust Kaizen upward as if waiting for the moment.
Even as he witnessed it, Rihart couldn't properly respond.
There simply wasn't time.
Not for any action at all.
Chwaaa!
But Martin didn't slash him.
The blade cut precisely to the right of Rihart—right beside his right arm.
Tuk.
Rihart landed on the ground and looked at Martin.
Anyone could see it.
Martin had blatantly gone easy on him.
As if that weren't enough, Martin sheathed his sword.
"Is that it?"
"Didn't we agree beforehand? We'd go easy on each other. If we keep this up, we'll both suffer heavy losses—no need to push it."
". . . Fair enough. Still, I'll acknowledge my defeat."
"I don't particularly care."
"It's a matter of my pride."
"The winner of this spar is Martin Adalbert."
With Rihart readily accepting defeat, Nicholas immediately declared the victor.
He then dispelled the barrier.
Yet Rihart didn't move.
Still watching Martin intently, he spoke.
"May I ask one question, young liege?"
"Go ahead."
"That last strike—did you predict my spatial translocation?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"You showed me that strong attractive force can twist space, Your Highness. Given your involvement with space-related abilities, it was reasonable to assume you could use spatial translocation."
". . . I see."
"Yes."
"Though I lost this time, I still gained something. I now know your greatest weapon is numbers. It's a heavy price in blood, but one I must pay."
Rihart smiled bitterly.
The expressions of the nobles following him were uniformly grim.
Even neutral Theodore and the nobles with him felt uneasy about the situation.
Martin's victory would undoubtedly elevate Claudia's standing even further.
"Young liege! A word with you!"
"My daughter is truly beautiful, young liege!"
Indeed, the moment Nicholas dropped the barrier, nobles swarmed Martin.
Most were minor powers who hadn't secured spots in the First Prince's or Second Prince's factions.
They burned with determination to impress Martin and properly embed themselves in the First Princess's faction.
This signified Claudia's faction growing stronger, and the nobles who had supported her until now genuinely welcomed it.
With Rihart dominant and Theodore barely keeping pace.
For the first time, the First Princess's faction soared in the political arena.
All thanks to one man joining their ranks: Martin Adalbert.
* * *
The banquet celebrating Claudia's birthday concluded successfully.
Afterward, Martin stayed in her annex for a week, meeting the guests who came seeking him.
He didn't find it bothersome.
After all, they all showed proper sincerity.
'No better way for people to bond than through gifts.'
And being on the receiving end made it even more enjoyable.
However, major gains were hard to come by.
Separate from welcoming Martin, no one hoped for the north—led by him—to wield influence over the west centered on the imperial family.
Knowing this, he hadn't expected much from the start.
'What really matters are the people.'
There was someone in the capital he wanted to take as a vassal.
He had stayed in the annex for that week precisely to meet him.
But the meeting was postponed.
An uninvited guest, Nicholas von Royce, had come seeking Martin.
Claudia tried to refuse, but at Martin's request, she allowed him into the annex.
Thus, Martin faced Nicholas one-on-one.
Irina Minert waited nearby, so Nicholas couldn't act recklessly.
'First time having a one-on-one talk.'
They had met before his regression, but only once.
He'd never been directly entangled in any incidents with him.
That made sense—back then, Nicholas had tried to seize the Adalbert family through his son-in-law, Baldemar von Rustal.
Baldemar's own ambitions had blunted the effect.
But the man was an extremely dangerous foe.
Now that direct confrontation was inevitable, he was the one to be most wary of.
"It's our first proper greeting. No need for formal introductions, I assume?"
"Doesn't matter. We already know each other well—no point in idle self-introductions."
"You know me well. . . I felt it a week ago, but you sure have a way with bold words."
"It's not empty talk. Just look at the Rustal family's destruction and what happened in the free city of Akella."
"True enough. I never imagined I'd lose cherished vassals and all my family's achievements in an instant. Nor did I foresee my son-in-law and grandson's deaths."
Nicholas acquiesced readily.
His expression didn't change at all.
"But things have changed, young liege."
"In what sense?"
"From now on, I'll deal with you personally."
"Even then, you won't step onto the battlefield yourself."
"Not wrong. Neither I nor the other 9th-circle powerhouses can leave our faction leaders' sides. But I have no need to personally handle a declining house like Adalbert."
"Wow. You must have a lot of hidden forces, judging by that confidence. But no matter how many you've stashed, do you really think you can beat the entire north?"
"I'll acknowledge that your northern tour let you seize hegemony in the north. But with a real major war looming, how many will truly trust you?"
"Nothing more pointless than assuming only favorable scenarios."
"That's the gap between you and me."
Even against the man's assertion, Martin remained relaxed.
Nicholas noticed but didn't care.
On the surface, the Adalbert family's revealed forces still held the advantage.
It was only natural for confidence to follow.
But what reactions would they show if that mighty force crumbled meaninglessly?
'I'm truly looking forward to it.'
Ideally, he'd witness it firsthand.
Martin in despair.
Hiding such thoughts, Nicholas spoke calmly.
"The House of Marquis Royce has long desired to join the three great prestigious families. We spared no preparations to achieve that long-cherished wish, and the power we've amassed reached its peak in my generation. Even if the other three great families are beyond us, crushing a declining Adalbert house will be easy. As easy as me killing you in one minute."
"You know that's a declaration of war, right?"
"Of course. I came here to declare territorial war. If you cede half the dungeon entrance shares and join under His Highness the Second Prince, I'd consider withdrawing."
"No chance. Second Prince? I'd rather go under the First Prince."
"I've given you your last chance. And you've thrown it away."
"Better no such 'chance' at all. And allow me to warn you in turn."
Their eyes met.
"Speak."
"All who opposed me until now have fallen. Honestly, I doubt Marquis Royce will be any different."
"I hope those words aren't empty."
"I'll do my utmost to meet expectations. And."
"What?"
"Remember this. This is your last chance. If you fail to kill me now, you'll never take the Adalbert family."
"Now that's a delusion."
Both Martin and Nicholas conversed in calm tones, and it was decided there.
The clash between the Adalbert house—one of the three great prestigious families—and the House of Marquis Royce, rated just below them.