The Return of the Limited-Time Sword Master

Chapter 127: The Beginning of Turmoil (2)

“Ha… Ha…”

Richard was panting heavily.

As soon as Theodore and Marquis Nicholas declared their support for the Klaus family’s independence, he had transported himself to the territory near the Marquis Royce’s estate using a warp magic circle.

From there, he used spatial movement frantically until he finally arrived at the heart of the Royce estate.

Standing before the fortress walls, he shouted loudly.

“Come out immediately, Theodore Altaria!”

His mana-infused voice pierced the stillness of the deep night.

Yet Richard continued shouting, undeterred.

Before long, in response to his call, Theodore appeared with a few knights in tow.

“Well, well. As expected, you act quickly, Brother. I didn’t expect you to come to see me so soon, barely hours after the official announcement.”

“How could you, of all people, support the Klaus family? His Majesty—our father—still suffers from the Duke of Klaus’ curse and hasn’t regained consciousness!”

The Emperor hadn’t even been awake for a week.

How could Theodore support the enemy who had harmed their father?

Even knowing that this was blatant treason?

“Did you really want the throne that badly? Enough to betray His Majesty and abandon your own brothers?”

“Yes. I’ve been itching to surpass you and take the throne. But with His Majesty openly supporting you, what other choice did I have? Supporting the Duke of Klaus turned out to align with my interests.”

Unlike Richard, who was scowling in anger, Theodore was smiling.

Though his smile was dripping with killing intent.

“Since I was old enough to understand, I’ve always been compared to you, Brother. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t surpass you. So this time, I’m determined to beat you—by any means necessary.”

“Do you realize that if you continue down this path, there’s no turning back? We’ll be forced to kill each other.”

“I’ve long since discarded any thoughts of turning back, Brother. Did you think I’d support the Duke of Klaus without such resolve?”

“You… really have lost your mind.”

“I don’t expect you to understand. How could someone like you, who has walked the path of victory your entire life, understand how I feel?”

Richard fell silent at Theodore’s words.

But Theodore continued, undeterred.

“People say you have the qualities of a great Emperor, Brother. Every time I heard that, I thought it was absurd. What use are qualities? The very act of sitting on the throne proves one’s strength.”

“Hah. As expected, you’re hopeless. If I had to choose, I’d sooner believe in Claudia than in you.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I can’t accept you. An Emperor’s duty is to show a grand vision and lead those who believe in it. But all you have is greed for the throne. If you ever sit upon it, you’ll only bring ruin to the Empire, offering no future to its people.”

“Oh? And what do you see in Claudia? She attempted to seize the power of the Adalbert Estate’s acting head, only to damage her own reputation.”

“She has her flaws, yes, but she’s still better than you, whose only desire is the throne. Why do you think the competition between us broke down? Because she’s willing to extend a hand to every faction under the value of the Empire’s stability.”

Richard advocated for a powerful Imperial Family, striving for national strength and prosperity.

Theodore, on the other hand, intended to reward the nobles who supported him with vast benefits if he claimed the throne.

Meanwhile, Claudia had managed to form a faction by gathering those who belonged to neither side. Her faction even included organizations formed by commoners.

Although their influence was minimal.

“While I don’t think her approach will end this turmoil, I have to commend her for creating her own vision.”

“A half-hearted inclusivity at best. To truly embrace all factions, wouldn’t she need to reach out to the commoners, like our youngest brother does?”

“Muller… That child has gone too far. Radical ideologies are always met with rejection.”

“That’s the problem with you, Brother. You talk as if you know everything. Do you realize how arrogant and disgusting that comes across to others?”

Theodore candidly expressed his resentment.

He had already made his decision long ago.

If he could secure the throne, he was prepared to strike down not only his brothers but even his father.

“Oh, and you should be grateful for this, Brother. I’ll defeat Martin Adalbert in your stead. I doubt you’ll find a brother as considerate as me.”

“You’re as foolish as ever, Theodore. Do you really think you can defeat the acting head of the Adalbert family after all you’ve been through?”

“…This time is different from the last. Now that I’m risking everything, he won’t be able to handle me.”

“There’s nothing more dangerous than unfounded belief. It’s no surprise you think that way, considering humans are creatures who repeat the same mistakes.”

“All troops, prepare to attack.”

Theodore gave the cold command.

As soon as he spoke, the soldiers on the fortress wall raised their magic rifles and magic cannons.

Of course, neither Richard, who was the target, nor Theodore, who had given the command, thought this attack would pose a genuine threat.

It was merely a symbolic act, sealing their parting of ways.

“Once I’ve subdued the North, let’s meet again. Farewell, Brother. Commence attack.”

Boom! Boom!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Massive beams of light shot out from the magic cannons, while orbs of light burst from the magic rifles.

“Hah…”

With a sigh, Richard used Gravitational Domination to form a dark sphere in his right hand.

When he lightly tossed it forward, the sphere emitted a powerful suction that absorbed all the incoming attacks.

Boom!

A powerful explosion followed, but Richard remained unharmed, standing outside the blast radius.

He bit his lip and delivered his final words.

“…I guarantee you’ll regret today’s decision.”

“I doubt it. Watching you or Claudia on the throne would be far worse for me.”

Theodore, unwilling to concede even a single word.

Richard shook his head and then disappeared with a spatial movement spell.

‘I’ve broken my promise to His Majesty.’

The Emperor’s plea to spare the lives of his younger siblings still echoed in his mind.

But while he could consider Claudia, he couldn’t allow Theodore to live.

How could he forgive someone who openly allied with the Duke of Klaus, a traitor to the Emperor?

‘I’ll have to ask the acting head of the Adalbert family for help.’

Defeating Theodore’s forces and the Royce family was a task that fell to Martin and Claudia.

Thus, Richard had no choice but to ask Martin to capture Theodore alive.

After all, a traitor to the Imperial Family should be dealt with by one of their own.

Woooong.

Richard’s face was weary as he disappeared with his spatial movement spell.

Not physically, but mentally drained.

—

After issuing orders to summon his key retainers, Martin headed straight to his office.

He then sent a communication request to Claudia.

She answered right away, as if she had been waiting.

“Apologies for the delayed contact. I was in training and only recently learned of the situation.”

“Don’t worry too much. I’ve only received the news recently myself.”

“Have you assessed the situation?”

“All the nobles following the younger prince have headed toward the Marquis Royce estate or nearby territories, leaving only minimal forces to guard their own lands.”

“They’re openly marching toward the North… They must be desperate to bring me down.”

“I agree. I can’t avoid the fight either.”

“That’s right. For them to reach the North, they’ll need to pass through the territories of nobles who support you, not to mention the Free City of Akela.”

“Thanks to the acting head’s efforts, the mayor of Akela City is my supporter. He’ll undoubtedly protect the city. I’ve already ordered my vassals to gather their troops.”

Claudia’s expression was resolute.

If she joined the war against the Klaus family, there was a high chance she would end up as a mere bystander for Richard.

No matter how highly regarded the Minert family might be in the West, they were still not a match for the Ferdinand family.

‘Helping the acting head of the Adalbert family take down my brother Theodore is the better option.’

However, she couldn’t make that decision alone.

Her forces alone weren’t enough to defeat them.

If she wanted to fight alongside the Adalbert family, it would have to be in the North, which was Adalbert territory.

Seeming to understand her thoughts, Martin spoke.

“Then we’ll leave the Free City of Akela in your hands, Your Highness.”

“Leave it to me. But… if, for some reason, Akela falls, what should we do?”

“In that case, join us in the northern territories. I’ll order the northern lords to cooperate with Your Highness.”

“…Thank you for your consideration, acting head.”

“Think nothing of it. We’re allies, after all. We must support each other in times like these.”

Martin smiled at Claudia on the screen.

‘It’s not as if I need the help, but there’s no reason to fight alone.’

Even if Theodore and Nicholas gathered all their faction’s strength, they would barely have over 40% of the West’s total forces.

Although the West had a slight advantage over the North, they were still clearly inferior compared to the entirety of the North.

They must have known this but chose to fight anyway.

‘They just want me dead.’

He acknowledged Nicholas’ strength.

He had anticipated his opponent’s tactics since the previous territorial battle.

But things were different now.

Completely different.

‘

With the elves of Altair Village and the dwarves of Ranens Village by my side.’

He could especially count on the elves’ support.

The incident with High Elf Solenne had left the elves seething with anger toward the Klaus family and the southern lords.

So, naturally, they would oppose Marquis Royce and Theodore, who were aligned with the Klaus family.

Therefore, it was best to assign Nicholas to the leader of Altair Village, Elder Barthez.

Although Martin himself would need to deal the final blow to Nicholas.

‘The best outcome would be for Claudia’s side to weaken them as much as possible.’

With the 10-circle powerhouses on the move, Nicholas and Theodore were hardly a concern.

If Werner von Klaus prevailed, so be it, but if Richard and the Ferdinand family won, he would eventually have to face them.

For the sake of future confrontations, he needed to conserve his forces, and this way, Claudia’s side would have to rely on him even more.

“As you know, Your Highness, this war is just the prelude for me. If the Ferdinand family and the first prince emerge victorious, I’ll face an unprecedented crisis.”

“…That’s true.”

“That’s why I intend to secure a solid victory in this fight. I’ll prove why the Adalbert family leads the North and prepare for the grand battle to come.”

“I fully understand your resolve, acting head. Let’s both give it our best.”

“Understood.”

At Martin’s response, Claudia nodded.

Though she tried to hide it, she seemed visibly relieved.

Seeing her, Martin made a silent promise to himself.

‘I’ll make sure to help her establish her accomplishments, Your Highness.’

He was genuinely sincere in this.

After all, her ascending the throne would be the most convenient outcome for him.