The Return of the Limited-Time Sword Master

Chapter 132: The Beginning of Turmoil (7)

Martin’s press conference spread swiftly across the entire empire.

As if waiting for this moment, Richard and Claudia publicly denounced Theodore, insisting that he be stripped of his claim to the throne.

In response, Theodore defended himself, claiming that Martin Adalbert was slandering him. Yet, he knew all too well that his words were unlikely to sway the public.

“Martin Adalbert!”

Bam!

Theodore, unable to contain his fury, slammed his fist onto the desk. It was a finely crafted piece, painstakingly made by a master artisan, but it shattered under his force, splitting in half.

Yet, his anger was not assuaged. Theodore continued to hurl and smash anything within reach, shouting with rage.

“I’ll kill him! I’ll tear him apart, piece by piece!”

Since Martin’s threat at Claudia’s birthday party, he had cleared out the villa, believing that it had put an end to everything. But he had been gravely mistaken.

Martin had brazenly exposed the real scandal.

What infuriated him even more was the lie Martin had hidden within his accusations.

“What’s this about ‘luckily finding one survivor’? I made sure that there were no survivors!”

To avoid leaving any loose ends, Theodore had ensured that not a single person was left alive, even going as far as to burn down the villa to erase any trace.

Yet here was Martin, brazenly lying. If only he had Martin in front of him, he would crush him to the bone.

“Sigh. If it were up to me, I’d march straight into Varehein City with all my forces. I’d burn everything except the dungeon entrance. I know that’s not feasible right now, though.”

Theodore cast a murderous glare at Nicholas as he spoke, fury raging in his eyes, though he maintained his composure.

Nicholas responded calmly.

“Your Highness, an advance on Varehein City would be unwise. The troops are severely unsettled. Any hasty move now would likely end in a catastrophic defeat.”

On the Cracian Continent, wars were largely determined by the prowess of superhuman knights and mages. For this reason, Nicholas was intent on killing Martin.

However, since the onset of the Magic Era, ordinary soldiers had also taken on an important role. Even in their recent skirmish, victory had been secured through the soldiers’ sacrificial attacks.

Thus, it was crucial to restore the soldiers’ morale.

“Considering Martin Adalbert’s character, he will try to avoid direct confrontation. He’ll prolong this with a war of public opinion, aiming to demoralize our troops and agitate the imperial citizens.”

“That conniving wretch would do just that.”

“The bigger issue is His Majesty. Has he responded to your messages?”

“I’ve only spoken with Marquis Maiyas. His Majesty says he won’t intervene, no matter what happens in this war. It’s at least some relief that he isn’t immediately revoking my claim to the throne….”

“If His Majesty changes his mind, we’re finished. This makes it all the more urgent to stabilize the troops.”

“I’ll distribute funds from my own coffers among the soldiers. I’ll promise to knight anyone who distinguishes themselves and provide full support for their advancement. That should help restore some order. I’m just unsure how best to address the public.”

“There’s no immediate way to sway public opinion. We should focus on restoring order and then reveal that the entire scandal was fabricated once we secure victory in the war.”

Unlike Martin, they didn’t have any striking revelations to distract public attention.

They had hoped the recent victory would improve their image, but Martin’s rampage in Akela City and his latest exposure had rendered their efforts futile.

“That’s too weak. Martin must feel at least a fraction of the humiliation and shame I’ve endured.”

A cruel smile spread across Theodore’s face, a twisted mix of malice and mania that sent chills through anyone who saw it.

“Do you have something in mind?”

“I’m already branded as scum. There’s no way to fix that right now, so that’s how I’ll stay.”

Nicholas didn’t dispute Theodore’s statement. Public perception, once tainted, was nearly impossible to change, especially since, in this case, the allegations were true.

No conventional method could repair the damage.

“I’ll become the true villain. I need to set an example of what happens to those who defy me.”

“A true villain? What do you mean?”

“I’ll send my personal troops to burn down nearby territories. They’ll learn what it means to stand against me, and it will show that Martin Adalbert can’t protect everyone.”

“Hmm.”

Nicholas frowned slightly.

His ambition was to defeat the Adalbert family and become the dominant force in the North.

Given that, tarnishing their reputation as tyrants would do them no favors. Rebellions would likely rise across the North if they were branded as oppressors after consolidating power.

But at this point, he couldn’t object outright.

“If you’re going to do it, then do it thoroughly. Bury everything under a blanket of fear.”

“Thank you for your support, Marquis. I’ll remember your advice.”

Theodore’s gaze flashed intensely as he spoke.

“You’ll pay the price for wagging your tongue, Martin Adalbert.”

He vowed to make Martin regret this for the rest of his life.

—

Martin had convened a meeting with his top advisors.

This time, however, there was a special addition: Barthez, the Grand Elder of Altair Village, and Armand, one of the elders, were present.

“Before we officially begin, I want to thank Grand Elder Barthez and Elder Armand for joining our alliance and deciding to fight alongside us.”

“No need for thanks, young master. The Klaus family not only refused to rescue the high elf Solenne but also outright disrespected us. They are unmistakably our enemies, as are their ally, the Second Prince, and his forces. If anything, we’re grateful to you for giving us the chance to settle old scores.”

“It’s fortunate that our interests align,” Martin said.

“That they do,” Barthez replied with a smile.

Martin nodded, then continued, glancing at the others one by one as he spoke.

“If the Adalbert family and the northern lords unite, we can easily defeat the Second Prince’s faction. Nicholas von Royce is the only real issue, but with Grand Elder Barthez here, he can certainly handle him.”

Of course, Martin had no intention of letting Barthez deliver the final blow to Nicholas. Killing Nicholas was a task he reserved strictly for himself.

“However, our true enemies are not the Second Prince or Nicholas. The imperial family and the Ferdinand family are the ones we must truly be wary of. Now, if the Klaus family manages to defeat them and cleanly establish its independence, there would be no issue. But until we see the results, we need to stay on guard against those two.”

“I agree, young master. With even the Emperor implicitly supporting the First Prince, we need to prepare for the future.”

“While we must be cautious of those two powers, we also cannot ignore the Second Prince’s faction. Given their character, there’s no telling what lengths they might go to.”

Vincent nodded in agreement, followed by Philip, who shared his own thoughts. Martin acknowledged their points with a slight nod.

“That Second Prince would indeed go that far. He might even burn down neighboring territories and slaughter the residents without a second thought.”

This wasn’t a mere assumption. Before Martin’s regression, Theodore had failed to properly respond to a monster wave crisis, leading to unrest among his subjects.

But rather than pacifying them, Theodore let their resentment fester over time, resulting in an uprising, which he then violently crushed.

A man who would mercilessly kill his own people wouldn’t hesitate to turn on others.

He absolutely would do it, Martin thought. Trusting him would be like leaving a cat to guard the fish.

“Elder Aren, Elder Oriana, and Elder Christian, each of you will lead your respective units to defend the territories near Akela City. I want you to depart immediately after this meeting.”

“We will follow your orders, young master.”

The three elders responded in unison.

With the addition of units led by 7th-circle powerhouses, the Second Prince’s faction wouldn’t easily gain the upper hand. But Martin wasn’t satisfied with just that—he had sworn to throw both the Second Prince and Nicholas off balance.

“Grand Elder Barthez, Elder Armand.”

“Speak, young master.”

“I’d like you to stand by near Akela City. When the enemy shows themselves, strike. But there’s no need for a frontal assault; just focus on weakening them with quick, sporadic attacks.”

“You want us to conduct guerrilla warfare to wear down the enemy and keep them on edge.”

“Precisely.”

“Striking and withdrawing is an elven specialty. We’ll do as you say.”

“Thank you.”

With the elves involved, it was almost certain that the Second Prince’s faction would be unable to act freely. It was as though the entire enemy force was caught in the palm of his hand.

Still, Martin wasn’t ready to settle for just that.

“Lord Vincent, I have a favor to ask.”

“Don’t tell me… You want me to take the role of commander-in-chief again?”

“More accurately, as my stand-in. Since the decision to launch a full-scale assault depends on my own command, a brief absence won’t be an issue.”

“Sigh. And what are you planning to do this time?”

“It’s said that Duke Klaus commissioned the underground networks to research Doom. Given the situation, I plan to capture the ‘Medicine King.’”

“And what difference would that make? I doubt it would give us a means to prevent their suicide attacks.”

“I agree, but by publicly disclosing the information about Doom, we can deal a blow to both the Klaus family and the Second Prince’s faction. Ultimately, only the Second Prince’s faction will suffer major losses.”

“And why is that?” Vincent asked, intrigued.

This time, it was Lucas who answered.

“Just as the Adalbert family has extended its influence over all northern citizens, the Klaus family has done the same with the southern populace. Southern citizens are willing to die for the Klaus family. But it’s different for the Second Prince. If it’s revealed that he has not only abducted and killed women but also used soldiers for suicide attacks, he’ll lose any chance of gaining public support.”

“Precisely,” Martin agreed. “While we’re currently at odds with the Second Prince’s faction, there’s no need to push the Klaus family too hard. We’ll need them to weaken the imperial and Ferdinand forces as much as possible.”

“So, if the Second Prince’s faction collapses, you’d be open to collaborating with the Klaus family?”

“Not openly, but I think we can make use of them.”

Vincent nodded as Martin spoke with confidence.

Then Elder Oriana raised a question.

“Do you know the Medicine King’s whereabouts? As far as I’m aware, his hideout is perfectly concealed.”

“Yes. The former family head conducted investigations, so I should be able to find it quickly. In the meantime, I expect each of you to faithfully fulfill your assigned duties.”

“Understood.”

With that, the meeting concluded.

Martin left Varehein City with Sien and Adel at his side.