Chapter 161: The Real and the Fake (1)

Richard Altaria bent his right knee and lowered his head.

Before him stood an emperor formed of light, his face devoid of any expression.

“The Duke of Adalbert arrived at the Varehein Fortress with the elite warriors of his house not long ago.”

“Then, Marquis Maiyas must have returned to the Imperial Palace, correct?”

“That is so. Thus, there is no need to worry about the palace’s security. The allied forces of the other races will soon meet their end as well.”

“Are we merely defeating them?”

“That is not all. The Duke of Adalbert has declared his intent to burn down the southern elf villages, the stronghold of the rebels.”

“…He’s certainly thorough,” Richard said with a bitter smile in response to the emperor’s words.

Now that Martin had joined forces with the main warriors of his house, there was no way the allied forces of other races could triumph, no matter what they tried.

The chaos in the west would soon come to an end.

Yet, Richard could not find pure joy in the situation.

Martin von Adalbert has already declared he’ll destroy the southern villages. That leaves me with no means to politically undermine him.

He had tried to tie the allied forces to Martin somehow, to diminish Martin’s momentum even slightly and obscure the fact that this war was a mistake caused by the faction supporting the First Prince.

But now, everything had fallen apart without Richard even having a chance to act.

Instead, it seemed Richard himself was politically cornered. Once the war ended, Martin and Claudia would surely launch their counterattack.

It was clear they would argue that the war was caused by the First Prince’s faction, making Richard, their leader, bear the responsibility.

“Richard Altaria.”

“Speak, Your Majesty.”

“Your recent actions have been nothing but disappointing. Not only have you failed to achieve any merits yourself, but your inability to manage your subordinates has also led to this mess. Frankly, I am deeply concerned.”

“I am truly sorry for failing to meet Your Majesty’s expectations. However, this disappointment ends here. Within one month, at most three, I will break through the southern defenses.”

Richard spoke in a calm tone.

The emperor looked down at his son.

There was no sign of boasting or falsehood in his demeanor.

“If you win using the monster wave core, the Duke of Adalbert won’t stay silent. He will certainly expose that you researched it and seek to strip you of your claim to the throne.”

“I am aware of that. Therefore, even if I use the core, I will ensure no conspicuous actions are taken.”

“Your confidence suggests you have a plan.”

“Yes. What I intend to do is something no one on the Cracian Continent has ever attempted. Even Duke Werner von Klaus won’t be able to respond easily.”

“Very well. I will trust you one more time.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. Then…”

“There is one more thing I must say.”

“Please speak.”

Richard responded, feeling a tinge of unease.

The emperor’s following words caused him visible discomfort.

“The Duke of Adalbert has uncovered it. Who is behind the allied forces of other races.”

“Muller and the Cry for Freedom… Considering his information-gathering skills, it’s no surprise he found out.”

Richard’s face darkened.

He knew.

His youngest brother, Muller Altaria, had been stirring trouble in the west using the Cry for Freedom.

Even though the forces Muller commanded could easily be crushed, the difficulty lay in acting on it.

Public opinion was already poor due to the western chaos.

Touching Muller, who had garnered favor by caring for the citizens of his territory, would result in losing public support entirely.

“The Duke of Adalbert told me he would personally punish all traitors. Since he has vowed to destroy the elf villages, I, too, can no longer overlook Muller and the Cry for Freedom.”

“…I sincerely apologize for causing Your Majesty concern.”

The emperor, despite his affection for Muller and his desire to strengthen the imperial family’s power, had not provided Muller with any direct support. Instead, he had granted Muller nearly limitless freedom.

But now, Muller has crossed the line.

Given how dire the situation had become, not even the emperor could protect his youngest son any longer.

“At the very least, I will plead for Muller’s life. Even if it means incurring a debt to the Duke of Adalbert.”

“…That will not be necessary. You are already at the mercy of the Duke of Adalbert. We cannot give him further leverage. Whatever fate Muller faces, you must endure it.”

“If that is Your Majesty’s will, I will obey. However, even so…”

“Instead, remember this: you already bear the lives of two of your brothers on your shoulders.”

“Of course. Despite my repeated failures, you have given me one last chance. I promise I will seize it and show you success this time.”

With that, Richard steeled himself.

Twice now, he had forced the emperor to suffer the pain of abandoning his children with his own hands.

As a father, what could be more tragic?

The knowledge that his own inadequacy was the cause only added to Richard’s determination.

I will succeed.

There was no turning back.

This was his last chance, and he would overturn the unfavorable situation no matter what.

***

Martin stared at Marcel.

As befitting a 9-circle mage, the overwhelming presence emanating from Marcel’s entire being was extraordinary.

It was no wonder he had defeated Irina.

Regardless of the methods he had used, Marcel’s victory and skill deserved acknowledgment.

But only to that extent.

No matter how strong a 9-circle powerhouse is, their strength is bound to falter after consecutive battles with peers.

Even though Marcel must have focused on resting, it was impossible to fully recover in less than a day.

Marcel himself must have been fully aware of this fact, yet he still stepped onto the battlefield.

It was clear what that meant.

“…You’ve already resolved to die, haven’t you?”

“I made my decision when I declared war on the Empire. By burning this life to ashes, I will reveal the fury of the elves and dwarves. So, I don’t particularly regret dying, but it’s a shame I won’t reach the imperial capital. At the very least, I wanted the Emperor to see our resolve.”

“Even if you had reached the capital, His Majesty would not have acknowledged your intentions. In the midst of the Empire’s civil war, he would see you merely as opportunists waiting for a chance.”

“That’s likely true. This time, I realized something bitterly—you’re the only noble in the Empire who truly considers the elves and dwarves. Yet, as I said before, I don’t regret not reaching out to you.”

“Is that so?”

“Humans have always excluded elves and dwarves. For true harmony to be achieved, perhaps a clash of blood is inevitable.”

Kwooo!

The aura radiating from Marcel shifted into a green current.

In response, Martin drew the holy sword Clariel from the subspace.

“And I have no intention of going down easily. Allow me to show you the strength that defeated Count Minert.”

“That’s intriguing. I’ll give it my all.”

“That’s exactly what I hope for. Now, come at me.”

As soon as Marcel finished speaking, Martin swung the holy sword Clariel in a downward arc.

The blade descended, creating a streak of golden light.

At that moment, Marcel’s eyes flashed intensely.

He sensed the immense power contained within the trajectory.

Shaaak!

From the single arc of light, dozens, then hundreds of streaks split off and poured forth in an instant.

Marcel quickly brought his staff forward, chanting and casting a spell.

Flash!

The green currents transformed into a massive magic circle, blocking the onslaught of sword strikes entirely.

Explosions erupted repeatedly as golden mana and green mana clashed violently.

The skies above the Varehein Fortress were soon illuminated with brilliant light.

Drip.

A line of blood trickled from the corner of Marcel’s mouth.

To wield an aura blade with such precision… This is practically magic.

He couldn’t help but marvel.

But there was no time for admiration. Marcel conjured a new spell.

Whoosh!

The vast expanse of green currents transformed into flames.

The flames split into dozens of streams, rushing to engulf Martin instantly.

However, Martin slashed horizontally with Clariel, and the golden trajectory scattered all the green flames.

That wasn’t the end.

The golden streak multiplied, filling the space as it surged toward Marcel.

Marcel countered with another spell.

Crackle!

Green lightning tore through the golden arcs, shredding them instantly.

Although fewer in number than Martin’s strikes, each bolt of lightning contained far greater power.

I cannot afford to let my guard down!

Marcel furrowed his brow.

The golden trajectories were shredded but not extinguished.

Instead, they scattered into fragments throughout the air.

Flash!

The scattered fragments shone brightly, converging into a massive trajectory.

The distance between them no longer mattered.

The golden streak lashed downward like a whip, targeting Marcel.

Chanting as quickly as possible, Marcel summoned five green magic circles in front of him in succession.

They formed a massive barrier, appearing almost like a colossal wall.

Without using unique abilities, this is the most potent defensive magic. With this, I should…

Marcel was confident he could withstand it, but his belief was short-lived.

Crack! Crackle!

The five-layered barrier shattered entirely.

The golden trajectory twisted off course, grazing past Marcel’s left side.

Even so, it was enough to make him feel the threat.

“…No matter how holy a sword it is, its power seems excessive. Though I suspect this isn’t everything it has to offer.”

“Clariel is the new symbol of the Adalbert family. It must endure for the next thousand years, so this level of performance is only fitting.”

“A thousand years. That’s an eternity, even for elves who live far longer than humans. Yet you speak of the future so casually. I cannot begin to fathom the breadth of your vision.”

“I wouldn’t have embarked on creating a new future without reason. In any case, thank you for participating in the warm-up.”

“I didn’t merely ‘participate.’ I gave it my all—it was simply in vain.”

“You can’t call it giving your all when you haven’t even unleashed your unique ability. Now, let’s see the true extent of the Great Elder’s power.”

Swiish!

The deflected trajectory scattered again into dozens, then hundreds of fragments.

The fragments wove together, forming a massive cube.

Finally, the spatial sword unfolded.

“That, at least, I cannot allow.”

Shaaak!

Countless trees shot up from the ground at an incredible speed.

The trees burrowed into the golden cube, intertwining and coalescing.

The unique ability World Tree’s Grace dismantled the spatial sword itself.

“I’ve heard much of the spatial sword’s majesty. But no matter how extraordinary it is, as long as it’s a barrier, it can be broken by greater power.”

“I see its limitations. But that won’t change the outcome.”

Even without the spatial sword, Martin had defeated a dragon.

This time would be no different.