LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 13
Chapter 13: The Return (5)
Boom!
The temporary seat shattered, and fragments flew in all directions.
Everyone in the room, from the Elders to the branch family heirs, was shocked by the unexpected event.
Even Sien, who had been following Martin, couldn’t help but be astonished.
However, the person responsible for the situation, Martin, remained completely unfazed by their reactions.
Step. Step.
Ignoring the stunned silence, Martin walked up the stairs.
And, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he sat on the White Dragon’s Seat.
‘So this is what it feels like.’
It was the first time Martin had ever sat on the White Dragon’s Seat, whether in his previous life or after his return.
And yet, it felt incredibly comfortable, as if the seat had been made for him all along.
Even the internal injuries he had sustained from using Omni Distortion and Rothar’s martial arts seemed trivial now, easily dismissed with a smile.
“W-what are you doing? You don’t have the right to sit there yet, Martin!”
While everyone else remained too shocked to speak, Elder Oriana was the first to raise her voice.
“What are you talking about, Elder Oriana? No right? I don’t understand what you mean.”
“You’re not the head of the Adalbert family yet! You haven’t even been recognized as the heir, so how can you sit on the White Dragon’s Seat…?”
“I wasn’t the heir until now, but that’s no longer the case. Now that I’ve manifested my unique ability, I am the only one fit to sit here. Surely you understand that, Elder?”
Martin’s pointed response left Oriana speechless.
Those who had opposed Martin’s rise to headship had always argued one thing:
They would never accept someone who hadn’t manifested their unique ability as the head of the family.
To address their resistance and give Martin a fair chance, Elder Aren had laid down a condition:
“If you manifest your unique ability within 100 days, I will support you as head of the family. It was agreed upon by the Elders and the heads of the branch families, wasn’t it, Elder Aren?”
“…As the young lord says.”
“I’ve proven myself by manifesting my unique ability. Therefore, this seat rightfully belongs to me. Am I wrong?”
“…No. The young lord is indeed the rightful owner of the White Dragon’s Seat.”
Elder Aren, called out by Martin, answered with a stern expression.
‘How did things end up like this?’
Unique abilities typically manifested around the age of 10.
While there was some variation, that was the average. Even those who were late bloomers usually awakened by 15.
But now, at the age of 18, Martin had suddenly gained a unique ability. It seemed impossible.
Though it wasn’t unheard of for someone to manifest their unique ability later in life, it was exceedingly rare.
Only a handful of individuals in the past century had done so.
And now Martin had become one of those rare cases—it felt as if the heavens themselves were mocking him.
‘The young lord has gained legitimacy. If I oppose him recklessly now, it will only weaken my own position.’
Elder Aren had long shown unwavering loyalty to the previous head of the family.
That loyalty had earned him great respect within the family, and many genuinely admired him.
Now that he had risen to this level, he couldn’t afford to lose face and forfeit the trust he had built.
“Thank you, Elder Aren. I knew you’d say that. What about you, Elder Marius?”
“I share Elder Aren’s opinion.”
“Well then, the two Elders have agreed. So I’ll ask again, Elder Oriana. Do you still believe I shouldn’t sit on the White Dragon’s Seat?”
“…I apologize, young lord. I was wrong.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Now that the Elders are in agreement, I’m relieved.”
Suppressing the pain from the dragon’s curse, Martin smiled broadly.
In contrast, the Elders couldn’t hide their displeasure.
By acknowledging Martin’s legitimacy and agreeing with him, they had effectively elevated his authority.
For those who had opposed Martin’s rise, it was a bitter pill to swallow.
“Now, everyone take your seats. Let’s get to the main point.”
Martin’s tone shifted suddenly as he spoke.
Though still confused by the situation, the attendees sat down in their respective places.
Martin glanced around at them and continued.
“Now that I’ve manifested Spatial Domination, there’s no longer any reason for the position of head of the family to remain vacant. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“The young lord is correct. If we leave the position empty even though you’ve proven your worth, it will only cause more confusion. Please become the head.”
Sien Igreet, one of Martin’s most ardent supporters, spoke confidently.
Her words were quickly echoed by those who had supported Martin all along.
“Please take the position of head, young lord.”
“Restore order to the family.”
Even the three Elders, who held sway over all matters of the family, had recognized Martin.
Who could possibly oppose him now? It was no surprise that his supporters were so enthusiastic.
Meanwhile, the faces of the opposing Elders darkened.
“Very well. Then notify the imperial family. I will assume the role of acting head of the family as Soga-ju (young head) and lead the family until I gain the strength worthy of the official title.”
“Wait a moment, young lord.”
“Young lord?”
“…My apologies, Soga-ju, but I must speak up. The matter of becoming the head of the family isn’t something we can decide alone. We must consult the imperial family and the other noble houses.”
“Consult? Consult with whom, Elder Oriana?”
Martin’s gaze bore into Elder Oriana as he spoke.
She hesitated, unable to respond.
“When did the imperial family or any of the three great houses gain the right to interfere with the succession of the Adalbert family? I thought the three great houses had independent authority.”
“Well…”
“Didn’t the Elders and branch family heads discuss my status amongst themselves? And now you suddenly bring up the imperial family?”
“…Sigh.”
All Elder Oriana could do was let out a quiet sigh, unable to refute him.
At this, Elder Marius stepped in to speak.
“I acknowledge that you’ve proven yourself, Soga-ju. But the branch family heads may resent you for acting unilaterally. Perhaps it would be best to proceed more cautiously and take some time.”
Heh.
Martin openly laughed.
His gaze shifted to the heirs of the branch families sitting behind the Elders.
Kalain Gustin was at the forefront of his view.
Since Martin’s victory over Stefan, Kalain’s smile had vanished.
Not only that, but his face had flushed red, and his body trembled slightly.
‘The Gustin family will never replace the Adalbert family, Kalain.’
Of course, Martin didn’t plan to stop at just that.
He intended to crush the entire Gustin family.
Only then would the resentment and frustration he harbored be fully resolved.
With that thought lingering, Martin turned his gaze to the other branch family heirs. Stefan and Simon both looked visibly shaken.
Though they had tried to hide it, they couldn’t completely conceal the anger burning in their eyes.
Martin inwardly mocked them before his eyes landed on Adel.
And then, he felt puzzled.
‘She’s smiling?’
Though faint, there was unmistakably a smile on her lips. It was the first time, in both his past life and his current one, that he had seen her smile.
Though curious, he didn’t have the time to dwell on it.
So, he immediately continued.
“I want to hear from you. What do you think the branch family heads will say about me becoming the head?”
“……”
No one dared to speak hastily.
Opposing him now would brand them as traitors.
But if they voiced their approval, they might anger the branch family heads.
It was an impossible situation, and the one who finally broke the silence was Sien.
“Although the branch family heads aren’t here, I’m sure none of them will oppose your rise to headship. After all, when they became heads of their own branch families, they swore loyalty to the Adalbert family.”
“I feel the same, Sien. Just because the main family went through a brief crisis doesn’t mean we’d have small-minded people scurrying around like rats, trying to take advantage.”
“Yes. So don’t worry, Soga-ju.”
“That’s good to hear. Now, Elder Oriana.”
“…Please speak, Soga-ju.”
“You are an Elder of the Adalbert family. If you keep worrying about outside forces, it will only lead to confusion within the family. Don’t disappoint my father, who trusted you. Understand the weight of your position. Do you get that?”
“…I will keep that in mind.”
“Good.”
The smile on Martin’s lips deepened.
Meanwhile, Elder Oriana clenched her hidden hand tightly beneath the table.
The fact that she had been insulted by someone she had looked down upon for so long only stoked her anger.
“Now, onto the second issue.”
Whir.
Martin opened a subspace.
From it, he retrieved the journal of Rothar Adalbert, which Sien had handed to him earlier.
“Three hundred years ago, the King of Fists, who shook the Cracian Continent, was confirmed within the dungeon. This journal is proof of that.”
Everyone’s eyes widened.
Rothar Adalbert.
There wasn’t a soul who didn’t know the warrior who had risen to the pinnacle of the Cracian Continent despite being from a branch family.
The revelation of his whereabouts for the first time stirred great unease among them.
“T-this is really the journal of the King of Fists?”
“It was verified by the head of the Beyren branch of the Adventurer’s Guild. So, no need to worry, Elder Aren.”
“Hmm. If it’s not too much trouble, may this old man take a look at its contents?”
“Apologies, Elder. The journal contains the dirty secrets of the three great houses. I cannot show it to you, no matter who you are.”
“But you showed it to the head of the Beyren branch…”
“I made him promise. I warned him that speaking recklessly would lead to him losing everything. If you still wish to read it, you should be prepared. Not only will you have to bear the wrath of the Adalbert family, but also the Ferdinand and Klaus families. Do you still want to see it?”
Elder Aren couldn’t reply.
Unlike the declining Adalbert family, the Ferdinand and Klaus families, two of the three great houses, still commanded enormous influence across the empire.
No one wanted to risk provoking them.
The others remained silent for the same reason.
“What do you plan to do with the journal, Soga-ju?”
“I’ll place it in the Hall of the Tyrant.”
“Hm? To enter the Hall of the Tyrant, you’ll need the approval of the branch family heads and the Elders. But the heads aren’t present.”
Martin, though now Soga-ju, was not yet the official head of the family. As Elder Marius said, he still needed permission to proceed.
However—
‘Every rule has an exception.’
In the Adalbert family, the direct bloodline was paramount, and there were several privileges prepared for them.
“Elder Marius, you should choose your words carefully. Direct descendants who awaken Spatial Domination can freely enter and exit the Hall of the Tyrant until they’ve fully mastered Adalbert swordsmanship.”
“…My apologies, Soga-ju. I must have forgotten due to my age.”
“It’s fine. After all, I’m the only one of this generation entering the hall to train. It’s no wonder you got confused.”
Martin’s voice was gentle as he answered, and then he continued.
“Oh, right. I’ll also be taking one of the elixirs from the hall.”
“A-an elixir?”
“It’s family tradition, isn’t it? A direct descendant who awakens Spatial Domination must take an elixir. It’s been delayed, but it’s time I follow tradition, don’t you think?”
Martin spoke casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Hearing this, Elder Marius lowered his head, gritting his teeth in frustration.
‘He’s moving too quickly.’
Elder Aren, observing the situation, wore a grave expression.
With unexpected developments happening one after another, Martin had completely seized control of the situation.
And with each of his moves being perfectly reasonable, it was difficult to oppose him.
But the biggest problem lay in Martin’s talent itself.
‘At this rate, Soga-ju will quickly master Adalbert swordsmanship.’
Martin’s skills would only continue to grow, and as his body, strengthened from the dungeon, improved further, he would overcome even his final weakness—the limited time left to him due to his curse.
The hopes of those who dreamt of betrayal were on the verge of being crushed.
For them, this was nothing short of the worst possible outcome.
Ignoring their distress, Martin rose from his seat.
“Let’s go, Sien.”
“Yes, Soga-ju.”
With Sien following close behind, Martin left the White Dragon’s Chamber.
The others, in turn, slowly began to stand as well.
As they did, they exchanged cautious glances with the Elders and branch family heirs, but no one said a word.
Still, their thoughts were aligned.
‘We can’t let this slide.’
They harbored dreams of establishing their own families.
Dreams of becoming independent and ruling as powerful nobles.
In the quiet corners of their minds, they nurtured those desires.
—
“You really surprised me, Martin. I didn’t expect you to move so boldly.”
Now that they were out of sight, Sien relaxed her speech, flashing a broad smile.
Martin grinned back.
“I’ve earned both legitimacy and authority with the awakening of my unique ability, but that’s as far as it goes. I’m still young and not strong enough. If I had moved slowly, they would’ve found a way to obstruct me. I had no choice but to catch them off guard.”
He had returned sooner than expected.
And with his unique ability manifested.
Caught off guard, the traitors had no time to respond effectively.
By pushing forward with his newfound legitimacy, Martin had gained the upper hand—and it worked.
“My father will be pleased, but the other branch family heads will be a problem. And the Elders won’t just sit back and do nothing.”
“That’s why I’m heading to the Hall of the Tyrant—to gain the strength to keep the traitors in check.”
“Well, you’ll master the new swordsmanship soon enough. With Spatial Domination, what could stop you?”
“I’ll have to live up to those expectations.”
“I’m not worried about that at all… but what about the assassins? I thought you’d mention them, but you didn’t.”
“I can threaten the head of the dungeon branch with the corpses, but that won’t work on others. We need solid evidence before we can use it.”
“Will we be able to? All we know about them is their organization’s name—the ‘Black Wolves.’”
“The name alone is enough.”
Sien shook her head in disbelief at Martin’s confidence.
Though she considered herself smart, she had no idea what Martin was planning.
“Well, we can deal with that later. For now, could you wait for me outside the Hall of the Tyrant? I’ll be out as quickly as possible.”
“You don’t even need to ask. It’s my duty as your guard.”
“Meeting you has been the best luck of my life.”
“…Don’t make me blush.”
Sien quickly turned her head, determined not to let him see her expression.
With that, their conversation ended, and Martin turned his gaze forward.
A metal door, forged from an alloy, blocked their path.
Drawing his sword, Martin lightly cut his left ring finger.
Blood flowed, and he pressed his hand against the door.
Flash!
A bright light burst from the door.
With a loud rumble, it began to open, revealing a space just wide enough for a single person to enter.
‘I have to confirm it.’
Thinking of the swordsmanship that only the direct descendants of the Adalbert family could learn, Martin stepped inside.
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