LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 28
Chapter 28: Grabbing the Tail (4)
Vincent von Igreet took great pride in his arms.
The muscles, finely sculpted, were reminiscent of a statue.
But they weren’t just for show.
With his overwhelming strength, he could easily swing a sword over 1.5 meters long with just one hand.
Despite swinging it thousands, even tens of thousands of times, he didn’t even feel a hint of soreness.
Yet, at this moment…
Shudder.
His right arm trembled uncontrollably.
Not from a sword or battle, but from holding a mere stack of papers.
“…Is this true?”
Vincent’s face was grim as he asked the question.
Martin had no reason to lie to him, so the contents of the papers were undoubtedly true.
Even so, it was hard to believe.
How could anyone easily accept the fact that the Rustal family had established an assassination organization over a century ago to eliminate their political opponents?
As terrifying as that revelation was, the Rustal family had crossed the ultimate line.
They had targeted the direct heir of the Adalbert family, the main house.
This was clear insubordination and treason.
“I copied the contents of the ledger exactly. Unless the Blood Sword Guild was playing games, we have to take it as fact.”
“I see.”
Vincent sighed softly and shook his head in disbelief.
But after a moment, he looked up and fixed his gaze on Martin.
“When you said three days ago that you were going to audit the Rustal family…”
“Yes?”
“There was something I didn’t tell you then. It’s pointless now, but still.”
“Words aren’t hard to hear. Please, go ahead.”
“I wanted you to press the Rustal family with the audit, but in the end, I hoped you would reconcile with them.”
“You mean to maintain an ongoing relationship?”
“That’s right. Even though they’re a branch family, we’re still related by the same ancestor. If the relationship turns sour, it will be a huge loss for the main house.”
“You’re absolutely right, Vincent.”
Martin readily agreed.
Though the branch families were kept away from central power, they boasted immense military strength throughout the generations.
Over the years, many branch families had come and gone, leaving only five in existence today.
Yet, this was more than enough for the Adalbert family to maintain their position among the three great noble families.
In fact, since the previous head took over, the Adalbert family’s power had weakened to the point where they were now seen as the weakest of the three great families.
Given the situation, unifying the branch families was the wise course of action.
“But that’s assuming this truth hadn’t come to light.”
“Sigh. That’s the problem. It seems you’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you, young master? You’re planning to destroy the Rustal family.”
“Yes. Now that things have come to this, I intend to make an example of them for the other branch family heads. However, I’d like you, Vincent, to stay out of this.”
“Are you serious?”
Vincent frowned as he asked again.
It was true that the Rustal family was the weakest of the branch families.
But that was only within the context of the branches. Compared to the rest of the Empire’s nobility, they were still quite powerful.
For instance, the head of the family, Valdemar von Rustal, was one of two 7th Circle powerhouses.
To attack such a family without the help of the Igreet family?
This time, Vincent couldn’t agree with Martin’s choice.
“I see this as a test—a way to determine whether I’m truly qualified to become the head of the family.”
“You’ve already more than proven that! You’re the only direct heir of the Adalbert family, and though it was late, you’ve fully manifested Spatial Domination. Not to mention, you reached the 7th Circle at the age of 18, displaying talent nothing short of miraculous. Who could possibly oppose you taking the seat of your head?”
“And yet, none of the other branch families, besides the Igreet family, have officially supported me.”
“Hmm.”
“So, while I’m making an example of Rustal, I’ll also be erasing their family with only my power and the main house’s. After that, I’ll demand the other branch family heads make their stance clear.”
A head of one of the three great noble families couldn’t just be strong.
They were treated nearly on par with kings from other countries, so their authority and influence had to be absolute.
Martin intended to show them—he had the power to crush an entire branch family with ease.
“But even with the power of the main house, it’s not like you can rely on the core forces, can you? I doubt the elders would be willing to help you.”
“Strictly speaking, only Elder Aren and Elder Marius won’t support me.”
“Huh?”
“Elder Oriana has agreed to stand with me going forward.”
Twitch.
Vincent involuntarily flinched.
He felt goosebumps ripple across his entire body.
The influence of the elders within the family was enormous, even though they didn’t hold formal territories.
They had spent over 30 years serving the family with loyalty, and their strength was on par with the branch family heads.
And yet, Martin had already managed to bring one of the elders to his side.
It had only been three days since he declared the audit of the Rustal family.
The shock was so great that Vincent couldn’t even think of a response.
“Well, what matters more to me are the two people you’ll be introducing me to soon.”
“…Did you really challenge me to that duel with all of this in mind?”
“That couldn’t possibly be the case, could it? The connection between the Blood Sword Guild and the Rustal family was a shock to me too.”
“You’re handling it awfully calmly for someone who’s supposedly shocked.”
“I was more surprised when we took down the Blood Sword Guild.”
“Still doesn’t sound convincing.”
Vincent’s words only made Martin smile.
It was at that moment.
Knock, knock.
A knock echoed through the office, and as if she had been waiting for it, Sien stepped forward.
When the door opened, two men walked in together.
The man on the left had short but bright blonde hair and a radiant, handsome face. He looked to be in his early thirties and was dressed in a pristine white uniform.
‘Hard to believe he’s 42.’
He possessed the kind of powerful energy that allowed him to maintain such a youthful appearance, despite his age.
The man on the right had a rougher look, his expression stern and rigid. In contrast to the clean, slender figure on the left, this man had a thick beard and an imposing, muscular build, although he was slightly shorter than Vincent. His entire body was clad in a black uniform that radiated an overwhelming sense of intimidation.
Swoosh.
Martin stood up to greet the two men, and Vincent followed suit.
“Commander of the White Dragon Knights, Lucas Hoffmann, greets the young master.”
“Commander of the Golden Dragon Knights, Philip Alofs, greets the young master.”
The White Dragon Knights and the Golden Dragon Knights, known as the twin wings of the Adalbert family, had their leaders standing before Martin.
* * *
The group sat down around the room.
Seated at the head of the table, Martin gazed at Lucas Hoffmann and Philip Alofs, his eyes filled with genuine warmth.
‘Good men.’
In his previous life, these two had come to him immediately upon hearing that he had awakened his unique ability, swearing their loyalty.
They had even turned down countless offers of land and titles.
But back then, their relationship had remained a formal one between lord and vassals.
Not because they had failed him, but because Martin hadn’t truly trusted them.
‘That was during my peak distrust of people.’
Martin smiled bitterly at the thought.
Though he now confidently called himself the heir to the family, it hadn’t always been this way.
The Adalbert family had been officially removed from the ranks of the three great noble families, and Martin had fallen to the status of a commoner.
While his body had been well-protected in the Igreet family’s mansion, those two years spent living as a commoner had been worse than any nightmare.
It was so bad that he rarely spoke to anyone except for Sien and Kalain.
Even after manifesting his unique ability, his deep mistrust of others hadn’t fully faded.
‘That was when I was completely used by that damned Kalain.’
Kalain had focused on causing internal divisions, and his efforts had worked.
Despite Martin’s prowess in battle, being hailed as a swordmaster and defeating families like Rustal, Bitenfeld, and Fezek, his subordinates could not unite.
Instead, they fell prey to Kalain’s schemes, turning on each other in mutual distrust.
Lucas Hoffmann and Philip Alofs had remained by his side through the chaos.
The guilt Martin felt when they volunteered to sacrifice themselves for him was immense. The pain had been on par with, if not greater than, what he’d felt after losing Sien.
‘One mistake was enough.’
This time, Martin was determined.
He would trust those who were loyal.
And he would make them his own.
“I must apologize to you both. It’s been quite some time since I’ve returned to the family, yet it’s only now that I’m arranging this meeting.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it, young master. Even if it’s been a while, it hasn’t even been a week yet. And besides, just speak freely. The White Dragon Knights are directly under the head of the family, and it’s uncomfortable hearing you speak so formally to us.”
“I’m not the head of the family yet.”
“There may be some formalities left, but everyone already acknowledges that you’ll become the official head soon enough, young master. So please, like Lucas said, speak comfortably.”
Lucas smiled brightly, while Philip spoke in his usual stern tone.
Sensing their sincerity, Martin nodded.
“If that’s what you both wish, then I’ll speak more casually.”
“That’s much better.”
“This feels more fitting.”
“I’m glad you like it. Now, let’s get straight to the point. There’s something I need to ask of you both.”
“Oh, young master, just give us the command. That’s all you need to do.”
“Whatever orders you give, we’ll carry them out without hesitation.”
“Thank you, both of you. Then, by tomorrow morning, I need you to gather all the knights.”
As soon as Martin finished speaking, the expressions on Lucas and Philip’s faces changed.
The easygoing demeanor they had displayed earlier was gone, replaced by seriousness.
“All of them, young master?”
“Yes, you heard correctly.”
Martin nodded calmly in response to Lucas’ question.
This time, Philip spoke up.
“Even just one squad from the White Dragon Knights or Golden Dragon Knights is enough to wipe out a small city.”
“I’m aware.”
Martin’s answer was casual.
In contrast, the two commanders’ faces grew even more serious.
Mobilizing both the White Dragon and Golden Dragon Knights in full force was the equivalent of declaring war.
“To gather both the White Dragon and Golden Dragon Knights… Who exactly are we targeting?”
“The Rustal family.”
The moment Martin said this, both Lucas and Philip were visibly shocked.
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