The Return of the Limited-Time Sword Master

Chapter 75: The Time of Reckoning (6)

The next morning.

A large crowd of citizens had gathered in the central plaza of the city.

Their eyes were fixed on the guillotine set up in the center.

In front of it, the criminals knelt, with the exception of the former mayor, Jerome Metzelder, the rest were in terrible condition.

Most of them were busy begging Martin for forgiveness, though there were a few who hurled insults instead.

One of them was Jerome Metzelder’s secretary, Dietmar Hessler.

“No matter if the Adalbert family is the lord of the North, you do not have the authority to punish us alone, Martin Adalbert! Even if you’re blinded by greed, you can’t pretend not to know this! To punish the citizens of Akela City, both the Adalbert family and the Imperial Court must deliberate together!”

Dietmar was confident.

He was able to be so because he knew the truth.

‘The mayor was able to rise to this position thanks to the backing of the Marquis Royce family. Since he’s practically a vassal of theirs, Marquis Royce will certainly come to our aid. If we’re lucky, even the Second Prince might intervene.’

That wasn’t all.

Nicholas von Royce had another reason why he couldn’t afford to lose Jerome Metzelder.

Akela City was the only place in the North where the influence of the Marquis Royce family reached.

Losing the forward base and foothold for advancing into the North?

It would greatly hinder their plan to take the position of the Adalbert family.

Of course, they wouldn’t give up so easily, but it would undoubtedly cost them more time and resources.

With such conviction, Dietmar stood confidently, and seeing his demeanor, the members of the White Dragon Knights clenched their fists.

Then they looked at Lucas Hoffman.

They were ready to shatter his teeth with a single command.

But Lucas betrayed his subordinates’ wishes.

Martin had shown the intention to listen until the end.

“What you’re doing right now is clearly overstepping your authority! It’s obvious you’re trying to swallow up the Free City of Akela, but the other nobles won’t forgive your arrogance! Even if you’re the heir of the Adalbert family!”

“I demand a fair trial! We are not just sacrifices for your power grab!”

“Bring someone from the Imperial Court! We will face trial only in their presence!”

Dietmar’s outcry was echoed by the other criminals.

The only one who showed no reaction was Jerome Metzelder.

Dietmar didn’t understand why but didn’t dwell on it much.

He assumed it was because the mayor trusted him.

‘We just need to buy time.’

Whether it was someone from Marquis Nicholas or the Second Prince’s faction, as long as someone arrived, the situation could be overturned.

With a triumphant smile, Dietmar looked up at Martin.

Martin nodded calmly.

“Overstepping authority… I’ll admit it. If we proceed like this, it might lead to misunderstandings.”

“In that case, let’s reschedule the trial…”

“Oh, there’s no need for that. I already anticipated this, so someone has agreed to attend the trial.”

Dietmar was visibly flustered by Martin’s unexpected words.

The other criminals were equally surprised.

Thud, thud.

The sound of footsteps could be heard clearly, almost as if it was echoing in their minds.

“What a terrifying presence.”

“I agree.”

Even Paolo and Armand, who had been observing the trial, showed signs of nervousness.

They had no choice.

A powerful figure had appeared, one that even they, who had lived for a long time, had to be wary of.

The woman who appeared had gray hair and blue eyes.

She was as beautiful as Solenne, if not more so.

However, no one was entranced by her beauty.

Instead, their bodies instinctively tensed up.

It was because of the overwhelming aura that seemed to radiate from her unconsciously.

“Nice to meet you, Lord Martin. I am Irina von Meinert.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Count Meinert. And I apologize for summoning you from such a distance.”

“As a member of the Imperial family, I am merely fulfilling my duty. Please, don’t concern yourself.”

The knight, who was once hailed as the greatest genius on the continent before Martin, responded calmly.

Martin gave a slight nod and then turned his gaze back to the criminals.

A deep sneer played at the corner of his lips.

“T-this can’t be happening!”

Dietmar fell into despair.

Irina von Meinert was well-known as the right-hand woman of the First Princess.

There wasn’t a single person here who didn’t know this.

Her appearance meant that the Second Prince had failed to exert his influence.

“As discussed between the Adalbert family and the Imperial Court, all those involved with the slave market will be executed.”

“As Lord Martin said. Her Highness, the First Princess, is enraged at the violation of the treaty agreed upon by all the nations of the Cracian Continent. All criminals are to be sentenced to death.”

“Now that the due process has been followed, there’s no reason to object to the trial, correct?”

Martin drove the final nail into the coffin, following Irina’s statement.

Dietmar and the other criminals couldn’t utter a word.

They could only stare blankly, shifting their gazes between Martin and Irina.

Of course, Martin paid no attention to them.

“Then let the executions begin.”

The cleanup of the North was finally nearing its end.

However, before that, there was one thing Martin needed to address. He turned his eyes toward Jerome Metzelder.

Even though he had lost all chances for survival, the former mayor remained indifferent.

Then their eyes met, and Jerome gave a faint nod.

Seeing that, Martin nodded back.

The meaning behind this gesture was simple.

It was a reminder to keep the promise they had made yesterday.

“Promises must be kept.”

The man before me had awakened his inherent abilities long before I did.

Because of that, I had deeply respected him.

And so, for the first and last time, I decided to show him kindness.

* * *

The night before.

After meeting Solenne, the High Elf, and Andrea, the Dwarf, I went to visit Jerome Metzelder, who was confined in a solitary cell.

He was sitting on the bed with his eyes closed.

The food on his tray was left untouched, indicating he hadn’t eaten.

‘What a sight.’

I had many precious people, but there was no one else who I felt a sense of kinship with other than the man before me.

And yet, I had to be the one to kill him.

Of course, I didn’t intend to show mercy.

In order to solidify my ties with the Elves and Dwarves, this man needed to be executed.

Still, my emotions were in turmoil.

“You, of all people, should know this better than anyone, Jerome Metzelder. Nicholas von Royce is not the type to leave loose ends. Regardless of the reason, he won’t let your family live. No matter how loyal you’ve been to him for all these years.”

Swish.

At my words, Jerome opened his eyes.

Though they had been closed for a long time, his gaze was still sharp and full of strength.

“…So? Are you offering to ensure my family’s safety in exchange for information, Lord Martin?”

“Exactly. Honestly, isn’t it ridiculous? The idea that your beloved family should die just because they stood by your side?”

Jerome fell silent at my pointed remark.

He wanted to retort, but he couldn’t.

He had witnessed too many senseless deaths, people who knew nothing yet died for no reason.

Back then, he had mocked them for failing to complete their tasks.

But now, to find himself in the same position…

The weight of his past sins hit him hard.

“Your family is currently under the protection of the White Dragon Knights.”

“…And if I choose not to give you information?”

“As soon as I leave Akela City, their protection will cease. After all, their primary task is to guard me.”

I shrugged lightly.

Jerome let out a small sigh.

He realized that he had no other choice.

‘I hope you don’t see this as betrayal, Marquis Royce.’

He wasn’t afraid of dying.

He had been fortunate enough to awaken his inherent abilities during his youth.

With that, he had achieved what he wanted and enjoyed everything he could.

But he didn’t want his beloved wife, children, and grandchildren to follow him into death.

Slowly, he began to speak.

“As you are aware, I was never officially a vassal of the Marquis Royce family. It’s true that I received a lot of support from them, but I wasn’t allowed to get involved in their core operations. Honestly, we weren’t that deeply connected.”

“That doesn’t matter. Just tell me about the relationship between the Royce family and the slave market.”

“…The Marquis Royce family secretly operates a knight order. These knights travel across the continent, sometimes even participating in territorial wars as mercenaries. Their job is to attack weak territories, capture the capable individuals, and sell them as slaves.”

“So, the slaves at the auction were supplied by the Royce family?”

I frowned.

I had known about some of the wrongdoings committed by the Marquis Royce family, but they all paled in comparison to this.

It was good that I now had leverage against them, but the scale of the crime was too severe for me to feel any satisfaction.

“Not all of them, but a significant portion. However, that’s not their primary mission.”

“Is it kidnapping Elves and Dwarves?”

“Precisely. You can safely assume that all non-human slaves brought to Akela City were captured by the Royce family.”

“Is there any evidence? I doubt they would leave anything behind.”

“There’s no solid proof. I only heard about that knight order once, during a conversation with the Dark King. But…”

“But?”

“On the surface, they’re known as a famous adventurer group.”

“With just that, it’s hard to narrow them down. There are countless adventurer groups that double as mercenaries in other countries.”

Unlike the other nations that openly permit mercenaries, the Altaria Empire imposes restrictions on mercenary work.

Mercenaries are not allowed to participate in territorial wars, and groups of five or more are forbidden from entering dungeons.

Adventurer groups are also prohibited from acting as mercenaries, and this applies even to those from foreign nations.

In contrast, the other five countries have different rules.

There were so many similar cases that it was nearly impossible to identify the specific organization.

“Isn’t it your job to figure that out?”

“Well, when you put it that way, I suppose you’re right… but you don’t have any hints?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t. As I said earlier, my authority wasn’t that significant. This is all I know.”

“Well, it can’t be helped. Still, thank you for the information. As promised, I will ensure your family’s safety until the day Nicholas von Royce dies.”

“…I envy your audacity in saying such things so casually.”

“It’s what it takes to become the heir of one of the three great families.”

“Perhaps. Since it’s come to this, I’ll give you one piece of advice, as a fellow who awakened his abilities later in life.”

“Go ahead.”

“Nicholas von Royce is a terrifying man. Don’t underestimate him, or your regret won’t be the only thing that follows.”

“I don’t plan to underestimate him. But I won’t be afraid to fight him either. Regardless, I appreciate the warning. Though I doubt I’ll have any regrets.”

“I wish you luck.”

Jerome’s tone was calm.

I couldn’t help but give a bitter smile.

Here I was, being given words of encouragement by the man I had to kill.

It was absurd.

With heavy steps, I left the prison.

* * *

Martin stared at Jerome Metzelder.

The man looked back at him with a composed expression.

It was time to bring everything to an end.

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