The Return of the Limited-Time Sword Master

Chapter 31: Dreams and Bubbles (1)

Sien, who had been watching the secret stash, finally spoke up.

“The successive heads of the Rustal family who secretly built something like this… they’re absurd, but to be honest, the previous head is even scarier.”

“Why’s that?”

“All the heads of the Rustal family must have tried their best to keep this place hidden, right? Yet, the previous head somehow figured out the secret and taught you about it.”

The issue with the Blood Sword Guild could be treated as an internal affair of the Adalbert family. However, the secret stash was a different matter altogether.

The moment it was revealed that the Rustal family had embezzled the byproducts of the dungeon, they would be expelled from the Altaria Empire.

This had ultimately given Martin immense political power, and Sien was genuinely impressed by it.

But there was still something she wondered about.

“If this had been exposed while he was still alive, the Rustal family would have certainly been suppressed, and the other branch families could have been kept in check. Why didn’t he reveal it?”

“My father only found out about the secret stash recently. By the time he learned of it, his health had already deteriorated, so he couldn’t expose it.”

“Ah, if he had revealed it carelessly, you could have been affected too.”

“Exactly. That’s why, when he told me about the stash, he said to use it only at the most crucial moment. But the opportunity came sooner than I expected.”

Talking about the past had become so routine with all the deception that the words flowed out easily now.

Fortunately, Sien didn’t seem to suspect anything.

Martin walked with Sien toward the stash.

A large metal door was installed at the entrance, massive in size and incredibly thick. It looked impossible to push open with physical strength alone.

On top of that, the door was layered with all kinds of protections—magic circles, barriers, and curses—making it impossible to detect or enter with any spatial abilities.

Sien shook her head in disbelief.

“They even blocked out unique abilities. Their work is more thorough than the Blood Sword Unit.”

“They had no choice. If even the slightest secret got out, the family would be finished. But now, there’s no need to be cautious anymore.”

*Schwing.*

Before the words even finished, Martin drew the sword from his waist.

Then, Lucas spoke up.

“If it’s about breaking the barrier, allow me, Young Lord.”

“It’s fine, Commander Lucas. I can handle this much alone.”

Martin’s firm tone left Lucas no room to argue.

Gripping the hilt tightly in his right hand, Martin approached the stash.

*Woom.*

Mana surged from the core in his abdomen, and soon, a golden aura blade enveloped the sword’s edge.

Maintaining this, Martin studied the structure of the barrier.

‘It’s being supplied with mana from the mountains.’

It was virtually permanent, with an enormous supply of mana, making it nearly impossible to destroy completely.

But Martin paid no mind, drawing more mana from the core in his head.

*Kwaooong!*

The golden aura blade glowed even brighter before melting into the space around him.

It spread out, forming a perfect cube large enough to envelop the entire stash.

This was the core technique of Adalbert swordsmanship: the Spatial Sword.

The problem arose immediately after.

*Crackle.*

Golden radiance clashed with the blue barrier, and violent sparks flew.

“Urgh.”

Martin let out a short groan.

The resistance was intense.

Twitching slightly, Sien involuntarily trembled but showed no further reaction.

Martin was already pouring all his strength into manipulating his mana. Making a rash move and disturbing him now could only hinder his efforts.

The best way she could help was by trusting that he would succeed.

‘She’s so composed, as always.’

*Grip.*

Praising Sien sincerely, Martin gripped the sword hilt with his left hand as well.

With the Spatial Sword active, the zweihander had grown extremely heavy, but he lifted it and swung it with all his might.

A golden arc slashed down like a bolt of lightning.

*Boom!*

The moment the strike touched the blue barrier, a series of blinding flashes erupted.

The immense mana supplied from the mountain amplified the barrier’s defense to its absolute limit.

“Gah!”

Despite groaning, Martin tightened his grip on the sword hilt. Then, slowly, he lowered the blade.

And then, something extraordinary happened.

In every part of the cube, crescent-shaped slashes appeared and poured down onto the barrier.

*Crack!*

The barrier, unable to withstand the barrage of strikes, began to fracture.

“Hah!”

Seizing the opportunity, Martin poured more strength into his sword, driving it almost to the ground.

*Boom!*

With a thunderous crash, the barrier shattered, and the iron door was left exposed.

Without hesitation, Martin swung his sword upward.

A golden arc traced from the bottom of the iron door to the top.

When the light faded, the iron door had been split in half, falling to the ground with a heavy thud.

*Thud!*

The ground shook, and a cloud of dust rose into the air.

But no one paid any attention to that.

Not Martin, who had just sliced through the barrier and door, nor anyone else. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the inside of the stash.

There was a mountain inside.

A mountain made of treasures.

“Aaah…”

Sien unconsciously let out a gasp.

She was utterly overwhelmed by the sight before her.

She wasn’t the only one; the knights of the White Dragon Order and the Golden Dragon Order were equally stunned.

Piles of magic stones, stacked like a mountain, emitted lights of different colors. And what was more surprising was that there wasn’t just one pile like this.

In addition to the magic stones, there were also rare metals such as orichalcum and adamantium, which only came from dungeons. Precious metals like diamonds and gold were overflowing, and there were plenty of weapons and accessories crafted with the utmost care by master artisans.

In terms of sheer quantity, even the Treasures of the Conqueror’s Chamber couldn’t compare.

“The Rustal family is really finished. Not even His Majesty the Emperor could cover this up.”

“That’s right. Although, Valdemar… he doesn’t seem like the type to surrender without a fight.”

“If he were the kind of person to back down from something like this, he wouldn’t have bared his fangs in the first place.”

“That’s true.”

Martin nodded at Sien’s comment.

Regardless, with this discovery, the Rustal family was done for.

Even if they managed to succeed in their rebellion and kill him, there was no way for his family to survive.

Neither the other branches nor the Elders, and certainly not the Imperial Family, would let it slide.

“But with a stash like this, it’s possible the Imperial Family might get involved. That could complicate matters.”

“That’s why I exposed the connection between the Blood Sword Guild and the Rustal family first. Since my assassination is tied to the issue, the Imperial Family can’t do anything but wait and watch. In the meantime, they’ll have no choice but to support me.”

“Just like Lord Vincent predicted. You truly are skilled at seeing the bigger picture, Young Lord.”

“Thanks for the compliment, Commander Lucas.”

Even while conversing, Martin carefully inspected the items in the stash.

After a short while, his eyes gleamed.

‘Found it.’

What he had been searching for was a longsword with a curved crossguard like a horn, a pommel shaped the same as the crossguard’s end, and a short ricasso.

The entire sword, from the blade to the pommel, shimmered in gold, and the blue letters inscribed on the blade were particularly striking.

Kaizen.

It meant “unbreakable,” and in terms of durability, it was among the best swords in existence. However, beyond its strength, it had no special abilities.

Because of this, it was classified as a precious sword, the second-lowest rank among named swords—below the legendary swords, holy swords, and divine swords. Hence, it had been left abandoned here.

But if it were simply a sword like that, Martin wouldn’t have gone out of his way to search for it.

‘This isn’t all it’s capable of.’

Kaizen was a foundation.

If it absorbed certain types of energy, it could grow into a divine sword.

In the past, Stefan had wielded Kaizen after it had evolved into a divine sword, performing far beyond his actual ability.

‘I was surprised back then too.’

But now, that would no longer happen.

Because he had secured it in advance.

Beyond the potential to evolve into a divine sword, Kaizen was also perfectly suited for Martin personally.

Due to the nature of Omni Distortion, Martin placed a tremendous burden on his swords. There weren’t many that could withstand it, but Kaizen could, and more than that.

Without a moment of hesitation, Martin grasped the hilt of the sword.

At that moment, he sensed a peculiar gaze.

Quickly turning his head, he saw Sien watching him.

“I grabbed it to show them that we know about this place. You could call it a kind of proof. Besides, there won’t be any legal issues…”

“I know it’s not illegal. Whoever exposes a noble’s secret stash receives half of the recovered wealth as a reward. So taking one or two items in advance isn’t a problem. But I didn’t even say anything, so why are you getting flustered, Martin?”

“I just wanted to make it clear that this wasn’t about personal greed.”

“Of course.”

Sien answered playfully. Feeling a strange sense of discomfort, Martin tried to explain himself further.

Naturally, it didn’t work.

“Anyway, now that we have the proof, let’s head back.”

“I wonder how Valdemar von Rustal will react to this.”

“I’m curious as well.”

Martin agreed with Lucas’s words wholeheartedly.

Now, all that remained was to watch Valdemar’s next move from a position of control.

Whatever disgraceful behavior he displayed, Martin would enjoy watching it unfold.

—

The key retainers of the Rustal family gathered in Valdemar’s office.

The atmosphere was dreadful.

The failed assassination attempt on Martin through the Blood Sword Guild had led to the Rustal family being completely ostracized by the Adalbert family.

But that wasn’t all.

Once the secret stash created through dungeon byproducts was revealed, every family not directly connected to the Adalbert family had severed contact with them as well.

Even the Ferdinand and Klaus families, two of the other three great houses, along with Marquis Royce’s family—Valdemar’s in-laws.

The Rustal family now faced total isolation.

“Even so, our goal to eliminate Martin hasn’t changed.”

Valdemar von Rustal spoke calmly.

His anger had reached such extremes that he now exuded an eerie sense of calm.

“I agree with you, my lord.”

The man with shoulder-length, auburn hair spoke up.

He looked to be in his mid-forties, and his entire presence radiated sharp intensity.

This was Laus Fühler, commander of the Green Dragon Order, and his eyes burned with determination.

“If the Elders or other branches had gotten involved, it might be a different story, but the only ones who’ve marched on us are the White Dragon and Golden Dragon Orders. While they may have more high-ranking knights, that’s the extent of it. Considering the forces they’ve mobilized, we have more than enough to win.”

“That’s right. Once we capture him, the heads of the other branches and the Elders won’t intervene any further.”

“Exactly.”

Valdemar believed that once Martin was captured, the situation could still be turned around.

After all, Martin was the one who had decrypted the codes. Without him, the evidence would lose much of its credibility.

The other retainers nodded in agreement.

In truth, they didn’t have any other options.

“The Blood Sword Guild problem can be resolved by capturing Martin, and the secret stash issue can be smoothed over by leveraging my connections with Marquis Royce. Everything can be fixed as long as we get him. In the end, relying on that brat from the Imperial Family is infuriating, but there’s no other choice.”

Valdemar suppressed his irritation.

As long as he could seize control of the Adalbert family, he would endure this humiliation.

His voice dripped with ironclad resolve as he issued his command.

“We’ll head to Mount Cheloti. There, we’ll capture that half-blood and make him atone for his sins. Then, we’ll set everything right.”

“We follow your orders, my lord!”

Laus and Klazen both knelt on their right knees, shouting in unison.

Valdemar’s eyes gleamed coldly as he watched them.

‘I’ve come this far. I will make sure my dream is realized.’

Martin Adalbert, that half-blood, would fall, and Valdemar would pay him back for today’s humiliation.

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