Chapter 147: Master of the White Dragon Throne (2)
Jurgen Ferdinand regarded Richard with a calm expression.
Though his only nephew had called him in, Richard had remained silent for some time now.
But Jurgen wasn’t troubled; the serious look on Richard’s face told him all he needed to know—his nephew was deeply wrestling with a difficult decision.
“Uncle,” Richard finally spoke.
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“How long do you think it will take us to subdue the Klaus family? I want your honest opinion.”
“If we continue pressing them in open battles as we have been, it will take at least ten years,” Jurgen answered evenly.
Richard nodded in agreement, his expression pensive.
“I thought so as well. The only way to shorten this war is if Grandfather and Duke Klaus face each other directly. But there’s no reason for the Duke to risk such a confrontation.”
Since his victory in the southern theater, Werner von Klaus had been able to effectively defend the eastern and western fronts.
The Klaus family’s exceptional mages had gained the upper hand with powerful, wide-range spells. It was unlikely Werner would abandon this advantage for a direct clash.
“Time is on our side, of course. With the Second Prince’s faction eliminated, the Imperial Family can now access all the resources of the western territories. No matter how powerful the Klaus family is, they cannot withstand the combined might of both the east and west.”
“I agree. But something seems to be troubling you, Your Highness.”
Richard gave a small nod, conceding the point. “The north. It’s the northern territories that concern me.”
“It’s reasonable to be wary. Win or lose, the west, east, and south will all suffer enormous losses in terms of both resources and manpower. Meanwhile, the north will continue to grow stronger. Martin Adalbert, in particular, will be focused on realizing his full potential.”
“A Martin Adalbert who has reached the tenth circle and a northern Adalbert family reclaiming its former strength… Fighting the Klaus family alone is already a monumental task, but contending with a force of that magnitude afterward? Especially when we don’t know in what condition Grandfather will be in after battling Klaus Duke.”
And that wasn’t the only issue.
“Claudia’s movements are also concerning. She’s consolidating her remaining followers, and I have intelligence that she’s contacted our youngest brother on multiple occasions.”
“If the Third Prince is expanding his influence under the banner of his new organization, Cry for Freedom, as I’ve heard, then it’s indeed concerning to see him allying with the First Princess. It’s an odd pairing.”
“Claudia has previously shown favor toward the common people, but only to a limited degree. She’s never advocated for them to have any real power. This shift shows how desperate she is to secure her influence.”
Their younger brother, Muller Altaria, had risen in popularity among commoners due to his platform of ending the noble-centric order based on unique abilities—a notion that resonated with the people, despite its lack of practical viability.
With Claudia’s support, this movement could gain serious traction. And if Martin joined them, it could very well turn into a full-scale crisis.
“We’ll have to keep the Adalbert family in check,” Jurgen said.
“Precisely. If we leave them to grow unchecked, they will become a severe threat.”
“I understand your position, but do you think it is wise? The family head did make a formal agreement with the Adalbert regent.”
“I regret defying Grandfather’s wishes, but now is not the time for principles. Even if it means risking his ire, we must weaken the Adalbert family. And if we can deal a heavy blow to Martin Adalbert in the process, so much the better.”
“It seems the time has come to make use of the dungeon core once more,” Jurgen replied.
Richard nodded grimly. Despite Karl von Ferdinand’s reprimands, Richard had never ceased his research on the core.
Although it had limitations, it offered the ability to manipulate certain monsters.
Such a powerful tool was not something he intended to abandon, and now, they were able to control it with greater precision than before.
“This time, we’ll entrust the task to Count Lau…”
“Count Lau’s skills are impressive, but he won’t be able to evade the Adalbert regent’s notice. I will go myself.”
“Hm…”
Richard sighed softly. Not only was Martin in the Adalbert estate, but the elven Grand Elder, Barthez, was there as well. It meant that, if things went awry, Jurgen could be faced with two ninth-circle masters.
Richard had hoped to send a pawn instead, but Jurgen was determined to handle it personally.
“The Adalbert regent will be too preoccupied with his upcoming ascension ceremony to notice anything else. And since the war has ended, the elven Grand Elder is likely to return home soon. I don’t foresee any significant issues.”
“Very well. I’ll leave it to you, Uncle.”
Richard was fully aware of the danger. Jurgen might not survive the mission.
But he was resolved to proceed. Without moves to bind Martin’s ambitions, the balance of power among the Empire’s Four Great Houses would soon crumble.
‘There’s no turning back now.’
Since he had resolved to face even Karl von Ferdinand’s wrath, he was determined to see this plan through to the end.
And so, Richard hoped desperately for Jurgen’s success.
—
Two days after his conversation with Arelia, Martin set out for the dungeon alongside Barthez.
Though Sien and Adel had insisted on joining him, he refused their company this time.
As the dungeon’s lower levels became more treacherous, those below the seventh circle faced almost certain death upon descending past the sixtieth floor.
Moreover, their target, a dragon, was likely the most dangerous creature he had ever faced.
Their current skills simply weren’t up to the task, and he couldn’t risk their lives.
Fortunately, Barthez volunteered to accompany him.
The elven elder, newly registered as an adventurer, was driven partly by curiosity but mainly by the unique enthusiasm of a ninth-circle mage with a passion for exploration and discovery.
With a ninth-circle mage by his side, Martin would have critical support should things turn dire.
“The dungeon truly is an extraordinary place. Each floor has a different feel,” Barthez remarked.
He had just emerged from a fierce battle with a Viper, a subspecies of dragon.
And yet, Barthez appeared neither tired nor shaken. Instead, he seemed thoroughly engaged, studying the expansive forest ecosystem that spanned the sixty-ninth floor.
“Even the flora and fauna are fascinating,” he continued, inspecting the dungeon’s unique vegetation with great interest. “Not to mention how every single creature here is hostile.”
The sixty-ninth floor held a variety of life forms within its sprawling forest. Though many hid in the presence of the Viper, their predatory nature was undeniable.
Even the plants weren’t benign—several carnivorous flowers had attempted to devour both Martin and Barthez as they passed.
“I’ve heard that life adapts to fit its environment. Perhaps these creatures are no different?”
“Certainly,” Barthez replied with a delighted laugh. “In a dungeon, you can observe evolutionary adaptations at their most extreme.”
Watching the elf’s genuine delight, Martin couldn’t help but smile.
“So, what’s the seventieth floor like? Another forest?” Barthez asked.
“Not quite. The seventieth floor opens into a vast desert. Somewhere within it lies the dragon’s lair, but we’ll have to locate it first.”
“Dragons… They are the proudest creatures. While every other monster lord waits in place, dragons make you come to them. Do they ambush people who get close?”
“There are records of ambushes, though they’re rare. But we won’t need to worry about that,” Martin replied.
“Oh? And why is that?”
“Because all known ambushes involved groups of ten or more adventurers. With just the two of us, the dragon is unlikely to approach. Not that it would matter—it’s impossible to ambush me with Spatial Detection active.”
With Spatial Detection, ambushes of any kind became meaningless, allowing Martin and Barthez to advance unimpeded.
“Facing a dragon is no easy feat. And yours is a monster lord—a far more formidable opponent than most dragons. Frankly, you’d be better off letting me help. It’s only a matter of awakening that sword, correct?”
“Well, I don’t expect it to be easy. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t expecting a challenging fight.”
Before his regression, Martin had fought dragons that had escaped the dungeon during monster waves.
Though he’d already earned the title of Sword Master by then, he still needed his entire retinue to slay it, and only barely managed the feat.
The dragon then had been weaker than the World Tree’s wyvern and had inflicted far less damage.
‘But if it’s a monster lord, it’s likely much stronger.’
He steeled himself for an opponent as powerful as, if not greater than, the wyvern infused with the World Tree’s power.
“Even so, I’d like to handle it on my own. Every prior head of the Adalbert family faced their dragons alone and awakened the holy sword Crassion into a divine sword.”
“Yet even they only succeeded after several attempts. Is it worth the risk?”
“It’s a legacy that my predecessors achieved through great struggle. I want to continue that legacy as their descendant.”
“Being heir to a grand family is quite the burden.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Martin replied with a dry laugh.
As their conversation paused, Barthez continued to observe the forest of the sixty-ninth floor, collecting samples and research materials as he went.
Together, they progressed toward their
destination, finally arriving on the seventieth floor two days later.
“To think an artificial sun, crafted from the dungeon’s mana, could be this intense. It feels more like a true desert than an actual desert.”
“There’s a reason they call the dungeon a kind of hell.”
Martin and Barthez looked out over the vast expanse of the desert formed by red sands.
Just like the forests of the upper sixties, this level seemed endless.
The heat from the sun was so intense, it seemed capable of melting metal on the spot.
It was then that Martin’s Spatial Detection picked up an immense presence drawing closer.
“Well, that’s unexpected.”
“What is it?” Barthez asked.
“It’s said that dragons only ambush large groups of adventurers, but it seems we’ll have to update the record. They’re willing to come to us when faced with powerful enough opponents.”
Boom!
As Martin finished speaking, a blinding red flash burst from a nearby sand dune.
Calmly, Martin activated Spatial Relocation, bringing himself and Barthez out of harm’s way.
Crash!
Behind them, a massive sand dune exploded upward, sending debris and sand raining down.
And then, it appeared.
The creature’s body stretched over two hundred meters in length, towering over the sand like a five-story building.
Its scales, a deep crimson, gleamed like steel plating, and its massive wings were wide enough to envelop its enormous body.
The monster lord, Dragon—the master of the seventieth floor and apex of the dungeon—had made its appearance.
Martin grinned genuinely, feeling an unexpected rush of gratitude.
“Thank you.”
Scouring the searing desert in search of its lair would have been tedious, but now it had saved him the trouble by coming to him.
It felt only right to show a bit of appreciation.
“I’ll make sure to kill you as cleanly as possible,” he muttered.
Hum.
Martin summoned the holy sword Crassion from his subspace and gripped it firmly.
It had been a while since he wielded a sword other than Karadyl, but he didn’t mind.
All that filled him was a fierce determination to fight and to win.
“When we return, spread the word: I am now a dragon slayer.”
Barthez chuckled at Martin’s words. “So be it.”