MTLNOVEL Chapter 119
Chapter 119: Founding Festival (4)
Enough was enough.
Relaxing his mind, Martin began to speak.
“Three hundred years ago, all national governments officially abolished slavery. They also declared that elves and dwarves should never be enslaved. It was decided then—elves and dwarves were no longer humanity’s enemies.”
After that agreement, conflicts between nations and elves or dwarves ceased entirely.
Of course, slave hunting hadn’t disappeared even after 300 years, which remained a persistent problem.
“Indeed, as the acting head said, we can no longer consider them public enemies. But certifying them as adventurers and allowing them to explore dungeons to grow stronger—that’s a different matter. What if they use that strength to seize control of the dungeons?”
“If they were such a threat, the Adventurer’s Guild should have prohibited elves and dwarves from becoming adventurers in its regulations.”
“Well…”
“Moreover, the recognition of those I brought as adventurers was granted by the guild’s branch head. In other words, they received official permission from the Adventurer’s Guild. So, it’s difficult to understand why anyone would object. To me, it seems like a few people with personal grudges are making a lot of noise.”
Don’t mistake a few loud voices for the opinion of the whole.
Trying to attack me with such baseless claims would get them nowhere.
Though Martin didn’t say this outright, Nicholas could see the underlying truth in his words, causing him to frown slightly.
At that moment,
“What about the protests from other nations, if we set aside the issue with the Adventurer’s Guild?” Jurgen Ferdinand spoke up.
Martin barely suppressed the urge to laugh.
‘Who would have thought the First Prince’s faction would assist the Second Prince’s faction?’
He looked over at the Klaus family members just in case.
They all appeared uninterested, almost as if they were beyond mere indifference.
‘The Empire somehow holds together.’
Suppressing his inner thoughts, Martin responded with a calm tone.
“Since when has our Altaria Empire paid heed to the Five Kingdoms? No matter what they say, interfering in our affairs is an encroachment on our sovereignty. Each Emperor and the heads of the three great noble houses have declared this themselves. Are you suggesting we now disregard their will?”
“That’s not to say we have ignored them entirely. Look no further than the agreement reached 300 years ago.”
“And yet, what can they do? They’re already too busy bickering amongst themselves.”
The kings of the Five Kingdoms shared one common ambition.
To absorb each other’s territories and elevate their kingdom to an empire.
Only then would they have the strength to challenge the Altaria Empire.
“That’s enough.”
With Martin’s statement concluded, Richard spoke up, drawing the attention of the entire assembly.
“As Acting Head Adalbert mentioned, the Altaria Empire doesn’t concern itself with interference from other nations. Furthermore, since the elf and dwarf adventurers followed the Adventurer’s Guild’s protocol, I don’t believe this issue requires any further attention.”
No one openly opposed Richard’s words.
Even Nicholas, who had raised the issue, remained silent.
The three great noble families’ indifference, combined with the fact that a few elves and dwarves entering dungeons posed little real threat, made it clear that further dispute was unnecessary.
Thus, the first agenda item was concluded swiftly.
Nothing particularly notable followed.
The senior nobles from each faction refrained from participating, leaving only lower-ranking nobles to raise trivial concerns.
No one took the assembly seriously, and time merely drifted by.
Normally, this would have signaled the end, and everyone would rise to leave…
“I have a question.”
But no one could leave.
Werner von Klaus had suddenly spoken.
The air grew oppressively heavy, almost to the point of suffocation, as if the previously relaxed atmosphere had turned into a volcano ready to erupt.
Swish.
Karl von Ferdinand’s eyes opened, and his gaze turned toward Werner.
For most, that alone would have created intense pressure.
But this time was an exception.
Werner remained completely composed.
‘I thought he’d never get involved.’
Martin kept his composure as he looked at Werner.
Werner had already distanced himself from the Empire. That he even attended the assembly was surprising in itself.
For such a man to speak up… Martin couldn’t help but be curious.
—
Thump, thump.
Richard could feel his heart racing.
He was more nervous now than when he had fought for his life in a dungeon, which felt absurd.
“…Please, go ahead.”
After steadying his breath, Richard managed a response.
“I want to know the Emperor’s condition.”
“His Majesty has yet to regain consciousness. Recently, he’s become even more frail, so only I, my siblings, Marquis Maiyas, captain of the Imperial Guard, and a few healers are allowed to see him.”
“Is that true?”
Werner’s gaze shifted between Theodore and Claudia.
The two siblings trembled slightly under his stare but managed to respond.
“As my brother said, it’s true.”
“One of us checks on him morning, noon, and evening.”
“So, only the two of you and Marquis Maiyas have seen the Emperor.”
Werner’s tone remained nonchalant.
Yet no one in the room was oblivious to the peculiar undertone in his words.
“…What exactly are you implying?”
“Considerable time has passed since the Emperor collapsed. But lately, only you three and Marquis Maiyas, who’s always by his side, claim to have seen him. So I’m curious. Are you certain the Emperor is truly alive?”
“What would we gain by deceiving those here and the citizens of the Empire? The moment the truth is revealed, not only would we lose our claim to succession, but we would also face utter ruin.”
“There’s some gain. For one, you could prevent the formal defection of the three great houses.”
A sinister smile spread across Werner’s face.
‘To openly disregard the royal authority in the heart of the imperial palace…’
Grip.
Beneath the table, Richard clenched his fist tightly.
But Werner wasn’t finished.
“There’s more. I hesitate to say this in the presence of Acting Head Adalbert, but withholding the Emperor’s condition would also stave off the royal family’s rapid decline in influence, wouldn’t it?”
“Uhm…”
Martin gave a bitter smile as the accusation shifted toward him.
‘He’s not wrong.’
The royal family and the three great noble houses have maintained dominance due to their unmatched ability to produce 10th Circle masters.
But without such a master, their influence could quickly decline.
If that state continued for long enough, the family could even collapse entirely.
Just as the Adalbert family once did.
“You’ve benefitted in other ways, too. Before the Emperor’s collapse, your political power was negligible. But after he lost consciousness, you divided his responsibilities among yourselves, using that as leverage to build your own factions. This led to the rise of the three main factions.”
“Everything you’ve said, Duke, is indeed true. But that’s as far as it goes. We would never deceive anyone about the Emperor’s life or death just to gain some temporary authority.”
“Then allow me to see the Emperor. If I can confirm he’s alive, I’ll leave immediately.”
“As I mentioned earlier, His Majesty has become so frail that exposure to a sovereign’s mana could severely harm him. That’s why even Duke Ferdinand, his own kin, cannot visit him.”
“That is true.”
Karl responded softly to his grandson’s words.
But Werner scoffed.
“As kin, it wouldn’t be hard for you to conspire together. With your influence, you could easily silence the Second Prince and First Princess.”
“Enough of these baseless accusations.”
“Baseless? You have the authority to make it happen. This is a reasonable suspicion.”
“…You understand, don’t you? That your words insult my honor.”
“I don’t care for some knightly code of honor.”
With each exchange, mana within the room stirred violently.
Those who couldn’t withstand the pressure slowly retreated from the assembly hall.
While those who managed to hold their ground proved their competence, it didn’t mean they weren’t filled with fear.
If, however unlikely, a confrontation broke out between two 10th Circle masters, the consequences would be irreparable.
Then, out of nowhere,
“T-Then… what if I go and verify it?”
Martin’s voice barely broke through the tension.
The moment he spoke, everyone’s gaze, including those of the two sovereigns, turned toward him.
“To think he would step in…”
“…What is he thinking?”
Wilhelm and Vincent shook their heads in disbelief.
Sien and Adel simply stared in stunned silence, their mouths agape.
“What do you mean by that, Acting Head?”
“As the Empire’s only two sovereigns, both of you possess immense power that would undoubtedly impact His Majesty’s condition. And if any complications arose, the royal family would find it challenging to address. However, it’s different with me. No matter what I do, I am not strong enough to overcome Marquis Maiyas.”
“Complications? Be specific.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t dare voice such grim thoughts.”
Facing the pressure of both sovereigns, Martin forced a smile.
Seeing this, both Werner and Karl chuckled, almost in disbelief.
“Now that’s bold.”
“…Interesting.”
The pressure weighing down on Martin lifted as if it had never been there.
“I may not have the same authority as you both, but as the acting head of one of the three great houses, my words carry some weight, don’t they?”
“You’re more than a mere substitute; you have the potential to stand as our equal. So whatever you decide, you’ll have my support.”
“Thank you, Duke Ferdinand.”
Martin was genuinely impressed at Karl’s straightforward response.
He then turned toward Werner.
“And I’d like to know what Duke Klaus thinks.”
“Well, if it’s you, I can trust it.”
“Thank you for the vote of confidence.”
The smile on Martin’s face grew wider.
Still, he wasn’t in perfect shape.
The pressure he had endured had taken a slight toll on him.
Not to the point of internal injury, but he had been on the brink.
‘But it was worth it.’
In the previous timeline, he had never once seen the Emperor after his collapse.
He had only heard of the Emperor’s passing amidst the family’s ongoing internal conflict.
What, then, was the Emperor’s current condition?
Soon, he would have the answer.