The Return of the Limited-Time Sword Master

Chapter 102: Scene of Harmony (2)

Upon reaching the village, the group split up.

Sien and Christian decided to tour the village with Solenne, while Martin followed Laurant and Ricia toward the tallest tree.

Their destination was a meeting with the Grand Elder of Altair Village and the Grand Elder of Ranens Village, who had come specifically for this occasion.

“Of course, they aren’t the only ones here,” Ricia explained. “Elder Paolo and some other elders have joined as well, along with several of the village leaders, myself included.”

“With so much of the main force here, is it safe to leave the village unprotected?”

“It’s fine. If anything happens, we can return immediately through the warp magic circle.”

“Hold on. I thought elves and dwarves only interacted within their own kin?”

“Normally, yes. However, due to the limitations of warp magic based on distance and number, the elves and dwarves in each region cooperate to resist any threats from humans.”

“Ah, I see.”

“And as for why so many villagers gathered here, it’s simple. Everyone wanted to meet you, at least once. After all, you’re quite different from the humans we’ve encountered so far.”

“Well, I suppose I should feel honored.”

Martin shrugged lightly at Ricia’s comment, then entered the communal hall within the largest tree, where, as she had said, quite a few people were assembled.

There were twelve individuals present, including Armand and Paolo, with four among them being 8th-circle powerhouses.

The two figures at the highest level immediately drew Martin’s attention.

To his left sat an elderly elf with long, gray hair and a well-groomed beard, and to his right sat a dwarf elder with untamed brown hair and a thick beard.

“I am Barthez, Grand Elder of Altair Village.”

“I am Alexandre, Grand Elder of Ranens Village.”

Both introduced themselves with a composed tone, yet Martin felt as if his very spirit was trembling.

It was unmistakable.

They had both reached the 9th circle.

Martin had already known of Barthez’s strength, having encountered him prior to his return.

“I am Martin Adalbert.”

“Before we get into the main discussion, I’d like to thank you once again. We’re deeply grateful that you saved our kin, young master of the Adalbert family.”

“I, too, extend my gratitude. It’s truly heartening to see someone like you emerge among the nobles.”

“I merely did what was expected of me as a member of the northern empire.”

Even in front of 9th-circle masters, Martin remained calm in his response.

Immediately, murmurs broke out around the room.

The phrase “member of the north” held considerable weight for those gathered here.

“Silence. Now is not the time for idle chatter among ourselves,” Barthez commanded.

“This is a time to hear the young master of the Adalbert family’s true intentions. I ask everyone to remain respectful,” Alexandre added.

At their words, the crowd quieted, all eyes fixed on Martin.

Some gazes were favorable, but others seemed ready to devour him on the spot.

At a glance, the latter appeared more numerous, though there were still a notable number of supporters.

‘No wonder they haven’t been able to reach a consensus.’

Clearly, the discord among them was not without reason.

“I’d appreciate an honest answer. Do you truly wish to engage with us, young master of the Adalbert family?”

“Absolutely. As I proposed before, once a market uniting the three races is established, I’ll grant immediate access to the dungeon.”

“A thousand years. For us elves and dwarves, even that is an unimaginable span. For that entire time, humans have tacitly forbidden us from entering the dungeons. Even when slavery was officially abolished around 300 years ago, this restriction remained unchanged. Granting us entry now would place a significant political burden on you. Are you prepared to bear that?”

“It doesn’t matter. That sort of era is coming to an end anyway.”

Martin’s response was calm as he answered Barthez and Alexandre’s questions.

Both elders exchanged a knowing look, and Martin understood the meaning in their eyes, so he continued.

“You’re all well aware of the accelerating turmoil within the Altaria Empire. Conflicts over the throne are nothing new, but this time, it’s of a different order entirely. This time, two of the three great noble houses are directly involved. I can assure you, the flames of war will engulf the entire empire, and elves and dwarves living within its borders won’t be able to escape the fallout.”

“……”

“What I seek is simple: stability for the north. But I can’t achieve that on my own. Many powerful enemies remain beyond my current reach.”

Martin spoke candidly. After all, he knew that the elves and dwarves had likely gathered intelligence, and they weren’t as insular in their knowledge as humans might think.

“That’s why I wish to join hands with the elves of Altair Village and the dwarves of the Ranens Mountains, to prepare together for the turbulent times ahead. You mustn’t view this as merely another political squabble among humans. If you continue to dismiss it as someone else’s problem, you’ll find yourselves swept away by the flames of war.”

Many in the room flinched at Martin’s final remark.

Though no one voiced objections, they remembered the previous warnings given by the grand elders.

“If such a massive internal conflict erupts, you won’t need to worry about political backlash anymore,” Alexandre observed.

“You’re absolutely correct, Grand Elder Alexandre.”

“That’s all well and good, but what does selling our goods in a market have to do with the impending war?” Barthez asked.

“Humans are utterly captivated by elven and dwarven craftsmanship. I intend to draw in as much capital as possible from the empire and even the kingdoms on the Cracian continent. Naturally, those profits would be shared with you.”

“And what if we’re not particularly interested in such gains?”

“Up until now, you’ve likely been able to sustain your village with local resources, Grand Elder Barthez. However, that will change once we enter the dungeon. You’ll need a great many more resources.”

At his final remark, both grand elders fell silent.

Though they hadn’t entered the dungeon for a long time, they knew that preparations would be necessary to battle there.

“We understand your intentions well, young master. However, anyone can make promises with words, don’t you think?”

“That’s true.”

“Forging a friendship with elves and dwarves means one thing: being willing to risk your life for one another.”

“We have a single request for you. If you can accomplish this, we’ll formally form an alliance and accept your proposal. And that task is…”

“A matter involving a dragonkin, isn’t it? And you’d like me to resolve it?”

“Gasp!”

“How did you…?!”

Everyone listening, including the two grand elders, was shocked by Martin’s insight.

Martin alone wore a smile.

Every time he saw their astonishment, he felt that his return to the past had been worthwhile.

This thrill of leading the game, this exhilaration, was unmatched.

Watching the stunned audience, he continued with a relaxed expression.

“Since humans began securing the entrances to dungeons, monsters rarely venture to the surface anymore. Adventurers hunt them relentlessly, reducing their numbers significantly. They even hunted down the creatures that emerged onto the continent before humanity entered the dungeons. As a result, it’s nearly impossible to find monsters above ground these days, except for exceptionally powerful beings like dragonkin.”

“That still doesn’t explain why dragonkin would appear in our village, young master.”

“You’re absolutely right, Grand Elder Barthez. But are you aware? Those who’ve absorbed the blood of a true dragon become highly sensitive to the presence of dragonkin. And the closer the dragonkin is in power to a dragon, the more acute this perception becomes.”

He’d felt a similar sensation when he encountered the Basilisk King.

“It doesn’t make sense for dragonkin to linger around an elven village. Only if an entity known as a ‘true dragon’ were to appear, which could overpower this village’s defenses, might there be reason. Otherwise, the village’s power alone should be more than enough to deal with them. So if the presence lingers, doesn’t that suggest there’s been some sort of complication?”

In truth, this response was prepared to help them understand his knowledge.

After all, he knew precisely what had transpired here.

‘It was about five years later, wasn’t it, when they came seeking out our family.’

The elves of Altair Forest had abandoned their isolationist stance and sought him out directly.

They’d requested his aid in resolving a problem that had arisen in their village.

When he’d declined, they had even approached the heads of his branch families.

But they hadn’t succeeded.

Back then, both he and the branch family heads had been too occupied with fighting each other to spare the time.

“For one who has absorbed the blood of a true dragon… I have lived many years, yet this is the first I’ve seen with my own eyes. Even if it was to overcome the dragon’s curse, it’s truly remarkable.”

“They say the young master of the Adalbert family is a rare breed, and now I can see that those rumors aren’t unfounded,” murmured Alexandre and Barthez, both clicking their tongues.

While dragon blood was known to be highly effective in enhancing one’s physique, it was also a near-fatal poison.

Simply surviving it spoke volumes about Martin’s mental fortitude.

“Each elven village has a sacred tree known as the World Tree. Have you ever heard of it, young master?”

“I’ve heard rumors that there’s a tree the elves revere.”

“Correct. The World Tree itself enriches the surrounding soil, purifies the air, and

helps our people maintain peace of mind.”

“So the World Tree is having issues?”

“Indeed. A wyvern has taken up residence, drawn by the mana flowing from the World Tree.”

“A wyvern… While a formidable monster among dragonkin, it shouldn’t be beyond the village’s power to defeat, right?”

“Normally, you’d be right, but there’s a serious complication. The World Tree is so precious that it’s protected by a barrier. Unfortunately, the wyvern’s mana has mixed with it.”

“As a result, the area around the World Tree has transformed into a kind of alternate realm, one that elves can’t approach. To make matters worse, the wretched wyvern has been constantly absorbing the World Tree’s mana, growing stronger.”

Martin nodded at Barthez and Alexandre’s explanation.

It was exactly the issue he’d been asked to solve in his previous life.

The difference was that, by then, the wyvern had already absorbed all of the World Tree’s mana and had grown nearly as strong as a true dragon.

‘That’s why they came to me personally.’

The elves of Altair Forest had been unable to stop the creature, and the village had ultimately been destroyed.

‘Afterward, that wyvern left the elven village and went on a rampage in the north.’

The estates around Altair Forest suffered great losses, and the discontent among northern nobles and citizens only grew.

Things had been so dire that Martin himself had even considered pausing his war with the branch family to focus on subjugating the wyvern.

In the end, though, it had proven unnecessary.

The wyvern that had terrorized the north eventually crossed into the eastern lands, where it met its demise at the hands of the 10th-circle Grandmaster of the Ferdinand family.

That incident had only further emphasized the Adalbert family’s decline to the entire empire.

‘I can’t let that happen again this time.’

The World Tree was of utmost importance to the elves.

That alone made it a matter he had to resolve himself.

If he handled everything properly, Phase 3 of the northern unification would effectively be complete.

Martin steeled himself.

He would succeed, no matter what.