The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth

Chapter 235: Qualification of a Great Warrior

“Come on, come on! Let’s get things in order quickly!”

At the break of dawn, Tatur, like any other place, was busy preparing for the day. The central building of Tatur, which housed the administrators, was bustling with people starting to clean up.

“Wh-What the...?!"

However, the bustle was short-lived. The servants passing through the hallway shrieked in terror at the sight of a shadowy figure and fled in panic.

“Hmph...” Allen Javius sneered at them.

There were more people in the hallway, already there before the first servants began their preparations, as though they had stayed up all night. These people were the elite of Tatur.

“Today, don’t do anything and clear the area. No disturbances.”

“Y-Yes, understood.”

The chamberlain nodded hastily to Dushala’s orders, urging the servants down the stairs.

“Will it be alright? It’s been almost a whole day...” Israphil cautiously spoke up.

At that, everyone turned to Allen.

Suan, Mikhail, Kinu, Beikan, and others... They were all on edge, waiting in front of the door.

“I don’t know. Since I don’t know what’s in the box, I can’t say whether it’s dangerous or not. The only thing I know for sure is that the Platinum Dragon strictly warned not to open it.”

"The Platinum Dragon...? Are you referring to Narh Di Maug?”

“Yes.”

“Are you saying that the box our lord opened belongs to the Platinum Dragon?” Mikhail asked carefully.

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“What does that mean...?” A hint of irritation was felt in Miliana’s voice.

“I don’t know either,” Allen repeated in a low voice. “It could be something he left behind or something he’s trying to hide. If you’re so curious, ask him yourself.”

“...!!”

“...!!”

As soon as Allen finished speaking, everyone quickly turned toward the door, sensing something.

Boom—!!

The entire building suddenly shook, the walls cracking with a crisp sound.

“Everyone, get back!!”

Suan, who had been standing behind, rushed forward, crossing his arms and clashing his gauntlets together.

Shhh...!

With a sound like vibrating bronze, the gauntlets shook, and a dome-like stone wall formed around Suan. Unlike a magic shield, this one looked as if it was made from the materials of the building itself.

Crack—!

Crash!

A powerful impact followed his shout. With a thunderclap, Suan’s stone wall shattered into pieces. As a sharp pain coursed through his arms, he turned around quickly.

“Don’t panic. No one here is going to run away from something like this.”

Unlike the startled Suan, Miliana calmly kicked aside the debris of the broken door.

As Suan turned his head, he saw that the people behind were standing there as if nothing had happened.

“...”

Embarrassed, he scratched the back of his head and turned away with a flushed face.

“Move.”

Miliana strode past him into the wrecked room, everyone watching her with tense expressions.

“Can’t you give us a hint? With so many living people here, must you only speak to the dead?” Miliana said, raising her head.

Everyone turned to Karyl, standing amidst the debris. The room was a mess. The outer wall had been completely destroyed, letting the cold wind rush in.

“What... is that?”

She was the first to notice the change in him.

From Karyl’s left wrist to his shoulder, his skin was covered with slick, blue scales, resembling a snake’s.

“Hey, you. First you gained dragon power, and now your body is turning into that of a monster?” Miliana asked casually, though the intense aura radiating from Karyl made her shoulders tremble slightly.

“Phew...” Karyl exhaled, a chill spreading from his breath.

“Everyone, move!” Miliana echoed Suan’s earlier command, and everyone in the hallway immediately stepped back at her shout.

Crack...!!

Screech...!!

Miliana drew her two swords and thrust them forward with all her might.

Boom–!!

A sharp, resonating echo made her stagger, and her tendons from wrist to shoulder snapped with a pop.

“Gah—?!”

With searing pain, she hurriedly drew on her mana, but it was too late. Blocking Karyl’s attack with hastily summoned power was impossible.

“...?!”

The floor gave way beneath her feet, and the downward pressure made Miliana stumble forward, hitting the ground hard.

Karyl thrust his sword again.

Clang!

Crack—!!

But the exchange happened above the ground, as Miliana had already risen back up and was charging at Karyl from above. The intense clash seemed to oxidize the air.

“How is this...?”

Those watching the scene were in disbelief. Everyone present was skilled, but none dared to intervene in a duel between Sword Masters.

Shing...!!

Karyl’s Freezing Talon hummed. With a twist of his wrist, his blade moved as if it were alive, targeting Miliana’s vital points.

“What did you do to Karyl?! He was fine last night, so why is he a monster now?!” Miliana shouted at Allen, struggling to fend off Karyl’s attacks. Her face twisted with fury, ready to kill Allen on the spot.

“This is...”

Allen, too, was watching in a daze. But unlike the others, he stood with his arms crossed, calmly observing the two.

“Is he in his right mind?” he muttered.

“...What?”

Miliana’s eyes widened as she looked at Karyl, who was brandishing his sword at her.

“Did you notice?” Karyl quietly asked as he withdrew the sword, which had stopped just a hair’s breadth from Miliana’s cheek.

“You fool, who do you think I am?” Allen scoffed.

Miliana, still confused, looked back and forth between them.

“Hey, what’s going on here?”

“How did it feel?”

“...What?”

“I tested it on the person I trust the most,” Karyl said nonchalantly. “It seems I still can’t use the Golden Constraint. In the current situation, it doesn’t hold any special meaning.”

Karyl nodded toward Miliana and repeated, “You’re the most trustworthy person here. It’s you.”

“Wh-What are you talking about?” Miliana blushed and cleared her throat in embarrassment.

“Seems you can move just fine,” Allen remarked.

“Is the sun rising? How much time has passed?”

“A whole day has passed,” Suan answered, causing Karyl to frown.

“We’ve been delayed longer than expected. We’ll depart for the principality today. Are the preparations ready?”

“Don’t worry. Everything is ready,” Suan said proudly.

“Good.” Karyl nodded in satisfaction.

“What was in there?” asked Allen.

“A snake. A coiled-up snake,” Karyl answered with a calm expression, though his voice carried a hint of fatigue.

“A snake? Could it be... a Blader’s artifact?”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“Duaat, what does that mean? What happened in there?” asked Allen.

[...]

“Are you hiding something from me? Heh...” Allen scoffed, feeling somewhat awkward with Karyl’s ambiguous answer and Duaat’s silence.

“It seems I’m now out of the loop. I knew this day would come eventually, but it’s still a bit sad. My days of nagging are over,” Allen declared.

Indeed, a master would not be above their student forever. In terms of strength, Karyl had long surpassed Allen. Despite his numerous subordinates and comrades, Karyl had no one to truly depend on. Allen had just waited until Karyl no longer needed his guidance.

“The young man from the Abyssal Rock is gone. You’ve become quite competent now,” Allen muttered to himself, chuckling at the realization.

Karyl echoed his smile.

The others, unaware of the meaning behind their conversation, could only look on in confusion.

“So, what happened?” asked Allen.

“I just...” Karyl spoke quietly. “I devoured it.”

With that, he retrieved Agnel from his cloak.

“Hashir.”

“Yes.”

The chief of the Wolf-Fox tribe appeared behind Karyl, as though he had been there all along.

“Take this and go north.”

“North? Are you entrusting me with the Great Warrior’s dagger again? Is there a message you wish to convey?”

“It’s different this time. What was missing is now complete. There are no more flaws.”

“...?!”

Hashir, receiving Agnel in its sheath, knelt on one knee and reverently held the dagger over his head.

“How did you... We have searched for centuries. Many artisans of the tribe tried to craft a sheath but failed to contain the dagger’s power...”

“That’s why it holds even more meaning. Go and deliver my message to the chiefs of the immigrant tribes,” Karyl instructed quietly, looking at Hashir’s astonished face.

“Show them the completion of Agnel, which could not be achieved for centuries. Now, only the title of Great Warrior remains. I will prove it in the principality, so watch with your own eyes."

***

Boom...!!!

Boom—!!!

In the midst of the civil war in the Lurein Principality, explosions echoed incessantly from the defensive line at the mouth of the Binfrede River, the last bridge to Cove.

“Grrrr...!!”

Each time the dragon units swooped down, spewing scorching flames, fires erupted all around.

“Hold the line at all costs!”

“This is the last line of defense! We must hold it no matter what!”

But as if mocking their cries, dozens of dragons from the White Bunker tore through the soldiers positioned at the defense line.

“Damn it...! Until the magical artillery arrives—”

The commander's shout was cut short by the dozens of flames engulfing them.

“Aaaargh!!”

“Save me!”

Boom—!

Even their screams faded instantly, swallowed by a drake’s fireball that left a crater where the soldiers had been.

“This is... impossible.”

The dragon units of First Duchess Tuli Lurein unleashed terror on the battlefield, and the soldiers defending Cove’s last line of defense were paralyzed with fear.

The tide of battle had already turned. With Fran’s proud Iron Fleet trapped in Cove due to the betrayal of Fifth Duke Lachiel, Tuli wasted no time advancing south from the White Bunker, pressuring Fran.

“Roooar—!!”

“Screeeech—!”

The dragons roared overhead, eyes on their prey below.

“It’s over...” a soldier muttered in despair, his face blackened with soot. He looked at where the flames had just fallen. His leg was gone, only a charred stump left. Feeling no pain, he just stared blankly at the sky.

Then it happened. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Boom!!

A drake suddenly crashed next to him, shaking the ground violently.

“...!!”

Startled, the soldier quickly looked ahead.

“Hmm...”

Through the flailing wings of the struggling drake, he heard a low sigh from someone.

Crack—

With a dull sound, the drake’s neck was twisted grotesquely, and the rampaging creature went limp.

“It’s complete chaos,” Karyl commented quietly, sighing as he surveyed the battlefield.

“I’m exhausted. We boarded the ship without any rest.”

“Who told you to do something like that? Heading into battle without even consulting us.”

Step, step, step...

With a calm expression, Karyl stepped off the drake’s corpse onto the ground and slowly walked forward.

Gulp–

Since when had they been there?

The soldier, too shocked to remember what had happened, just stared at him—no, at them. The warriors walked in perfect unison, as if they were one.

Swish–

Karyl raised his hand.

“I need a break.”

As if on cue, those behind him scattered at an incredible speed, nearly invisible to the naked eye.

“...!!”

The soldiers rubbed his eyes. What Karyl had shown earlier was impressive, but this display was astonishing for entirely different reasons.

“This is impossible...”

Had he heard the soldier’s words?

Karyl stood with arms crossed, a smirk playing on his lips as he observed the battlefield, looking as though he was savoring the spectacle.

What had seemed like a lost battle took a drastic shift with the sudden arrival of Karyl and his people, turning the tide of the war almost instantly.