The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 242

177. The Principality Civil War (7)

‘No way… are those really… Others?!’

Fran couldn’t believe his eyes.

The number was at least 10,000.

That was a significant number, definitely enough to shift the balance of the current war.

Moreover, their capabilities were unknown.

‘I heard that many Others were killed by the Imperial Army during the Edict of Other Extermination…’

According to basic reports, the Others, lacking even magical power, were considered insignificant.

However, they had protected the northern territories since long before the empires and principalities were established.

The empire dismissed the Others as easily subjugated, but they had persisted throughout the continent’s history and were still a force to be reckoned with.

That alone proved their resilience.

‘The reason the Others are perceived as weak is that, unlike in the south, they don’t form large, unified forces.’

The northern tribes typically consisted of only a few hundred to a few thousand members. Had they grown into forces of tens of thousands like Digon’s in the south, they wouldn’t have been so vulnerable to imperial attacks.

But now…

The long-held perception was about to change.

The 10,000 Others before him were united under one leader: Karil.

This was a crucial difference for the Others.

And Fran couldn’t begin to guess how many more might join Karil in the future.

Tok- Tok- Tok-

Karil lightly tapped the map on the table, snapping Fran out of his thoughts. Fran hurriedly lowered his head.

“Focus, Fran. This is your battlefield. How long will it take to reach White Bunker from here?”

“…Ah.”

Fran bristled at Karil’s casual claim that it was *his* battlefield, but he couldn’t argue.

It was a battlefield he never wanted.

The closer he got to White Bunker, the darker his expression became.

The principality’s second most powerful figure, leading an army of over 100,000, was now being manipulated by a single individual.

‘Damn it…’

But there was no one he could turn to for help.

Who would believe that he had started a war to deliberately lose?

‘Keeping it a secret from Anthem Howard was my mistake. If it weren’t for Tully and her conditions…’

It couldn’t be helped.

Everything that happened within Wooden Cloud was classified as top secret.

Fran didn’t realize that Tully’s goal was to use this battle to create discord between him and Anthem Howard.

However, Karil’s intervention had inadvertently revealed Fran’s plan to Anthem, effectively ending the battle with Tully. As a result, Anthem was willing to overlook the potential betrayal.

Some might view Anthem’s inaction in the face of Fran’s advance, orchestrated by Karil, as disloyal.

But Anthem believed that if his lord was heading down the wrong path, he should be stopped, even if it meant resorting to drastic measures.

Karil was that measure.

Perhaps the reason Fran and Anthem had parted ways in his previous life was because he hadn’t found such a measure then.

“…If we travel for about a week, we can reach Moon Aether, the rear gate to White Bunker.”

Fran answered quickly.

He pointed to a location in the Kaltoon Mountains, which encircled the north of White Bunker.

“White Bunker is naturally fortified by the mountains to the rear, but there’s a passage through the mountains. That’s this place.”

Only one path cut through the mountains that surrounded White Bunker like a folding screen, and naturally, a small fortress guarded it.

“But it’s not an easy castle to capture. White Bunker’s rear defenses are weaker than the front, but that’s only relatively speaking. About 30,000 troops are stationed at Moon Aether.”

“That’s quite a lot.”

“It’s a civil war, but the dukes haven’t committed all their troops. The principality is a powerful nation with over 400,000 soldiers. So far, a little over 100,000 troops have clashed in this civil war.”

“To be exact, it’s 120,000. Why are you downplaying it? Are you ashamed? Thanks to you, 30,000 out of 50,000 soldiers died.”

“…”

Fran frowned at Karil’s cutting words and fell silent.

‘I have to let Tully know about this somehow…’

The best approach would be to reach an agreement with Tully.

Even in the current situation, her forces held a significant advantage in the war. If they could come to terms, they could end the civil war relatively easily.

But he doubted whether she was aware of his predicament.

She might even suspect him of betrayal.

Crunch-

Fran gritted his teeth at the complicated situation.

‘Or Vinferdo…’

Anthem Howard had already realized the war was rigged, but he was still the only person Fran could trust.

If he could persuade Anthem, he could relay his situation to Tully, even if he couldn’t do it himself.

But perhaps Karil sensed this.

His first action had been to secure Fran’s presence, keeping him constantly at his side, effectively cutting off all communication with the outside world.

Escape?

The overwhelming pressure he had felt in Kobre…

Shiver…

Fran trembled involuntarily.

His instincts told him that escaping Karil’s watch on his own was impossible.

Throb-

As soon as he had that thought, he felt a sharp pain in his collarbone, which had been broken recently.

Fran retrieved the medicine bottle from his pocket and swallowed a few pills.

Crunch.

Without taking the time to find water, he bit down on the pills, wincing slightly at the bitter taste.

“It seems like you’re needing to take your medicine more frequently.”

“…If there’s someone who could be in my position in this situation and *not* need it, I’ll try to cut back.”

Karil shrugged at Fran’s response.

“Tell me what you know about Moon Aether.”

“…Moon Aether, which protects the rear of White Bunker, is one of the most renowned fortresses in the principality. The height of the walls is the fifth highest, and the moat is also quite deep, about 2 meters.”

Fran gestured outside.

“Using the Others to attack the rear is a surprising tactic, to be honest. But have they, who live in the mountains, ever experienced a siege?”

He shook his head.

“Besides, most of the Others arrived on horseback. To open the gates of Moon Aether, you have to scale the walls, which is impossible without siege equipment.”

“You won’t know that until you try. You don’t necessarily need siege equipment to get over the walls.”

“…What? What wall can you scale without a ladder…”

Fran trailed off, dumbfounded.

“Hashir, summon the representatives of each tribe.”

Karil turned away without even looking at Fran. As soon as he finished speaking, the tent flap opened, as if they had been waiting, and three warriors entered.

“We have been waiting.”

The woman at the forefront was Liliana of the Zannabi tribe, whom Fran already knew well.

However, Karil frowned slightly as he looked at them and asked, “Didn’t you say that the Black Eye clan also participated?”

“I relayed your message. They said they would prove their worth to their lord with achievements in this battle.”

“It seems like they are confident.”

Karil chuckled at Hashir’s answer.

“Well, that’s good. We’ll see what they bring to the table… I know about the two of you, but I don’t know the rest. What are your names?”

The warrior of the Red Moon tribe spoke first.

“I am Patun. Our tribe prides itself on its agility in the north.”

His body was slender, but his muscles twitched with each word.

Half of his face was covered with a red crescent moon tattoo.

“The wall reconnaissance has already been completed. It’s definitely high, but not insurmountable. I found a weak point in the old section of the right wall. If you provide me with a few sturdy daggers, I’ll be the first to climb up.”

‘…What? The wall survey is already done? We still have a week until we arrive… Has their scout already reached there?’

Fran looked at Patun in surprise.

They were marching without rest, too.

However, Fran couldn’t fathom how the Red Moon tribe had moved so quickly, arriving a week ahead.

“How long will the attack take?”

“If there’s no interference after reaching the wall, 5 seconds is enough.”

“You don’t have to worry about interference. We’ll provide cover. That height is within the Wolf Fox’s range. We’ll select a few elites and take out the fortress commanders.”

Karil, familiar with the Wolf Fox’s archery skills, nodded.

If the Bigung tribe were the elite archers of the south, the Wolf Foxes held that title in the north.

They specialized not only in archery but also in assassination, so Karil entrusted them with the mission without hesitation.

“The Tiger Leopard tribe will protect the Wolf Fox archers providing cover.”

Kuntai of the Tiger Leopard tribe, the last of the four warriors, carried a large square shield slung across his back.

Hashir scoffed at Kuntai’s words.

“Our role is sufficient for cover. The Wolf Fox doesn’t need protection.”

“Don’t worry. It’s not like we’re doing it because we like you. Protection is only for the first shot. After blocking the rain of arrows pouring from the wall, we’ll advance to the gate.”

He pointed to Moon Aether on the map and said, “The distance from the edge of the forest to the wall is about 5 kilometers. If you give us the order, we’ll breach the gate before the Red Moon even climbs the wall.”

Karil looked satisfied.

“Don’t be greedy for military exploits and act recklessly. Dealing with the corpses is annoying. We will open the gate.”

Patun growled at Kuntai.

‘What kind of crazy bastards are these…’

Fran frowned as he listened to their conversation.

“They’re talking about scaling the wall with 30,000 garrison troops as if they’re climbing over a backyard fence. What can those who don’t even have magic power do to break through the shields on the castle?”

Moon Aether was a castle directly connected to White Bunker, along with the Great Wall Yoman.

Yoman’s grandeur often overshadowed Moon Aether, but it was also one of the principality’s best fortresses.

“From the start, it’s arrogant to say they’ll attack Moon Aether with fewer troops than the defenders, but what? They’re going to climb the wall by sticking swords into it without a ladder?”

“The Others have their own ways.”

Liliana said to Fran.

“The Others’ own ways? That’s ridiculous. You were defeated by the empire. You guys who hid and survived are saying that.”

Bang──!!

Just then…

She roughly pressed Fran’s neck with her elbow and slammed him to the floor.

She drew the sword from her waist and plunged it into the ground next to Fran’s head.

Trickle…

Fran’s cheek throbbed as red blood trickled down from the cut made by the sharp blade.

“We have not been defeated.”

Hashir shrugged, as if he couldn’t help but watch the scene unfold, and said to Fran, “Rather, you should be grateful.”

“…What?”

Fran tilted his head, confused.

Step- Step- Step-

Karil lightly tapped Hashir’s shoulder.

“Stop it. Whatever the reason, it’s true that they were attacked by the Imperials, and it’s also an unavoidable truth that they suffered many sacrifices.”

“…”

“But you have to show him, because we need to correct his misconceptions.”

Hashir bowed his head.

“That the Others are by no means weak.”

The remaining tribal warriors echoed Karil’s sentiment.

“How much time do you need to capture Moon Aether?”

At his question, they all answered at once.

“One day is enough.”