The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 257

180. Ganes Abellant

“Who are you?”

Ganes asked warily.

“I am Karil, the master of Tatur. I came to help Fran in the civil war of the Duchy.”

Ganes tilted his head slightly at his answer.

“Tatur…? I heard that the free city became an independent state… I didn’t expect the king to come here himself. So, Iza is from there too.”

Karil glanced at Serika, whom he pointed to, and nodded.

Ganes gave a bitter smile at his answer.

“I see… Fran is bringing in outside forces into internal affairs.”

“That goes for you too.”

“What?”

“This civil war is not just a power struggle within the Duchy. Wooden Cloud is involved.”

Ganes replied with a nonchalant expression at his words.

“Wooden Cloud has been a secret organization of the Duchy since the past. Their involvement cannot be called external intervention. They exist for the Duchy.”

“Really? Then who are they on?”

“…What?”

“Even you, who can be said to be the best of the Duchy knights, don’t know. Well, it’s not surprising in a reality where even the blood of the Lurein family is being deceived.”

“…….”

“It won’t take long until you know the truth, at the same time as this civil war ends.”

Karil said, looking at Ganes.

“Sword Master, Ganes. Now, put down your spear and face reality.”

Kwaaaang―――!!

Ganes pulled the halberd from Serika’s shoulder and slammed it hard on the ground.

The snow piled on the floor stirred, and a white blizzard rippled.

“Does that mean you want me to give up the battlefield now?”

“Your battle has already been lost.”

“Well. Even if Yoman falls, White Bunker will not be captured. Moreover…….”

A sharp mana blade began to rise from his halberd.

“Do you think you can just pass by this place where I am?”

Karil raised the corner of his mouth at Ganes’ words.

“Hmm, are you talking to me? I’m different from that one lying over there, you know?”

Kwaaaang――――!!

At that moment,

Ganes’ body staggered and was pushed back.

“Kuk?!”

He hurriedly stuck the halberd’s shaft into the ground with the force of being pushed back.

Kwaddeudeuk……!!

Kagagak……!!

The halberd’s shaft bent like a bow and began to scrape the floor relentlessly. Only after being pushed back dozens of meters was Ganes barely able to stop.

“…….”

His face hardened with surprise. Not only him. Serika, who would have said something to Karil, who usually spoke jokingly, had a tense expression like Ganes.

‘The concentration of magic power has become much thicker. Is it because of that snake pattern? He was a monster when I saw him in Tatur, but now it’s hard to compare to then.’

Serika, who had a good eye, thought, looking at the blue snake pattern moving as if it were alive on Karil’s arm. From time to time, she felt like his hand was shining as if real snake scales had formed.

“Hmm.”

Karil muttered lowly, lifting and lowering the arm holding the sword as if checking the equipment.

“Shall we raise it a little more?”

Jijik…… Jijijik…….

Jijijik…….

As he concentrated his magic power, the blue snake pattern gradually began to turn purple.

Ice Claw seemed to be enjoying the abundant cold air around it, emitting an even more intense sharpness.

‘I’ve never seen such a mana blade before…….’

Ganes took a stance, looking at Karil’s Arcane Blade with a tense look.

Looking at such Karil, he felt cold sweat running down the back of his neck.

No, it was actually flowing.

Sweat was flowing in this cold place covered with snow.

Such extreme tension was engulfing his whole body.

‘Sword… Master?’

Why did he only notice now?

He belatedly realized the reason for the trembling he felt when he first saw Karil.

For too long, the system of the continent’s top 10 had been solidified, and since when, the thought that the number of Sword Masters was five had become naturally accepted.

That familiarity was not only applied to ordinary people.

The sense of superiority that comes from the realm of Sword Master and the complacency of thinking that no one better than oneself could appear.

“You… Are you a Sword Master?”

Ganes asked in a trembling voice.

His reaction to Karil was completely different from Gordon Fabian.

‘Well, he would be different. He’s a knight of a country. The burden of standing in that position won’t be welcome.’

Unlike Gordon Fabian, a mercenary who freely travels around the continent and does not belong to any one place, Kwell and Ganes, who belong to the country, had no choice but to have a different attitude towards Karil.

The emergence of a new Sword Master is…….

Before being a colleague, it could only be thought of as the emergence of a new enemy who could harm his country.

“Why? Is that surprising? It seems the news is very late because you’re in this backwater. Five Sword Masters? It’s been a while since that system collapsed.”

“…What?”

Ganes’ face hardened at Karil’s answer.

“The generational change has begun. Besides me, there are already Sword Masters, and more strong people will appear in the future.”

Including Milliana, who was already completed by his hand, Grace Panpinel, Randol McGovern, Suan Hazar, and Aidan Hamil…….

In Karil’s head, Sword Masters were already prepared to assist him for the Holy War.

“And they will follow me.”

Karil said, placing Ice Claw on the ground, placing both hands on top of the handle.

“Ganes Abellant. What do you think? Don’t you want to follow me?”

“Crazy bastard. How can you say that after doing this? Even to a knight of the Duchy. There’s nothing you can’t say.”

“I hear that a lot.”

Further conversation was meaningless.

As with Gordon Fabian and Milliana, conversations with those who have reached their peak had to be done with a sword, not with words.

“…….”

“…….”

How much time had passed?

Of the two people who were facing each other, the one who moved first was Ganes.

“Heuaaaap!!”

Remembering the power of the first strike, Ganes instinctively knew that it would be dangerous to stand still and block Karil’s attack.

He swung the halberd with all his might.

The spear emitting yellow electricity drew an arc and flew towards Karil.

Papapat……!!

Pat!! Tsuang―――!!

However, Karil’s movement was faster than Ganes’ attack. His halberd was clearly fast enough to not be followed by the eye, but it felt too slow compared to Karil, who was dodging the attack almost in place.

Bung……!! Buuuung……!!

Kwaga gagak―――!

The mana blade of electricity emanating from the halberd’s blade soared up as sword energy.

Keugeugeugeugeuk―――!!

As Karil moved his body and dodged the continuous sword strikes from top to bottom and from right to left, the sword energies that lost their target crashed into the broken ramparts behind, making a loud noise.

The roar did not end with just one time.

However, the more he attacked, the more anxious and hardened Ganes’ face became.

That’s because, despite the relentless pouring of attacks, none of the attacks properly reached Karil.

“Even if they are the same Sword Master, the individual differences are clear. He’s worse than Gordon Fabian to be called the strongest in a country.”

Karil said, dodging Ganes’ spear.

It was a provocative remark, but he was more surprised that Karil had met Gordon before discussing the strength of the Sword Masters.

‘Gordon Fabian……? Did he mix swords with that guy…… and he’s still alive…….’

What kind of person is the leader of the Kyo-do Mercenary Corps [a powerful mercenary group]?

He would never leave someone who pointed a sword at him alive.

Then there were two possibilities.

Either the boy in front of him defeated Gordon Fabian, or he was recognized by him.

Whether it was the former or the latter, there was no difference in proving his strength.

“Heup……!!”

A tremendous vibration occurred under Ganes’ feet as if an earthquake had occurred. He raised the halberd above his head, pulling up his magic power.

Kwaga gagang!! Kwaga gang!!

At that moment,

Lightning fell from the sky.

[Keureureureuk……!!!]

The drake flapped its wings and soared into the sky, startled by the flashing lightning.

‘Did he have that kind of skill?’

As a different sense of pressure than when dealing with Serika emanated from him, she realized the difference between herself and the two even more.

Kwaga gagagak……!!

Fierce electricity poured out to the point where the halberd’s blade turned white, surpassing gold.

A full-powered blow.

Although it was a single blow, Ganes’ heavy attack was definitely overwhelming Gordon Fabian from before.

“…….”

However, Karil did not think of dodging, unlike before, looking at the sword of electricity flying towards him.

“Cold air.”

As he spread his palm, thin, frost-like white ice wrapped around his hand like a glove.

“Freezing.”

The layer of ice powder created on his hand was gathered according to his spell.

“Ice Ring.”

His chanting continued once again.

The small ice lump was divided into three, creating a round ring.

‘What is he trying to do…….’

Serika looked at Karil with a questioning expression.

All were just low-level 1st class magic.

Pat――!!

It was then.

As Karil in front of him increased his speed, he disappeared, leaving only afterimages.

Just before the halberd was about to strike, Karil raised one of the ice rings on his palm and struck his attack.

Kwaaaang!!

At that moment,

Ganes’ halberd staggered.

If he had simply tried to block it with force, Karil’s wrist would have been completely blown away by the heavy halberd, no matter how strong Karil was.

The round ice ring primarily blocked the halberd’s attack, disrupting the striking point.

The ring shattered immediately, but the angle was slightly off, causing the attack to go astray, greatly deviating the halberd’s trajectory as a whole.

Kwaaaang――!!

The heavy halberd exploded with a roar and was buried in the floor. Karil did not miss the moment and bent his waist, pushing in the other two rings.

“Kuk?!”

As the ice ring caught on Ganes’ ankle, Karil pulled the ring with all his might.

The durability of the ice made with the 1st class was naturally weak, so it shattered as soon as Karil pulled it, but the impact was conveyed as it was.

Ganes struggled to maintain his balance, but swinging the halberd with all his might became poison instead.

As the ice fragments scattered in all directions, Karil wielded his sword as if digging through the gaps.

“……!!!”

Ice Claw bent like a snake’s fangs and cut Ganes’ ankle.

The momentum of the sword did not stop there, and the sword strike went up his thigh, cutting his side and passing by, leaving a deep wound.

The armor he was wearing was cut off as if cutting tofu, and red blood flowed from his waist.

“Keueuk?!”

Ganes staggered.

However, Karil’s offensive did not stop.

Unlike him, who had not made a single valid attack, Karil’s sword strikes aimed at Ganes’ vitals every time the sword moved.

Kwang! Kwang!! Kwaga gagak……!!

His thick armor could not withstand the impact and began to break.

In an instant, unlike the soldiers who were surprised by the defeat of the Sword Master Ganes, Serika’s eyes shook in a different sense.

“That human…….”

This was because the way he was dealing with Ganes now was by no means Karil’s way that she knew.

The linked skill from magic to swordsmanship.

That was Serika’s method.

Karil blocked Ganes’ movements with magic and created gaps, as if comparing the difference between her and her just now.

Other people would not know this fact, but she quickly realized it.

‘He did it on purpose.’

Serika clenched her fist instead of the broken staff.

Karil deliberately showed her a higher wall to her, who thought she had become stronger after finishing training in Antihum.

He even perfectly digested her fighting method more perfectly than herself.

“Tsk…….”

Serika clicked her tongue.

She certainly led the Yoman battle to victory.

However, the fact that she lost the duel with Ganes and that Karil defeated him in the same way ignited her competitive spirit even more.

“It would be good to end it now.”

At the same time as Karil’s words, darkness began to spread around the Great Rampart in an instant.

[Keureureureureureu―――!!]

[Kaaaaaak―――!]

Sharp roars were heard from here and there.

Ganes looked at the sky and unknowingly let out a low sigh as if he had lost his will to fight.

‘It wasn’t just one…….’

He realized that further resistance was meaningless, looking at the dozens of wyverns that were beginning to fill the sky.

“You know what the meaning of those wyverns is without me having to explain it.”

The fact that the drakes are gathered here now means that the 1st Wyvern Unit has already been annihilated by him.

Moreover, it also meant that there was a problem in the Vinfrado front, which could be said to be the center of internal affairs.

‘Why is Lord Tuli…….’

But he didn’t know.

Karil’s movement was faster than the events that occurred on the Vinfrado front being reported to White Bunker.

“It’s okay to keep fighting if you’re thinking of wasting the lives of the soldiers. But can you, who can’t even stop me, be confident that you can handle my wyverns?”

As Karil raised his hand, the drakes began to circle the sky as if they understood his command.

Keugeugeugeu…….

Even if dozens of wyverns only breathed fire, the soldiers on the ground would be burned in an instant.

Tuwoong.

Only the reverberation of the halberd falling from his hand, as if replacing Ganes’ answer with that shock, echoed in the soldiers’ ears.

“……I lost. If you’re thinking of taking my head, do so.”

Karil looked at Ganes and raised the corner of his mouth as usual. Now all of Karil’s subordinates knew the meaning of that smile.

“Why would I kill you? You have something else to do.”