The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 417

255. Preparing for the Assault

“An… An assault on Pallel?!”

After the first Calamity, Blood, was eradicated, the black clouds surrounding the Blood Cave disappeared.

After the Sky Castle returned to the capital,

people, stepping on solid ground for the first time in a while, erupted in an uproar at Carryl’s order, even before they could fully appreciate the earth beneath their feet.

The capital was still under reconstruction, but the city’s atmosphere was stable simply because the corruption had been quelled after the Nephilim’s victory.

Of course, some blamed Carryl for the attack on the Nephilim and the subsequent appearance of corruption, but Camma’s skills, adept at handling such matters, prevented any negative rumors from spreading through the streets.

“The Ten of Godslaying… How cool.”

Mikhail’s eyes sparkled as he heard Aidan recount what Carryl had said after capturing Blood.

“I wonder who will be chosen?”

“Well, His Lordship must have his own ideas. Why? Are you interested?”

“Well…”

Mikhail smiled awkwardly at Aidan’s question.

“Arthur, you’d only be a hindrance with your skills. You couldn’t even properly kill a single corruption in this battle. I took down five.”

“Ha, haha…”

Serica Loren chimed in from behind him, dampening his enthusiasm, and Mikhail shrugged as if resigned.

“Yeah, don’t even think about fighting when you’re with that kid. Annoying guy.”

Nine Darhoon also seemed to agree with Serica’s words for some reason. However, the condition that she was with him meant that some people noticed that his performance in this battle had been problematic because of Serica.

“Serica, how old are you?”

“Sixteen this year.”

“Hmm, so you’ll be having your coming-of-age ceremony in a month.”

Serica looked at Aidan with a face that questioned his motives, but he patted Mikhail’s shoulder lightly with a meaningful look.

“Hold on a little longer. It’s only a few months away.”

“…Huh? W-What!!”

“Yeah, you screwball. Take care of your own business and then think about others. Who is in a position to help whom?”

Mikhail tried to argue, but Nine Darhoon only scolded him even more at Aidan’s words.

“By the way, what is the main character doing, calling us here like this?”

Nine Darhoon said, leaning back on the backrest as if annoyed.

A large training ground.

Originally, this was where the knights of the past empire trained, but now it was filled with quite a few people besides them.

Milliana and the three sisters, Kinu Mukari, Kayla Chang, Beykan, Hashir, Hwarin, Liliana, Patun, Kuntai, Grace Panfinel, Ganes Avelant….

There were also people from the Empire.

Including Kwell McGovern, Serga, Jaken Bolton, Kadin Ruer, and other renowned powerhouses, with Landoll standing silently behind them.

All were Carryl’s subordinates, but the deep-seated divisions between the North, South, and Empire, which had deepened over the years, didn’t seem to narrow easily, as if an invisible wall in the training ground separated them.

“The magic power flowing from the training ground is suffocating. It seems like all the useful people from the Free Country are gathered here… There can only be one reason.”

At Nine Darhoon’s words, Milliana stared at the entrance of the training ground and spoke as she waited for Carryl.

“Will they announce the list of the Ten today?”

“Probably.”

“Another battle as soon as we return… Our Lord is really ruthless in handling people.”

“Resting in a peace that hasn’t been earned only leads to weakness. It’s no different from handing over your life to the enemy yourself.”

Unlike Nine Darhoon, Milliana seemed eager for action. This was because she still regretted not landing a proper blow in the battle against Blood.

“You seem to think you’ll be chosen, of course.”

“Needless to say. Who else here besides me can raid the Tower?”

At her confident words, the others subtly smiled.

“Yeah. A spirited horse is easy to handle.”

Nine Darhoon, who had lived more than twice as long as Milliana, even though she looked young, said with a relaxed expression.

“Indeed…”

They exchanged jokes and continued the conversation, but in fact, the people gathered in the training ground seemed to be doing so to mask their nervousness.

* * *

[Are you really going to do this?]

Even after receiving the report that people were gathered in the training ground, Carryl hesitated to move.

“Hmm.”

He stared at a piece of paper on the table for a long time.

“This is the best way after all.”

However, after sitting down at the table in the early evening and starting to write on the paper, he didn’t change a single word until dawn the next day.

[If you say so, it must be right. It seems like you’ve had these people in mind since before you even brought it up.]

“We don’t have much time. You saw my memories, so you know. The second Calamity of the Ten Disasters, Hekqet, is not a problem that I can solve alone in any sense.”

[Hmm, indeed… Even so, I doubt those guys will properly understand your intentions.]

Aln Zabis stroked his chin and nodded at Carryl’s words.

“Preparing for the second disaster is important in the future battles against corruption. Even if I’m not there, they have to stop Hekqet on their own.”

Carryl said as if he was planning something.

[You’ve made up your mind.]

“If we just sit still and deal with the corruption that Pallel spews out, we’ll only repeat the same results as in my previous life. I can’t just sit back and be attacked.”

The Ten Disasters.

That meant that starting with the first Calamity, Blood, there would be nine more invasions of corruption left.

However, for Carryl, preparing with the knowledge of the future wasn’t simply about targeting and defeating them based on their weaknesses.

‘In the end, the war takes place on our territory. No matter how well we defend, we can’t avoid taking damage. Before all ten disasters occur, we must destroy Pallel.’

That was the plan Carryl had in mind.

‘To do that…’

Carryl looked at the names written on the paper in front of him once again and nodded.

“These are the only ones.”

He folded the paper on the table, picked it up, and stood up from his seat.

[But…]

Aln said to Carryl just before he grabbed the doorknob and left.

[I understand that you’re not participating in this battle, but is it even possible to raid Pallel in the Thousand-Year Ice Cave without even including those who were in the Ten of the Oracle [A group of powerful individuals prophesied to play a key role] in your previous life?]

At that moment, Carryl gave an ambiguous smile that was hard to decipher.

[…It’s going to be a mess.]

Seeing that smile, Aln shook his head as if there was nothing he could do.

* * *

“W-Wait a minute…!!!”

Milliana shouted with an unacceptable expression as Carryl, standing on the platform, called out the last name written on the paper.

“Is that really the end?”

“Yes. It’s the end.”

“That’s ridiculous!! Raiding Pallel is one of the most difficult tasks, not to mention the honor! And you’re going to undertake that adventure with those small fries?”

Mikhail flinched and looked at her the moment Milliana’s finger pointed at him.

“I don’t understand it either. Why was Mikhail chosen and I was excluded?”

Serica Loren also wore a face of confusion.

“Watch your words, Serica. His Lordship isn’t your friend, is he?”

“What?”

Aidan said coldly to her. Even though they were usually close, he was firm when it came to matters involving Carryl.

“It’s called a raid, but it’s not the real one that appeared on the continent, but only the ruins in the Thousand-Year Ice Cave sleeping in the North. We can’t commit all our forces when we don’t know when the current Pallel will be reactivated.”

“Excuse me, but even so, this is a difficult formation to accept. The two-dimensional Pallel in the Ice Cave is also an unknown area to us. Shouldn’t we choose more skilled people as raid members?”

“Don’t you trust them? I thought the people in this place were all comrades who fought together. Or do you not trust your own skills?”

“That’s…”

Mikhail couldn’t say anything to Carryl’s words. That was because all the Sword Masters and Archmages, including Milliana, Nine Darhoon, Aidan, and Suan Hajar, had not been chosen.

‘What on earth is His Lordship thinking?’

The people chosen for the Pallel raid were Hashir, Zigra, Beykan, Kinu Mukari, Liliana, Hwarin, Kayla Chang, and Thompson, including himself, a mage.

The composition was clearly divided.

In particular, all the warriors were those without magic power.

The only exception was Landoll McGovern, the only imperial in the raid party. He also had a bewildered expression at being named.

His evaluation was also mixed.

He had sworn allegiance to Carryl, but when the Empire collapsed and Kwell McGovern secluded himself in his mansion, he also went to his territory, saying that he would persuade his father.

However, there were rumors that he had betrayed Carryl and returned to the McGovern family.

“Hwarin.”

Carryl called the name of Hwarin, who was chosen as the strongest and leader of the raid party.

“Think carefully about why I chose these people until you depart.”

“That means there’s a reason.”

When Hwarin answered with a slight frown, Carryl turned around with a calm face.

“That’s all. Those who have been named should pack their bags, and the rest should stand by until I give further orders.”

As he finished speaking briefly, the training ground began to descend into even more chaos.

* * *

“Why did you call me?”

A dark underground.

The tombs where the past kings of the Empire were buried were places where only authorized people could enter.

Although the Empire had fallen, the bodies of the emperors enshrined within were well preserved.

“There’s something I need you to do.”

Carryl, who had returned from the training ground, did not return to his room and was somehow in the imperial tomb. He slowly turned his head as if he had been waiting for the voice he heard.

“You excluded me from the Pallel raid and now you’re trying to use me for other things in this gloomy place?”

“Unexpected. I didn’t think you’d be interested in going to the Tower. Kay Rothschild.”

Carryl looked at her and smiled.

“What’s the job?”

“Revive a corpse.”

“Do you mean create an undead? If you’re trying to replenish combat personnel, you should ask Nine Darhoon instead of me. The Rothschild family’s puppetry [A type of necromancy specific to the Rothschild family] only works with the head of the family.”

“But unlike the slaves created by Nine Darhoon, they don’t just follow orders without will. What I want isn’t a battle, but a conversation.”

“…That’s why. I was wondering why you didn’t dispose of this corpse and left it as it is.”

Kay Rothschild looked at a corpse lying intact, unlike the other mummified corpses, and said in a calm voice.

[Is this when the imperial blood you mentioned is needed?]

Unlike Kay, who was not present before, Jarka Hoch, who was behind her, remembered the conversation he had with Carryl and said.

“Can you do it?”

“……”

Kay took her hand over the lying corpse instead of answering. As a spell flowed from her mouth, a purple light began to flow in the darkness.

What she was chanting was neither magical language nor runes. It was a secret language used only by the Rothschild family.

“The Rothschild’s puppetry is different from ordinary black magic. Even if it’s a dead corpse, it’s not forcibly revived, but a contract can only be made if there is a will of the soul, so we don’t know if he will become a spirit or not.”

“Don’t worry about that. He’ll want to see me more than anyone else. Even if it’s in a bad way.”

Carryl replied coldly to Kay’s words.

“Ollie Van.”

At that moment, the pale corpse slowly opened its eyes.