The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 119

100. Viola

“Stop right there.”

Cahill looked up, drawn by the commanding voice.

It was a clear and pure voice.

It seemed untainted and upright, though one might also interpret it as naive, lacking worldly experience.

“Usually, I receive a call from the lawless port first… Judging by the fact that the mansion guard informed me directly, you couldn’t have passed through there quietly…”

Cahill glanced at Dushala.

“Where is Suan Hajar?”

“He’s away on guild business for a while,” she answered with a light shrug. Cahill nodded and turned his attention to Grace.

“Sir Grace, you should be grateful he wasn’t at the lawless port. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have arrived here in one piece.”

Grace’s face hardened at his words.

“Considering the friendly relations with the Penria Kingdom, let’s move past this. I greet the Princess.”

Cahill bowed slightly, attempting to pass, showing courtesy to Viola.

As he straightened up from the bow, his eyes met hers, hidden beneath the brim of her hat.

‘She’s looking at me like she wants to kill me.’

For some reason, Cahill felt a surge of amusement at the sight, so he cleared his throat and stood fully upright.

“You recognize me. I don’t attend social gatherings or banquets. Tatur’s intelligence network is not to be underestimated.”

Viola said, removing her hat.

Her eyes were filled with venomous resentment and tension.

“Didn’t you mention the kingdom’s name yourself? I wonder if you were more curious whether the Princess’s reputation had reached Tatur, rather than surprised that I knew.”

“…….”

Cahill smiled subtly.

‘I’m sorry, but to thrive in the royal palace, you have to endure the social gatherings and banquets you hate. You can’t accomplish anything with just pride.’

He thought to himself, as if speaking to a child. He had been much the same in his past life.

He only proved himself on the battlefield.

He was barred from participating in aristocratic society because he was a foreigner, but he also harbored a sense of rejection towards it.

Thanks to that, he gained the honor, or rather, the dishonor, of being called a Sword Saint.

‘Even if the people praise you, you cannot stand at the top if you do not have the power to control the king and nobles who stand above them.’

He had been like that himself.

He believed that fighting alone against the enemy was the only way to serve the empire and humanity.

But the result was betrayal, because he had fallen out of their favor.

However.

‘The people…….’

At that moment, Cahill realized that she might be able to fulfill the most crucial aspect of his plan.

‘I was praised as a Sword Saint, but I was ultimately defeated by Oliver and the nobles because I had no foundation.’

But she was different.

She was a daughter who inherited the legitimate blood of the king. What if she could win the hearts of the people?

Of course.

It remained to be seen whether she was as exceptional as her upright sense of justice suggested.

“Could you tell me what you want me to stop?”

“You know it too. It’s your doing. Even a child knows that you are instigating competition between the three countries.”

Viola said, her voice rising with indignation.

“Your actions, which weaken the national power and disrupt the peace of the country, are contrary to what a merchant should do.”

Cahill chuckled at her words.

“That’s what I’m saying. Why don’t the adults understand what even a child knows?”

“……What?”

Viola looked at him, seemingly taken aback by his unexpected response.

“You must have been very impatient. It seems the Princess came to see me directly. But judging by the fact that you only brought one subordinate with you, you must have slipped out without His Majesty’s knowledge.”

Cahill said, gesturing towards Grace.

“Of course, I know that you are a skilled knight…….”

“……!!!”

Instantly.

Grace instinctively stepped in front of Viola and reached for the sword at his waist.

“I think you know the reputation of Tatur… The Princess should have known that entering the free city is not something that can be done with simple determination.”

Clang―!!!

Cahill’s body blurred as he instantly positioned himself in front of Grace.

“Gasp!!”

Surprised, Grace tried to draw his sword with all his might, but Cahill’s hand was already gripping his wrist.

‘Judging by the aura, he’s a high-level Sword Expert. He’s definitely a talent who will be in the ranks of Sword Masters in a few years.’

His sturdy physique was not simply inflated with muscles, but trained to be suitable for swordsmanship.

‘I heard that the Panpinel family also has a unique family swordsmanship…….’

It was probably a swordsmanship that emphasized agility rather than heavy power. But Cahill’s speed surpassed that confident speed.

“You should have known that there are stronger people here than Suan Hajar.”

Clang―

He struggled with all his might, but the hilt of the sword only twitched a little and could not be pulled free from the scabbard.

Grace’s eyes reflected disbelief that he was being overpowered by Cahill, who was smaller than him.

‘I’m curious about his swordsmanship, but I don’t want to mess up the room, so I’ll have to postpone it.’

As Cahill pressed down on his scabbard.

“Ugh!!”

Grace couldn’t overcome the force and knelt down.

“Grace!!”

Viola shouted in surprise at the sight. Just as she was about to rush forward to pull Cahill away, Dushala, who was watching from behind, grabbed her shoulder.

“This is not a royal palace where you can do whatever you want, Princess. Don’t you think the situation you are in is more dangerous than you think?”

Dushala quickly realized what Cahill was trying to do and whispered to Viola.

“L, let go of this!”

Viola shouted, startled, shaking off her hand. An act of putting a hand on the body of a princess would be unimaginable for ordinary people.

But who was she?

She was the owner of the black market who had dealt with countless great nobles of powerful countries for many years. The princess of a weak country was just a childish kid to her.

Cahill stared at the two of them and thought.

‘Grace’s skills are good enough to stand out in the kingdom… I think he would be suitable as the escort knight of the first princess, but the fact that he is only the third princess is probably a problem with the family, not his skills?’

No matter how outstanding he was, he was ultimately the king’s subordinate. If he was disliked by him, he would have no choice but to be pushed out of politics.

‘Then the same goes for that tomboy. I can roughly see the situation.’

Cahill said quietly to Viola.

“When you come out into the world, there are not as many things you can do with the name of a princess as you think. Especially if you are not the princess who will inherit the throne.”

“You…….”

She glared at Cahill, but Cahill said with a gentle face.

“To change something, you must have power. And you have to prove it, Dushala.”

As he spoke, Dushala took out the ledger she had and handed it to him.

“The Princess’s father took fifteen 6-cornered stones [a type of magical energy source] as collateral for the harvest until next winter. As you know, the magic mines where the top-quality inner stones of the 6-cornered stones come from are only our Cartan magic mine in the country and the principality, even if you search the entire continent.”

The principality, which has less magic power than the empire, thoroughly manages all the attribute stones mined from the magic mine at the national level and prohibits them from being exported abroad.

That’s why magical engineering has been able to develop dramatically.

‘Of course……. I can’t be satisfied with 6-cornered stones.’

Cahill, who already knew that 8-cornered stones would come out of the Cadihum magic mine, thought that it would not be too late to develop magical engineering technology at that time.

“What…… next year’s harvest?”

“That’s not all. He also purchased magical tools with several collaterals.”

Viola’s face hardened at his words.

Everything was possible because of Dushala’s skills in selling goods while traveling between the three countries, but a young girl who had only lived for a little over ten years could not understand her methods.

“What on earth……. What is my father doing…….”

She couldn’t close her mouth as she looked at the ledgers filled with numbers.

“Everything written here can be said to be a debt to me. Perhaps the kingdom will have a hard time maintaining itself without even fighting a war.”

Viola didn’t understand.

Even if they are incompetent, they are the people who have maintained the kingdom until now.

She knew that attribute stones were attractive, but not everyone could reach the extreme with attribute stones.

Could it be that they committed such absurd acts with just greed?

It was then.

“Of course. If you have to pay all this value.”

“What do you mean?”

Cahill released Grace and smiled. Grace stepped back, touching his wrist, which was throbbing with clear handprints.

“Unlike the Princess’s concerns, I don’t intend to receive this debt.”

“What?”

“It means that I’m thinking of providing it for free for now.”

“What does that…….”

Viola frowned as if she didn’t understand Cahill’s words.

She didn’t understand the nobles who had gone mad for attribute stones and neglected the state affairs, but the fact that they provided attribute stones, which the principality had even banned from exporting abroad, for free seemed even more insane.

“The three countries are in crisis now. Until now, the secret has been kept because the Emperor was away, but the Empire will also know that there is a magic mine here. If that happens, will they stay still?”

“So……?”

“Of course, I didn’t just give it to you. If you don’t side with me in the future war with the Empire, you will have to pay the value of the attribute stones you have received so far.”

Cahill said, glancing at the ledger.

“Well, wouldn’t it be resolved by handing over the kingdom when that time comes?”

Viola snorted at his words.

“War with the Empire? You’re crazy. Do you mean that you, a mere merchant, will start a war? No, even if I concede a hundred times, do you think the three countries will help you and fight the Empire just because of attribute stones?”

“Well.”

But despite her sarcasm, Cahill spoke in a calm tone.

“I’m not a merchant. I’ve never said I was a merchant. Dushala, Camma, and Suan are in charge of running Tatur.”

“……What?”

Instantly.

Even Viola, who didn’t use a sword, felt a sharp murderous intent that seemed to pierce her skin.

“I am the leader of the four tribes of the Great Plains and the five great families of the South. And the Northern Wolf Fox tribe follows me, and in the guild in Azor, more than 70 magicians are currently being trained using the highest-grade attribute stones that are not provided to the three countries.”

“…….”

“In terms of military power, the military force that can invade the three countries right now is about 300,000.”

Cahill said to her with a calm expression.

Because 300,000 troops was more than twice the military power of the Penria Kingdom.

“I’m telling you as the lord of the South. The meaning of the three countries joining forces in the war with the Empire that I mentioned is not an alliance, but that the three countries are under me.”

“How dare you……!!”

Unlike her shouting, Cahill spoke with the same composure throughout.

“This is a kind of test. As the Princess said, in this strange deal that even a child knows, will there be anyone who thinks about the people?”

He smiled lightly.

“Perhaps you are the one who is qualified to be such a king. If you want to save the people, ascend to the throne.”

Then he said kindly.

“Then I will strike the Penria Kingdom last among the three countries.”

* * *

“Pfft…… Hahaha!!”

Laughter erupted in the office after the two left.

Dushala looked at Cahill with an expression that her stomach hurt from laughing so much.

“How can you say such secrets with such an indifferent expression? Besides, who declares war to a princess instead of a king?”

“It’s okay to say that. No one will believe her words. From the fact that I am the leader of the southern barbarians, no one will come up with the idea that the three countries will strike the South.”

“That’s right. Everyone will think so because the Digon clan is in the South. They won’t think that the barbarians will start a war without Digon’s consent.”

“That’s right.”

Cahill nodded at her words.

“She has the qualities to be an outstanding queen, but she is only the third princess at best. No matter how much she shouts, the incompetent king and nobles will not listen to her.”

“Besides, as a princess, she gives attribute stones and weapons to the enemy she will invade to make them stronger? It’s an unacceptable thing.”

Dushala pointed to the oath sealed with a seal behind the ledger she had taken out.

“Because they won’t know that most of the nobles other than the royal family have already been won over to our side.”

Cahill looked at it and said in a low voice.

“They are just nobles who are swayed by money. I don’t trust them. If I trust anyone, I trust her a little more.”

“Then……?”

“Simply taking a castle by war is no different from the Empire. But the free city is not just a lawless place, but the only land for freedom. A place where foreigners, barbarians, slaves, and commoners can all live equally. To make the people believe in us and accept us, we must have the validity of fighting to protect their freedom, not the lawlessness of the free city.”

“That’s why you want to put the princess on the Master’s side. A new queen who will gain new citizens who are different from the nobles who don’t consider the lives of the people. And that queen is on our side…….”

Dushala immediately realized Cahill’s plan.

“I still don’t know. I’ll have to wait and see if she has the ability to choose the people over the king.”

Cahill’s eyes lit up.

“But I still don’t understand. Why are you using such a complicated method? There have been many kings in history, but they don’t conquer while looking at all kinds of circumstances.”

“To save them.”

“Yes?”

“To save as many people as possible. That’s why I want to ascend to the throne.”

But Dushala tilted her head as if she didn’t understand his words.

She wouldn’t know.

That the war between humans is just a prelude to the great war that will come.

And to prepare for that great war, Cahill chose this path, even if it was a tedious and complicated method.

They had to unite as one under the category of humans, not nations, so that more power would remain.

Cahill said, exhaling a low breath.

“That’s the first step. If Viola really ascends to the throne, we must have the validity to rise above her.”

Dushala nodded at his words.

“Monster subjugation.”

She felt goosebumps at the words she was uttering now.

Because everything fit together so perfectly.

“As the Master said, a report came from Beykan. There are signs that a magic cave [a source of monsters] will be created between the Istan Kingdom and the Penria Kingdom.”

Unlike the people in the center, the people in the South were veterans of magic cave subjugation.

Cahill ordered Beykan to investigate the borders of the three countries.

“Besides, there are dozens of large and small villages between those borders. There are at least thousands of people living there.”

Cahill nodded.

“And the expected time of magic cave creation is…….”

“Three months later. Right before the harvest. If a magic cave appears, the fields will be ruined by monsters. The three countries, which are already bankrupt, will not have the ability to subjugate the monsters.”

“It’s funny that they have good weapons but they don’t have the ability to use them.”

Cahill looked out the window at Dushala’s words.

“Summon Beykan and Kinu Mukari.”

“Yes, Master.”

His eyes flashed.

Cahill said in a low voice.

“We will do that subjugation. And…….”

His eyes lit up.

‘If the cunning emperor thinks that he saved his life, he will not keep his promise. I wonder…… who will he send to the South?’

It doesn’t matter who it is.

Whoever the enemy is, they will be a sacrifice to announce the power of his army along with the magic cave subjugation.