The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 120

101. The Genesis of the Southern Expedition

An untimely debate was raging in the Sun Hall of the Imperial Palace, the center of state affairs.

The irony was that this all stemmed from the Emperor’s return to active governance after his brief step back from the front lines.

“Your Majesty, will you continue to ignore the southern regions? The Lye Knights were annihilated by those barbaric savages, creatures not even worth spitting out.”

The First Prince, Ruon, raised his voice, drawing the attention of the assembled ministers.

“We must dispatch troops immediately to punish them!”

“Brother, calm yourself. The Digon tribe resides in the south. A war would inevitably lead to friction with them. Though different tribes, they won’t stand idly by and watch events unfold in the south.”

The Second Prince, Olivon, attempted to restrain him. Ruon frowned.

“Are you suggesting we stand by while our Empire’s knights are slaughtered? It’s been months! At this rate, the Empire’s prestige…!”

“Then who would you send?”

Olivon interrupted Ruon’s outburst.

“What?”

“Of the Empire’s seven knight orders, four are dedicated to guarding the front lines. The Azure Knights have just returned, and the Verdant Knights are securing the duchy. Would you entrust this subjugation to the Tawny Knights, who are essentially in charge of the southern border?”

Olivon’s voice was sharp, intended to make Ruon understand.

“Brother, they are the Tawny Knights. You know this.”

“……”

Everyone in the Sun Hall knew that Marquis Vestal, the Empress’s brother and commander of the Tawny Knights, was ill-suited for war.

He was entrusted with the southern border because the south had historically been peaceful with the Empire.

The powerful Digon tribe’s presence ensured that both the Empire and the south understood the significant damage a conflict would cause.

“So, we leave those barbaric savages alone? What was the point of the Northern Conquest? The south, like the north, is rife with heretical trash.”

Ruon spoke forcefully.

“Olivon, what are your thoughts?”

Ruon bit his lip as the Emperor addressed Olivon instead of him.

“It is my fault. This is the result of invading the south, a region that had been stable, to acquire Azurel [a rare mineral] based on the Gray Cloak Leader’s report confirmed in Azor.”

“And?”

“Before punishing the south, I will accept the punishment for deploying the Lye Knights at my own discretion.”

A murmur rippled through the hall as the ministers reacted to Olivon’s unexpected statement.

It was indeed surprising.

The two princes were rivals for the throne.

They should have been concealing their own faults while exaggerating the other’s mistakes. Instead, Olivon was offering to accept punishment.

Tylan Shutean watched with interest.

“Reports suggest a war between the Lurein families is likely in the duchy, preventing us from withdrawing the Verdant Knights.”

His voice grew stronger.

“Your Majesty, allow me to travel south with a portion of the Black Knights, the Imperial Special Task Force. I will negotiate directly with the Digon tribe.”

“With Digon?”

Olivon spoke with a peculiar expression.

“I will resolve the situation I created, preventing further loss of Imperial soldiers and allowing the southerners to settle their own affairs.”

The Emperor understood his intentions.

He had already received a report detailing how the Lye Knights entered Narak Rock without resistance.

‘Digon allied with Olivon, not Ruon. Understandable… Unlike Ruon, who is an ardent imperialist.’

Despite his calm and amiable demeanor, the Emperor occasionally clicked his tongue at Olivon’s inscrutable thoughts.

‘Furthermore, the Black Knights remain neutral. He intends to secure their allegiance on this occasion.’

The Emperor glanced at Ruon, gauging his reaction to Olivon’s words.

“Nonsense! Your complacency led to the loss of the Lye Knights!”

“Father, grant me command of the Tawny Knights. I will go south myself.”

As expected, Ruon responded as if he had been waiting for the opportunity.

“You?”

“Of course.”

The Emperor was curious about the source of Ruon’s confidence.

Ruon, the First Prince with the strongest claim to the throne, had remained distant from the battlefield until now.

“You know Sir Ajif, the former vice-commander of the Gold Knights, who is currently vacant. He is recuperating in his territory, Bredo. He expressed his desire to earn achievements for the honor of a knight before he recovers and returns to the Imperial Palace.”

“Hmm… Sir Ajif was injured?”

The Emperor looked at Belin Valention, commander of the Gold Knights and commander-in-chief of all knights, with a puzzled expression, as if questioning when this injury occurred.

“Cough.”

Belin simply coughed lightly and bowed slightly instead of answering.

‘While Olivon contacted Digon, Ruon contacted the Gold Knights. How intriguing.’

The Emperor observed his two sons, who were gradually eroding his power, with a satisfied expression.

“It’s admirable that you both care for the Empire. Seeing this makes me believe I raised my children well.”

The Emperor’s tone shifted.

Instantly, Ruon and Olivon instinctively flinched. He rested his arm on the throne’s armrest, pointed a finger at his temple, and looked down at them.

“Both princes are correct. I have heard enough of your concern for the Empire. But you are forgetting something: the most important imperial citizen and precious family member closest to you.”

The two men’s faces hardened.

‘Damn it…’

All eyes turned to the Third Prince, Cromen.

“I will give that child a chance. Seeing all my children grow up to be great is the will of God that brought me back here, isn’t it?”

A boy who looked on the verge of tears, his eyes innocent, was overwhelmed by the attention.

The young boy, only eight years old, fidgeted, unsure of what to do.

“Father!”

“But Your Majesty…!”

Ruon and Olivon protested simultaneously.

‘That sly old fox… He’s blocking our chance to gain merit from the start. Family love? It’s just greed, refusing to relinquish imperial power.’

‘The Third Prince has almost no support. What can that child do to solve this problem?’

As if reading their thoughts, the Emperor spoke calmly.

“Of course, unlike you two, he is young and inexperienced. That’s why I have summoned someone who will be his strength.”

Squeak―――!!!

The Sun Hall’s massive doors swung open. Everyone turned.

“……!!!”

The ministers, including the two princes, were astonished by the figure in the doorway.

Thump― Thump― Thump―

The floor vibrated with each step. Ministers averted their gaze as he crossed the carpet.

“Did you summon me, Your Majesty?”

The man exuded dignity, even before the Emperor.

‘Go… Gordon Fabian!’

The commander of the Kyo-do Mercenary Corps and one of the continent’s five Sword Masters [the highest rank a swordsman can achieve].

No one expected his return.

‘I received no report of an airship entering the territory…’

‘Did His Majesty secretly summon him?’

‘When…?’

‘Is the Kyo-do Mercenary Corps siding with the Third Prince?’

The ministers’ minds reeled at his appearance.

The Kyo-do Mercenary Corps was more than just a mercenary group; it possessed the strength of three knight orders combined.

If he sided with the Third Prince, the prince would command military power comparable to his brothers.

But the Emperor wasn’t finished.

With an expression that everything was proceeding as planned, he addressed Ruon and Olivon.

“You two will assist the Third Prince and Gordon in resolving this issue. Olivon, you will rectify the discord you sowed, and Ruon, you will guide your younger brothers as the eldest.”

The two princes turned to the Third Prince, thinking the same thing.

‘This is…’

A chance to eliminate each other.

‘Opportunity.’

The princes believed they would only face each other on the battlefield as enemies.

They thought it would only happen in a massive battle for the throne after the Emperor’s death.

But that moment had arrived.

A father should prevent his children from drawing swords against each other. But Tylan Shutean was no ordinary father.

He provided them with an excuse to fight, presenting it to them.

They could eliminate obstacles without sacrificing thousands of soldiers.

And the stage was the dirty south, inhabited by barbarians, not the center of the Empire.

Anyone could die in battle.

Even a prince.

Gulp―

Tense, Cromen swallowed hard.

In the silence, Ruon and Olivon’s eyes turned to him at the sound.

Thud.

As if sensing their thoughts, Gordon Fabian stood beside the frail boy who barely reached his waist.

‘Damn it…’

It was too early to celebrate.

They had longed for a battlefield, but they had to remember that this was not their creation, but a stage set by their father.

The Emperor placed Gordon Fabian, the most formidable enemy, before the Third Prince, considered the weakest.

‘To eliminate Cromen, I must overcome that man.’

The man who tore an ogre’s head apart with his bare hands.

‘If I’m not careful, I’ll be the one who gets hurt.’

‘Perhaps this is not an opportunity but a trap. Is Father planning to bury us all in the south?’

The hall was silent with shock.

Their thoughts intertwined, they looked at different goals with different expressions.

Only Tylan Shutean smiled brightly.

“Well, there’s no time to waste. I clearly stated that the two princes should assist their younger brother and ensure this southern matter is resolved.”

He finished and rose from his seat.

“We… We must hurry.”

A minister muttered in a daze. As if those words were a spark, people shouted.

“Gather the private soldiers immediately!”

“Check the supplies first!”

The ministers shared the same thought.

‘No matter what, the prince I serve must solve this problem.’

They knew their futures depended on it.

Sounds of running echoed through the hallways.

Only three people remained in the Sun Hall.

The three princes looked at each other with hardened faces.

As if looking at someone they might never see again.

* * *

“Your Majesty.”

“Sir Yurin, you will accompany Cromen to the south.”

“Yes?”

Tylan, who had caused the commotion, spoke with an expression of dissatisfaction.

Yurin answered with surprise.

“I understand Your Majesty’s intentions. But isn’t it premature? The promised deadline with Karil is still…”

The Emperor smiled as if Yurin’s words were absurd.

“That little brat said that, to keep Cwell McGovern by my side in exchange for a deal.”

“……”

“And when I met him at the Order, he said he wanted to prevent the three countries from being harmed by the Empire’s troops passing through the south.”

“Yes…, Your Majesty.”

Yurin answered in a trembling voice.

Because the Emperor had not fulfilled any of his promises.

“Isn’t he presumptuous? A brat trying to make a deal with the Emperor. Since when has the Empire worried about the safety of a mere merchant?”

“……I, I am deeply sorry.”

Why?

Yurin felt his lips dry and tremble at the thought of Karil.

He knew.

‘Your Majesty, Karil is not the mere merchant you think he is.’

He didn’t want to meet him again.

Yurin could never forget Karil’s appearance in the Fire Dragon’s lair.

‘That guy… is a monster.’