The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 123

103. Southern Demon Cave (2)

Whoosh-!!!

Swish- Pow-!!!

The sound of the sword slicing through the cold night air echoed in the early morning when everyone was asleep.

“Hoo…”

His whole body, including the hand holding the sword, was drenched in sweat as if it were raining.

Shimmering white steam rose above his shoulders, not just simple heat, but as if he held a hot flame inside his body.

“Looks like you can move around a bit now?”

The voice watching him came from the darkness.

“……”

Randall planted the Liberated Flame on the ground and looked at Miliana.

It had been ten days since he was rescued by her.

Ordinary people would still be lying in bed, but he was already wielding a sword.

‘Amazing. Not only his physical abilities, but the mana he exudes is qualitatively different. Even among the knights of the Empire, there are few who can condense such dense magic power to this extent.’

Miliana didn’t show it, but she couldn’t help but admire Randall in her heart.

‘Was he the adopted son of Kwell McGovern? As expected… Sword Masters’ eyes are never wrong. To have this much skill even without blood ties.’

Weapons made of Blue Luster [a type of magically enhanced metal] are naturally far superior in performance to those with ordinary magic, but they are also more difficult to handle.

Moreover, the Liberated Flame was a weapon in the Imperial Palace’s treasury.

The reason it had no owner for so long was because it was such a difficult sword to handle.

Miliana’s eyes sparkled as she watched the sword’s flames begin to burn fiercely, as if trying to evaporate all of Randall’s sweat.

How could a barbarian like her feel magic power?

That’s the same reason Digon was able to become the ruler of the South.

The northern barbarians and the southern savages cannot use magic, but Digon is different from them.

Sizzle-!!!

As Miliana approached, the flames of the Liberated Flame intensified as if reacting to her.

“……!!”

Randall looked at her, slightly surprised by the sight.

“It’s a good sword. It suits the chosen owner. With excellent talent and a matching weapon, it will be fun to develop.”

She said to Randall.

But the fact that this sword, which had been rejected by all the knights of the Empire, was reacting to a southern barbarian was shocking to him.

But the reason is simple.

Digon is from a race of half-dragons born between dragons and humans in the past.

Perhaps they are the only humans on the continent whose entire race possesses dragon magic.

Although the blood has thinned over the generations, the head of the clan, Miliana’s magic power, still contained the power of a dragon.

In her previous life, she was the owner of the Ice Claw, so it was natural for the Liberated Flame, made of the same Blue Luster, to react.

“Um… Could you tell me about the person who brought me here?”

“Well, I don’t know exactly. His face was covered with a mask. He just knew that I had joined hands with the Empire.”

“Yes?”

“To be precise, it was like a non-aggression treaty… Thanks to you guys, our position here has become difficult. We agreed not to invade each other’s territory, but you secretly smuggled a knight order to the Abyss Rock?”

In that moment.

Randall felt goosebumps all over his body from the force emanating from her.

“But, funnily enough, the person who brought you here threatened me with that. He told me to keep my promise to the end and take care of you because I broke the Southern Covenant and joined hands with the Empire. Isn’t it funny?”

It was an impudent remark that was more than bold enough to risk his life to the ruler of the South.

“The truth is, I should be beheading you Imperials.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Randall didn’t know what to say to her and lowered his head.

“Well, it’s not like you, a mere knight, are at fault… Besides, when I saw you, I was honestly interested in your talent.”

Miliana handed him a note.

“The Empire has dispatched princes due to this incident. The Second Prince sent me a message that he will come here soon.”

“The Prince…”

“He’s doing something sneaky under the guise of an alliance, but it’s worth listening to the Second Prince. It will take at least two months. After you meet the Prince, you can decide whether to leave or not. But until then, you will learn my swordsmanship.”

Her offer was unexpected.

“…Digon’s swordsmanship?”

Even now, it was strange that she would readily teach her swordsmanship to a complete stranger who was not even a barbarian.

The offer when he woke up was the same.

Why would she help him without any conditions?

As if reading the question in his eyes, Miliana shrugged lightly and replied.

“There’s also the problem with the Five Great Families [influential clans in the South], and it would be a good thing if a few conflicts could be resolved with just you. Besides, that guy made me an offer.”

Randall wondered what kind of offer his helper, whose face and name he didn’t know, had made to her.

“Well… After this is resolved, the guy who was rude to me will have to pay the price.”

She chuckled.

Randall felt a murderous aura in her smile for a moment.

“Anyway. That guy left a message for you to deliver when you recovered. Since I see you using a sword, I guess it’s okay now.”

“What is it?”

“If you have the courage to shed the facade of being an Imperial, learn Digon’s swordsmanship. And even if you have mastered the swordsmanship, never return to the Empire. If you want revenge, find me. I’m in Tatur.”

“Tatur…”

Randall’s face hardened slightly at her words.

“I don’t know who he is, but he seems to be reluctant to let the Empire know about him. He’s trying to stop me from returning to the Empire.”

“Well, I hear it a little differently.”

“What do you mean?”

“If he wanted to hide his identity in the first place, would he have risked threatening the Digon clan and saving you? He could have just let you die there.”

“Then…”

“It’s true that he doesn’t want you to return to the Empire. But I don’t think it’s because he’s trying to hide his identity. It might be the opposite.”

Randall looked at her.

“The problem with the Empire may not be with him, but with you.”

He still looked confused.

“The country you trust so much may not be so trustworthy.”

She said in a meaningful voice.

* * *

“Shieldmen, first rank!”

At the centurion’s cry, the soldiers in the first row, holding leather shields made of thick scales, took their positions.

Uniquely, the shields had sharp protrusions, which were made by special craftsmanship from the skin of a lizard-like monster called Parul that only lived in the South.

At first glance, it looks primitive, but in reality, it was light and stronger than most steel.

“Spearmen!”

At Beykan’s cry, the spearmen standing behind them thrust their spears at the Lizardmen with all their might between the shieldmen.

[Krr…!! Krrr…!!!]

There were dozens of Lizardmen in front, but they couldn’t confidently rush forward in the face of hundreds of spears pointed sharply at them.

“Advance!”

Conversely, the shieldmen and spearmen charged at the monsters as if pushing them away.

Crack!! Kwakwakwak…!!!

The spear blades rising between the shields pierced through the Lizardmen’s entire bodies.

The Blue Luster mixed blades silently and sharply butchered the monsters as if cutting paper.

[Kaa!! Kaa!!]

The Lizardmen screamed in pain. But the louder the screams, the more violent the subjugation force’s attacks became.

Among them, Beykan stood out.

Every time the two axes he held in both hands flashed inside the demon cave, the monster’s body was shattered.

“Heave!!!”

As he swung his axe in an X shape, the Lizardman’s two arms fell to the ground. He kicked the wriggling body with all his might, and the corpse, which flew out like a bullet, slammed into the wall.

Thwack!!!

He stood at the forefront and cleared the way for the subjugation force.

Slash-!! Slash-!!!

Beykan rushed forward as if running, without any armor, and butchered the Lizardmen.

Several monsters, aiming for his back, raised their spears and rushed at him. But he didn’t even look back.

The guys who were aiming for his back fell like marionettes with their strings cut before they could even reach him.

Kwaddeuk…

Every time Kinu Mukari’s bowstring was plucked, three or four Lizardmen’s heads were accurately pierced and fell. Beykan nodded as he looked at the arrows stuck in the ground.

The reason he could focus only on attacking was because Kinu Mukari was behind him.

‘Maybe it’s because they’re from the same Great Plains tribe, but Kinu and Beykan’s teamwork is excellent. In my previous life, they only crossed swords, so I never thought it could be this perfect.’

Karyl looked at the two and smiled with satisfaction.

“It’s a tactic devised by Kaila.”

Karyl nodded as if he had expected it to Kinu’s words.

‘Certainly, the Chang family has a knack for tactics.’

When the soldiers in the first and second rows attacked the Lizardmen and retreated for a while, the archers of the Biung tribe filled the gap.

When the monsters were in chaos due to the pouring rain of arrows, the sword soldiers of the third row cut off their heads.

Karyl thought as he watched the cooperation between the Biung and Tu tribes.

‘We need to integrate the remaining Great Plains tribes and the Five Great Families to properly organize the unit.’

The Biung tribe is excellent with bows, but weak in close combat.

The Tu tribe of Beykan was securing those shortcomings.

Until now, the four tribes were too busy checking each other in the Great Plains, so they only tenaciously dug into the shortcomings.

But ironically, because they knew the shortcomings well, they were able to quickly complement each other.

Each tribe had its own characteristics.

The Chang family, which is excellent in swordsmanship, the Tashai tribe, which is the master of axemanship, and the Risu tribe, which has throwing skills that can hit a flying bird even with their eyes closed…

Karyl was already looking forward to what kind of effect would come out if he combined the Chang family’s tactics, Maenghwajin (猛火陣) [Fierce Fire Formation, a combat formation], which is one of the best combat skills in existence, with them.

“The tribesmen are eagerly waiting for each King to order them to advance to the center. In fact, other tribes also supported this subjugation.”

“Really?”

“The quick-witted chiefs must have sensed that this order from the Master was not simply a subjugation of the demon cave.”

Karyl chuckled at Kinu’s words.

The chiefs, who had thick bones as much as the years they had lived, seemed to have already noticed his thoughts.

“Do you remember? What the Master first told the chiefs of the Four Great Tribes after taking the Five Great Families, to meet in Tatur in two months.”

“That’s right. Unfortunately, I couldn’t meet them because I went to the Order in Tatur.”

Kinu nodded.

“Yes. But thanks to that, we were able to provide the soldiers with Blue Luster weapons recovered from the Secret Spring. Maybe the chiefs were happy that they had results to show the Master instead of time passing.”

“How many more Blue Luster soldiers are there in the South?”

“Excluding the 1,000 brought here, there are about 3,000 more troops equipped with Blue Luster weapons. And there are 70,000 troops that are not yet armed but can be dispatched at any time. If we combine all the Five Great Families, it will be about 120,000.”

“4,000 Blue Luster soldiers… That’s more than I thought. You’ve prepared well.”

“Fortunately, Digon didn’t interfere. Did the Master take any action that day?”

Beykan asked, recalling the events at Abyss Rock.

“Not really. Digon won’t be able to move rashly either. Because of the situation.”

“I see.”

Compared to the hundreds of thousands of troops of the Empire or the Duchy, 4,000 was a very small number.

However, the variable of Blue Luster was so great that 4,000 could exert the power of 40,000, ten times that number.

Moreover, that Blue Luster was still being mined.

‘Because the Ryo Knights were annihilated, the Empire has not yet confirmed whether they can obtain Blue Luster from the Secret Spring.’

If they had known that fact, they wouldn’t have given us this much time.

“It’s the result of the chiefs’ urging. Especially the chief of the Tu tribe has been waiting for the Master to bestow the land in the center ever since we took the Great Plains.”

Karyl laughed lowly, recalling the chief who was so sturdy that his age was ridiculous.

“Okay. After this is over, we need to take care of the Tu tribe first. We need to give them the land we promised.”

“Does that mean… it’s finally an advance?”

Kinu continued to draw the bowstring even while speaking.

The speed of drawing the bowstring became even faster as if he was in a good mood, and the Blue Luster-tempered arrowheads tore through the wind and flew away, instantly piercing the Lizardmen’s heads.

“……”

Even to Viola, who did not know about battle, the Free Army’s fight against the monsters was truly amazing.

The difference in experience was great.

Unlike the Grace’s knights who came with her and were struggling, the Free Army was definitely hunting the Lizardmen with ease.

Of course.

It was impossible for the knights to be defeated by mere Lizardmen.

However, Viola, who had expected the Sword Experts to overwhelmingly wipe out the monsters, was only embarrassed by the unexpected results.

Chaang-!! Chang! Chang!

Although there was a numerical advantage, those whose individual abilities did not reach the level of knights were subduing the monsters more neatly than the knights.

“Amazing…”

Viola murmured in a low voice without realizing it.

Certainly, the Free Army may have looked amazing in her eyes, but Karyl, on the other hand, had one concern about that appearance.

‘The reason why the knights of the Panpinel family are struggling is obvious.’

The knights’ swordsmanship was not tailored to monsters, but only for war.

In other words, it was not suitable for monster subjugation because it was created to most efficiently cut and kill humans.

In comparison, the Free Army’s tactics devised by Kaila Chang were only for hunting.

The concern that comes from there.

“Kinu, I have a question. The tribes of the South have had small and large disputes, but they have never really fought with their lives on the line due to the tribal covenant. You are good at hunting, but you have never experienced war.”

Viola looked at Karyl.

“But the ones we have to fight in the future are not monsters, but people. It means war, not hunting.”

“Master.”

In that moment.

Kinu put away the bow he was holding and took out a small dagger from his chest.

[Kareureuk…!!]

He jumped forward, who was only in the rear, and stabbed the dagger into the Lizardman’s neck while avoiding the spear blade.

Chwaaak…!!!

As he slashed the sword with all his might, the tough skin was cut off and the monster’s unique green blood spurted out.

“We are warriors.”

Kinu dismissed Karyl’s question at once.

Viola felt as if her neck had been pierced and stroked her neck without realizing it.