The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 141

Whooooong——―

A fierce wind blew from above, scattering white sand in all directions.

“Finally arrived, huh.”

Gordon Fabian spoke with a voice full of annoyance as the airship landed.

“Jae-gun.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“How long were we in the air after arriving in the South?”

“Ten days.”

Jae-gun, the vice-commander of the Kyodo Mercenary Corps, spoke cautiously, observing Gordon’s displeased expression.

“Hmm…”

Gordon muttered nonchalantly.

“Should I just snap that bitch’s neck?”

He spoke without a change in expression, as if it were someone else’s problem, but the content was anything but.

“Are you going to start a war with the South? What about your promise to the Emperor?”

However, the vice-commander, who was used to serving Gordon, shook his head at his words.

“It’s not like I can’t. We came to resolve a dispute anyway. If one of them dies, there won’t be a dispute.”

It might sound like nonsense if anyone else said it, but if Gordon Fabian said it, it was likely to become a reality.

“Well, that’s one way to do it. Only if Prince Cromen agrees.”

“I’m sorry for causing Gordon so much trouble. If it were my brothers, it wouldn’t have taken this long…”

Gordon looked at the small boy who barely reached his waist and smiled lightly.

Even that smile looked like a beast growling, making those who saw it shudder.

“I can only apologize, Your Highness. It seems the barbarians of the South are stuck in the backwoods and haven’t heard of the Gordon Mercenary Corps. I’ll tear a few of them limb from limb as an example.”

“Ah, no. No, it’s alright. There’s no need to do that.”

Cromen was startled by Gordon’s words and waved his hands.

“Hmm.”

“I mean, there’s no need for Lord Gordon to get his hands dirty.”

Cromen mumbled, looking at him with a disappointed expression.

“Your Highness, let’s go.”

Keplan, the old knight who was accompanying Cromen as his escort on this expedition, had been his butler since birth.

Perhaps he was Cromen’s only supporter in the Empire.

It was probably because of Keplan that he had survived the numerous power struggles in the Imperial Palace.

One might think that an old knight’s influence couldn’t be that great, but it was his background that mattered more than his skill.

“The South is hot as ever.”

Yurin Hyugar, a first-class priest who had been ordered by the Emperor to participate in this expedition, unusually spoke politely to the butler.

This man, known as the madman of the battlefield, stepped back first and showed a more cautious attitude towards him than towards Cromen.

That was the power of Keplan’s background.

Namely,

The Order [a powerful religious organization].

“There’s no need for this, Lord Yurin. I’m just a servant who came along to attend to His Highness on this expedition.”

“I know. But it’s possible that His Majesty sent me here with you because you are here, Keplan.”

“Surely not. Would he do that?”

Yurin said playfully, unlike his usual self.

That’s because Keplan was once considered a candidate for the next Archbishop.

But for some reason, he abandoned the Order and quietly lived out his life as the protector of the Third Prince.

‘Well… it makes things easier for us, though.’

He didn’t know what had happened between him and the Emperor, but Yurin thought it was fortunate that he had left the Order, unlike the current conservative and rigid Archbishop.

‘I heard he was quite the figure when he was a first-class priest in the past… Well, he’s old now, so he’s probably just a paper tiger.’

In the first place, with an extraordinary monster like Gordon in the Kyodo Mercenary Corps, people like himself and Keplan felt like ordinary people.

“Your Highness, I will escort you.”

As if he didn’t care what Yurin said, Keplan stood next to Cromen, holding a large umbrella to shield him from the hot sun.

And Tiren McGovern followed behind him.

“Brother, what are you thinking so hard about?”

Elliot asked quietly.

“What do you think this combination means?”

“Pardon?”

He tilted his head slightly at Tiren’s question.

‘Mercenaries, the Order, and the Imperial Family.’

In fact, he was the weakest and least influential Third Prince, but in terms of combination, he was the most diverse and had the most potential, unlike the First Prince, who only had power, and the Second Prince, who only had himself.

‘Did His Majesty simply attach the Kyodo Mercenary Corps to protect the Prince?’

He recalled what Gordon had said before coming here.

That the Prince’s future depended on what he did here.

He was the son of Kwell McGovern, the strongest man called the Continental First Sword, but he was just a greenhorn with no close aides in the Imperial Palace.

‘This is too much of a burden…’

But Tiren had to do it.

“This is Digon’s camp.”

The guide of the mercenary corps pointed to the direction where the huge barbarian stronghold was visible.

“Hoo…”

Tiren let out a low sigh, seemingly nervous about his first mission.

Without anticipating what would happen there.

* * *

“So, it’s you. The Queen of Digon who made us wait.”

Inside the camp.

The strongest man, one of only five on the continent, spoke the words he had been holding back, not caring that there were thousands of warriors in front of him.

“I can tell just by looking. You must be Gordon Fabian.”

“You say you can tell just by looking, so why are you asking?”

The subtle killing intent had already sharpened and pressed down on the surroundings.

The Digon warriors flinched at the aura Gordon exuded, even though they knew they outnumbered him.

“I wondered if the Mercenary King had a mouth full of garbage.”

“If you make people wait for ten days, even the Emperor of the Empire would be like this, let alone the Mercenary King.”

“Aha.”

“Aha?”

Miliana was not intimidated by Gordon Fabian.

In terms of skill, she could not beat him, who had reached the pinnacle of Sword Master [a master swordsman].

But as the ruler of the South, she could never lower her pride.

“His Majesty Emperor Tyran Sutean has dispatched Prince Cromen to the South to resolve the incident of the Lyeokisa Knights.”

“Is that so?”

Miliana looked at Tiren.

“You’re mentioning the Prince’s name, so you must not be the Prince. Who are you?”

“…I am Tiren, the second son of Kwell McGovern.”

“Someone under the Prince, huh?”

“Of course.”

“Then you’re out.”

Tiren was offended by her expression, which didn’t change even after hearing the name Kwell.

“The South only follows the decisions of the leader.”

Then she slowly shifted her gaze to Cromen.

“Not you, but that little kid has to tell me directly. Show me the cards you brought. I’ll decide whether to let you live or die depending on their worth.”

“How rude…!!”

Elliot shouted at her.

“Rude? It’s nonsense to expect manners from barbarians, but we have to consider right and wrong. You guys attacked the Five Great Families first. I clearly opened the door to the South, and what was the price for that?”

“…”

They couldn’t answer.

In fact,

They didn’t know the exact reason why Digon opened the door to the South.

The person she secretly traded with was Olivon, not the Empire, and he never admitted his mistake.

Rather, he framed it as a surprise attack by the southern barbarians.

“Well, fine. The Five Great Families might have stopped your knights from going to Narak Rock. And you can fight. Battles are possible in the South anytime there is a legitimate reason.”

Miliana continued.

“But I heard that your Empire deployed troops through the First Prince. How do you explain that? Is it hard to decide whether to make peace or fight, so you’re showing both and threatening to do whatever you want?”

Her voice became sharp.

“That’s absolutely not the case.”

Cromen said, flustered.

But the young Prince couldn’t handle Miliana’s experienced pace.

“Is it the arrogance of the Empire?”

“That’s…”

It was then.

“Indeed, it’s nonsense to expect manners from barbarians, as you said.”

Gordon, who had been watching silently, turned around.

“Let’s go back.”

“Pardon?”

Cromen looked at him, startled by his words.

Gordon looked at Tiren instead of the Prince.

“…”

Tiren bit his lip without realizing it, as if even his last bit of pride had been crushed by the cold treatment from the man who had entrusted him with this important task.

Clang—

Soldiers blocked his path as he tried to leave the camp.

Gordon lightly grabbed the arm of the soldier guarding the door without changing his expression.

Crack——!!!

Without using magic, he crushed the soldier’s arm with only his strength.

“Cough… cough!!”

Without stopping there, Gordon kicked the other soldier’s knee.

Crunch!!

Even the soldier who boasted his sturdy muscles couldn’t withstand his weight, and the broken leg bone pierced through the flesh.

“Is this the arrogance of the South?”

Gordon said, kicking the fallen two as if they were worthless.

Instantly,

A heavy tension filled the camp.

“The South only follows the leader? Then I should have a say too. Depending on my decision, the Kyodo Mercenary Corps could wipe out Digon.”

“…”

Miliana looked at him.

“Hey, Queen. At the very least, the first thing you should say to someone who waited ten days in the heat of the South isn’t to talk about deals or prices, but to at least tell them to sit down.”

A different kind of pressure was felt than before.

Gordon Fabian walked out of the camp and said in a low voice.

“It seems we need to adjust a little more.”

* * *

“…Is this enough?”

“Yes.”

Miliana said, watching Cromen’s retreating figure.

The red sunset looked very relaxed, in contrast to the suffocating situation a moment ago.

She sighed.

“This is not something to do. That monster. The feeling is completely different from you. He stares as if he’s going to eat you, and I felt like my neck would be torn off several times if I let my guard down even a little.”

“He’ll come a few more times. He won’t give up like this.”

“Tch, to have to do this not just once but several more times. I’m going to die.”

She shook her head.

“It’s not like the Queen of Digon to whine.”

“Do you know how shitty it is to feel defeated twice in one day?”

“It’s not a feeling of defeat; one is a real defeat.”

“…You’re just as annoying.”

Karyl leaned back against the throne and laughed lightly at her grumbling.

Her personality, which was clear about what to admit and what to cut off without having to explain everything in detail, was the same as in her previous life.

That’s probably why she was able to accept this ridiculous deal.

‘That’s also why I was able to entrust Randol to her.’

“It’s exhausting. If it’s like this, we need to readjust the amount of Cheongrin [a valuable resource] you offered us.”

Miliana said, lying down on a large cushion as if she was exhausted.

“Ask for what you can get. You wouldn’t have been able to get Cheongrin in the first place if it wasn’t for me. You should be grateful just for me sharing Cheongrin.”

“Oh, come on. Well, to be honest, I didn’t know you had prepared that many Cheongrin soldiers. I felt like I was stabbed in the back… I thought it was over after Olivon failed. Were you planning to attack Digon with that?”

“Depending on the situation.”

Miliana gave a dumbfounded laugh with a disgusted expression at his nonchalant words.

“What are you thinking? Digon has to settle this matter with the Empire one way or another. You know very well that we can’t just send them back like this and have everyone laugh and move on.”

“That’s what I’m doing to settle things.”

“What?”

She shook her head as if she still couldn’t read Karyl’s thoughts.

How many steps ahead is he looking?

Even if I fought a war with him instead of a one-on-one fight, I wondered if I would have a chance of winning.

“To catch a big fish, you have to be thoroughly prepared.”

“A big fish…?”

Karyl’s eyes lit up.

“Well, Cromen will be a very good bait.”

But Miliana wasn’t surprised by his plan, but rather said with an annoyed voice.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Let’s say it’s a secret that you gained Yongma power [a special type of power]. If I learn your Yongma power, can I make that big guy kneel before me?”

“Gordon?”

It seemed that she was very upset about being suppressed by his aura a moment ago.

Karyl chuckled, as if she was asking seriously, not joking.

“I can’t give you an evaluation because I’ve never fought him… but at least you’re the seventh strongest person on the continent that I think of.”

“Seventh? What? What’s with that ambiguous position?”

She asked back with an uneasy expression at Karyl’s answer.

But Karyl didn’t answer her question.

‘The reason I couldn’t compare was because Gordon died before you met the White Gold Dragon.’

Karyl looked at Miliana with interesting eyes.

‘In your previous life, you were one of the five Sword Masters of the continent who were called the strongest. And you were definitely the strongest person except for me.’

He said with his arms crossed.

“What’s clear is.”

Miliana looked up at Karyl.

“It’s been too long since the strongest seat was fixed at five.”

Karyl said in a low voice, looking at the path Gordon had left with a calm expression.

“It’s time for a shake-up.”