The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 183

145. In the Imperial Palace (2)

The hall descended into utter chaos.

Carryl’s unexpected words left the dukes and ministers alike unsure how to react, their faces a mixture of bewilderment and dismay.

“This is… utterly absurd…”

Even the commander of the Royal Knights, Belin Valentiun, was stunned, unable to muster any anger as he stared at Kwell.

However, Kwell was just as surprised, not having anticipated Carryl’s actions.

‘Carryl, what on earth are you thinking? Prince Ruon poisoning the Third Prince? It’s impossible.’

Ruon had been the first of the three princes to head south and had been away from the Imperial Palace until the recent funeral, leaving him with no contact with the Third Prince.

Moreover, all the ministers knew that Cromen’s health had been fine before Ruon’s departure, making it unlikely that anything had happened within the palace.

“…….”

Despite this, Kwell remained silent. Ironically, after Ruon’s departure to the south, the only person who had contact with Cromen was Olivon.

Fearing that Olivon, whom he served, might be falsely accused, Kwell could only watch the situation unfold.

“What is it?”

He quietly asked, observing the complexion of Mart, who was sweating beside him.

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

Seeing that he looked particularly unwell, Kwell was puzzled.

‘Why did Carryl want Mart to attend this trial? He’s not even here as a witness…’

Kwell had informed Mart of the trial the day before, but Mart himself had said that he didn’t know why Carryl had called him.

It was inevitable.

Mart, too, had never imagined that Carryl would bring up the matter of Cromen’s poisoning.

He had never spoken to anyone about his worries since the Vestal Marquisate.

“Do you have any evidence? You can’t take back what you’ve said. If it’s a lie, you’ll pay for it with your life.”
The Emperor spoke calmly in the chaotic hall.

He still didn’t understand Carryl’s plan.

He seemed to think that if Carryl made a mistake, he could use this opportunity to put a leash on him. He didn’t miss any possibilities.

Peeeeeeeee—!!

Just then,

A sharp, scream-like sound erupted from outside the Sun Hall.

“……!!”

Everyone was startled and quickly turned their heads.

“Don’t worry. When black iron ore and red starstone are ground into powder and detonated, they create such a loud explosion. That’s the sound you just heard.”

Carryl said quietly to the ministers who were looking out the window.

“It has no lethal effect. It was even used as a children’s toy in the Magic Era [an era where magic was prevalent]. Ah, the knowledgeable court wizard probably knows about it.”

Carryl said with a grin, turning to look at Cardin Luer, who was standing majestically in his red robes.

“Hmph…”

Knowing that it was only meant to clear the air in the hall, Cardin didn’t react much to Carryl’s words.

‘I knew he wasn’t ordinary…’

He was amazed that a boy who wasn’t even an adult yet could remain calm and composed in this situation.

“Do you see that smoke over there? It’s the Northern Mountains. Judging by the signal, it seems to have been a success.”

“Success?”

The Emperor asked, as if he was now enjoying the situation.

“Is it related to this matter?”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

“Hmm… Well, let’s see what you’ve prepared.”

In his mind, he already considered the First Prince a toy in the palm of his hand.

He had nothing to lose.

It would be good if he could tighten his grip on Ruon’s neck a little more, and if the opposite happened, he could blame Carryl.

‘Insolent fellow…’

The Emperor found Carryl’s audacity somewhat pleasing, but at the same time, he sensed that he might be more dangerous than the two princes.

“Your Majesty is aware that I used an old imperial road that is no longer in use during the process of transporting the prisoners. Ah, of course. I will provide all the geographical information I have after this is over, so I hope the Chief of the Defense Command doesn’t look at me like he’s going to devour me.”

“Ahem…”

Kaishin, the commander of the Black Knights, cleared his throat at Carryl’s words.

He had been suffering for days because of the 40,000 fire arrows that Carryl had launched to commemorate Cromen’s funeral.

Whoosh…!!!

Carryl raised his hand.

Then, fierce flames enveloped his arm and rose up. Some of the nobles flinched and stepped back.

But Carryl nonchalantly fired a fireball in the direction from which the arrows had been shot.

Thud-!!

At that moment,

An arrow flew and struck the floor right below where Carryl was standing.

“Oh… Oh dear!”

“How dare they shoot an arrow here…!!”

The ministers still growled at the sight, but no one stopped him.

“Hmm.”

Unlike the arrow that had been shot from the Northern Mountains, tens of kilometers away, this arrow seemed to have come from a very close distance.

“…….”

Unlike the shouting ministers, the knights noted that the arrow, though lacking a point, had struck the marble floor precisely.

There was a note attached to the arrow shaft.

Carryl read it, then re-entered the hall and said,

“Mimeong (未明) [a fictional poison]. Grind and mix foxtail grass, ash leaves, and dried tear moss, then let it rot in the shade for a year. Then, add the tribe’s elixir and dry it in the sun for another year, then mix it with water to create a colorless, odorless poison.”

“…….”

As his voice echoed through the hall, everyone’s eyes were on him.

“One unique drawback is that it cannot be mixed with anything else and must be used only by itself. Mimeong looks exactly like water when viewed with the naked eye or with magic, making it difficult to detect.”

Carryl paused to catch his breath and continued.

“When a large amount of Mimeong is ingested in a short period of time, the entire body loses strength, the blood in the body flows backward, and blood is vomited from all the pores of the body.”

The ministers listened to the symptoms of Mimeong without saying a word.

“Conversely, if a small amount is taken over a long period of time, Mimeong penetrates the brain, impairing cognitive abilities and occasionally causing memory loss, but even that change is not properly recognized.”

At that moment,

The Emperor’s face, which had been expressionless even when he heard the same story about Cromen’s symptoms a moment ago, hardened.

‘As I thought…’

Carryl didn’t miss that fleeting change.

“If you continue to take Mimeong in that state, blood will rush to the brain, first causing the eyes to become bloodshot, then the lips to dry out, and the moment bloodstains are spat out through the esophagus, there is no way to cure it.”

Gulp-

The sound of someone swallowing hard in tension was deafening.

“Ultimately, the end is the same, so increasing the amount can either kill the person the moment they ingest it, or slowly wither them away. No, Mimeong is not just a simple poison, but a murder weapon that allows you to kill your opponent at the moment you desire.”

Carryl crumpled the note as soon as he read it and threw it on the floor, then said,

“Your Majesty, would you grant me a day’s grace? Then I will bring the Jannabi tribe, who handle this poison, here. I will then reveal everything in detail.”

Buzz- Buzz-

The ministers began to murmur.

Carryl looked at the Emperor with a confident expression.

The answer was already there.

‘It must seem strange. Because it’s a symptom you’ve seen a lot. Tylan Shteyan. It’s not fair to enjoy this stage alone. Among the imperial bloodline in here, there’s no one I’m going to let go of easily.’

The snake-like Emperor would know that the symptoms of Mimeong poisoning were similar to what he had experienced.

Of course,

There is a difference in degree, so he will not be able to easily conclude.

That’s why he couldn’t refuse Carryl’s offer to bring the Jannabi tribe.

“…….”

Tylan Shteyan looked at Ruon with a stiff face.

He didn’t care about the brothers’ fight.

The throne was something that had to be climbed over blood and corpses.

He had been like that too.

But it would be different if that sword was aimed at him, not his brother. He would be wondering if the culprit who tried to kill him was really his son, Ruon.

‘It’s his son, but not the first, but the second.’

Carryl gave a faint smile.

* * *

“Carryl.”

At the sound of someone calling him, Carryl turned his head as if he had been waiting for it.

“It’s been a while. It’s the first time I’ve seen you since the mansion.”

“Have you been well, brother?”

“I thought you would never call me brother, even after a lifetime… Time has passed.”

“It’s changed a lot just that we met like this in the Imperial Palace.”

Mart let out a low sigh.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. This kind of room is a luxury. Fortunately, I’m grateful that I didn’t go to prison thanks to His Majesty’s consideration.”

Carryl chuckled.

The trial in the Sun Hall continued for another day as Carryl had requested.

The Emperor had isolated Ruon and Carryl, but had confined them to separate palaces, not prisons, as before, for the treatment of the princes.

‘Coming to see me on a day like today is a risky thing to do…’

Carryl looked at Mart.

‘As a member of the Blue Knights, he could have come to see me last night with his father if he had wanted to.’

But he didn’t.

‘He must have avoided it on purpose.’

Why?

It’s simple.

He didn’t avoid himself.

He was avoiding his father, Kwell Mcgovern.

‘He must be confused. Mart is now with his father, who supports Olivon.’

He doesn’t have the courage to question the truth he has.

‘Now that Cromen is dead, the suspicion of Olivon has grown, but the moment he talks about that suspicion, he will have to accept being at odds with his father.’

As the eldest son, Mart will never do such a thing.

That’s why…

Carryl looked at Mart.

‘He must have come to see me today, even at the risk. Because it’s only today. He was suspecting Olivon as the real culprit who killed Cromen. In the meantime, I pointed to Ruon as the culprit. Moreover… I even presented the evidence of poisoning that he suspected.’

Carryl opened his mouth first to Mart, who was hesitating.

“How long have you been a knight, brother?”

“Me? I became a knight right after my coming-of-age ceremony… It’s been four years.”

“You must have taken the Knight’s Oath too.”

“You’re stating the obvious. Why? Are you interested in becoming an Imperial Knight? Most people become knights after they come of age… But if you look at Randal, that’s not always the case. With your merit, nothing is impossible.”

Mart said that, but eventually shut his mouth. That would have been the case until a few hours ago.

But after causing such a huge accident this time, it was fortunate that he even survived, let alone becoming an Imperial Knight.

“Don’t worry. I’m not interested in becoming a knight.”

Carryl shook his head at Mart’s answer.

The Imperial Knight?

That’s ridiculous.

He will never be under anyone again.

“I just… happened to see a pretty cool saying on the inscription of the oath and remembered it, so I asked.”

“…….”

Mart’s expression hardened at those words.

His expression was not good, to the point where the sound of his Adam’s apple moving could be heard loudly.

“But what brings you here?”

“No. Nothing…”

He eventually got up without saying a word.

“See you at the trial tomorrow.”

At that moment,

Carryl recited a sentence in a low voice to Mart’s back as he was about to leave.

“I swear to Yula. I will fight only to protect the true honor that God allows.”

The Knight’s Oath.

The promise he had made in his previous life.

Carryl gave a bitter smile as he uttered those words, which he had vowed never to say again as he went against Pharell for countless years.

The oath dedicated to the God he resented the most.

“Brother.”

Carryl said to Mart, who had stopped at the door.

“Isn’t it a wonderful saying?”