The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 19

17. The Plan Starts Now

‘I probably won’t be sent.’

In the darkness, Carryl’s eyes gleamed.

‘Even my father can’t send an alien like me to the Imperial Palace. But it doesn’t matter.’

Night fell, and everyone was asleep.

The soldiers who had wiped out thousands of goblins were sound asleep.

The only people awake were a few soldiers on guard duty.

‘Because I’ve already thought of another way.’

“Loyalty!”

Carryl easily entered the temporary prison made on the wagon.

No.

Rather, the soldiers saluted him with respectful eyes. Carryl quietly nodded.

The warlock, collapsed inside the bars, was breathing roughly and occasionally shuddering.

Carryl was able to pass the guards without difficulty because his bravery in battle had already been etched in the soldiers’ minds.

‘The report about the spy will probably be delivered to the Imperial Palace first. My father will probably stop by the mansion before crossing the border and heading north.’

“Get up.”

He looked inside the iron bars.

‘It’ll be more of a hassle once Father arrives at the mansion. I need to execute the plan before that.’

With Quell gone, there was no one here skilled enough to notice Carryl’s actions.

“……”

He fiddled with something in his palm and slowly opened his mouth.

“Baker.”

Carryl called out the name of the collapsed goblin warlock.

Thump-!!

“Heuk……!?”

When Carryl lightly shook the bars, the guy startled and looked at him.

The eyes behind the mask flashed.

“Listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

* * *

“Everything you said is true, right? Baker.”

“Yes… Please… have mercy…”

A weak answer came back.

The warlock from the Lorraine Duchy, unable to even think of resisting anymore, was sobbing on the floor.

“We’ll be at the mansion soon. My father will probably return tonight. Then you’ll be sent to the Imperial Palace.”

Carryl leaned against the bars and spoke casually.

He took a deep breath, as if the long-missed scent of the forest wasn’t unpleasant.

In the quiet forest, only the sounds of insects could occasionally be heard.

“If you go there, you’ll be tortured far worse than just having your arms cut off. Do you know about Maurice, the torture supervisor?”

“……”

“Maurice the Nail—it might seem like a strange nickname, but his only pleasure is to drill tiny holes in the nails of prisoners with needles.”

Carryl’s voice echoed inside the prison.

“You don’t have arms, so Maurice will be quite disappointed… But he might try to drill holes in your toenails instead.”

Gulp-

His shoulders flinched.

“Then he’ll peel off your flesh piece by piece and carve his name into the bone underneath with the needle he used to pierce your nails.”

“……”

“No matter how much you tell them, all that’s left for you is terrible torture, torture, and more torture until you die. Later on, you’ll regret confessing and meet your end.”

Carryl spread out his palm.

Faint mana condensed and then disappeared.

A small blade of grass, like a weed, lay on his palm.

“You know better than I do what this is. Magic won’t work on you with your magic shackles, but this will definitely help.”

He pushed a small leaf onto the floor through the bars. Then he stood up.

“You want mercy?”

His last words, as he returned to the barracks, were heard softly through the bushes.

“Think carefully. That’s the only mercy I can give you.”

* * *

A few days later.

Waaaaaah—!!!

Waaaah—!!

The cheers of the territory residents could be heard from the entrance of the village.

Tiren and Randol nodded lightly towards them.

“You are truly amazing!!”

“You are the treasures of the Empire!”

“To be able to see the young masters like this… It’s an honor!”

Applause was heard from everywhere.

The fact that they could speak so freely to the Count’s children was proof of how good the McGovern family’s territory was.

‘Is that the rumored sixth child?’

‘But why is he wearing a mask?’

‘I don’t know….’

The rumors about Carryl had already spread throughout the territory. But this was the first time they had seen him in person.

The territory residents whispered, seemingly embarrassed by his appearance, which was different from what they had imagined.

“Straighten your back. You are also a son of the McGovern family.”

“Yes, you were the one who made the greatest contribution. You should have been at the forefront.”

Tiren and Randol said to Carryl, who was covering his face with a mask.

Carryl smiled lightly as he looked at them.

‘It’s definitely different from my past life. I wonder what changes Randol’s survival will bring.’

“It doesn’t matter.”

Carryl said in a calm voice.

Randol shook his head as he watched him kick the horse’s flank and increase his speed.

“Cocky…”

But he didn’t seem to dislike him.

“Randol, the same goes for you. Our names will be known in the Imperial Palace. His Majesty may call us to the Imperial Palace.”

“Yes?”

“Are you going to make such a dumbfounded expression then? Remember that you are also a son of the McGovern family.”

Tiren said with a cold face.

At his words, Randol nodded silently.

‘Then what about Carryl? I saw him fight. If Carryl doesn’t receive it, shouldn’t we not receive it either?’

He looked at Carryl, who was ahead of him.

‘You will receive even more attention in the future.’

Outstanding talent will always show, no matter how much you try to hide it.

‘But your alien origins will hold you back. What are you going to do?’

Randol envied Carryl’s confidence.

It was something different from Mart’s arrogance or Tiren’s nobility.

Like…

From the bottom to the top.

He was looking down as if the value of all of it was meaningless.

‘I too… like you….’

He had lived quietly, as if he didn’t exist.

The son of a commoner.

It was as if that was a shackle binding him.

But now….

An alien child who had lived a more difficult life than himself was the first to make his name known to the world.

Squeeze-

The hand holding the reins tightened.

For the first time.

A faint but clear ripple was rising in his quiet heart.

* * *

Late at night.

Carryl knocked on the door of the office.

“The Count is looking for you.”

The chief steward, Taylor, called him secretly, as if he were stealing something.

“You’ve achieved great merit.”

Quell, who had returned from the Imperial Palace, slowly turned his head and looked at him with a stiff face.

Rather than the joy of meeting again after about a month, there was a strange atmosphere between them.

He knew.

The reason why Quell had hurried back to the mansion.

And the reason why he had called for him as soon as he arrived.

“I was lucky.”

Carryl seemed used to it.

He let out a low sigh and took out the answer he had prepared.

“The ability to seize luck is also a skill. You not only caught a spy but also saved the lives of your brothers.”

Quell, who had returned to the mansion, looked for Carryl before anyone else.

“The story about you has already spread to the Imperial Palace. Maybe… a message looking for you will come from the Imperial Capital.”

“Is that so.”

Quell paused for a moment and then slowly opened his mouth.

“But as you know, it’s difficult to send you to the Imperial Palace.”

“……”

Carryl looked at Quell without saying a word.

“I thought so.”

“Unfortunately, I can’t reveal your origins to the Imperial Palace yet.”

Carryl smiled bitterly at his words.

“Therefore… if a message comes from the Imperial Palace, I plan to send Tiren and Randol.”

He could clearly feel that his father had made this decision after much deliberation.

That was the best he could do.

And he could feel his father’s consideration.

‘Mother would be upset. Honestly, it’s a situation where I can’t say anything even if Mart is sent. After all, the eldest son is the representative of the family. But sending him as a representative when he didn’t even participate in the subjugation is something Father can’t allow.’

“It doesn’t matter.”

Carryl said in a calm voice.

Clearly.

This was an opportunity to go to the Imperial Palace.

But even if he went to the Imperial Palace as he was, it was certain that his identity would cause problems.

‘That’s not what I want.’