The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 226

173. Mikhail (2)

“……Pardon me?!”

Mikhail shouted without realizing it at Carryl’s command.

“D, did I hear you wrong?”

“Nope.”

Carryl said, tearing off a piece of war bear meat that Israfil had grilled.

“My lord… just tell me to die instead.”

Mikhail, who had just displayed magic of tremendous power, now looked tearful for some reason.

“Who’s dying? I just made you useful at Anti-Hum [a magic society].”

Despite his words, Mikhail still let out a deep sigh.

“Ivory Tower… Are you seriously telling me to go to the Dawn Society [another magic society]?”

Crackle… Crackle…

Like the wood in the burning bonfire, Mikhail’s insides felt like they were burning black.

The Ivory Tower, near the Fire Dragon’s lair and the northern Duchy, was the headquarters of the Dawn Society, one of the two major magic societies, like Anti-Hum of the Immortal Guild.

After witnessing Mikhail’s powerful magic against the war bear, Carryl immediately suggested this to Mikhail, foregoing dealing with the monster’s corpse.

“A, are you really serious?”

Israfil asked cautiously, unable to watch any longer.

The little darkness giant next to him waddled over with a tray on his head and offered meat to Mikhail, but Mikhail didn’t even make eye contact, just lowered his head and sighed.

“Of course. Why is everyone so surprised, asking me so many times… Do I look like someone who jokes around?”

“N, no.”

Israfil waved his hands in embarrassment at Carryl’s words.

“It’s because you’re usually serious that we’re so surprised. Honestly, it seems like you’re just trying to mess with us. You need to explain properly.”

Serika pouted, seemingly dissatisfied with his reaction.

“Mikhail was educated by the Immortal Guild. Although he’s not an official disciple or affiliated magician, he was even personally trained by Nine Darhon [a powerful mage].”

She stood next to him, acting as Mikhail’s advocate.

“Are you saying you’re going to send someone like that to the Dawn Society to learn magic? Does that even make sense?”

“You explained it well.”

“…What?”

“You’re right. Mikhail was educated by the Immortal Guild, but he’s not an official disciple or affiliated magician.”

Carryl replied as if he had been waiting for Serika’s words.

“So what’s the problem?”

“No, that’s…”

She looked speechless.

“The magicians of the Dawn Society aren’t cannibals; they wouldn’t kill someone without a reason. On the contrary, they might even like him a lot.”

“Pardon?”

Mikhail looked at Carryl with a puzzled expression, who elaborated.

“The empire’s rule that magic is a blessing, and conversely, that non-magical races are heretics, all comes from the clergy’s ethics. Because of that, everyone knows that the Dawn Society has a close relationship with the clergy. They receive support from the clergy, after all.”

Everyone nodded at Carryl’s explanation.

“The first line of the clergy’s doctrine is ‘God created magic.’ That’s the pretext for heresy, and even the distinction between curses and necromancy, which are black magic, is created. But the people here now know that God didn’t create magic.”

Everyone looked at Allen Zaberius standing next to Carryl. More precisely, they were looking at Duat, the King of Darkness Spirits, who was constructing Allen’s body.

“Magic is created from the rifts that occurred in the process of the world being created, not by God. Depending on how it evolves, it can become a spirit, or dregs called corruption. And some rifts may have scattered thinly and been sprinkled on humans.”

The Immortal Guild approached magic based on natural phenomena, not as a blessing, and studied rifts more than anyone else.

As a result, Nine Darhon may have been able to create the incomplete corruption, ‘Dust of Emptiness,’ although it was a failure.

“There is no definition of spirits in any of the clergy’s scriptures. Why is that? It’s obvious. Their doctrine cannot explain the existence of spirits.”

“Hmm…”

“That’s right.”

“Incidentally, the disappearance of the spirit world, which began in the Magic Era, was very good evidence to support the clergy’s doctrine. They separate spirits and magic and think of them as separate from magic in the first place. And they say that the reason they disappear is because they violated God’s providence.”

In reality, the existence of spiritists is almost gone now.

But they had experienced the existence of two spirit kings right before their eyes.

“Furthermore, I obtained the essence of the Soul Spring, which can open a dimensional gate to the spirit world, from the elves’ report in the City of Specters.”

“Are you saying you can connect the spirit world and the human world?”

“Not yet… Israfil, if you work hard and show the progress of primal magic, it might be possible. We still lack spirit power.”

“Huh…”

Israfil listened intently to Carryl’s words, once again intrigued by the story of the new magic system.

“I look forward to it.”

At Carryl’s words, he scratched his head as if he didn’t know what to do and bowed his head.

“The story went off track, but anyway, the Immortal Guild was the one who studied true magic itself, not the rules created by the clergy. The attitude towards magic is different, so the attitude towards magic is also different. Who is the magician that the Immortal Guild worships?”

“Well… it’s the Council of Seven Elders, who are said to have revealed magic to the first humans.”

Israfil glanced at Allen.

At first, he didn’t know because his achievement in magic was low, but the more he learned primal magic, the more he personally felt Allen’s greatness.

[See?]

At his words, Allen puffed out his chest proudly.

“Then you probably know who the Dawn Society is.”

Carryl continued to ask Israfil without even listening to Allen’s words.

“Yes…”

At his question, Israfil once again glanced at Allen. This time, it was a different feeling from the previous reaction.

“Is it difficult to say? It’s okay. That name was mentioned a little while ago, anyway.”

[Is it that guy? Geez… I don’t know what kind of guy created the Dawn Society, but he must have eyes like pinholes. Not only did he collude with God, but he also considers a human from just 250 years ago as the best? Even a rolling stone from the Magic Era would do that much.]

Allen snorted as if he recognized who it was right away.

“The reason I’m telling Mikhail to go to the Dawn Society is because of that. The person the Dawn Society reveres as the best magician is none other than Kaie Essier [a legendary figure].”

The first dragon slayer.

Frankly speaking, I think the Council of Seven Elders is the pinnacle of all magic, but compared to the immeasurable distant past of the Magic Era, the achievements of Kaie Essier were all visible, so they were much more realistic.

Who is the greatest magician in history?

This was still a frequently discussed topic.

Even the four archmages currently existing across the continent,

Nine Darhon of the Immortal Guild, Berch Blano, the leader of the Dawn Society, Matan Deryl Harian of the Duchy’s magic organization, the Golden Magic Society, and even Kadin Luer, the Imperial Court magician, had differing opinions.

“Honestly, if you’re talking about the pinnacle of magic, the answer is already out.”

“Yes? Who is it?”

“Dragon.”

Israfil looked deflated at Carryl’s answer. It might have been the first time he expressed his emotions so honestly.

“Hey… that’s too obvious.”

“Isn’t it ridiculous to argue about who’s second when the pinnacle is already determined? Unless a magician who surpasses the dragon appears.”

Carryl chuckled at his words.

“I think the two magic societies should now unite and join forces. Instead of acknowledging the limitations of being human and settling down, they should challenge that pinnacle.”

“Challenge the dragon’s domain…?”

“The Council of Seven Elders already researched magic for that purpose 1,000 years ago. How unfortunate that the descendants 1,000 years later have regressed rather than progressed?”

Israfil and the others couldn’t answer Carryl’s words.

Because it was such an incredibly amazing idea.

Magic societies that had been divided for hundreds of years.

But to combine these two?

It was something that no one in the history of the continent had ever done or even dared to do.

“Mikhail. What you have to do is simple. If you go to the Dawn Society now, there will be a guy named Serga. He’s called the reincarnation of Kaie Essier and is praised as a genius of the century, but he’s incredibly boring and arrogant.”

“Serga?”

Mikhail looked at Serika Loren at Carryl’s words. She shook her head at Mikhail’s gaze as if she didn’t know him at all, even though the name was similar.

“You guys wouldn’t know him. He’s a noble from the Imperial Academy. He’s been educated by Kadin Luer since he was young.”

“Hmph, a young master, I see.”

Serika twitched her lips at his words.

[Reincarnation of Kaie Essier? That’s an absurdly arrogant nickname.]

Allen said, displeased.

“Don’t worry. That guy will hear that he’s the reincarnation of Allen Zaberius. Your name will be known to the world again.”

[That would be interesting to see. But I doubt whether that clueless-looking guy can do that much.]

Allen laughed heartily at Carryl’s words.

Even though he said that, he was the one who discovered Mikhail’s talent before anyone else.

“Got it? Go and beat that guy. As a representative of Tatur. The Immortal Guild won’t be able to deny you, even if it’s for Allen’s sake. If you beat the Dawn Society, in short, you’ll be organizing the two magic societies.”

[Of course, with your kingdom above them?]

“Well… yeah.”

[You’re such a ruthless guy. Hehe.]

Unlike the two people who were having a fun conversation, Mikhail, the person involved, was dying inside.

“M, me, the Dawn Society?”

“Yeah, the integration of the magic societies was one of the plans that had to be done, but I haven’t been able to find a way until now. I should say I couldn’t create a justification.”

The three people might think that it was just a plan to merge the magic societies in the process of unifying the continent, but all of Carryl’s plans were in consideration of the upcoming Holy War.

“In fact, this kind of superficial thing might be meaningless… but there has to be a justification for the sluggish magicians to move their butts. In that sense, you’re the right person.”

Carryl said, pointing at Mikhail with the war bear rib he was tearing off.

“I can’t tell Nine Darhon and Berch Blano to shake hands in front of each other and help each other from now on, can I? Right?”

“W, well…”

Mikhail let out a low sigh because the praised archmages would never do such a thing like children.

“Now that I’ve discovered your talent, I can carry out the plan that I couldn’t find a way to do.”

“What about you, my lord?”

“Of course, I’ll be heading to the Duchy with you. But I have a place to stop by before that.”

“Is it because of the messenger bird that came a little while ago?”

“That’s right.”

Mikhail looked at the pigeon crouching next to Carryl. It was a messenger bird that had flown in when they had cleared the fire and finished preparing for the camp. It was big for a pigeon and had rough feathers, and it was a species that lived in the south.

“I’ll be leaving as soon as dawn breaks. You go to Tatur as I tell you and form the members of this trip to the Duchy.”

“…I understand.”

Mikhail replied with a tearful face.

“But the south… Is everything okay?”

Carryl chuckled at his question.

“Yeah, it’s just a minor family matter. I’m just going to visit Digon for a while. You should worry about yourself more than that. You have to protect yourself there.”

“…Then you don’t have to send me.”

Mikhail’s face contorted once again at his words.

“Do you remember when I picked you from the Clergy Mercenary Corps? At that time, I considered Suan, Aidan, and you as my people. That also means that I cherish you more than anyone else.”

Carryl said in a serious voice, unlike before.

Could it be that it contained magic?

Somehow, his voice felt like it was creating a subtle ripple in the forest air as it spread.

“Aidan told me that he hasn’t had a chance to prove his worth yet, unlike the southern barbarians. Suan is the same. From the southern unification to the capture of the City of Specters. He always complains that he hasn’t done anything except sail the ship.”

Carryl raised the corners of his lips.

Whoosh…!!

Then, he threw the rib he was holding into the bonfire. The flesh still attached to the bones crackled in the fire, and the fire of the bonfire shook violently.

“What about you?”

“…Pardon?”

“The two of them are anxious because I’m not giving them a chance, but unlike those two, I even gave you the opportunity to grow up directly in Anti-Hum. Don’t you have a desire to test your own growth rather than doing something for me?”

“That’s…”

Mikhail hesitated to answer Carryl’s words.

That’s because the power he had when he killed the war bear a little while ago was surprising even to himself.

How far can I go?

It was impossible not to feel competitive.

“It’s to clearly define the second place. So that there’s no need to fight over who’s higher or lower.”

“Me… in a place where archmages are?”

“They’ve already learned for decades more than you. Even out of pride, they won’t compete with you directly, will they? That’s why I’m telling you to put down that guy named Serga.”

Carryl thought.

‘Serga has gained the trust of the Dawn Society, but before that, he’s an empire’s promising magician. In the first place, if he defeats that guy and makes it known that Mikhail is a magician from Tatur, he will be able to establish a position magically.’

Carryl lightly patted Mikhail on the shoulder.

“Think comfortably. The first place is me anyway. I’m going to surpass the dragon and stand at the pinnacle.”

Mikhail couldn’t help but chuckle at his words. But as always, his words had never sounded like a joke.

“I’ll be back soon. It won’t take long.”

Grrrrrr…

It was then.

A low growl coming from the forest as if waiting for his words.

Along with the vibration of the ground shaking, sharp glints of light were visible below the forest.

“…!!!”

Carryl said, climbing onto the head of the Sand Serpent.

“See you in Tatur.”