The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 229

174. Randol (3)

“His Majesty’s life is less than three months…”

Randol shook his head, as if he still couldn’t believe Carryl’s words.

‘He must be confused,’ he thought.

As a commoner, his loyalty to the Emperor wasn’t as deep as that of the noble knights.

What mattered to him was his family and his house.

Even the princes of the same blood were at each other’s throats in their fight for power, but perhaps because they weren’t of the same blood, the McGovern brothers could put the family above blood ties.

Under the pillar of Cwell McGovern.

‘Of course, I’m excluded from that fence, whether it’s war or this life.’

Carryl had a unique lack of affection for his family.

He had roamed more battlefields than anyone else and was still struggling for humanity, but in the end, he was still a stranger to his family, and now he was even further away.

Mart felt inferior while acknowledging Carryl, and Tyren thought of him as an enemy.

Moreover, to Randol, he had been the target of revenge. Listing them, they were worse than strangers, not family.

“……”

The way Mart and Tyren treated him wasn’t much different in his past or present life.

In that respect, his relationship with Randol was strange.

Was it because it was a relationship that didn’t exist in his past life due to Randol’s short life?

The reason Carryl chose him as a variable of the McGovern family that he could use was not only because of his talent but also because he was someone who could build a new relationship, unlike the two who knew his tendencies.

‘I’ve done everything I can for Mart.’

Whether he would stop there or take another step was up to him now.

Informing him of Olivern’s poisoning wasn’t a means to confront the Emperor.

‘Even if he doesn’t reveal it this time, the fact will be a powerful weapon even after he ascends the throne.’

But there was no point in him saying it. In the first place, the Empire had no choice but to obey the orders of the owner of the throne.

His words as a foreigner and the king of another country wouldn’t be effective, but the McGovern family was different.

‘If Olivern ascends the throne, when the McGovern family, who can be said to be the meritorious subject of his achievement, reveals the truth, the shock will be doubled. Even if it can’t bring him down from the throne, it can create enough division.’

And the last variable that will cause that division will be Randol, who is right in front of him now.

“Do you want to take revenge on me?”

“……What?”

“I won’t justify the legitimacy of annihilating the Lyeo Knights [a military order within the Empire]. Because our positions are different. You were the ones who invaded first to plunder the Blue Rin from the Spirit Spring of Narak Rock, but many lives died because of me. You have enough anger towards me.”

“That’s…!!”

Randol frowned at Carryl’s words.

“Unfair? I know. It was an agreement with Digon. But on the contrary, the five southern families were also harmed by you, and Digon never gave you permission to attack the southerners.”

“……”

Randol couldn’t speak.

“You must know it’s strange, too? Tell me honestly. Who ordered you to strike the five southern families?”

Carryl opened his mouth as if he knew without having to ask, watching his complexion.

“Shall I tell you? This was Olivern’s unilateral action while the Emperor was away. He admitted it, too. As a result, the three princes attacked the South.”

He shrugged.

“Of course, it all came to nothing and rather resulted in the death of the third prince.”

Randol knew very well that all of that happened under Carryl’s plan.

With that thought, he felt that the man in front of him was as big as a huge wall.

“You attacked the Chang family even though you had already finished the agreement with Digon. Why?”

Carryl continued to speak.

“The Empire’s Knights are Blue, Green, Lyeo, and Vine for guarding the front lines. These four Knights prioritize the leader’s command, except when there are special instructions.”

Carryl looked at Randol.

“Am I wrong?”

Randol shook his head at his words.

“But why did Nareel, the vice-captain, lead the Lyeo Knights who attacked the South, not the captain? Thanks to that, the captain of the Lyeo Knights, Lord Cam Gray, even suffered the disgrace of being the only survivor in the annihilated Knights.”

“……What are you trying to say?”

Randol clenched his fist.

His eyes glowed as he looked at Carryl.

“The fact that the Knights moved without the captain means that there were special instructions. Anyone can guess that Olivern directly excluded Cam Gray.”

“……”

“Maybe Cam Gray was against attacking the South. Isn’t that right? He must have thought it was meaningless.”

Randol didn’t answer, but he could tell the answer just by looking at his stiff expression.

“But Olivern must have forced it.”

“……It is true that the captain opposed it. But as an imperial, the South is an enemy that must be subjugated someday. At that time, I thought so too. There is nothing wrong with the prince’s order.”

Randol gave more strength to his voice as if making excuses for Carryl’s words.

Although Randol was learning swordsmanship in Digon now, he had no shame in his actions as a knight.

“Who said it was wrong?”

“……What?”

Carryl chuckled at his reaction.

“There are countless reasons why the Empire should strike the South, and all you have to do is create a pretext for war. Since when has the Empire started a war while looking at others’ faces? The Empire was the one who struck the five families first, and the Empire was the one who raised troops for revenge in retaliation.”

“That’s…”

“All I’m wondering is, no matter how outstanding the Knights are, did that smart second prince order them to collect Blue Rin in a hostile territory with thousands of barbarians with just one Knights, not even a surprise attack?”

Carryl pressed on, as if not to miss the opportunity.

“It’s strange, but the situation sounds the opposite to me. It’s not that Cam Gray was imprisoned for disobeying orders, but that Cam Gray couldn’t be killed, but you were cards that could be discarded, so he gave unreasonable orders. As a pretext for the war with the South.”

“……”

Randol’s clenched hand trembled.

“Whether it’s victory or defeat, there’s no way to avoid damage if a battle breaks out. Even if I hadn’t intervened, the remaining four tribes in the South would have targeted the Lyeo Knights. Then, could you have returned to the Empire safely?”

Carryl looked at his trembling hand.

“And whether you survived or were annihilated, the war with the South would inevitably be caused by the Lyeo Knights. The result is as you can see.”

Then he gave strength to his voice.

“And it would be a lie if you said you never had such doubts. Isn’t that right?”

At his words that drove a wedge, Randol staggered as if he had lost strength in his legs.

Thud-

“……What is this?”

Carryl threw something in front of him, who had his head down.

Randol’s eyes shook.

“It’s a Covenant Oath [a magical contract]. It’s hard to get, but there’s still quite a bit left in Antium. You must have heard of it?”

“Why this……?”

“You have a lot to do from now on. But in this situation, if I just tell you to trust me, I wouldn’t believe it either.”

“……”

“After Tatur declared independence, Mart came to me. I told him something. You leave Digon now and go to Mart. And from now on, move as I instruct.”

“Are you telling me to take your orders now?”

Randol was dumbfounded that Carryl, who had been the target of revenge until now, was saying this to him so casually.

“It’s a deal. I want Mart to be the shield of the family. But he can’t do it alone. He can be a shield, but he’s not a man who can be a sword. You will be the one to save Jake in Heim, not me.”

Carryl said to Randol.

“It’s not for lukewarm reasons like family affection. I need the McGovern family in the future I will create. And I am confident that it is not a lie.”

Randol looked at him.

He seemed confused because it was such a sudden offer.

“Tyren will try to use me to restore the shaky position of the McGovern family. I’ll let him be fooled. If you want, I’ll go to Heim. It doesn’t matter if you prepare a trap or anything. But what you will do for me is to buy me half a year. Not right now, but after Olivern ascends the throne.”

The means by which the Emperor targeted the McGovern family was Jake, a hostage. But to Carryl, who knew his lifespan, it wasn’t a threat at all.

‘It’s not a crisis. This is rather an opportunity.’

If Jake is in Heim, he will be able to enter the Order for the reason of meeting him.

‘That way, I can create an excuse to investigate them.’

Carryl was looking for a way to punish the Order, now that he already knew that Wooden Cloud and they had a close relationship, and furthermore, he had confirmed the history of the Order giving the Black Spores, the seeds of the Demon World, to Nine Darhon.

‘Collusion with the Demon World was unacceptable for any reason.’

It wasn’t a simple problem.

‘If… If the Order is related to the Demon World, it becomes unclear whether the oracle given to us is true.’

Carryl bit his lip slightly.

The ten who risked their lives.

Even if they fought believing in a past life or a false belief, would their honor be tarnished?

He could never allow it.

“So you’re saying… you’re going to make a Covenant Oath to me?”

“There’s no reason not to.”

“Why?”

“I told you, I need you. No, to be exact, I should say the McGovern brothers. The reason I chose you among them is because you can see the world with the most equal eyes.”

Randol, who was born as a commoner, became a knight, and learned swordsmanship from barbarians, was now the most unique person in the continent except for Carryl.

“What are you going to promise……?”

“If you don’t recognize that I am worthy of being a king, you can take my life.”

“Does that mean… that I can kill you if I want to?”

“Depending on the situation.”

“Why do you create weaknesses yourself?”

“Because it’s worth it. An oath never makes only one condition. Follow my orders for exactly half a year. And if you recognize me as a true king after that, you will be loyal to me in return.”

Gulp-

Randol swallowed hard at Carryl’s words without realizing it.

“How about it? That’s the condition of the deal.”

“If I add one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“Save Jake no matter what.”

“Well… I don’t think you’re in a position to make demands on me… Is that a restriction to tie me down? Or is it still brotherly love?”

“It may sound presumptuous to say it’s a condition. This is… just a request.”

Randol smiled bitterly at his question.

“It would be more accurate to say that you will try to save Jake. He is also an orphan abandoned in humble status like me, and his body is weak. I don’t want such a child to be used as a tool for this fight.”

Carryl replied in a calm voice to his words.

“It’s not necessarily unhappy just because the body is weak. That word is more presumptuous than the condition you put on me now.”

‘You don’t know yet. Jake’s talent.’

Well,

He wouldn’t have known either.

Until the Holy War broke out, Jake was just a fragile child who needed to be taken care of in the mansion.

Carryl thought so and answered.

“Well, good. It also depends on how you follow my words in the future. I promise. I have no intention of losing Jake either.”

Randol nodded at Carryl’s answer.

It might be a dangerous oath.

But it occurred to him that it might be the only weapon to stop the rampaging Carryl now.

Woo Woong…….

The light of the oath began to flow faintly.

‘If I don’t waver, I can protect McGovern from Carryl’s threat.’

Randol thought as he looked at the oath.

“Don’t think too deeply. A knight must follow his beliefs. You follow the king you believe in. The orders I will give for half a year will never be unreasonable, such as betraying your master.”

Carryl reached out his hand to him.

“That way, you will know my value even more.”

He smiled faintly as he watched Randol shake hands.

‘You will be my sword. Otherwise, there is no point in raising you so far. Your status. It’s more valuable because it’s humble. The Empire’s only commoner knight. There are more things you can do with that name than you think.’

Talent,

It was never because he was a nobleman that he was outstanding, and it was never because he was a commoner that he was insignificant.

There are many talented people among the oppressed slaves and commoners, but many have not been able to shine due to the limitations of their status.

Randol will be a hope for such people, and furthermore, he will be a fence where they can gather.

Woo Woong……!!

Carryl was confident.

The moment this oath shines,

He believed that Randol McGovern would be living proof that would show the greatest legitimacy in becoming the king of the Empire.

“Miliana.”

Carryl, who handed over the oath, called her name from the darkness.

“Stop peeking and come out.”

Miliana walked out of the darkness, clearing her throat awkwardly as if she was embarrassed.