The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 248

177. The Civil War in the Duchy (13)

“Huff…!! Huff…!!”

The sound of dry winter bushes breaking was loud, and even harsher breathing echoed through the forest.

Fran’s face was visibly exhausted, but he didn’t slow his pace.

Was it simply the will to survive?

Contrary to Carryl’s prediction that it would take two days to arrive, he had reached the vicinity of the Vinfredo River’s midstream a mere day after escaping Moon Ether.

Splash…!!

The moment Fran spotted the river, he plunged his head in, gulping down water before spitting out curses.

[Krrrrrrrr―――!!!]

[Kaaack―――!!]

Just then,

The earth trembled with a roar, and the trees swayed in the strong wind generated by flapping wings.

“……!!”

Hurriedly, Fran lifted his head from the river and scrambled behind a nearby rock for cover.

“The 1st Wyvern Unit already….”

Peeking over the rock, he saw dozens of drakes with red scales soaring through the sky.

Their size was distinctly different from that of ordinary wyvern units. While not comparable to fully grown adult dragons, their wingspans stretched tens of meters.

[Kyaak…! Kyak!!]

The drakes flew, baring their fangs aggressively, as if ready to strike at any moment.

The 1st Wyvern Unit was unlike other wyvern units.

They weren’t tamed using magic-engineered collars on naturally born drakes.

Instead, they were artificially bred and modified from birth with the blood of Liselia, the Flame Dragon, inheriting the Red Dragon’s ferocity.

“I have to arrive before the battle starts. If I get caught up in the fighting, things will really spiral out of control.”

Fran pounded his trembling legs with his fists, but his exhausted limbs offered little response.

“Damn it…!!”

The thirst that had plagued him was quenched, but he seethed with frustration at his predicament.

‘How did I end up like this…!’

Fran slammed his fist into the river with all his might, agitated, sending water droplets flying.

“……!!”

His temper was short-lived. The sound of someone approaching from behind startled him, and he ducked behind the rock again, eyes wide.

“Who’s there!”

“Halt! Hands up!”

He glanced around. Soldiers, spears leveled, cautiously approached.

“…….”

Fran, still crouching, assessed the soldiers’ armor. With a sigh, he dusted himself off and attempted to stand, projecting an air of confidence.

However, his legs failed him, and he stumbled, collapsing back down. Despite the undignified display, he managed to sit on a rock and spoke as if nothing were amiss.

“Where is Anthem?”

“……?”

The soldiers exchanged bewildered glances at his abrupt, informal address.

“Who do you think you’re pointing those spears at! You bastards!”

Clang―!!

Fran snatched a spear aimed at him and snapped it in two.

Then, he barked at the soldiers, his tone laced with irritation.

“Don’t you know who I am?! Look closely!! I’m Fran Louverin.”

The man who had groveled before Carryl, begging for salvation, was gone. In his place stood a figure exuding ducal authority, as if nothing had happened.

Of course,

Whether the soldiers truly perceived that authority was debatable, considering his disheveled appearance, covered in grime and sporting a bruised face.

“Y… Your Highness!!”

The soldier whose spear had been taken hastily saluted, finally recognizing Fran.

“The situation is urgent. Take me to Anthem immediately.”

* * *

“Lord… Lord?!”

Anthem Howard, inside the barracks, shot to his feet at the unexpected arrival, knocking over a table in the process.

“What the hell are you doing! Anthem!!”

Anthem responded with a sullen expression to Fran’s outburst.

“First… please, sit down.”

Fran ignored his words.

He was, after all, being carried in on a soldier’s back, a rather undignified state. No matter what he said, his words wouldn’t carry weight in this condition.

“…….”

As Fran settled into the chair, healers rushed forward to tend to his legs and wounds.

“Treatment can wait. First, I need a war update. The 1st Wyvern Unit was deployed from White Bunker, correct?”

At his gesture, the healers quickly withdrew from the barracks.

“Yes, we confirmed the Wyvern Unit’s arrival the day before. They are currently patrolling the skies, mainly on alert, and haven’t launched any significant attacks. The emergency anti-wyvern spears seem to be effective.”

“Wyvern spear?”

Anthem nodded, retrieving a spear from the barracks to show him.

“It’s made by forging a special alchemically treated drug onto the spearhead. It’s effective against drake scales.”

“Did Carryl tell you that, too?”

“……Yes?”

Fran violently snapped the spear with his foot.

Clang―!!

“Everything has gone wrong because of that bastard! And you’re foolishly fighting the Tully army! Do you even remember who your lord is?!”

He threw the broken spear shaft at Anthem in frustration. The sharp spearhead narrowly missed Anthem’s cheek and embedded itself in the floor.

“…….”

A poison capable of melting even drake scales.

Had the blade touched him, his skin would have dissolved instantly.

But oblivious to the danger, Fran simply glared at Anthem, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

“The lord I serve is, of course, Fran, Your Highness.”

Anthem said, picking up the broken spear shaft and placing it beside him.

“And I regret to say this, but I couldn’t help but overhear what Your Highness is planning in Cob.”

“That…!!”

“Did Your Highness really promise defeat to Tully? Nearly 30,000 soldiers have already been sacrificed because of it.”

“It’s a sacrifice that must be endured for the greater good.”

Fran replied coldly.

At his answer, Anthem asked, sounding wronged.

“Then you should have at least informed me, your strategist, about this.”

“I knew you would oppose it if you found out. You don’t understand. The historical connection between the Louverin family and Wooden Cloud that predates the Duchy’s founding. Wooden Cloud is the true power behind the Duchy.”

“Do you really believe Tully will hand over Wooden Cloud to you?”

“If you don’t understand, be quiet. This isn’t a simple matter of interests. Halt your advance and send a letter to the 1st Wyvern Unit immediately.”

“If it’s not a simple matter of interests, then you should explain it to me so I can understand it better. Soldiers are fighting on various battlefields even now. But… suddenly you appear in this state and order me to stop the war! Tully’s side attacked us, not the other way around.”

Anthem raised his voice at Fran. It was perhaps the first time he had openly defied Fran’s wishes.

“You idiot…!! This isn’t the time to debate justice! Right now, Moon Ether….”

Fran started to speak but stopped himself.

He knew revealing Moon Ether’s fall would only worsen his situation.

“Hoo…. First, I need to meet the commander of the 1st Wyvern Unit. I don’t even need a letter. It’s a matter of moments. I’ll go myself. It’s fortunate the battle hasn’t started yet.”

The commander of the 1st Wyvern Unit, Therix, was a warrior Fran knew well.

He was one of the Duchy’s most renowned knights, alongside Ganesa. He was not only an excellent knight but also famous for his exceptional wyvern-taming skills.

‘Therix is one of Tully’s closest confidants. I have to tell him the whole story and reassure him that the agreement with Tully still stands.’

Otherwise, both his troops and his future would be ruined.

“What are you saying? You’re going to the enemy camp yourself!”

But Anthem, unaware of the situation, couldn’t comprehend Fran’s request.

“It means there’s no need for further fighting. From the start, there was no chance of winning once the 1st Wyvern Unit was deployed. The only fortunate thing is that the Meister Unit [elite golem unit] hasn’t moved. Well… operating a large golem requires significant resources. This pointless war of attrition ends here. Isn’t that what you want? Isn’t it?”

Anthem stared at him.

‘…Defeat is certain now that the Wyvern Unit has been deployed?’

His eyes were filled with resentment, questioning why he had started a war he knew he couldn’t win.

Clench―

Anthem bit his lip, unconsciously.

At that moment,

“What’s with that expression?”

Fran roughly grabbed Anthem by the collar. Then, with blazing eyes, he spoke.

“Are you dissatisfied with my decision? Anthem, if you hadn’t advanced north, the agreement with Tully would have been finalized naturally! Who is the lord you serve? Have you been swayed by Carryl, with his foreign influences from across the sea?”

“……There’s no chance of that.”

Anthem lowered his head, but Fran continued to shout, unable to contain his anger.

“You don’t know what that bastard is trying to do in the Duchy right now!!”

Fran said to Anthem, his voice urgent.

“So get yourself together. You advanced here on your own, disobeying my orders. I explicitly told you to maintain the defense line at the mouth of the Vinfredo River.”

“…….”

He was the one who had protected the troops and laid the groundwork for a reversal from the brink of defeat.

The reward for his bloody efforts, which deserved praise, was Fran’s cold gaze.

Anthem fell silent, as if he had nothing left to say.

‘If we had continued to defend that line, we would have been annihilated, Your Highness.’

He swallowed the words he desperately wanted to shout and said to Fran.

“……I will send a message to the 1st Wyvern Unit.”

* * *

“I’ve confirmed that Fran is leaving the barracks. Judging by his direction, he’s definitely heading to the enemy camp where the 1st Wyvern Unit is located.”

A voice emerged from the darkness.

As the hazy figure, like fog, gradually solidified, Hashir, cloaked and hooded, appeared.

“The way he cornered Anthem was like watching an evil spirit. He refuses to admit his mistakes and vents his anger on the wrong person… He doesn’t seem like a great leader.”

“Is he really the Duchy’s best naval commander? How can he be so blind to the war’s reality… I wonder if his time at sea has dulled his mind.”

Beside him, Patun of the Red Moon tribe rested his arms on the floor, his back straight, resembling a four-legged beast.

“It means he has unwavering faith in Wooden Cloud.”

Carryl muttered quietly.

“Or maybe his brain has been addled by drugs.”

“…….”

Everyone turned to Lilianna, who stood beside him, as she spoke.

“It was as Lord predicted.”

She held a small pill in her palm.

It was identical to those in the medicine bottle Fran always carried.

“Poison…?”

“Something similar. It’s a medicine made from horsehair leaves called Ampe. But it doesn’t pose an immediate threat to life like the one I used on the Emperor.”

Carryl tilted his head slightly at Lilianna’s words.

“Really? Then what effect does it have?”

“First of all, Ampe’s primary effect is to accelerate the heart rate. But it’s incredibly addictive.”

She said, holding up the pill.

“Even a single pill can be difficult to quit. You’ll unknowingly become dependent on the drug, and the rapid heartbeat will make it difficult to breathe without it. Once addicted, the withdrawal symptoms will feel worse than death.”

Carryl’s eyes widened.

“Over time, the brain may suffer necrosis due to oxygen deprivation. Before that, you might experience hallucinations.”

“The brain melts…? Doesn’t that lead to death?”

Kuntai frowned, his expression disgusted.

Lilianna smiled wryly at his question.

“It’s a bit different. It’s not a simple poison. Even if the brain dies, the body’s functions can remain intact. You’d be alive, but not truly living. If the addiction is severe enough… you’ll live as a vegetable for the rest of your life.”

“I see.”

‘Even Anthem questioned Fran’s actions, so I suspected his conviction wasn’t entirely natural….’

It was as expected.

Fran was connected to Wooden Cloud.

And Carryl recalled a word inextricably linked to Wooden Cloud.

Fanatic.

‘Wooden Cloud is the predecessor of Blue Lore, a religious group known for creating countless fanatics. Perhaps they use drugs to create these fanatics.’

Besides, they had confirmed that the Antihum members were cultivating demonic plants in the demon cave.

“It’s a poisonous plant that even our Jannabi [a race of forest-dwelling humanoids] avoid. Where did you get this….”

Carryl nodded at Lilianna’s words.

‘This might just be a test phase. If they combine demonic plants with the continent’s poisonous flora to create even more potent drugs in the future….’

Fran’s current actions might be just the tip of the iceberg of what Wooden Cloud intends to do.

“I have to eliminate the threat before it grows.”

“The preparations are complete.”

Carryl turned to Hashir.

“So, we fight now.”

“It’s not a pleasant experience wearing the Duchy’s colors, but…”

The tribal chiefs behind him tugged at their sleeves, expressing their dislike for the armor.

Thud―

Just then,

A man entered as the door opened.

The atmosphere instantly chilled.

A member of the Black Eyes tribe.

Carryl didn’t recognize him, but he felt a connection as he looked into those eyes that mirrored his own.

“…….”

He tossed the head of the artillery commander in front of Carryl.

The enemy commander of the magic artillery unit who had attempted to incinerate them during the gate breach.

Kuntai of the Tiger Leopard tribe clicked his tongue, a bitter expression on his face.

“I owe you my life. Thanks to you, I survived.”

“…….”

But the man seemed unimpressed by Kuntai’s gratitude. He simply picked up the Moon Ether armor on the table and turned to leave without a word.

It was as if he was implying that he hadn’t yet earned a private audience with Carryl.

Because the person the man glanced at before leaving was none other than Lilianna, the one who had killed Guiltian.

“He’s a taciturn guy.”

Kuntai muttered, watching him leave, his outstretched hand hanging awkwardly.

Carryl smiled faintly.

“Hurry up. Tonight, we have a duty to secure Fran’s final victory. And wear the armor, even if you dislike it.”

Click―

Carryl donned his helmet.

After shattering the mask in the Sun Hall of the Imperial Capital, he glanced around, adjusting to the obscured vision after so long.

“We will grant him victory and take his life in return. This attire is the mourning dress we have prepared.”

He drew his sword.

At that moment, a sharp flash cut through the darkness like a thunderclap.