The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 252

177. The Internal War of the Duchy (17)

“S-Save me!!”

The deputy commander’s desperate scream echoed.

His face, smeared with dirt, was turned towards Drake, who had abandoned him, with an expression of disbelief.

“…….”

Contrary to his resentment, Caryll, who had been gazing down at him, mercilessly slashed his neck with his sword, seemingly without any emotion.

Swish—.

The neck, severed by the ice claws that emitted a chilling cold, froze without even a drop of blood flowing, and the deputy commander’s head shattered into pieces.

[Krrr……!!]

[Krrr……!!]

Despite being knights who had cared for them since they were born, the Drakes roared with what sounded like cheers at his death.

A wyvern serving an enemy as its master.

This was a first in the history of the Duchy, no, in the history of the continent.

“Hmm.”

Caryll let out a low breath and looked around.

Behind him, nineteen Drakes, excluding the one killed by the first strike, were bowing their heads towards him.

[A human to whom Drakes show submission…….]

Raminu watched the scene, unable to hide his admiration.

[If Duat saw this, he would have been genuinely pleased. The Drakes, led by Lyseria, tore his entire body apart. And now, those who inherited their blood are kneeling before you…….]

Raminu said, recalling Duat with Aln Zabiuss.

“Lyseria was killed by a human anyway. I don’t feel much about these pups who merely inherited her blood, but if you want, it’s not difficult to summon Duat here…….”

Raminu’s flames flickered slightly and then disappeared at Caryll’s words.

[Forget it. I was just thinking out loud.]

Duat’s contractor was Aln, not Caryll, so he didn’t need to follow Caryll in the first place.

However, ironically, Aln had already made a soul contract with Caryll, so Caryll existed above Aln in a kind of food chain. Therefore, Caryll could summon him, but Duat couldn’t appear to Caryll as freely as Raminu could.

[Well, anyway, there probably isn’t a human on the continent who can beat you now.]

Raminu said with acknowledgment.

“Human? Are dragons not enough?”

[Well. It depends on the time they’ve lived and the blood flowing through each race. But if you were to fight, it’s certain that you’d have to end it within twenty exchanges.]

“Why?”

[Because humans have innate physical limitations. Even if you have the same strength as a dragon, your body itself is still within the human realm.]

“Even with the Bone Tempering [a process of magically enhancing the body], I can’t overcome a dragon’s body?”

[Are you talking about eating the Dragon Heart? The concept of Bone Tempering should be seen as the transformation of the organs inside your body, not the muscles and bones. It’s just creating a vessel that can hold magic power in a body that can’t have magic power.]

“Hmm…….”

Caryll frowned slightly at Raminu’s words.

“But Kaie Eser hunted Lyseria.”

[He’s a bit different.]

“What do you mean?”

[…….]

When Raminu stopped talking again, Caryll shook his head as if there was no other way.

“You’re silent even though it’s not something from the Mythic Age. Isn’t it becoming a habit now?”

[Kaie Eser catching Lyseria was also a short-term battle. That’s all I can tell you right now.]

“Hmm…….”

Caryll nodded at Raminu’s words.

However, when he saw the memories of the Flame Dragon in Einherjar [a spectral hall of fallen heroes], the library of the McGovern family mansion, he felt that there was something more than a simple relationship between the two.

‘Did Lyseria really fight with all her might when she fought Kaie Eser?’

He had a feeling that their fight might not have been under normal circumstances.

“Well, I’ll know if I fight him.”

Caryll muttered to himself, thinking of one person, no, one dragon.

The Platinum Dragon.

He didn’t know how much stronger he was than the Flame Dragon, but like Aln Zabiuss said, to drive a dagger, the blade of the dagger must be perfectly sharpened.

[However, it cannot be said that the Dragon Heart has had no effect on your body. As evidence, you can feel that your body is naturally changing to accept Dragon Magic.]

Raminu said quietly.

[It can truly be called evolution.]

Caryll kicked the deputy commander’s corpse lying on the floor and slowly walked forward.

“Evolution? Is that all you can say to me, a Spirit King? No. If I stay in the human realm, it’s not evolution, it’s just growth.”

[…….]

Then he raised his arm.

“Mael.”

At the call, the snake tattoo on Caryll’s left arm wriggled.

“How about you? I’m not satisfied with that. Can you be my dagger?”

[This is…….]

Mael chuckled at Caryll’s words.

“I still don’t know if you’ll harm me or not, but at least I need to see if you’re useful to me. I told you to use you in the barracks earlier, right? I’m curious if you can satisfy me as confidently as you said.”

The blue snake tattoo gradually filled in, and a perfect snake form was clearly drawn up to Caryll’s shoulder.

The snake’s mouth protruded on the back of his hand, as if it were spitting out Caryll’s left arm, with sharp fangs.

Uuuuuu…….

The Ice Claw he was holding trembled lightly, as if even Zarka Hochi, who was sleeping inside, was trembling with fear.

[It’s nothing much, but those 4,000 lives over there.]

Caryll looked at the dust rising in front of him.

The Wyvern unit had collapsed, but the enemy’s large army was still rushing towards Caryll.

Waaaaa――!!

Waaang――!!

Listening to the enemy’s shouts, Mael said quietly.

[I’ll take care of it in 5 minutes.]

* * *

“The Wyverns have suddenly become quiet.”

“That’s strange. They were causing a ruckus just a moment ago…….”

Lilianna looked at the Drakes with a curious expression at her subordinate’s report.

“We’ve used all the remaining Plu [a substance that calms dragons] as well. It seems like we’ve used more than we did at Moon Eter.”

She nodded at her subordinate’s words.

“They’re subspecies, but they definitely inherited the blood of dragons. We barely managed to slow down their activity, but it didn’t really work.”

“But what happened?”

“Well…….”

Lilianna tilted her head, looking at the Drakes who were crouching with their heads drooping to the ground like dejected dogs.

“It’s only natural that it’s the Lord’s doing. Now I understand why he told us to hold them for a moment. If the Lord had emitted his energy to subdue the ones here, the Drakes that were coming up wouldn’t have been scared and wouldn’t have flown up.”

Hasir clicked his tongue and said.

The Weasel Fox tribe’s scouts returned and reported to him what had happened at the front.

And he was able to hear Caryll’s news faster than anyone else here.

“The Lord deliberately went out to meet them because he was afraid the enemies would run away…….”

Even as he spoke, he thought it was absurd. The person fighting alone against Drakes and thousands of troops was worried that the enemy would be afraid.

‘It is said that a Sword Master has the power to match an army, but the Lord is a walking kingdom, a collection of such armies.’

Hasir felt goosebumps all over his body.

Looking at the Drakes taking a submissive posture, he thought several times that the elders of the other tribes should have seen this sight.

“The old men will be speechless if they see this.”

“It’s not just proving his qualifications as a Great Warrior, but achieving a feat that no Great Warrior in history has ever achieved.”

“Our eyes were not wrong. Or should I say, Hasir’s eyes.”

The young tribal chiefs, including Lilianna, said as they looked at the scene before them.

“With this result, Jannabi will now definitely open his heart to the Lord, right?”

“We decided to follow him when Agnel returned to the North. That’s because you brought Agnel and recognized him as the master. To be honest, everyone was surprised when the word ‘Lord’ came out of your mouth, the chief of the Weasel Fox.”

Hasir gave a bitter smile at her words.

Honestly, he wasn’t surprised by this situation anymore. Rather, the most shocking thing for him was when he obtained the Arcane Power at the Bottomless Rock, which was his first meeting with Caryll, so it still remained in his mind.

“Although they are said to be outdated, the elders still have great power within the other tribes. We have stepped back as a courtesy to them.”

As she said, among the tribes gathered here, only the Jannabi tribe did not have their chief directly involved.

However, the fact that the chief’s right-hand man, who had power comparable to the chief, was moving showed what they thought of Caryll.

“His strength is something I don’t need to add to, but the elders’ stubbornness is not useless either. Here, there are chiefs, but there is no one who knows the true meaning of that sword.”

“True meaning?”

Patun looked at her and asked.

He felt slightly displeased as if his career as a chief was being ignored.

“Well……. I don’t know either. It’s just like an old legend. I’ve only heard that it’s something that only the one who inherits Agnel can do.”

“Hmm…….”

“The title of Great Warrior is not just about being good at fighting or proving individual strength, but about showing that you are the true master of Agnel. The elders want to confirm that directly.”

Everyone nodded at her words.

“That’s why the chief sent me. To see if he intends to challenge the trials of the North.”

Kuntai said loudly at her words.

“Hmph, what’s so special about it? It’s just a formality. Old men are so picky about those things. We hate those traditions and came out to choose our own master.”

“It may not be just a formality.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well. I can’t answer because I don’t know either. There’s no one here who has served a chief who has received the title of Great Warrior. Unless the Black Eyes tell us.”

Lilianna shrugged her shoulders slightly, thinking of them somewhere.

“We can be bold because we don’t know.”

“In the end, it means we have to go to the North once. To make all the remaining other tribes follow him.”

“Does that mean it’s only half done?”

“We have a long way to go.”

It was then.

“Look over there.”

Hasir silenced the noisy crowd with a single word.

There were many different opinions about Caryll among the remaining people, but his thoughts remained unchanged.

And as if confirming that conviction once again, he put strength into his voice at the sight before him and said.

“The Lord is coming.”

Chwaaaaa―――!!!

At that moment,

[Krrr――!!]

[Kaaaa――!!]

The quiet Drakes spread their wings as if nothing had happened and began to roar, raising their heads to the sky as if rejoicing at his return.

“I must be dreaming.”

Lilianna muttered to herself, looking at the front and laughing in disbelief.

“I was the one who was talking nonsense about having a long way to go…….”

“And what about me, who said he was only half done?”

Kuntai and Patun twitched their lips as if agreeing with her words.

Numerous Drakes were flying in the sky.

The figure of Caryll, standing proudly on the head of the Wyvern at the forefront, was slowly approaching them.

The moment Hasir knelt on one knee, the other three also knelt down following him.

Looking at that sight, there was no longer any doubt in everyone’s minds.

Just,

To follow.