The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 280

189. Rothschild Family (5)

[Kuaaaaaah!!!]

The doll’s body convulsed.

It was a doll resembling Zarka, a male elf, but the scream coming from within was a sharp, female one.

The walls of the settling basin trembled.

Anslem and Kay watched the shaking room with unease, as if it were about to collapse.

Crackle…!!!

Pazzzzzzz…!!

Thwack!

Like an explosion, shards of ice shattered like glass, scattering everywhere like sharp daggers.

“Kuh?!”

Kay and Anslem quickly turned their heads and ducked.

“…”

However, Carryl didn’t take his eyes off the pure white frost that emerged from the doll.

The mist that had been scattering like clouds began to coalesce again. The fragments that had flown towards him earlier couldn’t even touch his body, melting into water and instantly evaporating in the hot aura of the Flame Dragon emanating from his entire body.

Tzzzzzz…

[Haa… Haa…]

The coalesced frost transformed into a human figure.

A woman with wet hair, as if she had fallen into water, gasping for breath, came into Carryl’s view.

“This can’t be…”

Kay Rothschild muttered to himself, seemingly unable to believe the sight.

“The seal seems to be broken. Now, without any more complaints, I can put a soul inside the doll, right?”

Her eyes wavered at Carryl’s words.

“So this is how you see the Water Spirit King.”

Carryl gently stroked her cheek, making her look up at him.

“Etheral.”

[Only a dragon on the side of God can break the seal of God. But… how can a human possess the power of the cursed Flame Dragon?]

She looked at Carryl with an incredulous expression, showing clear signs of exhaustion.

“Cursed Flame Dragon, you say… There’s even a guy who made a contract with that Flame Dragon and found peace, so it’s not that surprising.”

Carryl showed the back of his hand.

[Lamine… Did you exist in the human realm by borrowing the power of those who sided with God? And you dare call yourself a spirit who led the Divine Spirit War?!]

At Etheral’s cry, cold frost instantly covered the surroundings of the settling basin.

[Don’t jump to conclusions so easily. I had my reasons for making a contract with Lyseria.]

[Reasons? You just didn’t want to disappear, so you clung to her. All the other companions were trapped in an endless abyss, unable to even feel their own existence. But you…!!]

The frozen frost coalesced, turning into sharp needles that poured down on Lamine.

Bang…! Kwagagang…!!!

Dozens of bundles of ice shards pierced Lamine’s body.

[Calm down.]

He said to her with a bitter expression, without even trying to restore his shattered body.

[Calm? Killing you here would be the only thing that could quell my anger.]

[If it weren’t for Lyseria’s magic, the Spirit Realm would have completely disappeared!]

Lamine’s flames eventually erupted, and he shouted at her with an exhausted expression.

[That’s why I made a contract with him. In the fading Spirit Realm, he would give me rest, and in return, he would maintain the Spirit Realm with his magic. And in return, I would only lend my power to dragons.]

[That’s just a roundabout way of saying servitude and subordination, isn’t it?]

He gritted his teeth at her answer.

[There was no other way. It was the only way to maintain the Spirit Realm. There were Spirit Kings still remaining in the Spirit Realm. I couldn’t let those stubborn ones die.]

[No excuses needed. I don’t want to talk to a traitor anymore.]

[Etheral…!!]

Lamine shouted again, frustrated.

[Lyseria, whom you despise so much, is dead. By the hands of humans. And Carryl now holds that heart. Furthermore… Duat has also awakened. By him.]

[What…?]

At his words, Etheral looked at Carryl for the first time.

[Don’t be surprised. The human before you says he will awaken all seven Spirit Kings.]

[That’s absurd.]

[Yes. I thought it was absurd too. But you’re the third. Halfway there out of seven. Breaking a seal that no one else could break alone.]

[…]

[Even if you don’t believe me, you can believe Duat, who hated dragons more than anyone else, right?]

Carryl shrugged and said.

“Is the chatter over? I don’t have the luxury to explain everything that happened in the gap of thousands of years. Let’s leave the rest for later. After you come under me.”

Lamine smiled bitterly, as if expecting his unyielding attitude.

“And you should trust me, not Duat. Etheral, the target of your anger should be God, not Lamine.”

[Are you saying you’re going to revive the Divine Spirit War?]

“Why not?”

“…!!!”

“…!!!”

Kay and Anslem’s eyes widened in surprise at his words.

“Not now. But I’ll promise you one thing.”

Carryl looked at Etheral and said quietly.

“The war is not over yet.”

[…]

He smirked, looking at her trembling face.

“And the order is wrong. Shouldn’t you thank me first, rather than getting angry at him? I released you from the seal, you know.”

[…What do you mean?]

Etheral tilted her head slightly and asked.

“What do I mean?”

Then Carryl pointed his finger at the floor. Those who knew the meaning of that smile immediately understood what would come next.

“I mean, bow your head. It means you will also pledge allegiance to me from now on.”

[What…?]

She looked at him as if she couldn’t believe it.

Step—

But as he stepped on the floor, the cold air surrounding her instantly disappeared.

“Let’s not waste time. I don’t need to show you why Lamine and Duat are under me, do I?”

Carryl held out his hand towards her.

Arcane power, flashing within the rising flames, began to spin fiercely.

[…]

As he said.

That alone was enough explanation.

“All the materials needed to revive the Rothschild family’s puppetry are gathered. The caster, the spirit, and the power of ice to contain that power.”

Carryl said, looking back and forth between Kay, Zarka, and Etheral.

[One thing is missing. A doll is also a type of golem. Like all golems, even if I condense and seal the spirit with my power, you need a vessel to hold the spirit to maintain it. A kind of heart, you could say.]

“Hmm.”

[Without that, even if you put the spirit inside the doll, it won’t be able to move properly.]

“That’s good. I was wondering what to do with this, but it turns out I have just the right thing.”

[What?]

Carryl raised the corners of his mouth and took out a necklace from his chest, shaking it in front of her.

[…!!!!]

“This should be enough to use as a heart. Necromancy has properties similar to the magic of the Demon Realm more than any other magic.”

Etheral looked at the Necklace of Revelation with an unbelievable expression.

[What are you… Even in this short encounter, you never cease to amaze me.]

Carryl said to her.

“There will be even more things to come, so you’ll be in trouble if you’re surprised by this much, right?”

Then he cut the string of the necklace and embedded the pendant into the doll’s chest.

Woo-woo-woo…

The embedded jewel began to glow red as if a heart was beating.

He looked at the doll and said quietly.

“Begin.”

* * *

“Anslem.”

Carryl, who had returned to White Bunker from the Frostpeak, leaned back in his chair, looking tired, and called the name of the man who had returned with him.

“Yes, please speak.”

His complexion was as pale as it had been when heading to the highlands. Fortunately, he didn’t throw up like last time, but he was vowing over and over again never to ride a wyvern again.

“What you saw in the highlands must be kept secret. The reason I took you there, despite that, is because I trust you, but also because you are the only one who understood Ruah’s formation, which even Kay couldn’t decipher.”

“Thank you.”

Thud—

“But what you saw is only a part of it. This is the full text of Ruah’s formation, which is the culmination of the Rothschild family’s secret techniques. Analyze this as a top priority from now on. I’ll have to take Kay away soon, so learn as much as possible in a short amount of time.”

“Understood.”

Anslem nodded.

“And one more thing. I will send someone from the Chang family, one of the five great families of the South, here, so you should have her learn their formation.”

“If it’s the Chang family’s formation… are you perhaps referring to the Fierce Fire Formation?”

Anslem seemed to have immediately understood what Carryl was saying.

Ordo Chang, the 17th head of the Chang family, created a battle formation so famous that its name was known even in the Principalities across the sea.

“That’s right. They are the ones who use the most unique formation among the barbarians. Even if you don’t learn anything else, you should at least learn the Chang family’s tactics.”

“Of course. Even the Imperials who don’t acknowledge the barbarians have no objections to the Fierce Fire Formation. To be able to see their formation… it’s all full of enjoyable things. It’s all thanks to you, my lord.”

Carryl chuckled as he looked at Anslem, who was answering with a genuinely excited voice.

“There’s no need to be so happy. I’m just giving you a task. You should combine Ruah’s formation, the Fierce Fire Formation, and the existing tactics of the Principalities to create a formation that no one can break.”

Anslem nodded at his words.

“I will keep that in mind. I will create the best formation that even God cannot break.”

“A formation that even God cannot break…”

Carryl looked at him and gave a strange smile.

“I’ll look forward to those words.” It was funny, but he really hoped it would be true. Anslem didn’t know, but a future where he would have to fight God was waiting for him.

“By the way… there is someone I would like to involve in this research, but would you allow it?”

Unlike before, Anslem carefully looked at Carryl’s expression as he asked.

“I think he would be the most suitable person for this research.”

“Who is it?”

“You have probably heard of him, my lord. He is a mage with the alias ‘Magic Bullet’ in the Principalities.”

“Magic Bullet, you say…”

“Yes. It’s Deril Harian.”

Carryl’s face slightly hardened at Anslem’s words.

“The Golden Magic Society?”