The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 293

198. The Eve of the Storm

Whoosh….

The window trembled in the wind.

The eerie wind that suddenly began to blow at night felt like the resentment of the dead emperor in Heim.

“It’s as you said. They’ve arrived.”

“Yeah.”

Israfil checked outside the window, then turned and spoke to Khalil. At his words, Khalil, who had been sitting on the sofa, slowly opened his eyes.

“I’ll be back.”

“I will finish preparing to leave in the meantime. I’ll be waiting outside of Heim.”

“Okay.”

Khalil looked at Kay Rothschild, who was sitting beside the coffin containing Jarka Hoch.

“Anything to say?”

Her expression had been somewhat stiff since the commotion ended. She was always taciturn, both in her past life and now, so others might not notice, but Khalil could tell.

“Jarka asked me to tell you something.”

“What is it?”

“He said the person you asked him to find was not there.”

“Hmm… I see.”

Kay, who delivered the message, shrugged as if she didn’t understand its meaning, but Khalil nodded.

‘Rael isn’t here, then.’

Nine Darfon, the leader of the Immortal Order, had once said that she was a mixed-blood of Elf and Nephilim [a being of combined divine and human origin].

Elves are a single race united under the royal family of Tanubiel, unlike humans.

Their collective will is conveyed to all Elves.

Even if they are mixed-blood.

That power is similarly passed down to Jarka, an Elf, even though he is a dead lion, so Khalil had secretly asked him to find Rael.

The light of the beginning is twofold.

‘Among them, the light that Elves follow is not Yula but the light of Rashis, one of the two Great Wildernesses [primordial sources of magic].’

Humans would be annihilated just by approaching him. That meant that in order to seal Rashis, in order to wield that power, the power of the Elves was needed.

‘That must be why the Order has Rael.’

As the seal of Rashis.

They must be using her.

‘If I find Rael, I can also obtain Rashis.’

That was the conclusion Khalil had reached.

“We’ll meet someday.”

Khalil felt that although finding a clue to Rael was still difficult, he was gradually getting closer to her compared to his past life.

As much as the future had changed, the threads that had not been connected before were now being tied together tightly.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Khalil said to the two people, looking at a man standing outside the window.

Because he was the person who would conclude another changed future that was as important as the future with Rael.

* * *

“What were you thinking when you did this?”

“I thought you’d come with Randolf… Coming alone means there’s something you can’t even tell your brother, right?”

Khalil looked at the man in front of him.

Mart McGovern.

The eldest son of the family and his brother, his face darkened when Randolf’s name was mentioned.

“You seem to like talking alone. That’s fortunate. This time, it’s a place you can walk to on your own two feet.”

Khalil spoke as if reminding him of Tatur, and Mart frowned slightly.

“I came to find you because I want to make one thing clear. To point a sword at Father… Are you really planning to break away from the McGovern family?”

“And who was it that blocked that sword?”

“I…!!”

Mart tried to say something but bit his lip again.

“Oliver will ascend to the throne now. Quell McGovern will faithfully fight for the new emperor. Do you think that sword won’t be aimed at Tatur?”

“…….”

“Sooner or later, we’re destined to fight. You can’t demand a denial of faith. Quell McGovern has bet his future on Oliver Stefan. But what about you, brother? Has Mart McGovern also bet his future on Oliver?”

“It’s for the sake of the continent. His Majesty’s death is…”

At his answer, Khalil chuckled.

“Who’s saying anything? If poisoning Cromen is also for the sake of the greater good, then even that would be a noble act.”

“…You’re right. I believe in His Highness.”

“Really?”

Mart’s eyes wavered slightly at Khalil’s question.

“You don’t believe in His Highness, you’re just following Father, aren’t you? Do you still like being in Father’s arms?”

“You…!!”

It was then.

Khalil took something out of his arms towards Mart, who was glaring at him as if he would attack at any moment.

Unlike Mart, who was startled, thinking it might be a weapon, what was in his hand was a small note.

“You remember what this is, right?”

“That’s…”

Mart realized that the note in his hand was from the leg of the messenger pigeon that had flown in when Quell and Khalil had clashed a little while ago.

In the midst of the tense situation, no one there stopped him from taking the time to check the messenger pigeon that had flown in.

“Along with the development of magic, there are some methods that have been neglected as primitive, but surprisingly, they can pierce the flaws of the magic you boast about.”

Khalil unfolded the note in his arms again as if to confirm it.

“Since when has surveillance of enemy countries been conducted only with magic barriers and magic mirrors? Spies only pay attention to communication magic. But they’ve become indifferent to flying birds.”

“…….”

Mart’s gaze was fixed on the note in his hand.

“These old methods are only used by the northern barbarians and the southern savages. They have never attacked the continentals, including the Empire, so they may not have thought their methods would be a threat.”

Khalil shook the note lightly.

“But they should have thought that their lowly methods could be a means of monitoring them.”

“…What are you saying? What’s written on the messenger pigeon’s note?”

To that question, Khalil answered.

“What if he’s Wooden Cloud [a spy or double agent]? Will you still just follow Father’s tail?”

“…!!!”

Mart’s eyes widened.

“Slander!! Nonsense!!”

“Father believes in Oliver. As a subject, I don’t want to say anything that denies that belief. But at least one person needs to look at this war from a different perspective. That’s what someone born as the eldest son of the family should do.”

“I…”

“If you don’t like that, deny my words. Think of it as slander, like you shouted a moment ago. I don’t care.”

“What?”

“If you believe in Oliver like everyone else, it’ll be easily resolved. Whether you like it or not, you and I are in a situation where we have no choice but to be enemies.”

“…….”

At Khalil’s words, Mart bit his lip.

“Why…!! Why are you telling me this…?”

Mart exclaimed as if he felt wronged.

In his head, there was suspicion about the truth, but in order to reveal it, he had to deny his father, Quell’s, belief.

“Forget it. To be honest, what’s the point of revealing the truth about Cromen’s death now? To the guy who told you to kill your father, the emperor.”

“But, but…!!”

“Yes, but. It’s because you’re the only one in the family who says that ‘but’… No, it’s because you’re the only one, brother.”

Gulp.

Mart swallowed dryly without realizing it.

“It shouldn’t have been done that way. That bastard.”

The murderous intent emanating from Khalil was beyond the depth that someone who had only lived one life could understand.

“That is.”

His anger, which had been brewing since his past life and for countless eons, was not a depth that someone who had only lived one life could understand.

“At least if you were born as a human, it’s the minimum level of morality you should uphold.”

Mart trembled without realizing it.

Khalil, who was looking at him, let out a faint sigh and looked far into the forest.

“Trust Randolf a little more. He’ll be a source of strength. He’s an imperial, but he’s also someone who has learned the sword of the savage.”

He was speaking to another person who was eavesdropping on their conversation from inside the forest.

‘…….’

Randolf, who was hiding behind a tree, smiled bitterly at Khalil’s awareness of his presence.

“Don’t tell me you…”

“That’s right. I gave him a test too.”

At Khalil’s words, Mart frowned and muttered in a low voice.

“You’re really a devilish guy…”

“That’s right.”

But at those words, Khalil chuckled and answered.

“…What?”

Mart looked at him with surprised eyes as he answered nonchalantly.

“And it’s only the devil who kills God.”

With those words, Khalil turned around.

Mart recalled that the end of his conversation with him always ended with him being left alone, watching his back.

Not once.

He had never left before him.

“Watch closely. I’ll peel off that bastard’s shell for you. From start to finish. Every single detail.”

* * *

“Heh… Hehehe.”

A laughter was heard from inside the room.

It was hard to believe that it was the appearance of a son who had witnessed the death of the emperor.

“His Majesty has passed away.”

“That was too much. Telling him to kill the emperor on the spot could easily lead to misunderstandings.”

“That’s what I’m saying. I lost my composure without realizing it. Strangely, my heart flutters when I look at that guy. That’s why I’m even more curious about his identity. Not only does he fight on par with Quell, who is called the greatest swordsman on the continent, but his boldness is also…”

Oliver turned around.

“I was inadvertently interested in him… But I wonder if he will become an obstacle to our plan.”

He calmly swept back his hair.

A silver-haired handsome man took off his robe and looked at him. His eyes had a mysterious color, as if they were not human.

“Well, asking you such a question would be foolish.”

“…….”

“I will check how much progress has been made during the state funeral. If it proceeds smoothly, we may be able to use ‘that’ in this war. If so, even a Sword Master who is said to be able to fly wouldn’t be able to control the course of the war like he does now.”

“Hmm.”

“If I meet him next time, I may need your strength. You never know where he’ll bounce.”

It was then.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and Oliver’s hair fluttered.

Crackkk…!!!!

At that moment,

Neil Blanc reached out his hand.

* * *

“…Why are you suddenly doing this?”

Israfil asked back with a bewildered face at the sight of Khalil suddenly snapping a branch and throwing it with all his might just before leaving Heim.

“It’s nothing.”

Khalil said, shaking his hand.

“Just a farewell greeting.”

* * *

Crackkk….

Tszzz… Tszzzz….

Neil Blanc grabbed the branch that had flown in, aiming precisely at Oliver’s forehead, and threw it.

Thud—

Fssss…!

The branch, which was emitting smoke and had turned black, turned to ashes and crumbled as soon as it fell to the ground.

“…….”

Oliver, as if dumbfounded, looked at the branch that had turned to powder and swallowed dryly without realizing it.

Even though Neil Blanc had clearly caught the branch, the intangible energy that had permeated it brushed his cheek and pierced the wall, creating a large hole.

Thud… Thud….

The stone powder from the wall with the hole fell and landed on Oliver’s shoulder.

“Could it be… Did he notice?”

“That won’t happen. No matter how much of a he is, he won’t know I’m here. No one will.”

Neil Blanc shook his head.

Looking at his palm, where his flesh had been torn off by the scorching hot magic like lightning, he emitted a strange light in his eyes.

But what was truly surprising was not Khalil’s skill in throwing the branch like a cannonball, but the fact that he had blocked the attack so casually.

A strength that was truly unfathomable.

The meeting with the veiled last duke was like a fateful event, not a coincidence, even now.

‘The duke is trying to move.’

Oliver looked at him again and thought.

“…Khalil McGovern.”

As if he had been waiting, Neil Blanc swept back his silver hair and repeated Khalil’s name in a low voice.

Clench—

Oliver clenched his fist at the sight.

‘Finally… Khalil, I have to thank you. You ignited the spark in him.’

He didn’t know what he was thinking, but he knew that he had shown interest.

‘All four dukes of the Empire have gathered under me.’

The two sensed that this short period of separation was the last time given to them.