The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 309

205. Northern Mentor (4)

‘Sword Demon?’

Cahill tilted his head.

A name he had never heard before.

[Hey, how do you know his name?]

[The Magic Era? Nonsense. His existence predates that by far.]

Unlike the puzzled Cahill, the Spirit Kings reacted with unexpected cynicism.

‘You know him too?’

[Of course.]

[Impossible not to know him.]

[Now that you mention it, I’m curious too. How do you, from the Mythic Era, know of a figure only rumored about even in the Magic Era? No, wait. How great must one be for their renown to persist from the Mythic Era to my time? And…]

Aln asked,

[Could he have lived until the Magic Era?]

Cahill nodded in agreement.

[Cahill, remember when I first met you at the Fire Dragon’s lair? I told you there was someone else who used Spirit and Dragon Force besides you.]

Cahill responded to Laminu’s words.

‘Are you perhaps referring to the one who reached the pinnacle of that great magic?’

[That’s right.]

Gulp.

Cahill swallowed dryly without realizing it.

Great Magic.

He remembered the Flame King’s words that it was magic capable of killing even gods.

[He is the Sword Demon.]

‘So, he was a Blader too?’

[Yes, but also no.]

‘What kind of ambiguous answer is that?’

[He was a pioneer who opened the way for us to stand against the gods, but he didn’t participate in the Divine War as a Blader with us. He disappeared when the Divine War began.]

[Frankly, it’s more puzzling to us that you know of his existence in the Magic Era.]

[We were sealed back then.]

Duart and Etheral added, following Laminu’s words.

‘Aln, does that mean someone called the Sword Demon lived during the Magic Era? Have you ever met him?’

[Of course. Otherwise, how could I recognize your swordsmanship? Unfortunately, being ignorant of swordsmanship, I didn’t realize the similarity between the Sword Demon’s swordsmanship and your style. It was just a single encounter, after all.]

“……”

At Aln’s words, spoken with regret, Cahill slightly narrowed his eyes and looked at Altemann.

“Are you the Sword Demon?”

Cahill sheathed his sword.

He knew that Altemann wasn’t actually trying to fight him but to pose a question.

“Haha… You continue to surprise me. You even know that name?”

At Cahill’s question, his face briefly stiffened but soon returned to a natural smile.

“The Spirit Kings mentioned it. That the Sword Demon was a Blader who led the Mythic Era. But I can’t believe someone who lived in ancient times before the Magic Era would still be around.”

Altemann shook his head at his words.

“Yes, the Spirit Kings are right. I am not the Sword Demon. But I once borrowed that name. I did live during the Magic Era, though.”

“A thousand years ago?”

That alone was surprising enough.

“Yes. The Magic Era was a wonderful time. It was a time when magic was brilliant.”

He wore a somewhat bitter expression.

“The Council of Seven. Their existence was truly remarkable back then. Thanks to them, magic was established.”

[Hmph…]

Aln, seemingly not entirely disliking Altemann’s words, cleared his throat and crossed his arms proudly.

“But just because it’s brilliant doesn’t necessarily mean it’s beautiful.”

Swish.

Altemann removed the leather hood he had been wearing. His long hair, tied up, fell below his shoulders. He lightly ruffled his hair, causing the soft strands to sway, revealing a slightly unusual ear.

[…….]

The ear, blunt and festering as if burned, seemed like a minor wound at first glance.

[A Slelf.]

But Aln, upon seeing his ear, spoke in a slightly stiff voice.

‘Slelf? What’s that?’

[It refers to a slave elf. Cahill, it’s as you suspected. The reason he could live in the Magic Era is that he was an elf, not a human.]

“Yes, that’s right. Blessed by magic, we were companions who helped humans establish magic in the Magic Era… and their experimental subjects.”

Altemann said, looking at Aln, who was behind Cahill in the form of black smoke.

“Among them, the Council of Seven conducted many terrible experiments. The number of elves who died at their hands alone would be in the thousands.”

[So what? It is the eternal truth that the victor can reign over the vanquished. From the perspective of my race, I should prioritize humans over elves and develop magic for the future of humans.]

“Yes, thanks to that, you were defeated by the White Gold Dragon.”

[That bastard…!]

As Aln Zabiuss tried to rush at Altemann in response to his provocation, Cahill, who was in front of him, blocked him.

“It’s not wrong. Don’t get unnecessarily heated. That’s why you’re with me, for that revenge.”

[Hmph…]

At Cahill’s words, Aln clicked his tongue and turned away.

“It’s already past. I don’t harbor any ill feelings towards the Council of Seven. It’s just the flow of the times. As he said, in war, the loser has no choice but to follow the winner.”

The Spirit Kings were silent at his words.

The price of defeat.

Those were the words the Spirit Kings had said to Cahill, and looking at Altemann’s appearance, they wondered if they too had harbored such a loser’s aura due to their long years of sealing.

“So, what are you trying to say? I understand that you borrowed the name of the Sword Demon. But even if you were an elf who lived in the Magic Era, it doesn’t explain how you know the five stances of the sword.”

Cahill said coldly.

“Where did you learn that swordsmanship? You couldn’t have learned it from the Sword Demon since you didn’t live in the Mythic Era.”

Altemann chuckled at Cahill’s reaction, who didn’t seem surprised at all by his ear and asked so casually.

“The Magic Era was a time when magic flourished, but it wasn’t an era when swordsmanship disappeared. As you know, the 49 Forms of Colorless Sword, which sublimates magic into swordsmanship, is an excellent sword style. It is the most outstanding swordsmanship in Magic Swordsmanship in terms of the concept of magic.”

He said in a low voice to Cahill.

Then, he lightly bent his Yeon Sword, naturally displaying the basic stance of the Colorless Sword that Cahill had used at the Sword Festival.

“Of course, in terms of the concept of sword forms, there are unnecessary stances within the 49 Forms. But Magic Swordsmanship is not biased towards one side but is a fusion of magic and swordsmanship. You shouldn’t look at the Colorless Sword only with the eyes of the sword.”

“……”

“Just as the casting process of chanting a spell is necessary in the concept of magic, Magic Swordsmanship also requires a series of actions in sequence to exert its power.”

Cahill slightly frowned at his words.

Indeed, when he learned the Colorless Sword from Aln, he had said that the 42 sword forms, excluding the 7 sword forms, were just for show.

“It’s useless in the eyes of foreigners [those without magical ability] who don’t have magic, but it’s different in the eyes of those who have magic.”

Altemann spoke as if he had anticipated Cahill’s evaluation of the Colorless Sword.

“Of course, that’s impossible unless you reach a certain level. Low magic is worse than having none at all.”

Altemann asked Cahill.

“How about you? Haven’t you ever felt a different sensation from swordsmanship as a Mana Blade left by magic, not just the sword?”

“That’s…”

He had.

Until now, there had been no need to fight with all his might. Even in the battle with Kwell McGovern, who was called the greatest swordsman on the continent, he had conserved his strength.

But in the battle with Hwarin, he had felt the emptiness of the magic blood when he poured out all his power. And even the feeling that he could take a step further into a new sword form, even if it was only for a moment.

“Excellent.”

Altemann nodded as if Cahill’s expression was enough.

“You have now gained a new perspective from swordsmanship that was limited to the perspective of foreigners. That is an area that foreigners can never reach, no matter how much they wield the sword.”

He continued.

“Interpreting magic as a sword and advancing the sword through magic. That will help you progress further. As you think, I am not the Sword Demon, but I was able to learn the swordsmanship left by the Sword Demon in the Mythic Era by chance. Of course, I too am only scratching the surface.”

“How?”

“For the same reason as the Council of Seven.”

“……Could it be.”

Cahill never thought he would mention his name so often, whom he had never met since his regression, as if he were manipulating tangled threads.

“Nardie Maugg.”

“That’s right.”

Altemann nodded.

White Gold Dragon.

Cahill let out a low sigh.

“That bastard is always involved. I feel like I’ve known him the longest, even though I’ve never seen him once.”

Then he said coldly.

“I’ll see him soon. And now I’ll be able to confirm the truth. I feel like I can grab him by the scruff of the neck and slam him to the ground.”

Clench.

He clenched his fist.

From the Council of Seven to Wooden Cloud, the City of the Dead, and even the recruitment of Kay Rothschild, there was nothing that Nardie Maugg’s hand had not touched.

A dragon who sided with the gods, not humans, in the Divine War.

But the White Gold Dragon, the only dragon who sided with humans in the battle against the Fallen after the oracle was given.

Cahill was cautious until now because he was not sure what his position was.

And that was still the case.

The series of events that Nardie Maugg had set in motion in this life were related to the gods.

So, is he a dragon who sided with the gods?

He didn’t know.

There was evidence important enough to ignore all the events so far. That was that he had condoned Cahill’s challenge to Parel in his previous life.

Did he allow it because he thought he would fail and wanted to eliminate a strong human? Or was he truly on the side of humans?

Because he was cautious, Cahill waited for the right time. To know the truth, he had to have power.

A strong power that could make even dragons kneel.

And Cahill thought that time had come. Just as the foreigners wanted to see their pride with their own eyes, he too wanted to confirm solid evidence instead of vague questions.

The war with the Empire.

Cahill was sure that he would meet the White Gold Dragon in it.

“Slelfs [slave elves] were slaves who were experimented on by mages and had their high-purity magic, unique to elves, stolen. They have magic but can’t use it. Instead, the White Gold Dragon taught me swordsmanship. I don’t know why, but thinking about it now, it might be because I have a life that can live for a long time.”

“Why?”

“Well, maybe it’s to pass on the swordsmanship of the Sword Demon. Just like you, who came to find me.”

Altemann said with a bitter smile.

“Nonsense. How would he know to meet me?”

As Cahill said, he had no connection with the foreigners in his previous life. And even this time, if he hadn’t come to gain the power of the foreigners in the war with the Empire, he wouldn’t have known this fact.

“The White Gold Dragon is betting on such a low probability? That’s impossible.”

“You speak as if you know him well. But it seems you don’t know the whole story. Dragons are never sages. They have high knowledge but are not wise. They are more interested in interesting things than pursuing the truth.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means they don’t do it just because it’s perfect. They can side with humans or with the gods at any time. Even if it’s not true or just.”

[I agree with that.]

[Me too.]

The Spirit Kings, who had suffered enormous damage from the dragons who turned to the side of the gods in the Divine War, nodded at Altemann’s words.

At their words, Cahill became even more suspicious of the White Gold Dragon’s actions. In his previous life, he had clearly said that he did not know about Parel.

But now that he knew that the Divine War existed, if the White Gold Dragon had participated in that war, there was no way he wouldn’t know about Parel and the Fallen.

Why didn’t he stop him from entering Parel? Was it really out of curiosity, as Altemann said, and not for the sake of humanity?

Cahill’s mind was complicated with thoughts.

“Turn over Lakna.”

There was a clear tower shape engraved on the bottom of the handle.

“……”

Looking at that symbol, he had a feeling that it looked exactly like Parel, which he had been resisting.

“I have been waiting for the owner of Lakna. A true leader of the foreigners who can wield Lakna. Now I can teach you the swordsmanship of the Sword Demon. That will be the end of my task.”

Altemann smiled faintly.

“Our meeting must have been destined from the moment you ate the dragon’s heart in Einherjar. If not, it would have been possible in the next life. Haha.”

“…What? How do you know that?”

Unlike him, who was speaking like a joke, Cahill looked at him with a surprised expression as soon as the name Einherjar came out.

“Of course, I know. Because I was the one who created Einherjar for Kaie Essier.”

“…What?”

“I’ve been living since the Magic Era, but I also had some fun 250 years ago. It was quite an enjoyable time.”

“Su… Surely.”

Altemann pointed to himself with his finger and said.

“I think I might have been in that guy’s will. I was also a companion of Kaie Essier.”

“Ha, haha…”

Cahill couldn’t help but laugh at those words. He never thought that the swordsman, another companion of Kaie Essier, who Nine Darhoon had said had come to find the Immortal, would be the Northern Mentor.

“Really… You guys are all strange. One doesn’t revive dead elves as undead… Another has been living since the Magic Era.”

Cahill shook his head, looking at him.

“I didn’t even think that far. So, you’re the 2nd Sword Demon and the last companion of Kaie Essier I was looking for.”

At his words, Altemann smiled bitterly.

“The 2nd Sword Demon… I don’t know if the name 2nd, which I secretly borrowed, suits me, but 250 years ago, even the Slelfs were almost gone… After my ear became like this, I didn’t want to use the name of an elf myself.”

Cahill briefly turned his eyes to his mangled ear and said indifferently.

“Anyway, the Sword Demon that the current era remembers is you. That’s what’s important.”

“Will there be anyone who remembers me?”

“There is.”

Altemann raised his head.

“The most famous person on the continent remembers you. That’s Kwell McGovern.”

At Cahill’s words, Altemann’s eyes wavered.

“He told me. That the one who influenced the creation of the McGovern family’s heirloom swordsmanship was the Sword Demon.”

Cahill recalled what Kwell had said in Heim.

That the McGovern family’s swordsmanship was created under the influence of the Sword Demon’s swordsmanship.

“I know why McGovern’s swordsmanship could become the best on the continent. Your swordsmanship is the swordsmanship of the Godslayer. There’s no way swordsmanship to kill gods can be inferior to mere human swordsmanship.”

“Of course, I am not perfect either.”

Cahill nodded at Altemann’s words.

“If you and Gald Rothschild are like this, then Kaie Essier’s legacy will be even more useful. To be honest, I’m more curious about what he left behind.”

“…I can’t beat you.”

At his words, Altemann chuckled in disbelief.

“Even in the midst of hearing about the Sword Demon of the Mythic Era, you’re still thinking of coveting Kaie Essier’s legacy.”

“Tools are meaningless if you don’t use them. I’m upholding his legacy, so he should be grateful to me. Covet. Isn’t that your creed?”

“Yes. But you’re the only one who can do that. Maybe there won’t be anyone like you, ever.”

But rather, Altemann said, looking at him.

[Kuh… Kuk.]

[That’s right.]

The Spirit Kings and Aln chuckled at those words.

“One last question. Does your imperfect swordsmanship mean you lack talent? Or does it mean that even the White Gold Dragon, who taught you, didn’t master all of the Sword Demon’s swordsmanship?”

“You didn’t miss a thing.”

“Of course.”

Altemann smiled faintly, looking at Cahill, who sharply remembered even the last words he had said as if in passing.

“Follow me. You can find the answer to that question in a different place, not here.”

He gestured.

“To the Thousand Year Ice Cave.”