The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 316

210. Empty Lair

“Kuh… Kuhahahaha!!”

Amidst the bewilderment and silence, Gordon Fabian’s laughter erupted.

Everyone else was taken aback by Carryl’s pointed remark, but he alone threw back his head and laughed heartily.

“Did you hear that? I guarantee he’s the only one on the continent who could say something like that in front of the Emperor of the Empire.”

“……”

Unlike the gleefully laughing Gordon, Olivern’s face was grim.

“He dares to say such things in front of tens of thousands of Imperial soldiers. If he were the leader of a nation, he would at least consider the safety of those who follow him.”

Clang―!!

Kwaaaang――!!

As Olivern finished speaking, the knights of the Green Knight Order once again raised their swords and shields.

The death of their commander had momentarily thrown them into chaos, but the Emperor’s appearance had quickly rallied them.

“To think you still harbor such futile thoughts of opposing the Empire…”

“Futile thoughts? You should be the one considering the safety of those who follow you. Who was it that offered up a precious knight commander as a sacrifice to the North?”

Carryl raised Lachna, pointing it at Gahel’s corpse as he spoke.

Woooooong…….

The blade of Lachna, formed from his magic, shimmered as if weeping.

“I’m saying all this because I care about you.”

“Kuh… Khehehe.”

Gordon laughed once more at Carryl’s words. But Carryl looked at him coldly and said,

“Gordon, the same goes for you.”

“……Are you being a bit curt?”

The aura subtly emanating from Gordon Fabian caused both the foreigners and the Imperial soldiers to feel a sudden pressure on their shoulders.

‘His magical power has intensified.’

The Five Sword Masters were all powerful, but Kwell and Gordon were considered to be in a league of their own.

In terms of swordsmanship, Kwell was unmatched, and in terms of physical strength and resilience, Gordon was overwhelming. Surprisingly, despite his seemingly physical-oriented nature, his magical power was actually greater than Kwell’s.

From the start, he possessed magical power surpassing even the 5th class.

Time had passed since then, and without knowing Gordon Fabian’s actions, it was impossible to know what opportunities he might have encountered.

‘Kwell has also changed from my past life. He should have already been dead, so nothing he does now would be surprising.’

However,

“If you are an enemy, there is no need to treat you with respect any longer. I cherish my people, but I show no mercy to those who draw their swords against me.”

If anyone stood in his way, he would strike them down without hesitation.

“How harsh. We went through thick and thin together in the Fortress of the Fallen, you know.”

“Is that so? Is this some kind of friendly tea party? You stabbed me in the back. Is that what people who went through thick and thin together do?”

Gordon simply continued to laugh at Carryl’s words.

His true intentions remained a mystery.

“If we clash with the Empire, the continent will be engulfed in war. Countless people will die. It will be an unprecedented great war. The loser who causes the deaths of tens of thousands will be subjected to indelible resentment in history.”

“So?”

“Are you confident? Do you have the courage to bear the resentment of those people on your shoulders?”

Olivern asked Carryl provocatively.

But Carryl’s response to him was nothing but scorn.

“You’re insane.”

Carryl scoffed.

“Did you come all this way just to spout nonsense? Why don’t we just fight here instead of trying to be slick?”

“The leader of a nation is endlessly frivolous.”

“Not frivolous, but truthful. I don’t stab people in the back like some people do. I don’t do things like killing family and friends.”

His voice was unconsciously tinged with anger.

Olivern would only understand half of what he meant, but for Carryl, it was something he had experienced in both his past and present lives.

“What are you hesitating for?”

Millyana said at that moment.

“This arrogant composure ends here. War is over once you capture the enemy’s head.”

Swish―!

Millyana moved like a flash of light.

“Good point. I’ll draw their attention.”

As if reading her thoughts, Hwarin gripped her necklace.

“Kaaaak!!!”

Pushing aside the surrounding knights, Hwarin transformed into a Lycanthrope [a werewolf-like creature] and charged straight at Gordon, who was next to Olivern, raising both arms.

“An interesting ability.”

With the strength of her transformed Lycanthrope form, Hwarin would not be easily pushed back by Gordon Fabian.

Gordon watched the Lycanthrope, who was almost as large as himself, with interest and slammed his fists together.

Clang!!

With a sound like metal colliding, thick armor formed over his entire body.

Automata.

The ultimate defense technique of the earth attribute, and his signature armor-type magic.

“Huuup!!”

The two’s fists collided.

Kwaaaang!!

With a deafening roar that seemed to shake the earth, Millyana burst out from under Hwarin, aiming for Gordon.

Even though they had just met, Millyana’s sword, as if they had been coordinating for a long time, surged towards Gordon’s side, and Kinu Mukari’s arrow, not missing the gap, aimed for Gordon’s neck from afar.

Taang!!

“These guys.”

He snarled, nervously deflecting the arrows made of geomantic stone, and Gordon struck down with all his might on Millyana’s head below him.

Thud!! Kwagagagang!!!

Barely twisting her body, Gordon’s fist missed her and struck the ground.

Fragments of stone scattered in all directions.

As he swung his fist, Hwarin and Millyana retreated from the sharp air pressure.

“……”

Carryl watched the clash of the three without moving for some reason.

“Aidan.”

“Yes.”

“Throw your sword at him.”

Aidan momentarily triggered a magical transformation, condensing a mana blade within his dagger.

Attacking the Emperor of the Empire directly was an act of far greater significance than any of their previous skirmishes, but as soon as the order was given, Aidan threw the dagger he was holding with all his might towards Olivern without hesitation.

Swish!!

A tremendous speed that could not be followed with the naked eye.

“Your Majesty!!”

The knights cried out in urgent voices, but there was no one who could stop his attack, which had momentarily turned him into a Sword Master-level assassin.

Clang―!!

But surprisingly, Aidan’s dagger, imbued with magic, did not reach Olivern and was deflected away.

“……!!!”

The knights stared at him with surprised eyes.

‘As expected. He was there.’

Carryl looked at the man who stood in front of Olivern and blocked Aidan’s dagger.

With pale skin and a peculiar helmet covering the area around his mouth instead of his head, he firmly stepped on the dagger Aidan had thrown and broke it.

‘Alter Bolton.’

Carryl looked at the man as if he had expected it.

After his regression, Carryl had sought out and met the talents who were called the Seven Pillars of the Empire in his previous life.

Some of them had become his allies, while others had not, but he had not yet met one of the seven that he knew.

Unfortunately, he did not know how that one person had become a knight of the Empire in his previous life either.

That man was right before his eyes.

Alter Bolton, the War Maniac, the last of the Seven Pillars of the Empire.

“You had a bodyguard.”

“Of course.”

“Wouldn’t it be okay if it was your lord?”

Carryl gave an inscrutable smile at Aidan’s words.

“Millyana. Step back.”

“……?!”

Millyana looked at him with an expression of incomprehension at his words.

“What are you saying? Are you saying you’re going to throw away this golden opportunity because of some fledgling who has just stepped into the realm of Sword Master?”

“We can stop that behemoth. If we just cut that guy’s head off now, there’s no need to go to war.”

Hwarin also spoke, as if agreeing with her words.

“Leaders, withdraw the troops. Millyana, you too.”

“Why?!”

“Don’t you feel it?”

“……What?”

“At least you should have noticed. Olivern’s real bodyguard is somewhere else. Don’t get caught up in the battle with Gordon and lose sight of your surroundings.”

“Somewhere else?”

At that moment, Millyana’s face hardened, and she hurriedly turned around.

It was then.

A massive shadow, incomparable to the airship from earlier, covered the hills of the North.

“Th, there……!!!”

“No way.”

Someone’s cry rang out.

“It’s…… It’s a dragon!!!”

With a hardened expression, Carryl looked at where they were looking. A single, massive dragon flying in, fluttering its beautiful silver-white wings like snow.

Buzz― Buzz―

The foreigners and barbarians gathered on the hill looked at the darkened sky, unable to take their eyes off it with fear, unlike their previously belligerent attitude.

“Was the rumor true?”

“Could it be…….”

Moans and sighs were heard here and there, and Millyana shouted as she looked at them.

“Don’t cause a commotion―!!”

But despite her encouragement, the soldiers’ trembling did not easily subside.

“Foreigners of the North!!”

At that moment, as if waiting for it, Olivern’s voice rang in the soldiers’ ears.

“And barbarians of the South.”

It was definitely not a loud voice, but strangely, it seemed to be heard even by the soldiers far away.

Linguistic Spirit (言靈) [Kotodama: the power of language to influence reality].

His unique intonation created a rhythm, and it felt as if it was not heard by the ears, but directly struck the depths of the heart.

“Until now, we have had endless battles over many years amidst much misunderstanding and distrust. I know well the atrocities that the Empire has committed so far. I sincerely regret what the former Emperor, Tyran Schtean, has done.”

[Krrrreureureureu…….]

A sharp cry was heard from above, as if answering his words.

“But I am different. If you come with me with a sincere heart, I will accept you. But!! If you choose death by the tyranny of a misguided king, you will have to fight this power that you see with your own eyes.”

[Kaaaaaaa……!!!]

A piercing roar that seemed to tear the eardrums.

The soldiers unknowingly covered their ears and sat down.

[That bastard. He played a clever trick.]

Arhn, who appeared as a black spirit body with the help of Duat’s power, clicked his tongue as he looked at Olivern.

[To think the Empire still has a pact with the Guardian Dragon from the Magic Era……. That bastard created a stage to show off the Platinum Dragon.]

At his words, Carryl nodded with a slightly hardened face.

“That’s right. The purpose wasn’t a surprise attack.”

That was why Olivern had hastily advanced unnecessarily to the North, rather than to a battlefield that was advantageous to him.

It wasn’t a surprise attack for victory.

The real purpose was to show the existence of the dragon here, where everyone was gathered.

And the effect was certain.

The existence of a dragon was still an overwhelming presence for humans.

“Peacefully?”

Millyana scoffed at Olivern’s words.

“What a joke. A guy who wants to make a peace treaty launches a surprise attack like this first? If the attack had succeeded, he would have annihilated the foreigners as they were. Now that it’s blocked, he’s pulling out his last resort and talking about dialogue. What is this if not coercion?”

But whether it was dialogue or coercion, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that there was a dragon before their eyes, and that the great magical creature had now become their enemy.

The Empire alone was by no means an easy opponent, but to make matters worse, there was even a dragon…….

[Krrrreureureureu…….]

Carryl’s wyvern began to cry out warily, as if frightened by the appearance of the Platinum Dragon.

“This is the last favor the Empire will give you. I hope you do not take life lightly.”

Chwaaaaa―――!!!

As the dragon spread its wings with all its might, the huge wings, like the sails of a ship, shook and created a fierce gale.

Woooooong……!!

As Olivern, riding on the head of the Platinum Dragon, soared into the sky, the airship slowly began to rise.

“We are returning to the Empire!!”

The soldiers of the Imperial Army began to disperse in an orderly manner, but no one could follow them.

“Nar Di Maug…….”

Carryl murmured quietly, looking at the Platinum Dragon and the airship disappearing into the sky.

Millyana, with a dissatisfied expression, spoke to Carryl, who had been silent all along when the dragon appeared.

“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you froze up at the sight of a dragon?”

But unlike her worries, Carryl’s face was calm itself.

“Kuh… Khehehe.”

Rather, he burst into laughter.

Gulp―

Feeling a sudden surge of hot killing intent from Carryl, Millyana tensed up without realizing it.

“Aidan.”

“Do you remember what we talked about before?”

“Is Your Grace referring to what happened at the Fortress of the Fallen?”

“That’s right.”

For some reason, Aidan Hamil was also relaxed, not at all frightened, like Carryl.

“Of course. I had that exact thought as soon as I saw the dragon. Now that there are no more difficulties passing through the Eastern Country, we will be able to arrive much faster. The Empire controls a dragon……. I was honestly a bit surprised. I thought the Guardian Dragon was just a legend.”

“But it’s an opportunity for us.”

“That is exactly right.”

“Guardian Dragon? It’s just a dragon. If he stands on the Empire’s side and runs wild, let him. Let’s see if he actually goes to the battlefield and fights for the Empire even after this.”

While everyone was terrified by the appearance of the Platinum Dragon, Carryl’s thoughts were different. He raised the corners of his mouth, turned around, and said quietly.

“We’re going to raid the empty lair (Lair) [the dragon’s unguarded nest or territory].”