The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 353

228. The Battle for Four-Nine (1)

“I never thought I’d be returning like this.”

Paul Hend removed his helmet, looking uncomfortable in the armor, and placed it on the desk in the Imperial Army’s command tent.

“There was no one else I could entrust it to. I’m sorry.”

“Please, don’t mention it.”

Paul Hend, formerly the Vice-Commander of the Azure Knights before retiring to instruct the McGovern family’s children in swordsmanship, replied with a hint of nostalgia.

“I’m simply overwhelmed that you would call on an old body like mine again. I’m not sure if I’m too rusty to move properly.”

“We know Sir Paul Hend’s skills better than anyone, so there’s no need for such modesty.”

Mart, inside the command tent, knew his former instructor’s capabilities well, having been taught by him since childhood.

Even after becoming a knight, he had rarely defeated Paul Hend in sparring. Looking back, he even wondered if those defeats were intentional concessions.

“Huhu, I’m just worried about whether they’ll follow my lead.”

Late that night,

After receiving Oliver’s orders in the Sun Hall, Kwell quickly reorganized his troops.

He significantly modified the platoons initially created by Cam Gray and entrusted the newly formed Jade Knights, who had abruptly lost their commander, to Paul Hend.

Some knights protested the return of a retired officer as their commander, but these were mostly younger knights who hadn’t been knighted for long.

More experienced knights welcomed Paul Hend’s return, and the opposition quickly faded.

“You don’t need to worry, just like you said, Brother. Sir—no, Sir Paul Hend. War is different from a simple duel. Your experience is perfect for a commander. Even I, who knows nothing of swordsmanship, have seen your skills as an instructor.”

The tent flap opened.

“Tyren.”

Kwell looked at his son standing in the doorway and quietly said his name.

“It’s been a while, Father.”

“I heard you recommended Paul Hend to His Majesty. You’re starting to look like a proper Imperial noble. Well, you were always the one who fit in best in the Imperial City.”

“You flatter me.”

“Have you been well?”

“Yes. I’m glad to see that my brother seems to be doing well too.”

At the comment that he seemed to be doing well, Mart forced a bitter smile and remained silent.

“A bit late, but the Imperial decree has been issued. Bran Gaunt, the Marquisate’s strategist, is dead, and His Majesty has appointed me as the tactical commander. I will be on the battlefield with Father.”

Kwell nodded heavily at Tyren’s words.

“I’m sorry that all of you brothers have to go to the same battlefield.”

“It’s alright.”

The time they had been apart wasn’t that long, but Kwell felt that Tyren seemed distant, as if decades had passed since they last met.

“Father.”

“……?”

“The reason I came at this hour is that I have something else to say.”

“What is it?”

“I know that you are investigating the Wooden Cloud.”

At Tyren’s words, Kwell’s face hardened.

“The three relics of the Order [referring to a specific religious order]. Perhaps you were looking for them.”

“How did you know that…….”

“Randall once came to see me. There were ancient books with information about them scattered on his desk. They would have been nothing more than old books if one didn’t know their true nature.”

Tyren said quietly.

“But for some reason, he seemed interested in them. It wasn’t just simple curiosity, but the look of someone trying to find something.”

“So you deliberately tested your brother.”

At Kwell’s words, Tyren shrugged with an indifferent expression.

“I was just curious. Why are not only Father, but also my eldest brother and Randall hesitant to kill Caryl?”

Mart looked bewildered.

‘Hmm…….’

Tyren didn’t miss that reaction.

‘So it’s not Brother.’

The events within the McGovern family were ironically unfolding without him, the only true son.

“I wonder what the reason is.”

“……Did you find out the reason?”

“I don’t know.”

At Tyren’s answer, without a hint of hesitation, Kwell stared at him.

“But I don’t think it’s right for Father to doubt His Majesty’s imperial ambitions because of the relationship between the Empire and the Wooden Cloud.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“The late Emperor also borrowed the power of the Order to solidify the Empire’s position. What’s the difference between that and this?”

“The Order and the Wooden Cloud are different. Unlike the Order, which protects the people under the will of Yula [a deity or guiding principle], the Wooden Cloud is a group that originated in the Duchy. Even if their founder is related to the Order.”

“No, they are the same.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“You will be able to confirm it on the battlefield. There will be support from the Order in this war.”

Tyren slowly bowed his head and bid farewell.

“Father. It has been many years since you became a knight, so you may have forgotten.”

Kwell looked at Tyren with a questioning expression.

“I swear to Yula. I will fight only to uphold the true honor that God allows.”

“…….”

The Knight’s Oath.

Mart, standing behind Kwell, looked at his father with a hardened face.

He had never imagined he would hear that noble oath from his two younger brothers in the Imperial Palace.

Of course, even though they were the same words, the meaning they contained was completely different.

“Impudent……!! How dare you, who are not even a knight, utter that oath, especially to Father!!”

“Yes, Brother. I am not a knight. But my loyalty to the Empire and His Majesty is no less than that of a knight.”

Why was that?

At that moment, Kwell had the illusion that his son was wearing the robes of the Order, not the strategist of the Empire.

“I have no doubt about Father’s loyalty. I will see you on the battlefield.”

Kwell realized at that moment that his son was no longer within his reach. He felt that Tyren was standing in a higher place, on a much more dangerous summit.

“On the battlefield…….”

Kwell let out a low sigh at the harsh reality that he had no choice but to step into the place he had been trying to avoid.

‘Gordon……. Perhaps my life will end on this battlefield. I can’t shake this unsettling feeling. If my future turns out that way……. I trust you.’

The dawn was breaking.

Kwell opened the door of the command tent and said in a voice filled with magic.

“Prepare to march.”

With the dawning light, his voice, like a trumpet of war, traveled on the wind and was heard by hundreds of thousands of troops.

* * *

“Alright, alright, prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!! What are you doing? Run like you can’t see your feet!”

“Yes!!”

“Understood!!”

Camma saluted and watched the commanders retreat, wiping sweat with a towel and leaning back on the sofa as if exhausted.

“Hoo, it’s complete chaos.”

“What about the supplies?”

“All done. I’ve inventoried everything and equipped the soldiers with the equipment sent from Azor.”

“What about the magic corps that Thomson brought?”

“They’ve been deployed to the ships. No matter how strong the Imperial Army is, they won’t cross Four-Nine easily. Carl Mack’s magic galleons will crush them.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Dushalla, to hear words of gratitude from you… I might live a long life after all.”

“Don’t be silly.”

Dushalla chuckled at Camma’s words.

But unlike their smiles, a palpable tension filled Tatur.

After receiving a report from a spy within the Empire that 500,000 Imperial troops had begun moving south, the people here immediately understood the Imperial Army’s main target.

“I may have grown up in the slums, but this is my home. I’ve lived here longer than you. I can’t let those guys take it while the Lord is away.”

Camma unexpectedly burned with fighting spirit. Dushalla smiled lightly. He usually seemed lighthearted, but she sensed his sincerity now.

“What about our troop numbers?”

“There are 100,000 Free Army soldiers remaining in Tatur, plus 5,000 magic corps members from the Ulkas Guild who came from Azor. That’s all.”

“A five-to-one fight, huh.”

“It can’t be helped. Tatur was just a city, at best. It doesn’t have a large military force. The Free Army grew because of the barbarians’ power.”

Dushalla looked at the troop deployment map scattered around and sighed.

The Digon tribe in the south was already facing Jarvant’s forces, and the troops in the northern fortress were tied down by the Gold Dragon, Enuma Elash.

‘According to the plan, we were supposed to strike the Imperial Army’s flank while bringing the foreign tribes south……. But the dragons joined them.’

“This won’t be an easy fight.”

Dushalla said without realizing it.

“Keu keu, when has our life ever been easy? We were bottom-feeders; every day was a mud fight. This much……. It’s not a problem.”

Camma’s words were spirited, but even he couldn’t deny that his voice trembled.

Just then,

“Reporting! Lord Marze and Lord Aven of the Lanion Alliance are arriving in Tatur with 50,000 troops!”

“……!!”

At the soldier’s words, Camma clapped his hands.

“Heaven has helped us! If it’s Marze, isn’t he the old general called the Shield of Istan? With him, a master of siege warfare, we can better stop the Imperial Army.”

But the commotion in the hallway didn’t end there.

“Urgent news!! The Immortal Society has dispatched 5,000 black mages to support us! They’re scheduled to arrive within two days via teleportation magic circle.”

“Oh……!!”

“Also, Mikhail, Serica Lauren, and Nine Darhon of the Ivory Tower have said they will join Tatur within two days to command the magic corps.”

“Ha…… Haha.”

Camma twitched his lips and trembled with joy.

At that moment, another soldier burst into the room, panting.

“Reporting!!”

“What is it now?!”

“Wyvern unit spotted in the sky!! The leader is Ganes Abelant!! The number of wyverns is about 1,000!! All the wyvern units that remained in the former Duchy are heading towards Tatur.”

“1,000 wyvern units?! That’s as good as tens of thousands of troops! Ha, haha……. Dushalla, to have these reinforcements at this timing… This is truly fortunate. Wouldn’t you say this is good fortune?”

Camma said, choking back tears, looking like he was about to cry from emotion.

“In addition, the Lord, who has now occupied the Vestal Marquisate, is heading towards Tatur with the Chang family.”

“……!!!”

At the last soldier’s report, the two clenched their fists.

“The Lord is finally…….”

Dushalla repeated the soldier’s report in a low voice.

“This isn’t good fortune. What has God ever done for us?”

“What?”

“It’s what the Lord has accomplished. I will protect Tatur no matter what until the Lord arrives.”

Camma felt a chilling thrill at her words. He saw the sharpness of the administrator who had once ruled Tatur.

“This fight…… is worth a try now.”

At that moment, Dushalla’s eyes gleamed.