The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 360

“Hurry, hurry!!!”

Miliana’s sharp voice echoed like a whip, spurring the Digon clan onward.

“Prepare for battle within 10 minutes!! Understood!!”

“Yes!!!”

“Understood!!!”

[Kuh… Kuh-heuk…!! Altemann! Do you really think you can be forgiven for betraying the Dragon!]

“Says who? Shouldn’t you give some kind of answer? Elf lady.”

[Keo… Keo-heok!!]

Miliana mercilessly struck Cruaach’s head, which was bound tightly with thick chains made of Blue Lapis [a rare, magical gemstone], as she spoke to him.

“Looks like I answered for you.”

Altemann responded with an exasperated tone at her actions.

“Aidan, what on earth happened to you in the meantime? You’ve become quite useful?”

Miliana sat on Cruaach’s head and said.

[You bitch…!! How dare you sit on top of…!!]

Unfortunately, the Green Dragon’s roar did not continue to the end. Miliana’s sharp claws, transformed like a dragon’s, pierced through the dragon’s scales and dug into his cheek.

[Kuaaak!!]

She mercilessly grabbed the flesh and tore it away, causing several of the dragon’s tough scales to fall off along with a clump of blood.

“Don’t expect any courtesy for hostages. Isn’t that what you call us? Savages.”

[Kuh… Kuh-heuek.]

Cruaach trembled in pain, letting out a sound that was hard to distinguish as a cry.

“To capture a dragon… Who are those people in white clothes? Honestly, it would have been impossible without them.”

Kanocho watched Miliana, who was hitting Cruaach without any hesitation, and asked with a slightly worried expression.

Seeing the Snakels stuffing food into their mouths as if they hadn’t eaten for days after the battle, it was hard to believe that they were the ones who had displayed such amazing combat power just moments ago.

“It would have been difficult, but not impossible,” Miliana corrected.

Altemann, who was next to her, gave a bitter smile. “They are assassins of the Dark Shadow. The elite among them. I don’t know how you trained them, but they’ve become quite useful. You guys need to step up your game. Those guys originally move in the shadows, so the daytime belongs to warriors.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

The sisters nodded at her words.

“How about getting off his head? He is, after all, the only Green Dragon. War is important, but it would be good to consider his treatment for the future.”

“Why does the modifier ‘after all’ need to be in this situation? He’s just a prisoner. In war, we only need to protect our allies, not endangered species,” Miliana said coldly.

“Well, I admit that your contribution to capturing the dragon was significant, so I will follow your words.”

However, she nodded and got off Cruaach’s head, saying, “It seems that Aidan isn’t the only one who has become stronger in the Promised Land… Can I ask you something?”

“Hmm?”

“If we only consider swordsmanship, who is better, Carryl or you?”

Altemann asked back, dumbfounded by the sudden question. “Why are you curious about that?”

“I want to fight you. It’s a good way to develop Digon’s dual swordsmanship. There’s nothing better than real combat, right?”

“If that’s the case, you should ask Carryl. He is the Great Warrior of the North, no matter what anyone says.”

“I just… I just wish you were superior in swordsmanship, if possible.”

“Why?”

“Because I can fight you with all my heart.”

Altemann chuckled at her answer.

“By the way, they pulled out as soon as the dragon was captured. That old man has a long lifeline. Or are the Imperial soldiers all just spineless bastards?”

As if she didn’t care about Altemann’s reaction, she stretched her arms over her head as if yawning.

“For Digon, there is no retreat from a battlefield once you’ve stepped onto it.”

The Zarvant Empire’s army, emboldened by Cruaach’s capture, advanced straight towards Digon.

With numerical superiority, they were naturally confident of victory.

However, the unexpected joining of Aidan and Altemann, and Miliana’s Dragon Transformation, the unity of these three, and Cruaach’s helpless capture, had the opposite effect on the Imperial army, which had been boosted in morale.

In the end, the result of the battle was a crushing defeat.

In addition, Aidan’s performance, who had now completely risen to the rank of Sword Master, caused great damage to the enemy knight order, making this clash a complete defeat for the Imperial army.

Miliana couldn’t help but be surprised at his noticeably improved appearance.

“But are you really going to take Cruaach all the way to Tatur [a major city]?” Aidan, unaware of her assessment of him, asked after eating his fill and wiping his mouth. “If we do that, the time to join the battlefield will be much later.”

“Of course. It’s a perfect opportunity to show Carryl Digon’s achievements. We need to show him clearly that humans are not weak even without him.”

The people there nodded at Miliana’s words. The power of the Free City of Tatur was strong, but it was true that most of the major battles were almost always resolved by Carryl.

It was to save as many talents as possible for the sake of the oracle and to leave behind a human army separate from the race, but his performance inevitably led to the devaluation of his other subordinates.

Miliana believed that the balance of power was important in the Free City, which was made up of various tribes and kingdoms, not a single lineage like the Empire.

She knew that there was Carryl, an unrivaled existence, but she also had to show the achievements of the leaders representing each tribe, so she personally participated in this battle.

“But it’s too late. At this rate, we might be beaten to the punch by the northern bastards. They will also clean up the dragons and move south.”

“Hmm, you’ve only met the northern barbarians for a brief moment, but how can you be so confident in Hwarin’s skills?” Altemann asked, as if surprised by her willingness to admit it.

“Hwarin? Ah… that big woman from the monkey tribe? I don’t care if she’s strong or weak. I don’t even want to know.”

“Then…?”

“Carryl said he sent her. What I believe in is not that woman, but Carryl. He doesn’t fight battles without a chance of winning. Well, if I had to know, it’s just that the little kid Viola and the brat she raised have now shed their childishness,” Miliana chuckled.

[You bastards…!!! Let me go!!!!]

After finishing her words, she pulled on the iron chain wrapped around Cruaach’s neck.

“Shut up. Before I tear off your scales and use them as a flag right now, close your mouth and be quiet. I heard that if you eat a dragon’s heart, you gain magical power? There are plenty of people here who don’t have magical power… Shall I split your heart open for you?”

[Keuk…!!!]

At her words, Cruaach glared at her with rebellious eyes but could no longer let out any roars.

“Even in the mythical era before a thousand years ago, the masters of this continent were humans. What have you guys done to interfere now? I’ll show you how humans make history.”

Miliana shouted as she drew her sword. The Digon clan, who had already finished preparing for battle, waited for her sword to fall, emitting sharp glares.

“Gather in the center!”

* * *

“Imperial army rear unit advance confirmed!! War is in progress in the valley of the hills, they say.”

The scenery passed quickly like the wind.

“Kaila of the Chang clan in the 1st army is breaking through the front lines and is instead putting pressure on the Imperial army.”

“It seems that they are holding onto the main force of the Empire as planned.”

Alrn exclaimed softly at the reports sent by the Black Eye clan from time to time.

[Carryl, your speed is amazing, but those guys who are following you without missing you are amazing too. What kind of bodies do they have? They don’t even have magical power.]

[Among the immigrants who inherited the blood of the Blader, the Black Eye clan is special. That’s why Carryl was able to stand above the Imperials with just a sword in his previous life.]

Carryl nodded at Duat’s words.

‘The immigrants have better physical abilities than the Imperials. Among them, they are overwhelmingly superior. That’s why the Black Eye clan has been in charge of the Great Warriors for a long time.’

[In short, they are the elite of the immigrants. It would be interesting if they had magical power.]

Alrn said, looking at Zigra with interest.

“Take care of it.”

It was then.

Carryl said in a low voice without turning his gaze. Then, the warriors of the Black Eye who were on both sides scattered at once.

“Wh… What!!!”

The mages standing in the forest hurriedly tried to cast magic at their sudden appearance, but before they could even chant the spell, the warriors of the Black Eye clan cleanly beheaded them.

The soldiers around them, who were in charge of guarding them, were also neatly dead.

[They were using exploration magic. Unfortunately, the problem is that our detection range is wider than theirs.]

Alrn said, looking at the fallen mage.

“Judging by the presence of mages, it seems that we have arrived at the 3rd unit, the rear unit.”

Carryl raised his hand at Zigra’s words.

Knowing that it was a signal to prepare for battle, the warriors of the Black Eye clan hurriedly hid among the trees.

[I see.]

Alrn also muttered as if nervous.

“There is one guy whose detection range of exploration magic is wider than ours.”

“To directly target the rear unit… You’ve chosen a bolder method than I thought. It’s a distance that takes about three days to join the main force… To arrive in half a day means that you’ve completely abandoned the main camp. That means you’re confident in holding out against Lord Cwell?”

Carryl stared into the forest.

“Or is it your confidence that you can suppress the rear unit with only ten people?”

“Well. You know who fought the dragon in the past, right? It’s only natural that they inherited their blood. There’s no one as perfect as us when it comes to dragon hunting.”

A man walking out of the forest.

Neil Blanc stared at Carryl with cold eyes. Before they knew it, the Imperial army of the rear unit began to surround them.

“In the end, we can’t be comrades.”

“Comrades?”

Carryl smiled coldly at his words.

It was funny, but the memories of his past life flashed faintly through his mind. At one time, he really thought so.

Until he knew.

“I have no intention of keeping a disgusting guy like you, who pretends to be enlightened on the outside but uses humans as experimental subjects behind the scenes, as a comrade. You lizard bastard.”

[Kuaaaaaaaa―――!!!!!]

A sharp roar that seemed to tear the ears echoed across the battlefield. The warriors of the Chang clan trembled at the sound and froze in place as if they were paralyzed.

The thrill, which was on a different level from the roars of the Sea King or the Beast King, was not only applied to the Free Army.

Among the soldiers of the Imperial army who did not receive magical protection, there were even those who foamed at the mouth and collapsed.

“Dragon Fear…”

Even Zigra of the Black Eye clan, who did not know fear, trembled and muttered.

The higher the predator, the stronger it is to the lower individuals, and the lower prey has absolute fear of the higher beings.

It was a rule and law that was inherently determined.

Therefore, the unique resonance that only the dragon, who is at the top of the food chain, has, was enough to instill fear in all species regardless of race.

“It looks like you’re finally ready to die.”

He was the only one who spoke in a low voice as if he had been waiting for it in a situation where everyone was trembling.

Carryl raised his head and looked at Neil Blanc.

“…!!!!!!”

But at that moment, his eyes shook.

As if he couldn’t believe it, Carryl looked up and down alternately. A huge silver-white scaled dragon was revealing its appearance above Neil Blanc’s head.