The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 367

233. An Unexpected Visitor (2)

“……I knew it.”

Deril Harian chuckled, observing Karil’s Rakna [a magically imbued sword] pointed directly at him.

“I see that my decision to choose you was not wrong.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

Karil frowned slightly at his words.

“Mew…….”

The verdant fawn, seemingly frightened by the murderous aura Karil emitted, stuck out its tongue and retreated behind Deril, letting out a low moan.

“The Three Great Phases refer to the divine beasts possessing the power of spirits. It is true that they disappeared with the loss of the Spirit Realm.”

Deril gently stroked the deer’s head and continued. “Among them, Verdant has been born with the power of Rasis, the Spirit King of Light, for generations. Although my magic power is inferior to Aln, the reason you cannot defeat me is precisely because of this.”

[Laughable.]

Aln denied his words, seemingly offended.

“Although it has not been born long, be careful, as borrowing Duart’s magic power, not Duart himself, will not even scratch me but rather turn you to ashes.”

[…….]

“The Three Great Phases are all known to have been annihilated, so how do you possess one?”

“That’s right. They were dead. However, we revived them. Although it is only a single Alkar [a member of the Three Great Phases].”

“Revive a Phase?”

Karil frowned slightly at the story he had never heard, even in his previous life.

From the beginning, the Golden Magic Society was a group as veiled as Wooden Cloud [an enigmatic organization]. They had been lending power to the Duchy, but that power was only a small part, and even the Dukes of the Duchy did not know much about the Golden Magic Society.

“Anthem seemed quite close to you when he spoke of you. He said it would be good to have your power when developing the formation.”

“The Dukes of the Duchy were all empty-headed, but he was different. Although he did not share our intentions, he always tried to use our power like the smart man he was.”

“So, it wasn’t a relationship based on trust.”

“It is better to have the ability to use than a clumsy affection. We are also helping each other with Anthem. Recently, we have not been in contact due to various reasons…….”

Deril said, lightly tapping the old grimoire he was holding.

“The Free State also owes us a debt, so I thought we could have a good deal with Karil and came to meet you.”

“Debt? Do you think the nonsense that I have a debt I don’t even know about to someone I’ve never even seen will work?”

“You will soon find out. Was the word ‘debt’ a bit harsh? Let’s call it a little help. But owing a debt does not necessarily mean coercion.”

“Nonsense.”

“If you like what you see, you can continue the deal after that. After all, this deal is a problem after you become the master of the continent.”

“…….”

Karil glanced at Deril Harian. It was as if he was already certain of his victory in the war with the Empire, and the fact that he was preparing for what would happen after that made it feel like he was referring to the Holy War [a major, religiously motivated conflict].

“Here.”

“……Hmm?”

Deril Harian handed Karil an old grimoire.

“It is the Great Grimoire, Folsetia. It is not a fake, so I will give it to you as a gift of trust.”

“Didn’t you say that ability is better than clumsy trust?”

“Because it is not clumsy. This artifact was created after the Mythical Era.”

“Isn’t the Golden Magic Society trying to obtain this? Are you really giving this to me?”

“We can’t use it in the first place. To reach great magic, you must not be biased to one side. Folsetia is a powerful magic in itself, like Karil’s swordsmanship.”

Annihilation Strike.

Karil’s swordsmanship of the Blader [a master swordsman], obtained from the Thousand-Year Ice Cave.

“But…….”

“Yes. It’s not enough to kill a god.”

Deril Harian answered even faster than him, as if he had read his mind.

“Magic is the same. It is powerful in itself, but no more than that. But unfortunately, we cannot even learn that magic. It is something that the human body cannot handle. Only Karil, who has dragon magic power, can do it. Since Karil, who has such a vessel, has even mastered the swordsmanship of killing gods, we can only be grateful.”

He said that with a bitter smile.

[A magician is someone who craves magic. Gratitude my ass. He just can’t do it because he knows his limits.]

Aln snorted at him.

“That’s not wrong either.”

“What were you trying to do with this magic?”

The Golden Magic Society was created to find the Great Grimoire Folsetia.

If it was simply born out of the desire to realize the strongest magic, they would not have given the grimoire to Karil so easily.

They would have tried to implement this magic themselves by any means.

“The same as Karil.”

Deril shrugged lightly and replied. “Let’s just say that’s about it for now.”

With an ambiguous answer, he said goodbye as if he could no longer speak.

“Please use it well. There were quite a few things that happened in the process of finding that book in the Blood Cave.”

“Wait.”

“Where did you get this book?”

Deril, who had turned around, stopped as if he had been waiting. It felt like his back was smiling.

“Didn’t you see anything else?”

“Well? What are you talking about…….”

Kwaaaang—!!!

Karil slammed the back of Deril Harian’s neck to the floor with all his might.

Even a magician with excellent magic power cannot train his body to the limit. If it were any other magician, his head would have exploded from the blow.

Tsueueueueue…….

However, Deril’s body, which was pressed to the floor, turned to dust and disappeared, and he was standing in front of him unharmed.

“Suan Hajar and Israfil.”

He said the names of the two as if he already knew, and Karil glared at him.

“You unlucky bastard.”

“Whether you believe it or not, the two were not there when we went to the Blood Cave. But the demonic fruits that were being cultivated inside had also disappeared. Thanks to that, Wooden Cloud left the cave, and we were able to investigate the cave easily.”

“I can’t believe that either. Wooden Cloud and you are equally suspicious. And it hasn’t been confirmed that this book is really Folsetia.”

“The Spirit Kings will know that. And you don’t have to worry too much. I think you will soon know the whereabouts of the two. Or maybe……. That might be another worry.”

Deril Harian said with a bit of joy.

“Why?”

“The Order will move.”

“That’s nothing special. The Empire is starting a war, and Olivon won’t just let that power rot. The important thing is when that will be.”

Karil replied coldly.

“Kill the Platinum Dragon before that.”

“You’re arrogant to the end. I’ll take care of that even if you don’t tell me.”

Jigra, who was next to him, was having a hard time breathing because of the subtle aura emanating from Karil.

It felt like a warning not to say anything presumptuous anymore.

“The Spirit King of Light is sealed in the safest place in the world. Right inside his heart.”

“……!!!”

“Then.”

Deril Harian disappeared into the darkness with those words. Even the small white-furred deer that had been shining disappeared with him, leaving only the embers of the burnt-out bonfire in the forest.

[He’s a really strange guy. What is his identity?]

“I don’t know.”

[Anyway, the war is not over yet. The Platinum Dragon must have moved to strike the Free Army. So, what about the trap you mentioned?]

Karil looked at the grimoire he had given him and said in a low voice.

Uuuuuung…….

The old grimoire seemed to react to the dragon magic power, and light began to shine as it opened its pages.

Karil’s eyes trembled slightly as he looked at the densely written letters.

“It’s ready.”

He smiled faintly.

* * *

[Kuaaaaaaaa……!!!]

The sound of battle echoed loudly across the battlefield, along with the Platinum Dragon’s sharp roar.

“Magic Corps, deploy shields with all your might! The Immortal Guild’s reinforcements will arrive in just one day! You must stop his breath by any means until then!!”

Thomson shouted as he looked at the Platinum Dragon flying in the sky and scattering flames everywhere.

Bang!! Kwaaaang!!

As the mages of the Ulkas Guild deployed protective magic with all their might, a huge hemispherical shield was created around Tatur.

As the Imperial Army gradually tightened its grip around Tatur with the sound of fierce shelling, the battlefield began to flow even more urgently.

‘That’s it.’

Tiren was certain that the victory had now shifted to his side with the Platinum Dragon’s joining.

“All troops!! Cross the river and advance!!”

He shouted with the determination to never miss the victory that had come.

“There are still magic troops left in Tatur. We are mainly composed of knights and ordinary soldiers to increase speed. Advancing after the rear unit joins…….”

“This is a battle against time. If the northern defense fortress, Digon in the south, and the large golems moving from the Marquisate gather here, it will be even more difficult to capture the castle.”

“Tiren is right. Now is the only moment Tatur is weak.”

Kwell sided with Tiren rather than Mart’s advice. After capturing the center of the canyon and securing the height, he drove his horse non-stop and advanced to Tatur first.

The morale of the Imperial Army was higher than ever due to his relentless battle.

“I think so too, brother. Even if those guys have magic troops, we are under the protection of the dragon. Even a great mage is nothing compared to a dragon. Are you worried about the magic of mere mercenary rabble?”

However, unlike the two, Mart, who knew Karil well, could not hide his uneasiness. In particular, the wound on the Platinum Dragon’s wing kept catching his eye.

‘What happened in the rear? Karil must have done it.’

Thud-

It was then.

Kwell grabbed Mart’s shoulder as he was contemplating.

“You can’t fight if you have too many thoughts. Focus only on capturing Tatur now.”

“……I’m sorry.”

Mart lowered his head and replied.

“Tiren, the strategy.”

“The reason I said this war is a speed war is not just because of the reinforcements. We left the supplies in the rear and came here with the bare minimum to advance quickly to Tatur. The remaining supplies will last at most one day.”

Everyone looked on with tense expressions at Tiren’s words.

The lack of supplies was bound to act as a psychological anxiety, which was directly related to the morale of the troops.

“But seeing that the Platinum Dragon has arrived, the time it will take for the rear unit to join is about two days. That’s enough to hold out.”

“That’s right.”

Only then did people breathe a sigh of relief.

“The answer?”

Tiren said, his eyes shining.

* * *

“Where is the Lord?”

“There is still no news.”

“He went to the rear to strike the Platinum Dragon, but the fact that the Platinum Dragon is here now…….”

Anthem Howard spoke anxiously, but Dushala shook her head at him.

“Nonsense. If a commander leading the battlefield utters such nonsense, I will cut off your head.”

“…….”

Unlike her previous respectful attitude, Anthem looked at Dushala with a bewildered look at her sharp words.

“Hehe, that’s what makes you the Queen of the Black Market. Brat.”

Kamma began to grin as if he missed that look.

“What about the reinforcements you mentioned?”

“They will be here soon.”

Ganes did not ask further at Dushala’s answer and boarded the Wyvern [a dragon-like creature used for aerial combat].

“I understand. Then I will ask you to command.”

After all, the job of a knight was to go to the battlefield and fight, and the job of a strategist was to devise strategies so that they could win.

Anthem shook his head, slapping himself on both cheeks as if trying to come to his senses.

“They blocked the river upstream, and the water level has weakened. The strong currents that Ponaan was so proud of are no longer meaningful. The height of the river is at most thigh-high. Perhaps the entire army can advance.”

“Does that mean a total attack?”

It was a terrible thing to even imagine that 500,000 troops, joined by a dragon, would charge towards Tatur all at once.

“But their only weakness is that they have no supplies. Their supplies are concentrated in the rear unit.”

Anthem pointed to the forest behind Tatur on the map.

“And the reason we haven’t been able to strike the rear unit until now is because the Platinum Dragon was protecting them.”

“But that guy is now so angry that he’s wreaking havoc in our front yard.”

Kamma said as if he had been waiting.

“That means the rear unit is empty. Then the Wyvern unit will strike them.”

Ganes nodded as if he understood.

“No.”

“Although the Platinum Dragon is gone, the Imperial Army’s magic corps is heavily deployed there. If the Wyvern appears in the sky, it is likely to become their target. Moreover, the Wyvern is the only force that can stop the dragon right now.”

“Then……?”

Dushala pulled her head back at his question.

“I’m not a fighter.”

Her gaze stopped at Kamma. Unlike him, who was threatening, her gaze continued to linger on him.

“……Haa. The point is to prevent them from eating without getting caught, right?”

“That’s right.”

In the end, Kamma scratched his head and said.

“Playing with food. Isn’t that what you’re best at?”

He shrugged and replied.

“It’s common in the slums.”