The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 39

36. Champion

In truth, this was a gamble for Caryl as well.

He was using the token he received from Kwell for safe passage within the Empire in this way.

If.

If Dushala suspected him even a little bit more and tried to discern his identity, it would be troublesome.

“……”

“……”

The gazes of the two crossed.

In a transaction where one discards what must be discarded and obtains what must be obtained, what exactly would be discarded and what would be acquired?

Her mind would be racing.

‘It’s an item given only to those who undertake secret missions within the Empire. I thought he wasn’t an ordinary kid, but… I didn’t expect this much.’

Dushala hurriedly concealed her flustered expression and said,

“Certainly… if we can claim the Mana Mine as ours, as you say, we might dream of Tatur’s prosperity. But how can we obtain it? Even though it’s abandoned land, it still has an owner. Tatur may not have laws, but the continent does.”

It was her last resort.

If he had a way to resolve even this….

She subtly pushed aside the token Caryl had presented and pointed to the map underneath, saying,

“If we can’t acquire it legally, the three kingdoms won’t stand idly by.”

However, as if he had been waiting for those words, Caryl wore a faint smile.

“Don’t worry about that. You know who the noble who was granted that land is, don’t you?”

At those words, her face hardened once again.

‘The owner of this place… It was Baron Berill, a washed-up mage from the Kingdom of Istant, one of the three kingdoms.’

A promising talent in his youth, capable of aspiring to become a Grand Mage, but a man who lost his talent to women.

He was called a genius in his childhood, but even such a pure genius couldn’t control the carnal desires that surged within him as an adult.

‘He called it love, but the women he got involved with happened to be the daughter of a Duke from the allied Kingdom of Tvanel and the daughter of a Baron from the Kingdom of Penria.’

It was clearly a double affair.

How many people would call that love?

‘It’s a miracle he’s still alive.’

When that fact became known, he, who had been a promising talent, faced a crisis that almost led to the destruction of his entire family.

‘But even rotten wood has its uses; every battlefield he participated in led to victory. Especially when he defended the three kingdoms from the Duchy’s invasion. Thanks to that, he barely survived and was granted such territory.’

But now, he was approaching his sixtieth birthday and no longer participated in battles, merely a uselessly healthy old mage who frequented pleasure districts.

“Do you know what it takes to move someone who doesn’t live for honor or conviction?”

“……Women?”

Dushala said to Caryl with a displeased expression.

At her answer, he chuckled.

“Well, that’s not wrong for Berill either. But with his old body, he’s not going to fall in love again….”

Caryl made a circle with his thumb and index finger, looking somewhat frivolous.

“It’s money.”

Clatter—!!

Caryl opened the mouth of the heavy pouch he had brought before coming here and scattered its contents on the desk.

“To deceive, there will be a few people besides Berill who need to be worked on. But they are all insignificant, so bribing them with money won’t be difficult.”

“…….”

At that sight, a moment of silence flowed.

“The story about mining rights will be whispered secretly only to Baron Berill himself. He may be old, but he’s not senile enough not to drool over attribute stones if he’s a mage.”

He was once called a genius.

He may have wasted his years, but he still has aspirations to advance to the center.

Dushala looked at Caryl with a serious face.

“Hoo…. Honestly, this is a nerve-wracking story. But what if you’re being backed by the Empire? What if the plan is to place Tatur under the Empire’s control in this way?”

“The gold coins I showed you are from the Empire, but they are not the Empire’s. Even the Imperial Family wouldn’t possess this much old gold.”

Caryl said, showing the gold coins.

“At most, there might be a few in the black market, but that’s all there is in the continent. Feel free to appraise their authenticity if you wish.”

He shrugged lightly.

“But now, I’ve shown you all the evidence I can. I swear, this has nothing to do with the Empire. It’s something I’m doing on my own.”

The invisible Empire.

Dushala repeated the words Caryl had said a moment ago as she looked at him.

“Oh, geez….”

She shook her head with a defeated expression.

“First a token, then gold coins from centuries ago… are you… a dragon or something?”

“If it’s easier to believe that, then maybe. It would be a good excuse if things go wrong later. ‘I was just caught up in a dragon’s prank,’ you could say.”

“……Don’t joke around. I’m being serious here.”

“So am I. The idea of building a new country above the Empire can’t be taken lightly, can it?”

At his nonchalant answer, Dushala raised both hands and said,

“Honestly, it would be ridiculous to ask you to show me any more of your abilities.”

“Trust me. Tatur will become a city that no one can touch.”

Dushala felt as if she was falling into the depths of the boy’s eyes, which were impossible to fathom.

It was a joke, but she even wondered if he might really be a dragon.

As if transcending time.

Regardless of his appearance, she felt a thrill for the first time from his natural demeanor, as if he were treating her like a child.

Not only Tatur’s fate but even her own….

A feeling that she could take a chance.

“And I may not have any abilities to show, but I’ll show you something else instead.”

“What…?”

“Come find me at dawn. I’ll show you something interesting.”

Caryl smiled lightly.

“Tatur’s secret.”

Dushala was now even afraid of his smile.

* * *

“Good. So, is this somewhat settled? It’s been a hectic day. Don’t you think?”

“…….”

The two were walking through the alleyways after leaving Dushala’s base.

Suan Hazar silently stared at Caryl’s back.

“How were you so sure that Dushala would accept the offer?”

“I wasn’t exactly sure.”

“Pardon?”

“I was thinking I could just kill her if necessary.”

“…….”

Caryl chuckled, looking at Suan’s bewildered face.

“Kamma is easy to handle. He’s lived long enough that he wants to cling to life. He doesn’t have much influence on the overall situation. He’ll follow whichever side has the greater power. But she’s different.”

News was coming in from everywhere.

As he expected, everyone welcomed the news of the contract with Berill, as well as the offer to dispose of the barren territory, which had been a difficult problem, at a high price.

“Even now that things are going well, she’s still scheming. The black market, which opens once a year, is the only day when nobles from the Empire, the Duchy, and the three kingdoms all come to Tatur. Do you know what that means?”

“Well….”

Suan Hazar shook his head, still finding Caryl’s words difficult to understand.

He had gained some confidence from playing a major role in the contract process with Dushala, but seeing Caryl’s uninhibited demeanor made him want to return to the arena.

Looking at him, Caryl smiled lightly.

“It means that she is the only one in Tatur who has connections with the nobles because she runs the black market. And what we’re doing now is completely contrary to what those nobles want. Don’t think that just because she’s smiling in front of me, she’ll have a stern expression in front of them.”

“……!!”

It was an unexpected turn of events.

“Are you saying… she might betray us?”

“Not right away. She’ll be weighing whether it’s better to strike me from behind through them. But bringing nobles into this place would be a burden for her as well. If one of the three balanced powers moves, it could easily become a pretext for war.”

“I see….”

“You have to use your head. To become an information merchant, it’s not enough to just be quick on your feet.”

Suan Hazar slowly nodded at Caryl’s words.

‘In that respect, Dushala is useful. Both as a merchant and as an information broker.’

The problem is.

Her unfathomable slyness.

‘But that’s fine in its own way. In the end, it just means she’s shrewd. If she considers Tatur’s survival and her own safety, she’ll think that following me is the best option.’

That’s why she agreed to his proposal.

The outward appearance won’t change much.

Tatur will still remain a free city and will be managed by administrators.

“There’s a lot of work to be done. Even at this moment, ethnic minorities are dying because of the Edict of Heresy Extermination. You want to save them, don’t you?”

“Can we bring them here?”

“By yourself?”

Caryl shook his head.

“Absolutely impossible. Even if you were to sail a ship, the number of people you could carry across the river would be only a few dozen at most.”

“Then….”

“Spread the rumors. Stories that are passed from mouth to mouth are faster than wyverns, and sometimes lizards become dragons.”

Caryl knew that Suan Hazar was the only one who could do this job.

“The name ‘Slave King’ is more famous in the north than any king on the continent. Use all the methods you have to make them come on their own.”

“Come on their own….”

“Instead, what you need to do is not to transport them directly, but to prepare a place where they can live.”

However, Suan Hazar frowned slightly at Caryl’s words.

“But Tatur is already close to being saturated. Even if ethnic minorities come, there’s no place to accept them….”

“There are plenty of empty lots, aren’t there?”

“Pardon?”

“Is there anyone here besides you who can freely navigate the Four-Nine River? There’s no point in leaving it as it is.”

“Ah…!!”

Suan Hazar’s eyes flashed at Caryl’s words.

“Yes, the Lawless Harbor.”

Caryl nodded.

“I left it alone to hurry things along, but you’re more than capable of cleaning up the Lawless Harbor.”

“Me?”

“Of course. You’re more than capable, and there’s no one else in Tatur who can manage the Lawless Harbor besides you.”

Caryl said, looking at the questioning Suan.

“When we first met, Kamma must have been quite embarrassed. Whether he should open the black market or acknowledge you.”

“What does that….”

“I said I would give you Tatur. Then let me ask you. How can you truly obtain this free city? I killed one of the four administrators. Should I kill all the remaining ones?”

“…….”

“In the end, it will only create another administrator. This place has not only ethnic minorities but also abandoned people from the Empire and the Duchy. Integration is difficult.”

Caryl slowly pointed to Suan’s face.

“Like your two eyes.”

At his words, Suan’s face hardened.

“Justification and purpose.”

His grand plan.

The most suitable person for it was Suan Hazar.

He was the one with the justification to embrace both the ethnic minorities and the people of the Empire.

‘But that’s not enough.’

Ting-

Caryl took out a coin he had picked up from Kyuran’s building in the Lawless Harbor from his pocket and flicked it at him.

“The tattoo on your wrist when you cross the river.”

“Pardon?”

“The Agwi tribe doesn’t have such tattoos.”

He looked at Suan.

‘I had the same thing.’

The oracle was given.

When Caryl was first summoned to the Imperial Palace, everyone didn’t believe him because of the barrier of being an ethnic minority.

He had to prove his skills.

At that time, Oliven made a proposal to him in front of the nobles.

If he became the champion of the arena, everyone would acknowledge him.

‘Looking back now, maybe they wanted me to die there….’

75 wins and 0 losses.

An unprecedented record.

What Caryl obtained as the youngest champion was the same tattoo that Suan Hazar now had on his wrist.

‘The mark of the victor.’

Caryl slowly moved his steps.

“I didn’t exactly intend to deceive you, but you’ll have a lot of work to do in the future. Please continue to take care of me. Champion of the arena.”

“……Eh?”

Suan Hazar stared blankly at his retreating figure.

“…….”

He slowly opened the hand holding the coin.

Then, without saying anything, he stared at it silently.

The coin on the palm was heads.