The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 4

4. Magic

Thump-

Mart swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry.

He felt danger instinctively.

Even with the body of a child, Khalil possessed the instincts honed from reaching the level of Sword Saint with a body devoid of magic.

He had swung his sword countless times on the battlefield.

And within the tower, attempting to reverse time.

A hundred times, a thousand times, ten thousand times, ten million times, a hundred million times…

He’d lost count.

He’d stopped counting the floors the moment he passed ten thousand, the numbers blurring together.

He only vaguely felt, instinctively, that he was going back in time as he ascended.

While climbing those countless floors, the number of monsters he had slain inside was ten times, no, more than a hundred times the number of floors themselves.

He was facing *that* Khalil McGovern.

Kwaaaang-!!!

Mart’s body reacted.

Gripping his sword with both hands, he swung it towards Khalil with all his might.

‘Two feints. The third is a slip. The fourth, a counterattack, and the last is the real attack.’

It was a textbook-perfect stance.

‘Precise. And neat.’

But that was the problem.

The same habits that had become ingrained in his body, unconsciously, because of that very perfection.

Flames flickered along the blade.

Spectators watched Mart’s swordsmanship, a fiery dance, their mouths agape.

‘It’s the first time I’ve seen my brother giving it his all like that.’

‘It’s over.’

But Mart’s expression betrayed his inner turmoil. He felt the intense heat, but Khalil didn’t seem afraid of the flames spewing from the blade. Instead, he closed the distance.

‘One, two, three… now.’

He reflexively twisted his ankle, using it as a pivot.

‘The center weakens.’

Khalil bent low, almost squatting, avoiding Mart’s sword. He lightly struck Mart’s supporting leg with the flat of his blade.

The moment Mart hurriedly stepped back to evade the attack.

‘Damn it…!!’

Khalil’s fist connected with his neck.

A feeling of suffocation.

“Cough…! Cough…!!”

Mart dropped his sword and crumpled to the ground in an undignified heap.

The match was decided easily, almost absurdly so.

But Khalil remained silent, as if the result was inevitable.

“You alien bastard!! Dirty trick!!”

“…Stop!!”

Mart shouted, his face flushed. “Stay still, Elliot.”

“But.”

Seeing his confused face, Khalil sheathed his sword.

‘Brother…

Lost?’

The younger brothers watching from behind were equally bewildered.

‘I don’t know what to think.’

This could easily lead to misunderstandings.

The day he arrived at the mansion.

A stranger had suddenly appeared and pointed a sword at him.

But.

‘There’s a reason why I went out of my way to meet you.’

Khalil looked at him intently.

‘Mart, you’ll probably notice. The reason for the defeat. And your shortcomings. Even the instructor wouldn’t have noticed. Excessive practice creates bad habits. If you don’t realize it….’

It had to be now.

Then it could end with a minor incident caused by an impolite alien child.

But if more time passed, and he simply left it alone….

‘You can’t protect the family [家門 – family lineage or household].’

No, not even himself.

‘The desire to become stronger by force… He doesn’t say it, but he must be under pressure as the eldest son.’

The pressure to become stronger.

That very pressure was holding him back.

‘But it’s a waste of your talent to leave it like this. At least in swordsmanship, it’s undeniable that you inherited the blood of Kwell.’

He could become stronger.

Perhaps this was even helping his biggest rival for the position of Count’s successor.

Normally, it would be an incomprehensible act.

But Khalil had a more important goal in mind.

‘Because I need someone.’

“I learned a lot.”

Khalil looked at him, grasping Mart’s outstretched hand.

‘Now, whether you remain a petty person or become my person is something you have to decide in the future.’

But.

‘If it becomes an obstacle, I will cut it off without mercy.’

At that moment, his eyes shone with a sharp, dangerous light.

“That’s enough.”

It was then.

Everyone hurriedly rose and bowed their heads at the sudden appearance of Kwell.

“Ah, Father.”

“It’s good to practice until late at night, but it’s too late. Everyone, go back to your rooms.”

At his words, the children left the training hall one after another.

“Khalil, you stay.”

He spoke calmly, but his voice carried an undercurrent of anger. Ruben glanced at Khalil with worried eyes and followed the others leaving the training hall.

“Why did you do this?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Kwell let out a low sigh.

“Khalil, I have to go to the Imperial Palace soon. Then you will be left here alone.”

“…….”

“I won’t tell you to get along with the children. But I hope you don’t cause any problems. It will only make things harder for you.”

Khalil looked at Kwell.

The setting was different, but he had heard the same words in his previous life [前生 – previous life, reincarnation].

‘But rather, in response to those words, I erected even more barriers between myself and my brothers.’

He had hated everything.

The sight of Kwell, who had destroyed his tribe and then taken him in, felt endlessly hypocritical.

‘I didn’t know the relationship between our clan and him back then.’

At least those words were sincere.

“It seems like it’s better not to hold a sword for the time being. Is there anything else you want to do?”

Kwell asked, but he didn’t expect Khalil to answer.

For the Black Eyes, the sword [劍 – sword] was inseparable from their being.

Nod-

But unlike his expectations, Kwell’s eyes widened as Khalil nodded.

“Really? What is it? Tell me.”

Khalil said in a calm voice, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“I will study magic.”

“…….”

At that moment, Kwell stared at Khalil without a word.

Maybe… he’s thinking this right now.

*That’s* crazy.

* * *

Late at night.

The training hall was still lit up, long after everyone else was asleep.

“It’s been a while since I’ve faced you with a sword.”

“That’s right. But it seems like you’ve brought a troublemaker this time.”

“Hoo…”

Kwell smiled bitterly as he sharpened his sword.

He was back from the front lines after half a year. The house he had returned to after a long time was filled with tension, not peace.

But Kwell smiled wryly because he knew that he was the one who had caused it.

Kaang-!! Kang! Kang!!

Fierce swordsmanship [劍擊 – swordsmanship, fencing].

The one who flexibly parried his sword was Paulhend, the former deputy commander of the Blue Knights led by Kwell, and the swordsmanship instructor of the McGovern family.

He knew why Kwell had called him.

Although he was an old knight who had retired, he was no fool.

“It won’t be easy.”

He said bluntly.

To be honest, this was the most diplomatic way of putting it.

In his heart…

He wanted to say, ‘Send him back right away.’

“Do you think so too?”

“Yes.”

Paulhend unknowingly revealed his true feelings. At his answer, Kwell opened his eyes as if intrigued.

“It’s already a mess among the servants. The result of the sparring with Mart… The news will reach Madam tomorrow.”

“I imagine so.”

“I don’t know if he’s clueless or bold…”

He wasn’t talking about mere rudeness.

His very existence was dangerous.

Paulhend understood the meaning behind Kwell’s words, but he pretended not to and continued.

“I’m worried about whether Madam will remain still. Don’t you know? Her feelings for the first young master are… special.”

“Besides that.”

“…….”

At his prompting, Paulhend shook his head, his expression resigned, and answered.

“What I *want* to hear.”

“From a young age, from the innate frame to the unique rhythm of the flexible aliens… I don’t know if it’s innate or the result of training, but he’s definitely a child of the Black Eyes.”

“I knew it.”

Kwell nodded.

“To be honest, I was surprised. It’s like a child born for the sword. I don’t know if I should be grateful that the aliens are inherently devoid of magic.”

Contrary to his intention to be reserved, Paulhend’s words tumbled out faster, as if he was unconsciously excited when he started talking about his impressions of Khalil.

“If that child had been born as an imperial and had magic…”

“My record would have been broken too.”

“Haha…”

The youngest sword master in the Empire.

Paulhend, who had known Kwell since he was a child, did not deny it.

“However… the problem is that child’s heart. Unfortunately, the child has no way of knowing the relationship between the head of the family and Kaliak, the chief of the Black Eyes.”

“Yes.”

“Maybe everyone will look like enemies. And even if you know… will that be comforting?”

Kwell said in a low voice, recalling the chief of the aliens he had beheaded with his own hands.

“If we were born in the same country, we would have been great colleagues. It was a waste of talent.”

“If His Majesty knew, he would not be able to avoid his wrath. Saving the child of an alien… Isn’t that clear disobedience?”

“I have to hide it for the time being.”

“A needle will eventually pierce through the pocket [an idiom meaning the truth will eventually come out].”

Kang-!! Kaaang–!!

“By the way.”

Kwell said in a low voice.

“That child said he wanted to study magic.”

“…Yes?”