The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 419

257. The Ten Slayers of Gods (1)

“I’ve been waiting.”

Standing outside the Huang Family’s tomb, waiting for Carryl, was Hwa-rin.

“You…”

Slowly raising his head to look at her, Carryl frowned slightly, a surprised expression on his face.

“Something must have happened.”

She sensed an unfamiliar aura from Carryl.

Until now, he had always been surrounded by the immense power of strength (强) [qiang, meaning force or power], but the aura emanating from his body after emerging was the energy of flow (流) [liu, meaning flow or movement].

“And it seems you’ve gained something. Really… you never cease to amaze me. You seem to have reached the pinnacle of what a human can achieve, yet you always aim higher.”

Hwa-rin, who was unparalleled in sensing the energy of strength, could recognize his change better than anyone else.

“There is no end to strength. The word ‘pinnacle’ itself doesn’t exist.”

“Typical of you.”

“What about you? What brings you here?”

Carryl asked her with an indifferent expression. She then took off the necklace she was wearing and handed it to him.

“I came to solve a homework assignment.”

Seeing the will of the Lycanthrope on Hwa-rin’s hand, Carryl smiled faintly.

“You noticed, I see. Good start. The things to be solved are happening right on schedule.”

“This is also part of your plan, isn’t it?”

“Hmm, shall we hear it?”

“Then how about taking this first? It wasn’t easy deciding to give you the relic of the Janabi tribe, you know.”

Carryl nodded and took the necklace she offered.

“Why are you giving me this?”

“You’re really acting like you’re checking homework. Honestly… you must have already figured it out just by me handing over the necklace. I don’t appreciate being treated like a child.”

Hwa-rin said that, but she didn’t seem entirely displeased as she answered.

“You said there are two Parels in this world, right? One of them is from another dimension, and you intend to use it to train us.”

“So?”

“The composition of the assault team was strange to anyone who looked at it. To catch the Corrupted, you need both swords and magic. If you wanted to train us, it would have been most efficient to form the team mainly with Sword Masters who possess magical power.”

“Hmm.”

“The others must be thinking about it too. Why you included us, who have no magical power, in the Parel assault team. Moreover, the magicians who can use magic are conversely ignorant of swordsmanship.”

Hwa-rin said to Carryl.

“An extreme example.”

At her answer, the corners of Carryl’s lips lifted slightly.

“You’re not trying to make us stronger. You’re trying to establish the battle patterns of the Knights and Mages based on us. If you were to deploy Sword Masters, they might become stronger themselves, but the composition of the Knights and Mages itself wouldn’t become stronger.”

“Indeed.”

“I, along with the other Immigrants and Barbarians, will play the role of the Knights, and Thompson and Mikhail will represent the Magic Corps.”

“Just as I expected. You know well.”

Carryl nodded, seemingly satisfied.

“No need to explain, I see.”

“No. Honestly, I felt bad after thinking this far.”

“……Hmm?”

“To put it nicely, we can be said to be a miniature version of the Knights and Magic Corps, but being able to represent them means that we are not much different from ordinary knights. No, since we have no magic power, we’re closer to ordinary soldiers, aren’t we? The reason you chose Mikhail and Thompson is also because they don’t have solid skills compared to other magicians.”

Hwa-rin frowned slightly.

“In short, you’re underestimating our abilities compared to others. Isn’t that right?”

“Are you stronger than them?”

“……What?”

“Feeling bad about being underestimated means you’re saying you’re stronger than those I didn’t call, right?”

“That’s…….”

Hwa-rin scratched her head, seemingly flustered by Carryl’s cold question.

“Are you unhappy with the role of a soldier rather than a commander? In order to win a war, soldiers must fight to the end. No matter how outstanding a commander is, they can’t do anything with weak soldiers who fall like leaves in the wind on the battlefield.”

He lightly tapped Hwa-rin on the shoulder.

“In order to win a war, defense is as important as offense. The reason I chose you is not just to learn tactics as a miniature version of the corps, but also to hope for the unity of the Immigrants and Barbarians.”

Hwa-rin looked at him.

“You are descendants who inherited the blood of the same Blader, but you have been separated for a long time and lack cohesion. In that respect, you are inferior to the Imperials, who were a single nation.”

“You never give in, even for a single word.”

“Hwa-rin. The weight you have to bear is heavier than you imagine. Parel is by no means an easy place.”

“Carryl, how do you know that?”

It was then.

Carryl and Hwa-rin turned their heads at the voice they heard. Miliana, leaning against the entrance of the tomb with her arms crossed, asked.

“Because I’ve been inside Parel.”

“……What?”

At that moment, her eyes wavered. But at the same time, she also showed a look as if she had expected it.

“You have a knack for surprising people. I had somewhat expected that you had been to Parel. You were the one who discovered the Parel of the Thousand-Year Ice Cave. You must have investigated the inside as well. That’s why you knew about the Corruption in advance. Isn’t that right?”

Carryl smiled bitterly at her answer. The Parel he was talking about was not the one in the Thousand-Year Ice Cave, but the real Parel.

However, Miliana, who had no way of knowing about his past life, spoke with a confident expression based on her own assumptions.

“You said they were the same Parel, but the two-dimensional Parel in the Thousand-Year Ice Cave and the Parel that appeared on the continent are definitely different. If the Parel in the Thousand-Year Ice Cave was active in the same way, the continent would have already become a den of Corruption.”

She said as if she understood.

“But there must be Corruption inside that one too. That’s why you’re entrusting us with the easier Parel and, furthermore, trying to give us the experience to deal with the Corruption pouring into the continent.”

“Why are you talking so seriously? Anyone can figure that out with a little thought.”

At Hwa-rin’s words, Miliana scoffed at her and said.

“You only know one thing and not the other. The problem isn’t training you. It’s what that guy is up to while you’re being trained.”

“……What are you up to?”

“Shall I guess? Carryl, what you’re secretly planning is to prepare a means to protect the safety of the continent, and then you’re going to conquer the real Parel that was created on the continent alone. Isn’t that right?”

She glared at Carryl.

It wasn’t anger, but a sincere concern was felt in her eyes.

“I don’t care what you do, but promise me one thing. When you enter Parel, take me with you.”

Carryl shrugged his shoulders as if he couldn’t handle her words.

“Miliana. Then I have to ask you the same question I asked Hwa-rin.”

“What question?”

“Are you stronger than me?”

“……What?”

“Parel is more terrible than you can imagine. I might not have the leeway to take care of you. In that case, you’ll just be a hindrance to me.”

At Carryl’s blunt words, Miliana bit her lip slightly and looked at him.

“Then tell me too.”

She said with a sulky look.

“You excluded me from the Parel conquest. Give me a chance too. I absolutely have to go to Parel with you.”

“The Empress of Digon is serious.”

“Of course. I’m not afraid of becoming stronger than anyone else.”

Hwa-rin looked at her and raised the corners of her lips as if she knew everything.

“That’s not what she means.”

“Wh, what…….”

Patting Miliana’s shoulder, who was flustered, she said with a meaningful expression.

“Good luck. I’ll disappear as a hindrance now.”

“Shut up, will you?”

“Haha.”

Seeing Miliana blushing despite her words, Hwa-rin burst into hearty laughter as if she was amused, and waved her hand over her head as if to say goodbye before leaving.

“Are you really going to go with me?”

“You clearly said it yourself. The Ten Slayers of Gods. There’s no way I wouldn’t be included in the remaining nine, excluding you.”

She said with a confident face as if it were obvious. Carryl almost laughed without realizing it at the fact that her confidence was no different from her past life.

“If you don’t want to be a hindrance, I’ll tell you how.”

“What is it?”

“Go find a dragon.”

“……Dragon?”

“Your Dragonification is because the Digon clan inherited the blood of the Golden Dragon Tosca. But it’s difficult for a human, not a dragon, to embody the power of a dragon. You can train your Dragonification through a real dragon.”

“Then……. Who should I go to?”

“Who else?”

Carryl raised the corners of his lips towards Miliana and said.

“Go find all three of the existing dragons and inherit their essence. No, take it away and make it yours.”

“…….”

At his words, she swallowed hard, seemingly nervous.

Using the power of a dragon was a method she had never imagined.

“We will join you too.”

It was then.

Aidan’s voice was heard.

Not only that. Suan Hazar, Israfil, Serica Loren, Kay Rothschild… When Carryl raised his head, he saw several figures around the tomb.

[That sly fellow. This was your real purpose.]

Alun Zavius looked at them and laughed heartily as if he was overjoyed, and said to Carryl.

[The reason you deliberately excluded them was to ensure that the 10 people for the Parel conquest would be gathered voluntarily. If it were your command, they would risk death, but there is a clear difference between moving by command and starting willingly.]

At his words, Carryl smiled faintly.

“Are you confident?”

“Of course.”

They answered without hesitation. Carryl sensed that the time had come.

‘Is it time to summon him now?’

Lefin Serga was not here at this moment, but eight of the ten from his past life had now gathered around Carryl.

The remaining two people.

Carryl knew the future, but unlike these, he had not tried to obtain the remaining two from the beginning even after his regression.

The people mentioned above were outstanding geniuses with innate talents, regardless of the oracle.

However, the remaining two had awakened their powers after the oracle occurred and the continent underwent upheaval. That’s why Carryl didn’t rush and didn’t try to create contact points on purpose.

Also, now that the oracle did not occur due to him, there was no information about them, whom Yula should have directly called in the first place.

‘But I know who they are.’

Carryl now wanted to obtain the last piece of the puzzle he was trying to complete. They were different beings from the remaining seven he had obtained so far.

That’s why people called those who awakened through upheaval rather than innate talent the Two Destined by Heaven.

The first of them,

Druid Anchar.