The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 447

269. The Third Calamity (1)

Early dawn.

Before the sun even rose, the crystal ball blared, throwing the situation room into chaos.

[Reporting! The Silver Wing Fleet stationed at the forefront of the strait is currently engaged in battle with the Fallen! Nearly half the fleet has been destroyed!]

“…What?”

Before the war could even properly begin, terrible news echoed through the Free State’s situation room.

“Israfil-nim!”

Anthem urgently called out.

“Understood.”

Nodding, Israfil hastily activated his Superior Eyes [a magical ability allowing remote viewing].

“Protect the remaining ships as much as possible! Sir Gaines is leading the 1st Wyvern Unit! Sir Gaines, can you assess the Silver Wing Fleet’s situation?”

As Israfil cast his magic, the view from Gaines’s wyvern, soaring in the sky, appeared on the magic screen.

“Huh…”

“This can’t be…”

The soldiers in the situation room gasped at the sight. Most of the fleet was half-destroyed and sinking. Soldiers who had fallen into the sea were covered in tiny bugs, struggling to escape.

[S, save me…!!]

[Aaaagh!!]

The soldiers in the water trembled and screamed in agony as the bugs, which had gnawed at the ship’s hull, began to devour them.

“We treated the ships with a mixture of Jannabi tribe’s poison [a potent, naturally derived toxin] and sulfur powder, but it was all for naught…”

Anthem Howard gnashed his teeth, watching the annihilation of the Silver Wing Fleet.

“Sir Anthem, look. They’re piercing through the soldiers’ armor and eating the flesh inside. Even armor made of Blue Phosphorus [a magically resistant material] is useless.”

Anthem nodded.

The third Fall (墮落),

The Calamity of Consumption (蝕), Lice.

They thought they were fully prepared, but the emergence of the third calamity exceeded their expectations.

The surprise attack was bad enough, but the defense measures they had prepared, thinking of the Fallen as mere pests, were completely ineffective.

Moreover, the fact that even Blue Phosphorus, which could control magic power, was ineffective meant that these Fallen were not simply beings made of magic power.

“We need to retreat the ground troops. With armor being meaningless, ordinary soldiers can’t stop them unless they are at least knight-level and can protect themselves with magic power.”

A knight in black armor said, looking at the magic screen. It was Kaisin, the commander of the Black Knights, who had defended the Empire’s capital in the past.

He was one of the few surviving knight commanders after the Imperial War. Carryl valued his city defense expertise, as he had been in charge of the capital for years, and maintained his position.

“Fortunately, they seem to have started from the sea. The Silver Wing Fleet’s sacrifice is regrettable, but it allows us to save other troops.”

Kaisin coldly assessed the situation.

He had fought fiercely against Viola over the defense of Ponaan Fortress during the Imperial War. Although he hadn’t been able to recapture it, Viola acknowledged his solid base construction and troop deployment.

Therefore, after the Free State was established, he assisted Anthem and was assigned to the command center as a staff officer.

“It would be better to change the operation.”

Even as Kaisin spoke, he glanced at someone: Tiren McGovern, a man unfamiliar to the atmosphere of the situation room.

Kaisin couldn’t hide his discomfort. Tiren McGovern’s absence had played a significant role in his appointment.

‘I knew he was assigned to internal affairs, but why is he here…? Could it be that the Lord intends to use him as a staff officer?’

Among the seven knight orders of the Imperial era, the Black Knights were solely responsible for defense. Kaisin ironically had ambitions to re-establish his position now that the Empire had fallen.

“All deployed troops should retreat, and the magic corps in the rear should be deployed to the front, with the remaining soldiers prioritizing the protection of the magic corps.”

Kaisin flawlessly presented the plan he had prepared overnight, even while being conscious of Tiren. He seemed to have anticipated every contingency.

“Also, each magic corps prioritizes the defense of the designated strongholds. They must prevent the Fallen from crossing the barrier and invading.”

Anthem nodded.

“Sir Tiren, what do you think?”

Despite Kaisin’s words, Anthem turned to the silent man.

“…”

Kaisin’s face stiffened.

“I am only here because of my father’s orders. Sir Kaisin seems to have already presented an excellent alternative.”

It may have seemed insincere, but Anthem knew that everything Tiren had done so far was perfect.

“I don’t want an alternative; I want to know Sir Tiren’s plan.”

Kaisin’s face darkened further. But at that moment, Tiren stood up and said.

“I think Anthem-nim already knows it. I don’t want to admit it, but Carryl is a greater genius of war than me or Anthem-nim. I don’t think he would have entrusted the third calamity to us alone without any countermeasures. And…”

Tiren looked at Anthem.

“He never abandons his subordinates.”

Only then did Kaisin realize his mistake.

He, the master of defense, prided himself on his defensive strategies. But his plan had a major flaw: sacrificing the Silver Wing Fleet.

“I think everyone has heard the plan. Execute it immediately.”

Anthem watched Tiren and conveyed his orders to the strongholds on each continent through Israfil’s Superior Eyes.

[Understood!!]

[The entire Ulkas Guild has completed deployment.]

[The Immortal Society is the same.]

[The Dawn Society is currently moving!!]

[Israfil-nim, the magic corps deployment at Ponaan Fortress has been completed. It is the closest stronghold to the Silver Wing Fleet. We will depart to rescue them.]

Viola’s voice came from the fortress.

She still wanted to fight the Fallen at the forefront with the Panpinel Knights.

As a princess, her fortitude was surprising, but ironically, her courage seemed natural because no leader of the Free State, regardless of gender, fled to the rear.

Perhaps that’s why, despite her achievements, Viola still seemed thirsty for victory.

“No.”

Tiren sighed, knowing Anthem’s answer, and left the situation room.

“Reinforcements have already departed in that direction. I hope Viola-nim will further strengthen the defense of the fortress.”

[Reinforcements…?]

Viola asked, puzzled, as the deployment of the magic corps had just been completed. Kaisin in the situation room was equally confused.

‘Is Tiren-nim the only one who predicted this? No… It’s a surprise attack. Deploying reinforcements is something only a god could predict. This isn’t a prediction; it means he has accurately seen through Carryl-nim.’

Anthem Howard could understand why Carryl kept Tiren in a high position despite the awkward situation.

But he didn’t show any particular prominence.

Only a few people were paying close attention to his excellence, but Anthem smiled wryly, knowing he was one of them.

‘The Lord put Tiren-nim here not just to use his abilities.’

He now realized that Carryl intended to use Tiren as a tool to keep him wary.

“Sir Gaines, attach the barrier bullets developed by this academy to the drakes of the 1st Wyvern Unit. Drop them all at once when the signal sounds.”

[The signal… you mean?]

“Yes. You’ll probably know right away.”

Anthem’s eyes gleamed. Carryl’s prediction was correct. Anthem tried harder to avoid becoming like Kaisin, who was now staring at the place where Tiren had left with a stiff face.

Whoosh-!!!

As the communication ended, Gaines stared at one side of the distant sea.

Something was rushing through the water, approaching the Silver Wing Fleet.

“A magic… sailboat?”

Gaines chuckled at the unexpected appearance of reinforcements.

“12 degrees to port. There are reefs due to the shipwrecks… but compared to navigating the archipelago of the Ancient One [a mythical sea creature] for the Sea King, this is nothing. Full speed ahead!!”

A cheerful voice came from the cockpit.

A young man with long hair tied back and a muscular build that seemed to have just shed his boyishness was gripping the sailboat’s wheel with all his might.

Karl Mc, who had risen to become one of the Empire’s Seven Greats [influential figures] in his previous life and dominated the continent’s commercial power, was now living a completely different life.

But thanks to traveling through numerous straits, his incredible helmsmanship was even more outstanding than before.

Whoosh-!!!

Whoosh-!!

The ignition stone mounted on the stern of the magic sailboat spewed fire as it cut through the waves, rushing at an incredible speed as if it were flying.

Thud-

The reinforcements weren’t just the magic sailboat. A man standing on the deck, looking at the swarm of bugs, scanned the sharp daggers he wore all over his body and said.

“We can’t lose pathetically before the Lord arrives. Karl Mc! Get out of the outer perimeter the moment the wyvern’s barrier bullets fall!”

“Got it!”

“The barrier bullets last about 10 minutes. We have to save all the Silver Wing Fleet soldiers within that time. At least several hundred have fallen into the sea… Is it even possible for just the two of us?”

A woman’s voice was heard next to the man.

Unlike the confident man, the woman’s voice trembled slightly.

“The magic sailboat has limited capacity. Don’t worry; the Lord trusts you. Trust your strength. If the druid can’t handle the Fallen that even the Jannabi’s poison and Blue Phosphorus couldn’t stop…”

Aidan, the owner of the voice, smiled at Anchar and covered his face with a hood.

“Focus on controlling the bugs. Don’t worry about anything else. I’ll save the soldiers.”

Thud- Thud-

“They are very small and fast enough to be invisible, but…”

Aidan lightly tapped his legs with the blade of his sword and said.

“I’m faster.”