The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 496

Side Story 9

9. Reunion

[So, this is Farrell. I was curious what it looked like… It’s nothing special.]

The wind that brushed past Caryl’s cheek gathered behind him, forming a shape out of black smoke.

[But its emptiness must have made it even lonelier…]

Caryl watched the scene, a bitter smile on his face as he shook his head.

“You need to explain what’s going on. Otherwise, I might just obliterate you.”

The boy in the black smoke feigned fear at his threat, clutching his shoulders and trembling.

[Someone who even killed a god might really do that. Geez… I’m shaking in my boots.]

“How can you feel anything without a body? Stop talking nonsense and explain. Depending on your answer, you’ll find out I wasn’t kidding.”

Oliver didn’t seem to feel any fear at his words. Rather, now that everything was revealed, he seemed somewhat amused.

“Who are you now? If you asked him to regress me… does that mean I seized the chance to regress instead of you? How can you have memories of your past life?”

At Caryl’s question, he gave a faint smile. There was a hint of bitterness in that smile.

[Unlike you, I couldn’t climb Farrell. Or rather, I couldn’t even dare to try. Unlike you, who heard about the possibility of regression from the Platinum Dragon and entered the tower without hesitation.]

Oliver said to him.

[But just as you met someone at the end of Farrell, I met him before you in the world that was collapsing. And because of him, I was able to return to the world with memories of my past life.]

“Then…! If you had told me that, we could have changed the future more easily!”

[How?]

“…What?”

At Caryl’s question, Oliver shrugged.

[Would you have believed me…? Human memories always beautify things in a good way… Did you forget? I tried to kill you in my past life. Wouldn’t you have seen me, who knew the history of the past life, as the biggest threat?]

“Ha….”

At his words, Caryl couldn’t help but let out a low exclamation. It was a bitter story, but one he couldn’t deny.

He wasn’t sure if he could have joined forces with Oliver if he had told the truth, even if he thought of him as his only friend in his past life, because in the end, they ended up trying to kill each other.

“Why did you try to kill me? Back then, the Ten of Godslayers fought harder than anyone to fulfill the Divine Mandate [a mission or destiny ordained by a god]. Even though we failed, I don’t understand why you tried to kill us.”

The biggest reason Caryl chose to go to Farrell was the incident where Oliver tried to kill him.

[The traitor of the Empire. The dirty northern barbarian who ended up killing the emperor who accepted him. It was a big deal, for sure. Don’t you think?]

“You….”

Caryl’s face hardened as Oliver continued to speak.

[But I didn’t try to kill you.]

“…What?”

[We were all deceived. By one guy who was involved in the beginning of all this.]

“Platinum Dragon….”

Caryl felt like he had been hit in the head with a blunt weapon.

[You, who possessed divine power, know the legend of the Blader well. The Blader is a knight of God before being a traitor. The Platinum Dragon was one of them, and he said that a new Divine Mandate had been given to me.]

“Don’t tell me that was to kill us.”

Oliver gave a bitter smile.

[I’m sorry.]

At his answer, Caryl felt his strength drain away, and he wanted to sit down.

[I won’t make excuses. I had to save the suffering people, even if it meant giving up my friend.]

“I know. You’re that kind of guy.”

Caryl’s answer was not blaming Oliver. He was just looking at him with a mixture of emotions.

Certainly, after the regression, he realized that Nar Di Maugh had sent him to Farrell to experiment with the possibilities of humanity.

Thinking about it now, it wasn’t strange.

“It wasn’t just God who treated humans as tools. He was capable of turning us against each other.”

[Just before death, I heard your conversation. And after the regression, I also had doubts. Why did Nar Di Maugh send you into Farrell? So, after the regression, I dug into the Platinum Dragon before meeting you.]

Oliver nodded to Caryl, who was looking at him.

[As you know, he was Nar Di Maugh and Duke Neil Blanc, one of the four dukes of the Empire. Since I already knew that fact in my past life, it wasn’t that difficult for me to contact him. In the first place, the Platinum Dragon helped me ascend to the throne in my past life.]

“You don’t mean….”

[Yes. His secret was the same as you know. I probably knew his true identity sooner than you. He was trying to steal the power of God by using humans. He was not a Blader called the messenger of God, but a Blader who dreamed of rebellion. He not only betrayed the Blader but was now trying to devour even God.]

“We were played by the Platinum Dragon.”

[That may have been the case in the past life, but not in this life. The Platinum Dragon died at your hands, and Yula, who used us as playthings to determine the throne, was also destroyed.]

Oliver said to Caryl.

[It’s a victory for humanity.]

“…….”

Unlike him, who was happy, Caryl couldn’t easily agree with his words.

[My death is not your fault. It was my own doing, and it’s more than I deserve that I, who couldn’t even climb Farrell, was able to regress with memories.]

Oliver smiled bitterly as if he had read his thoughts.

[As a dead man whose body was already dead, time regression itself was impossible. However, on the condition that I fulfill one rule, I was able to come to the past by sealing my spirit with the divine power he possessed.]

“Rule?”

[That I don’t change the history of the past life.]

Twitch-

Caryl’s cheek twitched at his words.

“Human life has its own rules under the name of fate. The variables created by God, which can be called a kind of parameter, are countless and complex, but in any case, they can all be said to be planned and determined. But you, the only being who deviated from that fixed rule, were able to deceive God and change the future.”

At the Sword Demon’s words, Caryl turned his head and looked at him.

“But Oliver is different. He also knows the future, but if he tried to change it in advance to prepare for the future, it would be different from the life that God had set for him, so he could notice it.”

[Well, Aidan Hamill, Suan Hajar……. Of course, just as you changed the future of others, there was a possibility that you would change my future.]

Caryl’s eyes trembled when Oliver mentioned the names of the two.

If Oliver’s memory was intact, he would have had no choice but to watch his loyal retainers from his past life become enemies.

[The moment the seal of consciousness was broken, I sensed that you had succeeded in time regression. If I can’t change history myself, I’ll let you change history.]

“Crazy….”

[This is my resolve. If I have to die anyway, I have to become a villain that you must kill. So that you can truly have value as a legitimate king.]

“Are you even hearing yourself?”

Caryl tried to grab Oliver by the collar. But his arms only flailed through Oliver’s body, which was a soul.

[I have no regrets about my choice. I’m not a good person. I was just using you in my past life too.]

Oliver placed his hand on Caryl’s cheek.

Of course, his palm couldn’t touch Caryl either, but the lightly placed hand felt like he was caressing him.

[Nevertheless, you stubbornly followed me. I regret the most in my past life that I couldn’t say thank you and closed my eyes. Caryl.]

“Shut up….”

[Although our ending wasn’t happy, I’m glad we can at least come to a conclusion like this.]

“I told you to shut up!!!”

Despite Caryl’s shouting, Oliver still only wore a faint smile. In his eyes, he just looked like Caryl from his childhood, throwing a tantrum.

[I can’t be a good king. I thought I had to become king for the sake of the people. But how can I, who killed my brother and dragged my father down to the throne, be qualified to be a good king?]

“It’s the same for me. Do you think I can be a good king?”

[But you can be an upright king.]

Oliver looked at Caryl.

[Caryl. No matter how much we share the memories of our past lives, those days will not come back. I was defeated, and you must lead those who believe in you and move forward.]

Clench-

Caryl clenched his fist.

[You’ll do well.]

There were many things he wanted to say, but they didn’t come out easily.

“Oliver.”

The Sword Demon called him, and Caryl’s face hardened for a moment.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect you to die even in this life. After all, the future of becoming the master of the continent was already decided. But to lose the imperial war itself….”

Oliver slowly turned his head.

“From the beginning, you were planning to hand over the continent to Caryl if you succeeded in regression. It’s a shame for me. The victory of this world is happy enough, but what I need is a colleague who can handle the power of God.”

“Colleague?”

“As I said before, the war is not over yet. Other dimensions are also suffering due to the Dimension Spiral that was broken by Rod’s Godslaying. I’m preparing for the final battlefield to end it.”

At the Sword Demon’s words, Caryl glared at him.

“The reason for sealing Oliver’s spirit and regressing him was to recover the Dimension Spiral in this dimension and find a colleague to fight with me. But to think he would die like this.”

He shrugged.

[If you’re looking for a colleague, Caryl is more qualified than me.]

“Do you think he will help me?”

[Of course not.]

Oliver smiled bitterly and looked at Caryl, but he remained silent.

“I have decided to live as a human. I have no intention of getting involved in the realm of God or the power of dimensions anymore. I just want to protect the peace of those around me.”

[That would be a natural decision for you.]

Oliver turned his head and faced the Sword Demon.

[Caryl’s help may be difficult, but he will be able to solve the recovery of the Dimension Spiral that remained in this world. And I don’t know if he will become a colleague, but……. There is someone you can ask for help.]

“Only those who have touched the power of God can interfere with dimensions. If you’re thinking of involving Miliana, give up.”

[Haha, I’m not stupid enough to ask the Empress of Digon, who should be with you, for help.]

“……Hmm?”

[Do you remember that I disappeared for a while before coming to Farrell? Where do you think I went?]

“What….”

[There’s one more. The one who can use divine power more reliably than anyone else.]

Caryl’s face hardened for a moment.

[Not just someone who has dabbled in the power of God, but a real God. He, who governs our world, is more human and bizarre than anyone else. He may be interested in other dimensions.]

“You don’t mean….”

[Besides, he was a Heroic Spirit before becoming a God, so he has influence even on dead people like us.]

Kwaaaaaang—!!!

At that moment,

Sharp purple lightning began to fall relentlessly over the collapsing Farrell.

[It is difficult for a God to descend into the human realm, but this is Farrell, a divine structure. He, who is a God, can freely express his power here, so this place is the most suitable place for a reunion.]

Oliver smiled softly at Caryl.

“……!!!”

Caryl felt an old, familiar energy from the lightning.

It was Secret Power.

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