The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 54

47. The Victor’s Reward

“You must be Caryll, the winner of the Expert Competition. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“It’s an honor to meet the Lord of Azor.”

Caryll bowed his head, looking at the round-faced man before him.

‘I didn’t know in my past life because I didn’t have magic, but I can definitely feel it now.’

Behind Pazio stood the mages who were his bodyguards. But the aura emanating from him was incomparable to theirs.

‘He might be doing it on purpose, but it’s amazing.’

The tingling sensation on his skin had been there since he opened the door to the Lord’s manor.

Pazio Han was the highest-level mage Caryll had met since gaining magical power.

‘He’s just an old fox, though.’

He knew what his end would be.

And he didn’t particularly want to save him in this life either.

‘Even if mages are in short supply, it’s even more of a loss to keep someone around who will cause problems.’

Caryll hadn’t forgotten that he was the one who would join hands with the cult created by Wooden Cloud in the future to expand his power and massacre innocent people.

“I’ve heard the story. You want to participate in the Master Competition?”

“That’s right.”

Pazio confirmed again.

He wanted to know if he really meant those words.

‘To say that so confidently, even knowing it’s a nominal competition with no participants… Is he in his right mind, or just crazy?’

Frowning, he said,

“As you know, a competition can’t be done alone. If what you want is the legacy left by the Council of Seven… you’ll have to prove you have the ability to do so.”

“How do I do that?”

“The competition is impossible, but I’d like to suggest conditions similar to the difficulty of the Master Competition instead.”

He said as if he were doing a great favor.

Frankly speaking, it’s not difficult to find a mage in the magic city of Azor who has the ability to participate in the Master Competition.

The upper-level mages of the Magic Society are still in the city.

Nevertheless, there must be a reason why he’s using such a troublesome method.

“Similar difficulty…?”

“Do you know about the history of Azor’s creation? This place commemorates the Council of Seven, who spread magic in the beginning, and is also where their legacy lies.”

“I know. The three magic books called primal magic are here.”

“That’s right. But all three magic books were found in the tombs of the Council of Seven. And recently, a new place has been discovered.”

‘Could it be…’

Caryll’s eyebrows twitched at Pazio’s words.

“I’d like to propose that you investigate that place. I’ll give you priority on anything you find there. What do you think?”

Caryll momentarily searched his memory.

One place flashed through his mind.

The Gray School.

The place where the Council of Seven gathered to discuss and debate magic.

And…

‘The Freezing Talon is buried there.’

Clench-

Caryll unconsciously clenched his fist.

‘That place was already discovered at this time? I thought it would be later. Amazing. To hear that name from Pazio.’

It was an unexpected place name, but he finally understood why the fox-like Pazio was making this offer to him.

‘Now I understand.’

A place that hasn’t been investigated yet.

It’s not easy to send a precious mage to a place where there might be danger.

Moreover, the fact that it hasn’t been investigated means that it’s a place that people don’t know about yet.

‘It would be perfect for getting rid of me in case something goes wrong. Even if the arrogant mages beat me in the competition, they wouldn’t be able to take my life.’

Not that he had any intention of dying easily for them.

“What do you think? If you prove your skills by investigating that place… even if there’s nothing there, I’ll provide you with a high-level magic book instead.”

Caryll laughed softly.

‘It’s a welcome thing for me. It’s not that I’ve given up on primal magic, but none of the mages in Azor can learn that magic.’

In other words.

Even if it takes a little time, it will remain intact and wait for him.

But infiltrating the ruins of the Council of Seven was a rare opportunity.

Even if Caryll rejected this offer, they wouldn’t just leave it alone.

Once the mages’ investigation begins, shields that detect magic and all sorts of annoying things will be installed around it.

‘There will probably be a few eyes watching my back…’

There’s a clear difference in territory between entering openly and entering secretly.

“Alright.”

Pazio nodded in satisfaction at Caryll’s answer.

Looking at him, Caryll thought.

‘I’ll take everything I can get from Azor. Not only the three great magics, but also the Freezing Talon.’

* * *

“What? The ruins left by the Council of Seven?”

Aidan Hamil said with a surprised expression, biting into a piece of fruit as he looked at Caryll.

He looked somehow natural leaning against the tree.

“Am I getting used to it now?”

“Ah, haha… No.”

Caryll chuckled as he watched him quickly correct his posture.

Below the hill, Mikhail was practicing magic.

At first, he was half-doubtful, but after confidently putting his name on the Beginner Competition, he now spent more time holding a staff than a sword.

Caryll looked away from his satisfying change and said to Aidan,

“What about what I told you before?”

“Not yet. No one has come looking. May I ask what it is?”

“No. It’s nothing.”

Caryll shook his head.

‘They haven’t found it yet? If I don’t hear from them after the Gray School is over, I’ll have to move myself.’

The person he had told Aidan about was Thomson of the Ulkas Guild.

Caryll had ordered him to find a clue to Vargo.

As the highest-level mage in the Ulkas Guild, he was the one who could move most freely among the guild members.

‘It’s a matter of his life, so he wouldn’t not do it… I’ll have to wait a little longer.’

He quickly sorted out the situation.

To be honest, the Magic Competition and the Gray School were not in his original plan.

The reason he came to Azor was to get the magic book from Vargo Sira and find the clue to Wooden Cloud that he had.

‘But by entrusting that to Thomson, I’ve gained time to attack the Gray School.’

It’s different from the plan, but if it goes like this, he might be able to shorten several months or even years.

“Aidan, how long do you think it will take for Mikhail to break through the wall of the 3rd class [a measure of magical proficiency]?”

“Well, you have to break through four magic blood points to reach the 3rd class. At this rate… I don’t think it will take long.”

He was able to estimate it because he had reached the 3rd class, but Aidan looked at Caryll with a face that asked why he was asking him this.

He was the winner of the Expert Competition.

In Aidan’s eyes, who knew Caryll’s swordsmanship, he already looked like a Sword Master.

But in reality, Caryll was still close to ignorant when it came to magic.

If you only consider the class, he was the lowest of them, so it was difficult to estimate Mikhail’s growth.

“Good.”

“I’m going to the Gray School now. Make Mikhail a 3rd class within two days of my visit.”

“What? Two days?”

Aidan looked at Caryll with an impossible face.

But he had already prepared a carrot for the complaint.

“If you succeed, I’ll give you what you want.”

Aidan flinched at Caryll’s words.

What he finds most frustrating right now.

‘Contact with Olivant.’

Caryll slowly got up.

‘It’s also time to meet him when this is over. One of the reasons I kept you, Aidan, was for that.’

Looking at his shaking eyes, Caryll thought.

‘My plan changes due to unexpected variables and events, just like in Azor, but it’s natural that there are so many variables on a continent where billions of people live.’

But a big event that will change history will eventually happen someday.

And the first thing that will happen from now on.

‘The First Prince Ruon and Olivant’s fight for the throne.’

He couldn’t get involved in that in his past life.

But it’s different now.

Tatur, the Magic Mine, and even the Cult Mercenary Corps…

The things he can move have a bigger weight than he thought.

‘There’s a lot to do.’

But Caryll was sure that Azor would be included in the list of things he could move once this was over.

And the Freezing Talon in his hand would be a big variable in his meeting with Olivant.

* * *

‘It’s been a while. This smell.’

Caryll scattered the light spheres floating around him here and there.

The inside of the Gray School was as dark as pitch, with not a single ray of light.

Instead, only the pungent smell of moss that stung his nose vibrated.

“…”

As Caryll, who only had two magic blood points open, it was the limit to use three light magics.

But since the light spheres would not turn off even when he returned from attacking the dungeon, darkness was not a big problem for him.

‘I attacked this place several years later. It wasn’t properly investigated until after the oracle [a divine prophecy or revelation].’

No.

To be precise, the investigation was over, but it would be right to say that they couldn’t find anything.

Like primal magic, the relics sleeping here were also from the Council of Seven.

‘In a situation where they can’t even learn the magic that was deliberately left for future generations, it’s only natural that they can’t find or use the hidden relics.’

Then how could I attack this place later?

The reason was simple.

The only dragon who left his lair and sided with humanity after the oracle was given.

Nardie Maugg.

‘He explored this place and found the remaining relic, the Freezing Talon.’

The problem was that no one could use it, just like primal magic.

‘In my past life, no one could use primal magic in the end, but the Freezing Talon was different. There was one guy who could use it, though not perfectly.’

All the things left by the Council of Seven were related to dragons.

That means.

Both primal magic and the Freezing Talon cannot be used without dragon magic.

‘Well, there’s something more suitable for that guy. It doesn’t matter if I use it first.’

Caryll thought of a woman.

‘She’s a guy I’ll meet someday, even if I don’t want to. Of course, I’ll have to take other measures before that.’

She was the only woman in his life, along with Serika Loren, who he could trust his back to.

‘When I think about it, all the women I’ve been with all my life have been comrades.’

Caryll smiled bitterly.

It was a world where it was hard to survive. But even in the midst of that, there must have been people who had children and built families.

When was it…

He also dreamed of being with a loved one when a free world came.

‘Let’s not think useless thoughts.’

Caryll shook his head.

Everything ends when you die.

A dream is a problem after that.

It’s no different from my past life.

I’m trying to change the future to survive.

Step- Step- Step-

He slowly moved his steps and entered the deep darkness.

* * *

Far away in the darkness.

[Kekeke…]

A low voice, like scraping iron, slowly came from a distant place that Caryll could not hear.

[…He’s here. He’s finally here.]