The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 81

“Tch……!!”

She hurriedly snatched the mask from Caryl’s hand and covered her face.

However, now that her identity was exposed, covering her face was meaningless.

“Kaila Chang? You’re really Tulu Chang’s daughter? Why is the family head’s daughter here?”

Kinu Mukari recognized her and spoke.

“The important thing is that she’s alone. Tulu Chang is not the kind of person who would leave his precious daughter alone in a place like this.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

At Beykan’s words, Kinu looked at her.

“The answer is obvious. The corpses from earlier must have been the guards protecting the clan leader’s daughter. This young lady must have been attacked by someone and fled to Narak Rock.”

Aidan spat and muttered under his breath, “Ptooey-!”

“Whoever it was, they seem to have failed to capture the young lady… Hey, what color were those guys’ armor?”

“You… why are you, an Imperial, with Southerners? Or should I ask the other way around?”

Despite Aidan’s question, Kaila Chang still glared at Caryl and asked.

“I think we asked first. If you answer us, we’re willing to answer you too.”

However, Caryl seemed unfazed by her glare and nodded, pointing at Aidan.

“……It was light green.”

At that moment.

Aidan looked back and forth between Caryl and her with an expression as if he had been hit in the head with a hammer.

‘Light green means… the Emerald Knights? Did the Imperials really attack the South? That can’t be… They shouldn’t have the leeway to care about this place until the succession war is over.’

Unlike the North, the South was the most independent land from the Empire at this point.

That was why Caryl chose the South to build up power to check the Empire.

“I haven’t heard any reports of Imperials invading. News from the South travels fastest through the Great Plains.”

Beykan tilted his head and asked, addressing Kaila’s words.

“They didn’t come through the Great Plains. It’s not certain, but I think they came from the opposite side.”

“Liar. The opposite side of the Great Plains is the land of the Digon tribe. Would Miliana just let Imperial soldiers pass through?”

Kinu Mukari snorted in disbelief, but Kaila was serious.

“But there’s no other explanation. Anyway, we were attacked by Imperials.”

At that moment.

Caryl couldn’t help but be surprised in another sense.

‘Naril……!!’

A scene suddenly came to mind when he checked the burned corpses.

It was the Emerald Knights he had encountered in the village he passed through when he left the mansion.

‘Could it be… that they had the South in mind since then?’

Caryl shook his head.

‘No. Even after that, the South was still the land of barbarians. The Chang family also existed until Olivon ascended the throne. That means the Emerald Knights didn’t set out then. Then… has the future changed?’

He asked in a hurried voice without realizing it.

“Who attacked you? There must be a leader.”

“They suddenly appeared two days ago, so I didn’t see them clearly. But at the head of the knights on horseback was a handsome man.”

“Did he happen to use a battle-axe? Much bigger than usual, with two blades?”

“That’s right.”

At Caryl’s words, she widened her eyes and nodded.

Gulp-

Aidan swallowed dryly without realizing it.

He, too, now recognized the person who perfectly matched the description she was giving.

‘Should I have followed them back then?’

He was complacent.

Because it was a path that was not deeply recorded in history, he had simply taken it lightly.

But now it was not a past that had passed, but a living present.

Caryl blamed his mistake.

“The situation is clear, as you said.”

Aidan swallowed dryly at his words.

“It’s definitely the work of the Imperials.”

A change that didn’t exist in history.

If it was a sudden attack, it might have been unplanned.

‘The Emerald Knights are under Olivon’s command. What’s the reason for forcing an attack that shouldn’t have happened in the first place?’

At that moment.

A thought suddenly flashed through Caryl’s mind.

‘Could it be… that he felt it was difficult to obtain Tatur and turned his forces to the South?’

The possibility was high enough.

Juke di Hold, who was still in the city, would have reported to Olivon.

Caryl deliberately left her alone.

‘Foolish… I overlooked the fact that Olivon is reluctant to use force.’

He had thought that he would not be able to easily use the army in a situation where his supporter, Kwell McGovern, had left to subjugate the North.

‘But why? Even if he strikes the South now, there’s nothing he can gain.’

For whatever reason, the people of the South and North were enemies to the Empire. There was no need to strike the South and weaken his power in the power struggle with the First Prince.

‘Is it because he trusts his father’s Azure Knights?’

Caryl shook his head.

Even if Kwell sided with Olivon, he would follow the Emperor’s orders as long as he was alive.

‘My father is tied up in the North for at least a few more months to carry out the Edict of Heresy Extermination. The fact that he withdrew troops in this situation means…….’

“It must be to show off his power. The First Prince has the full support of the nobles, but the Second Prince is popular with the knights.”

Aidan said as if reading Caryl’s thoughts.

“He’s made a bold choice. But if he can subjugate the South, Olivon can turn the tables on the First Prince in the Imperial Palace at once.”

“Are you saying he proposed the expedition himself?”

“It’s possible enough. The Emerald Knights follow him, even if other knight orders don’t. He may have volunteered to subjugate the South.”

“I see.”

Caryl muttered in a low voice.

Even if a huge cataclysm occurs in the future, including the continental war and the upcoming war due to the oracle, what is important now is to ascend the throne before his eyes.

It was bold, but Caryl was well aware that his influence was behind Olivon’s actions.

‘If he threw a number to get into the eyes of the Emperor, who extremely hates foreigners and barbarians, it’s possible enough.’

While looking at the same South, Olivon had completely opposite thoughts from him.

Unlike him, who was trying to advance to the center by embracing the power of the South, the Second Prince, Olivon, was enforcing the subjugation of the South to solidify his position within the Empire.

Clench-

Caryl gritted his teeth without realizing it.

Because he knew the history of the future, he was able to move one step ahead.

But the people of the present were also living in the present, so they could create a new future.

Olivon’s actions exceeded his expectations.

The thought that it would not be easy in the future suddenly struck him.

“Kaila Chang, tell me everything else you know. What kind of conversations did they have? What kind of actions did they take, even the smallest things. This is not a simple attack. Where is your father now?”

“Why would I tell you that…….”

At that moment.

Kaila Chang closed her mouth at the sharp gaze directed at her.

“I don’t think you’ve grasped the situation yet. Listen carefully. The guys who attacked the Chang family will never be satisfied with that. There’s no guarantee that the other four families are safe either.”

Moreover, the most concerning thing.

If the Emerald Knights really came through the land of the Digon tribe, there was a sense of unease that they, the greatest power in the South, might have sided with Olivon.

‘If I make a mistake, I might have to fight a war in the South before even advancing to the center.’

A silence followed as Caryl’s hardened expression permeated the air.

“I don’t know anything else. They said they were looking for something in Narak Rock.”

“There’s only a monument symbolizing the tomb of the Spirit King on Narak Rock… What on earth could it be?”

“Well…….”

Something that even the Southerners didn’t know.

They looked at each other.

[There is.]

At that moment.

The answer came from an unexpected place.

It was Alun Zabis.

[Caryl, do you remember? I told you before why I wanted to go to Narak Rock.]

‘Of course, I can’t forget. You said there was a way to open the bloodline there.’

[Again?]

He asked himself as if he couldn’t wait, and then immediately said.

[I told you that the Spring of Secrets is there. The tomb of the Spirit King that the foolish barbarians speak of is the Spring of Secrets.]

‘Could it be…….’

At Caryl’s words, Alun nodded.

[Yes, the Imperial bastards can’t afford to bleed only for the conquest of the South. They must be after Azure Phosphor.]

‘But you said only you can handle it?’

[Of course, I did. But you opened the door to the Gray Church, didn’t you? A great mage-level magician can activate the Spring of Secrets through the secret book written there.]

At his words, Caryl felt his lips dry. But Alun spoke confidently.

[Don’t worry. The reason I didn’t tell you in advance was because I had something to believe in. Do you think I’m such an easy person? I’ve made preparations in case, so they won’t be able to get it easily either.]

“Kinu, take out the map.”

“Yes.”

Caryl pointed to one place on the map he had placed on the floor and said.

“Based on my guess, they are likely to go in this direction. Fortunately, our destination is the same.”

It was the place where the Spring of Secrets that Alun had mentioned was located.

“Then how about following this road?”

Unlike Kinu, who spoke confidently, Caryl shook his head and said.

“No. Going there is a roundabout way. It’s faster to go this route.”

At his words, the others looked at him with puzzled faces.

[Oh my, how do you know the geography of the South better than the Southerners?]

Only Alun spoke lightly as if it was interesting.

‘Why are the foreigners of the North called foreigners? Because they are the ones who left the South and settled in the North. The bloodlines of the South and North were originally one.’

But he couldn’t reveal his origins to them.

‘Besides, if we follow this road, we can pass through the cave hidden in the cliff inside Narak Rock. Maybe even the Southerners don’t know about it.’

It was the secret passage that the Empire used to subjugate the South in his previous life, so-called the ‘Needle’s Eye Battle.’

A strategy put forward by Brand Gaunt, the strategist of the Empire, and Tyren McGovern, who rose to the position of Prime Minister.

‘They rolled me around a lot because they hated me so much.’

It was funny that Tyren’s face came to mind in this situation.

The passage was so narrow that it was difficult for even one adult male to pass through.

A special unit consisting of Caryl and other boy soldiers carried out this operation.

“Kaila Chang and I will pass through Narak Rock through the secret passage in the cliff. The passage is narrow, so the other four should take a detour, even if it takes a little longer.”

“Wouldn’t it be okay to ride the Serpent [a type of mount]?”

“It would definitely reduce the time, but we can’t expose our location because we don’t know where the Knights are now. It’s important to go as safely as possible.”

“I understand.”

At his words, the people nodded.

Ironically, the strategy that had taken their lives was now helping them.

Of course.

He couldn’t explain to them why he knew this road, let alone the fact that he had returned from the past, so he couldn’t give them a proper explanation.

Caryl could only smile bitterly.

“Wait a minute! Are you going to chase after them with just this number [referring to their small group]?”

“I know the number of knights better than anyone. Follow me.”

No other explanation was needed.

But surprisingly, the four answered without a moment’s hesitation to that one word.

“Yes.”

“I’ll prepare.”

“Let’s hurry.”

Seeing them, Kaila Chang couldn’t help but be surprised.

Kinu Mukari of the Bi Gung tribe and Beykan of the Tu tribe.

They were names that anyone living in the South had heard countless times.

“…….”