The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 82

69. Brothers

“Is this really the place?”

“Be careful. The ground is weak, and you’ll fall straight down if you’re not careful. Falling from this height is instant death.”

Tuk- Tururuk-

No sooner were the words out of her mouth than the edge of the floor, stepped on by Kaila Chang, crumbled, and dust fell into the abyss below.

After parting ways with Beykan and the other four in the middle of the Narak Rock, Karil and Kaila Chang continued to climb higher.

After climbing for another three or four hours, they found a narrow gap that looked like broken ruins.

It was a part that would not have been noticed under normal circumstances.

‘I haven’t even heard about this path from my father… Just what is that guy’s real identity?’

After passing the precarious floor, Kaila Chang thought as she passed through a narrow cave that she had to crawl through.

“The path is quite long. How about we talk about you for a while?”

She sneered, looking at Karil’s butt as she followed behind.

“Why don’t you mind your own business? You’re just a young kid.”

“I’m asking about what happened when you were attacked. What are you talking about? I need to figure out the size of the enemy, how many knight-level soldiers they had, and how many soldiers they brought.”

“…….”

Kaila Chang couldn’t hide the sudden flush on her face at his words.

It was fortunate that she was following Karil, or he would have seen her face about to explode.

“S-Speak properly.”

“I don’t think I said anything wrong enough to be scolded… Anyway, tell me about it. I was too busy moving earlier because I was in a hurry.”

At Karil’s words, she swept back her hair and said,

“They attacked the village two days ago.”

‘Even if you ride a horse non-stop from the capital to the south, it would take at least four months. Considering that it took me half a year to get here from Tatur without wasting any time…’

She could have considered using magic to travel, but if it was a force large enough to attack the Chang family, it would be at least three digits.

‘If that many people are moving, a magic circle is essential. But the court magician, Kadin Luer, is such a picky person that he wouldn’t easily help.’

Then there is only one possible deduction.

Her shoulders trembled.

‘The original destination of the Lyeo Knights was Tatur.’

Karil glared.

‘Oliver, you… I didn’t know you well enough. To think you were planning something like this. This can’t be the end.’

Was it because of his long experience?

Karil was able to deduce many possibilities from Kaila Chang’s single words.

“But the Chang family is one of the powerful families in the south. Even an imperial knight wouldn’t be able to defeat them easily.”

The village was almost in ruins.

Even though it was a surprise attack, the damage was too great.

Even if they gathered the escapees, it was doubtful that the number would be even half of the original.

“It’s because of one guy.”

At her words, Karil frowned slightly.

‘Was there someone that great in the Lyeo Knights [one of the seven knight orders in the Empire]?’

There were seven knight orders in the Empire.

The Blue, Green, Lyeo, and Wisteria Knight Orders were in charge of guarding the front lines.

The Gold, Red, and Black Knight Orders were primarily responsible for guarding the Imperial Family.

Because of the fame of Sword Master Kwell McGovern, his Blue Knight Order was the most famous in the Empire, but the Gold Knight Order, directly under the Emperor, was the most superior in terms of actual skill.

‘The Lyeo Knights are not lacking, but they are inferior to the Gold and Black Knights.’

The Chang family, although a barbarian tribe without magical powers, had excellent individual skills.

Also.

The battle formation created by Ordo Chang, the 17th family head.

The Fierce Fire Formation, in which six people form a team and work together, was something that even a knight order could not easily break.

‘The Fierce Fire Formation was originally created to fight against the magic-using Imperials.’

Even the scholars of the Empire’s tactical books, who were proud, unusually acknowledged Ordo Chang’s Fierce Fire Formation.

After Oliver ascended the throne.

The Chang family was one of the tribes that caused the most damage to the Empire in the Southern Conquest.

It was hard for Karil to believe that such an outstanding tribe had been destroyed by just one person.

‘Who is it…?’

A sense of unease suddenly swept over her at her words.

‘Is this also the result of a changed future due to my involvement?’

Outstanding talents are very important in future wars.

That’s why Karil also wanted to find other talents besides the ones he knew now that he wanted to unite the south.

But it was not pleasant for such people to point their blades at him from somewhere other than his arms.

“What does he look like? Did you see him?”

Karil looked at her as he straightened his back after coming out of the narrow passage.

But Kaila Chang shook her head.

“I couldn’t see him because he was wearing a helmet that covered his entire face. But I saw the weapon he was using.”

“What is it?”

“It was a sword with a wavy blade.”

“Hmm…”

Karil stroked his chin and said,

“There are only a handful of people in the Empire who use a Flamberge [a wavy-bladed sword]. It’s amazing. It’s strange that someone with that much skill hasn’t made a name for himself yet.”

“The blade was as red as a flame. And the jewel on the handle was as black as jet.”

At that moment.

Karil’s eyebrows twitched at her words.

“Are you sure?”

“It would be strange if it wasn’t noticeable. I’ve never seen such a unique sword before. Every time the blood touched his sword, smoke rose as if it were burning.”

‘Could it be… There’s no way.’

[Is the sword that girl is talking about perhaps ‘Liberated Flame’?]

‘You know about it too?’

[Of course. That sword is also made of Blue Lapis [a magical ore]. It’s inferior in quality compared to the five weapons made by Blader… Wasn’t it made by the dwarf royal family, Murga?]

‘That’s right.’

[I’m sure. Well, most of the Blue Lapis weapons that remain now were completed in the Age of Magic.]

‘There was someone who used that sword in my past life too.’

Karil nodded at Aln Zabiuss’s words.

‘The problem is that the owner of that sword shouldn’t have appeared yet, and he’s definitely not a knight of the Lyeo Knights…’

Past.

In the War of the Oracle, which was caused by the appearance of Parel, a giant tower of monsters after the oracle was given, ‘Liberated Flame’ was more powerful in the fight against the Fallen than other Blue Lapis weapons.

The Fallen themselves were weaker to fire than other attributes, but more than that, the owner’s skills were outstanding.

‘Utar of the Ember.’

He was a man who resembled fire itself, as befitting a flame sword.

His magical power, who had been a blacksmith for 15 generations, was undoubtedly suitable for fire.

‘He was the man who used the Liberated Flame the best; even the children of the imperial family couldn’t use it. If it wasn’t for him, that sword might have just been stuck in the warehouse.’

Although he was small for a blacksmith, there were rumors that the fire he possessed might surpass that of Kwell McGovern.

But the problem is…

‘Utar of the Ember is not an Imperial, but a man from the Principality. He was a man recruited when Oliver started the Continental War and absorbed the Principality.’

That meant that the current user was someone who didn’t exist in his memory.

‘In this period of my past life, I was just holed up in the mansion… Was the owner of the Liberated Flame there at this time too?’

But if you listen to Kaila Chang, how could such a skilled person disappear or be killed in just a few years since he received the oracle and came to the Imperial Palace?

[Why are you so worried? If you’re curious about who he is, just take off his helmet.]

‘I guess.’

Aln Zabiuss said confidently as if it was nothing.

“We’re almost there.”

Karil gestured to Kaila Chang as he turned the corner at the end of the cliff.

A buzzing sound could be heard in the distance.

Tung- Tung- Tung-

Along with the sound of hammering something hard, a low-pitched voice could be heard.

“Is this really the place?”

“The place in the Secret Book is definitely here. The picture is accurate too. And the words of the barbarian guys are also correct.”

“Keuk-!!”

The knight grabbed the back of the bound man’s neck and growled.

“It’s too much for these barbarian bastards.”

The beard growing thickly on his chin twitched.

Despite the absence of a river or lake, water was strangely springing from a spring in the middle of Narak Rock.

This place, surrounded by delicate, artificially made decorations, was the Spring of Secrets that Aln Zabiuss had mentioned.

“Don’t treat them carelessly.”

“Vice-Captain, you’re too soft. These guys aren’t human. His Majesty also wants these heretics to not set foot on this land.”

Naril frowned slightly at his adjutant’s words.

‘The Lyeo Knights really came to the south. Banon, that bastard followed too. I still don’t like that human’s behavior.’

There was a wild man with a thick beard that didn’t match Naril’s handsome appearance.

Karil bit his lip slightly.

Next to the Spring of Secrets, there was a large pillar.

And around it, people were chained to the pillar like animals.

Banon didn’t show any expression as he watched them suffer.

‘He’s still doing the same thing.’

Karil’s heart trembled without him realizing it at the cruel sight.

[Calm down. If you get any closer, you might get caught. Everyone’s magical power is at the 3rd class level. Not to mention their swordsmanship. No matter how good you are, you can’t handle that many at once.]

The number of knights around the Spring of Secrets was roughly 100. Everyone was a formidable person who had received the title of Royal Guard.

[That’s not all. The rest of the troops are waiting somewhere in the middle of the mountain.]

‘…….’

At Aln’s cold words, Karil finally took a low sigh and calmed himself down.

“Kaila, is your father among them?”

“The man that trash is holding is the head of our Chang family.”

Her eyes were blazing.

“What’s the plan? We have to save him no matter what.”

Aln looked at Kaila and said,

[Keu keu, look. That girl who maintains her composure is better than you.]

‘…….’

“That’s a relief. If it weren’t for Prince Ruon’s interference, things wouldn’t have been so difficult. The guy who’s the master of Tatur… Could it be that Prince Ruon had a hand in it?”

Banon, who was standing next to Naril, said to him.

“Be careful what you say. Anyway, he’s a lucky person. The initial plan went wrong, but he was lucky enough to attack Gray Church in Azor.”

“Haha, who’s listening here? Anyway, if we can collect Blue Lapis, His Majesty the Emperor won’t be able to leave Prince Oliver alone.”

“That’s right. Even the stuffy eunuchs will realize it a little. Who is better for the Empire.”

‘Hey, it looks like they even know how to acquire Blue Lapis. Aln, what happened to the arrangement you mentioned?’

Karil lowered his body and stared at the front.

It would take at least half a day for Aidan and his party to arrive.

It was necessary to check what they were trying to do in the meantime.

[Don’t worry. There are conditions for magic to be activated. It’s not in the Secret Book I left behind, so there’s no way they can know.]

Aln said confidently.

No.

Rather, he seemed to be enjoying this situation as if he had been waiting for it.

[And now I’ll tell you the conditions. If things go according to plan… even if they are 3rd class knights, they won’t be able to have the Spring of Secrets. Keu keu keu…….]

It was then.

“The deployment around the area is complete. From now on, we will form a separate unit to conquer the remaining four families.”

A knight walking from inside the Spring of Secrets.

He was wearing the Lyeo Knights’ unique armor and carrying a large sword on his back.

The blade of the greatsword was unusually wavy.

“Good work.”

Naril looked at him and nodded with a satisfied expression.

“We should be grateful to the Principality of Lurein. To think that a talent like you would join our Knights. How is the sword His Majesty bestowed upon you?”

“It’s too much. I’ve only just gotten used to it.”

“Keu keu, seeing your bravery in punishing the barbarians, you’re being too humble. Your father will surely be happy too.”

Banon looked at the knight and smiled.

“…Thank you.”

The knight took off his helmet and bowed to him.

“……!!!”

At that moment, Karil’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.

‘No way! Why are you…!’

Unable to speak, he couldn’t take his eyes off them.

Kkwak-

Without realizing it, he clenched his fist.

[Heo heo, that brat… I see. After all, it’s fun because you never know what will happen in life. Karil, are you regretting it now? It’s no use crying over spilled milk.]

Aln Zabiuss looked at the knight carrying the Liberated Flame on his back.

A person who should have died as originally planned.

As he said, it was useless to regret it, but he never imagined that the person he had saved would appear in front of him like this.

Karil repeated his name in a low voice.

“Randol McGovern……!!”