The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 90

76. The Weapon He Possessed

[Krrr…!!]

The Sand Serpent seemed to revel in the fierce currents of Fornine, swimming through them effortlessly.

“You’ve brought something incredible. What on earth has happened in the meantime?”

Suan Hazar looked at Karil, who was standing on the serpent’s head, with a mix of delight and astonishment.

“Karil-nim.”

At his words, the other two also bowed their heads.

“You’ve arrived.”

“Master.”

Kamma and Dushala couldn’t help but be surprised by his changed appearance over the past year.

‘Children grow quickly, but… he even smells like a man now.’

Dushala felt strangely drawn to his unfathomable eyes.

“Have you been well?”

Karil leaped nimbly from the serpent’s head and stood beside her.

“Ah, yes. Of course. All your orders have been carried out perfectly.”

She knew her thoughts were correct.

Before he left, she had been taller than Karil.

Despite her age, her small stature meant that Karil’s first impression, however strong, had an undeniable childlike quality.

But his drastically changed appearance made Dushala blush without realizing it.

“Still wearing the veil, I see.”

“It’s not good for someone who works in the shadows to reveal their face.”

She answered smoothly, as if prepared, but Dushala was grateful for the veil that hid her blushing face as she looked at Karil, who was more than ten years younger.

“We’ll discuss the report inside.”

Karil’s companions from the South followed behind him.

“Goodness… what does it take for a person to change so much? I nearly lost my nerve and collapsed.”

Kamma wiped away a cold sweat.

He hadn’t felt this nervous even when escaping from the Duchy.

“Indeed. But seeing him today, I know one thing for sure.”

“What’s that?”

Kamma asked, looking at Dushala.

“He looks like he’s about to cause a major stir.”

With an expectant look, she quickly ran after Karil.

“The continent will be shaken.”

Kamma muttered quietly, watching them.

* * *

“I killed a knight.”

“……!!!”

“……!!!”

Karil’s words left everyone in the office in shock.

The people of Tatur knew that he had contracted with the Kyo-do Mercenary Corps and gone to Azor.

But they were speechless at the shocking statement he made right at the beginning.

And that was the same for Beykan and his group, who had followed him from the South.

“What are you saying?!”

“You killed a knight… from which kingdom?”

“Were you injured?”

Suan and the others peppered him with questions, trying to understand why Karil had killed the knight.

“Was it something that happened at Narak Rock?”

“Why did you do it alone without us?”

The Southerners were disappointed that Karil had handled things on his own without them.

‘I knew it… I had a feeling.’

Only Aidan nodded with an indifferent expression at Karil’s bombshell.

‘But no one is objecting to the decision. Their lives could be in danger if they do.’

What kind of people are the residents of the Free City?

Aidan, who had lived here longer than anyone else, knew their tendencies well.

They were gathered under the name of managers, but they never encroached on each other’s territory and maintained a precarious relationship where they could devour each other at any moment.

‘But now, they are all looking at him.’

Their transformation from being self-centered was both amazing and made him wonder.

‘Could even Prince Olivon have done this?’

Aidan thought as he looked at them.

While coming to Tatur, he had already decided on the first thing he needed to do.

‘I need to find Juke Di Hold.’

It was important to first understand the state of affairs on the continent that had occurred while he was away.

“……”

He stared blankly at Dushala.

The directive he had received from the Eastern Country.

To help Prince Olivon and assassinate the target. The target was right in front of him, but strangely, Dushala didn’t catch his eye.

‘I must be crazy.’

Aidan shook his head lightly and looked at Karil.

‘I can understand a little why Dushala recognized him.’

“Aidan will explain the details.”

“Yes? Me? Ah, yes…”

Aidan, who had been lost in thought, said in surprise when his name was called.

“There’s still time. Since it was a surprise attack, it won’t be publicly known. It will take at least a month for the Empire to be notified. We will prepare the planned countermeasures in that time.”

“Which legion was it?”

“The Lyeo Knightage. And since those guarding the border are gone, the Empire won’t be able to easily strike the South. It will only be possible after the Blue Knightage returns.”

Karil pulled the map on the table towards him and said.

“Hashir, where is the Blue Knightage located?”

All eyes were on Hashir, who was covering his face with a hood.

“They are most likely near One-Legged Bridge. If he is cautious and investigates the empty Wolf Fox Territory… then perhaps Twin Rocks, a little further back.”

He casually placed two marks on the map and said.

“Either way, it’s only about a week away. But the important thing is whether the Blue Knightage will return immediately due to our absence, or whether they will continue to suppress the tribes further inland.”

Karil nodded at his words.

“Are you certain?”

“When I received the report a week ago, they had arrived at the Wolf Fox Territory. It’s just my guess, but it shouldn’t be far off.”

“I see.”

People gasped softly at his words.

No one within the Empire knew the exact location of the Blue Knightage, which had gone to suppress the North.

‘Amazing… to confirm news from the South to the North in just a week… it’s even better than the continent’s communication magic.’

Of course.

Magic is convenient, but it’s not perfect.

The most commonly used magic for scouting was Familiar [a magical creature bound to a mage].

However, if a mage wanted to maintain a Familiar flying from the South to the North, it would be an enormous burden.

Conversely, to use communication magic with a crystal ball, a scout had to go directly to the target location to confirm.

‘Is this the power of the tribes…?’

But they were different.

The special power called shamanism was not directly visible, but it could do surprisingly many things.

The Wolf Fox Tribe could handle various animals.

There was little fear of being discovered by the enemy, and there was no need to expend magical power.

Karil thought that it would be good to use their power, which was the best at espionage, in the information organization called Meteor that Aidan would establish later.

“Kwell McGovern, the commander of the Blue Knightage, will not turn back until he receives an order from the Emperor. It will take at least three months to return from the North. But even so, they can’t reuse a knight who has just finished a war.”

Karil moved one of the pieces on the map.

“After the Blue Knightage returns to defend the North, they might gather the nobles on the southern border, but unfortunately, there are no trustworthy people in the South.”

Everyone nodded at his words.

Vestal, the Marquis who leads the Vine Knightage, which is in charge of defending the South among the Empire’s seven knightages, was unfortunately not suited for combat despite being in the position of commander.

‘He was never meant to be a knight in the first place. He’s only in that position because he’s the Empress’s brother. All he can do is lock the door and ensure his own safety.’

Except for the Digon clan, there was no concern about the South.

“You mean there’s no commander, not that there are no troops.”

“That’s right. Besides, the knightages are already divided because of the princes vying for the throne. If there’s anyone who can move…”

Karil said, grabbing the red piece placed on the imperial palace on the map.

“It would be Jarvant of the Scarlet Knightage.”

“That… are you talking about the one who was next to Prince Olivon?”

“Yes. You remember.”

Suan chuckled, recalling the events in Piasta’s prison.

“But that would be difficult too. As you saw, Jarvant is on Olivon’s side. Even if it’s an order from the Emperor, the Blue Knightage has already carried out the northern expedition. Would Ruon allow Olivon’s people to take the southern subjugation, where they can gain merit?”

“What are the chances that Prince Ruon’s forces will move?”

“It’s possible if Prince Ruon directly commands the Vine Knightage. Marquis Vestal is on Ruon’s side anyway. But…”

Karil gathered all the knightage pieces on the map to the imperial palace.

Everyone watched him, surprised by his sudden action.

“The Emperor won’t move. No, I should say he can’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“Why…”

Karil paused, looking at the puzzled faces. What he was about to say was something only he knew.

The future has already changed and is flowing in a direction he cannot predict, but there are things that will never change.

A future that cannot be defied by human power.

That is.

Lifespan.

‘Regardless of all circumstances, the reason why the Empire cannot move for the time being is that the current Emperor, Tairan Stean, is seriously ill and doesn’t have much time left to live.’

But no one would know.

It was a secret even within the Empire, except for a few high-ranking nobles.

But even those nobles don’t know exactly when the Emperor will die.

Except for Karil.

‘In a month, the Emperor will entrust himself to the clergy for treatment. It’s a futile act, but it will cause the power of the clergy to grow rapidly.’

It was also the reason why the fanatics of Wooden Cloud would later gain power because of the foundation the Emperor had created for the clergy.

‘Even if the clergy’s problems are put aside for later, the Emperor’s absence will halt the subjugation order, and the princes will be busy trying to gain more allies in the meantime.’

The given time is about half a year.

‘The moment when the clash between Prince Ruon’s faction and Prince Olivon’s faction erupts is the most chaotic and weakest time for the Empire.’

He will aim for that time.

“We will execute the plan in time with the Blue Knightage’s retreat.”

“Understood.”

“Yes.”

They answered Karil.

Just as the two princes were expanding their forces, he also thought that he needed to gather more troops to stand against them.

‘The power I lack…’

He had tens of thousands of troops thanks to the tribes of the South and North, but the reality was that they were qualitatively inferior compared to the Empire.

The difference was.

‘Magic.’

There is a limit to troops without magical power.

That’s why he entrusted Thompson in Azor with the training of mages, but the scope that a single guild can handle is limited.

‘But.’

Karil smiled faintly.

The first arrangement he made when leaving Tatur.

And it was also the part he was most looking forward to as he returned here.

‘If there are no mages, then we can create mages.’

He had a unique weapon that neither the Empire nor the Duchy possessed.

That is.

The Kadifum Magic Mine.