The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 93

79. Unexpected Suspicion

“How was the banquet?”

“Excellent. Thanks to you, Baron, I had a valuable time.”

“Hahaha, don’t mention it. I should always arrange a place for Sir Caryl.”

Unlike Beril, who spoke proudly, Caryl seemed to have anticipated the lavish banquet upon entering the Istan Kingdom.

Under the guise of a magic research society, Beril invited all the connections he had in the kingdom, along with his disciples.

Some didn’t respond, but most of the names Caryl had given him were present.

‘Could it be that I, who was treated as a has-been, had unexpected influence?’

Even the nobles who attended the banquet were surprised to see unexpected people in the same place.

‘Enclosing attribute stones [magical stones that enhance abilities] in the invitations was effective. The phrase that it was sent specifically to them helps maintain secrecy, which is convenient.’

Caryl came out to the terrace for some air and spoke to Beril.

“The meeting today will soon be reported to the King. When that happens, rumors will spread to other kingdoms as well.”

Beril smiled contentedly and said,

“Now all three kingdoms will be eager to see Sir Caryl. Your name will spread throughout the continent.”

As he said that, he subtly hoped to be under that name as well.

“The real deal will probably be tomorrow. I seem to have drunk more than expected… Can I leave the rest to you, Baron?”

It was a roundabout way of saying he was annoyed and wanted to be left alone, but Beril couldn’t help but find it pleasing.

“Hahaha, don’t worry. I will stay until the end of the banquet and gather the useful ones among them to send to Sir Caryl tomorrow.”

“Thank you again.”

“Don’t worry about not only the Istan Kingdom but also the other two kingdoms of the three. I also have… not insignificant connections with that side.”

Baron Beril said, showing his little finger.

‘He’s still in contact with them. In some ways, he’s an amazing old man. He’s still not coming to his senses even in this state. Or is it the opposite? Is it amazing that he’s still in contact?’

Looking at him, Caryl laughed softly.

“I trust you.”

Beril, seemingly reassured by today’s results, puffed out his chest and entered the banquet hall.

A trivial time.

Swinging a sword even once seemed a hundred times better than being in a place like this, but the reason Caryl came here wasn’t simply to build friendships with nobles.

Inside the banquet hall, Dushala, with her face veiled, was constantly talking to them.

‘The attribute stone business is going to be left to her anyway, so there’s nothing much for me to do. Still, she was only ever in the shadows, but she looks good in the light too.’

She, like Baron Beril, had connections with the nobles of the three kingdoms, so she had already concluded many contracts here.

“Hahaha, you are beautiful.”

“I’m curious about your hidden beauty. If you have time, perhaps next time with me…”

“I’ve heard a lot about the black market. When can you invite me?”

The young nobles surrounding Dushala couldn’t help but admire her voluptuous figure, which couldn’t be hidden by the black dress, and spoke to her.

Caryl smirked at the sight.

‘I wonder if they would still be smiling like that if they knew she was a woman with the ability to annihilate everyone here without batting an eye.’

In the first place, the attribute stone business was just an excuse to move around the three kingdoms comfortably.

Caryl scanned the people in the banquet hall.

His real purpose.

An agent of Wooden Cloud.

‘There’s no particularly suspicious person among those visible. It would be good if I could find out who is related to Wooden Cloud before the Imperial War begins.’

It wasn’t easy.

Bargo Sira, the master of the Ulkas Guild in Azor and a member of Wooden Cloud.

The information he spat out before he died was only one thing.

‘The line that connects Redios and Douglas is in the Istrian three kingdoms.’

Caryl put all the suspicious people in his memory on Beril’s list.

‘Although they were destroyed by the Empire, there are definitely useful people here.’

Useful means having ability.

Collusion with Wooden Cloud can be said to be a betrayal of the royal family, but not everyone walks the right path in how they use that ability.

‘The survivors of the war between the Empire and the three kingdoms are likely to be agents of Wooden Cloud.’

Even until then, the Duchy still had power, so they wouldn’t easily kill their own people.

‘Who could it be? Indeed.’

It was then.

Caryl, who was leaning against the terrace, fixed his gaze on a group passing below.

His eyes trembled slightly.

‘Huh… Baron Beril is right sometimes.’

Caryl looked at the man in front of him and laughed softly.

‘I’ve saved myself the trouble of finding him.’

Coming on his own.

‘Why didn’t I think of this?’

No.

He couldn’t have.

At this time, Caryl hadn’t left Kwell’s territory. He, who didn’t even know about the Empire’s affairs properly, couldn’t have known about the affairs of the three kingdoms so far away.

‘This guy was here.’

Caryl also knew about the relationship between the Lurein Duchy and the Order.

When he interrogated Bargo Sira, he tried to find the people of the Lurein family through the transaction details with the Order.

‘I was a bit doubtful when Bargo first mentioned the Istan Kingdom… He wasn’t wrong.’

Caryl thought as he looked at him.

‘Things might work out easily.’

He felt like he could grasp the real power of Wooden Cloud, which had only been vaguely visible, a little bit.

* * *

“We’re going back.”

“Yes? But there hasn’t been a retreat order yet…”

It was about ten days after coming to the territory of the Wolf Fox tribe. Kwell McGovern told his adjutant the decision he had made after much deliberation.

“The northern barbarians never abandon their strongholds.”

“But they are just primitive barbarians at best. About half of the barbarians are still alive.”

Kwell shook his head at the adjutant’s words.

“It’s already been almost a year of going to the north. The soldiers are tired, and it’s better to go back for a while.”

Kwell said, stroking his thickly grown beard.

The superior’s order is absolute.

Especially if that word was Kwell McGovern, there was no need to say anything more.

The adjutant nodded and said,

“I understand. I will order the Knights to prepare for retreat.”

Quaggghghghgh…!!!

It was then.

The northern blizzard covered their camp.

The soldiers hurriedly evacuated from the suddenly pouring snow, as if there had been an avalanche.

Dudddd… Dudddddd…!!

Chwaaaaa-!!

However, even though the raging blizzard had weakened, the roaring sound was still the same.

“…….”

Kwell looked up at the sky.

A huge ship emitting magical blue flames. There was no way a ship could travel here without a waterway, but the ship floating in the sky didn’t need a waterway.

The airship of the Order Mercenary Corps.

“Why here…?”

The adjutant standing next to him said in a low voice as if he didn’t understand.

Thud-

After the blizzard subsided, the airship landed, and a familiar face greeted Kwell from inside.

“Yo, you haven’t gone back yet. That’s a relief. It was close.”

Gordon, who got off the airship, waved his hand at Kwell as if he were greeting an old friend.

Despite the cold northern wind, he was wearing nothing but a thin, old cloak, let alone a parka.

“This place doesn’t smell like money. What’s wrong with you?”

“Have you been in the north for too long? Even your 말투 [manner of speaking] has become cold. We’re not enemies, are we?”

“…….”

Gordon lightly patted Kwell’s shoulder.

Touching the body of a knight without any care was a life-threatening act, but no one in this place could blame him for his rudeness.

“That doesn’t mean we’re comrades either.”

Kwell said, shaking off Gordon’s thick hand with a stiff face.

“I’m on my way back from the Imperial Palace. The Emperor is getting old now.”

“You wouldn’t have come all the way to this remote north to talk about that. What wind blew you here?”

“Why don’t we have a drink? I have plenty of 술 [alcohol] I brought from the Empire.”

At Gordon’s words, the knights around him unknowingly swallowed their 침 [saliva].

In the harsh environment of the north, where food was scarce, they couldn’t even think of 술 [alcohol].

“Jaegeon, open a few 술 [alcohol] barrels and bring them here.”

“I understand.”

As his order fell, dozens of 술 [alcohol] bottles were moved from inside the airship.

“The reason I came here… I didn’t just meet the Emperor at the Imperial Palace. They grew up cutely. I thought they were flowers in a greenhouse, but they all have fangs.”

Gordon walked through the door of the camp and said to Kwell.

“Who ordered you?”

“Is that important? What will change if you know who it is?”

Bang-

He opened one of the 술 [alcohol] barrels, drank it whole, and exhaled.

“Hua…!! Eating in the cold doesn’t require 안주 [side dishes].”

Gordon, who wiped his mouth and put the 술 [alcohol] barrel in front of Kwell, said,

“Delay the retreat by a week. We will provide the food for the knights to eat. Besides, 술 [alcohol] too.”

“What are you doing?”

A mercenary who moves for money is nonchalantly offering his goods first?

No one, not even Kwell, would think of it as a simple favor.

Gordon said meaningfully to him,

“There’s a place I want to go with you.”

* * *

The Istrian Three Kingdoms (三國) [a region divided into three kingdoms], which will be destroyed within three years.

Caryl felt a sense of incongruity when he thought about the existence of Wooden Cloud among these people who were enjoying the banquet, unaware of their future.

Until a moment ago.

Joy Johansel.

He wasn’t someone to pay special attention to.

Besides, he wasn’t a survivor of the Istrian Three Kingdoms either. He first saw him inside the war camp after the oracle was given.

The fierce war was accompanied by numerous injuries.

Healers were always in short supply, and the Order supported priests for those fighting against corruption.

He was one of the many priests dispatched.

“Hahaha, I heard there’s good news.”

“It’s all thanks to you.”

“Don’t mention it. Isn’t it all the grace of Yula [likely a deity or religious figure]?”

“When you return, it will be a great joy to the Order. If you hurry back within a month, the Pontiff will not forget your hard work.”

A calm voice was heard from the garden.

He didn’t have distinct features with his thin, slit eyes, so he wasn’t an appearance that would easily stand out if you passed by him.

‘He wasn’t particularly special, but his excellent healing ability and calm demeanor made him the most faithful person to the profession of priest.’

He joined the Empire before the oracle was given.

He came to the Empire due to one connection when Oliban started the Imperial War.

And after that.

He naturally continued to be an assistant to the Imperial family’s physician.

‘There were prominent figures like the Prime Minister and the Court Wizard, so his presence was weak, but…’

It’s absurd and something I’ve never imagined, but all circumstances are established if you put that unbelievable premise.

‘No, if I think about it now, there’s enough possibility.’

He had a much more unique history than the Prime Minister or the Court Wizard.

Immediately.

He was his predecessor healer during the time the Emperor stayed in the Order for recuperation a month later.

Instantly.

Caryl felt a chill as if his hair was standing on end.

‘Could it be… that the Emperor is related to Wooden Cloud?’