The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth

Chapter 285: Heim (3)

Kuwell looked at Karyl with a stern expression.

“Karyl.”

“Father, please don’t misunderstand. Although I am a MacGovern myself, I am here now as the King of Tatur and master of the south. I’m not here for family matters, like the emperor mentioned.”

“...”

“I’ve heard from Martte, so I’m aware that Randol and Jake are here. But Father, you need to face reality now. What’s more important than blood ties is authority. When authority changes, so must the respect between us.”

Karyl’s voice grew stronger.

“Sir Kuwell.”

“...How dare you!!” Faiman finally snapped, clenching his fist. However, his punch never reached Karyl.

Whoosh—!!

Despite the sudden attack, Karyl didn’t take his eyes off Kuwell.

Sssss...!!

Suddenly, black smoke enveloped Faiman, wrapping around him like a firm rope. The tendrils wrapped around his arms, waist, and legs, anchoring him to the ground and pulling him down.

“...Ugh?!”

Unable to breathe, Faiman’s face first turned red, then blue, and then he slowly crumbled down.

Thud—

Brought to one knee, Faiman desperately tried to tear off the black cords strangling him, but the more he struggled, the tighter they squeezed around him.

“You dare speak of rudeness before a king?” Karyl demanded, now at eye level with Faiman.

“Of course, you wouldn’t, right? It seems my men feel the same way. Be careful, as they find you rather impertinent,” he went on.

“Kuh... Kugh!”

Watching Faiman writhe in pain, Karyl gave a nod, and the smoke dissipated. With that, everyone’s attention shifted to Israphil, who was standing behind Karyl.

I’ve never seen magic like this before. What the hell is that? @@novelbin@@

Black smoke... Could it be the Immortals? But they don’t interfere with the continent’s affairs... How?

As the puzzled gazes lingered, Karyl waved his hand, and Israphil, slightly tense, exhaled deeply and lowered his head. Trained in both Original Magic and under Allen Javius, Israphil hadn’t yet reached the level of the Ten of the Oracle, but he had grown into a remarkable sorcerer nonetheless.

It’s not just him. Everyone is short on time in this life.

While Israphil, who had the potential to become a Great Sorcerer, was still only at the 5th Class, the three who were destined to become Sword Masters were merely Experts at this point in time.

Although Israphil had bloomed rather late this time around, he now overshadowed those three knights.

Crack—

Karyl walked forward, pressing down on the palm of Faiman’s hand, which was supporting his body on the ground.

“Ghh—!”

Faiman grimaced but held back, unwilling to further disgrace himself.

“Sir Kuwell.”

“...Your Majesty Karyl. Even if you are the king of a nation, don’t you think it’s rather disrespectful to barge into the prince’s quarters in such a manner?”

Kuwell’s tone was cold, devoid of the commanding aura one would expect from the continent’s greatest swordsman. Rather, his voice was laced with a certain bitterness—a trace of disappointment that Karyl didn’t understand how concerned his father had been for him until now.

“I understand. The reason I stopped by here is not to meet the prince, but to show you something, Sir Kuwell.”

“...To me? You have something to show me?”

As Karyl reached inside his cloak, Kuwell looked at him with a puzzled expression. The three disciples felt uneasy, not knowing what Karyl was about to take out. However, despite their apprehension, Karyl simply held a small dagger in his palm.

“This is Agnel. I recently found the scabbard that had been lost.”

“...”

Kuwell looked at Karyl with a befuddled expression, as though wondering why he was showing him a dagger from an immigrant tribe.

“But in the process of finding the scabbard, I received a report that something unusual is happening in the the Thousand-Year Ice Cave in the north. They say an exceptional ice-element herb called Heavenly Blue Grass is growing inside. Before I leave to retrieve that herb as an apology for the disrespect I showed to His Majesty, I came to inform you.”

“Th-The Thousand-Year Ice Cave?”

“Yes. The Razorthorn I previously offered to His Majesty was too potent, causing adverse side effects. Balancing it with an opposite element to neutralize the heat will restore his health. However, it’s not something that can be done with magic or other occult techniques.”

Karyl was carefully watching Kuwell’s reaction as he spoke.

Of course, the story about needing another herb to restore the emperor’s health was a lie. There was no Heavenly Blue Grass, and Karyl evidently had no intention of saving the emperor. He had brought this up merely to see how Kuwell would react to the mention of the Thousand-Year Ice Cave in the north.

In our previous life, you told me about the immigrant tribe sealed in the Thousand-Year Ice Cave. But I need to confirm when exactly you discovered that seal.

In his previous life, Kuwell had ventured into the north during the emperor’s Extermination Decree of Heresy. If he had already discovered the sealed Blader from the Mythical Era at that time...

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he already knows why the immigrant tribe lost their magic and who actually fought for this world.

If Kuwell was indeed aware of the truth, Karyl saw this as the perfect opportunity to use Martte, who was suspicious of Kromen’s poisoning, to drive a wedge between Kuwell and Olivurn.

“I don’t know if the name was given by the immigrant tribe or if it was simply passed down through generations, but it’s said that the cave holds a massive ice pillar that hasn’t melted for centuries.”

“...”

It was at that moment that Karyl noticed a subtle shift in Kuwell’s demeanor. Though his expression remained unchanged, Karyl could sense Kuwell’s inner turmoil. Even when his disciples had been subdued, Kuwell’s aura had been as calm as still water, but now it rippled ever so slightly.

Just as I thought.

Karyl’s suspicions were confirmed.

It seems he already knows that the immigrant tribe were the true Godslayers.

Feigning ignorance, Karyl ended the discussion about the Thousand-Year Ice Cave.

Now, the story of the Heavenly Blue Grass will reach Olivurn’s ears. The one who wishes for the emperor’s death will ensure I cannot inform His Majesty about the herb.

That was enough. In a situation where he wished for the emperor’s death but couldn’t kill him directly, all Karyl had to do was watch how Olivurn would respond.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

Kuwell was just about to stop him, but he said nothing, letting his hand drop. With a peculiar and subtle expression, he watched Karyl’s retreating figure and let out a soft sigh.

***

Knock, knock—

Late at night, a knock on the door broke the silence. As if he had been expecting it, Karyl opened his eyes. He already knew who would visit him at such an hour.

With a snap of his fingers, the door opened on its own.

“I greet the King of Tatur,” a clear voice rang out.

Whether it was because Kuwell had spoken to him or because of his own quick wits, Olivurn, standing in the doorway, bowed slightly toward Karyl, who was seated inside.

The last time they had met in the imperial capital, Olivurn had looked down on Karyl. Now, Karyl found it amusing that Olivurn was addressing him with respect for the first time in two lifetimes.

“Please, have a seat,” Karyl invited, and with his gesture, the teapot on the table floated up, pouring steaming water into the teacup in front of Olivurn.

Olivurn, hiding his surprise at the display, remarked, “Your control over magic is impressive. It’s surprising to see a swordsman manipulate it so delicately.”

“Oh, it’s just a crude ability. I was fortunate enough to break through the barrier of the 6th Class, which just makes it a bit more convenient to pour tea.”

Olivurn found it difficult to discern whether Karyl was speaking the truth or not. While there was indeed a significant gap between the 6th and the 7th Class, it was hard to believe that a swordsman was just one step away from reaching the level of a Great Sorcerer.

If it’s true, then his achievements in both swordsmanship and magic are truly remarkable.

Olivurn studied Karyl.

“Please, drink. And don’t worry, for there is no poison.”

Karyl pointed to the teacup in front of Olivurn and then took a sip from his own, making a subtle reference to the incident with Kromen.

Olivurn’s face stiffened slightly as his gaze alternated between the steaming, transparent tea and Karyl.

“You don’t seem as well as you did when we met at the palace. Is something troubling you, Your Highness?” Karyl asked.

“Well, managing state affairs is never easy, right? With His Majesty’s absence and my brother’s fate, there’s naturally much on my mind. You were at the center of the trial, so you understand well, don’t you?” Olivurn’s eyes flashed with a touch of resentment as he spoke.

At that, Karyl chuckled slightly.

“Well, nothing in this world goes as planned, does it? The same goes for us. Who would have thought back then that Prince Olivurn would address me so formally?”

“As the king of a nation, you deserve proper respect. As I am not yet an emperor, we must show mutual respect,” Olivurn replied, subtly asserting that, although he was still a prince, he would not bow too low to a foreign king.

“Are you saying that once you become emperor, you’ll look down on everyone?”

“By the way, I heard you know how to improve His Majesty’s health?” Olivurn inquired, dodging Karyl’s question.

“I intend to make amends for my mistake. After informing His Majesty, I plan to head to the north immediately. If all goes well, His Majesty should make a full recovery.”

With that, Karyl seemed to imply that the throne was still far from Olivurn’s reach.

“I’ll be direct. Do you really intend to save His Majesty? Once your only leverage disappears, he’ll raze Tatur to the ground out of gratitude.”

Karyl laughed at Olivurn’s blunt remark.

“Heim, the sacred grounds of the Church where no one can enter without permission... It’s the most discreet place on the continent, don’t you think? To see the prince weighing the emperor’s life on a scale right before my eyes...”

“...”

Olivurn shrugged slightly.

“It’s something I can say because Sir Kuwell is here. I’m aware of the situation the MacGovern family is in. Indeed, your provocation has displeased His Majesty, but... if the throne changes hands, that issue will disappear as well.”

“Hmm...”

Karyl was slightly surprised to hear Olivurn speak so openly about the emperor’s death.

“You’ve changed quite a bit since the last time we met. It seems that handling state affairs has sharpened your vision.”

“I’m thinking not only of the empire but also of the continent as a whole.”

“The continent as a whole, huh...? You already think the empire is yours, don’t you?”

“...What?”

Olivurn was taken aback by Karyl’s blunt comment, unsure if he had misheard.

“You think Tatur will be burned to the ground? By whose authority? Do you believe you can do anything just because you’re the master of the empire?”

“Wh-What...?”

“Go ahead and try. I’ll show you who will be reduced to ashes. You asked if I trust the emperor. You’re right—I can’t trust a snake like him.”

Karyl then turned his gaze directly at Olivurn, smirking at him as he continued in a low voice, “But I don’t trust you either.”