The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth

Chapter 288: Kuwell MacGovern

“You know, I remember what you told me back at the mansion,” Kuwell spoke in a surprisingly calm voice, despite Karyl’s provocation.

“You said you wanted to surpass me,” he went on.

Karyl remembered that day, when at the dinner table he had expressed his desire to learn magic to go to Einheri. He chuckled bitterly at the memory.

That moment was the very reason Kuwell had acknowledged Karyl. Though it might have seemed presumptuous, Karyl had boldly declared that he wanted to surpass Kuwell.

To all swordsmen across the continent, Kuwell MacGovern was an insurmountable wall, a mountain too colossal to overcome. And back then, a mere twelve-year-old boy had declared his intention to surpass that mountain.

Kuwell had admired Karyl’s spirit.

“...”

Even now, seeing him again, Karyl realized that Kuwell hadn’t really changed.

“Do you remember what I told you then?”

“Of course,” Karyl replied in a low voice.

“A knight’s magic is ultimately for the sword. If you truly wish to surpass me...” Kuwell began.

“The answer lies in the sword,” Karyl continued.

At that, Kuwell gave a satisfied smile. Though Karyl had used his uprightness to enter Einheri at the time, his mindset as a warrior hadn’t changed from his previous life.

“Are you confident?” Kuwell asked.

“My answer remains the same,” Karyl replied.

“Heheh...” Kuwell chuckled softly. “That confidence in the sword is truly worthy of Karliak’s son. And that spirit befits a MacGovern as well.”

Kuwell spoke as if proud of Karyl’s growth, but Karyl responded firmly, “I’m Karyl, not anyone’s son.”

“Ah, if only your brothers, or at least Martte, could be as bold as you,” Kuwell sighed, his tone almost reproachful.

The commotion from the inner hall had drawn a crowd, and among them were familiar faces—Martte and Randol, the two brothers of the MacGovern family. They had never imagined reuniting with their father and brother in such a manner.

Martte gritted his teeth. How dare do you draw your sword against Father? Have you completely lost your mind, Karyl? Are you really thinking of turning the empire into your enemy?

No matter how hard he tried to rationalize it, abandoning both family and country made no sense to him. But at the same time, he couldn’t help but envy Karyl’s fearless pursuit of his chosen path. Family and country were certainly important, but they could also become chains, excuses for one’s inadequacies.

Indeed, Martte’s heart stung at Kuwell’s final words to Karyl.

Karyl... I'm surprised you’re here, and I even respect your courage. But what are you thinking?

Randol, too, watched Karyl with unease.

You told me yourself that our family is necessary for the future you want to build. But if you draw your sword against Father, we’ll inevitably become enemies!

He clutched a small scroll in his pocket, something he hadn’t let go of since returning from the south.

You said you wanted me to see with my own eyes whether you’re worthy of being a king. But no matter what ideals you have, if you harm Father, I’ll have to invoke the slave contract from the scroll.

Having faced Karyl before, Randol was well aware of his abilities—but he also understood that he hadn’t even come close to grasping the full extent of Karyl’s power. No matter how hard he tried, Randol couldn’t even come near the bounds of Karyl’s capabilities, let alone reach his limits.

But Father...

While there was no doubt about Kuwell’s prowess, Randol knew that in the face of unforeseen danger, he was likely the only one holding Karyl’s life in his hands. This thought kept him clutching the slave contract tightly.

Martte, Randol... and...

Being face to face with the continent’s strongest Sword Master, Karyl glanced around, confirming the presence of the two brothers before looking for someone else.

There he is...

He spotted Olivurn behind Kuwell’s disciples.

Everyone is here.

Finally, the stage Karyl had set was filled with its intended audience. Now was the time to execute his plan.

CLANG!

A deafening clash erupted as Kuwell’s sword collided with Karyl’s Freezing Talon. The force of the impact sent a sharp pain through Karyl’s wrist. Rather than their blades hitting each other, it felt like a massive boulder had been slammed into him.

He’s strong, Karyl thought.

He’s sharp, Kuwell assessed.

With just one exchange, both men had already grasped each other’s swordsmanship. Karyl quickly released one hand from the Freezing Talon, thrusting his fist at Kuwell’s face. Kuwell narrowly avoided the blow by turning his head just in time.

In that fleeting moment, Karyl seized the opportunity, gripping his sword with both hands and preparing his next stance.

Second Stance: Unicorn Posture.

As Kuwell stepped back, Karyl closed the distance, his arms pulling back into a focused lunge. Streaks of Arcane mana, like crackling lightning bolts, flared outward, too slow to match the speed of his strike. They formed a conical net around his blade.

Kachang!

Despite being slightly off-balance, Kuwell deftly deflected Karyl’s thrust. But Karyl, anticipating the counter, twisted his blade and slashed across Kuwell’s waist.

Fourth Stance: Riffle Posture.

Karyl’s speed surged explosively as his blade traced a sharp arc, unleashing a powerful gust that tore through the air with a thunderous roar. The sheer force of the swing overturned the ground, scattering debris everywhere.

Any ordinary knight would have been obliterated by such an attack, but Kuwell, instead of retreating, bent backward like a bow, raising his sword overhead and striking down at Karyl with immense power.

“Haaah!”

With a mighty shout, Kuwell unleashed a sword strike so devastating it seemed capable of not just cutting through Karyl’s blade storm but obliterating it entirely.

Bang—!!

The ground split like a parting wave. The impact sent forth a powerful shockwave, shaking the very earth. The knights and priests nearby instinctively turned away, struggling to escape the destruction unleashed by the two titans.

The clashing of swords echoed loudly as dust swirled around Kuwell and Karyl. They exchanged blows with such speed that the onlookers found it impossible to follow the count. The clash of steel against steel kept ringing out, each strike heavier and more intense than the last.

Baang—!

With a final, forceful collision, the dust began to settle, revealing the two figures locked in combat. Both fighters stepped back, the relentless battle coming to a brief respite.

“Impressive,” Kuwell remarked, his voice steady after fending off Karyl’s assault.

Karyl met his gaze. Although he kept his expression composed, inwardly, Karyl was more surprised than he let on. He hadn’t expected anyone to be able to withstand the refined sword techniques he had honed over eons.

Kuwell’s unyielding defense had an unexpected lightness to it. The style was completely different from Karyl’s, yet there was an uncanny resemblance in their approaches.

“But this isn’t all you have, is it? Even against me, you’re not using your full strength,” Kuwell remarked.

“The same could be said for you, right?” Karyl responded, aware that Kuwell had only used basic sword techniques to counter his attacks.

While those techniques were powerful enough, Karyl, who had learned Kuwell’s swordsmanship before his death in his previous life, knew just how formidable Kuwell could be when he went all out.

Tightening his grip on his Freezing Talon, Karyl could feel Ethereal’s energy quiver slightly, as though in pain. It was a blow to his pride that Kuwell had managed to fend off his self-made sword techniques without even going all out.

Was he this strong in my previous life?

Karyl couldn’t shake the feeling that something was different. Kuwell had always been a formidable presence, but this encounter felt unlike anything Karyl could remember about him. @@novelbin@@

Or perhaps...

Is there something I missed?

Kuwell’s earlier mention of a fortuitous encounter lingered in Karyl’s mind, piquing his curiosity.

“It’s surprising that you’ve reached this level at such a young age. Not even I could’ve dreamed of achieving what you have at your age. I wonder if even the Sword Demon was as skilled as you when he was your age,” Kuwell mused.

“Sword Demon?” Karyl questioned, intrigued.

“He was one of the companions of the Grand Sorcerer Kaye Aesir around 250 years ago. Little is known about him, but the swordsmanship of the MacGovern family is based on his teachings.”

This was news to Karyl, and it caught him off guard. He hadn’t expected the person he was searching for to have any connection with his family.

“Are you saying he was the ancestor of our family?” Karyl inquired, his interest now evident.

Slightly taken aback by Karyl’s curiosity, Kuwell responded, “No, he wasn’t a man of this continent. He merely offered his guidance on swordsmanship, and our family formed a connection with him.”

Not from this continent...?

Karyl considered the possibility that Kuwell’s deep connection with Karliak and his immigrant tribe might have something to do with this mysterious figure. While finding the remnants of Kaye Aesir’s legacy was crucial, Karyl knew that such thoughts were a distraction in the heat of battle.

“We’ve indulged enough in idle talk,” Kuwell said, tightening his grip on his sword as he prepared for the next round of their duel.

Karyl thought the same. He readied himself, knowing that the real battle was about to begin.

“From now on, I’ll be fighting with all my strength,” Kuwell declared, signaling that the battle was nearing its conclusion.

With a deep breath, Kuwell pointed his sword, Yulstern, at Karyl. The blade emitted a fierce mana-infused flame, more intense than anything Karyl had seen thus far.

And then it happened.

“...!!!”

Karyl's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Kuwell. The flames swirling around the sword obscured the blade, but within that fiery glow, Karyl sensed something utterly foreign, yet at the same time, strangely familiar.

“No way...”

Karyl was certain he was the only one who could sense this energy within Kuwell, as it was the same as his own.

Dragon mana?!

Karyl’s breath caught in his throat, a wave of confusion washing over him. His eyes locked onto Kuwell, who didn’t seem like he was going to offer an explanation; instead he responded with another powerful swing of his sword.

Clang!! Clang, clang, clang!!!

The force of Kuwell’s downward strike sent Karyl staggering back, the impact causing him to tremble all over. He was propelled several meters back before he finally managed to stop himself.

However, Kuwell gave him no time to recover. He immediately followed up with a thrush that Karyl barely managed to deflect.

“Ugh!”

Kuwell’s mana had reached the 6th Class, making him a force to be reckoned with. Even though their dragon mana was similar, Kuwell’s attacks were far heavier and more powerful than anything Karyl had faced from Miliana.

What in the world... happened to him?

Karyl was unsure of the exact events that had led to Kuwell’s transformation, but he was certain of one thing: a powerful entity had played a role in this change.

Narh Di Maug...!!

Just as Karyl’s future had shifted, Kuwell MacGovern’s destiny had also been altered.

Boom!!

Their swords clashed once more, the impact reverberating through the air, signaling the intensity of the battle that was far from over.