The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth

“What...?”

Fasio stared at Karyl in disbelief, baffled by his confidence.

“It seems you don’t remember. I won the Expert Tournament, and I still haven’t had a chance to review the Original Magic.”

“You madman. Whether you’re the tournament winner or the king of Tatur, what on earth do you think you’re doing?!” Fasio Han shouted as he glared at Karyl.

“I heard the king of Tatur was coming, but I didn’t expect to meet him like this. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Among the crowd of sorcerers, the envoy dressed in the distinctive silk garments of the Eastern Land stood out.

“...Huh?”

Serica frowned at the envoy’s voice, a strange mix of both masculine and feminine tones.

Concealed with magic, huh.

Karyl wasn’t surprised, knowing envoys from the Eastern Land often had such androgynous voices, yet he still found it hard to get used to and frowned slightly.

The envoy placed one hand over their navel and bowed.

Step, step, step...

However, Karyl walked past the envoy as if they were invisible.

“...”

And then, he stopped.

“You might want to release your fist and raise your hand, unless you want your face to be blown away along with that mask.”

The envoy made no response. They hadn’t placed a hand over their navel and bowed just to show respect. There were very fine needles hidden in the belt, commonly used by assassins from the Burning Darkness.

Of course, since all envoys were from the Burning Darkness, their skill with needles was unparalleled.

“Haha... What do you mean?”

The envoy laughed awkwardly as they straightened up. Of course, in a situation like this, a trained assassin wouldn’t openly use a weapon or reach for their belt.

And yet, Karyl had deliberately warned them, letting the envoy know that he had seen through their hidden intentions.

“Enough with the greetings. Whether you whisper from the rear or bluster from the front, I don’t care. If our paths diverge, we’ll meet on the battlefield.”

With Karyl's words, the atmosphere turned cold.

“I have another reason for coming today.”

Mikhail wore an expression of understanding, while Serica watched with keen interest. Israphil, however, looked as though he might faint at any moment, his complexion now a ghastly shade of blue.

“So, please stay out of this.”

“We’ve shown respect, but Your Majesty, on the other hand...”

“Your Majesty... Now that I think about it, this is the first time someone who isn’t a comrade addressed me like that. I quite like it. Say it again.”

“...Pardon?”

Though the envoy’s face was concealed by the mask, the tone of their voice conveyed clear bewilderment.

“Go on.”

“Y-Your Majesty...?”

As soon as the envoy finished speaking, Karyl took a step toward them.

“...!!”

“That’s right. I’m the king of a nation, and your master is nothing more than a mere island ruler. You dare speak of manners when our statuses are worlds apart?”

It was just one step.

Though five steps away, the envoy felt as if Karyl was grasping his throat, suffocating him.

“Th-That’s...”

“The one being rude is you, for being here while I’m trying to speak with the lord.”

Only when Karyl eased his intense presence did the envoy finally release the breath they had been holding.

“Today’s events will be reported to the Eastern Land.”

“Do as you wish. While you’re at it, tell Simon Coden to come himself next time. If he sends you again, I’ll send your head back separately.”

“...”

At that, the envoy unwittingly touched their neck. Although Karyl’s overwhelmingly imposing aura had vanished, he still vividly felt the sensation of his throat being squeezed moments ago.

“The king of a nation? You act like nothing more than the leader of a band of ruffians. Not even the emperor would cause such a commotion in the lord’s Hall of Azor!”

Indeed, true to his title as the lord of the magical city, Fasio wasn’t intimidated even in front of Karyl. Despite appearances, Fasio was a high-level sorcerer of the 6th Class. And thanks to the elemental stones he had recently acquired, reaching the 7th Class was no longer just a dream.

Thus, his arrogance was understandable.

“How could I forget? The king of Tatur? Hmph, here you’re just the winner of the Expert Tournament.”

“...”

Karyl barely held his laughter at Fasio’s outburst.

His mana has increased, and now he sees nothing.

Of course, Fasio would never know that those elemental stones had been supplied by Baron Beryl under Karyl’s orders.

“True, the emperor wouldn’t act like this. He would crush anyone aiming for his back without any dialogue. You should be grateful I haven’t yet become an emperor.”

“...What?”

Fasio was stunned by Karyl’s words. He had heard rumors about this rising star—the king of Tatur—but his power couldn’t be much greater than a mere city lord’s. Tatur didn’t even compare to Azor, and in front of Karyl represented the lord of the Eastern Land.

Fasio couldn’t let this stand.

“And you, a thief, dare come before me? You thought I wouldn’t know that you stole that sword from the Gray Training Ground?!” Fasio shouted confidently.

Click—

Karyl unfastened the belt holding the Freezing Talon. As he moved his arm, Fasio involuntarily flinched.

“If you want this sword, take it. But the spirit inside isn’t friendly. It really hates humans.”

“What...?”

Fasio felt an ominous chill emanating from the blade, almost as if black smoke was rising from it.

“It’s not cursed... but it’s quite peculiar. Is it a spirit sword? Can it communicate? An ego sword is a rare artifact, even on this continent.”

“Didn’t I tell you not to interfere with those above your rank?”

“...”

At that, the envoy went silent.

“You can see it, huh? Eastern arts are always full of strange tricks. Want to hold it? See what happens.”

“...No, thank you,” said the envoy, his back a little straighter now.

“Even if we conceded it, no one in Azor could properly handle this sword. It would’ve just gathered dust in a warehouse. Meanwhile, I provided ancient texts with cures for magic poisoning and various other valuable books.”

As he refastened the Freezing Talon around his waist, Karyl went on, “The emperor might be lenient, but what’s the point of hoarding artifacts you can’t use? Just for show?”

“Ugh...”

“The same goes for the Original Magic. If you can’t use it, it should go to someone who can.”

“How can you prove you won’t misuse it?”

“Allen,” Karyl called out casually, but nothing happened. He sighed deeply and called again, this time more firmly.

“Allen Javius.”

Woosh—!

Black smoke erupted like flames, and the figure of a dark specter wrapped in magical bandages appeared.

“You always have to make things difficult.”

“Th-Th-There he is...”

Fasio was speechless, staring wide-eyed at the specter.

“This... This can’t be...” Fasio muttered in disbelief, reacting just like Nain Darhorn had when he first saw Allen. It was only natural, as all magic on the continent originated from the Assembly of Seven Elders, with Allen being one of the most revered among them.

What’s going on...?

The envoy from the Eastern Land tilted his head in confusion as Fasio trembled like a leaf.

Where did that monster come from...

The envoy managed to remain composed because he was the least accomplished in magic among those present. A sorcerer would instinctively recognize the source of their power, and the closer one got to the pinnacle, the clearer this recognition became.

“Why do you not bow?”

“...!!”

As soon as Allen spoke, a dark magical storm erupted around him.

“Guh, guh—!”

The envoy collapsed to his knees, suffocated by the pressure.

He’s a... monster...

The ignorant rarely fear what they ought to, but the envoy now fully realized the terrifying reality of facing Allen Javius.

“Oh, he didn’t bow because I told him not to earlier. He was planning something sneaky.”

“What nonsense.”

Karyl chuckled at Allen’s response.

“What are you doing?”

Then, turning to Fasio, who was prostrating himself on the floor, Karyl said, “Now, about the Original Magic...”

***

“So this is it, huh? It’s quite crude... but it’s usable for something that came from that idiot Gustav’s head.”

After reading through all three books, Allen shared his thoughts while seated in a chair. Without hesitation, Fasio vacated the entire mansion for Karyl. The envoy from the Eastern Land had briefly said something to Karyl before being abruptly evicted.

“So, what do you think?” Karyl asked casually, sipping on his tea in the now empty hall.

“I have no idea...” Israphil murmured, his expression bewildered as though wondering why he was even there. He was now going over the first book on the Original Magic, handed over by Allen after he had finished with it. freewebnσvel.cøm

“I hope you find it interesting.”

However, Karyl could see that Israphil’s eyes were sparkling as they scanned the text.

“Sorry?”

The books were old, written a thousand years ago about a form of magic that had long since vanished. Someone like Israphil, who lived buried in libraries, was bound to be captivated.

“I'm not the only one learning it. Israphil, you’ll also learn the Original Magic.”

“What? Me? You want me to learn the Superior Vision?”

Israphil stared at Karyl in shock.

“That’s right. In fact, you should learn all three spells, even if it might take a long time to master them. I mean, why let them go to waste? There’s no one else who can learn them. Besides, you’re the only one capable of mastering ancient magic.”

Karyl pointed to Serica, yawning from boredom at one side of the hall, and Mikhail, who was nervously standing guard.

“But how can I...”

Israphil looked at the Ein Trigger embedded in Karyl’s hand, recalling Allen’s earlier words. The Original Magic left in the Magic City was elemental magic created by one of the Assembly of Seven Elders, Gustav.

“Don’t worry. It’s not like there’s only one spirit.”

Karyl, sensing Israphil’s thoughts, gave him a mysterious smile and turned around.

“Isn’t that right, Allen?”

“...”

Allen looked at him with an exasperated expression.

“Spirits contract with only one person.”

“Who said anything about a spirit contract?” Karyl laughed and tapped his temple with his finger.

“...Did you already figure it out?”

“Isn’t that why you gave that to me?”

Allen Javius, the one who had bestowed the repository of knowledge upon Karyl, immediately realized what Karyl was thinking.

Unlike me, he has talent. He can learn the Original Magic faster than I did. My enlightenment is important, but finding the dungeons is more urgent, Karyl communicated this thought to Allen.

[I get what you’re trying to say, but is that really feasible? Besides, now that we learnedhe knows about the moniker “Spire,” I’m the one refusing. I don’t like that guy much either.]

Though he had contracted with Duaat, Allen was still soul-bound to Karyl. With the increased dark energy, Allen could see Karyl’s memories more vividly than ever before, including Israphil’s past known to Karyl.

Israphil, unaware of the significance of the moniker “Spire,” tilted his head in confusion.

You also want to shed the stigma of being a traitor. Isn’t it the same for him? I think completing Gustav's magic is necessary for both of you.

Karyl looked at Allen.

Besides, maybe with your help, Israphil won’t gain that moniker this time.

Their expressions subtly clashed, while Israphil remained clueless about the silent exchange, glancing between them in confusion.

“You really like making others work for you, don’t you?” Allen muttered.

Pssssss—

Suddenly, Allen’s form dissolved into smoke and began to swirl around Israphil.

“Kid, I’ll explain briefly. I’ll envelop you with my power, a sort of trick. This way, you’ll be able to use a fraction of Duaat’s power through me.”

“What? Wait—!” Israphil shouted in alarm as the black smoke enveloped him from head to toe.

“Yeah, yeah. No need to thank me,” Allen’s voice echoed softly from within the smoke.