The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth-Chapter 419: The Ten Godslayers

Hwarin was the one waiting for Karyl outside the royal tomb.

“You...”

When he slowly lifted his head to meet her gaze, she raised her eyebrows slightly, surprised by what she saw.

“Something happened in there, didn’t it?”

She sensed something strange in him. Until now, he had always exuded the overwhelming force of a towering mountain, but now, the energy that flowed around him felt fluid, calm.

The shift was unmistakable.

“And it looks like you gained something too. Honestly... I’m impressed every time I lay eyes on you. You always seem to stand at the very peak of human potential, yet you still manage to reach for something beyond that.”

Hwarin understood strength better than anyone, and that was why she noticed the change in Karyl right away.

“There is no end to strength. The word itself, limit, means nothing.”

“That sounds just like you.”

“So, what brings you here?” Karyl asked nonchalantly.

In response, Hwarin removed the necklace from around her neck and handed it to him.

“I came to finish an assignment.”

Karyl looked at the relic resting in her palm. It pulsed faintly with the Lycanthrope’s Will.

“So you figured it out,” he said with a faint smile. “It’s a good start. Everything seems to be falling into place.”

“Of course, it’s just like one of your plans.”

“Hmm, let’s hear it, then.”

“First, how about you take this? Making the decision of giving the relic of the Jannabi tribe to you wasn’t easy.”

Karyl nodded and took the necklace from her. “And the reason you’re giving this to me?”

“You speak as if you’re checking homework. Honestly... just handing over the necklace should have made it clear, but treating me like a child isn’t exactly pleasant.”

She seemed rather irritated, but there was also a hint of fondness in her tone. “You said there are two Towers of Pharel in this world, and that we’ll be training in the one from the other dimension.”

“And?”

“The composition of the raid team was unusual, to say the least. To face the Tarak, both swordsmanship and magic are required. If you truly wanted to train us, it would’ve made more sense to select Sword Masters with both magic and swordsmanship. That would’ve been the most efficient setup.”

“Hmm.”

“The others must be wondering the same thing. Why include those of us without mana in the Pharel raid team? Especially when the sorcerers you’ve chosen lack swordsmanship skills.” Hwarin looked Karyl directly in the eye. “It’s an extreme example.”

A slight smirk appeared at the corner of Karyl’s lips.

“You’re not training us for our growth. You’re using us to establish combat dynamics between knights and sorcerers. Deploying swordmasters might enhance individual strength, but it wouldn’t necessarily strengthen the overall composition of the knight orders and sorcerers.”

“Exactly.”

“People like me, from immigrant and barbarian backgrounds, represent the knights, while Thompson and Mikhail represent the magic battalion.”

“I knew you’d figure it out.” Karyl nodded in satisfaction. “There’s no need for further explanation, then.”

“Actually, thinking it through left me feeling a bit insulted.”

“...Hmm?”

“You basically see this team as a lesser version of the knights and magic battalions. Being their stand-ins must mean we’re not that different from regular knights. In fact, since we don’t have mana, we’re basically disposable soldiers. The reason you selected Mikhail and Thompson is likely because they’re less skilled than other sorcerers, right?”

Hwarin furrowed her brow slightly. “In other words, you think we’re weaker than the others. Am I wrong?”

“Are you stronger than them?”

“...What?”

Hwarin almost flinched at Karyl’s blunt question.

“Are you upset that you’re cast as a soldier and not as a commander? For a war to be won, the soldiers must fight to the end. No matter how skilled a commander is, they can’t achieve anything without soldiers who can hold their ground.”

He then gave Hwarin a light pat on the shoulder.

“Victory in war isn't only about attacking; defense is just as crucial. The reason I chose you all is not just to create a scaled-down version of the battle unit, but to foster unity among the tribes and the immigrants.”

Hwarin looked at him steadily.

“Though you all share the blood of the Blader lineage, you’ve been separated for so long that there’s no unity. In that regard, you’re less cohesive than the empire, which has operated as a unified nation.”

“Hmph, you won’t let me have the last word, will you?”

“Hwarin, the weight on your shoulders is heavier than you imagine. Pharel won’t be an easy trial.”

“Karyl, how do you even know that?”

Just then, Karyl and Hwarin turned toward the voice that interrupted them.

Miliana stood there, leaning against the entrance to the tomb with her arms crossed.

“Because I’ve been inside Pharel before.”

“...What?”

Her eyes widened for a moment, caught off guard, but there was also a look of confirmation on her face.

“You always know how to throw someone off. I had a feeling you’d already been to Pharel. After all, you were the one who discovered the one inside the Thousand-Year Ice Cave. You must’ve explored it. That’s how you knew about the Tarak in advance. Am I wrong?”

Karyl gave her a bitter smile.

Not knowing about his past life, Miliana confidently talked about the Pharel in the Ice Cave, although Karyl had only ever been in the real one.

“You said they’re the same, but the Pharel in the Thousand-Year Ice Cave and the one that appeared across the continent are obviously different. If the tower in the Ice Cave were also active, the continent would already be teeming with Tarak.”

Miliana nodded as if putting the pieces together.

“But I’m sure there are Tarak inside that one too. That’s why you’re giving us the easier Pharel, so we can gain experience before dealing with the real ones flooding the continent.”

“You’re overthinking it. It’s not that complicated. Anyone could guess that,” Hwarin scoffed, but Miliana shot her a smirk.

“You’re only seeing part of it. This isn’t just about us getting stronger. The real issue is what he plans to do while we’re training.”

“...What do you mean?”

“Want me to take a guess? Karyl, you’re planning something. You’re giving us the tools to defend the continent, and then you’ll go off alone to take on the real Pharel. That’s what you’re up to, isn’t it?”

She stared directly at him, not in anger, but with genuine concern.

“Do whatever you want, but promise me one thing. When you go into Pharel, take me with you.”

Karyl shrugged as if in defeat. “Miliana, I suppose I’ll have to ask you the same question I asked Hwarin.”

“What question?”

“Are you stronger than me?”

“...What?”

“The inside of Pharel is more horrifying than you can imagine. I might not be able to protect you, which makes you a liability.”

At Karyl’s blunt words, Miliana bit her lip slightly, staring back at him.

“Then let me in on it,” she said with a slight pout. “You left me off the team. Just give me one chance. I need to be there. I have to go into Pharel with you.”

“Hmm, the Queen of Digon is serious, I see.”

“Of course. When it comes to getting stronger, I’m not afraid of anything.”

Hwarin looked at her with an ambiguous smirk.

“That’s not the only thing you’re serious about.”

“Wh-What are you talking about?”

Hwarin merely gave her a pat on the shoulder. “Calm down. I won’t get in your way,” she said with a smirk.

“Can you just shut up?”

“Hahaha...!”

Seeing Miliana flushed like that, Hwarin laughed heartily and waved goodbye, lifting a hand over her head as she walked away.

“Are you seriously planning to come with me?”

“You said it yourself. The Ten Godslayers. There’s no way I’m not one of the other nine.”

Miliana looked completely sure of herself, which brought a smile to Karyl’s face.

Indeed, she hadn’t changed one bit.

“If you don’t want to be a burden, I’ll tell you what to do.”

“What is it?”

“Go find the dragons.”

“...The dragons?”

“You’re capable of Dragonization because the Digon tribe inherited the blood of the Golden Dragon Toska. But for a human to fully manifest a dragon’s power, you’ll need to train it with actual dragons.”

“Then... who should I find?”

“What do you mean, who?” Karyl smiled at her. “You’ve got three dragons to pick from. Find them, take their essence, and make it yours. Or steal it, if you have to.”

“...”

Miliana swallowed hard. The thought of taking a dragon’s power into herself was daunting. She had never even considered something like that.

“We’ll join you.”

It was then that Aidan’s voice rang out.

Karyl looked up. He saw several figures gathered around the tomb. Aidan wasn’t alone; Suan Hazer, Israphil, Serica Lauren, Kay Rothschild were also there.

[You sly bastard. So this is what you were really aiming for.] Allen Javius chuckled, clearly amused. [You left them off the team on purpose so they’d volunteer. They would have obeyed your orders even if it meant dying, but choosing it themselves is something else entirely.]

At this, Karyl gave a faint smile.

“Are you confident?”

“Of course!”

They all answered in unison, not the slightest bit of hesitation in their voices.

Karyl sensed that the time had finally come.

It’s time to bring her in.

Though Repin Serga wasn’t there, the others gathered around him. Karyl now had eight of the Ten from his past life.

He had always known who they were, but unlike the rest, he hadn’t gone out of his way to reach them after coming back. The ones who had gathered so far were born with rare talent. They had become exceptional long before the Oracle had come.

The remaining two weren’t like that. Their strength didn’t come from birth, but from what followed after the Oracle. When the continent fell into chaos, they would be forced to open their eyes. That was when they would truly awaken.

That was also why Karyl hadn’t rushed things. He hadn’t tried to steer them onto his path. Rather, he had let time shape them, the same way it had before. But now that he had halted the Oracle, the call they were meant to receive from Yula had never come.

No one else had any clue who they were, except for Karyl. He knew exactly who they were, and now, he was ready to bring them in and finish what he had started.

Those two were different from the rest. They hadn’t been born into their power; rather, they had been shaped by disaster, forged into warriors by the need to survive.

Because of that, people had once called them the Twin Fates: those not chosen by the Oracle, but born in its wake.

The first was Anchar, the Druid.

This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om