The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth-Chapter 452: The Relic of the Savages (2)

“Suan has left for training with Gordon,” Aidan reported with a smirk.

“Is that so? I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”

“You couldn’t have. Gordon left with Suan slung over his shoulder, knocked out cold.” Aidan’s grin widened.

Karyl let out a bitter chuckle. Suan, whose legendary endurance allowed him to paddle upriver through the currents of the Fonein, had been no match for Gordon Fabian.

Then again, that just shows how freakishly strong Gordon really is.

When drafting the list of the Ten Goldslayers, Karyl had deliberated extensively about Gordon. He hadn’t been around in his previous life, yet now, Gordon Fabian was the one closest to him among the Five Great Sword Masters.

Strength and trust—Gordon had it all, making him the perfect candidate. And yet, Karyl had left him out of the Chosen Ten.

Gordon was an exceptional comrade, and it was precisely because of that that he and Karyl stood as equals. However, the mission to conquer Pharel would inevitably involve difficult decisions and many forks in the road. In such moments, there could only be one leader, and Suan’s unwavering loyalty to Karyl had tipped the scales in his favor.

And thanks to Valvont, Suan’s abilities will grow even further, which is all the better for me.

Karyl closed his eyes briefly, organizing his thoughts, then opened them to meet Aidan’s gaze.

“So, you’ve come to me about the Relic of the Savages, haven’t you?”

Aidan pursed his lips slightly, taken aback by how easily Karyl had read him.

“The twin blades I gave you, Thunderstrike and Thunderclap, are fine weapons crafted during the Magical Era. But the thing in that box—now that’s a true artifact. As someone who wields lightning, I imagine you’d covet it.”

“How could I possibly covet something that belongs to you, my lord? Especially knowing you’ll be forming contracts with all the Spirit Kings,” Aidan protested.

“Then?”

“I only ask... to continue wielding Thunderstrike and Thunderclap until Lice is completely eradicated.”

“And why is that?”

Aidan looked Karyl directly in the eye. “During the Silverwing Fleet’s rescue, I assured Anchar I was faster than Lice’s insects. Yet I couldn’t even get my hands on the main body, let alone capture it.”

He paused, letting out a bitter chuckle. “But in that moment, when Sir Ganeth lent me his mana, I felt something I’d never experienced before. A new realm unfolded before me. It felt as though time itself had stopped.”

“Hmm...” Karyl studied him intently.

Aidan’s expression didn’t convey disappointment in his failure but instead a burning determination to rise up to this new challenge.

“With respect, my lord, I believe the Thunderlord will guide me to a new path. The Spirit Kings possess mana far purer than humans. I’m certain this will help me grow.” Aidan’s voice was firm, though his expression betrayed nervous anticipation.

“Alright.”

“...Sorry?”

“If that’s what you want, I’ll allow you to form a contract with the Thunderlord. I was already considering having Suan maintain his connection with Maktuun if necessary.”

“You really mean that...?”

“But don’t forget,” Karyl warned, his tone turning serious. “Your element is wind. Using lightning to push your speed to its limit is understandable, but if you’re not careful, your mana could be consumed by the lightning element.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Aidan said confidently.

Karyl smirked at his resolve.

“The Wind Spirit King might feel betrayed, but if you can truly master the Thunderlord’s power, you might transcend the undefined realm of the wind itself.”

“...”

Aidan swallowed hard, his nerves evident as Karyl’s words sank in.

“Just keep in mind that if you do this, I’ll be sharing a Spirit King with you. Once you form the contract, no matter what happens, both you and Suan must join me on every battlefield. Do you accept that responsibility?”

“Of course,” Aidan replied without hesitation.

“Do you even know what kind of battles you’ll face? The carnage you’ll find yourself in? Are you really that confident?”

“Don’t you remember? From the moment Suan and I first stepped onto Tatur, we’ve always been by your side. It’s only fitting that we’d see this through the end with you. I wouldn’t have it any other way, my lord.”

“How touching. Why don’t you two just marry already?” Allen cut in. “Suan’s coming of age ceremony is around the corner anyway. The new year’s only a month away."

“What are you saying—?”

“Shut up,” Karyl snapped before Aidan could respond.

“And you think Karyl would waste himself on someone like this?” another voice cut in. “Have you gone senile, ghost?”

“Oh dear. She’s here.” Allen sighed wearily before vanishing like smoke.

“Where do you think you’re going?!”

Perhaps none other than Miliana herself could drive the mighty Great Sorcerer into retreat.

“Hmph.”

She waved her hand through the lingering smoke as if dismissing a foul odor.

“Well, I’ll take my leave then. Enjoy your chat,” Aidan said with a sly smile, casting a knowing glance at Miliana before disappearing.

“What brings you here?” Karyl asked.

“Why do you think? I’m here to make sure you’re not up to something stupid,” she grumbled with an evident pout.

“Something stupid? Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Oh, really? You came back to the capital and didn’t even bother to look for me. And now, here you are, chatting with some guy in the middle of the night.”

Karyl looked at Miliana with a touch of melancholy. He understood what she was feeling. She had been a comrade in his past life—someone he hadn’t expected to grow so close to in this second chance at retribution. It wasn’t that he didn’t care for Miliana, but there was a reason he had been keeping his distance.

Karyl had been the sole survivor of the Ten Godslayers. His comrades had all died before his eyes, and he had climbed that accursed tower alone, carrying the weight of their deaths on his shoulders.

I won’t lose you again.

Everything Karyl had achieved in his previous life had been in preparation for this war. Not once had he acted out of self-interest. But now, for the first and last time, he wanted to be selfish. He would keep Miliana at arm’s length—for his sake, not hers.

Of course, Miliana knew nothing of his inner conflict. His rueful smile was the only hint.

“You’re planning to go alone, aren’t you?”

“...”

Her blunt question caught him off guard. His composure faltered for a brief moment, and he wasn’t sure he had managed to hide it.

“...What are you talking about?”

“I’m not talking about messing around with Aidan. I’m talking about you going to Pharel alone. You’re hiding behind this Ten Goldslayers thing, but in reality, you plan to face everything yourself, don’t you?”

“Don’t be absurd. You think I could conquer Pharel alone? That’s flattering, but you’re overestimating me.”

“Go alone if you want.”

“...What?”

Her response surprised him more than if she had exposed his plans.

“If you think we’ll only get in your way, fine. But at least take us along to serve as shields. If one life can create one opportunity, then the nine of us can give you nine chances to strike.”

Karyl couldn’t find any words to reply.

“What? Is nine not enough? I suppose relying on human lives against a god is too much to ask for,” she added with an indifferent expression.

“You and me. That leaves eight others. Pair them off if you must. I’m different from the others, after all. I can manage just fine on my own.”

“You’re as arrogant as ever...” Karyl muttered, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Miliana’s boundless confidence was one of her strengths, but her nonchalant remarks made Karyl chuckle despite himself.

“You’re finally smiling. Apparently, I need to wager my life to get a laugh out of you these days. Have you really grown so dull after becoming the ruler of the world? You were an arrogant asshole back when we first met in Digon, but at least you were interesting.”

Miliana shrugged lightly, a mischievous grin playing on her lips.

“Karyl.”

“What?”

“Aidan and Suan are pushing themselves. At first, they weren’t the most reliable, but now they’re the ones you can entrust your back to.”

“I know.”

“So don’t go alone, ever,” Miliana said firmly, as though sealing a promise. “That’s what I came here to say.”

With that, she waved her hand and turned to leave.

“Oh, one more thing,” she added, stopping mid-step and turning back.

“What is it?”

“If you can’t sleep, you’re welcome to join me in my chambers.”

“...No thanks.”

His curt reply made her smirk. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

“If you ever crave warmth, just remember the rest will have to wait until your coming-of-age ceremony,” she teased before finally leaving.

Karyl’s faint smile disappeared as he watched her go, replaced by a conflicted expression. He looked out the window.

The capital was already bustling, its streets teeming with people beginning their day, although dawn had only just broken.

Even if the world were to end that very day, those people would have gone about their routines, oblivious to their fate and ultimately powerless to change it.

“...”

Karyl clenched his fist. He didn’t want those people to die—without fault, without knowing why.

“So that’s a woman’s intuition? Well, consider me terrified. I thought no one would pick up on your plan,” Allen broke the silence, his shadowy form emerging once more.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb. There’s no need to hide it from me. You were actually considering going to Pharel alone.

“...”

“You’ve said it yourself, that there may come a time when you’ll have to ascend Pharel alone, leaving the others behind.”

“So what?”

“But will you? From the way you look at them, I doubt you could heartlessly leave them behind. After endlessly crawling through that tower for the sake of your fallen comrades, could you really bear to let them die again?”

“Spare me the lecture. If that’s all you have to say, you might as well leave.”

Karyl’s sharp retort only deepened Allen’s suspicions.

“For someone who always preaches reason, you can be quite foolish.”

“Quit nagging me. I’m not going alone.”

“Oh, really?” Allen’s voice dropped, his tone cutting. “Personally, I think going alone might be the better option.”

“...Are you trying to mess with me, like Miliana?”

“No. I’m saying this based on objective probabilities, not emotions.”

“Probabilities?”

“As I said, I don’t think you could actually abandon them. So if you can’t leave the burden behind, might as well make sure there’s no burden to begin with.”

Karyl made no response, his expression unreadable.

Silence hung between them.

“Why do you think Olivurn tried to kill you?”

Karyl frowned slightly. “What kind of question is that? Obviously, it’s because—”

“I’m not talking about this timeline. I mean your past life.”

“...”

“You said you climbed the Tower of Phrael to go back in time. In other words, the tower was still there after the Ten of the Oracle failed to stop all Calamities, right?”

“...That’s right,” Karyl admitted with a heavy sigh. Remembering those moments always came with a pang in the heart.

“The Tarak we’ve faced so far haven’t been easy to deal with. And the forces you had in your past life were much weaker than they are now. Back then, you were the only hope, so why would Olivurn try to kill you?”

“That’s...” Karyl faltered, unable to give an immediate answer to Allen’s question.

“It’s not like you coveted the throne. You only fought to survive. Did Olivurn really see you as a threat to his position? Was his camaraderie with immigrants just a façade?”

Karyl furrowed his brow.

Even though he retained the memories of his past life, they were just that—memories. The Olivurn of this timeline was a different man, one whose fate Karyl had already sealed with his own hands.

“Perhaps Yula promised Olivurn something he couldn’t refuse,” Allen proposed, gazing out the window at the graves below.

“What could that have been, I wonder?”

“Are you saying Yula made a deal with Olivurn?” Karyl asked.

“Whether it was a deal or a unilateral command under the guise of the Oracle, I can’t say. But it makes one curious. Why did he have to kill you?”

“Does it matter? The past is in the past. Whatever happened after the Oracle descended had no bearing on the Olivurn of this timeline. This time, he died before the Oracle was to come, by my hands.”

“Are you sure? Who’s to say the first time Yula revealed herself to the human world was through the Oracle?”

“...What?”

“It was just something that crossed my mind. Call it the intuition of an old man, or a ghost’s. Whichever you prefer.”

Allen gave a sly smile.

“But Olivurn might have known something.”

At that moment, a memory surfaced in Karyl’s mind—the time when he woke Olivurn to break the Platinum Dragon’s binding.

Those final words Olivurn had uttered before vanishing...

“...if you do keep that promise and wake me again one day, then I’ll tell you the story I’ve kept sealed in my heart.”

Kary whispered those words to himself.