The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth

Chapter 224: Departure

“Fasio Han.”

“Yes?”

“Forgive me for the previous discourtesies, and thank you for your consideration,” Karyl said quietly.

It was a most peculiar sight—Karyl seated in the lord’s throne at the mansion, while Fasio Han, the ruler of the City of Magic, stood before him. However, such concerns were irrelevant now.

“How is it possible that Allen Javius is still alive?” Fasio Han asked in a trembling voice, the mere thought of Allen being there with them sending shivers down his spine. Although detection magic could reveal the truth, using such spells on the great original sorcerer would be too audacious.

“As you know, the end of the Assembly of Seven Elders was not a glorious one. In the end, Allen Javius was remembered as a traitor, while the remaining six were buried here in Azor, founded by your ancestor, Celine Han.”

Fasio nodded.

“Even if we try to uncover the truth now, it might just be too late.”

“Are you referring to the truth about Allen Javius’ death?”

“Of course. He met an unjust end. The truth we seek to uncover is connected to that. But Allen said he wouldn’t seek retribution from the descendants.”

“...”

“You might find it hard to accept, not knowing the full details of his death. The entire continent praises the six heroes, especially Gustav, while Allen Javius, the traitor, was just left at the Gray Training Ground, not even getting a grave.”

Karyl chuckled softly.

“Past grudges should be resolved in the past. The great pioneer Allen Javius had no intention of harming his descendants."

“Thank you... for your consideration.”

Fasio bowed his head once more.

“The blood flowing through you instinctively knows that Allen is genuine. That’s why you helped us despite the opposition from other sorcerers.”

“...”

“Ultimately, I suppose you’re afraid of false truths, Fasio.” Karyl looked at him.

They were both 6th Class sorcerers now, yet the auras they exuded were entirely different. Even without Allen’s presence, Fasio could tell Karyl was not the same person he had been just days before.

“However, unlike Allen, I believe the truth about the Assembly of Seven Elders must be revealed, and I will personally declare it in Azor.”

Karyl’s voice echoed through the hall.

“As your blood tells you, it’s best not to harbor unnecessary thoughts. And if you follow us, your worries shall be taken care of.”

Azor stood at a crossroads between the empire and Tatur, needing to make a decision.

With Karyl present, Fasio could not voice any allegiance to the empire, even if he leaned that way. However, Karyl didn’t press him for an answer either, as Azor’s stance was not his primary concern.

Azor is merely a place to secretly nurture the sorcerers of the Ulkas Guild.

Of course, it would be beneficial if Azor, with Allen Javius’ influence, remained neutral and didn’t lend its strength to the empire.

“Well then...”

Fasio cautiously bowed and left the mansion.

The moment he stepped out, a sinister voice, accompanied by black smoke, filled the room.

“Who said I wouldn’t seek retribution from the descendants of Celine Han?”

The voice was menacing, filled with unresolved anger.

“She’s the woman who tried to kill me,” Allen growled. “Tearing her apart would be too kind.”

“But Fasio is no traitor,” Karyl argued. “His only crime is inheriting her bloodline.”

“Hmph... Thanks to that, he became an overpowered 6th Class sorcerer. And because of you, with the elemental stones flowing in from the Mana Mine, his mana is almost at the level of the 7th Class,” Allen grumbled.

“You can see it in the flow of his mana. He achieved nothing on his own. He was simply born to reach that level naturally.”

“It must be a great life, being born as a Great Sorcerer,” Karyl remarked.

“You’re not one to talk,” Allen shot back.

“I worked harder than anyone.”

Karyl chuckled at his words.

“What, you think I’m talented? My philosophy is simple. Train twice as much as others, and then train twice as much as that again.”

“That pisses me off even more. That's exactly my point. You are talented, and you also put in the work,” Allen scoffed. “You’ve surpassed Sword Masters with swordsmanship alone, without mana. I don’t deny your effort. But effort alone will only take you so far.”

Indeed, magic and swordsmanship were heavily influenced by talent.

Geniuses would always arise. The ten greats of the continent—five Sword Masters, four Great Sorcerers, and the one master of the Shadow Arts, Simon Coden—were undoubtedly geniuses.

“...”

However, every time Allen looked at Karyl, he thought that the standard for being considered a genius needed to change. In his eyes, even the outstanding warriors known as the ten greats seemed ordinary compared to Karyl.

For Karyl to claim he was superior simply because he had lived one more life than others was pure nonsense.

“Setting oneself as the goal. That’s a truly arrogant statement. Then again, I know your ambition, so I’m not exactly surprised by your attitude.” Allen let out an exasperated sigh.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to erect your tower in Azor,” Karyl said nonchalantly.

“Who said I needed such a facade? I don’t want a tower. What good is leaving behind a decaying corpse?”

Karyl looked at Allen in surprise.

“Unless it’s to destroy the towers of those six.”

Seeing Allen’s nonchalant expression as he stood up, Karyl smiled.

“So what’s your plan now? There’s a lot to do. The principality needs to be handled, and we must deal with the dungeon, which is why we came here in the first place.”

“Not to mention meeting the Platinum Dragon.” Karyl shrugged.

“Well, that dungeon is also related to the Wooden Cloud. Finding their backers in the principality might also help with that.”

“So, you’ve decided to go to the principality,” Allen remarked.

“For now. The dungeon will only be a problem after the Oracle War, so it’s not urgent. But the civil war in the principality must be resolved before then.”

Sometimes, Karyl wished there were a clone of him to handle more tasks simultaneously, but he realized that not even ten clones would suffice.

The expansion of his power showed just how much his influence was growing. Sending Aidan to the Eastern Land was part of that.

The same goes for Israphil. Teaching him Original Magic was a brilliant decision. No one else is as suitable for investigating the dungeon.

Power wasn’t achieved by strength alone. Using the right people in the right places—that was what made a true king.

It’s unfortunate that the principality’s magitech is disappearing. If we can use golems, they will be a significant asset in the future Oracle War.

The Lurein Principality had more to offer than just golems. Their forces, including the Wyvern Squadron and the Iron Fleet, were crucial. But more importantly, there were the legendary golems from the Magical Era, only known through blueprints—the resurrection of Ascalon.

Thanks to Kamma’s report, he learned that the gnome Calypson was in the principality, which presented another opportunity.

If we can obtain the Seven-Edged Stones from the Mana Mine, we should have them crafted by gnomes.

While dwarves excelled in handling steel, gnomes were better at dealing with special gems like elemental stones.

Of course, reviving Ascalon, a design that had failed even in the Magical Era, was an extremely difficult task. But if Karyl could take control of the principality, he might finally grasp this slim possibility that had eluded him in his past life.

Gnomes and dwarves, along with the Seven-Edged Stones for the heart, and Wingel Hart’s magitech from the principality...

All these elements had been scattered in his past life, failing to shine. The Gnome Kingdom was destroyed, the dwarves died with Tatur, and the Kadhium Mine was never developed due to the fall of the Three Kingdoms of Istria.

And then there was Wingel Hart, under the power of the principality’s first duke, who in his past life had been brutally killed in the empire’s attack.

But this life is different.

All these gears would turn under his control. He believed they would be the driving force to revive the legend of Ascalon.

Karyl clenched his fist as if to make a vow.

If I can also find the puppet magic left by that puppeteer who was Kaye Aesir’s companion...

Karyl was satisfied with how things were progressing. The principality, embroiled in civil war, looked like a treasure trove to him.

“I should head back to Tatur for now. Now that I’ve reached the 6th Class, I can access part of the knowledge repository.”

“You’re planning to open the box Narh Di Maug hid,” Allen remarked.

“Yes. It’s been a long time coming. I got it when I first met you, so I’ll open it with you. Ramine said it contains clues to finding the Queen of Tides...”

“Just that?”

“...?”

“I doubt that’s all.”

“Why is that?” Karyl asked, puzzled.

“The power of a Spirit King is certainly a significant variable. However, for a spirit to exert physical force in the human world, a contractor is necessary. But in an era where decent spiritualists are rare, can the Spirit King truly pose a threat to the dragon?”

“Hmm...”

“Even if Ethereal’s seal is broken, it’s meaningless without someone to wield her power. Of course, you are a variable now... but you weren’t supposed to be in this timeline.”

There was truth in those words. Indeed, in Karyl’s past life, no one could wield the spirits.

So there might be something else hidden in the box besides Ethereal...

Karyl squinted slightly as he spoke to Allen, “Do you have any guesses?”

“Well, I don’t know much about that box either. But if it’s really related to the Queen of Tides, then it’s likely an artifact from the Mythical Era.”

“The Mythical Era... you say.”

Karyl’s eyes gleamed as he pondered on those words.

“Yes. It’s just a guess for now, but if what’s inside the box is something even the Platinum Dragon found burdensome... it must be something from the Mythical Era.”

Allen pointed to the Freezing Talon at Karyl’s waist.

“Not an imitation like the one I made, but the true artifact wielded by the Blader of the myths.”

“...!!”

A cold shiver ran through Karyl’s entire body.

“Could there be something like that?” Allen wondered, his casual tone belying the shocking nature of his remark.

“This...”

Karyl’s lips curled into a smile. Retrieving the box had just become the most exciting prospect ahead of his journey to the principality.

“Mikhail.”

Creak—

“You called?”

Mikhail, who had been waiting in the hallway, rushed to Karyl and knelt.

“Prepare to depart immediately.”

“Yes, sir.” Mikhail bowed low and swiftly left.

Watching him hurry away, Karyl stood up and folded his fingers one by one, as if ticking off a list.

“I’ll take everything.”