The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth-Chapter 315: The Awakening of the North (2)

“Are we surrounded?!”

“How the hell...?”

“This is impossible!”

The sudden appearance of the Digon tribe on the hill threw the imperial army into confusion.

“Stay calm!” Gahwel shouted, wiping the dirt from his face after escaping from Karyl’s grasp.

“At most, a few thousand more barbarians have joined them! We still outnumber them by more than two to one! Crush them!!” Gahwel roared.

Two Sword Masters had joined the tribes, but the empire’s troops still outnumbered them by a lot.

Even though a Sword Master possessed the strength of a thousand men, they couldn’t single-handedly defeat tens of thousands. So, Gahwel’s assertion wasn’t entirely wrong, or rather, it wouldn’t be wrong if those two were ordinary Sword Masters.

It was almost ridiculous to associate the word “ordinary” with Sword Masters, yet both Karyl and Miliana had long transcended that title. They could no longer be judged by conventional standards.

“...”

Miliana cast Gahwel a disdainful look, scoffing lightly.

“Karyl, does that fool not realize you could take his head at any second? How someone like him became a knight commander is beyond me. The empire should reassess the standards for knight orders.”

With that, she drew her twin blades.

“Shall I take care of him?”

“No.” Karyl shook his head. “Gahwel is a decent knight. Though he’s not a Sword Master, his raw physical strength is comparable to Gordon Fabian’s."

“So an empty-headed brute.”

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

“And also deeply loyal to the empire. That’s why Titan Shutean used him to capture the First Prince.”

When tasked with investigating the secret ledgers in Piasta, Gahwel had followed Titan Shutean’s orders more faithfully than anyone else. His rigid loyalty, which once belonged to the late emperor, now lay with Olivurn, the successor.

“Gahwel, I acknowledge you as a knight. That’s why you’ll serve as a fitting sacrifice for my campaign.”

Karyl adjusted his grip on Lakna. Miliana, watching him prepare for battle, nodded in approval.

“I’ll take the commander’s head. Miliana, you will lead the troops. As he said, they still outnumber us by a lot, so bringing all of them down won’t be easy.”

“Roger.”

Miliana nodded and raised her hand.

“Stop right there!!” Gahuel shouted, and one of his knights rushed toward her, sword drawn.

Fwip—!!

As Miliana lowered her hand, a sharp arrow shot through the air, guided by her pointing finger.

“Guh!”

The knight hastily deflected the incoming arrow, only for a storm of arrows to rain down on him the very next moment, each shot striking with precision. But despite the relentless assault, the knight pressed on, undeterred.

While a hail of arrows would likely harm ordinary soldiers, they were ineffective against a knight protected by mana. This was the primary reason knights could charge fearlessly into battle.

“Ugh...!”

However, something unexpected happened.

The arrows, which had been easy to deflect at first, grew heavier and heavier, making it harder for the knight to move.

“What the—?!”

He staggered, barely able to hold his sword, and at last, an arrow struck the back of his neck.

“...!!”

Gahwel couldn’t conceal his astonishment when one of his knights was struck down by a simple arrow, one that wasn’t even imbued with mana. He knelt and picked up the arrow—its tip was pitch black, rough and jagged, as though it had been crudely carved from raw ore.

“How... could a knight die to something like this?”

The soldiers around him looked equally bewildered, unable to comprehend how such a crude arrow could’ve felled one of their own.

“You have no idea how much skill went into these arrows,” Miliana muttered under her breath, gazing at the panicked soldiers.

“Are the Flying Bow tribe also with us?”

“Yes, Kinu Mukari’s forces are stationed around the hills. Those arrows are made from adamantite stone.”

“Impressive.”

“Before Dushala came to the north, she equipped the Flying Bow tribe with these. They were crafted from the leftover adamantite stones you had sent to the Immortal Council.”

“Just as I expected.”

Karyl nodded, clearly pleased with Dushala’s foresight and preparations.

“Nain Darhon discovered that adamantite not only amplifies dark energy but also absorbs mana. Now, as Tatur began to deal with Clear Distilled Water, those stones have been forged into weapons to use against the imperial knights.”

Miliana gestured to the fallen knight.

“You’ve seen the results firsthand.”

As soon as she finished speaking, another storm of arrows rained down from the hill, black as night.

Whizz... Whizz...!

Shhhk...!!!

The knights, hurriedly trying to block the incoming arrows, began to realize with horror that the more arrows they deflected, the more their magic was drained.

“While having greater numbers doesn’t guarantee victory, the advantage is still there,” Miliana remarked, almost as if she was addressing the immigrant tribes.

“Raaaah...!!”

In the midst of the battlefield, Gahwel charged at Karyl in a frenzy, swinging his massive flail with all his might.

Wham...!

Karyl raised Lakna above his head. With a subtle twist of his sword, he deflected the flail, sparks flying from the impact. He then calmly let Lakna glide along the flail, gently guiding it, and what had once been a deadly, roaring weapon now fell to the ground, lifeless.

He’s changed...

Miliana observed Karyl closely, noting how different his movements were now. The Karyl she knew prioritized raw strength and power in his swordsmanship. Normally, he would have cleaved Gahuel’s flail in two rather than deflecting it.

“Softness overcoming strength... He has mastered the pinnacle of power and infused it with gentleness. There’s no measuring him anymore.”

As the chief of Digon and a master of swordsmanship, Miliana understood the significance of what Karyl had just demonstrated. It wasn’t just about blocking the attack—it was about how he had done it.

“Just when I thought I had caught up... Karyl, you’ve taken another step ahead.”

Like Aidan before her, Miliana had sensed the profound change in Karyl.

“...”

Thunk—

Karyl picked up Gahuel’s flail and examined it for a moment.

"Hrk!!"

With a swift motion, he gripped the head of the flail like a ball and slammed it into Gahuel’s face.

“Guurgh...!!”

His face was crushed with a sickening crushed, blood spraying in all directions. Bits of his flesh, torn by the spikes on the flail, scattered across the ground as he crumpled under the pressure.

“Ghaarghh...!! Aaarghhhh...!!”

Gahwel screamed in agony, his authority as commander forgotten as he helplessly thrashed on the ground.

Thunk!

Karyl relentlessly drove the black adamantite arrows into Gahwel, impaling his arms, legs, shoulders, and waist. Each arrow pierced through his armor effortlessly, pinning him to the ground like oversized nails.

Gahwel made a desperate effort to break free, but the arrows were hard as steel, infused with magic, and their adamantite tips kept draining the last bit of his magic.

“Gah... Huff...”

He gasped for breath, his enormous frame trembling with fear as he looked up at Karyl.

“...”

Karyl said nothing to him. Instead, he gathered magic into the flail he held and brought it crashing down with all his strength.

Thwack—!!

The sound was like a watermelon being split open. Gahwel’s helmet shattered, and blood pooled between the flail and the ground.

Gulp—

Miliana swallowed dry as she beheld the scene, unable to tear her gaze away.

“Just as I thought... That’s who you really are,” she muttered under her breath, slightly embarrassed by her earlier thoughts about strength and softness.

“At the end of the day, the victor is the one still standing on two legs,” she went on, clicking her tongue.

Swish—

With that, Miliana spun in a circle, Arc and Gale flashing as they crossed, and the two nights nearby fell to the ground, sliced cleanly in half.

[Why aren’t you using what you learned in the Thousand-Year Ice Cave?]

Allen’s voice echoed in Karyl’s mind.

[It’s natural for humans to want to test their newly acquired abilities.]

“I do wonder if the ultimate skill I reached is the right answer,” Karyl replied calmly. “But showing it off so easily would be a waste. Especially when there are eyes watching, waiting for me to slip up.”

[Hmm?]

Karyl raised two fingers to his lips and whistled sharply.

Fweeeeeet!!

The piercing sound echoed deep into the northern mountains.

[Grooooaaarrr...!!]

Suddenly, a wyvern with crimson scales appeared from the distance, its wings flapping as it flew toward Karyl, heeding his call.

“It seems we’re not the only ones who’ve come to the north.”

“What do you mean?” Miliana asked.

A swirling pattern emerged in the wyvern’s eyes, and when Karyl placed his hand on the creature’s head, the same whirlpool manifested in his eyes.

Superior Vision.

Miliana recognized the spell immediately.

“I had Israphil cast a wyvern on the drake so I could share its vision. The imperial army is large, but no matter how foolish they are, they wouldn’t attack the north head-on like this. They’re aiming for the rear.”

Hearing that, Hashir couldn’t help but gasp.

Just as I expected... The lord had already foreseen the empire’s moves before coming to the North. He even anticipated that they would try to outmaneuver us.

Once again, Hashir realized just how foolish their worries had been.

“Did you see something through the wyvern’s eyes?”

“Of course. And something quite interesting at that.”

At that moment—

Whoooosh...!!

A powerful gust of wind swept over them, casting a large shadow over their heads.

“An airship...?” Miliana muttered in disbelief, her eyes fixed on the ship as its wings stirred a flurry of snow beneath it.

Meanwhile, Karyl, unfazed by the sudden arrival, grabbed Gahwel’s lifeless body and dragged it aside with calm indifference.

Thud...

The airship’s doors opened, revealing two familiar figures.

“Gordon Fabian.”

Karyl’s eyes flashed coldly as he recognized the massive figure stepping out.

Thud... thud... thud...

“We meet again,” a voice cut through the dying hum of the engine, causing Karyl’s expression to tighten.

Clang—! Clang—!

The knights who had been locked in battle quickly organized themselves, placing their weapons across their chests in a gesture of respect.

“We meet again,” the voice repeated, as the rumbling of the airship died down.

“I never expected us to be reunited like this... I should like an explanation. Can I take it to mean that the Guidance Mercenary Gang is now siding with the empire?”

The one who had broken the silence was none other than Olivurn.

Surprisingly, the person who had disembarked from the Guidance Mercenary Gang’s airship was none other than the new emperor of the empire. His presence shifted the atmosphere dramatically.

All eyes were drawn to him, but Karyl seemed unaffected by the emperor’s arrival. His focus was instead on the giant figure standing in the emperor’s shadow.

“What is this, Gordon?” Karyl demanded, his tone sharp. “Even if the empire made the first request, you and I had a deal.”

“That agreement hinged on certain conditions. You should have fulfilled your end of the bargain if you wanted the alliance. My airship has been flying for years now, constantly replacing the power core,” Gordon argued, his tone neutral, as though Karyl’s words had little impact.

“The development of the power core is almost finished. Just wait a little longer. I will fulfill my promise,” Karyl replied firmly.

“We can discuss that when the time comes.”

“Surely the Guidance Mercenary Gang wouldn’t backstab someone who has saved their lives?” Karyl’s words dripped with sarcasm.

“If you want to use us, pay up. You can’t expect free service forever, can you? Even Mikhail has been pulling his weight.” Gordon shrugged.

Karyl narrowed his eyes, glaring at him.

The Gordon he knew didn’t bet on losing hands. There had to be a reason Gordon was aligning with Olivurn.

Does he think Olivurn has a chance of victory? Karyl thought, though he dismissed it quickly.

Gordon had accepted Titan Shutean as the rightful emperor but had never recognized Olivurn. That was why he had accompanied Kromen to the south in the first place.

“Whatever you’re plotting, I don’t get it.”

Despite Karyl’s suspicions, Gordon’s expression remained unreadable and resolute.

“Fine,” Karyl said finally.

Thump!

Karyl tossed Gahuel’s mangled corpse at Olivurn’s feet.

“One or two, it makes no difference to me.”

The distant clash of weapons and battle cries faded away. Everything around them had stilled.

“Did you come here to die?” Karyl’s voice echoed through the eerie silence.