The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth

Chapter 13: The Day Arrives (2)

Despite having fought countless battles, there were five in Karyl's lifetime that remain most vividly in his memory.

The first, unforgettable, was the day he met Kuwell—the total annihilation and destruction of his tribe marking his first encounter with death.

And now, he anticipated the second.

The battle that will happen in five days.

As Karyl paced down the corridor, his thoughts lingered on the path through Malten Forest, which narrowed into a trail with no retreat.

It was an ambush, deliberately targeted at the MacGovern family's annual monster subjugation.

Karyl's eyes gleamed.

The most important task is not preventing the ambush. Unlike his previous life, he could now easily prevent the ambush.

The problem lies with finding the mastermind behind the ambush. If I can't expose them, it's all for nothing. I never found them in my previous life.

Karyl looked at Tiren who was walking ahead. This time, I will for sure.

He wondered if Tiren would act as he speculated.

"Isn't it strange?"

"What is?"

Ever since the meeting with their mother, Tiren's expression had been off.

"Why would the royal family send support troops at this time?"

"Well, wasn't it written in the decree? Because of the heretic hunters, they're sending them to replace our private soldiers."

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"Then they should have used those soldiers from the start. Plus, you heard, right? Which family the support troops belong to." Tiren looked at Martte upon Elliott's remark.

"Yes, the soldiers are from the Valsar family," he confirmed.

The Valsar family, a baronial family that had been expanding its power recently, used the Caron Fortress—one of the border fortresses—as their base.

"They are a group of brutes, more like mercenaries than knights. The problem is, the Valsar family is part of the First Prince's faction."

Emperor Titan Shutean had three sons. The First Prince, Luon. The Second Prince, Olivurn. The Third Prince, Kromen.

For some reason, the emperor had yet to appoint his successor. But since there could only be one emperor under the heavens, the empire’s forces rallied behind either the First or Second Princes, save for the gentle Third Prince. The First Prince's loyalists had, until now, been the dominant force.

The problem was the MacGovern family.

The commander of the Blue Knights, who used to follow only the imperial command in the frontier, had suddenly and inexplicably thrown his support behind the Second Prince, Olivurn.

With Father away. The support from the Valsar family was extremely peculiar.

"Could it be..."

"Who can say? It's not like the palace is short of people who dislike us." A heavy silence followed.

"Brother, could the Valsars be plotting something?"

But Martte shook his head at Tiren's words. "You’re overthinking it. No matter the struggle for the throne, they wouldn't withdraw the border defense forces for such an act—not in this situation."

"Then they certainly wouldn’t withdraw the border defense forces just to support us."

However, Martte's thoughts remained the same. "Tiren, you're not wrong, but the palace will redeploy the knights led by Father for the northern subjugation. No one in their right mind would do such a thing in a situation where they may have to face the knights."

"Um." It was a convincing speculation.

"Moreover, it's an imperial decree. If we speak any more disrespectfully, even I won’t overlook it."

"...I'm sorry." Despite Martte's words, Tiren couldn't shake off his uneasy feeling.

Good. Keep doubting. That doubt will elevate you as a strategist, Karyl thought as he looked at Tiren. He was an outstanding strategist. He had stood out from the moment he arrived at the mansion.

But he's not quite perfect yet.

The word "imperial family" carried a weight beyond imagination. Sharp yet youthful, no matter how many doubts he had, he dared not voice them directly.

The weight was too much to overcome without sufficient courage.

Karyl felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

It was unavoidable due to youth, but as time passed, you would regret this day for the rest of your life, that you lacked the courage to take just that one more step.

However, Tiren would do his best to prepare now, however little he could. And that was exactly what Karyl was waiting for.

"I will also participate in this subjugation."

"What? You?"

"Yes. With the support troops here, there's no need for you to handle this directly. Please assign Randol to me. I'll go in your stead."

Everyone thought it was unexpected, even Karyl. Because the goblin subjugation was mostly handled by the eldest, Martte, or the third, Elliott.

"Hmm, Randol is one thing, but are you sure you're up for it? Goblins might be considered easy, but they're still monsters. You can't take them lightly."

"Then I will go as well," Elliott said.

But Tiren shook his head in response. "No. If you insist, I'll take Karyl with me as my escort."

An even more unexpected suggestion than bringing Randol. Everyone looked at Karyl upon hearing his words.

Impressive.

It might seem like an unlikely pairing, but Karyl smiled slightly at his words, he had chosen the best members Karyl could think of. It was—at least according to him—the optimal team under the circumstances.

Given the situation's uncertainty, it was not an option to send Martte, the direct heir, into potential danger. A good strategy was to send someone expendable in case of an emergency.

Tiren chose Randol and Karyl for this role, trusting Randol's abilities and considering Karyl, as having the least value among the six brothers.

Normally, it would have been Elliot going with Randol, the fourth brother, not him.

Back then, I was filled with hostility toward the Imperials. Until the oracles descended, I had been confined to my room.

Karyl clenched his fist without even realizing it.

Randol, was the fourth son of the MacGovern family. He was a man of few words, and spent most of his time alone practicing swordsmanship.

On the surface, Martte was known as the most talented in the family, but now that I think about it, if we're talking about pure talent, he was overwhelmingly superior.

Of course, he didn't know that in his previous life. It was something he could feel now that he had wielded the sword for a lifetime. To be precise, Karyl didn’t get a chance to notice.

Regrettably, Randol’s life ended before his talent could even blossom.

Randol’s death made this incident the second unforgettable battle for Karyl. It had been a week after setting out for the subjugation. The people of the mansion heard the tragic news of Randol's death in battle. His was the first death among the six brothers, an unexpected tragedy that seared itself into Karyl's memory as a child.

There were a number of incidents triggered by his death.

Karyl knew well that the tragedy had shaken the MacGovern family to its core. So, he was going to prevent that.

However...

The most surprising thing was Tiren volunteering to participate in the subjugation himself.

Karyl's gaze was fixed on him, considering not only his own participation in the battle but also Tiren's. The future had shifted in that instant. At that moment, Karyl could guess Tiren's thoughts.

This is most likely so that he can keep an eye on me.

Karyl spent most of his time at Einheri after finishing his morning training. It must have piqued his curiosity. Karyl was a talent capable of defeating Martte. The battlefield, unquestionably, was the best place to witness what he did in the library, and how he had changed, firsthand.

Tiren had taken action himself, combining all those motives. His will to confirm with his own eyes.

Admirable. Karyl praised Tiren for his suspicion, which enabled Karyl's participation in the subjugation.

However, there was one oversight, perhaps even beyond Tiren's expectations. The ambush awaiting them after the goblin extermination wasn't merely the work of the Valsar Barony.

They might support the First Prince, but they wouldn't be reckless enough to target our house at such a time.

It wasn't just an internal issue of the empire, but rather one concerning an external enemy. Karyl's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

In five days, he thought, gripping the hilt of his sword Agnel tightly at his waist, I'll prepare for my first battle in this life.