The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth-Chapter 336: Neil Blanc (1)

“Move...!! Run away!”

The imperial palace descended into chaos in an instant.

With the Black Knights—the force responsible for defending the capital—deployed to Fort Fonein, the imperial capital had ironically become one of the most vulnerable places in the war.

Of course, no one would have imagined that an attack would occur here. In fact, no one had dared even to entertain the thought. Who would devise a plan to strike at the heart of an enemy with a million-strong army?

And to do so alone, no less.

Checkmate.

In the end, the most crucial part of any war is capturing the king—the most powerful figure. While everyone assumed the war’s decisive moment would come when the main forces clashed, Karyl thought otherwise.

Even in a massive war involving millions of soldiers, the commanders on the battlefield were still knights, not kings. Thus, even if a million troops were exhausted, the war wouldn’t truly end.

Despite what most would expect, Karyl carried none of the burdens of being a king, which perhaps made him the most dangerous king—a ruler who led from the frontlines of the most perilous battlefield.

Clang―!!

Karyl raised his sword. Though the attack had come suddenly, his magic was at its peak. He felt like he could see everything around him clearly.

“Hmm...”

The knights surrounded him. Their armor gleamed golden, and each of them carried a palpable aura, indicating they were top-tier Sword Experts, just shy of becoming Sword Masters.

“It’s been a while.”

Karyl surveyed the knights, a nostalgic look in his eyes. Among them, he saw familiar faces.

The Gold Knights were the Imperial Guard, the most elite knights of the empire, handpicked for their exceptional skill. In his previous life, many of these knights had perished in the war against Tarak. The fact that Karyl remembered them now meant they were not only skilled but had once been entrusted with his back.

“How dare you...!! Do you even know where you are?!”

With a booming voice and a massive greatsword in hand, it was none other than Belin Vallention, the captain of the Imperial Guard, who confronted Karyl.

“Prepare the barrier.”

Wooooong...

The magical circle on the floor of the Sun Hall took shape. What had started as a single, massive circle quickly split into two, then four, and finally dozens of overlapping circles, each vanishing and reappearing in rapid succession.

[Be careful. This is a multi-seal formation, similar to the dragon’s mixed confinement barrier. They’ve put a lot of effort into this. Even a Great Sorcerer would struggle to break it.]

Listening to Allen’s warning, Karyl lifted his head.

A grand, feathered staff, adorned with sky-blue feathers, swayed lightly as the magic concentrated around it. Standing next to Belin Vallention was the court sorcerer, Kadin Luer, the one who had activated the barrier within the Sun Hall.

Behind him, dozens of sorcerers, presumably Kadin’s direct subordinates, were focused on maintaining the seal.

“You arrogant fool! Cut him down!!”

Despite Belin Vallention’s commanding shout, the knights hesitated, unwilling to approach recklessly. Of course, the elite knights were fully aware of the skill gap between themselves and Karyl.

“Calm yourself.”

Kadin stepped in to assuage the enraged Belin.

“The man before us is a Sword Master. We must proceed with caution. Once the barrier encompassing the entire Sun Hall is complete, not even he will be able to move freely.”

But unlike Kadin, Belin’s face remained flushed with anger.

“How can I remain calm?! An enemy invading the imperial palace is the greatest dishonor for a knight... and to think it happened on my watch...! What are you all standing around for?!”

Karyl smirked as he watched Belin.

“If you're so confident, why don’t you come at me yourself? Killing the commander of the imperial knights and the court sorcerer here would make this intrusion less tedious.”

“W-What did you say?!”

“Or should I come to you?” Karyl challenged.

At that moment, dozens of knights rushed forward, stepping between Karyl and their leaders.

Bwoom―!!

As the blades came crashing down, they surrounded Karyl like a finely woven net of steel. However, to their horror, all their strikes missed, scattering aimlessly through the air.

“...?!”

The knights, bewildered, looked around in shock.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

Crack―!

Fshhh...

Their swords crumbled into black dust and disintegrated before their eyes.

What... is that...?

Kadin Luer, witnessing the sight, swallowed hard.

“Could it be... that he has reached the level of a Great Sorcerer?”

“W-What are you talking about...?”

The knights, who hadn’t even reached the 4th Class, couldn’t possibly comprehend the depth of Karyl’s power. But Kadin, well-versed in magic, could see through it. In that fleeting moment, he realized Karyl had infused his attack with magic, not just mana. That was how he had turned the knights’ weapons to dust.

“Are you saying he’s reached the 7th Class? A Sword Master in the domain of Great Sorcerers?! That’s impossible!”

Belin Vallention stared at Karyl in disbelief, but Karyl only responded with a cold smile.

Step, step, step...

Karyl’s footsteps echoed through the hall. Just as when he had first come here, everyone’s attention was on him, and no one could stand in his way.

“The empire... brought to its knees by just one man...”

Belin Vallention regretted Kuwell MacGovern’s absence. After the incident at Heim, Olivurn had ordered him to remain at his mansion. Keeping the empire’s greatest knight sidelined in this war was certainly strange, but Kuwell had obeyed, and his disciples had returned without protest.

The official reason was Kuwell’s ties to the empire’s enemy, but in truth, it was likely because he had witnessed Olivurn execute the emperor. Whatever the case, the continent’s greatest swordsman wasn’t here, leaving no one to stop Karyl.

“How disrespectful,” a voice suddenly rang out.

From behind the throne, a man who had been watching quietly stepped forward.

“Even if we are at war and our swords are drawn against each other, this is still a matter of national honor. At the very least, you should show some respect for your opponent. To handle things in such a manner...”

It was a low, commanding voice. The atmosphere suddenly shifted with the emergence of a new power, and the fear and anxiety that permeated the hall was dispelled.

“...!!”

At that moment, Karyl’s eyes widened in shock as he laid eyes on the man.

[Who is this?]

[To think someone with this level of mana exists...]

The man with peculiar silver hair gave Karyl a gentle smile. The Spirit Kings, visibly disturbed, murmured among themselves as they watched him. Though their voices were inaudible, the man smiled knowingly, as if he understood.

“My name is Neil Blanc.”

The last of the four dukes of the empire, a man whose identity had long been shrouded in mystery, had finally made his presence known. Karyl furrowed his brow slightly at the revelation.

“...Neil Blanc?” he repeated the name in disbelief, to which Neil nodded nonchalantly.

[So, this is the one they call the empire’s final shadow.]

Allen, too, was watching Neil Blanc closely.

[Incredible. Such pure magical energy... It’s no wonder the Spirit Kings are alarmed. Even in the Magical Era, someone like this was unheard of...]

Karyl stared at Neil Blanc, masking his surprise.

“And what gives a mere duke the right to lecture me about honor? You, who have never crawled through mud to survive, dare speak of the weight of life?”

Karyl shot him a glare as he continued, “What honor is there in war, where you either kill or get killed? You sent 300,000 soldiers to march on Tatur. Is that your idea of honor, sacrificing so many people with decisions you take from your couch?”

Crackle...!! Crackle...!!

Lakna hummed and crackled with electricity.

The sealing formation?

It’s ready.

Good. Activate it when I give the order.

Kadin Luer, hearing the report from his subordinate, nodded carefully while keeping his eyes on Karyl.

“If you wish to have a conversation with me, the emperor himself should be here,” said Karyl. “If you truly knew honor, you’d understand that the king of an opposing nation has come to you personally.”

“If this were a meeting to discuss peace, you’d be welcomed with open arms. But this looks more like an invasion to me. How could the emperor meet with you in such circumstances?” Neil Blanc responded with the same calm demeanor, not yielding to Karyl’s provocation.

“Even so, I’ve come out for one reason,” Neil went on. “Olivurn is still uncertain about this war with Tatur, and I feel the same. I may be one of the few ministers who oppose the war.”

“So what?”

“In the end, wars are fought for gain. But if, as you say, the bloodshed outweighs the benefits, perhaps there’s room for negotiation. Don’t you agree?”

“What are you saying?! To talk of peace with the man who has invaded the imperial capital?!” Belin Vallention shouted in disbelief.

Karyl, however, merely snorted.

“All of you in the empire speak of honor and pride, yet you seem reluctant to fight me.”

“That’s because we’re aware of the immense repercussions to the continent.”

“No, I think it’s something else.”

At that moment, Neil Blanc’s expression darkened.

“You... No, all of you...”

Karyl fixed his gaze on Neil.

“What’s the Wooden Cloud scheming? What are you trying to gain from this war?"

“...I don’t know what you mean."

A visage could always be changed.

From the Mythical Era to the Magical Era, there were no records of a dragon whose face remained unchanged. Their aura could be altered as well.

A being as powerful as a dragon, whose abilities transcended mortals, would be able to hide its true nature even from the Spirit Kings or powerful entities like Allen Javius.

The Spirit Kings who had encountered the Platinum Dragon in the Mythical Era and the Great Sorcerers taught by him in the Magical Era all knew his face.

But that was all in the past.

“You might be able to deceive the Spirit Kings and the Great Sorcerers from the Magical Era, but I’m different.”

Karyl looked coldly at Neil Blanc. Even if a dragon could hide its face and aura, there was something only Karyl knew.

I’m the only one from the future who knows what face you’ll take in this era. I didn’t expect to meet you like this, but now I see a familiar face.

“You weren’t sent here for the Oracle, were you...?” Karyl muttered to himself, barely audible to others.

You’ve been working for Olivurn from the beginning. So why did you let him die?

Slowly, Karyl raised his sword and pointed it at Neil Blanc, or rather, at Narh Di Maug.

“What are you trying to sell me, you dragon bastard?”