The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth C.141: Changing the Guard

Whoooosh...

As a strong wind swept down, the white sand scattered in all directions.

“Have we finally arrived?” Gordon Fabian asked, his voice tinged with irritation, as the airship landed.

“Jaygun.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“How long have we been up in the sky since arriving in the south?”

Noticing Gordon’s indignation, Jaygun, the vice captain of the Guidance Mercenary Gang, answered cautiously, “It has been ten days.”

“Hmm....” Gordon muttered nonchalantly. “Should I break that bitch’s neck?” He spoke as if it were a trivial matter, but his words were anything but trivial.

“Are you planning to go to war with the south? And what about your promise to the emperor?” Jaygun argued, shaking his head. He was a seasoned vice captain, and he was used to dealing with Gordon.

“It’s not impossible. After all, we came here to resolve the conflict. If one of them dies, there won't be a conflict, will there?”

What would sound like nonsense coming from others could very well become reality when spoken by Gordon Fabian.

“Well, that’s one way to do it, but only if Prince Kromen agrees.”

“Thank you for your efforts, Sir Gordon. If it were either one of my brothers, this wouldn’t have taken so long...”

Gordon looked at the small boy who didn’t even reach his waist and smiled lightly. However, even that smile was reminiscent of a growling beast, sending chills down the spine of those who saw it.

“I apologize, Prince. It seems the southern barbarians are so secluded that they haven’t heard of the Guidance Mercenary Gang of Gordon Fabian. I’ll tear a few of them limb from limb as an example.”

“No, no, that’s not necessary...”

Kromen quickly waved his hands, startled by Gordon’s words.

“Hmm.”

“There’s no need for you to stain your hands with blood, Sir Gordon,” Kromen murmured as he looked at Gordon, who seemed disappointed.

“Prince, shall we go?”

The old knight Kaplan, who had been serving as Kromen’s escort on this journey, was also his caretaker since birth. He was likely Kromen’s only supporter within the empire.

The fact that Kromen had survived the countles palace conflicts and schemes thus far was likely thanks to Kaplan. One would probably wonder just how much influence an old knight could have, but it wasn’t his skills that mattered—it was his background.

“The south is indeed hot.” Yurin Huygar, the 1st Class priest participating in this expedition at the emperor’s orders, spoke respectfully to Kaplan. Known as the Madman of the Battlefield, Yurin was surprisingly cautious around the old knight, even more so than around Kromen.

This was the power of Kaplan’s background, which was the Church.

“There’s no need for that, Sir Yurin. I’m just a servant here to attend to the prince on this expedition.”

“I know, but it might be because you are here that His Majesty sent me as well,” Yurin said with unusual levity.

“No way. I don’t think so.”

After all, Kaplan had once been touted as the next bishop. But for some reason, he had suddenly left the Church and decided to quietly live out the rest of his life as the guardian of the Third Prince.

Well... It makes things easier for us.

Yurin didn’t know what had happened between him and the emperor, but he thought it was fortunate that Kaplan, who was conservative and rigid, unlike the current bishop, had left the Church.

I’ve heard that he was quite the powerhouse in his days as a 1st Class priest... But at this age, he’s probably just a paper tiger now.

Given that someone as extraordinary as Gordon was in the Guidance Mercenary Gang, people like Yurin and Kaplan felt like ordinary men.

“Prince, shall we proceed?”

Kaplan stood by Kromen, holding a large umbrella to shield him from the scorching sun. Following behind was Tiren MacGovern.

“Brother, what are you thinking about?” Elliot asked in a low voice.

“What do you think this combination means?”

“Huh?”

Elliot tilted his head at Tiren’s question.

Mercenaries, the Church, and the royal authority.

Although the Third Prince was the weakest and least influential, this combination of forces gave him more potential and versatility than his two brothers, as the First Prince only had his troops, and the Second Prince only had himself.

Did the emperor hire the Guidance Mercenary Gang just to protect the prince?

Tiren recalled what Gordon had said before coming to the south, that Kromen’s future depended on what he accomplished here. Although he was the son of Kuwell MacGovern, the continent’s greatest swordsman, he was still a young, inexperienced fish with no real allies within the palace.

It’s too heavy of a burden....

But Tiren had to bear it.

“We’ve reached the Digon encampment.”

His worries were momentarily interrupted. The mercenary leading the way pointed to the massive barbarian stronghold.

“Phew...” Tiren let out a low sigh, nervous about his first mission. He had no idea what awaited him there.

***

“It’s you, the so-called Queen of Digon who made us wait.”

Inside the tent, one of the continent’s five strongest individuals voiced his long-held thoughts without a care, even though he was surrounded by hundreds of warriors.

“Just by looking at you, I can tell. You’re Gordon Fabian, right?”

“If you can tell, why ask?”

Gordon’s subtle murderous aura suddenly sharpened, suffocating everyone around him. Even the Digon warriors, despite their numerical superiority, flinched at his presence.

“I was wondering if the Mercenary King had a foul mouth.”

“Even the emperor himself would be irritated if he had to wait for ten days, don’t you think?”

“Aha.”

“Aha?”

Miliana didn’t back down, even in front of Gordon Fabian. In terms of pure skill, she wouldn’t be able to defeat him, who had fully mastered the sword. However, as the ruler of the south, she could not afford to bend a knee in front of an outsider.

“Regarding the incident with the Ryeo Knights, Emperor Titan Shutean has dispatched Prince Kromen to resolve it,” Tiren declared.

“Is that so?”

Miliana glanced at Tiren.

“Well, I assume you’re not the prince. Who are you?”

“...I am Tiren, second son of Kuwell MacGovern.”

“So, a subordinate of the prince?”

“Indeed.”

“Then step aside.”

Tiren’s pride stung from Miliana’s indifference to the name of his father.

“The south only follows the decisions of the leader.”

With that, she slowly shifted her gaze to Kromen.

“The little boy should be the one to speak to me, not you. Show me your cards. Based on their worth, I’ll decide whether to let you live or not.”

“How dare you...!” Elliot shouted at her.

“What, am I being rude? Expecting barbarians to show manners is nonsense, but right and wrong must be addressed. You attacked the five major families first. I clearly opened the southern gate, so what did you offer in return?”

“...”

They couldn’t answer.

In truth, they didn’t know the exact reason Digon had opened the southern gate. The secret deal she had made was with Olivurn, not the empire, and they knew that Olivurn never admitted his fault. Instead, he had disguised it as a surprise attack by the southern barbarians.

“Well, fine. The five major families might have blocked your knights from passing through the Abyssal Rock, and a fight might have broken out. This is the south. Battles will take place as long as there’s a legitimate reason.”

Miliana continued, “But I heard the empire had dispatched troops with the First Prince. How do you explain that? Are you trying to intimidate us by being both friendly and hostile because you’re unsure about peace or war?” Her voice grew sharper.

“That’s absolutely not the case,” Kromen replied, flustered. However, the young prince couldn’t possibly hold his own against Miliana, who was infinitely more experienced than him.

“Is this the empire’s arrogance?”

“That’s....”

“Indeed, expecting manners from barbarians is nonsense.”

Gordon, who had been quietly observing, turned around.

“Let’s go back.”

“What?”

Kromen looked at him in surprise.

However, Gordon looked at Tiren instead of the prince.

“...”

Feeling the cold attitude from the person who had entrusted him with this crucial task, Tiren unconsciously bit his lip, his last shred of pride crumpled.

Clank.

But as they tried to leave the tent, soldiers blocked their path. Without changing his expression, Gordon casually grabbed one of the soldiers by the arm.

Crunch–!

Without using mana, he crushed the soldier’s arm just with raw strength.

“AAAGH!”

Gordon didn’t stop there and stomped on the knee of the other soldier.

Crack!!

The soldier, who boasted impressive muscles, couldn’t withstand Gordon’s weight, and the shattered bone protruded from his skin.

“Is this the arrogance of the south?”

Gordon kicked aside the two fallen soldiers as if they were mere dogs before him.

With that, a stifling tension instantly filled the tent.

“You say the south only follows the leader’s decision? Then I have a say here. Depending on my decision, the Guidance Mercenary Gang might just wipe out Digon.”

“...”

Miliana looked at him.

“Hey, Queen. At the very least, you should start with offering the people who have waited for ten days in this nasty southern heat a seat, not with discussions about deals and payment.”

The atmosphere had changed completely.

Gordon Fabian, walking out of the tent, muttered, “It seems we need to negotiate a bit more.”

***

“...Was that enough?”

“Sure.”

Miliana watched as Kromen’s figure receded into the distance. The crimson sunset was a stark contrast to the suffocating tension from moments earlier.

She heaved a sigh.

“This is unbearable. That monster is completely different from you. His gaze alone made me feel like he’d tear my throat out if I let my guard down for even a second.”

“He’ll come back several more times. He won’t give up that easily,” Karyl said.

“Tch... Having to do this over and over again... It’s exhausting.”

She shook her head.

“The Queen of Digon shouldn’t be whining.”

“Do you know how awful it feels to experience defeat twice in one day?”

“Eh, I’d say only the first time was a true, undeniable defeat. ”

“...You’re just as annoying as ever.”

Karyl leaned against the throne and chuckled at her grumbling. Her ability to recognize and accept the situation without unnecessary explanations remained the same as in her previous life.

Perhaps that was why she could accept such an absurd deal.

I entrusted Randol to her for the same reason.

“It’s tiring. If this continues, we’ll need to renegotiate the amount of Clear Distilled Water you promised us.”

Miliana lay sprawled on her large cushion, visibly spent.

“Be grateful I’m even sharing the Clear Distilled Water with you. Without me, you wouldn’t have gotten it in the first place.”

“Well, honestly, I didn’t expect you to prepare so much Clear Distilled Water. I feel like I’ve been tricked... I thought it was over after Olivurn failed. Did you really plan to use that to strike Digon?”

“It was one of the options.”

Miliana frowned at Karyl, exasperated by his nonchalant attitude.

“So, what’s your plan? Digon has to settle this matter with the empire somehow. Just letting them go like this won’t make both sides simply laugh it off.”

“We’ve let them go precisely to settle the matter.”

“What?”

Miliana shook her head, still unable to grasp Karyl’s intentions. Just how far ahead could he see? She wondered if she could even win in a war against him, let alone a duel.

“One has to be thoroughly prepared to catch big fish.”

“Big fish...?”

Karyl’s eyes gleamed.

“Yes. Kromen will serve as excellent bait.”

Miliana didn’t seem surprised by his plan, but her voice held a hint of annoyance.

“Let me ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Assuming it’s a secret how you obtained dragon mana, if I learn your dragon magic, can I make that giant kneel before me?”

“You mean Gordon?”

It seemed the earlier confrontation had bruised her pride deeply. She seemed genuinely serious, which made Karyl smile.

“I’ve never fought him, so I can’t make a definitive judgment... but you’re at least the seventh strongest among the continent’s elite, in my opinion.”

“Seventh? What’s with that ambiguous ranking?” Miliana asked, looking dissatisfied with Karyl’s response.

But Karyl gave no answer.

Gordon’s strength was unmatched because he died before you met the Platinum Dragon.

Karyl looked at Miliana with interest.

In my past life, you were one of the five strongest Sword Masters on the continent, aside from myself.

With arms crossed, he continued, “The point is...”

Miliana looked up at Karyl.

“... it’s been too long since the top five positions were set in stone.”

Karyl looked down the path Gordon had taken and declared in a low voice, “It’s time the ranks were changed.”