The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth

Chapter 127: The Calamity of the South (2)

"If we go just a little further, we'll reach the Marquisate of Vestal."

"Alright. Everyone's doing a great job."

The narrow path was barely wide enough for a single carriage. Since it led only to the southern region inhabited by barbarians, it was rarely used.

"I'm sorry we couldn't escort you with the royal carriage."

"It's fine. You know I'm more accustomed to riding horses than sitting in a carriage."

Viscount Harun bowed his head, seemingly touched by Olivurn's words.

"......"

Martte watched Harun with curiosity.

I remember him visiting the mansion a few times. I thought he was a rigid man, a warrior to his core. I didn't know he could carry himself like this.

Harun, who assisted the Valsar and MacGovern families at the border, had willingly joined Olivurn’s southern expedition on behalf of Kuwell MacGovern.

Though recommended by Kuwell, Harun had also proven his capabilities by capturing Suan Hazer, who had once been on the wanted list.

“You’ve been working hard,” Kuwell said to Martte.

“No, it’s an honor to serve you, Your Highness.”

“You’re the eldest son of Sir Kuwell, right? All your siblings are remarkable. I’m sorry about what happened to the fourth one.”

As Martte looked into Olivurn's eyes, he felt like he somewhat understood Harun's feelings.

His eyes are as deep as a lake. Although blasphemous, I have to admit they have something I can’t see in His Majesty's eyes. Did my father fall for those eyes too?

Curiosity stirred within Martte.

Despite holding the title of the greatest swordsman on the continent, his father silently guarded the harsh borderlands solely for the empire.

Martte hadn’t told his siblings, but he had volunteered for Olivurn’s expedition, just like Harun, to see for himself why his father had chosen the emperor’s illegitimate son over Luon.

“Pardon my words, but is it alright to go to the south through the Marquisate of Vestal?”

Olivurn chuckled at Martte's words.

“I know what you're worried about. He’s probably already prepared to march on my brother’s orders. But to get to the south through this road, we have no choice but to pass through the marquisate.”

Unlike Luon, who had marched with an army of seventy thousand, Olivurn had brought only thirty guards.

Marquis Vestal is incompetent, but his territory houses the Wisteria Knights responsible for the southern defense.

Moreover, the marquisate had twenty thousand soldiers stationed. They couldn’t be withdrawn for the southern defense, but their numbers were enough to hinder Olivurn’s expedition.

Twenty thousand against thirty...

The difference in strength was incomparable.

If the Marquis of Vestal, at Luon’s orders, decided not to let Olivurn pass, could they really escape?

If, as my father said, I must protect His Highness...

Thud–

At that moment, Martte was startled by Olivurn tapping him on the shoulder.

“Your face is riddled with unease. I know what you're concerned about, but your job isn't to worry. It's to protect me.”

“...Yes?”

“Worrying and solving problems are a king’s duties, not a knight’s.”

For a moment, Martte felt an intense, imposing aura from Olivurn’s eyes, which had seemed gentle moments before.

“I apologize, Your Highness.” Martte bowed his head.

“We’ve been waiting.”

At that moment, as they turned the corner of the road, a group of knights in purple armor awaited greeted Olivurn.

“...!”

Martte couldn’t help but be surprised.

Leading them was none other than Sir Jervangh, the vice captain of the Wisteria Knights.

No way...

Why was it?

Martte found that, unlike with Baron Harun, he didn’t feel reverence for Olivurn, but fear.

***

At the Lord Tower...

"WOOAAAHHH–!!! HUUAAAHH–!!"

Deafening shouts came from all directions, and the ground shook as flagpoles were slammed into it, as if an earthquake had struck.

"..."

Marze heaved a sigh, staring at the imperial army raising their morale on the wall as if ready to charge at any moment.

"What about the royal palace?"

"No word yet. They keep telling us that they’re still in discussions."

"Fools...! Sitting at their desks, they can't possibly grasp the situation on the battlefield."

He brushed his bushy beard aside and looked ahead. Although he hadn't reached the level of a Sword Master, Marze, a seasoned veteran of many battles, wasn't afraid of the imperial army. He was only troubled by the thought of the border citizens, bound and displayed in front of the fortress for more than half a day, as if to taunt him.

"Did we receive any message from Turtle Castle?"

"Yes. They said they’re willing to open the gates if we accept their conditions."

"Sly bastards. Until now, Twin Armor has been the shield of the Three Kingdoms because its inner workings were kept top secret. Letting them in would be like showing all our weaknesses."

Aben had never had any intention of allowing the empire passage, and Marze thought he was saying this just to shirk all responsibility.

It's a way to protect his kingdom without offending the empire. It's not just the palace playing mind games.

He disliked Aben, but this wasn't the kind of thing that suited his temperament anyway.

"Prepare to deploy at any moment."

"Understood."

The lieutenant nodded at his words.

Rumble...

Just then, the clear sky suddenly began to darken.

"There were no reports of rain..." the lieutenant muttered in confusion.

But it was clear to anyone that those weren’t just dark rain clouds.

"General!"

A mage from Lord Tower rushed to him, shouting amidst the sudden strange phenomenon.

"A... A dungeon has appeared!!"

***

At Luon's camp, the captured civilians knelt in the fields, unable to lift their heads, hoping for a quick resolution to the situation.

Why on earth...?

Damn it, why us...

They cursed under their breath, but they were just powerless commoners. They had already been resentful about the higher taxes this harvest, but their dire situation made them realize how insignificant their complaints had been.

Now, it was a matter of life and death.

Standing on the carefully-grown crops in the paddy field they had just been able to harvest felt heart-wrenching.

"Do you resent me?" asked Luon, his eyes sweeping over the captive.

No one dared to speak up, as they knew that it could cost them their lives.

"If you want to resent someone, resent them, not me. They dared to defy the empire."

The agreed-upon day had passed, and Luon, unable to wait any longer, looked at Azif.

"Prepare the troops."

As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers, who had been waving their flags and shouting toward the tower, fell silent. The silence persisted, but everyone at the scene knew that it was the prelude to a fierce battle.

"Your Highness, what about these people...?"

"What about them? I have given this small country every consideration the empire can offer. They spat in my face, and so these people will share the same fate as those in the tower.”

At that, the captives shouted desperately at Luon.

"Please, spare us!!"

"Your Highness!!!"

"Just our lives...!!"

Swish—

In response to their cries, Luon, without a change in expression, beheaded the man kneeling nearest to him.

"Ahhh!!"

"Dear heavens!!"

Although he couldn’t care less about them, Luon muttered as though he had no other choice, "I offered you mercy out of concern for your lives, but unfortunately, they do not value your lives. What can I do?"

At his signal, the soldiers surrounding the captives pointed their weapons at them simultaneously.

There was no escape. The captives, with blank faces, could only stare at the sharp blades that would soon pierce their hearts.

"..."

Their lives would end as soon as Luon lowered his hand. However, as his hand slowly descended, everything went dark, as though all light had been consumed by darkness.

Rumble...!!!

Dark clouds had suddenly covered the sky, making it seem like night had fallen.

"What is this?"

Luon looked up with a grim expression, feeling an eerie sensation above his head.

The captives were thankful for this sudden phenomenon, which had quite literally saved their lives, but their calm didn’t last long.

Something was wrong.

"....!!"

Something started falling from the sky, but it wasn’t rain. Seeing what it really was, Luon's eyes widened. He pointed up at the sky with the hand had just been about to execute the captives with.

His lips were quivering, barely able to get the words out.

"Fire... Fire!!”

He was pointing at the monsters pouring from the sky, as if a portal had opened up.

***

Thud! Thud!

Both the imperial army and the Twin Armor forces were shocked by the rain of monsters. With faces contorted with fear, people looked up at the sky, only to have something swoop past their heads with a flap of wings.

Crash...!!

"Aaaah—!!"

The sickening sound of bones being broken was followed by a faint scream which quickly faded away into the sky.

Boom...!! Boom...! Boom!!

In just a few seconds, mutilated human corpses fell from the sky like rain.

"Ahhh!!"

People screamed and ran away in a panic as gore rained down on them.

Creak... Creak!

Cackle!!

The harpies filling the sky laughed gleefully at the terrified humans below.

Rumble... Rumble...

The huge dimensional gate in the sky, from which the harpies poured out, slowly descended until it stood upright like a mirror between the imperial army and the Twin Armor.

Buzz...

The dimensional gate embedded itself into the ground, forming a massive cave-like structure.

"This can't be happening..."

Even Marze, a seasoned veteran, had never witnessed the emergence of an S-class monster dungeon.

"Attack!"

The Twin Armor soldiers responded with arrows and mana bombardments, but just dealing with the monsters approaching the fortress was overwhelming.

"General...!! The imperial army is retreating!!"

"The people at the front...!!"

With the sudden appearance of the dungeon, the imperial army abandoned the captives they had in the center and rapidly retreated toward the Fonein River.

Even in good health, escaping from monsters wasn't easy.

"Aaah...!!"

"Help...!!"

To make matters worse, the captives, having their arms and legs bound, had no way of escaping. The monsters quickly reached and sunk their fangs in them.

The screams of those poor people reached inside the fortress.

Clench–!

Marze ground his teeth at the sight.

What kind of shield of Istan is this...!!

Even as he watched his people die, Marze couldn't bring himself to open the gates amidst the onslaught of monsters.

It was a literal hellscape.

“GROOAARRR!!”

But that wasn't the end. The harpies, which had been joyously flying through the sky, suddenly scattered like a flock of pigeons at the sudden roar.

Boom... Boom... Boom...!!

The ground shook with each step as a monster emerged from the dungeon's entrance. The two-horned monstrosity held a giant axe, and drool dripped from its quivering lips with each breath it took.

"A... A Minotaur?!" the soldiers shouted in shock.

***

"Damn it...! What the hell is this mess?!" Luon shouted, his voice filled with incredulity at the sudden chaos.

"At least the captives are acting as a shield, slowing the monsters' advance. If we retreat now, the monsters will head towards the Twin Armor instead of us."

Azif observed the dimensional gate forming a huge dungeon as it descended from the sky.

"Even if it's not us, a dungeon of that scale will cause significant damage to the Twin Towers. It might take some time, but we should be able to cross the fortress without losing any troops."

"Damn it, if this continues, I won't be able to face my father."

Luon expressed his displeasure at the unfolding events, beyond his control.

But a Minotaur...? How could an S-rank dungeon just appear out of nowhere? High-rank dungeons usually come after several lower-ranked ones...

There had been no reports.

Azif glanced back with a puzzled expression but quickly turned away, averting his gaze from the sight of people being slaughtered.

There's nothing we can do, Azir reassured himself. It was unfair, but it couldn’t be helped. They had faced countless situations like this before.

Neigh...!!

Suddenly, the leading horses halted and neighed loudly. Severed harpy heads lay scattered around.

"Is this really how the empire’s prince looks?” A low voice echoed.

"Who... who are you?!”

Turning his head, Luon saw a boy sitting on top of a pile of harpy corpses. The knights hurried over to defend Luon, shouting in alarm at the boy's sudden appearance.

Descending from the pile of corpses, Karyl slowly walked toward them. Somehow, the knights couldn't bring themselves to stop him, so intense was his presence.

Unable to draw their swords, the knights simply stared at him with tense expressions.

"A future king using his people as shields and fleeing..."

Silence fell.

"Luon."

Karyl looked up at him.

“Is it merely a selfish decision?”

Luon glared at Karyl, who casually called his name.

"Or..."

Despite his youthful appearance, his words carried a weight far beyond his apparent age.

"...are you just scared?" Karyl smirked.

At that moment, the prince's face twisted in rage.