The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth C.58: The Past of the Two

"Why, what’s the matter?" Karyl asked, puzzled by Fasio’s demeanor.

"Oh, it's nothing... Of course," Fasio responded, attempting to hide his astonishment at Karyl’s unexpected return.

The old fox probably didn't expect me to be back in just two days.

"We must ensure our defenses are thorough. On my way here, I encountered a band of thieves with a distinctive emblem. It would be wise to investigate further," Karyl suggested, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a few small buttons embossed with salamanders.

Thieves, huh... It was clear evidence of guild affiliation to anyone who looked.

"For such a thing to have happened... I shall certainly look into it," Fasio responded, feigning surprise at Karyl's words.

The guilds in Azor wouldn't be involved... Did they take action the moment I entered? Dealing with them may be possible, but there’s no need to stir up unnecessary trouble. At least, not for now.

"And this is an artifact I found in the Gray Training Ground. It's not of use to me, so I thought it proper to offer it to you, my lord," Karyl said, presenting another item.

"Oh...!!" Fasio couldn't tear his gaze away from the items Karyl had produced. He had promised Karyl priority in obtaining any artifacts found in the Gray Training Ground. However, that was merely a ruse; the original plan had been to deal with Karyl upon his return from the training ground.

Luckily, he's young. Though skilled, he's still naive about the world. To think he mistook them for a mere band of thieves.

Fasio nodded, and his retainers quickly collected the items Karyl had placed before him.

Little does he know they're nothing more than trinkets restricted with unnecessary sealing spells.

As if he could see through Fasio's thoughts, Karyl offered a fake smile as well.

"Your contribution is substantial. While I cannot give you the Original Magical tome as a reward, I can grant you the opportunity to peruse it. What do you say?"

I'm not sure how he managed to escape the maze of the Gray Training Ground... But given the situation, it's better to win him over than to eliminate him. After all, even the sorcerers of the Council of Magic have yet to master those spells. If showing him would result in acquiring the treasures of the training ground, it would be a significant gain. Fasio's mind raced.

"Furthermore, I will reward you with a staff used by the senior sorcerers of the Council of Magic. This will signify that both Azor and the Council of Magic recognize your abilities. And you won't need to be a council member to have your status verified."

"Thank you. However, for now, I will have to decline the Original Magic. It's beyond what I can handle. I would appreciate the opportunity at a later time, though."

"Hmm... Is that so?"

"Yes, I'll gratefully accept the staff, though."

Karyl had already obtained the Freezing Talon, making the staff redundant as a weapon. However, as a symbol, it held significant value. While he had received Kuwell's emblem, true freedom required moving beyond the empire’s confines. In that regard, the Council of Magic's seal could prove handy when traveling to other nations.

The young one knows his limits, huh? As if just anyone can learn the Original Magic. Fasio looked pleased with Karyl's response.

[Goodness, why is this nonsense so lengthy?] Allen scoffed, his voice tinged with impatience. [And to think that pig is actually a descendant of Celine Han? Times have certainly changed. Despite her wretched personality, she was once considered beautiful enough to be called “the one who outshines the moon”.]

Karyl smirked as he heard the old man's voice in his ear. He's a skilled high-level sorcerer, so don't underestimate him.

[Hmph, it's not his pitiful skills I disdain. His magical power is hardly noteworthy. He's merely showing off with Gustav's magic. I have all of that knowledge in my head.]

Knowing this, Karyl had declined the offer of Original magic. It was unnecessary. And by refusing, he had made a good impression on the ruler of Azor, killing two birds with one stone.

[You're with that fellow and he still doesn't recognize me? The high-level sorcerers of my time weren't so incompetent.]

Times have changed, as you say, Karyl replied. It's been over a thousand years since your era.

"So..."

"Yes, I'll arrange for the viewing of the magical tome. You can go now if you wish," said Fasio hastily, fearing Karyl might change his mind.

"Thank you."

Step by step, Karyl slowly walked through the hall, carefully surveying his surroundings.

"...”

The sorcerers within the hall stared at him, their gazes sharp and piercing. After returning from the Gray Training Ground, Karyl felt a shift in the very air. Their magic, that he could always feel now seemed different, not just in strength but in essence. It was as if a veil had lifted. He could sense it now, the concentration, the nature, and even the quantity of the magic surrounding them.

Fascinating, Karyl thought to himself, taken aback at his own transformation.

The time he had spent in the Gray Training Ground had only been two days, yet the experiences within that brief period felt like they had lasted for at least twenty days.

[Look at those insignificant humans. What do you say? Don’t you feel a bit grateful to me now?]

A wry smile touched Karyl’s lips at Allen Javius’ words, the memories of the past two days flooding back.

***

Two days ago, at the Gray Training Ground...

[What in the world are you made of?]

"It’s because I consumed the heart of the Flame Dragon," Karyl replied truthfully, seeing no need to lie.

[The Flame Dragon? Wait... is it the one I'm thinking of?]

"Yes. The Red Dragon, Riseria."

[You must be out of your mind. It’s impossible for you to have killed such a creature... What happened?]

"After you were sealed, there was another monstrous sorcerer named Kaye Aesir. He was once known as the Dragon Slayer, 250 years ago."

Karyl's words seemed to have pricked the sorcerer's pride. Allen looked at him and said, [And if you were to compare that man to me?]

"Well, I never knew you in life... so, it's quite difficult to make a comparison now that you’re in your spectral form."

[But you say he's lived 250 years ago? Yet you speak as if you know everything.]

"Well, I saw fragments of his battle with Riseria. And I witnessed the dragon's demise."

[And you consumed the dragon heart he left behind? You really are a lucky bastard. Gaining such immense magical power from a body that had none, enough to rival that of a great sorcerer.]

"How did you know I lacked magical power?" Karyl's eyebrows twitched.

[Boy, that's nothing for me. More importantly, you possess Kaye Aesir's memories. So, try to see mine as well. That way, you can make a true comparison.]

How had things come to this? Allen Javius, still unwilling to accept defeat, persisted and moved his hand toward Karyl's forehead.

Before he could evade, Allen's index finger made contact with Karyl’s forehead, causing his body to suddenly collapse to the ground, it was as if all his strength had been drained. A deafening ringing echoed in his ears, threatening to shatter his skull.

Allen Javius seemed to be saying something, but Karyl couldn't discern his words clearly through blurred vision.

"Ugh."

His head was filled with a dizzying hum, much like when he had consumed the dragon's heart.

As his vision gradually faded to darkness, Karyl's consciousness plunged into the depths of the abyss.

***

"Allen, this is the conclusion our council has reached," Karyl heard the voice echo in the dimly lit room.

The moonlight seeping through the windows cast an eerie glow, adding to the ominous atmosphere.

Perhaps because he wasn’t unfamiliar with traveling through memories, Karyl immediately recognized the six individuals standing before him.

"Do you all... truly not understand what this decision means?"

The voice belonged to Allen Javius, but it sounded different from the Allen he knew.

Though he couldn't see the face, the lively voice, smooth palms, and the youthful appearance of those before him, seemingly in their late twenties, told Karyl this memory was from a long time ago.

"All you must do is tend to the Fountain of Vision. That's something we can never do. We must rely on you, as we have done so far, for you have mastered Arcane Magic, a magic unparalleled."

"To come to me with such nonsense and then have the audacity to make requests. You ask of me as you have done so far? It appears that spending too much time cooped up in the archives has made you lose your mind, Gustav."

The man, with his pale face that was devoid of color, showed a look of regret at Allen's words.

That must be Gustav. Karyl had heard legends of this man but had never taken a particular interest in him. He was merely curious as to why Allen had brought him into this memory.

"Humanity may have learned magic from the dragons. But the Gray Training Ground is not something we can give to them!"

"This place is important to them as well. It's only right for us to return what we've borrowed."

"What? We were the ones who solved the formulae even the dragons could not unravel! What they desire is not the training ground itself but what lies dormant within it!!"

As the tension in the room escalated, Karyl silently observed their conversation, his frown deepening slightly at Allen's words.

Something dormant? I had a feeling there was something more than the Freezing Talon... But something that even the dragons would desire?

Karyl’s curiosity was piqued, as he found himself getting drawn into their conversation.

"Let me say it once more—the decision has already been made. If you do not comply, we will have to force consent."

"Consent? Hah! Gustav, you don’t seem to understand the meaning of the word...!!!"

Flash—

Suddenly, a tremendous surge of magical power emanated from Allen's body. It was simply indescribable. Typically, harnessing magical power involves drawing it up from the mana vein and distributing it throughout the body's blood vessels.

While feasible with Void Magic, even the most powerful of sorcerers usually need time to draw power from the mana points. However, Allen was an exception.

"Everyone, get back!!!"

Gustav's cry echoed through the chamber, prompting the sorcerers of the council—Celine Han, Well Bahar, and Phan Omaan—to quickly withdraw.

Like a laser, fifteen magic circles materialized behind Allen Javius, and from within them, sharp Magic Arrows were unleashed.

That’s...

A chilling sonic boom reverberated through the training ground.

"Try to dodge this."

Immediately after, Well Bahar, one of the sorcerers standing behind him, had half of his head blown off.

Thud—

His body collapsed like a jointed doll, his limbs flailing, leaving the rest in stunned silence. They were all great sorcerers, but the speed and power of Allen’s magic left them unable to react, let alone block.

To call that Magic Arrow...

The shock was not limited to their faces alone, as Karyl also wore a stunned expression.

It was a mere 2nd Class offensive magic. Light-based magic was already unpopular due to its lower lethality compared to other elemental magics, yet Allen Javius effortlessly shattered such conventional wisdom.

While similar to Kaye Aesir, Allen was in a league of his own.

The magic Allen used wasn't just a typical Magic Arrow. With each arrow, lightning coiled around the long rod, vibrating violently.

As he flicked his fingers, the sound of air being split by the projectiles echoed through the hall.

"Aaargh!!"

The violet arrow, wrapped in crackling lightning, tore through a shield and ripped apart someone's arm and shoulder as if it were tearing through paper.

That’s Arcane Magic...

Despite not consuming a dragon heart, Allen Javius could use spells of two different elements simultaneously.

From within his consciousness, Karyl could see how Allen manipulated his magical power.

This must’ve been his purpose in showing me. Karyl chuckled softly.

Unlike Kaye Aesir, who had infused strong magic into lower-class spells, Allen had gone a step further, condensing two elements into one. It must have been excruciatingly difficult, perhaps he was the first of humanity to do so.

"Block it!!"

"Is the magic circle not ready yet?!"

Even towards those who had been his comrades mere moments ago, Allen Javius was relentless.

"Such a futile effort."

As the battle raged on, Karyl, who had once scoffed at the sorcerers' duels of honor, now understood the true essence of a sorcerer's fight.

Among all of them, Allen stood out distinctly. While Serica Lauren, who had self-styled the title of Supreme, relied on physical prowess and used magic as a support, in sharp contrast, Allen swept away his opponents with magic alone.

Maybe he is the true embodiment of a combat sorcerer... Karyl thought, his throat tightening in apprehension.

The dragon hunter, Kaye Aesir, was remarkable indeed, but it was Allen who had redefined Karyl's understanding of a sorcerer. He had effortlessly killed a grand sorcerer with a single blow, a feat that even Karyl, a renowned swordsman, found difficult. The remaining sorcerers were helpless against his Arcane magic.

The young Allen Javius had far surpassed Kaye Aesir in terms of power. Yet, despite his incredible abilities, he ultimately met his end on the Gray Training Ground.

How’s that even possible...? Karyl wondered.

Could there have been someone capable of killing a sorcerer more powerful than Kaye Aesir, the renowned Dragon Slayer?

But before Karyl could find an answer, his consciousness faded. That was as far as the memory went.

As the memory came to an end, Allen Javius, the person himself, looked at Karyl.

The admiration in Karyl’s eyes was evident as he spoke, "You truly are an amazing person."

Surprisingly, Allen’s response was equally filled with admiration, [As are you.]

Allen’s response was perplexing to Karyl, especially given the scene they had just witnessed.

[You did something unimaginable... You went back in time.]