The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth C.51: The Final Battle (1)

"You made it to the finals?" Karyl greeted Mikhail and Aidan, who had been waiting for him, with a casual wave as he returned to the inn.

"Welcome back," Mikhail replied, his demeanor noticeably different from their first meeting in the mercenary gang.

While initially born out of obligation to an employer, his respect for Karyl had—although he tried to conceal it—transformed into admiration.

Mikhail must have felt it after participating in the competition. The desire to learn magic...

After participating in the magic competition, he must’ve also wanted to fight like Karyl, and as a result, now aspired to learn magic. Although I taught him magic in this life because of Narh Di Maug's words, he originally was a swordsman.

It was only natural for Karyl's unique fighting style to captivate him, as it was far different from that of ordinary sorcerers. But not yet. Only a few can master both aspects. If one is distracted by the greed for strength, one would become neither.

Karyl grinned softly at Mikhail. Don't worry. While I may not be the one to teach you magic, once you are adept at magic, I can certainly help you attain a formidable physique.

As Karyl sat down and placed his luggage aside, Mikhail’s eyes were drawn to his staff adorned with a light green gem—an item he had never seen before.

"How does it feel to use magic?"

"It's fascinating. I never imagined I could advance this far."

"Right? Even though it's just the beginners’ competition."

Mikhail smiled at the joke but said with subtle competitiveness, "I may not be able to be as good as you, Karyl, but I won't lose to those sorcerers who just stand and chant their spells."

"You seem confident." Karyl looked at him as if he expected that answer. He has received training from the Guidance Mercenary gang, so he's right to be confident in physical combat.

However, what he did was no easy feat. Little did Mikhail know, Karyl's body was always under various supportive spells in addition to his physical training. With Mikhail's mana capacity, casting even a few support spells would deplete it completely, rendering him unable to fight properly.

"That's why I put you in the beginners' category."

"Huh?"

"You said it yourself. You can't be as good as me. What if you had to face me in the expert category?"

"That, that's..." Mikhail gave a sheepish smile, feeling embarrassed.

"Win the beginners’ category. We'll take this competition by storm." Karyl said, lightly patting Mikhail’s shoulder. "This is just the beginning. I know you have a talent for magic, and you've already proven it, haven't you?"

Aidan also nodded, as if to agree.

"Hone your magic skills further. You can reach far higher realms. And when you do, I'll give you the opportunity to meet the best mentor.“

Who is the most outstanding sorcerer on the continent? Is it Berchi Blano, the master of the Ivory Tower, or Kadin Luer, the court sorcerer of the Empire? Perhaps Nain Darhon, the head of the Immortal Council, or even Darryl Harian from the Lurein Principality, known as the “Magic Bullet”? All of them were 7th class users, standing among the greatest human sorcerers of their time.

Among them, Berchi Blano's mana was rumored to be close to the 8th class, making him the only sorcerer known to reach even close to the level of the legendary Kaye Aesir. However, Darryl Harian, despite having the lowest mana among the four, created the battle-focused magic "Magic Bullet" as a War-Mage.

If Berchi Blano and Darryl Harian were to face off, the outcome would be rather uncertain. No matter how vast one's mana is, it's useless if not utilized properly in combat.

That's why some argue that Darryl Harian should be included when determining the strongest in each field.

Compared to them, Kadin Luer, the imperial court sorcerer is often underestimated due to his old age. But I know better than anyone the true extent of his power. After the descent of the Oracles, he vanquished more enemies than any other sorcerer did.

Honestly, Karyl, like everyone else, hadn't expected the sorcerer in his seventies to sweep through the battlefields as if he were as young as any active sorcerer.

At the end of the day, it's simply futile to argue who is the “greatest” among such formidable sorcerers. After all, even the most exceptional of them have one common weakness—the limitations of a human.

Karyl gave a faint smirk, leaving Mikhail puzzled as to the reason for his laughter.

There's no need for speculation. When it comes to being supreme in magic, there's a unique being unmatched by any human. Namely, a Dragon.

"But in order to meet this greatest mentor, you need to be prepared, okay?"

While there were many dungeons scattered across the continent, Dragon's Lairs were the most coveted by adventurers. But the rewards came with great risks. For someone like Karyl, who was still developing his abilities, infiltrating Narh Di Maug's resting place alone would be nearly impossible.

Mikhail, I sought you out first among the ten Oracles not because I'm unaware of your limits, but rather because I wanted to show you to Narh Di Maug before anyone else...

Karyl also intended to use Mikhail as a means to conquer the Platinum Dragon's Lair. Whether that would be in the form of a companion or a shield...

Honestly, when they first met, Karyl was quite doubtful. Mikhail might feel slighted if he heard this, but Karyl was pragmatic. He had overcome the impossible within the Tower to travel back to the past. Though appearing only in his teens, he had lived far longer than even the dragons.

I will no longer be swayed by personal sentiment.

He knew better than anyone the consequences such actions could bring.

"Understood." Whether Mikhail grasped his thoughts or not, his eyes gleamed at Karyl's words.

"I'm counting on you."

"Yes!!"

"Aidan, while I'm away, if a sorcerer comes looking for me, you'll have to take care of a little something for me," said Karyl turning towards Aidan.

"What is it?"

Gripping the staff he had set aside, Karyl grinned eerily. "Nothing much. Just keep whatever he hands over safe."

Aidan, though curious about the vague request, nodded, now accustomed to such orders. What's he plotting now? He knew better than to expect a straightforward answer from Karyl.

Yet, everything Karyl planned always fell into place astonishingly well later on.

"Will do." Aidan nodded, lamenting inside. How long must I stay here? That too in Azor, of all places. There's no way to even communicate with the Empire here.

During his stay in the mercenary gang to Azor, most of Aidan’s messages had been sent through magical devices. However, with the entire city shielded, any unauthorized use of a magical device would trigger an alarm.

Unless I suddenly become a high-level sorcerer, it is impossible to disclose my location now. Ahhh! So frustrating.

Although Aidan considered it unlikely, he couldn't help but wonder if Karyl had deliberately chosen places where he couldn't contact Olivurn. Well, Zouk must’ve handled Tatur's matters by now...

Despite this, he barely suppressed a sigh, feeling absurd for finding some comfort in the thought that his situation was better than Tatur's. If Master learns of this, he'll surely kill me.

Watching Aidan bite his lip, Karyl smirked, seemingly amused.

"Rest well for tomorrow's competition. I have to go somewhere for a bit."

"Where are you going now?"

Karyl was leaving again, mere minutes after entering the inn.

Mikhail rolled his eyes, now somewhat used to seeing Karyl never rest.

***

There you are.

Leaning against the fountain in the bustling square, Karyl lifted his head, his gaze drawn to the distant uproar. To just show up so openly in a public space. Can't they use invisibility spells, or is it their sheer audacity?

Karyl already knew who they were. To be precise, he had been waiting for them. They were sorcerers from the Expert competition, specifically, representatives from the magic councils and guilds they belonged to.

Hah, couldn't they just sit tight until tomorrow's competition?

Karyl's performance today must have been nothing short of shocking to them. In addition, most couldn't accept his style of combat. Among sorcerers, there were certainly those who used weapons. However, such individuals were often shunned by the magical community.

They believe that using a weapon is no different from being a swordsman.

Sorcerers have long since insisted on differentiating themselves by focusing on mental training over physical prowess. Technically speaking, it wasn’t completely incorrect. Training the mind was indeed crucial for casting higher-level magic, and that was precisely why they had come for him. They were at a loss when faced with Karyl's bold tactics in the competition.

But... I didn't expect them to confront me so directly.

Karyl watched the figures, who made no attempts to conceal their presence, drawing near. A smirk tugged at his lips.

"While I did expect some conflict, it’s still a surprise to see you in person."

"I have a proposition for you. You're affiliated with a guild that has no ties to the magic councils. You don’t have a noteworthy background either. You lack a proper mentor, so you might not grasp the significance of this competition."

"What are you trying to imply?" Karyl slowly raised his gaze to meet the eyes of the old sorcerer standing before him.

It was Tapio, the senior sorcerer from the Dawn Society, the ones who had organized this competition.

"Withdraw from the competition."

Though Karyl had expected as much, he couldn't help but laugh at such a direct request from the organizer. "So, is this how you've been running competitions? Pretending to be high and mighty sorcerers? Well, I guess the magic council is rotten to the core."

Faced with Karyl's scathing critique, Tapio's expression hardened. A dozen or so sorcerers surrounded Karyl, growling at him, ready to pounce at any moment.

"What will I get in return?" f𝐫eewe𝚋nove𝗹.𝗰o𝚖

Tapio merely chuckled. "Clever, that too coming from someone who’s in a guild. I'll provide you with a spellbook equivalent to the competition's prize. What do you say?"

"Hmm..."

The prize for the Expert competition was a 5th class spellbook. For a freelance sorcerer unaffiliated with a magic council, acquiring such spellbooks were challenging. In that regard, Tapio's offer wasn't that bad. Karyl could get what he wanted without having to fight, and the magic council could salvage their disciples’ reputations. But, that would be the case if he were a typical sorcerer.

Distancing himself from the fountain against which he had been leaning, Karyl stretched his arms. Then, in a composed voice, he addressed the cunning old sorcerer, who was hoping to win through deceit rather than skill.

"No thanks."