The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth-Chapter 398: The Divine Throne

Crackle... Crackle...

The flames clung to the massive wings mounted at the top of the mast; they had been burning for days, and the fire showed no signs of going out. Strangely, the smoke billowed straight into the sky, as though the wind had no power over it.

“Amazing. It’s like it’s returning to the heavens.”

“That’s close enough. The soul of a Nephilim is directly connected to Yula. They claim she personally created them.”

“How do you know that?”

“She said so herself.”

“...What?” Miliana chuckled in disbelief. “I swear, sometimes you make no sense.”

Karyl simply shrugged in response, unaffected by her reaction. Those standing behind him seemed to share her sentiment.

Quite a few people had gathered on the fortress walls.

“Do you really think the Oracle will come?”

“Probably. They are the messengers of the divine, the ones who hear Yula’s words before anyone else.”

“Monsters... If the vision shown by the Nephilim reveals a future to come, then where will the colossal tower that spawns these monsters emerge?”

“Who knows. What’s more important than the emergence of that tower is the fact that the peace we’ve fought so hard for may be shattered once again.”

“Peace... Perhaps peace is a luxury humans can never truly afford.”

Miliana’s remark drew a rueful smile from Karyl. Had he sacrificed everything—even defying time itself—for the sake of something unattainable?

“It’s a fight worth taking. I’d say we’ve never been more prepared for a battle.”

“You’re right.” Karyl nodded, slightly reassured.

She was right. Compared to the hopeless struggle of his past life, this battle held far more promise.

The chances are still against us, but we have a chance... A real chance, unlike before...

Encouraged by Miliana’s optimism, Karyl managed to steel his resolve.

“If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Lord Karyl has concentrated his assault solely on the capital during the war. Things turned out well, as the rest of the empire is pretty much intact. It makes preparing for the impending war easier.”

Karyl gave a bitter smile in response. Anthem misunderstood the conclusion of the war as a set of fortuitous circumstances, but in truth, it had been Karyl’s objective to secure victory with minimal casualties, regardless of friend or foe.

Every step he had taken was for the Oracle War.

“If this was also part of your plan, my lord, then you could very well deceive even the gods.”

“Is that what you think?”

“Absolutely.”

“Eh, I’ve simply had the fortune to foresee things a bit faster than others.”

Anthem shook his head. “Fortune is about gaining what you can’t obtain on your own, like the family you’re born into. But after birth, one’s future depends solely on one’s own efforts.”

“Huh? So a good-for-nothing noble can live comfortably just because they were born into nobility, while good kids end up crawling through the gutters and starving simply because their parents had no fancy title. Success depends on effort? You know that’s bullshit.”

“Then I suppose being born a noble is considered a stroke of luck,” Anthem replied calmly, unfazed by Miliana’s fierce tone.

“Which is exactly why such injustice needs to be overturned.”

“That’s what striving is all about.”

“Hey—” Miliana looked at him with eyes full of discontent, ready to retort.

“If we succeed, we’ll be hailed as heroes. But if we fail, we’re all traitors. That’s how difficult the position of our lord is.”

Anthem’s reply silenced Miliana before he could speak.

“What if I know the future? What if that’s how I rose to this position so easily?” Karyl proposed.

“Are you talking about foresight? I’ve heard that some astrologers possess the ability to see into the future.”

“And?”

“And none of them became kings. Even those who can glimpse the future fail to change their fate. We’ve come this far solely because of your efforts, achievements, and abilities.”

Anthem’s words drew a faint smile from Karyl.

“I shall never forget that sight—Lord Karyl ascending the throne, with everyone on the continent bowing in reverence.”

Israphil’s voice was filled with awe as he recalled Karyl’s emotional coronation.

“Thanks to the Superior Vision stretching over the continent, I could fully appreciate the grandeur.”

“Speaking of which, I heard the number of people capable of using Superior Vision has gone up a bit.”

“It’s nothing compared to those two among us who have become Great Sorcerers. The Academy’s training facilities have provided immense help.” freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

“Two, you say? So Serga’s still at it, huh. I hope Kadin manages to talk some sense into him...”

“What use is that weakling anyway?” Miliana scoffed, having once clashed fiercely with Serga in Tatur.

“The war prophesied by the Oracle is about to begin. His skills are too valuable to waste, and he could serve as the link between Mikhail, the Academy, the Ulkas Guild, the Immortal Council, and the Dawn Council.”

Israphil nodded at Karyl’s words.

“Mikhail? That guy is even weaker than Serga. I think it’s better to entrust it to Serica. She may be young, but she has grit.”

“You’re not wrong. Among the sorcerers I know, he’s probably the most fragile.”

“Then why?”

“But he’s also the strongest.”

“...?”

Miliana cocked her head, confused by Karyl’s remark. After all, he was surrounded by countless distinguished sorcerers. To call Mikhail the strongest seemed odd, considering his past deeds were lackluster at best.

To a warrior like Miliana, Mikhail looked like a spineless figure, despite his recognition in the Dawn Council and his acquisition of the magic tomes left by Kaye Aesir.

She was starting to get frustrated with Karyl’s continued leniency toward Mikhail.

“Don’t you all think so? Perhaps only a dragon would be able to truly recognize Mikhail’s talent.”

After all, it was the Platinum Dragon who had first acknowledged Karyl’s potential.

As he turned, the three figures standing at the far back nodded in agreement.

“...I’m only in awe of your insight.”

A deep, resonant voice echoed—one that seemed to shake the earth itself. It clearly didn’t belong to a human.

It was the Gold Dragon, Enuma Elashi.

Three dragons had emerged. Small tattoos marked the backs of their hands, and around both their wrists were bracelets adorned with the Ring of Devotion.

Those were Calypson’s new inventions, and their function was simple—when triggered by the user, the rings would unleash a powerful explosion. Of course, something like that would barely even scratch a dragon.

However, the symbols on the backs of their hands were a different matter. They were the result of the magic Karyl had personally developed with Polsetia.

And their effect was brutally simple—the dragon’s heart would simply burst from within. Not even Great Sorcerers could hurt dragons with their high-level magic, but Karyl was a different story.

His magic, born through Polsetia, could bypass those limits.

“Still, talent means nothing if you don’t have the will to fight,” Serica Lauren retorted.

“Don’t worry about that. Sooner or later, his will to fight will surge forth,” Karyl assured.

“Do you truly intend to oppose the gods?” Enuma Elashi asked cautiously. Dragons were naturally loyal to the gods. Though these three had submitted to Karyl, their hearts still leaned toward the divine.

“You remember my condition.”

“...To refrain from interfering in the conflict.”

“Correct. I won’t force dragons to fight for humans. Even though I could compel you with the heart of the Platinum Dragon, I have no need for fake loyalty. But if you wish to live, abandon any idea of supporting the gods.”

“Understood.”

The three dragons nodded, though their deep frowns betrayed their discontent. Their lives were now in the grasp of a human, one who had slain a Nephilim. Despite Karyl’s fierce ultimatum, they remained conflicted.

After all, staying neutral could still rouse the gods’ ire.

[Hahaha... They’ve got a real conundrum on their hands, eh?]

Allen’s sneer echoed in Karyl’s mind.

[Can you imagine? Stand with the gods, and you’ll kill them; remain neutral, and they might face the gods’ wrath. Hundreds of years of wisdom and still no answer to this riddle.]

Listening to him, Karyl couldn’t suppress a smirk.

“Was the Oracle really delivered? Forgive me if I’m overstepping, my lord, but how did you come to know this?” Anthem asked warily. He was wondering if the coronation itself and the Nephilim’s descend had all been part of some grand plan.

“I acquired the Dimension Spiral in the Demon Realm. It holds the essence of the forces that shape dimensions. And I uncovered secrets bound to this power in the Thousand-Year Ice Cave in the north.”

“Dimensions... Are you talking about the power of creation? That’s something only the gods can wield.”

“Precisely.”

“Ah...”

“So that’s why you were absent.”

Karyl’s revelation drew astonished murmurs from everyone.

“What did you find there?”

At Anthem’s question, Karyl’s gaze slowly drifted skyward.

“The power to become a rightful king,” he whispered.

The others looked at him with a hint of confusion.

“My lord, you are already the master of this continent, our king. A king’s position is not granted by anyone; it is something seized.”

Dushala’s enchanting voice rang out in the night. Her words drew a faint smile from Karyl.

“It’s not this land.”

“...Pardon?”

At that moment—

“What... is that...?”

Kinu Mukari pointed to the sky, his voice tense. Everyone’s eyes followed his gaze.

“What do you see?”

“Hmm?”

The others were puzzled, seeing only the starry sky. But Kinu Mukari, whose sight was keener than a Sword Master’s using Infinity Circle, spotted something taking shape, something resembling a colossal fortress.

Perched atop a vast dome with four towers standing at each cardinal point, it resembled a small citadel.

Soon, Miliana and the other Sword Masters, who also possessed the Infinity Circle, could also make out the structure appearing in the sky.

“It seems the flame of the fallen Nephilim has finally reached its destination.”

Only Karyl seemed to know what that structure was.

“That’s the Celestial Fortress,” he murmured.

“Is that... the Nephilim’s stronghold?” Anthem Howard inquired, recalling that name from the ancient texts he had studied.

No one was particularly shocked, as they had expected the death of the Fallen Angel to inevitably draw out the main Nephilim forces.

“Don’t be afraid.”

Karyl’s voice resonated with a power that seemed to stir everyone’s hearts, as if speaking in Spirit Language.

“Incredible...”

Kadin Luer stared at Karyl in disbelief, sensing the same power he had once felt from Olivurn. The Spirit Language was ancient, known only to sorcerers who had studied the oldest records.

Olivurn’s innate ability to wield it was one of the reasons Kadin Luer had supported him, as it was said that only true leaders could wield Spirit Language.

“Heh...” Allen chuckled softly, understanding their reactions.

“Have faith in this war which I alone have started. Soon, I will show you what I discovered in the cave and what it means to truly be a rightful king. If you harbor any doubts, rest assured I will dispel them,” Karyl declared, as though directly addressing Kadin Luer’s unspoken questions.

“Draw your weapons.”

Shing—

Swish...!

Everyone obeyed his command without a hint of hesitation.

“To be a rightful king...”

Whoosh...!

As the Celestial Fortress slowly took form, massive angels with broad, white wings came into view, slowly descending.

Karyl’s gaze was fixed on them.

“...One must claim the Divine Throne.”

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