The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth-Chapter 425: Hawat Tashun (1)

“What... What should we do?”

Yurin Huygar hadn’t been able to sleep since reading the letter. He gave a weary sigh, staring at the envelope on his desk as though it was some kind of monster.

Across from him, Joey Johansel looked just as drained.

“He’s really coming, then?”

“If the letter is genuine, he’ll be here soon.”

“...Damn it.”

Joey had never seen his mentor this rattled before, but he understood why he was in such a state. They knew more than anyone else at the Church just what kind of person Karyl MacGovern was.

“But why send a letter when he could’ve just used a magic circle?”

“It’s obvious. He’s giving us a warning.”

“A warning?”

“He’s telling us to find the person named in that letter before he arrives and wait.”

Following Rael Stallen’s death, the Church had essentially collapsed. First, there were whispers of her involvement with the Platinum Dragon, then it came out that Wooden Cloud had been helping with her illegal experiments.

Those revelations triggered a massive internal purge, and the one leading that purge was none other than Yurin Huygar.

Who would’ve thought I’d end up spilling this much blood as a priest...? Damn it. I never imagined the empire would fall apart like this. By now, I should’ve been retired in some quiet estate...

Back when he had secured the Flame Herb meant to save Titan Shutean’s life, Yurin thought everything was going to fall into place. His future seemed secured to him.

But once he realized that the boy who had stood beside him then was powerful enough to bring even the emperor and the dragons to their knees, everything began to unravel.

If we want the Church to survive, we can’t afford to get on Karyl’s bad side. I had to purge everyone with ties to the empire, starting with the bishop who tried to declare Rael a saint.

Yurin had believed he had done everything he could, but the moment he heard Karyl was heading for Heim, he couldn’t stop his legs from shaking.

Ironically, no one in the Church had deeper ties to the empire than Yurin himself.

“But still... Why is Karyl looking for this man? He barely made a ripple in the Church. No one even knows who he is.”

After receiving the letter, Joey had immediately searched for that man. But despite being familiar with nearly every capable priest within the Church, that name didn’t ring any bells. He combed through all the records but couldn’t find a match.

In the end, he stumbled upon the man completely by accident—in the infirmary, out of all places. He was just an old, low-ranking priest doing menial tasks.

“I don’t know why, but one thing’s for certain. Karyl knows exactly who that man is.”

“...I see.”

Even after reading the letter and meeting the man face-to-face, Joey still found it hard to believe someone like that had been in the Church all this time.

Unbeknownst to him, the man had once been renowned as the emperor’s personal physician in the previous timeline, his healing abilities considered exceptional by all. Now, he quietly oversaw the infirmary as a priest.

The man had been practically invisible—so much so that even Joey, who had a sharp eye for people, had never noticed him before.

“You’ve already summoned Kalan Tashun here, right?”

“Of course.”

Yurin gave a slow nod. “I’ve done everything I can. Karyl might be a monster, but he wouldn’t go as far as to destroy the Church.”

“Indeed...”

Yurin’s last hope rested in Yula. Unfortunately, what he didn’t know was that Karyl had come precisely to kill the very god he so faithfully served.

Thud...

It was then when a weak, weary voice drifted up from downstairs, followed by a knock at the central building’s door.

“Bishop... I have come at your call.”

Yurin Huygar stared at the door, which was slightly ajar, with a tense expression.

“...Let him in.”

An old man stood there, hunched over and leaning heavily on a cane.

He’s a hunchback?

Yurin furrowed his brow the moment he laid eyes on Kalan Tashun.

Even though some progress had been made in medicine through alchemy, healing still relied more on clerics rather than science, and illness was generally seen as a sign of poor faith—physical deformities, in particular, were considered a form of divine punishment.

The perfect example of that was a hunchback.

The Church believed that Yula had created mankind in her own image, so anyone with a body that did not resemble that image was considered cursed.

“Joey?” Yurin called out with a sharp edge in his voice, as if to ask why someone like that was even allowed in the Church.

“Well... Kalan Tashun takes care of menial tasks in the infirmary. He usually works at dawn, so most people never see him. That’s probably why no one really knows him.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

It wasn’t the man’s schedule that bothered Yurin. He simply couldn’t accept the presence of a hunchback within the Church.

“Ah...”

Joey was at a loss, and seeing him like that, Kalan spoke up instead.

“My apologies... I came to the Church to seek healing for my only son, who is in grave condition. I offered to handle whatever chores needed doing, hoping it might prolong his life... If I am not welcome here, I will not return.”

“Your son? What’s his affliction?”

“He suffers from gigantism.”

“...You’ve got to be kidding me,” Joey murmured under his breath, his expression troubled.

Yurin stared at the two of them like they were an eyesore.

“A hunchback for a father and a Giant for a son... This is who we let in? Are we trying to ruin the Church from the inside?”

“I sincerely apologize.”

“He’s still better than a lunatic who runs around killing in the name of Yula,” another voice cut in from the doorway.

Yurin jumped out of his seat. “L-Lord Karyl...”

The color drained from his face. He looked at Karyl as if death itself had walked into the room.

“Here I am,” Karyl sneered. “Surprised to see me?”

“N-not at all. Please, come in. This way.”

“That seat.”

As he walked in slowly, Karyl pointed to the chair Yurin had been sitting in.

“Sorry?”

“You didn’t get that chair for free, did you? How does it feel, sitting in the bishop’s seat? Are you feeling comfortable? I should think all that blood you’ve spilled to get it made it extra soft.”

“Comfortable...? Of course not... I only took the position to prevent the Church from collapsing during the crisis. Wasn’t it you who told me to take charge, Lord Karyl? I only did it for that reason..."

“Sure, I did say that. But I don’t recall telling you to purge the bishop as well. You think fast, don’t you? Switching sides to mine and managing to secure your own gain while you were at it.”

At that, Yurin gave an awkward smile.

“Well, I suppose it worked out. It’s convenient for me too, having someone in charge who knows what I’m like. And who knows exactly what will happen if he pisses me off.”

Karyl brushed past Yurin and looked down at the old man kneeling in front of him.

“You’re Hawat Tashun’s father, correct?”

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

“Where is he now?”

Kalan lowered his head, unable to meet Karyl’s eyes. His lips moved faintly, but no sound came.

“I’m not here to condemn you. Maybe it wasn’t the right way, but I understand. You didn’t have a choice. No one can blame a father for wanting to save his son."

“Forgive me... Someone like me never should’ve set foot in this sacred place...”

“I’m not saying that was your mistake. But you already know what I mean, don’t you?”

Kalan’s eyes wavered.

“What has your god ever done for you?” Karyl gave a strange smile and added calmly, “Let’s go see him first.”

***

“That’s... That's impossible. Wasn’t the tribe of Giants wiped out during the Mythical Era?”

“There’s no tribe. It’s just a disease that causes gigantism.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Ramine, stop denying what’s in front of you. You recognize that bloodline, don’t you? I’m sure you’ve felt it before.” Rasis challenged.

“Even if it is true, their kind was completely eradicated. Not sealed but exterminated. There’s no way they survived...”

“You guys are right about what you’re thinking.”

“Huh...”

“Are you serious? Is this an actual Giant? How is that even possible...?”

There was a man sitting in the corner of the room, keeping his head low and his face hidden. Even crouched down, he was taller than Karyl, so there was no mistake about his nature.

“...Father?”

The man looked down at Karyl, the fear in his eyes starkly unbefitting his size.

“I didn’t know there was a place like this in Heim.”

Rather than being stunned by the giant in front of him, Yurin Huygar was more interested in this small hut hidden away in Heim’s outskirts, eyeing it with a sense of distaste. It was clear he wanted the place torn down right away.

“Can you stand for me?” Karyl asked.

The crouched man flinched, unsure how to respond. Even that slight movement brought his head perilously close to the ceiling.

“...Nevermind. If you stood up here, the roof would probably collapse. How long have you been living in this place?”

“...”

The man remained silent.

Yurin, afraid that Karyl would lose his patience, shouted nervously, “Answer him truthfully! How long have you been hiding in the Church without anyone knowing?!”

Karyl let out a faint chuckle as he watched Yurin squirm. It was clear he was trying to shift all responsibility away from himself.

“I’m not here to punish you. I myself have the blood of the northern immigrants coursing through my veins, those people deemed heretics by this Church. And yet, I stand here confidently, in the Church’s territory.”

The man slowly raised his head.

“Listen to me. You are not sick.”

“...!”

Hawat Tashun swallowed dry. It was the first time anyone besides his father had ever said those words to him.

“You should hold your head high. You’re a descendant of Titan, one of the first Bladers who rebelled against the gods. You might not have known what was awakening inside you until now, but that overwhelming size, that uncontrollable strength, was your body responding to the Tarak that invaded our world.”

“Wh-What are you saying...?” Hawat’s lips quivered, overwhelmed with emotion. “N-No... I should’ve never been born! My father has had to carry all that shame on his back... because of me.”

“...Yeah, I figured you’d say that.” Karyl nodded with a faint smile, awkwardly rising on his toes to give Hawat’s broad shoulders a gentle pat. “So you think you’ll never be able to go out into the world?”

His smile widened.

“There’s no such thing. I’ll make sure you walk out there.”

Click.

Karyl drew his sword and pointed it at Kalan Tashun’s neck.

“Fa-Father...!!”

CRASH!

Panicked, Hawat shot to his feet, but as he couldn’t control his strength, the floorboards cracked, and one of the hut’s pillars came crashing down. The roof caved in, the cold air sweeping in to hit his face.

“...”

Despite the frigid air, the winter sunlight was unexpectedly warm. Hawat didn’t say a word; he just stood there, dazed, staring blankly at the bright sky.

“Hawat, I’m not threatening your father so I can hurt you. In fact, you two should be thanking me. I’m offering to cure what you’ve been calling a disease.”

“...What?”

Hawat quickly turned around, snapped out of his daze by Karyl’s voice.

“So what do you think? If I cure your father’s illness, will you lend me your strength? I’d say that’s a fair deal."

“Is that even possible?”

Everyone turned to Karyl at Hawat’s question.

What the hell is he scheming now?

As priests, both Yurin and Joey were baffled by Karyl’s bold claim that he would fix Kalan’s twisted spine, something that had always been considered an incurable condition imposed by Yula herself.

Yurin in particular was visibly shaken.

“Your father wasn’t born with that hunchback. He became that way to save your life.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s simple. His back became like that after he made a deal with a demon.”

“...?!”

“Wha—?!”

Everyone stared at him, speechless.

“What? Is that too hard to believe? Fine, let’s ask him.”

And then, standing in the Holy City of Heim, Karyl casually uttered the name forbidden to all.

“Hagane.”

This chapter is updat𝙚d by f(r)eew𝒆bn(o)vel.com