Sword Devouring Swordmaster-Chapter 116 : Chapter 116

Translator: AkazaTL
Pr/Ed: Sol IX
***
Chapter 116 – Upheaval (1)
Audrey handed me 「Flight」. I hesitated for a moment, then looked to the side.
Liam was there. Just from my gaze, Liam read my mind.
「Try eating it.」
“You mean I can digest it now?”
「Who knows.」
Liam rubbed his chin.
「You won’t know until you try.」
“What do you mean by that?”
「It means your blood is too thin for me to tell. Your body, your martial talent — both are pitiful. Even the power of Steel that runs through your blood is pathetic, you weak descendant.」
“……”
「A true Karavan could swallow legends and myths alike without hesitation. No blade could defy the Blood of Steel. But you are different. The only thing you were born with is doubt so deep it borders on madness. I’ve wandered the middle world for ages, but I’ve never seen such a lowly Karavan as you. I can’t even predict what might be missing or what will happen. So, just eat it first. Understood?」
“…Yes.”
Liam hurled criticism at me without even pausing to breathe. Wounded in my fragile heart, I took the blade Audrey held out. Through the bandages covering her face, I saw her lips twitch, and a faint giggle escaped her. Feeling a surge of irritation, I muttered to Liam,
“She’s laughing at me.”
「Shut up and eat, will you? Don’t you feel ashamed?」
“……”
No one was on my side. It was miserable.
I snatched the blade from Audrey’s hands and tossed it into the blazing fire. As soon as I felt it was hot enough, I shoved the sword into my mouth.
Audrey looked shocked.
“Wait, what kind of lunatic—”
It was a crazy thing to do. Just not for me.
Let’s see just how great this sword really is.
I chewed the blade into pieces. Pain surged—pain I could never get used to. Holding back my screams, I swallowed the shards as they traveled down my throat and reached my stomach. An unbearable heat, as if I had swallowed a lump of fire, devoured my entire body. It felt like I was being burned alive.
Soon, the sword’s memories would arrive.
A life too intense to endure.
I braced my mind in preparation.
And then—
“Ah—”
My consciousness snapped, like a thread being cut.
***
At the entrance of the Karavan territory—Everyone belonging to the Rhapsody Legion wore grim faces. They were in serious trouble. They couldn’t continue the war, nor could they retreat.
If the world were to learn of the atrocities they had committed, and the resulting consequences, their honor and reputation would sink into the dirt.
“Damn it.”
Even losing outright would have been less humiliating than this. The helplessness of being trapped, unable to act, was unbearable. While the knights were consumed by gloom, the mages were a bit better off. After all, they were paid by the day, so they might have actually wanted the situation to drag on. Wavecatchers were, by nature, lunatics obsessed with money.
“Phew…”
The one most troubled among them was their commander — Edan Rhapsody, the second son of the House of Rhapsody, who had come here as his family’s proxy, bearing the Rhapsody name.
Edan Rhapsody had lost much. Too much. Sitting blankly, he looked up at the sky.
Where had it gone wrong?
By Edan’s deduction, their current predicament was a result of the Iron Prince’s schemes. If Swordmaster Carlos had moved, it was by the Iron Prince’s will.
Swordmaster Carlos, the 「Master of Ten Swords」, was the sharpest blade on the continent—but he never acted on his own. He moved only by the will of the Iron Prince—his executioner.
But why?
What could Iron Prince Ian Cherville possibly gain by provoking the Six Free Cities? He had no rivals. He had slaughtered all his brothers and sisters long ago, becoming the sole heir to the throne. He could ascend to the 「Throne of Swords」 at any time—he only had to breathe. He even possessed the strongest executioner on the continent.
The Iron Prince had a promised future. He had nothing to gain by provoking Rhapsody like this—only much to lose. Even the Iron Kingdom could not afford to underestimate the Rhapsody name. When this was all over, Rhapsody would investigate, and whatever Edan realized now, the House’s strategists would realize as well. And when they did, retribution would follow—retribution that the Iron Kingdom could not possibly desire.
The Iron Kingdom of Cherville was a nation that had to wage constant war. Its lands and resources were poor, and its empire held together only by force. Without proof of its strength, it would crumble in an instant.
Built on barren land, the Iron Kingdom survived by importing the resources it lacked—depending on other nations for survival. And across the continent, only the Sky Empire rivaled the prosperity of the Six Free Cities, lands overflowing with milk and honey.
If the Six Free Cities imposed economic sanctions, the Iron Kingdom would suffer a mortal blow—something the Iron Prince would never want.
Yes. By all logic, that was true. So why—why had he done this?
It made no sense. To display his strength? Impossible. The Iron Prince might have bathed in steel and blood to claim his crown, but he was no fool. His wisdom was renowned across the continent. A man like that would never risk everything for momentary glory.
No matter how much Edan thought about it, he found no answer. Could he be wrong? The thought crept into his mind. But then another realization dawned on him.
Unless he intends to conquer the Six Free Cities… there’s no reason to do this at all.
Conquest. That was the only explanation that fit. If the Iron Prince began with this incident and went on to seize and rule the Six Free Cities, he would be hailed as a hero.
The fundamental problems of the Iron Kingdom would be solved, and the still-young prince would earn his greatest medal.
But it still made no sense.
The Six Free Cities were a natural fortress. Surrounded by the sea, any invasion would require a powerful navy—and victory in naval combat before even setting foot ashore. Yet the Free Cities’ naval power was among the top three on the continent. No matter how mighty the Iron Legion was, its strength meant nothing until it landed. And besides—the Free Cities had Rhapsody. They had swordsmen who wielded the Sea’s Blade, and above them stood a great Swordmaster.
Yes. The theory fell apart—Unless…Unless Father leaves his post.
“…Father? Leaving?”
At that realization, Edan’s eyes trembled.
The Lord of Rhapsody—the ruler of the Six Free Cities—could never abandon his post.
That was why people trusted and served him. He was always there, guarding against unseen dangers. It was the duty of Rhapsody’s Master.
But who was Hugo Rhapsody? He was a man who would trade the world for his son. A man who would abandon any duty to rush to his child’s side at the first sign of danger.
The Six Free Cities had been at peace for so long that no one expected war. Not even a Swordmaster would foresee it. And once a father’s reason was clouded by his love for his son…
Oh, no.
Edan felt as though lightning had struck him. He had gathered vast forces here for revenge. Most of Rhapsody’s proud Legions of Freedom were here—its finest troops brought to flaunt their might. He hadn’t worried before. Hugo Rhapsody’s presence was reassuring enough.
But if Hugo left his post? Then the Six Free Cities would be completely exposed. No Freedom Legion. No Hugo Rhapsody. No Edan Rhapsody. If the Iron Legion landed under those conditions—There would be only one outcome: defeat. An utter, one-sided defeat.
“Damn it.”
If conquest was the goal—If war was what the Iron Prince desired—Then everything fit perfectly.
Edan’s eyes trembled. He looked up at the sky, then rose and turned toward his knights. Strangely, the same knights who had been despondent moments ago were now smiling brightly. He asked them why. Their answer came immediately.
“The Lord is coming. He said he’ll set right this unjust situation and restore our honor. Everything will be overturned now. That pitiful fighter, those self-righteous Watchers of the House of White—they’ll all remember the greatness of Rhapsody!”
Hearing that, Edan felt his mind drift. In a daze, he asked—
“Isn’t Father breaking his duty? He must stay to protect the Six Free Cities. If he comes here… who will defend them?”
The knights looked at him as though they truly didn’t understand.
“Why would a war suddenly break out? The Free Cities have been peaceful for over a hundred years.”
“But…”
“Please don’t worry so much, my lord. You’ve been through a lot lately. You should get some rest.”
Their faces were calm, carefree.
“Even if war did come, it wouldn’t matter. Who could possibly break through our Free Fleet? You have nothing to worry about.”
Yes. They were right.
The naval power of the Six Free Cities wasn’t something easily broken. Especially not by the Iron Kingdom as Edan imagined it. Only the Sky Empire and the Black Archipelago could match the Free Cities’ fleets.
But still—No matter how he reasoned, Edan couldn’t shake the unease gnawing at him.
A chill crept up his spine.
***
“Iron Prince, as you foresaw—Hugo Rhapsody has moved. It’s astonishing. To think you could predict even the actions of a Swordmaster.”
“There’s nothing astonishing about it. It was inevitable.”
“Then we shall act as agreed?”
“Yes. Move with the Iron Legion.”
“As you command.”
Silence fell.
Two men’s voices echoed in the cold stillness. When the exchange ended, Iron Prince Ian Cherville began to walk—his face expressionless. His steps halted before a throne of blades—sharp, gleaming, and menacing.
The Iron Throne, symbol of the Iron Kingdom’s sovereign.
The grandest seat in this Iron Kingdom was drenched in crimson blood. Ian looked up at the middle-aged man sitting upon it. The man’s body was soaked in blood, his eyes wide open and lifeless. He had been dead long enough for his skin to turn pale. Ian gazed at his father’s dry, cracked lips and the crown resting upon his ashen head.
“Step down now, Father. It’s time.”
The middle-aged man was the King. Ian Cherville’s father. He had died peacefully— But not honorably. Killed by his own son’s blade, he would find no rest even in the Spirit World.
Ian stared at the father he had slain with a detached expression. He did not think it an act of betrayal. His father had never been fit to bear the crown’s weight. Ian simply did what had to be done—without a trace of doubt.
“It was a throne unworthy of you, Father.”
Ian lifted the crown from his father’s head. He placed the blood-soaked crown upon his own.
Red droplets ran down his cheeks, but he didn’t care. He pushed his father’s lifeless body off the throne.
The corpse hit the cold floor with a dull thud.
Now, the throne no longer held a middle-aged man. A young man sat there instead—The last surviving prince who had slain his siblings, and finally even the parents who bore him. He had become the monarch.
Feeling the warmth of fresh blood trickling down, Ian gazed from the Iron Throne at the cavern below—the heart of the Iron Palace, the seat of all royal authority. He looked down on the assembled courtiers and smiled faintly. None dared to look up at their new king.
The sight of their former ruler—dead with his eyes bulging and tongue lolling—filled them with a terror beyond words.
Amid their silence, Ian spoke.
“My father’s death will remain a secret for now. Until I say otherwise, no one must know. If word of this leaks, I will kill everyone present. I won’t bother finding the traitor. I’ll slaughter all who breathe in this hall, their bloodlines, and everyone who’s ever spoken a word to them. If you doubt me, you’re free to test it.”
His tone was calm, but everyone there knew it wasn’t an idle threat. Ian Cherville was fully capable of such a thing. From the Iron Throne, he turned to the Grand General.
“Prepare to march.”
“…To where, my prince?”
“To the Six Free Cities.”
The Six Free Cities.
Hearing their destination, the Grand General replied,
“My prince, the Six Free Cities will not fall easily. It is the land protected by Rhapsody’s blade,
and one of the three greatest naval powers on the continent. The Iron Legion would be annihilated before even setting foot ashore. Even if they somehow landed, the Idler’s Blade would cut off their breath. I beg you to reconsider.”
His words were bold.
Ian smiled. A fine man— one who could feel fear but still speak truth.
Ian decided to explain.
“Hugo Rhapsody has left his seat. The Freedom Legion that guards that place has also departed.”
“Even so, we cannot break their fleet—”
“Do not worry. The fleet will be handled by others.”
At that, Ian tilted his chin slightly. The man who had been speaking with him moments before rose slowly to his feet. As he straightened his back, a creaking sound echoed. Then the polymorph spell that concealed his true form dissolved.
First came the scales—impenetrable by any arrow or blade known to man. Then sharp horns, and finally, vast wings unfurled. As those wings spread, they cast a shadow over the entire Iron Palace. Golden eyes gleamed beneath the dim light.
All who saw him fell silent. For what stood before them was no longer a man. Everyone there knew his name—knew what the world called such a being.
“The master of the skies shall be with you.”
A Dragon.
“So do not doubt.”
A vortex began to rise—one that would swallow not only the Iron Kingdom, but the entire continent.
“There is nothing your new king cannot do.”