The Sword Saint—Kassadin Bromm.
Once a peasant boy born into squalor and hardship, he had no noble lineage or great master to guide him—only an unyielding will and a sword stolen from the battlefield. Despite his humble origins, the man clawed his way up to the apex of humanity through sheer hard work and talent.
And his talent was unparalleled.
Even without a prestigious bloodline or any divine master to serve as a guide, he mastered the art of the sword by age thirteen. By seventeen, he had already slain multiple Demonic beings and became a prominent swordsman before it was even legal for him to drink alcohol.
Alrock Solaris, the greatest prodigy of the Solaris House in his time, admitted his inferiority to the Sword Saint and openly proclaimed him the finest of their generation. And without question, the Lord Protector of the Realm, a role only reserved for the most potent human alive, was his for the taking.
There wasn't even a close second.
However, a few years back, that all changed.
The Sword Saint who abandoned his sword. That was what the world now called him. No one knew why that happened, but he relinquished the post of the Lord Protector and disappeared from the world entirely. No one understood his decision to leave behind a life of wealth, prestige and dominance, but no one was strong enough to stop him.
After leaving it all behind, no one could find the enigmatic Sword Saint. Many had their guesses, and Espadavale, the Sword Saint's hometown, was a leading candidate. Unfortunately, no one could even catch a whiff of the strongest man in the world.
"He's in Espadavale. Hidden by a spatial formation so that no one can find him."
Yue casually revealed the location of the Sword Saint, drawing gasps from everyone at the council table. While they had their questions, none of them doubted Yue's words. She wasn't just a random magician, but the greatest Summoner of all time. Not to mention, her mastery over space magic stumped even the best magicians alive. So, no one would argue otherwise if she believed she found the Sword Saint.
"If he's hidden in a spatial formation, shouldn't we leave him be?" Venya asked with a distinct frown. "Won't the Demon Cult fail to find him that way?"
"No, they will find him. The fact that they are in Espadavale is proof enough."
Amon replied with conviction. In truth, he knew that the Demon Cult and the Sword Saint were related in some form. However, he chose to ignore the issue as it wasn't pressing. But the Demon Cult have already zoned in on his location…
"We will need to stop them. Or, at the very least, find the Sword Saint before them."
Amon knew what would happen if the Sword Saint and the Demon Cult collaborated. Ignoring that the Demon Cult may obtain a powerful war asset, the Sword Saint needed not to fall to their temptations… for their union would spell the doom for Hyades.
"Which squad would you dispatch for such a dangerous mission?"
Eldorin may be an Order unified under Amon's leadership, but there was no way for Amon to be on the field with all of its members. Hence, it was split into specialised squads, each with unique abilities. Menial tasks would be assigned to Aspirants or the newly inducted members of Eldorin. More laborious and dangerous missions would be given to those with the requisite experience and talents.
For missions with incalculable danger, such as this one… a council member and his or her squad would be dispatched.
Amon looked back at Venya with a dry smile. That look was enough for the future God Archer to realise her commander's intentions.
"It can't be… you will handle it yourself?"
"No one else at this table can mess with the Sword Saint." For origınal chapters go to novęlfire.net
Amon spoke with absolute confidence, and… no one doubted his words.
Over the past three years, Amon had pulled so far ahead of the standard that it wasn't even funny. As the outside world knew Amon was a talented youth, the Solaris House only publicly admitted that he had condensed Five Suns. In any other era, a twenty-two-year-old Guardian Knight with Five Suns condensed would be a miracle child, and well, the Hyades Republic essentially treated him as one.
That's why no one batted an eyelid when the Solaris House announced that they would be creating a new Order and Amon would be the commander.
But, never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined that Amon himself was in a realm far beyond a regular Knight Commander.
A Sun Knight with Seven Suns condensed.
In the Solaris House, only four Knights have obtained this esteemed realm: Carmen Solaris, the Knight Commander of the Black Dragon Order. Galahad Solaris, the Knight Commander of the Golden Dragon Order. Mirran Solaris, the Chairman of the High Elders. And now…
The most prodigal talent the Solaris House has ever seen.
The man also possessed hidden talents that equalled his achievements as a Sun Knight. If Amon revealed his true strengths, the top ten rankings of the world's most powerful people would change overnight.
"That's true… but who will lead Eldorin in your absence?"
"From the beginning, I've been preparing for the day I will be absent. The squads in Eldorin work autonomously and don't need my constant input. You can find Sir Horus or Commander Carmen if there's anything wrong."
Amon was the de facto leader of Eldorin, but that didn't mean he needed to be involved in everything. From the beginning, he and Yue designed the Order to function differently from other Orders precisely because they knew that such situations would arise in the future.
"Then will you be going alone?"
"No, I will join him."
Yue responded to Venya's question before Amon could even draw breath. The suave Knight raised an eyebrow, his golden eyes shimmering slightly, but he offered no objection.
"It's been a while since we eloped… Hehe, I'm quite excited! Just think about everything we can do when we're finally alone! Sharing the bed, Amon pinning me down, undressing me with his teeth, and…"
Seeing an ethereal beauty openly talk about her fetishes did make for an amusing scene. Most of the members at the table were speechless, particularly those who knew how dangerous Yue was.
If Amon had grown tremendously over these three years, no one could even quantify how much Yue Elune had blossomed. At twenty-two, she had already taken over the Elune House. Some even claim that she was already more powerful than her grandfather.
Not many people knew of her true strength as she never openly revealed it, but those present knew Yue was at a level no other mage had ever reached her age.
Seven circles. Several Monarch-tier Spirits at her disposal. And… her affinity with space magic.
Any one of those achievements alone would have made a magician a household name. Yet, Yue possessed all three. On top of that, she had a beauty capable of toppling nations, a prestigious name that granted her immense influence, and… an obscene amount of wealth.
It is fair to say that no one was quite like her in the Hyades Republic. Scratch that; even if they went back in time and scoured the history books, there wasn't a woman who could match Yue's accomplishments.
"Getting back on track, I will bring Yue on this mission. Her mastery in space magic will prove helpful in tracking down the Sword Saint."
Amon added his comments while silencing Yue's ramblings. He'd thought that by adding justifications, the council members would understand his intentions. Alas, after hearing Yue's inner thoughts, all they could think about was that the pair were headed out for an early honeymoon under the guise of a mission.
Some of them even thought that this time, they should buy gifts for the inevitable baby shower that was going to occur.
However, there was a person who couldn't read the room.
"Can I join in on this mission?"
Leon raised his arm, and everyone snapped their necks towards him. They were confused as to why the Hero wished to be the third wheel on the mission, and even Ellahan, his promised bride-to-be, was feeling rather stuffy. Fortunately, the twenty-year-old Knight was going to give a satisfactory answer.
"I wish to meet the Sword Saint," Leon declared while hiding his excitement. "I've always wanted to meet him at least once. If he could guide me, then…"
Any young man would have idolised the Sword Saint—a man of mystery and the modern-day hero who slain more Demonic Beasts than any other.
"... I understand how you feel, Leon. But I will have to reject you this time."
"Oh, that's unfortunate."
Leon was disappointed but, ultimately, didn't raise any protest. He had complete faith in Amon's abilities and insight, so he didn't feel insulted or pressured by his outright rejection. Nonetheless, Amon felt the need to explain himself.
"If the Demon Cult is going for the Sword Saint, it must mean that at least one Apostle will be present."
That single word brought the Eldorin council to a standstill. Over the past three years, they had multiple run-ins with the Demon Cult. But they were usually low-ranking members or weaker Demons that caused mayhem. They hadn't discovered Apostles since that day at Alverton so that one would be where the Sword Saint was…
"Amon… If you're worried about me, then..."
Amon stifled a laugh and shook his head. Leon wasn't a slouch if Amon and Yue showed explosive growth over the past three years. He had condensed Four Suns, and Leon could create sixteen Suns worth of mana with his Eighty-one Suns Heart Mantra. At the same time, his mastery over his water element had increased by leaps and bounds.
Adding to the fact that his synchronisation with Ascalon was almost complete, it wasn't a stretch to call him the Demon Cult's mortal enemy.
That was why… Amon needed Leon for something else.
"While I'm gone, I need your help in another matter. It was something that Yue and I have been working on, and we believe that the Demon Cult will send their Apostles there, too. So, while we're gone, we need you to follow up on it. Not just you, everyone in this chamber must be involved due to the potential dangers."
Amon placed both his elbows on the table and covered his mouth. Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, every member shut their mouth, silently gulping while waiting for their commander to announce his news:
"Have you guys ever heard of the Clay Emperor?"