novelnext Chapter 63: Knights of Solaris (1)
Chapter 63: Knights of Solaris (1)
Chapter 63: Knights of Solaris (1)
In desolate, dark fields ravaged by the chaos of battle, a solitary Knight sat silently on the ashen ground. Before him were thousands of dismembered Demon bodies with gallons of blood scattered throughout the scorched earth. The sky above had been dyed in a deep, velvet red, covering the stars and Moon.
It was fitting that the skies were covered by red dust as it covered the eyes of heaven while the deadly bloodshed was executed. The Knight was drenched from head to toe with dense, putrid blood, and the stench coming from his grimy armour would paralyse the noses of any living, breathing human. However, he was utterly calm and undisturbed.
Deep scars were carved throughout his robust body, and even his handsome face had been pierced with the aftermath of constant war. His shining golden eyes, as bright as the Luminaries above, now hid a dark, murky hue. His black hair had shown signs of decay as silverly whites began taking over his scalp.
The Knight wasn't just tired from this battle. He was fatigued from years of constant combat and shouldering the weight of a species on his shoulders.
And yet, he didn't give up.
After a brief rest, the Knight picked up his treasured black sword and slipped his toes down the mountain of corpses. Although he had eradicated all the monsters that invaded his realm, he could never be too sure. Amongst the Demon Army, there were Greater Demons that could terrorise what little settlements humanity had left. If he wanted to save humanity from any more harm, the more Demons he could kill, the better.
But fortunately, the Knight wasn't alone.
"Amon, don't worry about the clean-up."
A voice resonated from Amon's back as a small group of hooded figures approached him. They were small in number, but the amount of mana they each possessed was equivalent to Hyades's top elites before the Demonic Invasion. Hearing their leader's words, the individuals at the back leapt into action and cleared the path. They searched relentlessly, leaving no stone unturned. Only when Amon saw his back was covered did he finally let his body rest by collapsing onto the cold, slippery floor.
"I'm sorry for not coming sooner. We were obstructed during the evacuation."
"No need, you came just in time."
Amon had spent everything he had eradicating the Demon army. It was a miracle that he could remain standing even after going through hell and back.
"I'm spent... Let me rest for a moment. I will help after fifteen minutes."
"... no, you've done plenty."
The hooded woman replied with a tinge of exasperation in her voice. She gazed across the entire ashen grounds and marvelled at the number of dead Demons, unable to comprehend how Amon had cleared the plague. Greater Demons, Named Demons and even Demons Aristocrats were mixed into the group, making the army far more powerful than anything humanity's greatest forces could manage.
Even if they gathered all the elites left of humanity, it was questionable if they could annihilate the entire Demon army.
And yet, it was all done by one man.
"Are you injured?" Rather than tend to his grievous wounds, Amon the Great asked the woman in the hood a worried question.
The woman's heart warmed at the blatant concern in the former metal-hearted man. However, she knew that his worry didn't come from romantic love but from the fear that a comrade would fall right before his eyes. Nevertheless, she smiled and removed her hood, unveiling her gaunt and decrepit face.
Thin beyond belief, the woman seemed to be on the verge of malnourishment. One of her ruby eyes had been eternally closed, and multiple scars crisscrossed her bony face. Yet, even with all the defects, anyone could tell she was an ethereal beauty. Although she was not in the pink of health, she was unquestionably one of the most gorgeous women on the planet.
"Thanks for your worry... Other than exhausting my mana, I'm fine."
"Excessive mana exhaustion can lead to death too. After today, you should take a break from using magic, Yue."
Amon addressed his most trusted ally with a thin grimace.
"I could say the same to you."
Yue protested with a snort.
"I'm different. My body is that of Solaris. It won't break that easily. Besides, I'm only using my mana during battles. You're creating protection spells, managing the settlements, fighting Demons and even researching the Mysterious Grimoire. Your body is too fragile to keep up with the demand."
"... okay, I'll take a break."
Yue had a variety of retorts. However, she kept them all to herself as she knew Amon was the one pushing themselves more than anyone else. Arguing against Hyades' Hero was nothing short of idiocy.
"At least stop researching the Mysterious Grimoire. It has proven to be a dead end. You're just wasting precious resources when we could eradicate the Demons and save more lives."
"... understood."
Yue answered with an affirmative, but Amon could tell that she didn't mean it. Not wanting to become a nagging parent, Amon simply sighed and threw his back onto the floor to fully relax his body.
"All this nagging is unlike me... I feel like I'm turning into my sister."
"... you never talked about her." The svelte woman widened her eyes as she rested beside Amon for a brief moment. "Come to think of it, you never mentioned her even once!"
"What's there to talk about? I failed to save her, just like I did the rest."
Amon sat up from the bloodied floor and removed his armour. The horrid stench of sweat, grime, and blood proliferated in the air, making it unbearable for an average human to remain near the Knight. Yet, Yue remained with glistening eyes.
"I see... What was she like?"
"The Republic has been recording a higher number of Demonic appearances... does it have any relation with this?"
Ascalon has only appeared twice in human history. Once, during the Great Dragon War, when the Solaris Founder used the mighty sword to slay Dragons and end the global conflict, transferring the mantle of responsibility from Dragons to Humans.
The second time was during the Great Demon War. When Demons invaded from another dimension, the Solaris Saint summoned Ascalon and saved humanity once again.
Each time the Holy Sword appeared, it was a sign that hard times were about to come. And there was no indication that this time would be no different.
"Unclear, my Lord... But we can't keep Leon sheltered for much longer. Since Ascalon has found a new wielder, we must train him just in case of a calamity."
"That we will do."
Alrock was going to train Leon whether he obtained Ascalon or not. Ignoring the Holy Sword, Leon's unique constitution, and the potential to condense Eighty-One Suns was enough for Alrock to pour all his resources into training him.
"Custodian... I'll be counting on you."
"Not to worry, Ascalon has always been my responsibility. It would be my pleasure to train the successor."
"... thank you."
The respectful manner that the astral being used to address Leon threw everyone in the chambers for a loop. The Custodian had never addressed anyone with such respect before. Even when talking to Alrock, at best the Custodian would pay lip service, and never treat him too seriously.
Nevertheless, there was no one better to train Leon at the moment. Ascalon has only been summoned twice, and other than the Custodian, no one present was alive to witness its full majesty. At the very least, the Custodian would give Leon basic blueprints of handling the Heroic-grade sword, better than anyone else in the Solaris House.
Taking a moment to recover from the shock, Alrock coughed several times before switching topics.
"S-So, how's the restoration of Sword Garden?"
"Almost complete. By nightfall, the barrier should be recreated, and operations would resume as normal."
The Custodian replied lazily as if it wasn't his domain to care for. However, as Alrock continued with the next topic, its fish-like eyes sparkled with excitement beyond anything the Solaris Lord had seen before.
"Then, what about the other young'un's sword? Have you figured out its identity?"
"Curious... It is a curious oddity, indeed." The Custodian spoke fondly of the sword and continued: "A foreign sword from another dimension. Not only that, it instantly bonded to the young boy's soul, creating a connection that not even I could sever. It's as if... it was always part of the boy's soul."
"For it to destroy Sword Heaven... what grade is that sword?"
"By the grading system of our world, it should only be a Fabled-grade sword. But, for it to travel dimensions, it should at least be a Mythic... It may even be Heroic-grade."
"Heroic-grade?! The same as Ascalon?!"
One of the High Elders yelled.
"Yes, indeed... Curious, isn't it?"
The Custodian mused.
"The appearance of a new Heroic-grade would send the world into a frenzy. Now that the Solaris House could potentially own two Heoric-grades, they would attempt to poach one of them away."
Another Elder instantly saw into the future and predicted the fate of the Solaris House. The higher-ups all stared at the Solaris Lord, giving him yet another migraine.
"The Holy Church would attempt to steal Leon away... To make matters worse, he already has a connection from his prior apprenticeship under the Head Paladin."
If someone asked Leon what organisation he had more loyalty to, the Holy Church or the Solaris House? There was no need to question, he would choose the Holy Chuch. Leon spent most of his formative years there, forging connections with many influential figures in the Hyarum. His first mentor, his best friends, and even his love interest... they were all part of the Holy Church.
It may be difficult for the Solaris House to keep him within their grasp.
"Amon too... Now that his talent is revealed to the world, the Elune House may do everything in their power to recruit him into their fold."
While Amon certainly had more loyalty to the Solaris House, his engagement to the heir of the Elune House proved to be a major hurdle. The Elune House was definitely not willing to let Yue marry into the Solaris House. Before, it was likely that Amon would marry into the Elune House, but now, the situation has changed drastically.
"We don't have any standing to keep him here either... Shit, I feel bad for the young'un but we'll need to postpone their wedding. At least until we can sort out this pile of mess."
Unbeknownst to Yue, her dream wedding was in jeopardy at this very moment. If she was present, the girl would unquestionably be screaming and shouting, protesting the idiocy of this decision. Alas, she was stupidly staying by her fiancé's side with a blissful smile.
"It really is one thing after another..."
Grabbing a hold of his white hair, Alrock could feel his scalp itching and hair dropping. Heaving a large sigh, he muttered the words at the top of his mind, not caring that there were dozens of people in the room.
"Fuck, I should retire soon."