In all of [Bright], at least all of the books Amon had read thus far, there was no mention of Dragons living in Hyades. Many readers presumed the Dragons had gone extinct or that the Dragon Slayers bit on the hand that fed them and killed them all. Amon was included among those readers. But Amon had only read up to the fourth calamity, while Yue lived until the sixth before she regressed. Hence, it wasn't shocking that he was unaware of some details Yue knew.
"... I presume you know where to find that Dragon."
"Of course, I wouldn't be worth my salt if I didn't!"
"..."
Amon scratched his hairless chin, pretending to consider the offer. But truth be told, the boy had no other choice. Being unable to use Solar mana was a huge issue. He couldn't utilise his superior Solaris body to its full potential, and it would be an arduous road to becoming as strong as he once was.
"In my past… No, in your timeline, did I also use this method?"
"No, you went a different route of absorbing precious resources and leeching off other creatures to gain your Solar mana. But that method is far too time-consuming and self-harming. The consequence of sucking in too much foreign mana into your body created an internal clash, causing your body to deteriorate even though you became stronger."
The young girl shook her head profusely, not recommending Amon's path in her timeline.
"You did become the strongest person in the world through that method, but simultaneously, it drastically decreased your lifespan. In fact, you were the one who discovered the Dragon in my timeline. You'd even mentioned that if you'd known she existed, you wouldn't have used that suicidal method to gain power."
"I see," Amon nodded. "But how will you convince that Dragon to help me?"
Amon asked a valid question. As far as he knew, the boy named [Amon Solaris] wasn't a central character in [Bright]. If it were the protagonist, then perhaps the Dragon would be convinced to give its blessing to him. But Amon was nothing more than an extra.
"Haha, just leave it all to me!" Yue slapped her chest and pointed her thumb towards her heart. "I've been planning for this for the longest time. I have a hundred percent confidence that we will be able to gain her blessing."
"Okay…"
There was no need for Yue to convince him anymore. Amon was willing to risk visiting a Dragon just to gain power.
"So? Where is this Dragon? And when can we visit it?"
"Hehe, don't worry! I can teleport us there now!"
"Now?"
[Spatial Transfer], or teleport as it was more widely known, was a high-level spell that only a handful of mages in Hyades had the ability to use. However, Amon wasn't shocked that Yue could use it. After all, she regressed back in time. Amon would be even more surprised if such a mage couldn't use [Spatial Transfer]. But the impromptu decision to teleport caught him off guard.
"Of course, the sooner, the better, no?"
"But… Won't your escorts think that I'd kidnapped you?"
Amon's worry wasn't unjustified. Yue was currently a guest of the Solaris House, and judging from the expressions of her entourage, her position within the Elune House was pretty high. Meanwhile, Amon was just a minor member of the Solaris House with little to no backing. If both of them disappeared together, the suspicion would undoubtedly fall upon Amon.
"Hehe, I have a perfect solution for that!"
Yue's ruby eyes glistened ever so brightly as she flashed her pearly white teeth as if waiting for this moment. Amon unconsciously scrunched backwards as he felt caught in a trap. The young girl took a piece of paper and quill from her dimensional bag, placing it on the table for Amon to see.
"Let's write a letter! We'll just explain that we are going out on a date and will be back before dinner! Then, they won't be suspicious in the slightest!"
"Will that work?"
"Don't worry, you just have to follow my lead! We'll even sign the letter with our blood to prove its authenticity!"
"Hmmm…" Amon couldn't shake off the bad feeling that permeated his skin, but he ultimately agreed to Yue's suggestion. "Okay, what should I write?"
"Hehe, just leave it to me!"
Amon had no idea, but his blasé attitude towards Yue at this very moment would cause the birth of a new legend that would be told for the remainder of time in Hyades.
❖❖❖
An hour had passed since Amon and Yue left the Solaris Lord's chambers. While the pair were busy discussing the fate of the world, the unsuspecting adults remained relatively cordial while talking about their plans for the Solaris-Elune partnership.
The Solaris Lord happily reviewed the reports on how many Knights he could supply to protect the mana crystal vein while the Elune Patriarch discussed the logistical challenge the partnership would face.
"Solfea and Eshon are about a thousand kilometres apart. While we already have a train network linking the two domains, it's severely outdated and can barely traverse the distance within a day. To make our logistics more efficient, we'll need to update the train system."
"Agreed, we can install the new levitation train network between our two regions. That way, we can reduce the travel time to under six hours. Since the Elune House is willing to share the revenue of the mana crystal vein, the Solaris House will provide the funding for the new train network in good faith."
"Thank you for your understanding."
Without the kids in the room, the two Lords freely spoke as representatives of their respective Houses.
However, one person didn't seem as comfortable as the rest in this situation.
Amon's father stood quaking in his boots in a corner while watching the two mighty Lords talk business. By all metrics, he didn't deserve to be at the same table as those guys. A Guardian Knight may be impressive to others, but in this situation, he was akin to a Major sitting in on a General discussion.
The only reason why he was here in the first place was to discuss Amon's engagement to Yue, but the Solaris Lord had sent the pair away for a private rendezvous. Hence, Amon's father could only silently wait for his name to be called while the two big shots were undergoing negotiations.
Fortunately, it didn't take long for his opportunity to appear. But it wasn't the solace he sought.
"M-My Lord! U-Urgent news!"
"Hmmm, what is it?"
Alrock Solaris raised his head from his bosom friend and soon-to-be-in-law, Yugor Elune, and glanced at the sweaty Knight who ran into his chamber. The Solaris Lord instantly recognised the Knight as the guard he sent to escort Amon and Yue while they were on their date, and the Elune Lord did as well. Feeling something had gone amiss, the elderly Wizard's eyes flashed menacingly as he faced the young Knight.
"T-That…"
The Knight shifted his eyes about, and when he saw Yugor's frown, he hesitated to say anything. However, the Solaris Lord waved it off.
"Speak; there are no outsiders here."
"M-My Lord… Young master Amon and Lady Elune… They disappeared."
"What?!"
Yugor's frown turned into a full-on grimace. Mana poured out from his pores, and phenomena changed within the Lord's chambers. Dark clouds appeared overhead while shrieking winds chilled the room despite the windows being firmly shut.
No one was more afraid of this development than Amon's father. If Yue disappeared, the culprit would be none other than his son. And if Yugor wished for his head as compensation, even the Solaris Lord would be hard-pressed to hold him back.
"... Were you unable to find them?"
"M-My Lord, it seems that they've evaded my detection."
The Knight was feeling a little aggrieved by Alrock's accusation. His orders were to escort them down to the garden and give the pair some privacy to talk. Naturally, given that Amon and Yue were in the heart of Solaris territory, he didn't think they could escape so easily. Hence, he presented the only piece of evidence that could potentially save him from punishment.
"T-They left this letter at the pavilion where we last saw them!"
"..."
The Solaris Lord received the letter with a deep frown. Everything was going so well with the negotiations, and if this little hiccup jeopardised their partnership, Alrock didn't know how to mete out the punishment. However, after a brief few minutes, it became evident that there was no need for such a big reaction.
"HA! HA! HA! These god-damned young'uns!!!"
"M-My Lord, what is it?"
As Alrock bellowed out in laughter, Amon's father took the opportunity to edge closer to catch a glimpse of the letter's contents. But before he could do that, the Solaris Lord threw the letter towards his friend and gestured for him to read.
"Yugor, calm yourself. Have a look at what those two young'uns wrote."
"... What on earth?"
The Wizard Saint took the letter with one swipe and skimmed through it within seconds. The letter itself wasn't complicated and had less than two hundred words. However, those two hundred words were enough to freeze the experienced and wise Elune Lord.
"Tch, that brat… She's done it this time."
After reading the letter twice, Yugor clicked his teeth, threw the letter on the table, and compressed his mana back into his body.
"See? There's no need for you to be angry, right?"
"Shut it, Alrock."
Yugor spun his head back and averted his gaze away from the seemingly inconspicuous letter. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Amon's father picked up the letter from the table, and likewise, he was stunned by its contents.
"Dear Lord Alrock,
I apologise for surprising you. At my beloved Yue's request, I took her on a tour of my favourite places outside the estate. I promise to bring her back by dinner time so as not to cause you too much trouble. I hope you can forgive me for my transgressions.
P.S.: I'm delighted to be engaged to such a wonderful girl, and I hope your discussions with the Elune House will continue to be fruitful."
The handwriting on the letter's first half was unquestionably Amon's. He had seen his son's writing multiple times when teaching him how to write. However, that wasn't the end of it. Beneath Amon's handwriting was another set of neater words.
"Dear Grandfather,
Thank you for listening to my wilful request and proposing an engagement with my wonderful Amon. After hearing about all the fantastic scenery Solfea offers, I begged Amon to take me on a tour outside. Please don't be angry at him. I promise we'll return soon, so you don't have to worry about my well-being.
P.S.: I have never been happier in my life. Please expedite our engagement contract, for we have fallen in love."
Amon's father couldn't believe his eyes.
Who would have thought that his ordinarily stoic son would have written such a lovey-dovey letter? At the same time, how could he have seduced Yue so quickly? However, the one thing that caught his attention wasn't the pair's romantic words for each other but…
"They even sealed their letter with blood. Do they know the significance of that?"
"... I will scold Yue later."
"Nah, leave it… Let the young'uns be young'uns."
The Solaris Lord continued to laugh.
"Previously, I wanted to wait and see if they liked each other, and if they didn't, I would have cancelled the engagement clause in our partnership."
In the modern age, arranged marriages were rare. And even for the few arranged marriages that existed, if either side didn't like the other, they could cancel the engagement at any time. Hence, the Solaris Lord didn't wish to force Amon into an engagement, even if it meant risking the entire partnership with the Elune House.
But it looks like his worries were unfounded.
"Initially, I wanted to discuss our partnership in detail before touching on the engagement. But, since the young'uns insisted, shall we talk about the engagement instead?"
"... Suit yourself."
Yugor was unsatisfied, but now that they were at this stage, he couldn't just back out. Ultimately, he was just another grandfather who pampered his lovable granddaughter.
Meanwhile, Amon's father, who was frozen, continued to stare at the piece of paper, his lips twitching into a frail smile.
All his eyes could see were the two blood-stained thumbprints that formed a heart, sealed at the bottom of the letter.