In an extravagant ballroom with opulent statues and chandeliers, dozens of well-dressed individuals walked around with champagne glasses slipping through their fingers. The event was grandiose as it was lavish, with numerous servants walking through the venue with great elegance, refilling empty glasses and replenishing the innumerable tiered servers with delectable Charcuterie.
Skilled musicians played soothing music on their instruments, creating a tremendously calming sound for the event's backdrop. Many impressive individuals merrily sauntered around the event hall, shaking hands and brushing shoulders against their compatriots and fellow relatives. All of them were draped in noble robes, with some patching on imposing badges, glorifying their past accomplishments in full view.
Amon's parents, Aaron and Maya Solaris, were of great interest.
Great individuals, such as a Sun Knight who served as a Marshal who protected their lands or the Solaris Vice-Chancellor, an administrator who dealt with all the internal affairs of the Solaris House, went forward to shake the couple's hands.
The forthcomingness largely shook Amon's father and froze upon their introductions. As a result, it became Amon's mother's responsibility to enter into cordial conversations with those great people. Maya's friendly vibe particularly enamoured the Vice-Chancellor. While their merry conversation continued, she was secretly scheming how to get Maya to join her division and fill the gaps in her employment.
So, what was the man of the hour doing if his parents had their hands full with the honoured guest?
"Hehehe, come on! Wear a smile! You look prettier with a smile on your face!"
"..."
"Come on! Smile for me, dearest brother of mine! It is your special day!"
"..."
"Hey, don't bother Amon too much! You know that he's shy! Besides, only I can tease him like that!"
"Hehe, I know that, Sister Yue! But can't you share the love?"
Amon stood ill at ease in one corner, sandwiched by his sister and fiancée. Dressed in an impeccably tailored suit prepared for this special day, Amon seemed like a fish out of water. Occasionally, he would fidget on the spot, trying his best to make himself more comfortable, but it was useless. Amon wasn't used to being dressed formally, as a training vest suited him far better. His usually genteel demeanour was being struck down with each passing minute as he uncomfortably sipped on his champagne, desperately trying to hide from the curious glances the passers-by were shooting.
On the other hand, his two companions seemed to fit in like a glove.
First, his younger sister Arya. At sixteen, Arya had bloomed into a stunning flower that would turn heads whenever she walked. While she was also used to training attire, the teenage girl wasn't a stranger to dresses and makeup.
Much to her vivacious attitude, Arya wore a charming sapphire dress draped elegantly from her shoulders and cascaded down in delicate folds to the marble floor. Embroidered laces with outlines of a Hydrangea adorned her bodice, significantly highlighting her fit figure. Not just that, sparkling rubies crystalised themselves all throughout the expensive design, making one wonder how on earth such a young girl who had yet to work for a living could afford such a luxury.
Fortunately, Amon didn't need to wonder any further.
"Of course I can! Did you forget who bought you that dress?"
"Nope!" Arya leapt excitedly forward, wrapping her arms around Yue's. "There's no way I'm forgetting my favourite sister-in-law!"
"... you keep up with that sweet talk, and I will have to buy you a dozen more dresses!"
The word 'sister-in-law' was a critical hit for Yue. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of her union with Amon was that she got to know this charming little imp called Arya Solaris. Yue was an only child and barely had any friends her age to gossip and play with; hence, when she treasured the relationship that Arya and her shared, so much so that she was willing to spend a fortune to pamper her future younger sister.
"Hehe, this one is plenty for now! I'm still growing, so buying more dresses would be a waste. After all, unlike yourself, I'm not as… developed."
There was a little bit of scorn while Arya whimpered those words. She glared at Yue's dress, and her upbeat face quickly turned sour. And well, Amon could sympathise.
Yue's choice of gown for the ball was… titillating, to say the least.
Just like Arya, Yue had gone for a luxurious ball gown. However, unlike Arya, the young woman's choice of clothes was far more revealing, particularly in the chest department. It was a pearly white dress without any straps, which plunged her neckline daringly low, allowing anyone to view her delicious swan-like white neck.
The gown's bodice showed an intricate embroidery of a golden dragon, seemingly announcing to the world that she belonged to the Solaris family. The fabric was tightly wrapped around her waist, sensually revealing the impeccable curves that all models strived to achieve.
Layers of sheer tulle cascade down from the waist, creating a dreamy, cloud-like effect that adds to the gown's romantic allure. As Yue glides across the ballroom floor, the fabric floats around her like a veil, revealing glimpses of her slender legs with each step.
Intricate laces weaved themselves over Yue's bosom, highlighting her heaven-gifted assets. A translucent shawl attempted to cover those biological weapons, but it was useless. Multiple men of all ages, some even defied their wives' disapproving gazes to sneak a glance at the divine fairy which graced the hall.
And yet, despite the revealing neckline, the gown had an air of royalty and elegance, balancing boldness and purity in perfect harmony. No one in the venue would think Yue was a mere eighteen-year-old woman, and no one treated her as such.
Yue's mature demeanour was enough to make everyone revere the young woman, and with the evening ball gown at her disposal, many were downright intimidated by her.
Arya was the same too. If not for her previous experiences with the heiress of the Elune House, she wouldn't have been so comfortable around the goddess of a woman.
"Hehe, there's no need to worry! Just look at your mother; I'm sure you'll grow up to be just fine."
Yue attempted to defuse the situation with a gentle tease, but it only poured salt on the wound.
"It's fine, sister Yue… I know my limits. Besides, if they grew too big, it would be harder to swing my sword."
Arya comforted herself, much to the dismay of Yue, who could only twitch the sides of her mouth while prompting for Amon's help. Amon sighed and then walked over to comfort his sister.
"Don't worry, Arya. Most men won't care about your chest. Your sword skills are enough to attract them."
"..."
"..."
An awkward silence hung in the air after Amon's words.
"That's not comforting in the slightest!" The young teenager protested as her face blushed crimson. Stomping her feet in distress, the young girl stormed away while spewing venom at her brother: "Hmph, you insensitive jerk!"
"..."
"Ahhh, you went and did it…"
Yue whistled, half in amusement while the other half in embarrassment, as she watched Amon fail.
"You don't understand a girl's heart, do you? During times like this, you should just flatter her or pamper her."
"... what good would that be?"
"You would improve her mood! Hah… I still have much to teach you before we get married!"
"..."
Amon gave up and sipped his champagne with an abashed face. Over the past eight years, he has been learning from Yue how to be a better person and how to read the emotions of others. Unfortunately, it seems he was nowhere near his intended result and could only rely on Yue's further guidance.
"Well, since it's your birthday, I'll let it slide for now. But I'll be doubling your training starting tomorrow, so be prepared!"
"... give me a break."
Amon glanced into the champagne glass and saw bits of his reflection. That's right, today was Amon's eighteenth year in Hyades. In the Solaris House, when one turns eighteen, it was a signalling of their coming of age. Also, the Solaris and Elune House partnership regarding the Mana crystal vein was fully operational, with the infrastructure built and the business plan being implemented.
Amon's birthday wasn't just a big deal for his family and himself but also for the Solaris House as a whole.
Multiple big shots from both families were in attendance. They were all present, from the Solaris Vice-Chancellor to the Elune House's Ambassador. However, Amon didn't care about building relations.
For him, his eighteenth birthday was significant for a more important reason.
'The events of [Bright] will begin this year.'
It was finally time for the tales he'd read from his previous life to begin formally. Over the past eight years, he had been heeding Yue's advice and hadn't lifted a finger to stop the tragedies preemptively. But that didn't mean he had been idle.
Alongside Yue, Amon has been actively creating organisations that could help in the final battle, from an intelligence agency that rivals that of the Republic's Intelligence unit to a mercenary troupe that gathered promising talents and groomed them into elites for the sole purpose of massacring the Demon Cult.
In addition, Amon has been assisting Yue in building up their wealth network, creating businesses that could feed their expensive operations.
However, the most crucial thing that Amon has been preparing… was increasing his own personal power.
After condensing his Sixth Sun, Amon had enough mana to contend with a Pillar Knight, placing him among the top one hundred Knights in the Solaris House. If he unveiled his Sixth Moon, he may rank among the top twenty. But that wasn't enough for Amon.
Amon needed to be stronger against the Calamities that were bound to happen with the start of [Bright]. And most importantly, as Yue mentioned, he needed help if he wished to defeat the Demon Cult and end the Calamities once and for all.
And for that, Amon needed the help of one person.
The person the world's fate relied upon, the person who had initially served as the Hero of Hyades in [Bright], and the character that Amon had strived to chase.
'The Protagonist... He will be returning to the Solaris House soon.'