After Yue left the Solaris House, Amon finally got two good rest days. He slept until late afternoon while indulging in some of his favourite treats. His mother was there to pamper him and spared no expense in catering to her one and only son. Amon felt that if this treatment were to continue, he would have melted into a blob of sloth and lethargy.
Hence, he made a change of pace.
Heading down to his personal training chambers, Amon took advantage of the facility to stretch out his sleepy muscles. The young Knight swung the training sword with precision and decisiveness, each stroke showing a different level of mastery every time. Some were crude and simple, others everflowing and beautiful.
Inhaling deep breaths, Amon continued his masterful swordplay until the bitter memory of getting smacked around by Alrock resurfaced. Closing his eyes, he dropped onto the floor and sat in a lotus position. The imagery of the battle was painted fresh in his mind as he entered into a deep meditative state.
'I was unable to damage him… What am I lacking?'
Alrock Solaris was one of the most powerful existences on the planet, yet even he perished during the Great Calamities. If Amon wished to survive and prevent mankind's extinction, he had to surpass Alrock's strength and do it quickly.
'My technique and power are the best it can be. My speed and strength surpass most Pillar Knights as well. The only thing I'm lacking… is experience.'
Amon was hyper-critical of his weaknesses. He knew his limitations and had always strived to eliminate them. Amon had exceeded any Solaris Knight that existed before him in every aspect. Due to the blessing of the Golden Dragon Progenitor, his mana was continually growing at an astonishing rate. His skills with the sword were far better than any Knight. His creativity in using the Mystic Arts, even modifying some of it to suit his own style, was second to none.
However, he lacked one vital thing when compared to Alrock.
'I have been focusing too much on training… The best and fastest way to grow is to be forged by fire.'
All this time, the former Transcendent had believed that the fastest way to improve was to train tirelessly like a robot. And in a certain sense, he was right. Amon had reached a level that no one his age had ever touched. It wasn't a stretch to consider him among the world's top hundred most powerful existences now.
But, compared to those who had braved through hell and back, Amon was still lacking.
Experience.
That was Amon's sole weakness now.
'The five months I spent hunting Greater Demons were a good start. I managed to stabilise my Sixth Sun and improve on skills I didn't know needed improving. However, it's still not enough.'
Now that Leon had returned to the Solaris House, the plot of [Bright] and its tribulations would begin in full force. This was Amon's opportunity to grow to greater heights, and the man was confident of it.
'Once the Sword Bestowment Ceremony ends, I'll spend more time on missions and clear certain scenarios. But first, let's get my house in order…'
Amon opened his eyes and exited his meditative state. His eyes rolled back to the entrance of the training grounds, and he saw a young woman creeping forward like a panther ready to pounce on its prey. It was a familiar face, but one he hadn't seen in five months. The girl noticed Amon's eyes on her and froze on the spot, making the amusing scene of a child behaving like a statue so that their parents wouldn't punish them for pulling a prank.
Heaving a huge sigh, Amon smacked his lips: "Arya, what are you doing?"
"Hehe, you caught me!" Amon's only sister chuckled and scratched the back of her head nervously. However, it didn't take long for her to let out a snort of derision as she snapped back:
"Hmph! You go missing for five months, and the first thing you say is that? Do you know how worried I was? Where is the love for your sister?"
"... I'm sorry."
There were many things to protest. It was Yue's idea to elope. He had been periodically giving her updates on his status. He didn't have to report everything to her. However, Amon knew from experience that it was better just to apologise and be done with it.
"Hmph, I won't forgive you that easily! Where's my souvenir?"
"I've sent them to your room. You didn't see them?"
"A-Ah, I must have missed them then!"
Arya waved her hands in a fluster. It was embarrassing to admit that she rushed towards his location when she found out that Amon had returned. Naturally, Amon didn't know of her internal turmoil, so he reached into his bag and threw something at her.
As an apprentice Knight of the Solaris House, Arya's reflexes were extraordinary. Even with her mind in disarray, she adeptly received the cylindrical object with one smooth swing.
"What's this?"
The sixteen-year-old thought out loud as she carefully observed the object, and it didn't take long for her to widen her eyes in recognition.
"I got you a water bottle. One that doesn't break this time."
Amon nonchalantly described the flask he spent an extraordinary amount of gold on. It was heat-resistant, drop-resistant and, most importantly, vacuum-sealed. Made to last on the battlefield, it was the best water bottle money could buy. However, Arya wasn't touched by the price point.
Rather, her heart warmed, thinking that her brother remembered their last spat and cared enough to buy her a replacement.
"You know, sometimes you behave like you're made of metal, but you have a soft side."
"... think what you will."
Amon didn't know what triggered his sister's bashful reply, but her seriousness embarrassed him. Cracking his neck as he stood up, he approached Arya and asked: "So, what have you been up to? Did you cause any trouble during these five months?"
"Am I a troublemaker in your eyes?"
"... categorically."
"Hargh?! Says the Knight who abandoned his post for five months to elope with his wife!"
The two siblings started bickering and bantering like before. They laughed and smiled, sharing stories of what they had experienced during the last five months. Naturally, Amon left out most of his experiences to avoid suspicion, which led to more misunderstandings. Primarily, Arya thought that he had knocked Yue up and was embarrassed to admit it.
"What to do? I'm going to become an aunt at sixteen!"
"Like I said, we haven't done anything of that sort."
"You guys eloped for five months and still expect me to believe that?! Sharing one night in the same room as Sister Yue is enough to tempt any man. No, even a girl like me would be tempted to have a taste. And you're saying nothing happened?"
"I'm telling the truth."
"Hah… I take back what I said earlier. Your heart really is made of steel."
Amon and Arya joked back and forth before the teenage girl finally threw her neck back and wondered: "I wonder if I should find a boyfriend too."
"Do you have your eye on anyone?"
"Oh? Are you going to act as the caring brother this time?"
"..."
Truth be told, Amon didn't care who his sister liked or ended up with. Their family was small and not influential enough to participate in political marriages, so Arya was free to marry anyone she liked. In Amon's genuine opinion, as long as Arya's partner was good to her and she was happy with him, that would be enough.
"Well, there's no one really who has caught my eye. Don't get me wrong, your sister is very popular, and if I wanted to, I bet dozens of handsome Knights would line up just for a chance to date me. But… I'm just not interested in that sort of thing just yet."
In Arya's opinion, even if the Academy had suave and talented Knights, they were just hormonal teenagers. Unbeknownst to her, the young girl had subconsciously compared every boy she'd ever met to her near-perfect brother.
Tall, powerful, handsome, mature and, most importantly… faithful to a single person.
Those were all qualities she expected from her future partner, and it was hard to tick all the boxes while she was still studying in a place where hormonal teenagers gathered. Some may be handsome, but they lack maturity. Some may have the maturity but lack power. And some may possess everything… but their attributes bred popularity and women constantly surrounded them.
Secretly, Arya yearned for a relationship that emulated Amon and Yue's.
"If I were to pick out some with the right criteria… Senior Ernie and Senior Kyle would be good candidates. But one is a womaniser, and the other is obsessed with training with the sword."
"Ah, Ernie and Kyle."
Those were familiar names that Arya mentioned. He encountered them once or twice when Amon was still studying at the Knight's Academy. They would be talented Knights that Leon overshadowed in the future, so he didn't think much of them. However, if they were prospects to be his brother-in-law, perhaps he should scrutinise them more carefully.
"There's also Leon, but he's faithful to his girlfriend back in Hyarum. Hah… Why are all the good men taken?"
"... Leon?"
"Hmmm? Oh, that's right, you never met him! He transferred on the week you eloped. No, wait, you should remember him. He was the one who gate-crashed your birthday celebration!"
"No, I know him…"
Amon's eyes flashed with confusion, and his mind spiralled out of control. He didn't know that Arya and Leon were friends in the original timeline. If anything, it was a deviation that he could have never anticipated.
"How did you meet him?"
"Oh, he's my classmate during the Solaris Mystic Arts course. We're the same age, so it was easy to get close to him. Also, since SOMEONE disappeared for five months, I missed a training partner. I had Leon substitute for you."
The young teen puffed her chest out in pride, unaware of the mental anguish her words had caused Amon.
'Yet another variable… If I hadn't left with Yue, perhaps the two would have nothing to do with each other. Tch, things are getting more complicated.'
"You'd be surprised! You're the most talented Knight in our age group, but Leon is the real deal! In a few years, who knows? Perhaps you would be surpassed?"
Arya teased her elder brother with a happy grin. She was edging on Amon's competitive spirit in hopes of getting an amusing reaction from her robot brother. And surprisingly… It worked.
"Is that so? I would like to meet this person then."
"Oh? OH!!! Has Spring finally come for my ever-so-talented brother?! I didn't know you had it in you! To feel competitive against someone your age!"
"You piqued my curiosity after singing his praises."
"Hoh… I'll meet him later for a training session if that's the case. You're free to come along! Truthfully, Leon was curious about you, too. I wonder which one of you is the stronger one, hehe."
"Okay, I'll go."
"OH!!!"
Arya was surprised at Amon's eagerness, which he'd never shown after spending sixteen years with her. Little did she know that her brother was using her for his ambitions and to connect him to the future hero of Hyades.
'Finally… I will meet you properly, Leon.'