"Amon! Arya! Over here!"
The hour hand struck eight, signalling the beginning of the Sword Bestowment Ceremony. After a lengthy speech by the Solaris Lord and a ceremonial commemoration, it was time for the main event to begin. Amon, bored out of his mind after listening to his Grandpa Alrock's yapping, was called out by a familiar, youthful voice.
Leon waved at Amon with a bright smile, showcasing his perfectly white teeth. Seeing that he had nothing to do, Amon gestured for his sister to follow him as he approached the bubbly young teen.
"Leon, are you feeling better?"
"Haha, much better now! I'm ninety percent of the way there; thanks for asking!" The blonde-haired youth flexed his biceps to indicate his recovery and happily showcased his improving vitality.
"Good to know that," Amon replied kindly. "It's good that you recovered in time for the ceremony."'
"I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Leon exclaimed. "I just hope I don't disappoint my father and get a poor sword."
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that."
Amon laughed mentally. The sword that Leon would get was already set in stone, and it was the most precious blade anywhere on the planet. There was no way in the seventh hell that his father would be disappointed with his selection.
"I'm getting pretty nervous…" Arya gestured from the side, her feet shaking with slight trembles. She glanced up at Leon and Amon to ease her tension, but a nauseating thought ran through her mind.
"Come to think of it, you two are practically guaranteed Fabled-grade swords or higher… Tch, I'm standing with the wrong crowd."
"Haha, what are you talking about? Arya, you're plenty talented! I'm confident you'll be able to capture the interest of many Fabled-grade swords!"
While the Sword Bestowment Ceremony was grandiose and renowned throughout Hyades, the ceremony itself was quite straightforward.
Each participant would enter the Sword Garden and stand on an elevated platform at the centre. They were to resonate their mana within the platform, and a magic circle would spread their consciousness throughout the sacred vault. The participant's mana would then attempt to synchronise with every sword in the garden, and if a sword deems them worthy, they would appear right before the participant for their choosing.
Generally, the more talented you are, the more interest one would gain from the better swords in the vault. However, talent wasn't the only metric. Mana element, age and even gender were all factors for a sword to develop an interest in a participant.
All in all, it was purely down to luck.
"Hmph, not as much as you two monsters. I'm sure either of you would pull a Legendary or even Mythic grade! Hah, luckily, I'm going much earlier than you two!"
"..."
Seeing his little sister throw a tantrum, Amon could only shrug his shoulders with a bitter smile. Arya's words were true; for some funny reason, the order of the candidates who would try their luck in the Sword Garden ended, with Leon and Amon being the last two.
Leon would be second last, while Amon would be the final person to enter Sword Garden and pick his sword. Usually, the order was determined by random draw, but this year, they spiced it up a little.
In [Bright], Leon was the last person to choose his sword, which made the impact of him pulling Ascalon greater. However, the order had changed somewhat with Amon's inclusion into Hyades.
Not that it matters to Amon.
"We should prepare, it seems like they are opening the vault soon."
Hurriedly changing the subject, Amon turned to the front of the grand hall where Alrock stood. The preparations had been completed, and the gates for the Sword Garden were finally unlocked after five long years. Standing next to the Solaris Lord were many powerful beings, Knights and Magicians alike.
They were all powerful enough to defeat a dozen Trolls alone, and their gathering created an intimidating presence that froze most of the younger audience. Even Amon didn't dare to move carelessly. A force of this magnitude would easily subdue him as he was.
'So this is the depth of the Solaris House.'
At least two Sun Knights and over a dozen Pinnacle Knights were present. All of them were Elders or living legends of the Solaris House. And they were all here to prevent theft or shenanigans from happening in their most sacred place.
No one dared to breathe a word as the massive gates creaked open.
The participants and the spectators trailing far behind held their breaths as a sanctified light pierced through the gaps of the gates, unveiling the utopia that lay within. Through the light, a tall and skinny creature emerged. It had googly eyes and an inhuman face. Its height was easily ten metres, towering over any Knights that stood before it. Shrouded from the face down by a white cassock, the figure approached Alrock before giving him a courtesy nod.
"Lord…"
An ethereal voice echoed through the chambers and resonated in the minds of everyone present. The voice was borderline holy as if it came from the heavens above. However, no one present misunderstood the creature's identity.
Before they were even allowed to step foot into the Sword Garden, they were warned time and time again not to cross this creature… for it was easily one of the most powerful beings in the Solaris House.
"Custodian."
Alrock greeted the mysterious entity with respect. After all, it had lived far longer than he did and had looked the same since his Sword Bestowment Ceremony.
"Time is a cruel thing… You have aged plenty in five years…"
"I don't have your immortality, Custodian."
"I can hardly call myself immortal."
The Custodian shook its head and tilted towards the massive stone gate.
"Follow me."
The Custodian turned around and gingerly walked back into the vault it guarded. Without missing a beat, Alrock followed it in, and the rest of the parade followed. Alrock and the other High Elders were at the very front. Following them were the participants of this year's ceremony. And finally, the spectators, primarily consisting of the participants' families, followed suit.
And as they entered into the secretive Sword Garden, they were frozen with awe.
The first thing Amon saw was a beautiful meadow of shimmering, iridescent flora. Walking through the gates felt like entering a different world as if they had been transported through dimensions. An artificial azure sky was gleaming with a constantly shifting mosaic of colours. Grassy knolls forested the utopia, and thousands, if not tens of thousands, of swords were littered all over the ground.
And it wasn't just swords.
Axes, spears, bows… A whole plethora of weapons were kept pristine, even if they protruded randomly from the ground.
The parade followed the Custodian down the bedazzled pathway, careful not to stray one foot away from the pavement. The path was wide enough to fit the entire procession, so there was no excuses for stepping on the grass where the precious weapons were being kept.
However, if one person did stray away…
Their lives would be forfeited in an instant.
Fortunately for the nervous group, their tense march was short. In less than five minutes, they reached their destination: an astral citadel made from impeccable white marble and enchanted stone. There were no living quarters or habitable zones for visitors, only a central vast space with an elevated platform in the middle.
Spires to the heavens adorned the massive pillars of the citadel, making it look like the world was centred around this sanctuary. Anyone who stood at the epicentre would be quickly reminded of how minute and small they were.
It was a spell-binding place.
Most visitors had their jaws open as they admired the view. Only the alien voice of the Custodian could break them from their stupor.
"Lord… You may begin the ceremony…"
"Thank you, Custodian."
Once again, Alrock thanked the ancient spirit that guarded the Sword Garden. Nodding, the astral being turned into a blur and disappeared like a fading mist. The Solaris Lord felt a silent chill creep up his spine as he watched that move, unable to shake off the fear the Custodian gave it.
Outside Sword Garden, Alrock may have a chance against the ancient vault-keeper. However, now that he was inside, there was practically no chance for victory. In fact, it was more likely for the Solaris Lord to face instant death against the Custodian, as the Sword Garden was its domain.
Still, the ceremony had to go on. Shaking off the fear that the Custodian was watching his every move, Alrock wasted no time with speeches and began the ceremony formally.
"John Solaris! Come forth!"
Alrock's voice boomed within the citadel, causing a nervous Junior Knight to step forward. He was no older than twenty, and while he was no longer a cadet, his shaky movements revealed his inexperience. Stepping onto the pedestal with jelly-like legs, the young Knight took a deep breath before facing the Solaris Lord.
"Are you ready?"
The Solaris Lord asked with a tinge of concern in his voice. It was evident that the youth before him was nervous and weak, possibly just barely making the qualification to enter the Sword Garden. Still, he earned the right to participate in the Sword Bestowment Ceremony fair and square. Directing the young Knight to the pedestal, Alrock commanded:
"You may begin!"
"U-Understood!"
John Solaris yelled back, his heart beating ever so rapidly. Stepping into the magic circle, the young man closed his eyes and concentrated on channelling his mana. Instantly, the circle lit up with a golden hue and energy crackles burst forth from its perfect lines.
With his eyes closed, the young Knight could not view the changes in atmosphere, but the spectators were all acutely aware. A thin mana string erupted from the magic circle and shot to the sky. John's mana was spread thin and eventually turned into a transient rain of crystal light.
Every weapon in the Sword Garden was exposed to the rain at that moment. Unfortunately for John, nothing happened to most swords in the sacred vault. However, five unique-grade swords resonated with John's mana and flew right before the young man. They remained levitating before the young man as he opened his eyes in shock.
"Five swords, huh? Not bad! Though, it's a pity they're all Unique-grade!"
One of the spectators remarked. He was familiar with the Sword Bestowment Ceremony and had witnessed young talent receiving their baptism multiple times in the past. On average, each Knight would resonate with between one to ten swords. Five swords were good enough, even if they were only Unique-grade swords. At the very least, the young Knight could choose his favoured blade.
"Make your choice."
Alrock didn't miss a beat and ordered the nervous youth to proceed with the next step.
John stood frozen for a good ten seconds before regaining his wits. He turned his attention towards the five levitating blades and focused hard on making the right decision. The Sword Bestowment Ceremony only happens once in his life, and he wouldn't get another opportunity like this again.
Oddly enough, staring intently at the five swords, John felt a kinship with the simple blade in the middle. It wasn't flashy like the others and wasn't anything special yet… John felt his heart churning whenever he looked at that blade.
Ultimately, the young Knight didn't think about it too much. Trusting his gut feeling, he reached for the sword in the middle and made his selection.
And when John held its hilt, he felt a resonant chime ding in his soul. There was no doubt about it; this sword was the one for him.
"Wise choice," Alrock revealed a gleeful grin and remarked: "During times like this, you must trust your senses and not overthink. Your sword will serve you well."
"T-Thank you!"
John thanked the Solaris Lord profusely before heading down the platform, where his buddies were ready to congratulate him.
"Next! Karen Solaris!"
One by one, Alrock called out the promising youths of this generation for their turn in the ceremony. Over time, the crowd gained even more interest in the proceedings, and many spectators began to speculate wildly.
"I wonder how many youngsters will get Fabled-grade swords this year?"
"So far, they have only been pulling Unique-grades… Maybe we won't see a Fabled-grade this year?"
"Haha, just be patient! We've barely started, after all! I heard that the cadets from the Academy are extremely talented this year! Also, don't forget that two of the Solaris Lord's grandchildren are participating! And there's also that famous Amon from the Fantasy Couple! Who knows? We may even see a Legendary or Mythic-grade appear!"
"A Legendary grade may be possible, but a Mythic grade is so rare that it only happened twice in the past hundred years! The current Solaris Lord and his son were the only two members who had gotten a hand on a Mythic-grade sword!"
"Oh? Then perhaps his grandson would be the third?"
The spectators broadcasted their thoughts out loud. Their chatter distracted the participants because of their distance from the centre of the citadel. Only one person in the audience wore a radiant, expectant smile, fully aware of what was coming.
'Don't die on me, recording crystal… I'll need you to record this SSS-rank event and burn it into my memories!'