"So that's what happened…"
In the serenity of Amon's room, two individuals sat next to each other on a stone table filled with delectable confectionaries. Amon didn't have much appetite and remained absent-minded while Yue sipped her cup of osmanthus tea.
"This is a major deviation and seems to be set in stone," Amon muttered grimly as his hands supported his nose. "How would it affect our plans moving forward."
"Quite a bit," Yue replied with nonchalance. "All of our plans regarding Leon factor in the fact that he would enter the Golden Order. Now, we'll have to overhaul them all."
"What a pain…"
Amon got onto his feet and rested his body on the window pane. Gazing out at the peaceful dark, his brain was tickled with annoyance as he muttered: "I should have been more careful…"
"No point crying about it now."
"How are you so calm?"
"Well, it's not like we're in a desperate situation." Yue shrugged her shoulders. "Besides, while Leon not joining the Golden Order immediately is a miscalculation on our part, it's not like he'll never join the Order. Once his squireship with you is completed, Grandpa Alrock would likely pull him into the Golden Order, no? Then he'll meet the same mentors and friends, so we have nothing to worry about."
"I guess…"
"Plus, how long is his squireship? Six months to a year, right? We can manage his growth during that period, so isn't that a good thing? Accelerating his synchronisation with Ascalon and improving his martial skills. I can't think of anyone better to do that than you."
"... you're right."
It was a blessing in disguise. While Leon not joining the Golden Order would mess up their plans, having him near Amon's side was a good alternative, too. At the very least, Amon could supervise his growth and guide him through future scenarios.
"But for Leon to become my squire… Looks like I have to apologise to Arya."
Amon recalled his promise to his younger sister just a few weeks back. The young girl wished to become his squire and join the Black Order to follow in his footsteps. Naturally, Amon was accommodating, but it was out of his control now.
"!!!"
Hearing those words caused Yue's eyes to boggle as she remembered something catastrophic.
"Come to think of it, the next two events that Leon would go through… The Golden Order didn't interfere as much. He would work together with Gale, Adelia and Rubin to clear those scenarios."
"The Awakening of the Blood Demon and the Curse of the Foolish Lich…"
Amon's sombre tone caused Yue to flinch, especially after hearing a familiar foe from her fiancé's mouth.
"In [Bright], Leon faced the Blood Demon, then the Foolish Lich in that order. But if we're accelerating the timeline, why not bring him to kill the Foolish Lich first? The Blood Demon won't appear for a while, right?"
"..."
Yue remained silent as a thousand thoughts ran through her mind. She knew very well the danger of the Blood Demon and the future tragedies it would cause, especially to the man she loved most. Struggling with her decision to reveal the future, the young woman scratched the bottom of her chin and frowned.
"Yue? What's wrong?"
"Ah, to hell with it! Amon, we'll have to deal with the Blood Demon first!"
"... why?"
It's been a while since Amon saw Yue this animated. Although there were times when she would scream and shout, it was often out of good fun and teasing. Yet, this time, Amon saw true panic in her ruby eyes.
"The Blood Demon… in my timeline, it killed Arya."
"... explain."
Amon paused for a moment as he absorbed what Yue had just said. However, it didn't take long for his tone to grow grim and his voice, flat. Sounding like a low murmur, Amon's chilly voice could bring chills down the most formidable warrior's spines. It was rare for the indomitable Knight to show such a display of emotion, and it momentarily froze the regressor who had faced some of the world's most brutal villains.
"T-This, mind reigning in your killing intent? It's making it hard for me to breathe."
"... my apologies."
The transmigrator apologised but didn't show an ounce of remorse. Amon's eyes were locked in, waiting earnestly for Yue to explain appropriately.
Yue took a few moments to gather her wits. Amon's pressure was a combination of Yval's blessing and the power of a Transcendent that crossed dimensions. Being exposed to it was enough to kill a grown Knight, let alone a feeble magician such as herself.
"In my timeline, after you summoned Nyx at the Sword Bestowment Ceremony, you became complacent about your power. Because of that, when Arya became your squire, you brought her to Mistwood, where the Blood Demon resides, for experience. And unfortunately… she perishes to the Blood Demon during the expedition."
"..."
"At the very least, don't make Arya your squire for now. Let her stay in the Knight's Academy until we kill the Blood Demon."
"... understood; thanks for letting me know."
Amon gave Yue his immediate thanks and pivoted his feet to the exit. Spreading out his five fingers, he channelled mana out of his body, and a silver ray of light erupted from his heart. It congregated into the familiar black katana that everyone was curious about and rested firmly in Amon's palms as if it were stuck with glue.
Before the young Knight exited the room, however… he heard Yue's concerned voice.
"W-Where are you going?"
"To train… The sooner I synchronise with Nyx, the sooner I can kill the Blood Demon."
Yue felt her blood grow cold as Amon disappeared down the hallways of his house and straight towards his personal training chambers. As she reflected on Amon's cold expression, it reminded her of when Amon wasn't the Great Hero she fondly remembered.
It reminded her… of the first time she met Amon in her first life.
When he wasn't hailed as the hero that saved Hyades, but rather…
The executioner that killed everything in his path.
❖❖❖
A week had passed since the Sword Bestowment Ceremony, and the buzz behind the event grew more prominent and drew greater interest. The whole world was uprooted at Ascalon's appearance, and many were curious about the young Hero who summoned the mythical blade.
They desperately tried to penetrate the Solaris House's secretive veil and gather as much information as possible about Leon, but it was to no avail. If the Solaris House wished to keep something under wraps, even the top intelligence agencies would have difficulty gathering information.
Alas, as much as Alrock and the top brass wished to hide Leon, pressure from other organisations was mounting. Everyone knew Ascalon's mythical status, no organisation more so than the Holy Church.
While Ascalon was the property of the Solaris House, it was also a relic blessed by the Goddess herself. It was akin to a holy symbol, an icon of the religion. Many would hold pilgrimages just to get a glance at the artefact, which is said to be the closest object to their deity.
So the Holy Church was adamantly requesting an audience with Leon, even if it meant causing headaches to the top Knights of the Solaris House.
And yet, for the person at the centre of it all…
Leon ventured into a sprawling, opulent fortress with open eyes and a gaping mouth. When he'd first heard that he would be visiting the Black Dragon Order, his original impression was that he would be brought to a run-down hut or a disgusting dungeon. But his assumption was far from correct.
Secluded in a hidden corner of Solfea, one could only enter the Black Dragon Order through a secret passageway or a teleportation gate. Even then, only those who bore the crest of the Order were granted safe passage. Those without… let's just say they better be wearing fortified armour.
Known to the outside world as the Twilight Keep, the Black Dragon Order's headquarters was as ostentatious as it was secretive. Its architecture blends Gothic and Baroque elements with sinister spires and grand halls. Throughout the corridors, paintings and marble sculptures, each providing history and contest to this legendary Knight Order, were displayed.
Blending into the night, the black castle perfectly fits the backdrop, a cliff overseeing a massive lake. Yet, the Twilight Keep's interior was hardly as gloomy and black as it suggests. Donned with red and purple velvet carpets, the floor of the fortress seemed as homely and warm as with any other castle.
With space that could fit a hundred horses side-by-side, Leon followed Amon down the grand archway, deep into the Twilight Keep. At the end of the path, a young female Knight in her twenties welcomed the duo with a hospitable smile.
"Welcome to the Black Dragon Order!"
Leon unknowingly stared at the woman and scanned her from head to toe. She was draped in black and yellow regalia, the signature colours of the Black Dragon Order. Her auburn ponytail swung like a pendulum each time she moved her slender body, and her sparkly pale silver eyes made her look somewhat ghostly. Tall and with long limbs, the young woman was undoubtedly an athlete, given that her skin had been tanned brown from extended periods in the Sun.
And to top it all off, the long spear protruding out of the woman's back gave Leon a faint sense of intimidation.
This female Knight was strong… Leon was sure of it.
However, Amon didn't feel the same way. Narrowing his eyes into slits, he stared at the young woman and lightly gnarled:
"Lucia, what are you doing here?"
"To welcome our special VIP, of course! Oh, and to see my cute little partner's face! It's been a while since you popped by the Keep; what took you so long?!"
"... I've been busy."
"Yeah, I heard! You eloped again, right? Oh my, you sure are bold to keep going AWOL. The Grand Commander went ballistic when she heard about your romantic getaway."
Lucia couldn't help puffing her cheeks out with a playful smile while teasing Amon. Her laughter only annoyed Amon, who could only lightly sigh and change the topic.
"Did the Commander send you?"
"Hehe, who else? You know better than anyone that our Captain doesn't care about stuff like this."
"..."
Amon felt tension build up when he heard the Grand Commander knew of his arrival. Lucia mentioned that the Grand Commander wasn't particularly pleased that he had eloped with Yue for five long months, and it was finally time to face the music. Forcing down the urge to run away, Amon looked at his new squire and hoped to save him from meeting the ballistic Sun Knight.
"Leon, this is Lucia Osiris. A Knight Lieutenant of the Eighteenth Squad and my superior."
"Well, superior is an overclassification. Amon and I are partners!"
Lucia hung her weighty arms over Amon's neck, which she could do easily as she was just as tall as the young Knight. Visibly uncomfortable, Amon grimaced, pushed the woman's arm off him and dusted his shoulders.
"Hey! That's mean!"
"... I presume you came to tell me the Commander wants to see me."
"Oh my! Are you a mind-reader?! Shit, I should have invested in mental protection charms!"
Lucia continued to tease Amon with playful bliss, behaving like a yarn full of joy. Rolling his eyes, Amon turned his heel and headed in the familiar walk of shame that plagued him every time he returned from eloping.
"Leon, follow Lucia. She'll finish your tour of Twilight Keep. Once I'm done with my business, I'll come find you."
"O-Okay…"
❖❖❖
Leon stared at Amon's melancholy back as he waved him goodbye. Not knowing Amon's fate, he struggled to send him off with a smile, which didn't go unnoticed.
"Are you worried about him?" Lucia's eyes sparkled as she found a new target to tease.
"N-not particularly. But for Amon to be that nervous about meeting her… I'm just curious what the Grand Commander of the Black Dragon Order is like."
"Haha, not to worry. She seems mean on the surface, but she means well. Especially when it comes to Amon; after all, she is grooming him to be the next Commander of the Black Order."
"R-Really?!"
The young Knight was instantly taken aback. Usually, the succession of a Knight Order wasn't common knowledge, and only the best would even be considered for the title. And how old was Amon? Barely eighteen!
"Well, it's more or less an open secret in our Order. It's quite obvious that the Commander favours Amon. It's just that he's too dense to see it. If not for his tendency to go AWOL, he would have been promoted to Lieutenant or Captain long ago."
Lucia couldn't help but get a jab in on her comrade, even if it meant demeaning him in front of his squire.
Although Amon was merely an officer in the Black Order, the title meant nothing to him. As one of the most promising Knights of his generation, he already had the autonomy to conduct missions independently like a Captain. He also could ignore the chain of command and report directly to the Grand Commander, the ultimate authority in the Black Order.
Amon didn't realise it, but he was already considered the next in line to inherit the highest title of the Order.
"The Commander will probably scold and punish him before granting him a new mission."
"A new mission?"
"Yeah, no matter how perfect his track record was before, not working for six months is too much for a commissioned Knight of an Order. He'll be sent on a new mission soon, and as his squire… well, I guess I should say congratulations on getting a job so soon?"
"T-Thanks?"
Leon could only let out a wry smile without knowing what else to say. Fortunately, Lucia could read the room and immediately clapped her hands to change the topic.
"Ah, where are my manners? Let me take over as your tour guide, alright? I'm sure I could do much better than that blockhead Amon anyway."
"S-Sure…"