Regaleon: The Forgotten Knight

Vaelorin wasn’t the only one affected by the oppressive aura Aureleah unconsciously radiated. For the first few moments after her breakthrough, all five of them had found themselves instinctively maintaining a greater distance from the silver-haired Assassin.

Fortunately, the effect of her presence gradually diminished as they spent more time around her. Perhaps their senses were simply adjusting to the new pressure she emitted, or perhaps the aura itself had become less pronounced now that her breakthrough was complete.

Whatever the reason, the group soon returned to their usual manner of interaction.

"Congratulations on becoming an Etheryean, Aureleah." Caelestra was secivd person after Vaelorin to speak.

There was genuine happiness in the failed Merchant’s voice, and the expression on her face carried the unmistakable warmth of someone sincerely celebrating another person’s achievement.

Aureleah noticed it and that sincerity evoked a faint feeling of gratitude within her. "Thank you, Caelestra. Congratulations to you too."

Aureleah’s gaze then moved across the others as she added. "And to all of you as well. I suppose we’ve finally crossed another milestone in our quest for survival."

The statement was simple. Yet for Aureleah, it was considerably more than that.

She had never been particularly fond of unnecessary words. There was rarely a reason for her to say something when silence would suffice.

But at that moment, she felt an unfamiliar urge to acknowledge their shared accomplishment.

Perhaps because becoming an Etheryean had made the weight of their journey more apparent. Or perhaps because, for the first time since their exile, she felt as though they had actually achieved something together.

They had entered the Nether Lands as a group of exiles who were barely capable of surviving. But now, they were Etheryeans.

It might have been only the beginning, but it was still a beginning.

"I guess you could say that." Veyrath saus smilingly.

Then his playful expression gradually faded as his eyes became distant as he spoke solemnly.

"You know, I once thought being exiled into the Nether Lands was a fate worse than death. But who would’ve thought that barely a week after our banishment, we’d actually become Etheryeans?"

His words carried a strange mixture of disbelief and melancholy and for a brief moment, nobody spoke as they allowed the melancholic atmosphere settle over them.

Then Veyrath suddenly snorted. "Ha!"

The failed Alchemist’s expression twisted into something almost derisive. "I bet those people back in Valoria wouldn’t believe it. We didn’t just survive the cruelty they threw at us. We actually managed to take the first step toward becoming something greater than what they believed we could ever be."

His words sounded mocking, but beneath the mockery was something much deeper. Veyrath wasn’t merely ridiculing those who had cast them aside, he was also measuring the distance between who they had been and who they were becoming.

And that feeling of vindication wasn’t limited to him because the others understood it. In fact, it was almost absurd when they thought about it.

The people who had been branded useless, failures and disgraces were now Etheryeans.

They had actually taken their first genuine step toward establishing themselves.

Perhaps it was because of this that the achievement felt so significant.

Honestly, their motivation had never been limited to their thirst for survival nor was it merely a hunger for strength. Rather, there was something else burning beneath those desires; a need to prove that they were more than what the world had decided they were.

A desire to return to Valoria one day and stand before the very people who had looked down upon them. To make those who had shown them nothing but scorn, disdain and contempt realize how badly they had misjudged them.

That desire had become one of the strongest forces driving them forward. And now, finally, they had reached their first true milestone.

For a while, the group remained silent, each person lost within their own thoughts. Then Aureleah broke the solemn silence.

"So, where is Aelric? I thought he was supposed to be with you."

At first, Aureleah had been skeptical, suspicious and wary of Aelric when he was introduced by Regaleon. Even now, she hadn’t completely abandoned those instincts.

But that did not mean she was incapable of gratitude. Whatever his motives might have been, the playful green-eyed youth had provided them with something invaluable; a chance at greatness.

And because of that, Aureleah couldn’t allow her lingering suspicions to turn her into an ingrate.

Valmyr simply nodded toward the opposite side of the cavern. Following his gesture, Aureleah saw Aelric standing some distance away.

The playful youth had already returned to his usual laid-back demeanor. His back rested casually against the cavern wall, both hands buried inside his pockets.

His face also carried that familiar expression of careless indifference, as though the affairs of the world rarely possessed enough weight to disturb him.

"He wanted to give us some space to talk," Kaeloris explained, adjusting his spectacles. "That’s why he didn’t join us."

The failed Gnost paused before continuing. "Although he did tell us something else. He said we should look after Regaleon."

Kaeloris glanced toward the center of the Essence Pool.

"I don’t know why he gave us that instruction. He didn’t explain himself." He shrugged. "But it’s not as though we wouldn’t have kept an eye on him anyway."

Aureleah followed his gaze, her silver eyes fixated join the figure still in cultivation.

At the center of the Essence Pool, the silver-haired Knight remained seated in the same lotus position he had adopted hours ago.

Simply judging purely from his appearance, Regaleon seemed like someone who had simply sunk deeper into meditation than the others.

Yet Aureleah frowned. Something about the sight bothered her but she couldn’t explain why.

"Has he been like that all this time?"

Her voice remained calm and detached as usual. But beneath those words was the faintest trace of something far more vulnerable, trepidation.

She didn’t recognize it herself and fortunately, neither did the others.

Everyone turned toward Regaleon with Kaeloris answering after a moment.

"It’s almost unbelievable, but yes. He’s been there since we began. Honestly, even we were beginning to become agitated watching him. It’s unusual for someone in his position to take this long during cultivation."

"Unusual?" Veyrath raised an eyebrow while giving Kaeloris a sideways glance. "The way you said that makes it sound like Regaleon isn’t a weirdo."

Kaeloris’ expression twitched but the failed Alchemist simply continued.

"Have you already forgotten that he is someone whose Halberd ascended to a new tier simply by breaking a few Aether Cores? If you ask me, I wouldn’t say his current situation is unusual."

A grin suddenly appeared on his face. "Instead, I’d say it would be unusual if Regaleon’s cultivation wasn’t strange."

There was no anxiety or concern in Veyrath’s expression. Instead, there was an almost peculiar confidence in his voice; as though he had already accepted that anything involving Regaleon was bound to violate common sense sooner or later.

"I think Veyrath is right." Vaelorin spoke up in agreement. His fiery eyes remained fixed on the silver-haired Knight as he added.

"We’ve all seen what he can do. And we’ve witnessed the sheer absurdity surrounding him." Vaelorin then shrugged while saying. "So I don’t think we should be surprised if his cultivation turns out to be another oddity."

He glanced at the Essence Pool.

"Besides, if we look at it from another perspective, perhaps his cultivation is simply taking longer because he possesses multiple Prime Organs."

He immediately raised a hand. "I didn’t say that’s definitely the reason. I’m only saying that, given what we know, it’s the most plausible explanation we have."

Vaelorin’s explanation might have sounded preposterous to another practitioner. But among this group? It was arguably the only reasonable explanation available.

And yet, even logic couldn’t make the situation entirely comfortable. Valmyr scratched his head, his brows drawing together as confusion swirled within his eyes.

"But shouldn’t that be impossible?"

His voice carried the resonance of a bass—deep, heavy and almost cavernous. Every word seemed to reverberate faintly through the chamber.

"I mean, isn’t Regaleon supposed to be an average Awakener? His Soul Essences are low-tier and everything. So how can someone like him possess multiple Prime Organs?"

His question silenced the others because unfortunately, Valmyr had a point.

For all of Regaleon’s accomplishments, the group had never forgotten the reality of his innate talent. By conventional standards, Regaleon should have been one of the least gifted members of their group.

In fact, his innate talent was arguably second only to Sylveris; and Sylveris wasn’t even an Awakener.

Yet Regaleon’s actions had repeatedly forced them to forget that fact. His leadership, combat ability, frightening adaptability, and his ability to accomplish things that should have been beyond his capabilities were all aspects of him that gradually overshadowed the truth of his origins.

But now, with Valmyr bringing it up, they couldn’t ignore it and this only deepened the enigma surrounding the Forgotten Knight.

"You know what?" Caelestra suddenly interrupted. "Rather than giving ourselves a severe migraine trying to unravel his strange circumstances, why don’t we simply wait until he’s finished?"

She gestured toward the pool.

"Once he’s done, we can ask him ourselves."

The others exchanged glances and agreed with her. Then one by one, they abandoned their increasingly speculative conjectures as there was no point in trying to explain something none of them understood.

Oddly enough, throughout the entire conversation, Aureleah had remained strangely quiet.

After asking about Regaleon’s circumstances, she had said almost nothing. Her silver eyes had remained fixed upon the unmoving figure of Regaleon.

The others eventually resumed their quiet conversation, but Aureleah barely heard them or participated in it.

Something about this was wrong. She didn’t know what neither could she explain nor describe it. However, a strange sensation had begun crawling beneath her skin and tge longer she stared at him, the stronger it became.

For some inexplicable reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was happening to Regaleon, something none of them could see. And somewhere deep within her instincts, an alarm had begun to sound...

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