The Sovereign Chronicles novel Chapter 26

Kaelen stared at him. "Why are you telling me this?"

Petyr van Orrin patted Kaelen’s arm with a chubby, pale hand, his constant smile bordering on comical. "Just looking to make a friend."

"I appreciate the sentiment." Kaelen patted the boy's arm in return. Soft as dough.

"Don't leave just yet, let's chat a bit more." Petyr blocked Kaelen's path, gesturing toward the nearby ancient pines. "Let's talk in the woods over there. I swear on the honor of my Syndicate, this is nothing nefarious."

"There's no such thing as an honest merchant. The Orrin Syndicate has honor?"

"That hurts. Good business is built on trust. Come on, come on..." Petyr practically dragged Kaelen into the hidden shadows of the dense woods.

Petyr had a decent reputation within the Azure Sky Sanctum. Though his smile rarely reached his eyes, he wasn't known to be a backstabber. In the past, whenever he crossed paths with Kaelen, he would always offer a polite nod and a grin from afar.

"Lord Kaelen, these past eight years haven't been easy on you. You've endured since you were seven, never bowing your head to anyone, constantly fighting back against the tyranny here, carving out your own reputation with nothing but your bare fists. Breaking into The Spirit Warrior Tier and shocking everyone... Hey... Wait, don't walk away..."

Kaelen looked at him, deadpan. "Get to the point."

"Well... Heh, it's a little awkward to say."

"Then don't say it. Goodbye."

"Hey, hey, hey, hold on! Fine, I'll spit it out."

"I'm listening."

"I respect you. I see potential in you. I admire you, and I want to invest in you!" Petyr puffed out his chest, the sheer volume of his flesh rippling like a massive water balloon struck by a mallet.

"Invest in me?" Kaelen found that strange.

"Exactly. I want to invest in you." Petyr looked at him with utmost seriousness, though his doughy features made the stern expression look more amusing than intimidating.

In recent years, the Orrin Syndicate had pioneered a new business model: 'Warrior Investment.' They scouted various major sects and sanctums for young talents of humble origins but extraordinary potential. Once an oath of loyalty was signed, the Syndicate would provide them with vast resources, accelerating their growth and offering a powerful political backing. When these young warriors reached a certain level of power, they would transfer to the Syndicate as Guards or Enshrined Guardians. This loyalty could last a few years, a decade, or even a lifetime.

It was a necessary evolution for the Syndicate. As their commercial empire expanded, it drew greedy eyes. To protect their immense wealth, they needed formidable martial strength. Initially, they hired renowned mercenaries at exorbitant prices, but those veterans lacked true loyalty and often harbored ulterior motives. Thus, a visionary within the Syndicate proposed applying their highly successful 'crystal mine investment' model directly to 'Warrior investment' for long-term stability.

They sought out brilliant young Warriors, showered them with favors, carefully monitored their character and morality as they grew, and eventually granted them corresponding positions based on a comprehensive evaluation.

Since its implementation a century ago, this model had cultivated legions of fiercely loyal Guards for the Syndicate. Reaping the massive benefits, they intensified their investments, expanding their scouting beyond the established sanctums to impoverished slums, handpicking gifted children and using their wealth and connections to sponsor them into elite magical academies and sects.

Petyr van Orrin had no desire to merely tread the worn path of his forefathers; he wanted to pioneer a completely new investment method. He had moved directly into the Azure Sky Sanctum, residing here year-round to observe the Initiates firsthand, secretly signing contracts and gifting valuable artifacts, securing future assets for his family.

The Azure Sky Sanctum turned a blind eye to his operations. As long as he didn't cross the line, they let him be. After all, the Syndicate flooded the Sanctum with an astonishing volume of magical artifacts every year, once even gifting them an entire high-yield crystal mine. Furthermore, many Initiates eventually left the Sanctum to forge their own destinies. Joining the closely allied Orrin Syndicate was far better than defecting to a rival faction.

Petyr knew his boundaries. He never attempted to recruit the Gold-Crest Paragons—he didn't have the leverage for that—nor did he target the Prime Initiates. He focused strictly on the high-tier Upper Initiates. Despite his youth, he had a razor-sharp eye for talent and had successfully unearthed and nurtured several promising individuals over the years.

Kaelen was an anomaly in the Sanctum. Petyr had been observing him for a long time, but considering the sheer amount of political baggage attached to Kaelen, the risks had previously outweighed the rewards. However, everything had changed. Kaelen had broken into The Spirit Warrior Tier on his own and won the favor of Lady Lyra. Naturally, this piqued the merchant's interest.

Of course, the most crucial factor was Kaelen's connection to Lyra. If Petyr could build a bridge to Lyra through Kaelen, the higher-ups in the Syndicate would be ecstatic.

Kaelen smiled and shook his head. "You've got the wrong guy. I'm a terrible investment, and I don't need your patronage."

"I want to go back to my fallen city and visit my home. Can you make that happen?" Kaelen had been confined within the Azure Sky Sanctum for eight long years. Eight years without a single chance to return.

"Uh... well... it's not entirely impossible..." Petyr stammered, caught off guard.

"Nice meeting you. Goodbye." Kaelen waved dismissively and walked away.

"Think about it! I'll be waiting for your word!" Petyr called out. Today was merely about breaking the ice and establishing a rapport. Investments required patience; he had his calculated steps and his observation protocols.

The news that Kaelen had taken the codex for *The Titan's Vigor* spread rapidly, soon reaching Maelor's ears. The elite warrior simply shook his head and laughed, thinking Kaelen incredibly naive. Did the fool believe that raw, brute strength was enough to master *The Titan's Vigor*? There were dozens, if not hundreds, of meatheads in the Sanctum with brute strength, but only Darian had ever successfully forged that power into the technique. *The Titan's Vigor* was not only highly complex, but the physical toll was excruciating. The slightest miscalculation during the explosive surge of kinetic force would instantly shatter the practitioner's mana channels.

It wasn't just Maelor who dismissed it; others shook their heads in disbelief upon hearing the news, muttering about how Lady Lyra, despite claiming to care for Kaelen, was letting him commit metaphorical suicide. Let alone challenging Maelor using *The Titan's Vigor*, it would be a miracle if Kaelen didn't cripple himself within a month.

Kaelen ignored the whispers of the Sanctum. Aside from his daily delivery duties, he dedicated every waking moment to mastering *The Titan's Vigor*. He had essentially completed the foundational first three phases; they just needed slight refinement following the orthodox martial codex. Now, his absolute focus was on the fourth and fifth phases—the most grueling, bone-breaking, and devastating tiers of the technique.

With *The Genesis Mantra* sustaining his vitality, Kaelen brimmed with confidence.

The first ten days progressed smoothly. Using *The Titan's Vigor* as his spear and *The Genesis Mantra* as his shield, Kaelen trained relentlessly, day and night. He could feel the explosive kinetic force building within him, becoming increasingly addicted to the sheer, terrifying power *The Titan's Vigor* granted.

However, after the tenth day, a chilling atmosphere settled over the Azure Sky Sanctum. Every midnight, deep, guttural roars echoed from Mount Veridia, lasting for agonizingly long periods.

The roars filled the Initiates with dread, leaving many to wonder why the Elders weren't taking action. If it was truly some monstrous beast, why not just slaughter it and be done with it?

Kaelen was deeply disturbed by the roaring. Wave after wave, the feeling of being summoned grew stronger, filling him with an inexplicable anxiety. Was it truly calling for him? Was it... running out of patience?