The Sovereign Chronicles novel Chapter 28

A middle-aged Initiate was about to make the arrangements when a handsome young man stepped forward quickly with a smile. "I'll do it."

"And you are..." Lord Cassian cast a cold, arrogant glance at him.

"I am a Prime Initiate, Jaden Vance!" Jaden wore a bright smile. In truth, he wasn't a Prime Initiate yet, and after the unexpected death of his sister Lady Moria, it was even less likely Elder Cyra would take him as one.

"A Prime Initiate? Your strength is mediocre at best," Cassian sneered.

"How could I ever dare compare myself to Lord Cassian?" Jaden's sycophancy drew the immediate ire of many surrounding Sanctum Initiates.

But Cassian seemed quite pleased by the groveling. "Show me around. Let’s see what passes for scenery in your Sanctum."

"Lord Cassian, right this way!" Jaden extended a hand eagerly.

The middle-aged Initiate in charge, seeing that Cassian had essentially accepted the boy, couldn't smoothly intervene. He shot Jaden a dark, warning glare, silently ordering him not to embarrass the Sanctum.

Back inside the Azure Empyrean Hall, the Sanctum Master’s face was carved from granite. "The room is clear. Speak plainly. There is no need for your venomous pleasantries here."

"I merely wished to catch up with my old Senior."

"Spare me."

"Heh, very well. We can reminisce later. Let's get to business. I am here on behalf of the Serpent King to propose a glorious union."

"I'm listening."

"Lord Cassian is the Serpent King’s youngest, and most favored, son. He is only sixteen, yet he has already reached the Eighth Phase of The Spirit Warrior Tier. Such talent is exceedingly rare. Backed by the infinite resources of the Serpent King's Dominion, his future is utterly limitless. Lord Cassian possesses an extraordinary aura; he is fierce, arrogant, and carries the sovereign blood of a conqueror. He was born to command armies. The Serpent King places his highest hopes upon him."

Serac spoke with measured, unhurried pacing, sparing no praise, his eyes remaining fixed on the Sanctum Master's face, studying every micro-expression.

"The world knows of Lord Cassian's peerless talent," the Sanctum Master replied, offering nothing but hollow diplomatic courtesy.

"He is sixteen, yet he remains unbound by any betrothal. This has been a massive headache for the Serpent King. It's not for a lack of trying; Lord Cassian’s standards are simply astronomical. Ordinary women do not even warrant a second glance from him."

The expressions of the Sanctum Master and the Elders instantly darkened. What was he playing at? Was this a marriage proposal?

Serac laughed softly. "As an Enshrined Guardian of the Dominion, and a former Initiate of this Sanctum, it has always been my deepest desire to forge an unbreakable alliance between our two powers. All we lacked was the catalyst. A few days ago, word reached me of a female Initiate here—a girl of breathtaking beauty and monstrous talent, breaking into The Mystic Warrior Tier at the tender age of sixteen. I personally brought her name to the Serpent King, and to my surprise, he agreed to the match. I brought Lord Cassian here today so the two might finally meet."

"Serac! You overstep your bounds!" The heavyset Elder couldn't contain his fury. Cassian marrying Lyra? Handing over a once-in-a-century prodigy to the Serpent King's Dominion, while allowing them to politically swallow the Sanctum through marriage? The Dominion’s greed knew no bounds!

"Hold your temper and let me finish. There is nothing in this world Lord Cassian desires that he does not obtain. If he truly sets his sights on Lyra, the Serpent King will mobilize everything to support his claim. How exactly will the Azure Sky Sanctum refuse then? Let me offer you some friendly advice: the tension between our factions has always been high, but we haven't crossed the line into total war yet.

"This is your golden opportunity. Reject us, and the bridge is burned forever—total war. Accept, and not only do we repair our fractured history, but we can share our vast resources and forge an invincible alliance. I trust you are all wise enough to weigh the survival of your sect."

Serac’s words were a naked, brutal threat, leaving zero room for diplomacy.

The Elders in the grand hall laughed. The Sanctum Master laughed as well, though the sound was devoid of warmth, dripping with killing intent. "You dare threaten the Azure Sky Sanctum? Heh. The Serpent King's Dominion lacks the strength to back up those words, and you, Serac, certainly do not have the right!"

Serac traced the rim of his teacup with a pale finger. With a casual flick of his wrist, a surge of kinetic force blasted outward, slamming the massive iron-wood doors of the hall shut with a deafening boom.

The Azure Empyrean Hall was plunged into dim, suffocating twilight. Shadows lengthened across the Elders' faces as the atmospheric pressure in the room skyrocketed.

The Elders exchanged grim looks, their brows furrowing. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Senior, honored Elders. I am a son of the Azure Sky Sanctum. I have always considered this my true home, and as such... heh... I am intimately aware of the skeletons buried beneath its floorboards."

"Get to the point!" the Sanctum Master demanded, his eyes narrowing like a predator's.

"For instance, certain unspeakable secrets. Secrets that, if dragged into the light, would bring an apocalyptic catastrophe crashing down upon this Sanctum."

"Stop speaking in riddles. Spit it out!!" the heavyset Elder roared.

Serac chuckled, the sound devoid of mirth. "If my memory serves me right, buried deep within Mount Veridia is a prisoner the Azure Sky Sanctum has absolutely no right to hold!"

The moment those words hung in the air, the color drained from everyone’s faces. The Sanctum Master's gaze turned razor-sharp, piercing Serac like a physical blade. The Elders slowly rose from their seats, fists clenched, an overwhelming, suffocating aura of murder flooding the room.

"Relax, my friends. I am here to save you."

"We don't need your salvation!"

"Are you entirely sure about that? I’ve heard rumors that the Azure Sky Sanctum has been rather... turbulent lately."

"How did you discover this?"

"Lady Linnea resides within Mount Veridia and rarely leaves her sanctum. Furthermore, there have been some... disturbances at Mount Veridia recently, so the area is under strict lockdown. We cannot enter. Nerida is a ghost; she spends years away from the Sanctum on perilous expeditions with her Master, and she happens to be away right now. Shall we go see Lyra first?"

"Exactly what I had in mind. Lead on." Cassian was intrigued. How did this lackey know he was specifically here for Lyra? Was it just a coincidence?

Jaden enthusiastically led the way, guiding Cassian toward Lyra's private cultivation courtyard.

Lyra held an exalted status within the Sanctum. To ensure her progression was never hindered, the Sanctum Master had issued a direct edict forbidding any Initiate from disturbing her. This was Jaden's first time even approaching the area.

Leveraging Cassian’s intimidating status, they bypassed the outer perimeter guards and stepped into the courtyard.

But Lyra wasn't there. The courtyard was completely empty.

Jaden actually knew she wouldn't be there. Feigning embarrassment, he explained, "I'm sure a man of the world like Lord Cassian understands. A woman of Lyra’s caliber naturally attracts endless suitors."

Cassian’s jaw tightened imperceptibly. "Are you implying she already belongs to someone?"

"Lyra has always been exceedingly pure and impossibly arrogant. She would never take a mere companion. However, she has grown quite... attached to a certain friend. A male Initiate. I suspect she is visiting his quarters as we speak." Jaden's words seemed harmless on the surface, but the underlying implication was pure poison.

An attached male Initiate?

Leaving her own sacred sanctuary to visit another man's quarters?

Was that just 'friendship'?

Was that what passed for 'pure'?

Cassian wasn't an idiot; he understood exactly what Jaden was insinuating. The rat didn't want to say it outright, but there was an eighty percent chance Lyra already had a lover. He sneered internally but maintained a facade of detached amusement. "Any man capable of drawing Lyra's attention must be a legend in his own right. Do I have the honor of meeting him?"

Jaden feigned hesitation. "That Initiate is... eccentric. He defies all conventions and rules. I fear his insolence might offend you, Lord Cassian."

"It matters not. Show me the way." Cassian was suddenly eager. *A peasant daring to touch my future wife? He must have a death wish. I want to see what kind of insect thinks he can compete with me.*

The Dominion Guards flanking Cassian instinctively gripped the hilts of their weapons. For a man to win the heart of the Azure Sky Sanctum's greatest prodigy, he had to be an absolute monster. Was he perhaps a secret descendant of the Sanctum Master himself?

"Right this way, my lords." Jaden took the lead, guiding them directly toward Kaelen's warehouse. He didn't just know Lyra wasn't in her courtyard; he knew precisely where she spent her days. Lately, around noon, Lyra would spend hours isolated in Kaelen's warehouse, apparently 'tutoring' the trash. If he brought a volatile, arrogant, bloodthirsty aristocrat like Cassian into that mix, Cassian would instantly be captivated by Lyra's beauty, inevitably try to assert dominance, which would trigger Kaelen’s suicidal pride, and then... Hahaha, let's see how Kaelen survives this!