The Sovereign Chronicles novel Chapter 32

The following morning, Sanctum Master Arden held court in the grand hall of the central peak, receiving Serac Vorn and Cassian Vargan.

"Have you made your decision, Senior?" Serac asked, sitting tall and offering a thin, calculated smile to the Elders present.

"I wanted to hear your counsel one last time," Sanctum Master Arden said, waving off the Initiates after they poured the tea. The hall emptied, leaving only the high-ranking members.

Serac's smile widened. He picked up his goblet, took a leisurely sip, and exchanged a knowing glance with Cassian Vargan.

"Let us dispense with the pleasantries. Lord Cassian met Lyra yesterday and was instantly captivated. Their status, their talent—it is a flawless match. The mutual attraction is undeniable. I suggest we finalize this alliance today and cement this beautiful union."

"And what dowry does The Serpent King's Dominion intend to offer?" Sanctum Master Arden asked, taking a slow sip of his own tea.

Unable to contain his excitement, Cassian cleared his throat and sat up straighter. "Whatever the Sanctum Master demands. The Serpent King's Dominion will spare no expense to ensure Lyra is welcomed into our ranks with the absolute highest honors."

Serac added smoothly, "An alliance means we become family. Your burdens become ours. We advance together, we conquer together."

"That sounds delightful, but I don't believe we are currently burdened by any troubles," Sanctum Master Arden said, glancing at the other Elders.

Elder Boros, a portly man, feigned a look of deep confusion. "What trouble could possibly force us to trade away our most prized disciple for protection? I can't think of a single one."

"Senior, there are no outsiders here. I'll speak plainly. The situation at Mount Veridia—"

"Mount Veridia?" Elder Boros interrupted, his eyes wide with mock surprise. "What about it?"

Serac studied them, his smile stiffening but not fading. "The matter concerning the previous Sanctum Master."

"Our previous Sanctum Master was a paragon of virtue. He never committed a single dishonorable act in his life."

Serac's smile finally vanished. Cassian, too, realized something was terribly wrong.

Sanctum Master Arden spoke with an icy calm. "I have great admiration for Lord Cassian. However, a marriage alliance requires careful deliberation."

"Senior, must we strip away all pretense? If the threat on Mount Veridia is not contained, The Azure Sky Sanctum will face an existential crisis."

Elder Boros sighed dramatically. "I genuinely have no idea what threat you keep rambling about."

"Senior, do not play with fire. If the outside world learns of this..."

Elder Cyra sneered, her tone laced with venom. "A traitor who slaughtered his own brethren trying to fabricate charges against his former masters? Do you really think anyone will believe you, Serac? They'd question your rotting character before they'd ever question our honor."

"Are you truly arrogant enough to believe you can keep the secret of Mount Veridia hidden forever?" Serac's eyes turned glacial. He finally understood—The Azure Sky Sanctum was flat-out denying the existence of the secret.

"I have no clue what secret you're talking about. If you're referring to the loud noise last night, let me be perfectly clear: Elder Theron suffered a slight backlash during his cultivation. It was nothing."

"Master Arden," Cassian said, his voice dropping to a dangerous baritone. "Do not gamble with the survival of your Sanctum."

Serac held up a hand to calm the young lord. "Do you have the nerve to show me Mount Veridia?"

"Be my guest!" Sanctum Master Arden stood up personally, leading the group of Elders out of the grand hall.

The procession quickly arrived at the exact coordinates of the seal on Mount Veridia. The massive crater had already been filled in and leveled. The chains and the monolith were entirely gone.

Serac frowned, pacing the grounds. He couldn't detect a single trace of The Aegis of Eight Sorrows. It was as if it had been wiped from existence.

Had it been relocated?

Impossible!

Only the dense ley lines of Mount Veridia could sustain that specific array. Rebuilding it elsewhere would require an astronomical amount of resources and manpower. They couldn't have done it overnight without anyone noticing.

Did they execute the Remnant Soul?

Also impossible!

The Azure Sky Sanctum couldn't bear the karmic backlash. If they could have killed it, they would have done so decades ago.

Elder Cyra delivered a parting shot. "No one will ever trust a traitor's slander against his own home. Tread carefully, Serac."

"Lord Cassian, forgive our lack of hospitality. I have pressing matters to attend to. Good day," Sanctum Master Arden said, turning on his heel. He clearly had zero interest in entertaining them any further.

"Have the guards escort our guests out," the Elders commanded, shooting the emissaries a collective look of disgust before walking away.

Within moments, a squad of heavily armed Initiates surrounded them, their hands resting menacingly on their pommels.

"Uncle Serac, what the hell just happened?" Cassian's face was a mask of fury. Why had The Azure Sky Sanctum's attitude shifted so violently overnight? They acted as if they held all the cards, completely fearless of the Dominion's threats.

"Let us return for now. A secret of this magnitude cannot be erased with simple parlor tricks. Something catastrophic must have happened," Serac muttered. He still had spies planted within the Sanctum; he would command them to investigate immediately.

"We're just leaving?" Cassian protested. He hadn't secured the marriage arrangement, nor had he even gotten to ask for Linnea.

"We will be back. Mark my words." Serac pacified the young lord, his expression grim as they descended the mountain.

At the summit of Mount Veridia, Sanctum Master Arden stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching Serac's delegation depart. His expression was far from the relaxed facade he had just displayed.

Elder Theron approached slowly. "Worry not. The Remnant Soul has been relocated. I will inform you once the situation is fully resolved."

"I am in your debt," Sanctum Master Arden replied with deep respect. In the entire Azure Sky Sanctum, this old man was the only person he deferred to, and the only one he trusted absolutely. Since Elder Theron had spoken, he had no choice but to believe him.

"I will handle the matter of the Remnant Soul. You handle The Serpent King's Dominion. They will not let this go easily."

"The Azure Sky Sanctum has not fallen so low that we will bare our necks to be slaughtered."

...

"Write it down, write it down! It's just pocket change." Petyr didn't dare offend the young lady; he considered it the cost of keeping her happy.

A female Initiate leaned in and whispered, "My lord, did you notice? Every time Lady Celine spoke, she called him 'our Kaelen'."

"She's always called him that."

"It just sounds so... intimate."

"You talk too much! Keep taking bets!" Petyr chuckled, waddling away and throwing compliments at any wealthy-looking disciple who passed by.

A sudden commotion swept through the Proving Grounds. Thousands of Initiates turned their heads toward the eastern entrance. Lyra stepped into the arena, gliding gracefully toward the elevated eastern stands.

Her flawless features, her serene, ethereal aura, and her tall, elegant figure painted a picture of absolute perfection.

She wasn't just the goddess of every male disciple's dreams; she was the pride of The Azure Sky Sanctum. It was Lyra's monstrous talent that allowed the current generation of the Sanctum to hold their heads high against rival factions.

The crowd went wild. Truthfully, half of the people here didn't care about the duel—they had come just for a glimpse of Lyra.

It was incredibly rare to see her in public. For many, this was their first time laying eyes on her.

Celine and her friends immediately flocked to Lyra's side, waiting for the match to begin.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Look! Titus Ironridge is here! Rumor has it that the day Kaelen went to The Vanguard Vault, Titus confronted him. Wonder what that was about."

Clad in pitch-black armor, Titus Ironridge stood apart from the crowd. His narrow eyes were razor-sharp, his rugged face devoid of warmth. He was a man who radiated lethal intent, refusing to mask his presence—a drawn sword that dared anyone to step too close.

He rarely attended public events. His presence here was a shock.

But it didn't end there. Gasps echoed across The Tenth Proving Grounds as more heavyweights—renowned Prime Initiates and legendary top-tier upper disciples—began trickling into the arena.

"Over there! Lian is here too. What an oppressive aura. They say he's fully mastered the Mirage Blade Style."

"Is that Gideon? What's he doing here? I haven't seen him in months."

"What is going on today? Half the Sanctum's elite are here!"

The crowd was bewildered. Could a simple grudge match truly draw out this caliber of spectators? Was it all just because Lyra was here?

"Linnea? Lady Linnea of Mount Veridia? Am I seeing things?"

"Gods, she's beautiful! It really is her!"

Waves of awe rippled from the western entrance. Dressed in pristine white robes, the aloof and solitary Linnea stepped into the arena. A faint, frosty mist clung to her, dropping the ambient temperature and making those nearby shiver.

This was likely the very first time Linnea had ever set foot in the Proving Grounds, let alone to spectate a duel between junior disciples.