Chapter 243: Knight Templar II

The moment Regaleon debunked Veyrath’s assumption, the others immediately knew better than to associate him with any other ancient order or lineage automatically.

Aureleah then turned toward Aelric and asked the most straightforward question of all.

"Aelric... what does the Knight Templar have to do with the Forbidden Ruins? And, more importantly, how does that make this crypt a Forbidden Ruin?"

Aureleah’s question happened to cut through the surrounding speculation and bring everyone back to the matter at hand.

After all, they were here to find out why Aelric had suddenly taken such interest in the crypt and what could possibly have made him take such extraordinary measures to accompany them back to it.

"That’s a nice question, Aureleah," Aelric complimented with a smile. "And I’m getting there."

He raised one finger before continuing.

"You see, the reason I asked about your knowledge of the Knight Templars was to figure out how much of the history you already understood, because most of what I would be saying henceforth are things you wouldn’t be able to assimilate without some prior or basic knowledge about them. Thankfully, Kaeloris here has generously provided the necessary contextual foundation needed, so I can go straight to the point."

Kaeloris pushed his glasses higher on his nose and let out a small smile as he commented. "Glad to be of service."

Aelric chuckled before continuing.

"When we speak of Forbidden Ruins, we are talking about ruins closely associated with the oldest military crusade in Aetherium. And that crusade has everything to do with the Knight Templars."

His expression gradually became more solemn.

"You see, at the dawn of civilization, right before people learned to cultivate or use Soul Essence, Aetherium wasn’t actually what it is today. Instead, it was a planet that was quite insignificant and inconsequential in the grand scheme of everything. However despite how small it was, it was quite peaceful in spite of the small skirmishes that occured here and there."

The others listened intently.

"But all of that changed when a sudden force known as the Devils invaded it and sought to dominate all life on the planet."

The moment Regaleon heard the word Devils, a sudden jolt erupted across his heart, as though he had been struck by an invisible bolt of recognition. He had heard that word before and it was precisely because of that that he was stunned by the significance of the moment.

When he had been inside the Reliquary and experienced that strange vision, those thirteen Etheryean lookalikes had actually made reference to that very word.

According to them, they had even been engaged in a grueling conflict against those forces, to the extent that most of their commanders had been pushed into dire straits.

Suddenly, the more Regaleon thought about it, the more things began to make sense.

When Aelric had first mentioned the Knight Templars and Kaeloris had made a declaration about them being the progenitors of Soul Essences, a small hypothesis had taken root in Regaleon’s mind.

But he had quickly dismissed it. At the time, he had simply chalked it up to the possibility that what they were discussing happened to coincidentally correlate with that particular hypothesis.

And while he knew within himself that it was a weak assumption, he had been willing to accept it. Not because it was convincing; rather, because accepting it had been far easier than entertaining the alternative.

However, now that Aelric had mentioned that familiar word—Devils—Regaleon couldn’t help but associate that vision with their subject of discussion.

As a matter of fact, based on the circumstantial evidence, Regaleon could make an educated guess based on the fragmentary revelations he had gathered so far that those Knight Templars Aelric had mentioned might be none other than the thirteen Etheryeans he had seen in his vision.

Could it really be them?

Regaleon was still deep in thought when a sudden voice called out to him.

"Regaleon, are you okay?"

Snapping out of his train of thought, Regaleon blinked rapidly before realizing that most of the group were focused on him with varying degrees of concern.

"We noticed that you were spacing out," Vaelorin said, his voice laced with worry. "Is something the matter?"

Regaleon rubbed the back of his neck and displayed a small smile.

"I’m alright. You guys can carry on."

The others still regarded him with the same uncertainty, but since he had said he was fine, they allowed the matter to rest.

Meanwhile, Regaleon noticed that Aureleah was still looking at him with a glint of concern in her silver eyes.

He merely flashed the silver-haired Assassin a small smile to reassure her.

Without hesitation, Aureleah nodded and turned back toward Aelric, once again listening to his explanation.

After reclaiming their attention, Aelric didn’t bother dwelling on Regaleon and continued.

"You see, back then, these Devils were creatures far stronger and more powerful than humans. Within a matter of days, they were able to wreak havoc and devastate entire civilizations."

Sylveris unconsciously swallowed. "Within days?"

Aelric nodded.

"However, thankfully, before further damage could be done, thirteen individuals decided to come together. Though no one knows exactly how they did it, they were the first people to gain the powers of Soul Essence and cultivated to become Etheryeans."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"And with that power, they were able to repel the Devils, successfully saving Aetherium from disaster."

Hearing Aelric’s conclusion, Regaleon was finally able to confirm that those individuals really were the thirteen Etheryeans he had seen in his vision.

Honestly, it was a situation so strange and bizarre that it left Regaleon feeling bewildered.

It also made him think more about how he had ended up possessing the Reliquary in the first place—a mysterious object that granted him access to an extraordinary amount of information most people in this age had long forgotten.

He had actually wanted to tell the others about what he had discovered, perhaps to connect the fragments of history they had uncovered, but he decided against it.

Thinking further, he realized there was a reason someone had created the Reliquary and gone to such lengths to hide it within him. After all, some secrets were better left unsaid.

And, more importantly, Regaleon wasn’t certain whether revealing such information might prove detrimental in some unforeseen way. So for now, he would merely listen and observe.

As time passed, perhaps he would eventually tell them about the Reliquary but not now.

"Uhmmm... Aelric."

Kaeloris spoke up, his voice carrying a distinctly exasperated tone.

"You’ve said a lot of things, but you haven’t actually tackled the crux of the matter. I mean, now we know about the Devils, the Knight Templars, and the Forbidden Ruins, but we are yet to understand how those three are interwoven."

He adjusted his glasses.

"Can’t you just get straight to the point and stop beating around the bush?"

The others immediately voiced their agreement, their voices overlapping as they beseeched Aelric to move on the what they truly wanted to know.

"Exactly..."

"We’ve been standing here listening to history lessons..."

"Get to the important part..."

Aelric raised both hands.

"Okay, okay. I understand." He smiled helplessly. "However, I want you to understand that while I also want to tell you everything, there are things I shouldn’t reveal. Some secrets are best left unsaid, especially when those hearing them aren’t ready to carry their weight."

His expression became slightly more serious.

"I assure you, though, that the more you grow in strength and understanding, the more you will eventually come in contact with those secrets yourselves."

He turned toward the dais.

"However, just because there are some things I shouldn’t say doesn’t mean I can’t explain why I classified this tomb as a Forbidden Ruin."

Aelric gestured toward the raised platform.

"Come. Let me show you something."

He then turned and began walking toward the dais once more...

It wasn’t long before the nine of them reached the top and came face to face with the three sarcophagi once again.

Like the rest of the Terracotta warriors scattered throughout the crypt, the gigantic six-winged Knight had also been displaced.

Previously, its head had been bowed as though in reverence to those who lay within the coffins.

Now, however, its head stared straight ahead, directly toward the entrance of the crypt, as though awaiting the arrival of an enemy.

Its two hands were no longer resting upon the pommel of its sword. Instead, they supported the gigantic weapon as it was held across its chest, as though preparing for a bloody confrontation.

Honestly, it was a pose that struck dread into their hearts the moment they saw it. Yet somehow, they managed to suppress their fear.

Aelric, meanwhile, seemed entirely unconcerned. The moment they reached the raised dais, the green-eyed youth walked toward the sarcophagi and just before they could stop him, he had already crossed the Array that activated the Terracotta warriors.

"Wait...!" Valmyr shouted but it was too late and the group could only watch in horror as Aelric stepped into it, their hearts pounding in their chest...