Chapter 202: You Think My Body Is Weak?

Cassian was not surprised. His Domain’s arrival had hardly been subtle.

He checked with Aurelia first. Once she confirmed that she could withstand the stranger’s Transcendent Moonlit Dominion, he had Liora remove the Invisibility.

"That was impressive!"

He landed in front of the young man and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Cassian Vale, from Tidecrown. Who might you be?"

Up close, the stranger’s eyes were clear as jade. With his breathing steady again, he seemed more like a courteous scholar than a fighter. Even his voice had a scholarly ease.

His looks were rare enough. Nowhere near Cassian’s, naturally.

His bearing, though... Cassian had to admit the fellow might have a slight edge there.

"Cassian Vale of Tidecrown?"

The young man studied him in turn. A trace of approval crossed his face. It took courage to approach with only a dozen or so companions.

"So you’re the Lord who created the Epic Eclipse Legionnaires. No wonder you made it into Swordheart. I’m Orion Valcrest, from Harrowmere. A pleasure to meet you."

He had no idea that every one of those companions was Legendary Nine-Star. If Celia released the power she had nurtured in her sword, half a stroke would be enough to wipe out his whole force.

Valcrest, then. Cassian had guessed correctly. Harrowmere was one of the Crown’s interior Provinces.

"A Valcrest, just as I thought. That Moonlit Dominion of yours nearly blinded me."

"House Valcrest..." A trace of nostalgia crossed Orion’s eyes before he smiled. "Yes. You know others of the family?"

"Seraphine Valcrest. You must know her. I call her kid."

"Ah..." Orion looked faintly embarrassed. "I’m afraid the name is unfamiliar."

Cassian silently scoffed. So much for Seraphine being one of House Valcrest’s ten leading talents of her generation. This man had never even heard of her.

Perhaps worried about the next question, Orion changed the subject.

"You’ve come for the Swordgrave too, young friend?"

Young friend?

Cassian caught the casual choice of words. Was this really an old monster starting over in a newcomer Sector? Or was the man deliberately trying to give that impression?

"There’s only one Swordgrave," Cassian said frankly. "We’ll each have to rely on our own ability."

"No need. I’m withdrawing."

Cassian blinked.

Orion leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"I’d advise you to leave Swordheart as soon as you can, too. I have a perception skill. When I used Moonlit Dominion just now, I sensed an enormous presence here. It vanished almost immediately, but I doubt Lords at Rank XII can stand against it."

Cassian had already considered that possibility.

"You aren’t trying to scare me away so you can take everything yourself?"

Orion did not lose his temper. He only gave a helpless smile.

"I’ll relocate first. You can wait for the Regional notice."

He took out an Advanced Relocation Writ.

"By all means," Cassian said.

Voluntary withdrawal would suit him perfectly. Orion was a Crown Lord and a relative of Seraphine’s. Cassian was selfish, but he was not going to kill the man just to keep his own strength secret.

As for that enormous presence, any one of Cassian’s companions could give Orion something to worry about if they let their full power show.

Orion hesitated.

"One more thing. If we meet again, I’d appreciate your keeping what you saw of Moonlit Dominion to yourself."

Keep it secret?

Had he stolen the art?

"Of course," Cassian said.

"I appreciate that, young friend. I’m glad I warned you."

Orion could have simply left. He had called the watchers out because they might be Crown Lords. His caution, he felt, had just saved one of the Crown’s most promising young talents.

He was about to depart when a deep sigh rolled out of the city.

"I became too excited. To think I let you sense me..."

The voice grew eager.

"But can you blame me? I’ve waited a hundred years for a strong body."

A tiny flying sword shot up from the city lord’s residence. It stopped in the air before them, barely thirty centimeters long, made entirely of radiant energy.

"A talking sword?" Rhea asked curiously. "Some kind of sword spirit?"

"A Sword Embryo," Cassian corrected.

So one of his guesses had been right after all.

There could be little doubt whose Sword Embryo this was. Julian Lind. The world thought the Sword Saint had died in that battle a century ago. Instead, he had escaped in this form and hidden here, waiting for a chance to become a Lord again in another body.

A Domain was bound to both its Lord’s body and Spirit, but secret arts could merge one Spirit with another. The notorious Demon Embryo Rebirth Art was one. The Free Will faction’s mind-transfer technique was another.

Seeing Julian in this form put Cassian at ease.

"If you want to use my body to come back to life, you’ll find that rather difficult."

The danger Lethria had sensed probably came from the Sword Saint’s killing power under Sword Intent. Perhaps he had nurtured a sword as well. If he really produced a finishing stroke, Aurelia could take it for Cassian.

"You?" Contempt filled the voice from the Sword Embryo. "You spent ten days dragging your feet before you dared approach. How strong can you be? You think you’re fit to be my vessel?"

Orion coughed.

"I believe the strong body he mentioned was mine."

He hurried on, apparently trying to spare Cassian further embarrassment.

"You have an Advanced Relocation Writ, don’t you? I’ll hold him off. Leave Swordheart immediately. Someone who can create a troop line at your age has a great future ahead of him. The Crown will need you."

Cassian had nothing to say to that.

Of all things, they were looking down on his Physique. His strongest attribute.

Well, people tended to be sensitive about what they lacked. He shrugged. This hardly troubled him.

Julian burst into laughter.

"Leave? You know my secret, and you think you can leave?"

The Sword Embryo turned toward Orion.

"You are quite capable, child. In my present state, even I would find that punch troublesome. I’ll seal your escape routes first. Then I can deal with you at my leisure."

A golden rune shot into the sky.

Orion’s face darkened.

"A Spatial Lock Scroll? Legendary? This is bad."

Cassian chuckled.

They said Julian Lind had always walked his own path, sometimes righteous, sometimes ruthless. Apparently, he shared the Black Banner’s fondness for shutting himself inside a trap.

Once Swordheart was sealed, the old man would have nowhere to run either.

Wait.

A Spatial Lock Scroll.

Fifteen days?

"Julian Lind, you fucking bastard!"

Cassian’s roar tore through the air.

"If you make me miss the Governorship contest, I’ll grind you to dust!"

In the three months and more since the Sector opened, nothing had made him this furious.

"You said young Valcrest here has a strong body, and mine is weak?"

Young Valcrest? Orion almost laughed. Was this boy talking about him?

Then he felt the terrifying power surging from Cassian, and the smile vanished.

Cassian’s voice thundered across fifty kilometers.

"Then take a punch from me."