CHAPTER 21: THE FOUNDATION OF STEELHEARTS

After listening to James’s explanation about the sword, Cassian’s face shifted through a mix of emotions of amazement, disbelief, excitement, and awe. The extraordinary power contained within the blade left him momentarily speechless.

It took him a few moments to steady his thoughts before he finally opened his mouth. "No wonder you said that. With this sword, you really could catch up to them within a month or two."

James responded with a smile, then waited for a few seconds before asking with a bitter smile.

"Dad, don’t you want to use this sword yourself?"

James was ashamed of himself for even thinking about the possibility that his father might want to get his hands on the sword, because when people were faced with an extremely precious treasure like Eclipsera, it was only natural for them to have such greed.

But now he was relieved and happy that his father was not that kind of person and exactly the same as what James had known in the memory.

Of course, even if his father were to force him into handing him the sword, James was not the one to be afraid because the sword was already bonded with him and other people can’t use it without his permission. Plus, there was also a feature where he could take the sword back no matter how far the distance between them.

"I know what you’re thinking. Don’t worry,I’m not shameless enough to covet my own son’s sword. But..." Cassian chuckled and paused for a moment, then continued with an awkward smile.

"If you don’t mind, I’d like to borrow it. There’s someone close to breaking through, and it’s crucial to our plan since we might have to face the imperial’s wrath later on."

James directly replied without a second thought. "Alright. I just need to use it for a little bit to reach the Silver Knight Rank. After that, it’s all yours for a while."

Cassian smiled warmly, genuine gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you, son."

James smiled and asked curiously. "By the way, you mentioned a plan that might incur the imperial family’s anger. What exactly are you planning?"

Cassian leaned back, folding his arms. "In short, I’ll head to the Bladeborne Family in the Veylmar Kingdom to gather solid evidence about the assassination. Once we have it, we’ll move on the Wolfsblade Family together to uphold justice, and to settle everything once and for all."

"I see." James nodded thoughtfully, then shifted topics. "Dad, if I wanted to awaken something... something that might cause a huge commotion, where do you think would be the best place to do it?"

Cassian knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "Oh? What are you planning to awaken? And how big of a commotion are we talking about?"

"It’s an extremely high-level physique, one with the Space and Time attributes. It’ll let me comprehend both elements more easily. As for the commotion, I honestly have no idea how big it’ll be." James replied with a smile.

"What!" Cassian’s eyes widened in pure shock.

Space and Time elements were something that could be said to be one of the strongest elements that only a few people could master. He wasn’t even sure if there was someone who mastered one of them in this world.

After a few moments, Cassian said with a serious expression. "As much as I hate to say it, the safest and most suitable place would be in the Blackfang Mountain."

’As expected...’

James actually already knew the answer, but the reason why he asked was to let his father know so that he would have a strong Legendary Knight as a protector when he awakened the physique.

"Wouldn’t that be dangerous?" James asked, feigning concern. "There are still plenty of Legendary-ranked beasts there, and even a few Transcendents deep within the mountain."

"It can’t be helped," Cassian said firmly. "Given the scale of what you’re attempting, that’s the only place suitable for it. But don’t worry because I’ll be there to protect you."

"Thank you, Dad." James smiled, feeling warmth in his heart.

Cassian waved his hand. "Just tell me when you want to do it."

James only nodded in response and continued the conversation, talking about Eldric’s true identity for a while.

A few minutes later, James got up from his seat, as he had talked about everything he wanted to with his father, but just as he was about to reach the door, he remembered something and tilted his head to look at his father. "Dad, can I let Nyx learn the Steelheart’s swordsmanship?"

"If you believe he’s worth nurturing, then do as you see fit. I trust your judgment, son." Cassian answered with a smile.

"Thank you, Dad." James nodded his head and left the room.

James walked through the long hallway, his boots tapping softly against the polished floor as he made his way toward the back of the manor.

The further he went, the more he could sense the faint vibrations of mana rippling through the air. The distant sounds of clashing steel, rhythmic grunts, and shouted commands soon reached his ears, breaking the tranquil silence of the manor.

When James finally stepped out through the arched doorway leading to the back courtyard, his eyes were greeted by a breathtaking sight.

The Steelheart training grounds, a massive open field stretching as far as the eye could see lay before him. Rows of people moved in perfect synchronization, their auras flaring like blazing flames.

"Tell me their Strength." James glanced at Nyxrael.

Soon, James knew roughly of their strengths.

Around three hundred Elite Knights, each radiating the power of a Gold Knight Rank, were training relentlessly. Their movements were sharp and disciplined with every swing, every thrust of their sword filled with precision.

Among them were several dozen Captain Knights, exuding the power of Platinum Knight Rank. They were easily being identified by their commanding presence and the silver insignias embroidered on their clothes. They stood at the front lines, instructing the Knight Elites and correcting their stances with authoritative voices.

But the one who drew James’s attention the most stood at the very center of the field.

A tall, broad-shouldered man in his late fifties with streaks of gray in his dark hair was overseeing the entire training ground. His eyes were sharp like an eagle’s, skimming through the sea of knights.

He was Halden, one of the two Knight-Commanders of the Steelhearts, and one of the two Epic Knights that Nyxrael had detected previously.