The future knight of rays

Back in the recovery room, Matthias was currently helping Nightin to bandage his wounds. His swift actions reflecting the years of experience he had with injuries. As a soldier, getting injured is a common thing and being able to heal themselves from minor injuries is of top priority.

With one last pull and simple knot, Matthias releases his hands and asks "It's done, are you feeling alright?"

"Yea thanks, just a few more hours of proper rest and my body should recover. Help me pass on a message to General Lionel as well before you leave."

Replying with a smile, Matthias asks Nightin "Young noble, will your message be in the form of a speech or a letter?"

Pondering for awhile, Nightin says "Get me some paper and a brush, I'll write a letter to him." Thinking that Lionel might not recognise the characters he writes, he asks "Is your General able to read the universal language of cultivators?"

"Yes, all Generals in the Voyager Kingdom as sailors of the sea and children of the ocean, knowing as many languages as possible is the minimum criteria. You may not have seen or know it yet, but General Lionel is only at his true strength near the oceans."

"The water brings him strength, life force, recovery speed, nourishment, defense, attack power. Everything a cultivator needs is encompassed within him once he's near the water and his combat strength is rumored to increase by up to seventy percent. In the natural areas such as the jungles, his combat strength is also rumored to at least be around 130% of his peak. The him who you defeated yesterday, was only him in his weakest stage where he doesn't receive any extra benefits."

"Don't let anyone know that I told you this, but General Lionel was once someone who feared the seas and jungles, it was a woman who changed his character and the same woman who caused him to live in agony for the rest of his life."

"That woman is known as Cassandra and she's the queen of the Supreme Kingdom which rules above the Voyager Kingdom. She's also the reason why Lionel is actually still single and why he remains cold towards us, you were the first ever since that day to have made him smile for once. Not on the battlefield, but on home grounds where he always remains cold even when facing the Emperor. You are the first one to have made him smile in these years.

"Why are you telling me this and how did you get hold of such confidential information?" Nightin asks as his brows wrinkle, out of slight worry and maybe just a tinge of curiosity. If Matthias had heard about this through unintentional means, he might still be kept alive, he just hopes that Matthias did not dig out this information intentionally.

"You mean what I just told you? I'm not sure if what I just mentioned was true, but I don't see a reason for my brother to lie to me about such affairs and matters. Even if it's confidential, I believe that my brother must have obtained such information through legal means and methods." Matthias answers back and even though he tried to contain his unpleasantness, it could still be heard from his voice. As for his protectiveness for his brother, it is a relationship that goes both ways.

"I do not know if I should be telling you this, but your brother is already dead. Don't you find it suspicious for someone with at best high talent suddenly made a gigantic leap one after another?" Nightin adds on. I'm sorry if you didn't really want this Hysan, but I feel that I'm obliged to help you inform your brother about this.

Colour drained from Matthias's face when he heard this, Hysan had been his older brother since young and had always been shielding him from harm. Whenever someone tries to harm him, his brother would always be the first one to step out and protect him. There were many instances where his brother returned home with bruises and cuts when the injuries were lighter, there were even times where his brother returned home, back to the orphanage with a broken arm or internal injuries. Even so, Hysan has never cried out in pain, whenever his soothing eyes meets Matthias, he would always say "Don't worry, your brother is here for you."

"This can't be happening! You're just lying to me! Wasn't my brother still speaking to me just before your battle with the General and even before the mysterious energy barrier which veiled you and Kris up with brother Hysan?" Matthias cries out as tears started to well up in his eyes, his body fell limp as he knelt on the ground, blades of sorrow cutting deep into the deepest parts of his sole heart.

"I'm sorry, but it was the wish of your brother to allow someone to possess his body, with a condition in return." Seeing Matthias finally raising his head, he continues "Your brother condition didn't have to be mentioned, it was for that great being to protect you at all costs."

"That person had no reason to appear and protect you, your brother is already dead and even if he goes back on his words, there still wouldn't be any one to question his moral character. He will still be the genius in the eyes of others and enjoy fame and glory. Why did he go through the hassle to protect you and even keep track of such unimportant information then? It shows that your brother's behavior has touched him, someone who can just give up on you and become the next generation of Overlord."

"But... The only reason and pillar of support keeping me going ever since young was my brother, we started off as mere orphans left in the orphanage, it was him who gave me warmth, he was the one who saved the drowning boy from the deepest parts of the ocean, he was the one who brought hope into my life. Without him at this point of time, I seriously don't know how to go on with life, can you give me an answer?"

"Are you playing dumb with me or are you just plain stupid? Of course you should live on and live your life to the fullest, find yourself a woman you truly love and protect her with your life and have children to continue on your bloodline. Your brother light may have been reflected off and lost in the darkness, but that's more of a reason for you to live a even better life. Don't just live for yourself, you're living for your brother at the same time!"

When Matthias heard Nightin's last sentence, tears finally streaked down his face as he says in his whimpering voice, "I was foolish, thanks for enlightening me. Young noble, please allow me to serve you from this day onward."

"Are you sure about this? You'll lose everything which you've managed to build up over the years if you follow me. You'll be gradually forgotten until I step into the battlefield which will most likely take place next month, you'll fall from a special knight comparable to a fifth grade noble to a nobody, just to serve a ninth grade noble. Have you gave it careful thought? I'll give you three days to mull over it."

"There's no need to, I've made up my mind to serve you as your subordinate and I'll make sure to do what I've said. If not for you, then the current me would already be dead." Matthias replies in such a determined manner that even Nightin almost gave up on the notion of testing his will to serve him, but still steeled his heart and said "Even if I were to ask you to die for me one day as a selfish noble?"

"I'm sure that you..."

"What if that day comes?"

Nightin interjects in, he wanted to disrupt Matthias heart and if his wavers for even a second, then he might not even give Matthias the chance to serve under him, he had no reason to take in someone who might end up turning his blade towards him one day.

"Then I'll do as told, I only hope that I have a wife by then and if I have children with her, I hope that you can give them the best education and guidance."

Hearing Matthias answer, Nightin knows that it's time to wrap things up as he says "From today onward, I hereby appoint you as the knight of rays."