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Chapter 274: Knights Must Be Free Of Mortal Chains

The Spider Queen

(Unova Syndicate- Sector Alpha-099)

(Unknown Planet)

The mercenaries that were originally travelling to the frontier region were not the only group present on the planet.

All available squads in the local sector had been given instructions to head over to the plant and even some high-level knights from the Hyperion Order had been dispatched to aid in the search.

The leader of these knights was a holy paladin known simply as 'Dawn.'

He was an individual that was valued highly by the upper circle members of the organization.

It was odd to see a human inside an organization as powerful as the Hyperion Order, but it was a testimony to Dawn's prowess that none of the men under his rule dared to rebel or express dissatisfaction.

Currently it was nighttime on the planet, so the knights had set up camp under a nearby sand dune.

Each knight had brought personal tents that could expand to the size of a small house. These tents were made from high quality carbon-fiber alloys and smart materials.

The outside of the tent resembled that of a metalloid sphere, but the interior was warm and comfortable with standard furniture and amenities placed inside.

Captain Dawn's tent was in the center of the camp and none dared to disturb his guests.

When the captain had rejoined the team with what appeared to be a bloodied corpse and a small figure there were some eyebrows raised.

However, a brief explanation that these were mercenaries sent to look for the flower had managed to clear any suspicions.

Plus, the knights had a quiet sense of confidence in their captain's strength.

He was powerful enough to thoroughly crush any small schemes.

"Are you sure my big sister will be alright?" Lily asked tearfully as she saw Sophie's body motionless on the bed.

A handsome man in medieval inspired combat gear took off his helmet and exposed his dirty blonde hair that gently swayed under the artificial light.

The captain's androgynous features softened as he saw the worried child and a strange emotion briefly surfaced in his heart.

"Don't worry my child. Your companion appears to have an impressive recovery ability," Captain Dawn said confidently.

Impressive was an understatement.

Captain Dawn had noticed that the gigantic corpse near the duo was of a ferocious species known as the X'rean.

This particular flower was an elite of the species whose abilities and strength were enough to wipe out a squad of qi tide cultivators.

What was truly dangerous was its ability to halt and disintegrate the flesh of any helpless prey that came in contact with its green tendrils.

The fact that this hybrid girl was still alive after suffering several wounds was enough to be called a miracle.

Captain Dawn stared at the hybrid girl out of the corner of his eyes with several thoughts running through his mind.

He turned to the small figure crouched near the bed and spoke softly,

"Why don't you remove your mask so I could check to see if you have suffered any injuries."

"Um… no…no… I'm sorry but my big sister said not to," Lily stammered and backed away.

Truthfully, Lily regretted revealing her identity as a human to this stranger but at the time she did not know what to do.

It may be too late to hide the fact that she was from the Earth Federation, but Lily was not going to show her true appearance.

"Alright I won't scare you," Captain Dawn smiled gently and went over to the kitchen.

There was a sizzling sound as the handsome knight skillfully placed several strips of unknown meat on a stovetop and begun to cook.

Soon an oily but fragrant odour spread through the tent and caused Lily's mouth to begin to water in anticipation.

Lily could not help but take a brief look at the cooking meat, but her attention soon returned to the severely injured figure laying down on the bed.

Sophie truly was in bad shape.

The hybrid girl had suffered from three cracked ribs, a puncture wound to the stomach and the loss of an ear, eye and her left arm that were all sliced clean off.

Hours had passed since Sophie had fallen unconscious and she had shown no signs of waking up anytime soon.

If there was some good news, it was that the area around the injuries were no longer rapidly decomposing.

Captain Dawn had carefully scraped away the infected areas of Sophie's flesh with a laser knife and no further rot had occurred.

There were even some traces of regeneration that could be seen on the tip of the stump where Sophie's left arm used to be.

Lily blinked and felt a wave of exhaustion hit her body.

She had to suffer through several hours in the blistering heat which was tough for an eight-year-old girl to endure.

"Why don't you take a rest," a warm voice whispered softly, and Lily felt a pair of firm hands lift up her body.

Captain Dawn walked over to a spare bed and placed Lily in the center of the mattress.

He then easily lifted up the bed and brought it next to Sophie's cot.

"Thank you," Lily smiled gratefully as she felt some goodwill towards this selfless stranger who gave a helping hand in her time of need.

He truly resembled a knight in shining armour.

A hero who would protect the innocent.

Captain Dawn stretched out his hand to pick up the blanket at the bottom of the bed and then carefully tucked in Lily.

"You remind me of my children," Captain Dawn suddenly spoke.

"I had two beautiful daughters called Sarah and Anna. This was before I joined the Hyperion Order and devoted my faith to the sun god."

"Knight who serve the sun must be free of their mortal ties as these ties are nothing more than chains or shackles that bind us."

"So, what happened to your daughters?" Lily asked curiously.

Captain Dawn paused for a moment and a painful expression flashed across his face.

Guilt, regret, and sorrow could all be clearly seen but Lily did not notice as this change had only lasted for a brief second before the captain returned to his gentle smile.

"They were all given an opportunity to meet our god in the holy land. I felt truly devastated when I had to personally send them there because I knew that we would never meet again."

"But… now I have met you."

Captain Dawn leaned over the bed and stroked Lily's face with an almost reverent expression of adoration and dark desire.

He seemed to be gazing at Lily but seeing someone else through her figure.

"This meeting between us can be regarded as predetermined by fate. When your companion wakes up…. I will inform her of the good news."

"The Sun God will truly be pleased to have such a lovely girl join our order."