“Forget about it. I’m not going to fight you anymore. I’ll be the first to say that I am no match for you! Your progress is far too rapid. You have gone from being not my match to being able to smash me in just two years. The Sword Saint, I believe, is the only person in the kingdom who can take you head-on.”
Sylvan waved his hand dejectedly after he heard Watson’s words.
The dignified border count had bowed his head and admitted defeat to a 12-year-old boy. It would be great if that were heard anywhere in the kingdom. That sort of behavior was fairly common on Mount Creation.
“I have heard Lord Sylvan and Master talk about the Sword Saint. Is he a powerful man?” Watson inquired.
“He is the only person in the Holy Dragon Kingdom who has openly entered the diamond tier. Would you say he is strong?” Sylvan did not respond directly. Instead, he responded with a question. Watson’s eyes widened with interest. “So, who is more powerful, the Sword Saint or my master?”
Antonio had been trapped at platinum-tier due to the Spring of Life’s curse. He was on the same level as the Sword Saint since he had advanced to the diamond tier. It was difficult to tell who was stronger between those two.
“Of course, the Sword Saint is stronger. There is no comparison at all.”
Contrary to Watson’s expectations, Sylvan shook his head. A nostalgic expression appeared on his face. “The Sword Saint is the most powerful person in the entire kingdom, and he is also the most talented person I have ever met. Oh, of course, I have to exclude you! If Master Antonio is a genius, then the Sword Saint is the genius of geniuses. He became a silver-tier warrior at the age of 12, and since then, he has made significant progress until he reached the diamond tier. Furthermore, he reached the peak of the diamond tier as soon as he entered it!
“Watson, you should understand my hatred for the King. Aside from the fact that his Dragon Knight Legion is extremely formidable, the reason I have not made a move in such a long time is that I am terrified of the Sword Saint.”
Watson’s face was filled with amazement as he listened to Sylvan’s comments. “Who is this Sword Saint, and why is he so powerful?”
“To put it another way, Master Antonio had no defense against a sword attack from the Sword Saint. He should be able to endure three sword attacks now that he has entered the diamond tier and mastered several formidable spells.”
Was that a joke?
Watson understood that the higher one’s cultivation, the more difficult it was to advance further. The wider the separation between various people, the longer one would stay in the same tier. It was not rare for two people to be at the diamond tier and for one of them to be able to kill the other instantaneously.
However, Sylvan went a little too far in claiming that Antonio could not survive three sword strikes from the Sword Saint. His master, after all, was a magnificent man whose fame rocked the Holy Dragon Kingdom. He had roughly a thousand magic spells under his control, but it seemed like those spells could not withstand three sword attacks from the other party. How powerful was the Sword Saint?
Watson would be on his way to the royal city, and Sylvan’s comments piqued his interest about the road he would take soon.
“Sylvan, you are an annoyance. I haven’t seen you in a while, and you’ve already told Watson about my past. Don’t you know how to protect your teacher’s reputation?”
An old disgruntled voice echoed from behind them.
Watson turned his head to see that it was his master, Antonio. He was carrying a one-year-old girl on his shoulder. She was sucking on a pacifier and touching Antonio’s gorgeous face with her tiny pink hands. “Uncle, play with me,” she said in a baby voice.
“Angel, be good. I wish to speak with your brother. I will play with you later.” Antonio smiled at the young child. His wrinkles were pinched like chrysanthemums.
Angel, the little girl, was only a year old; she was Watson’s younger sister. Edward had always wanted to give Watson a sister, but his plan was only realized after he and Catherine had transformed into angels. Angel was born into the angel race, and she was a pure-blooded angel with twelve wings.
As an angel, Angel’s strength was at platinum-tier, and she had shown a strong talent for magic. Her family considered her their hope for the future because she could learn magic from Antonio pretty swiftly. They even thought that her achievements would surpass Watson’s. Antonio adored the little girl; he was like her grandfather, and he accompanied her daily.
“Brother?”
Angel’s huge, bright blue eyes twitched when she heard Antonio mention Watson. She immediately lit up as she approached Watson; the twelve small white wings on her back spread open before she flew out of Antonio’s arms. She landed in front of Watson and opened her arms to greet him. “Hug, Brother.”
Watson seemed helpless as he hugged Angel. Even though he was no longer the youngest child because he had a younger sister at home, that sister seemed quite attached to him. She would let him hug and play with her whenever she saw him.
“Watson, you have spent a long time on Mount Creation, and it seems like winter has come and gone outside of the mountain. You can travel to the capital the next day! No, you might as well leave later; you can return Angel to me now.”
“Master, you’re not going to the capital with me?”
Watson was even more speechless when he noticed the envy in Antonio’s eyes when he stared at him. Antonio had taken an unhealthy liking to Angel. He even wanted to chase him away because of that. Antonio would take her with him, but his parents would never agree to that.
“I wish I could stay here indefinitely. It is a shame; I have been away from the capital for so long. It is time for me to go back.”
Antonio averted his eyes from Angel; his face darkened. “Watson, you are not like me. You still have the right to choose. Are you sure you want to visit the capital? Based on Mount Creation’s current strength, even if you don’t go out, you can still live here happily for your entire life. If you do go out, it will cause more trouble. The kingdom is bigger than you think, and its waters are deeper.”
“Master, you are right. I have made my decision.”
“Then, take one last look at this land. Say goodbye to this place, and we’ll be on our way.” After he said that, Antonio turned around and strolled to the top of the mountain with the Diamond World Tree staff; it was as if he wanted to go and pack his luggage. However, his figure evoked an inexplicable sense of melancholy.
Watson seemed to sense something when he saw his master’s back. He twitched his lips, but in the end, he was hesitant to say anything.
..
An hour later, at the foot of Mount Creation.
Watson and Antonio had gathered their belongings and stood in the path that connected Mount Creation to the outside world. The person sending them off stood in front of them.
“Remember to listen to Master Antonio on the journey to the royal city, Watson. Take care.” Nindy, his second sister, was the first to emerge from the mob and embraced Watson.
Nindy had matured into a capable leader of the mages in two years. Her chestnut hair fell to her waist, and her mature face was well-defined. She exuded an inexplicable aura.
“Watson, I believe it is best to dispatch the Blackmoon Knights to accompany you on your journey to avoid any risk. We can send a thousand knights with you.” Vincent, Watson’s eldest brother, was the second person to bid him farewell.
His eldest sibling was like a mountain. His physique exuded a dreadful sense of oppression, and his bulging biceps crammed his black platinum armor to the brim. If Nindy was an unpredictably violent sea, then his eldest brother, Vincent, was a towering mountain that one could not scale.
“Thank you very much, Eldest Brother and Second Sister. I will pay attention to Master’s words. You must take care too. There’s no need to send the Blackmoon Knights with us. Very few people would harm us, not with my current strength and Master’s power. It would be a bit pretentious to send the Blackmoon Knights with us.”
Watson had a faint recollection of his eldest brother and second sister’s appearance back then. His brother almost married a young woman from a manor because he had wanted to protect their family. In the end, it brought disaster for their family. His second sister had joined the Mage Guild in Monte Town. The guild’s elder, Folson, had pushed for an attack on Blackmoon Castle, and she was taken hostage too.
The image of his siblings gradually overlapped with their stronger selves; he was sad when he thought about that.
“Watson, go on your journey without any worry. Your mother and I will work harder on having more babies, and when you return, we will try to give you a few younger brothers and sisters.”
Watson’s recollection was shattered as his father’s voice echoed. It made him curse helplessly in his heart. After all those years, his father had not changed.
His relatives came forward to bid him farewell. The mayors were also there, and also some of the people that Watson knew.
“Have a safe journey, Young Master Watson. I wish you many serendipitous encounters along the way as you seek to establish your name in the kingdom.” Elvira, Torch Town’s heavenly daughter, walked forward and bowed at Watson. “As a distant relative of the Campbells, I will be visiting them soon. We might have the opportunity to meet in the royal city.”
“Don’t worry, Young Master Watson. We shall return to our families in the royal city soon. We’ll find an opportunity to see you.” Aside from Andre, the mayors of Mount Creation’s towns—Gerant, Lubin, and Lophis—were sobbing gently; they appeared reluctant.
The people on Mount Creation were quite lucky to have met Watson in such a short period. Not everyone was so fortunate.
“Can I accompany you to the royal city, Watson?”
Nightingale was the one who posed the question. She had just turned 18, entering the most beautiful period of a woman’s life after two years on Mount Creation. Watson could feel her longing expression in her pitch-black eyes, so he turned around and said, “I am sorry, Miss Nightingale. I will be there to take the Royal Academy’s test. I am there to be a student rather than a tourist, so—”
“So, Watson, take Nightingale with you!”
“After all, you and your master can’t go on the road without someone to serve you,” Sylvan, who was also sending them off, interrupted. “It is customary to bring one or two handmaidens with you. When an average suburban noble goes to the royal city to study, they do the same thing too. This is about a noble’s dignity.”
“But—”
Watson had wanted to say something when Sylvan interrupted him again. “I am the border count. I hope you can bring Nightingale with you. You won’t deny my request, right?”
“Very well.”
Watson had no choice but to agree. “I will go prepare the carriage,” Nightingale said, first with a grateful gaze to Sylvie and then with a look of uncontrollable excitement. Then she walked down Mount Creation.
The other individuals who saw her go, particularly the maids, were not pleased with the outcome. They screamed, “We don’t want to leave you, Young Master Watson. We’ll be lonely without you.” Watson was forced to choose a maid named Denise from among them to serve him and Nightingale.
Most of them would not know Denise’s name, but her other name was quite well-known—Envy. She knew all about the royal city as she was the former queen’s personal maid. Therefore, it would be quite handy to bring her with them. Watson wanted her to return there for a visit.
Watson followed Antonio after he had chosen his maid. He stepped forward as he took one final look at the familiar and gorgeous backdrop of Mount Creation.
It was time for a new adventure.
