Chapter 15 – The Spear of Longinus

“Is the knight’s relic… that sword?”

Nigel smiled wryly and replied, “No, the sword our family possesses is just a fragment of the original knight’s relic.”

His voice, deep and mellow, slowly unveiled a secret buried for who knows how many years: “The sacred land of the knights is called ‘Knight’s Holy Mountain,’ where the knight’s relic is enshrined at its peak. Legend has it that the relic is an ancient divine artifact known as—the Spear of Longinus.”

“The Spear of Longinus is the source of the knights’ faith. Only those who formally swear an oath before the Spear of Longinus and gain its recognition, thereby receiving the power of faith, can be considered true knights.

Throughout history, when renowned knights passed away, their personal weapons were brought to the Holy Mountain and placed alongside the Spear of Longinus at the summit. These weapons, long bathed in pure and abundant faith, also gained the ability to bestow knightly powers, albeit to a much lesser extent—this sword is one of those weapons.”

“And now…”

“According to our elders, the Spear of Longinus suddenly vanished on the eve of the end of the Dark Age. After the relic disappeared, all the knights who had been empowered by it lost their strength, becoming merely ordinary people with somewhat robust physiques.

The Spear of Longinus had stood on the Holy Mountain for centuries, and no one had ever been able to move it even slightly. Known as the ‘Gift of the Gods,’ its sudden disappearance led the knights to believe that the relic no longer protected them—that their faith had grown impure, desecrating the radiant Spear of Longinus.”

At this point, Nigel furrowed his brow slightly: “I don’t quite understand. The knights’ faith was unshakable. Why would they think that way?”

“Perhaps because of the Dark Age,” Haitie said. “The history of the Dark Age is difficult to clarify. Now, only the records of the Mages can provide a rough understanding of what happened.”

Nigel: “I only know that such an era existed. My elders never mentioned anything else.”

“The Dark Age was a chaotic era of war. Before it, nearly all civilizations and factions had reached a peak of prosperity after long periods of accumulation, but the limited resources on the continent were beginning to show signs of being unable to sustain this growth.”

Facing the knights, the Mages did not hide what they knew—history itself held little to conceal, but with the continent long isolated from the Magic World, these buried events had long since faded from memory on the mainland.

“The human empires, the Dragon Clan, Elves, Dwarves, Mages, and Knights—these two groups were more complex. Some Mages were aligned with empires, while others formed independent factions apart from humanity. Within the Mages, there were three systems: Light, Dark, and Nature. Light Mages, known as ‘Walking Gods,’ were revered across the continent, while Dark Mages, dwelling in the Death Swamp, were considered extremely evil.

As for the knights, they would choose their masters as long as it did not violate the eight tenets of their creed—various empires had powerful knight legions, and many knights chose to follow Mages across the continent. Although not many knights served non-human factions, during periods of peace among the various powers, some still did.

Finally, the Dark Age, which swept across the entire continent, was ignited by the war between Light and Dark Mages and spread throughout the land. Almost all races were drawn into the endless flames of war, either willingly or unwillingly.

The knights’ doubts about their faith may have begun to grow from the start of the war.”

Haitie, who was particularly fond of the history of the Dark Age, recounted these events in detail: “Nigel, if the knightly tradition is truly as you say, then two knights, each loyal to their own master, fighting on the battlefield—might have once sworn their oaths together before the Spear of Longinus.”

Nigel pondered thoughtfully: “I see…”

Lin Wei continued to ask: “What happened after the relic disappeared?”

Nigel shook his head: “All I know is that, to uphold the honor of the knights, the matter was concealed. The knights declined abruptly and never rose again. Our ancestors were among the more powerful knights of that time and passed down this sword. Unfortunately, few descendants have been able to draw power from it. It wasn’t until my sister and I came along that we realized this might not just be a story made up by our elders.”

At the end of that chaotic era, all races and factions suffered heavy casualties, barely able to protect themselves, let alone investigate the fate of the knights. Thus, the once-flourishing age of knights came to an abrupt and secretive end, leaving behind only a longsword, once wielded by a mighty knight but now rusted, and a story of uncertain truth, passed down in isolation within a small family.

“So, what are your plans for the future?”

Nigel’s expression turned bitter: “We don’t have many options. Now, it’s just my sister and me—I’m not comfortable joining the Imperial Corps and leaving her alone in the town. So, we stay here, occasionally hunting in the forest, and manage to get by.”

Haitie lowered her head, her gaze tinged with sorrow. The bloodline of the knights had come to this—relying on their bodies and strength, just like ordinary mercenaries, barely maintaining a decent life.

Seeing this, Nigel smiled reassuringly and said to her, “We’re used to it. Everyone in the town lives like this. It’s not a big deal.”

“But if the knights were still here…”

If the knights were still here, perhaps the continent would be a different place.

Even after hearing such a story, the image of the knights in Haitie’s heart remained unchanged—tall, sincere, and upright guardians, protecting everyone, whether Mages or ordinary people on the mainland.

Haitie turned her gaze to Lin Wei, and Lin Wei noticed that even Daniel was looking at him!

He couldn’t help but chuckle. It seemed that these days of flaunting his family’s influence and spending lavishly across the continent had an unexpected effect—he was now being seen as the decision-maker!

He knew exactly what Haitie was thinking—this girl probably had heard too many bedtime stories and had a certain obsession with the legendary knights.

However, he wasn’t without his own ideas. Lady Talin had already sworn loyalty to him, and merely learning a piece of hidden history through her seemed a bit of a waste of her talents.

He leaned close to Duan Yu, stood on tiptoe, and whispered something in his ear.

Duan Yu replied in a low voice, “It’s up to you.”

The whisper made his voice even softer than usual, and the sound, already pleasant to the ear, combined with the meaning of the words, gave Lin Wei an inexplicable sense of joy.

He turned to Talin and Nigel: “Would you two…”

This sentence made Talin and Nigel widen their eyes in surprise.

“Be interested in going to the Magic Academy?”

To ordinary people, Mages were already distant and unattainable, let alone the Magic Academy, which was separated by a vast sea.

“Us… going to the Magic Academy?”

“That’s right,” Lin Wei nodded. “The academy has many powerful Mages, as well as various ancient texts and records that might help you. And… they would certainly welcome knights.”

This statement was exceptionally well-phrased. Only Daniel, with his empathy and understanding, could guess Lin Wei’s ulterior motives.

—The idle old Mages at the Magic Academy, who could spend days pondering a single spell, would undoubtedly be highly enthusiastic about researching the vanished knightly bloodline. Perhaps they could even find a way to restore their powers!

By then, the one to benefit would be Lin Wei—maybe even revive the knightly civilization and rewrite the course of history.

The invitation was naturally successful. Not only were the siblings’ lives in the town far from ideal, but even if they were comfortable, the opportunity to go to the Magic Academy might be a turning point for the knightly lineage—an undeniably huge temptation.

The knight siblings, who had been recognized by the fragmented sword, had firmly etched the eight tenets of “Humility, Integrity, Compassion, Valor, Justice, Sacrifice, Honor, and Soul” into their hearts, yearning to become true knights.

“Our destination is the Floating Sky Capital, but you two haven’t been recognized by the Magic Association, so you can’t travel with us.”

“That’s alright,” Talin said eagerly. “My brother and I will wait here for you!”

“That’s for the best,” Lin Wei nodded, not forgetting to remind the siblings, “Don’t venture into dangerous places again. If something happens, there won’t be our genius alchemist around to help.”

The siblings, knowing the significance of this opportunity, agreed without hesitation.

However, Daniel, flattered by Lin Wei’s praise as a “genius alchemist,” broke from his usual stinginess and left them a bottle of magic potion, just in case.

After bidding farewell to the knight siblings, the group had no reason to linger in Crescent Town any longer. They boarded their carriage that same day and set off again, heading for the Imperial Capital.

Mages liked to call the capital the “Floating Sky Capital,” but its official name was “Main City of Kalaway.” The people of the mainland referred to it as “Kalaway City,” which floated high above the Imperial Capital. Therefore, to reach the Floating Sky Capital, one had to first arrive at the Imperial Capital.

Lin Wei knew that although it was impossible to see the Floating Sky Capital with the naked eye from the highest point of the Imperial Capital, it was undoubtedly a thorn in the heart of the Empire. Perhaps it wasn’t prominent in the eyes of the old Emperor, but to his eldest son, who had yet to ascend the throne, it was a different matter—just the future iron-fisted Emperor’s usual reference to it as “that evil Kalaway City” was enough to show his disdain.

As they approached the Imperial Capital, Lin Wei spoke less and less.

Noticing that his companion was quieter than usual, Duan Yu finally asked, after hearing Lin Wei’s soft sigh, “What’s wrong with you today?”

“Nothing much,” Lin Wei’s tone was somewhat despondent. “Once we reach the Imperial Capital, if there’s anything else we need to spend money on, let’s do it quickly—we might not get the chance later.”

“Why?” Haitie asked, puzzled.

Lin Wei gazed out the window at the increasingly grand and exquisite streets, his expression growing more somber, as if he were heading not toward the bustling Imperial Capital but into a thick haze: “After all, I’m a Mage… You don’t mind staying in the Imperial Capital for a few more days while I settle some family matters, do you?”