Blue Lagoon Palace:
A blast of purple lightning struck him before he could react. He was sent flying violently against the training wall and cracked several times. His breath hitched, not from fear but from the rage boiling within him.
The reproachful gaze of the woman in the purple dress, Catherine, ignited something inside him. Nolan knew that Catherine had considered him to be like the old Caelthorn. That was a terrible mistake.
Nolan Caelthorn was gone.
The man standing before her now was wounded and battered, but unbowed: Nolan Steward.
He had had enough of being looked down upon, both on Earth and in this new world. If he had previously hesitated to accept life as Caelthorn, his doubts were now completely gone.
He would not be stepped on by anyone again.
Not even by the woman in front of him, who happened to be the birth mother of this body.
He still sat on the floor with his hands clenched into fists and trembling joints, raging inside. His voice came out low and filled with the dark haze of a heart that refused to give up.
"Is your attack limited to this? Too weak."
Catherine lifted one corner of her lips in a cold, disdainful way.
"You're not worthy of another attack. You might die, and then Antares will still bother me."
Without waiting for a reply, the woman who had been floating in the air descended to the floor. Her purple dress fluttered as she walked through the doors of the training room, leaving a deafening silence behind.
Nolan took a deep breath, suppressing the anger left to explode uncontrollably. With his body battered like this, he couldn't possibly walk back through the palace corridors. So, he raised his hand.
A hexagonal chain appeared, shimmering in the air. The object opened, creating a portal. Without hesitating, Nolan entered the portal. As soon as it closed, the artifact vanished again, as if it had never existed.
A few seconds later, he stepped out of the portal into his own room. Even though his body begged for rest, he didn't immediately collapse onto the bed. Instead, he took the vial containing the blue crystal and activated it.
A healing light spread throughout his body, slowly closing the wounds and soothing the pain.
Higher ranks for Sentinels can only be attained through the annual Transcendent Trials, moving from Master to Saint and onward to even higher levels. However, simply passing the trials isn't the only requirement. To climb to the top of the ranks, one must achieve perfect fusion of mana energy and white crystal stones, a feat that few can accomplish.
As far as Nolan knew, the Daemons used black crystal pillars to strengthen themselves. The Sentinels had a similar method involving white crystal stones, but the pure version was extremely rare and could only be found in the most dangerous places in the Earth Realm.
Nolan swiped the transparent screen floating in front of him. Rows of symbols and data quickly scrolled, showing the nine Guilds and various smaller organizations. Those not listed were likely criminal groups or dark organizations opposed to the Association.
"The Snake Goddess Organization is the first on the Aurora Association's list of targets..." Nolan muttered, furrowing his brow. He scrolled to another section and paused when he saw his own data: Caelthorn.
"Twice applied to the major Guilds and the noble Guild, and both applications were canceled due to Catherine's interference." Nolan let out a scornful sigh. "Did she intentionally turn Caelthorn into a puppet she could control at will?"
His eyes hardened. It was no longer Caelthorn's fearful and gloomy gaze, but cold and sharp—the gaze of Nolan Steward.
Catherine was about to intervene again, but Nolan no longer cared. If the woman wanted to stop him, let her try.
He picked up a golden pen and wrote on the holographic screen as if it were paper. Earth Realm technology had eliminated the need for physical paper. They now used rectangular metal tablets and interactive holograms for all official documents.
After finishing the writing and signing, Nolan pressed the small "Submit" icon. With just one touch, his application to join the main Guild flew into the central system.
Moments later, there was a soft knock on the door. It slid aside and a maid entered.
"Prince Nolan, Miss Elizabeth has come to visit you. She's waiting in the common room."
Nolan's eyebrows rose. He paused for a split second—a belated reminder popped into his head:
Elizabeth Valerisse.
Caelthorn's fiancée.
Finally, Nolan stepped out of the room. His body still felt light, but his mind hadn't fully recovered. As the sliding door to the common room slid aside automatically, he was greeted by the aroma of herbal tea and the soft light of a crystal chandelier. The room was filled with modern furniture with gold accents—too opulent to be a lounge, yet warm enough not to feel like a royal chamber.
Nolan's brown gaze fell on a girl with wavy blonde hair flowing down her back. Her pink dress fell gracefully to the floor. She was Elizabeth Valerisse, daughter of the Valerisse nobility and founder of the Knights of the Sword Guild. Nolan remembered her...fleetingly. Or rather, Nolan Caelthorn remembered her.
Beside Elizabeth stood Jasmine, the brunette maid, who immediately recognized Nolan.
"Lady Elizabeth, there's Prince Nolan," Jasmine whispered, bowing respectfully.
Elizabeth turned her head abruptly. Surprise flashed across her face for a moment, then transformed into an expression of profound sadness, relief, and longing.
"Nolan!" she cried.
Before he could react, Elizabeth lunged at him and hugged him tightly. Her tears erupted onto his chest as if she had rediscovered something she thought was lost forever.
"I'm glad... I'm so glad you're okay," Elizabeth sobbed, tightening her embrace. "When I heard you were hurt, that you might not survive, I really didn't want to lose you."
Nolan froze. His heart pounded, but not from the warmth of the embrace; it was from confusion. Should he respond to her as Nolan Caelthorn, who was related to Elizabeth? Or should he respond as himself—Nolan Steward, a mere human from Earth who had never had a friend, let alone a close relationship with a girl?
His hands remained at his sides, unmoving.
"I'm fine," Nolan replied softly, his voice hoarse and stiff. "You don't need to worry."
Elizabeth slowly released her embrace. Her cheeks were puffed out and her red eyes were still wet, but her tears were starting to subside.
"What do you mean I'm fine? How can I not worry?" Her voice was high and filled with emotion. "I was so worried that I argued with Dad. I wanted to be with you at the hospital, but I wasn't allowed."
Nolan lowered his head slightly. He couldn't think of a complex answer. Finally, only one word escaped his lips:
"Sorry."
Elizabeth blinked, raising one eyebrow. That reaction was clearly not what she had expected.
"Nolan, is your behavior change because you're in a coma?" Her voice softened and became filled with concern. "Are you really okay?"
But before Nolan could respond, Elizabeth sighed softly.
"I was probably too worried about you, to the point of thinking unnecessary things. But now that I see you're okay, I'm really happy."
Without giving Nolan time to respond, the girl with wavy blonde hair hugged him tightly. Nolan remained stiff, only able to gently pat Elizabeth's shoulder in an attempt to reassure her.
A moment later, Elizabeth took Nolan's hand and pulled him toward the plush sofa. Nolan complied without protest. He could guess her reasoning—she probably just wanted to spend time with him after he woke up from his coma.
A small cart filled with sweet treats rolled by itself and stopped right in front of the table. Jasmine, Elizabeth's loyal servant, swiftly served the treats and poured tea. Elizabeth picked up a porcelain cup filled with Ceylon tea from the Tea-Plucking District—a favorite of the royals—and sipped it slowly.
Elizabeth's face lit up, clearly showing how much she enjoyed the drink. Nolan watched her for a moment. He knew that tea was quite popular among the nobility and that the English nobility had even made it a part of their culture on Earth. However, Nolan himself—both as an Earthling and as Caelthorn—never cared much about tea.
He took a sip of the Ceylon tea in front of him. It wasn't bad, but it didn't leave a particular taste. His expression remained impassive.
Seeing this, Elizabeth chuckled.
"Nolan, you've never liked tea. But you always insist on adapting to my tastes. Don't force yourself just because Liza likes it."
Nolan put his cup back on the table without comment.
"If you don't like it, why conform to this girl's tastes? Does Caelthorn have feelings for Elizabeth?" he muttered to himself.
Elizabeth put her cup down and looked at Nolan seriously for the first time.
"Nolan, after this, don't you plan on joining one of the major guilds? You can't stay an independent Sentinel forever. You're the crown prince—you'll one day succeed Uncle Antares."
"I've considered joining one of the major guilds," Nolan replied calmly.
Elizabeth's eyes lit up immediately, filled with hope.
"Really? Liza is so happy! Don't worry; the Knights of the Sword Guild is great for your future. We can work together on many missions."