Skybright Fortress was, in truth, the smallest metropolis in the entire Silver Wind Empire. Perched on the very edge of civilization, it lagged behind the rest of the nation in every respect: economy, population, and above all, the average strength of its cultivators. The inhabitants often joked bitterly among themselves that they were a corner of the Empire forgotten by the gods, where even the news arrived with a delay.
However, today the streets of the Fortress teemed with more life than ever before. The reason was singular: the grand wedding of Kaelen Valerius and Selyna Selwyne. Had it been about Kaelen alone, no one would have even interrupted a midday nap, but Selyna was a living legend of the region.
The Selwyne House was not a typical clan of warriors. For generations, their domain had been commerce and gold. While they were merely average on an imperial scale, in Skybright Fortress, they were unrivaled in wealth. Their power, however, did not rest solely on coin; their fortune allowed them to employ mercenary masters to protect their interests.
The clan leader, Cyrus Selwyne, had two children: Titus and Selyna. Both, to their father's surprise, were utterly uninterested in merchant ledgers, dedicating themselves entirely to the cultivation of ether. Cyrus never forbade them, and when Selyna's talent exploded, earning her the title of genius, he became her greatest patron. It was widely believed that Selyna would be the first in the city's history to reach the Earthly Ether Realm - perhaps even the Heavenly Ether Realm - at a young age. Such a future would mean absolute dominance for the Selwyne House in this part of the Empire.
And this girl, the very promise of power, was to marry Kaelen today - a "good-for-nothing" whose only achievement was the fact that he was still breathing. Cyrus Selwyne's decision sparked disbelief in some and a burning, murderous jealousy in others.
Since the Selwyne House was giving away their only daughter, the scale of the ceremony was breathtaking. As soon as Kaelen stepped past the threshold of his own estate, his eyes met an endless ribbon of purple silk. This royal carpet marked the path from the gates of the Valerius clan and wound through the twisting streets all the way to the Selwyne residence.
As the wedding procession began to move, the streets of Skybright Fortress literally boiled over. Hundreds of onlookers crowded both sides of the road, and the venomous whispers of the crowd, carried by the echoes of the walls, began to reach Kaelen's ears.
"Look! That's the Fifth Elder's grandson, Kaelen. I heard his Ether Veins are completely shattered. They say he'll never even break through to the first level of the Elementary Realm in his life!"
"It's the first time I've seen him in person."
"No wonder. With a proud lion like that for a grandfather and being such a zero himself, he was probably afraid to step out of the shadows. To think Selyna Selwyne is actually marrying someone like that... the Heavens must be blind!"
Deep in the crowd, someone else laid it all bare: "They say his father and Cyrus Selwyne were sworn blood brothers. Kaelen's father saved Cyrus's life, giving up almost all his power during an assassin attack. Cyrus promised then that when Selyna turned sixteen, she would become his son's wife. Soon after, Kaelen's father died, weakened by that sacrifice. Cyrus, consumed by guilt and gratitude, couldn't break his word, even if his son-in-law was the biggest idiot in the Empire. If not for that blood debt, this boy wouldn't be fit to clean Selyna's boots!"
"What?!" roared a young cultivator. "Selyna is the brightest diamond of the Silver Wind Empire! If not for his status as an Elder's grandson, that kid would be nobody. I'm a hundred times stronger than him - it's not fair! The goddess of my dreams is marrying this trash... I'd rather die than watch this! Argh!"
Kaelen, sitting high atop his horse, seemed entirely detached from this wave of hatred. His eyes were clear and unnaturally calm, radiating a depth of character no one had seen in him before. In his purple wedding robes, with his long hair fluttering in the wind, he looked remarkably elegant.
The malicious undertones, the contempt, and the mockery of the crowd slid off him like water off marble. Not only did he maintain his composure, but a faint, almost magnetic smile remained on his face. Many girls in the crowd, who had come only to jeer, suddenly felt their hearts skip a beat. Their eyes clouded with a sudden, inexplicable admiration.
Though Kaelen's strength was currently less than that of an average guard, his beauty was undeniable. One could say that in terms of facial features, he even surpassed Silas. Because he rarely left home, his complexion was pale and delicate, giving him the appearance of a noble, living doll - beautiful, mysterious, and seemingly fragile.
Though countless young men hated Kaelen so much they ground their teeth, deep down they had to admit one thing: in this attire, and with this new, icy confidence, he looked like someone who truly could stand beside Selyna Selwyne.
"I thought the coward would hide in a sealed carriage today, but he's brazenly riding a horse. With that posture... it looks like the rumors of his weakness were exaggerated," someone in the crowd muttered.
"Don't make me laugh!" a bitter voice replied from the side. "This trash, whom no one usually spits on, is about to marry the greatest treasure of the Silver Wind Empire. Of course he's bursting with pride! In his place, I'd also pretend to be the master of the world, just to avoid losing face with a match like that."
"I heard the young masters from the Yuwen clan and other powerful families are furious. Do you think they'll dare stop the procession?"
"As if! Kaelen is Valerius Lie's only grandson. Even the greatest experts of the Fortress bow before old Lie. He lost his son; he only has this boy left - he guards him like his own soul. Anyone who causes a scandal today would have to reckon with Lie's wrath, and that's a death sentence. Besides, this isn't a forced marriage from the Selwynes' side. Who would dare draw the fury of both houses at once? I bet all those jealous brats are locked in their homes right now, biting their fists in helplessness."
The procession advanced slowly. The five-kilometer journey through the cheering and cursing city took nearly an hour and a half.
"BROTHER-IN-LAW!!"
As the procession neared the main gate of the Selwyne residence, a massive, almost wild shout tore through the air. A colossal, burly figure came charging toward Kaelen. Though his face still radiated youth, the man was at least two meters tall. His body was built like a mythical bull, and the earth seemed to tremble beneath every step.
Kaelen, watching this phenomenon, instinctively swallowed. "Titus!" he called out in disbelief. "I haven't seen you in just a month - how could you have grown so much again?!"
It was hard to call this figure a boy, despite the fact that Titus Selwyne - Selyna's younger brother - was only fifteen this year. Looking at his physique, no one would believe it. Standing two meters tall, he was eye-to-level with the mounted Kaelen. Titus weighed over a hundred and seventy kilograms of pure, rock-hard muscle with a dark brown, almost metallic sheen.
Though his ether cultivation was rather average - he was at the Fourth Level of the Elementary Realm - his raw physical strength was legendary. Through sheer mass and muscle, he could fight on equal footing with masters at the sixth level of power.
Titus was more than future family to Kaelen; he was his only, most loyal friend. From their earliest years, even before they could pronounce their names correctly, Titus had called him "brother-in-law." As a child, Titus had been a sickly, thin, dark-skinned boy who was constantly the target of his peers' mockery. Everything changed after his eighth birthday. As if he had eaten some forbidden, mythical herb, Titus underwent a transformation that defied the laws of nature. His height, mass, and appetite skyrocketed with explosive force. Now, at fifteen, despite his still-childish facial features, he resembled a mythical giant.
Hearing Kaelen's remark about his height, Titus rubbed his neck with an awkwardness that looked comical given his dimensions. "It's... it's stronger than me, brother-in-law. Father tells me to go on a diet every day, but I swear I'd rather someone kill me than feel this eternal hunger. Being hungry is worse than death!"
Kaelen just shook his head, unable to find his voice. If the boy was a living mountain of meat at fifteen, it was terrifying to think what he would become as a grown man. He knew that only the Selwyne fortune could sustain such an appetite; in any other family, Titus would have eaten through the entire estate in a single quarter.
"Hehe, brother-in-law, the day is finally here!" Titus flashed a grin of pure sincerity. To him, the matter was simple: Kaelen was a good man, and Selyna was the strongest woman he knew. In his eyes, this marriage meant that no one would ever dare hurt his friend again. "Hurry up, sister is ready. Oh, I'll go open the gates for you!"
With those words, Titus turned and ran toward the entrance like a mobile battering ram, each step making the ornaments on the residence's roof rattle.
The procession entered the main courtyard. Cyrus Selwyne was already waiting by the stairs. Kaelen immediately dismounted and approached him with impeccable manners. "Greetings, Uncle Cyrus," he said respectfully.
"Haha! Still 'Uncle' after all this?" Cyrus laughed. He was not a tall man; he gave the impression of a steady, slightly stout merchant with a kindly face. However, in the entire Silver Wind Empire, no sane person underestimated the man who held the finances of the whole region in his grasp.
Kaelen's eyes sparkled with a new, sharp light. He corrected himself immediately: "Father-in-law."
Kaelen had always held Cyrus in high regard. While the rest of the world looked at him with pity or loathing, this man had always treated him with paternal affection. Despite Kaelen's damaged veins and lack of prospects, Cyrus had never once thought of breaking the blood-brother promise given to the boy's father sixteen years ago.
"Good, very good!" Cyrus nodded and placed a heavy hand on Kaelen's shoulder. "Che'er, from today I entrust Selyna to you. You may not be a great warrior, but my brother's blood flows in you, so I give you my daughter with a peaceful heart. Your father was a man of unyielding integrity and passion. Being his blood brother is the greatest honor of my life. Though your veins are dormant now, I do not believe the son of such a lion will remain a mere mortal forever. Treat her well, and as for those who spit venom behind your back... let them be damned."
In Kaelen's eyes, usually tranquil, a sudden fire of determination ignited. His voice became low and steady: "Father-in-law, do not worry. Though the world sees a pauper in me today, I promise you one thing: as soon as my veins are healed, a dragon will awaken from this abyss and shake the entire Empire. I will make everyone who dared look down on me or mocked your decision fall silent in obedience."
Cyrus froze with his hand on Kaelen's shoulder. He had known Kaelen since childhood - he knew the boy had always been withdrawn, gentle, and weighed down by a sense of inferiority. This sudden pride, this icy, sharp gaze, and unwavering calm made his skin crawl. He saw a completely different man standing before him.
"Good!" Cyrus smiled broadly, a flash of pride in his eyes. "I knew blood would tell. I will wait for the day the dragon spreads its wings. Now, go. Selyna is waiting for you inside."