Chapter 231. Cosmo’s background

After Aiden cooked for the group, they talked a lot about their adventures and caught up on a lot of things.

This included Cosmo and Pamela’s engagement, and the experiences of everyone during the time Aiden had been in the Eldorath Empire military, through his period outside the Eldorath Empire and the Southern Continent.

Desmonda, Luke, Asmodeus, Seraphina, and Candice decided to stay with Aiden.

Their parents, Pamela, and Cosmo would have their own villas as professors. Each pair would live together since they were couples.

"Guys, there’s something I need to tell you all," Aiden said.

Everyone got serious when he spoke.

"A group of expert Rank 3 warriors will be protecting you guys from the shadows. My enemies will try to use you guys as weak links to get to me," Aiden said. "Inasmuch as we have the backing of Rank 4 warriors and Excellency Armstrong Lee, we can’t take any risks. It’s not just the Industries in the Eldorath Empire and the Cyrenthia Empire Military that want me dead. The Paranormal Liberation Order is after me."

Aiden had decided to tell them about the Order when they were strong, or probably at Rank 4, so that the revelation does not implicate them and put them on the Order’s list. However, some of them had already been attacked because of him.

It would be unwise to keep them in the dark any longer. If they knew what they were up against, they could be more careful.

Everyone looked at Aiden with shock.

"This explains why someone in the Academic Federation pulled some strings to get us assassinated." Desmonda’s eyes flashed with calm calculation. "The Paranormal Liberation Order has infiltrated every sphere of society. Only they could have pulled off something like that."

Everyone nodded quietly.

"This makes a lot of sense. Does it mean that those four admirals in the Eldorath Empire military you offended are their members?" Luke said.

Everyone was thinking the same thing.

They all looked at Aiden.

"Nothing leaves this room, okay? If anyone hears what I’m about to say, we could all die since we don’t have concrete proof," Aiden said.

"Don’t worry. We are not idiots," Chromium said.

Everyone nodded.

"Emperor Leonis Eldorath is one of their members. He’s actually the one who instigated those four admirals against me," Aiden said.

Everyone let out breaths of cold air.

What the hell?

Even the Emperor of the Eldorath Empire was working for the Order?

No wonder Aiden didn’t want to say anything to them earlier.

Accusing someone like that without enough proof could indeed get one killed. And the fact that four admirals of the Eldorath Empire were also their members... if news like that got out and there was no proof to back it up, all of them would get into serious trouble.

Not even Armstrong Lee would be able to come to their aid. Endra had systems and rules, after all. Even Legendary Rank 4 warriors could not bend the rules whenever they wanted. If everyone could just throw their weight around, the world would have ended a long time ago due to anarchy.

"Since it’s the Order we are talking about, that means we need to be extremely careful and grow stronger quickly," Cosmo said. "We should take advantage of the university’s resources to grow stronger."

Everyone nodded as glints of determination flashed through their eyes.

Cosmo and Pamela didn’t previously belong to the circle. They were previously Aiden’s acquaintances.

But because of their connection to Aiden now through Ashbourne Cane, Aiden’s intentional decision to build a relationship with them, and the fact that everyone liked having them around, they were now part of the group.

They didn’t see themselves any differently from everyone else.

They were also determined to grow stronger and help Aiden shoulder the threats he had to deal with. Besides, everyone associated with Aiden would definitely be targeted by the Order to get to him. So, even if they had wanted to back out, they couldn’t. Even without Aiden in the picture, Endra was a dangerous world, and everyone in the room needed to get stronger so they could face threats thrown their way when anyone who could shield them from trouble was not around.

"Alright. In case you need poisons to deal with your enemies, contact Arica. She’s the vice dean of the combat department, and she is from the Nova Secret Sect. I’ve already informed her that you guys will be needing Legendary Rank 3 poisons from her," Aiden said.

Everyone was shocked.

Of course they knew who the Nova Secret Sect was.

A reclusive sect with deep alchemical foundations in the Serma Empire.

"What did you just say?" Cosmo’s expression changed.

Everyone looked at him.

"Babe, what’s wrong?" Pamela caressed his hand.

"Why do you look like you just heard a ghost story?" Angela said.

Everyone had similar thoughts.

Cosmo sighed and calmed down.

"I’m from the Adams Secret Sect. Several years ago, I was betrothed to someone from the Nova Secret Sect by my grandfather, the sect master of the Adams Secret Sect."

Pamela knew he had left the sect because of some personal issues. But Cosmo had never been someone to go into details.

So, she was also hearing this for the first time, just like everyone else.

Everyone listened quietly.

"At the time, I was struggling with my cultivation. So, the lady I was betrothed to decided to call off the engagement under the instruction of the patriarch of the Nova Secret Sect and because of her sudden disinterest when she found out I was weak. Because of this, I was ridiculed by the members of the Adams Secret Sect and hated by almost everyone in the sect. After all, I had brought disgrace on them in their opinion. And although I had genuine feelings for my fiancée at the time, the marriage was also a political alliance to strengthen both sects," Cosmo said.

"Naturally, the sect did not feel like home any longer. So, when it was time to enroll in a warrior’s university, I disappeared from the Western Continent completely and went to the Southern Continent to start a new life. I have moved on from everything that happened, honestly. But hearing about the Nova Secret Sect brought back some memories. I have been hearing some rumors that my grandfather has been looking for me. After all, anyone who leaves the sect for university and military service and does not return is branded a traitor and hunted down."

Glints of realization flashed through everyone’s eyes.

This guy had really been through a lot.

"Babe, we are in this together," Pamela said. "If they come for you, they will regret it."

Everyone nodded.

"That’s right," Aiden said. When he made an intentional decision to build a relationship with someone, he would stand by them.

Also, why would he say no to free blood essence?

"If Arica is a professor and didn’t return to the Nova Secret Sect, then they must also be looking for her. Secret sects all have the same rule: any member is free to travel the world, but under no circumstance should they permanently dissociate themselves from the sect. By the way, I heard she also left the Nova Secret Sect because some elder wanted to forcefully make her his disciple. Rumors at the time were that the elder forced himself on his female disciples. Arica didn’t want that to happen to her, so she slipped away."

Everyone now understood why Cosmo reacted the way he did. It was because of his past and the fact that Arica shared a similar past with him. They both left their sects because of bad treatment.

"Would you like to meet her?" Aiden asked.