Chapter 60: Unforgettable HatredNew
Time passed swiftly, as peaceful days were always the most longed-for. With support from all sides, the Sanctuary had grown and flourished, reaching an atmosphere akin to its golden age—perhaps even surpassing it.
Over the years, youngsters like Deathmask lived up to expectations, successfully donning the Gold Cloth and becoming Gold Saints. Interestingly, although Deathmask had gained the recognition of the Claw of Cancer, the claw still looked down on him for some reason, leading to frequent bickering between man and claw.
Not only had the Gold Saints gathered, but the Silver and Bronze Saints were nearly all assembled as well. Familiar faces gradually reappeared before Meiln.
Aquila Marin, Ophiuchus Shaina, Lizard Misty, White Whale Moses, Hound Aglia, Centaur Babel, Crow Jamian, Sculptor Algethi, Auriga Capella, Hellhound Dante, Silver Fly Dio, Canis Major Sirius, Hercules Alghetti, Spider Tarantula Arugoni, Sagitta Tremy, Lotus Agol, and Peacock Shiva.
Among them were two individuals unfamiliar to Meiln's memories: Crêtia of the Crane Constellation and Baru of the Southern Cross.
Of the 29 Silver Saints, 25 were present, with only the rare and special Southern Ship Four Seats remaining vacant.
These four Cloths, along with the Dark Child constellation's Silver Cloth, had been sealed by Meiln. Due to the tight and unique bond between their guardian constellations, these Cloths would either reject all bearers or accept their wielders simultaneously. Only Saints who shared an exceptional bond—mutual understanding, unity, and unwavering support—could earn their acknowledgment.
Together, the Saints of the Southern Ship Four could perform a powerful joint technique formidable enough to threaten even a Gold Saint.
In his past life's memories, Meiln recalled that three of these four Silver Saints once appeared during a previous Holy War, serving under the former Capricorn Gold Saint, El Cid.
However, according to Shion's reports, those three never existed in the prior generation. El Cid's subordinates were the Sculptor, Crater, and Southern Cross Saints.
Meiln figured this was a butterfly effect caused by his presence—but perhaps it was also fate. El Cid's three subordinates developed a unique joint technique through arduous training and deep camaraderie, only to fall to the Dream God Oneiros, who had absorbed Phantasos the Illusionist, Icelos the Dreamer, and Morpheus the Shaper.
Besides Crêtia and Baru, and Marin and two others, the remaining 17 Silver Saints had, in Meiln's past life, been manipulated by Saga posing as Ares. They kidnapped or attempted to assassinate Athena and the five Bronze Saints, often acting arrogantly and cruelly.
But Meiln wasn't worried about that happening again. With proper guidance, their personalities had changed drastically from his memories. Though strength still defined their hierarchy, they now upheld the true honor of being Saints.
As for the Bronze Saints, there were many, yet notably absent were the Five Main Bronze Saints—Seiya and the others—as well as supporting characters like Jabu, Ban, Geki, Nachi, Ichi, and even Camaleon June, Hyoga's senior and love interest.
After some thought, Meiln figured their appearances were tied to Athena's reincarnation. Although the world had changed, their initial fates hadn't yet diverged.
Still, if Seiya and the others were the Five Saints, Meiln knew he'd have to swap Athena's four personal guards. His possessive nature wouldn't allow men to serve as his wife's attendants.
However, if the personal guard was someone like Ikki… now that would be amusing. That tsundere loner deserved a little teasing.
After mulling it over, Meiln pushed the thought aside.
With his appearance acting as a butterfly, the fates of the Five Saints had already been drastically altered. Who knew what the future held? Thinking about it now was meaningless.
Another point of interest lay in Asgard. Thanks to Hilda's efforts, four God Warriors had already been found: Siegfried, Hagen, and two familiar faces—Delru of the Tianji Star and Philu of the Yuheng Star.
On the matter of political purges, Howard, acting on Shion's transmission, unhesitatingly poured resources into Asgard. Once the people's livelihoods were secured, Hildford used collected evidence to oust all disloyal priests and nobles. The worst were executed; the rest exiled.
Asgard also emulated the Sanctuary's reforms—opening itself to the world, granting curious citizens a chance to see beyond its borders, and even establishing modern schools to give people a path to growth.
Lastly, there was S.H.I.E.L.D.
Progress was decent. The organization had expanded and set up intelligence outposts worldwide, boasting sufficient manpower.
But… top-level combat strength was still a major issue—Steve was the only superhuman. The rest were capable but ultimately still normal humans: soldiers, agents, scientists…
Super-powered criminals had indeed surfaced over the years. While Steve alone could handle them, he couldn't be everywhere at once. Weaker enemies could be subdued through tech and tactics, but stronger ones were a problem. The Sanctuary often dispatched Saints to assist—both as aid and training.
Speaking of training, the Saints' education couldn't be ignored.
Years had passed, and many youths had come of age. To attend college, they traveled across the world—to gain knowledge, expand their horizons, and strengthen their hearts. The world was vast, and they had to explore it. There was no absolute justice, no pure black or white. To understand true justice, they had to witness both beauty and ugliness for themselves.
This was their trial.
After years in isolation, now surrounded by temptation and power, would they remain true to themselves?
To Meiln's satisfaction, they all passed—with no one losing their way.
Looking at the thriving Sanctuary, Meiln felt truly content. When Athena returned, they'd be ready to welcome her in their best state.
"Boss! Boss!"
"Hm?" Meiln's thoughts were interrupted as a panicked Deathmask ran toward him.
"What's wrong?" Meiln asked with a wry smile.
An invasion was unlikely. First, Meiln himself was present and had sensed no hostile Cosmos. Second, while Deathmask was carefree, he was reliable when it came to serious matters.
"It's Erick! You've got to talk to him!" Deathmask said.
"Erick?" Meiln's brows furrowed.
"Yeah! He's going to hunt down the guy who killed his mother. That's fine, but he wants to go alone! Refuses help! Won't listen to anyone! He really respects you, Boss. He'll definitely listen to you."
Meiln chuckled and said, "Alright, let's go."
The two teleported to the Sanctuary's edge, where a large crowd had gathered—both mutants and Saints.
"Erick, this is reckless!"
"No target, no plan, not even a lead—this isn't bravery, it's foolishness!"
"At least let us go with you. We can watch each other's backs!"
"What about Steve and his team? They've got global connections. Ask them if they've found any intel! How long are you going to search blindly?!"
The Erick brought to the Sanctuary by Meiln had changed drastically. Far from becoming the extremist Magneto, he had many close friends—mutants and Saints alike.
Especially the Saints.
Erick's power had grown to the point where he could generate a magnetic field with a 30-meter radius. Weaker Silver Saints were no match. And since magnetic force was a natural enemy of the Cloths, unless they countered it with their Cosmos, they were helpless.
Saints often asked Erick to help them train their Cosmos. Even Gold Saints weren't exempt.
Though he had enjoyed many happy years, Erick had never forgotten his hatred for Sebastian Shaw. His pride pushed him to avenge his mother alone.
His friends were all worried and had tried to convince him to accept help—even a little.
But Erick refused to budge. With no other choice, Deathmask had gone to fetch Meiln.
"Lord Meiln is here!"
Someone shouted, and the crowd parted to let Meiln through.
Erick looked exasperated as he spotted Deathmask beside Meiln. Among the Gold Saints, he was closest to Deathmask, Milo, Shura, and Aphrodite—especially Deathmask, who often dragged him off for fun.
When Deathmask disappeared, he guessed where he'd gone. But Erick wasn't afraid—he believed Meiln would support him.
"Erick," Meiln said, looking at the once-small child who had grown into a handsome young man.
"Uncle Meiln."
"You've made up your mind?"
"I have."
Seeing the determination in Erick's eyes, Meiln smiled gently.
"Then go. If you run into trouble, contact your family. The Sanctuary will always be your home," Meiln said.
"Hehe, I knew you'd support me." Erick grinned brightly.