Following iryn out to a desolate field on the outskirts of town, the group ca to a stop. The young boy couldn't help but ask iryn, "What do you want to do?"
"Fight him. If you win, this gold bar is yours." iryn tossed another gold bar into the air casually, pointing toward Shaka with his other hand.
The boy fixed his gaze on the newly appeared gold bar, but there was no greed in his eyes—only shock and caution. He hadn't seen where the gold bar ca from.
"What if I lose?" he asked.
"Then you're mine," iryn replied.
"Take your gold back." The boy rejected the deal without hesitation. Even though he didn't think he would lose to the refined, golden-haired boy, he didn't dare gamble on even the slightest possibility.
"Your grandmother is already on her deathbed, right? Are you willing to give up this opportunity?"
The boy froze mid-movent.
"How… how do you know that? Who are you?" His expression turned fierce once more.
"Fight him. If you do, win or lose, I'll heal your grandmother," iryn promised.
"You're a doctor?"
"No, but healing your grandmother is no problem."
When iryn first saw the boy, he used his Cosmos to probe the entire town and located his grandmother through the boy's aura. She wasn't sick—just nearing the end of her life due to old age. iryn couldn't cure diseases, but supplenting her life force to extend her ti was easy for him.
"I hope you'll keep your word." The boy hesitated for a mont, then nodded. But he tossed the previously accepted gold bar back to iryn.
Catching the gold bar, iryn paused, then smiled.
"Shaka, go."
"Yes, my lord."
Shaka still wore a faint smile. Standing in front of the boy, he extended a hand. "Please."
The boy furrowed his brow but charged forward, aiming a straight punch at Shaka's chest. "Taurus Fist!"
Boom—
The boy's expression changed drastically. His full-strength punch had been stopped cold by just a single finger from Shaka.
"Damn it!" The boy forced out more of his strength, but Shaka's finger didn't budge.
"Break through… damn it!!" With a roar, a golden phantom of a giant bull appeared behind the boy. Slowly, Shaka's finger began to give way.
"Taurus Fist! Haaaa~!!!"
Finally, the punch broke through Shaka's finger, grazing his cheek, yet Shaka's expression remained completely unchanged. With that sa finger, he gently tapped the boy's chest.
In an instant, the boy's flushed face turned pale, his strength drained away, and he collapsed to his knees.
"You… what… did you… do to ?" the boy asked, struggling to lift his head.
Shaka didn't answer. He simply nodded at the boy and stepped back behind Asura.
"Wait… I haven't lost… I still—"
iryn stepped forward. "Not bad spirit, but you've lost. As agreed, you're mine now." He smiled.
"Damn…" The boy still resisted, trying to get up, but at that mont, a warm energy flowed through his body. His color returned, and strength flooded back into him.
"What is this… You did this?" the boy asked in disbelief.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because you're worth it."
"Save my grandma, and my life is yours," the boy said.
"Alright."
"Wait!"
"What else do you want to ask?"
"My na is Aldebaran. Aldebaran Yardy."
"Heh… You're not worthy of the na 'Aldebaran' just yet. Until you earn my recognition, you'll introduce yourself as 'Yardy' only," iryn said with a smile.
The group arrived at Aldebaran's dilapidated house. Using his Cosmos, iryn replenished the old woman's life force. Her health rapidly improved. The three stepped outside to give Aldebaran and his grandmother so privacy.
"A good kid. Aldebaran, huh? Haha, he's really a fearless little calf," Asura laughed.
"Yeah, but I believe this calf will grow into a mighty golden bull, worthy of the na," iryn said, smiling.
iryn was very satisfied with Aldebaran—not because of his Cosmos, nor because his fighting spirit was strong enough to draw the protection of Taurus. It was his character.
He deliberately lost a fight to earn money for his grandmother's treatnt. In the face of great temptation, he thought first of his family, not greed. And when he achieved his goal, he didn't covet undeserved rewards. This kind of character is rare. He possessed the "strength" that Taurus represents, and also the virtue befitting a Saint.
An hour later, Aldebaran ca out and said to iryn, "Let's go."
"Was it enough?" iryn asked.
"Yes."
"Then let's go." Aldebaran followed iryn without looking back, though his heart was heavy. That old woman wasn't his biological grandmother—she had found him as a baby and raised him. She was his only family.
But a promise was a promise. iryn healed her. His subordinate defeated him. Breaking his word wasn't an option.
What Aldebaran didn't know was that a few days after they left, Aiolos arrived at the house carrying a golden box.
"Excuse , is anyone ho?"
Creak—the wooden door opened, and an elderly woman ca out with a kind smile.
"Child, who are you looking for?"
"Are you Aldebaran's grandmother?" Aiolos asked.
"Yes, are you his friend? Did sothing happen to him?" she asked, worried. After all, he had only just left, and now soone was looking for him.
"You misunderstand. Aldebaran is training with Lord iryn and won't be back soon. I'm here to escort you to the Sanctuary. Aldebaran will live there in the future."
"Sanctuary? That's unnecessary, child. As long as he's safe, I'm content."
"Grandma, since Aldebaran has joined us, his family is our family. The conditions here are poor. I'll take you to Sanctuary to enjoy your later years. You don't want Aldebaran to constantly worry about you, right?" Aiolos said.
"Is that so?"
"Yes, and it's Lord iryn's order."
"Lord iryn? The man who healed ? He's truly a good person."
The grandmother no longer declined and left for Sanctuary with Aiolos.
Now the group had four people, including Aldebaran—making it livelier.
"Hey, what's your na?"
"Shaka."
"Why are you always carrying a box? Is it made of gold?"
"It's my Cloth, my partner. It will always stay with ," Shaka replied.
"Cloth? What's that? Also, how did you beat ? You look so skinny, but you're super strong!…"
Aldebaran now seed like a completely different person—his mouth like a rapid-fire cannon of questions. If not for Shaka's deep ditation training, others might not have tolerated it.
During these few days, Aldebaran saw that iryn and the others weren't bad people. On the contrary, they often helped those in need. So Aldebaran let down his guard and showed his true personality.
"Hehe, let answer you. It's a good ti for you to understand where you've joined," iryn said.
"Oh, go ahead."
"I'm iryn. I co from the Sanctuary in Athens. We are—"
They walked while talking, but before iryn got far, Aldebaran stopped in disbelief, staring at the three.
"You're joking, right? Don't think I'm easy to fool just because I haven't read many books."
"You belong to now. Why would I lie to you?" iryn smacked his head in annoyance.
"So you brought here to make a Saint?" Aldebaran asked, rubbing his forehead.
"Exactly. I hope you'll beco a Saint, and specifically the Gold Saint of Taurus. But whether you succeed depends on your own effort. You've got competition," iryn said.
There are only 89 Saint slots, 5 of which are special and require imnse fortune, like Kanon. So only 84 are openly available, and of the 12 Gold Saints, 4 already have successors. Most of the Gold Cloths have potential candidates already, except for Taurus—making it a hot target.
Even though many slots were "pre-assigned," the candidates had no complaints. iryn chose them, and talents like Deathmask truly earned their spots.
"If I beco a Saint, can I be as strong as him?" Aldebaran pointed at Shaka.
"Hehe, if you work hard," iryn smiled.
"Hey, brat, don't be so arrogant. Shaka is my student and bound to be the strongest of this generation. You think you can match him? Keep dreaming," Asura taunted.
"Who says I can't?! I'll surpass him!" Aldebaran shouted back, turning to iryn. "Teach ."
"Alright," iryn agreed without hesitation.
He had planned to train Aldebaran personally. Taurus Saints were always strong in physical attack and defense, but terribly weak in ntal and energy-related areas, often leading to tragic ends.
For example, the last Taurus, Garth, died from poison and sound waves. The first Taurus, Yuta, died from a ntal attack. Even in the original history, Aldebaran was often ambushed and ultimately died from poison.
iryn wanted to change that fate—so Aldebaran wouldn't fall because of such weaknesses.
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