Ten years, it had already been that long since the defeat of the God of Sin. Thanks to the guidance of the Pure and The Immaculate, the masses now lived in four floating islands, away from sin, away from the remnants of the last war—the desolate surface that served a painful reminder—away from it all to start anew.<br/><br/>Much have been accomplished within ten fleeting years. Together with the people, the Immaculate was able to re-establish order. They have chosen Gless, the largest of the floating islands to be their bastion. However, given the distance of the floating islands from each other, the Immaculate's influence could only reach as far as Lindela, the second floating island. Although they have not completely covered the entirety of Lindela, they at least succeeded in securing it under their guidance.<br/><br/>Even with the Immaculate's great desire to restore order, the lack in manpower and resources proved to be their greatest hurdle.<br/><br/>Mankind in nature was strong, resilient even. Still, at the same time it could be said that mankind was also weak, and fragile at heart. The world envisioned by the Pure—a world without Sin, all of it seemed like a far-fetched dream. The people who lived in the other islands slowly began to lose faith; the time it took for help to arrive from The Immaculate was simply too long. Their fear of Sin made them succumb to despair, to look for hope elsewhere, to be free in their own right. Tethel, the fourth floating island was the first to give in. The people who dwell on that island rejected the teachings, claimed to have been freed from it, freed from the<span style="font-style: italic">control system</span>.<br/><br/>Without guidance, the people of Tethel did as they saw fit. They indulged in their own desires, clung to a notion that they were no longer controlled but free. Thus, Sin once again reared its ugly head. Soon, Palaugrim, the third floating island fell into their clutches; more and more people sought to be<span style="font-style: italic">freed</span>. The Immaculate, even though stretched thin, refused to give up on the people. They sent Advocates to spread their teachings to both Palaugrim and Tethel, only to be taken aback when the Advocates sent to Tethel were killed, and those sent to Palaugrim struggled to stay alive. Crime began to spread like wildfire within the two islands, threatening to keep spreading if left unchecked. With their hand forced, The Immaculate called upon them once more, the heroes that brought them salvation from the time of the First war, the Pristine Knights.<br/><br/>Guilford and Lethe soon found themselves amidst the battlefield once more, going up against Sin; an opponent all too familiar...<br/><br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-weight: bold"><div style="text-align: center;">Gless</div></span></span><br/><br/><br/>Guilford along with several knights stood before the elevator shaft that led down to Lindela. Behind his squad was an instructor and a class of cadets who were well on their way into the final stage of their training; their first ever<span style="font-style: italic">field mission</span>. The objective was simple: subjugate sinners and absolve them from sin. While he normally does not take part in training cadets, Guilford and his squad were here for one reason only, backup in case things go awry. He could hear the loud voice of Octavia, the class instructor, giving final orders and precautionary measures to her cadets. It was always a nostalgic feeling for him to listen to an instructor; it felt like it was only yesterday when he was knighted. Guilford closed his eyes to relish the thought; long dark blue hair swayed gently with the mild breeze. He heard some of the cadets whisper behind him, a crystal clear indication that some of them were not quite ready.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Oh man... I have no doubt Master Guilford is amazing sure, but I was kinda hoping that Master Lethe would be the one to accompany us..."</span><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Shh! Quiet! He might hear you!"</span><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Who cares? I mean, don't you want to see the most beautiful knight?"</span><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"W-well... I do... but..."</span><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"You understand right? Master Guilford and Master Lethe are hardly ever at the Grand Cathedral. Chances like these are rare since they're being deployed on missions almost all the time. I wish Master Lethe was here right now!"</span><br/><br/>Guilford could not help but smile after hearing that conversation. When the two of them managed to defeat the God of Sin, their status have been elevated to great proportions within the knighthood. It was inevitable that a lot of the rookies would come to admire the two of them. However, when it came to popularity, it was no contest that Lethe—his female counterpart—would win. Then again, there never was a contest to begin with. As Octavia's lecture came to a close, she stepped aside and gave the front to Guilford.<br/><br/>"Now, a word from Master Guilford. Listen well all of you to what he has to say and take it to heart!" Octavia eyed her cadets sternly, "For it may one day save you."<br/><br/>Guilford slowly opened his eyes and turned towards the cadets. He walked elegantly and stood before them with authority, looking at the eyes of each cadet before speaking.<span style="color: #0080FF">"A Pristine Knight must be able to depend on oneself before they could depend on others, yet the strength of oneself means nothing compared to the strength of many,"</span>he began,<span style="color: #0080FF">"Always remember that all of you are not alone, yet all of you must be able to hold your own."</span>he said with conviction evident in his tone,<span style="color: #0080FF">"I need not say that the world outside the comfort of you training grounds is harsher than you actually think. Keep this in mind at all times, one's mistake can lead to the death of many."</span>he paused, observing the reactions from his audience of twenty odd cadets.<br/><br/>The expressions on most of the their faces dropped after hearing his words. Guilford could only attribute their reaction to a certain lack of confidence.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Since this is your first field mission, it cannot be helped that some of you are shaken."</span>he assured them that the emotion they had now was normal.<span style="color: #0080FF">"All I have to say is know that confidence is gained through rigorous training. Remember it well and stay true to your beliefs, always keep your faith. If you do, you should have no problems in conquering your fears. I also wish to see each and everyone of you knighted hence, I will do all that I can to protect all of you. That is all. May the divine light guide our paths."</span>he ended his impromptu speech.<br/><br/>Guilford was just about ready to get back to his squad when he suddenly stopped and looked at two particular cadets that had the numbers seven and eight.<span style="color: #0080FF">"You two, I will make sure Lethe knows that you wish to see her badly."</span>he said and watched the cadets' cheeks flush. Guilford chuckled and made his way back to his squad.<br/><br/>Fifteen minutes later, the cadets were deployed in Lindela, and their first field mission finally commenced.