CHAPTER 82: Light and ShadowCelestia stared at Ethan in stunned silence, the lantern’s light casting wavering shadows across their tent. “Not from this world…?” she repeated. Her mind raced. Ethan himself hailed from Earth, a truth she had long accepted—but Kaelthorne too?Ethan nodded, eyes flicking to the crystal orb where Kaelthorne’s unconscious form floated. “He’s like me, Celestia. He came from Earth.”Celestia’s claws flexed at her sides as she struggled to process this revelation. The enemy warlord who had nearly destroyed them... a visitor from Ethan’s home world? “How can you be certain?” she asked warily.Ethan exhaled slowly, recalling the clues that had suddenly appeared back in Carosso. “When we first met at the palace, he tested me using knowledge from Earth,” Ethan explained. “At first, I thought I'd misheard. But then I noticed his background knowledge was too similar to mine—things I learned back on Earth.

Ethan urged his horse onward, the winter wind biting at his face as their company rode south at a steady, urgent pace. In days, they crossed from the snow-laden northern frontier into the temperate heartlands of Carosso. With each mile, the reports grew more dire. Messengers and refugees intercepted their column, painting a harrowing picture of a kingdom tearing itself apart.At a roadside inn converted into a field command post, Ethan gathered with Celestia, Nina, and his top officers to review the latest pleas for aid. Scrawled in haste and sealed with various noble crests, each missive told a similar tale of chaos.Celestia read one letter aloud, voice tight with anger. “Lord Ethan, Carosso bleeds. Since King Aldric’s death, Count Vilmere of Ironvale has sealed his city and hoards grain while peasants starve.

Dawn broke over Ironvale’s smoking battlements on the second day of the siege. The night had been a waking nightmare for Count Vilmere’s garrison—phantom armies marched in the darkness, illusory dragons screeched from the sky, and fires had erupted all across the city. Exhausted and spooked, the defenders peered out from the walls with haunted eyes.Ethan stood mounted before Ironvale’s North Gate under a white flag of truce. At his side, Celestia loomed with wings spread, embers of abyssal flame drifting from her mouth, a living threat. Behind them, rows of Ethan’s soldiers and a battery of alchemical cannons waited.Vilmere himself finally appeared atop the gatehouse, flanked by jittery guards. The Count of Ironvale cut a less than impressive figure—puffy-eyed and ashen-faced from a sleepless night. “Ethan Dra…Dragonheart!” he called shakily (some still strug

The months following Carosso’s reunification were among the busiest of Ethan’s life. Victory on the battlefield was only the beginning—now he had to heal and modernize a broken kingdom. Settling in the capital as Prince Edwin’s Lord Regent, Ethan threw himself into rebuilding with relentless focus.He began with basic needs. Granaries filled with seized hoarded grain were opened to feed the starving. Royal work crews repaired war-torn roads and bridges, reconnecting towns so trade could resume. Slowly, markets buzzed back to life and the specter of famine lifted.Education became another pillar of renewal. Under Ethan’s guidance, community schools opened in every major town. Retired soldiers and scholars taught children of all classes their letters and numbers. Celestia even visited some classrooms incognito, gently guiding wide-eyed youngsters through the alphabet. The sight of the fearsome dragoness patiently helping a peasant child trace letters became a beloved leg

In a dimly lit back room far from prying ears, Ethan sat across from Garrick, the grizzled Guildmaster of the Adventurers' Guild. A single oil lamp cast flickering shadows across the stone walls. Garrick leaned back in his chair with arms crossed over his scarred chest and a deep frown on his grey-stubbled face. He let out a long, tired sigh."I never thought I’d see the day I’d be complaining directly to the Emperor himself…" Garrick growled. "But here we are."Emperor Ethan of Carosso set down his wine goblet and gave a slight, wry smile. He had shed his crown and finery for a plain cloak and tunic—tonight he looked more like an adventurer than a king. "What troubles you, old friend? Speak freely."Garrick grunted, grateful for Ethan’s informal tone. "It’s that damned conscript