2025-05-15 23:45:21By mid-morning Ethan, Celestia and their new guide Nina rode out of Carosso’s gates. The banner of the kingdom fluttered above the bridge as villagers bowed. Dark green fields gave way to pine forests as they followed the road north.
They paused at a rough roadside stable. Celestia dismounted to adjust her horse’s saddle. The warhorse stamped its hooves. Nina’s gray pony, Wulfric, nickered softly as Celestia offered a handful of oats. “He’s eager,” Celestia remarked. Nina laughed and tousled the pony’s forelock. “First journey, and he knows it,” she said. Ethan clapped Celestia on the back. “At least you’ve got fresh mounts,” he joked. Celestia smiled. “Just like home,” she replied, enjoying the banter.
As afternoon waned, they reached Oakbarrow — a scattering of wooden huts ringed by crumbling stone walls. Scouts at the palisade eyed them warily. An old miner leaning on a cart warned hoarsely, “The dwarves sealed that mine too long ago. A fire dragon broke through. No
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CHAPTER 73: Evermore
Moonlight poured in through the open window of the manor’s small library, casting silver squares on the floor. Ethan found Celestia there alone, standing by a table strewn with scrolls. She had said she was retiring early with a headache, but here she was, gaze lost in the flicker of a single candle. The tension lingering between them all day weighed heavily in the quiet room.Ethan closed the door softly behind him. “Celestia,” he said gently.She turned, surprised but not upset at his intrusion. In her simple nightrobe and shawl, she looked so delicate it stirred his protectiveness. “Ethan,” she replied, managing a soft smile. “Shouldn’t you be resting? Dawn comes soon and you’ve been working since before sunrise.”“I could ask the same of you,” Eth
CHAPTER 72: Miracle King
The chill of winter gradually gave way to gentle spring across the Northern Reach. Months into Ethan’s tenure, borderlands and its villages buzzed with reconstruction. Under his leadership, ruins became building sites and despair turned to determination. Common folk began to call their marquis the “Miracle King,” for every week brought new wonders from Ethan and his companions.On a crisp morning, Ethan stood atop the half-rebuilt city wall of Carosso, surveying activity below. Where there had been rubble, new stone foundations stretched for a marketplace and granary. Villagers and workers moved with purpose, inspired by their marquis’s tireless example. Ethan had instituted a rotating labor schedule so each family had hands in rebuilding while still tending farms. Productivity soared – a simple idea from his old world that felt revolutionary here.
CHAPTER 71: The North
Trumpets echoed in the grand hall as King Aldric proclaimed the new title before assembled courtiers. “For valor beyond measure and service to the crown, we bestow upon Sir Ethan of Carosso the title of Marquis of the Northern Reach,” the King announced. Murmurs swept the hall while Ethan knelt on the marble floor, stunned. Celestia stood at Ethan’s side in formal attire, her face a serene mask that hid her apprehension.Aldric’s attendants brought forth a velvet cushion bearing a silver badge of office. The King himself pinned the badge to Ethan’s cloak. “Rise, Lord Ethan,” he said warmly. “You shall depart at once to oversee the North’s restoration. The borderlands are yours to govern and rebuild in my name.”Ethan rose, bowing deeply. “I am honored, Your Majesty,” he managed, voice stead
CHAPTER 70: Web
A faint afternoon sun slanted through the palace’s solarium windows as Celestia hosted a private gathering of carefully chosen nobles. Over fragrant tea and wine, she moved with practiced grace, her laughter and compliments lighting up the room. To an outside observer, it looked like nothing more than a casual high-born social call. In truth, Celestia was spinning threads of influence as delicately as a spider weaving a web.Seated to her right was Duke Varian, a portly noble with considerable sway over several northern provinces. He boasted of his youthful exploits, and Celestia leaned in with a warm smile when he finished. “My lord Duke, your leadership is exactly what the North will need in the days to come,” she purred.Across from them, Countess Marielle, an elegant widow who funded many mercantile ventures, raised a brow. “Speaking
CHAPTER 69: Black-Haired Noble
Later that evening, Ethan slipped away from the post-ceremony revelry to clear his head. The palace gardens lay quiet under the moonlight, a welcome refuge from the buzzing banquet hall. He wandered along a path of manicured hedges and marble statues, inhaling the scent of night-blooming jasmine. His thoughts swirled with the day’s events—Celestia’s fierce defense of him, the nobles’ whispers, and the unsettling gaze of Lord Kaelthorne.A smooth voice spoke from the shadows near a rose arbor. “A bit overwhelming, isn’t it?” Ethan turned. From behind the arbor, Lord Kaelthorne emerged with a measured stride. In the silvery light, his black hair and midnight-blue coat made him seem a living shadow among the flowers. He inclined his head in greeting. “Sir Ethan.”Ethan’s hand instinctively brushed the pom
CHAPTER 68: Under the Surface
Sunlight streamed through the arched windows of King Aldric’s throne room as Ethan, Celestia, and Nina knelt before the throne. The next day after the Carosso celebration, the King had convened a grand ceremony to honor the slayers of the Frost Dragon. Despite the pomp and splendor—banners bearing the golden lion crest, nobles in shimmering finery—Ethan felt more nervous here than he had facing the dragon.King Aldric stood and raised his hands for silence. "Today, we celebrate true heroes," he announced, his voice carrying through the hall. "Lady Celestia, Sir Ethan, Lady Nina—your courage delivered us from the Frost Dragon's terror. We owe you a debt beyond measure."At a signal, servants stepped forward to drape gilded medals engraved with a dragon around each of their necks. Ethan bowed his head modestly as his medal was placed; Cele
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