2025-06-10 09:45:15By the time Ethan’s army reached the outskirts of Ironvale, a pale gray dusk had settled over the rolling plains. The rebel-held fortress city loomed in the distance, its stone ramparts bristling with armed men. Campfires flickered beyond the walls—Count Vilmere’s forces were preparing for a siege, confident behind their high battlements.
Ethan convened a war council in his command tent a mile from Ironvale’s gates. The atmosphere inside was tense but focused. Around a makeshift table stood Celestia, Nina, and a dozen key officers. At Ethan’s right hand was General Calder, the grizzled strategist whose calm demeanor never wavered even in crisis.
Calder smoothed a map of Ironvale and the surrounding terrain. His one good eye (the other milky from an old wound) swept over the assembled leaders. “Ironvale’s strength is its walls,” he began in a steady voice. “If w
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CHAPTER 85: Persuasion
By the time Ethan’s army reached the outskirts of Ironvale, a pale gray dusk had settled over the rolling plains. The rebel-held fortress city loomed in the distance, its stone ramparts bristling with armed men. Campfires flickered beyond the walls—Count Vilmere’s forces were preparing for a siege, confident behind their high battlements.Ethan convened a war council in his command tent a mile from Ironvale’s gates. The atmosphere inside was tense but focused. Around a makeshift table stood Celestia, Nina, and a dozen key officers. At Ethan’s right hand was General Calder, the grizzled strategist whose calm demeanor never wavered even in crisis.Calder smoothed a map of Ironvale and the surrounding terrain. His one good eye (the other milky from an old wound) swept over the assembled leaders. “Ironvale’s strength is its walls,” he began in a steady voice. “If w
CHAPTER 84: Fragmented
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.
CHAPTER 83: Light and Shadow (2)
Kaelthorne studied Ethan’s face, then Celestia’s, as if weighing his options. “You spared me because you think I might help you expose this hidden hand? You think I know something?”“You might,” Ethan replied. “Or at least, you might find out things I can’t. Officially, Kaelthorne died in battle today. The world thinks you’re gone. That gives you freedom to move unseen, investigate in ways I can’t without drawing attention.”Celestia stepped forward, her voice hard. “If we release you, you’ll work under Ethan’s direction. No more massacres, no more terrorizing innocents. If you betray us, I will hunt you down and burn you to ash. Understood?”Kaelthorne smirked faintly. “The hound on a leash, is it? You certainly have a way with persuasion.” He then met Ethan’s eyes. “And what’s your role in this grand plan, if I’m
CHAPTER 82: Light and Shadow (1)
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.
CHAPTER 81: Aftermath
The battlefield finally quieted as dusk settled. Amid torn banners and smoldering wreckage, Ethan moved among the survivors, ensuring the wounded were cared for. At his side, Celestia strode with draconic grace, her tail flicking behind her. The Northern army had triumphed, but the toll was heavy.A sudden cry drew their attention to the makeshift refugee area enclosure. Two guards struggled, stumbling backward from a silver-haired thrashing figure. It was Lyssandra, the wolf-girl they'd freed during the chaos. Her amber eyes blazed defiantly, teeth bared even as her body trembled with exhaustion and lingering pain."Lyssandra!" Ethan called, quickening his pace.At the sound of his voice, her ears perked up, and she immediately stopped struggling, eyes wide and searching. "M-Master Ethan?""Just Ethan," he gently corrected, stepping closer. "You're no one's slave anymore."Lyssandra dropped to one knee, bowing her head deeply. "Forgive me, I—I onl
CHAPTER 80: Outcome
Sparks flew as Ethan’s sword met Kaelthorne’s black blade in a furious cadence of strikes. The courtyard burned around them – toppled wagons aflame, the air choked with smoke and ash. Yet in that moment, everything narrowed to the two combatants at the center of the ruin.Kaelthorne moved like a man possessed, his obsidian armor drinking in the hellish glow. He thrust out a gauntleted hand and a bolt of crackling purple energy burst forth. It caught Ethan in the ribs and hurled him backward into a pile of splintered timber.Ethan’s breath exploded from his lungs as he struggled to his feet. The taste of copper filled his mouth. Through bleary eyes he saw Kaelthorne stalking closer, confidence radiating off him in waves of palpable malice. Distantly, Ethan heard Celestia’s roar and Lyssandra’s battle cry as they fought off the last of Kaelthorne’s guards, but none could intervene in time. This fight was his alone.Kaelthorne lunged, raining down a flurry of bruta
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