Chapter 21: Departure (1)
The first light of dawn stretched across Ravenhold, painting the ancient stone walls of the Ravencrest Estate in shades of gold and silver. A cold northern wind swept through the grounds, carrying the familiar scent of snow-covered forests and distant mountains. Despite the early hour, activity had already begun throughout the Estate.
Servants moved through the courtyards carrying supplies, stable workers prepared mounts near the eastern gate, and armored knights inspected equipment one final time before departure. The atmosphere was disciplined and orderly, yet beneath that order lingered a quiet anticipation. Monster extermination missions were a routine necessity throughout the Ancient Wildlands and the frontier regions beyond, but every soldier understood the dangers hidden within the wilderness that began once Ravenhold City’s outer roads ran out.
Ethan stood near the main courtyard entrance, dressed in dark training clothes beneath a thick winter cloak. Not far away, several knight apprentices waited alongside the mounted soldiers preparing for departure — most appeared between thirteen and fifteen years old, old enough to accompany supervised frontier expeditions but still years away from becoming full knights. More than a few glanced toward Ethan before quickly looking away. The youngest member of the expedition was also attracting the most attention, which was something he had grown accustomed to since reaching the Knight Realm.
His attention remained fixed on the gathering expedition force as dozens of mounted knights and soldiers completed their final preparations.
This would be his first time leaving Ravenhold as a participant rather than an observer.
Ethan noticed several apprentices whispering quietly among themselves, and the reason wasn’t difficult to guess — the assassination attempt, his rapid advancement through training, the rumors surrounding his breakthrough. Whether they actually believed those stories was another matter entirely.
In his previous life, he had experienced countless campaigns, sieges, and battlefields, marching beside armies numbering in the hundreds of thousands and fighting monsters capable of destroying entire cities. Yet as he looked upon the familiar grounds of his childhood home, he felt a strange sense of anticipation. Because this time was different. This time he possessed knowledge of the future, the War God System, and most importantly, the intention to change everything.
"You’ve been staring at those gates for quite a while."
A warm voice interrupted his thoughts. Ethan turned to find Elena Ravencrest approaching from the inner courtyard, wearing a simple dark-blue dress beneath a winter cloak lined with white fur. Though she maintained her usual graceful composure, Ethan could easily see the concern hidden within her eyes.
For a moment neither spoke. Elena simply stepped forward and adjusted the collar of his cloak.
"You’ll be spending days out there," she said softly. "The Ancient Wildlands aren’t forgiving simply because you’re talented."
"I know, Mother."
Elena sighed. "That’s exactly what worries me." Her hand rested briefly on his shoulder. "You’ve always been mature for your age. Sometimes too mature."
Ethan remained silent. If only she knew how true those words truly were.
Elena studied him for several seconds before finally shaking her head. "I had prepared a dozen warnings before coming here."
"And?"
"And now I’ve forgotten half of them." That earned a small laugh from Ethan, and the tension between them eased slightly. "Then maybe they weren’t that important."
"They were important." Elena narrowed her eyes. "Especially the one about listening to Gareth."
Ethan immediately nodded. "I’ll listen. And I’ll follow orders of the geezer."
That earned a scolding from Elena, but the concern in Elena’s eyes softened slightly. No matter how unusual Ethan sometimes appeared, he was still her son. Nothing would ever change that.
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed across the courtyard. A moment later, Amelia appeared, practically running across the stone path before stopping in front of Ethan. "Brother!"
Ethan barely had time to react before she threw her arms around him. A helpless smile appeared on his face. "Good morning to you too."
Amelia stepped back and immediately began examining him from head to toe. "You look like a real knight."
"Close enough," Ethan said, shaking his head. Amelia ignored his response completely — her excitement clearly outweighed any concern she might have been feeling.
"Father said you’ll be fighting monsters."
"Hopefully not too many."
"You’ll win." The confidence in her voice was absolute — no hesitation, no doubt, simply certainty.
Ethan found himself smiling again. "That’s a lot of trust."
"Of course." Amelia crossed her arms proudly. "You’re my brother."
For a brief moment, Ethan felt something tighten within his chest. In his previous life, he had lost this — the warmth, the family, the simple conversations that once seemed insignificant. He had spent years carrying regret for failing to save the people he loved, years wishing he could return to moments exactly like this one. Now he finally had that chance, and he had no intention of wasting it.
The sound of heavy footsteps approached from the direction of the keep.
Ethan recognized them immediately.
A moment before Adrian Ravencrest even came into view, something shifted in the courtyard — a slow, invisible pressure rolling outward, the way the air changes before a storm. Nearby soldiers straightened without consciously deciding to. Even the horses shifted in their lines. Then Adrian entered the courtyard and the pressure receded instantly, reined back in the way a man might lower his voice in a quiet room simply because he could.
His gaze swept across the courtyard before settling on Ethan. For several moments, silence lingered between father and son.
"Ready?"
The question was simple. The meaning behind it was not.
Ethan met his father’s gaze without hesitation. "Yes."
Adrian studied him carefully — perhaps searching for uncertainty, perhaps searching for hesitation. Whatever he sought, he found neither. Eventually, a faint nod escaped him.
"Good." His voice remained calm and steady. "Remember where you are going. The Ancient Wildlands aren’t a training ground. Protecting what lies beyond it is the one of the reason House Ravencrest exists." He paused. "Watch. Listen. Learn. You have talent, Ethan. But talent alone has never protected the North."
Ethan nodded slowly. "I understand."
A faint trace of approval appeared in Adrian’s eyes. "Good."
He paused for a moment, then glanced briefly toward Gareth before looking back at Ethan.
The sound of a horn echoed across the Estate — once, twice, three times. The departure signal. Across the courtyard, activity intensified immediately as knights mounted their horses, supply wagons began moving toward the gate, and soldiers assembled into formation.
Adrian placed a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. The gesture lasted only a moment, yet it carried more meaning than any speech.
"Return safely."
Ethan smiled. "I will."
Then he turned toward the eastern gate. Behind him stood his family. Ahead of him waited the Ancient Wildlands, and somewhere beyond those frozen forests, the future itself awaited.
