The Regressed Heir of Ravencrest

Chapter 51: Aftermath

Adrian remained where he stood.

The cold northern wind swept across the shattered valley, carrying with it ash, frost, and the lingering scent of scorched earth. Burn marks scattered across his body gradually faded as the regenerative vitality of a Knight King mended torn flesh and burnt skin. Even so, the exhaustion left behind by the battle refused to disappear.

Before him, Ice Valley no longer existed.

The endless sea of glaciers that had stood undisturbed for centuries had been erased from the face of the world. Broken mountains surrounded an enormous crater, while deep fissures stretched through the frozen earth like scars left by the wrath of the heavens. Wisps of crimson energy still lingered in the air, refusing to disperse completely despite the biting northern wind.

Adrian slowly closed his eyes.

His aura spread outward in every direction. It flowed across the ruined battlefield, sweeping over shattered stone, frozen debris, and the countless traces left behind by the explosion. Mile after mile passed beneath his perception until, at last, he reached its limit.

Nearly twenty miles.

Everything within that radius had ceased to exist.

Beyond that, the devastation diminished rapidly. The endless expanse of the Ancient Wildlands had absorbed much of the shockwave, preventing the destruction from spreading farther.

A quiet breath escaped Adrian.

The villages are safe.

The nearest settlements stood well beyond the edge of the devastation. They would not know what had truly happened here. An explosion of that magnitude could never remain unnoticed, though — the shockwave alone would have shaken villages along the wilderness, while patrols stationed around the outer wilderness would have reported the tremor immediately. It wouldn’t take long for those reports to reach Ravenhold.

Gareth and Elena must be on their way. A few hours, at most.

His gaze drifted back toward the ruined valley.

"We’ll have to contain this."

The words disappeared into the wind.

Adrian’s gaze lingered on the ruined valley for a few moments longer. Whatever had transpired here could never be allowed to spread beyond those who needed to know. Panic and speculation would only weaken the Northern Frontier. Until the Emperor himself decided how to proceed, House Ravencrest would ensure that Ice Valley remained nothing more than an unfortunate disaster in the eyes of the common people.

Several hours passed. The northern sky gradually darkened as the sun descended beyond the distant mountains. Snow continued falling over the ruined landscape, yet before reaching the shattered valley, each snowflake melted into droplets of water the instant it touched the lingering heat left behind by the explosion.

Adrian never moved. He simply stood at the edge of the crater, his gaze fixed on the endless destruction.

Then several powerful auras entered his perception.

A faint sigh escaped him. "They’re here."

Moments later, the distant sky rippled. Several figures streaked across the heavens at astonishing speed before descending toward the devastated valley.

The moment they landed, they fell silent.

Gareth’s weathered face remained expressionless, but his eyes betrayed his disbelief. Decades spent defending the Northern Frontier had exposed him to countless battlefields, yet nothing before him resembled anything he’d witnessed in his lifetime.

Elena was no different. Her emerald eyes swept slowly across the destruction.

Neither of them spoke for a few seconds, taking in the scale of what had happened here.

Their eyes eventually settled on Adrian.

Only then did the tightness within Elena’s chest ease, ever so slightly.

He was injured. His clothes were torn. Burn marks still lingered across his shoulders and arms.

But he was safe.

She quietly released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

Gareth stepped forward. "My Lord." His voice remained calm, though Adrian could hear the concern hidden beneath it. "What happened here?"

Adrian remained silent for several moments, his gaze drifting across the ruined valley before returning to Gareth.

Adrian could see countless questions reflected in Gareth’s eyes, while Elena’s attention remained fixed on the injuries he had yet to fully recover from. Neither pressed him for answers. After serving House Ravencrest for so many years, they understood there would be a time for explanations and a time for action.

"It seems I have made everyone worry. I’ll explain everything later. But first — we should deal with the aftermath."

Both Gareth and Elena immediately understood.

Adrian looked toward the handful of Black Raven elites who’d accompanied them.

"Split into groups. Survey every settlement surrounding the Ancient Wildlands. Determine whether the shockwave caused casualties or any structural damage. Anyone injured is to receive treatment immediately." His voice remained steady. "If homes have been destroyed, House Ravencrest will bear the entire cost of rebuilding them."

Every knight struck a fist against their chest. "As you command, my Lord."

"Go."

Without another word, the Black Raven Knights departed in every direction, disappearing into the vast wilderness with astonishing speed.

Only Adrian, Elena, and Gareth remained standing amidst the silent ruins of Ice Valley.

For a long moment, none of them spoke. The cold northern wind swept across the endless crater, carrying with it the last remnants of crimson ash.

Finally, Elena broke the silence.

"...Sir Reiner?"

Adrian looked toward the southern horizon.

"He’s already departed for Solaris."

Both Gareth and Elena understood the implication immediately.

If the Sword Saint had returned directly to the Imperial Capital without visiting Ravenhold, then what had occurred here had already exceeded the authority of House Ravencrest.

The rumors were contained quickly. The injured were treated. New buildings rose for those who’d lost their homes. All of it was handled within a few days.

Back at Ravenhold, the tension that had gripped the estate finally settled. Knights patrolled the towering walls. Servants moved through the halls at their usual pace. Steel rang out from the training grounds, where young warriors worked under the watchful eyes of veteran instructors. Everything had returned to how it had been, on the surface.

The tension in the command room said otherwise.

Adrian remained seated at the head of the table while Elena, Gareth, and Lucian took their usual places. He walked them through the events of that day, and what had caused the destruction.

"The Eclipse Conclave of the Four Great Evils — and them?" Lucian repeated it slowly.

"The Four Great Evils went quiet decades ago, though they’re still active in some parts of the Empire. The last war nearly destroyed two of them. It seems they’ve either consolidated their strength again, or joined with this new enemy." He paused. "Either way, it’s not a good sign. If my assumption is right, we’ll be looking at war against the Four Great Evils eventually — but I doubt the Emperor rushes that decision. We’d need to assess the strength of this new enemy first."

"I reached the same conclusion." Adrian’s voice stayed level. "But the tension in the Sword Saint’s voice was impossible to miss when he mentioned them."

The room fell silent.

"We won’t know more until the meeting with the Emperor," Adrian continued. "For now, inform Marcus of the incident. Send word to every Count and every noble house in the North to report any sign of Eclipse activity, or from the Four Great Evils, in their territory."

He turned to Elena.

"How much grain do we currently have in reserve, my lady?"

"We don’t have to worry for the next fourteen months, even accounting for winter losses," Elena replied. "The western territories had a good harvest this year, so our granaries are in a good state. If we acquire additional grain now, we’ll be able to purchase it at a much lower price."

Adrian nodded once, turning the number over.

"What about our weapon reserves? How short are we?"

"Ore production declined by nearly thirty percent this year," Elena replied. "Weapon production declined with it. If we’re forced to expand our forces unexpectedly, our current stockpiles won’t be sufficient."

Adrian weighed her report before speaking.

"Increase production at Ironforge where possible," Adrian said. "Request additional ore and grain from Duke Albright. The neighboring Counts are to be approached for any surplus grain they can spare. Offer monster cores and materials in exchange."

He paused briefly.

"If Duke Albright refuses..."

"...offer him the Beast Lord cores and Frostfang Alpha Core we recently acquired."

Gareth’s expression immediately changed.

"My Lord... offering the Beast Lord cores is acceptable... but the Beast King Core was obtained for the young heir." Gareth said.

"We’ll worry about that later," Adrian replied, his voice calm as ever. "If House Ravencrest needs it, then it serves its purpose. As for the Beast King Core..." He paused briefly, the words seeming heavier than the rest. "...perhaps it simply wasn’t meant for him." His expression remained unchanged, but Elena still caught the faint trace of disappointment hidden beneath his composed exterior.

"For now, we’ll end the meeting here." Adrian looked at Gareth. Both Gareth and Lucian immediately understood and didn’t continue the exchange.

Adrian and Lucian departed from the room.

Elena remained behind.

She stayed seated for several minutes before quietly rising, walking over to Adrian, and gently placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Don’t worry. Ethan will find his own opportunities," she whispered into his ear.

"Ahem. I wasn’t worried." Adrian coughed awkwardly, his ears turning red.

Elena giggled. "Okay, I’ll go handle the duties." She turned away and quickly left the room.

Adrian remained alone for several moments, then took out the letter bearing the Emperor Seal.

After a brief silence...

He broke the seal.