The morning after Elena’s lesson arrived with an unusual sense of activity throughout the Estate.

As Ethan made his way through the grounds, he quickly noticed the difference. Messengers moved between buildings at a hurried pace, mounted knights entered and departed through the inner gates, and servants carrying sealed documents crossed paths with officers heading toward the command building. Nothing appeared chaotic — everything remained orderly — yet beneath that order lay a subtle sense of urgency that hadn’t been present the day before.

Ethan slowed slightly as he crossed the central courtyard. No alarms had sounded and no emergency had been declared, yet the Estate was unquestionably preparing for something. Several supply wagons stood near the northern gate, stable hands moved between rows of warhorses, and a group of knights inspected equipment while quartermasters reviewed inventory lists nearby. The preparations were too organized to be routine.

Continuing forward, Ethan eventually arrived near one of the command courtyards beside the military headquarters, where several officers stood around a large wooden table covered with maps. At the center stood Gareth Ironwood, issuing instructions while studying a detailed map of the northern frontier, his voice calm, firm, efficient.

"...increase patrol frequency near Frostfall."

"Yes, Commander."

"Have the third scouting unit report directly to headquarters."

"Understood."

The officers immediately moved to carry out their assignments — no hesitation, no questions, only trust. Watching from a distance, Ethan understood why. Gareth Ironwood possessed the type of authority that could not be granted by rank alone. It had been earned through decades of service, through countless battles, through years spent protecting the northern frontier alongside Adrian Ravencrest.

Eventually, Gareth noticed him and straightened slightly before offering a respectful nod. "Young Master."

"Commander Gareth."

For a brief moment, Gareth studied him. "I hear your training continues to progress well."

Ethan smiled faintly. "Father rarely gives me a choice."

A trace of amusement flickered across Gareth’s face. "That sounds like the Marquess."

The conversation remained brief. Before either could continue, hurried footsteps approached from behind, and a knight entered the courtyard with armor carrying traces of dust from recent travel. Without delay, he saluted. "Commander."

Gareth extended a hand. The knight immediately passed over a sealed report. The veteran commander broke the seal and scanned the contents, and the faint amusement disappeared from his expression. His eyes narrowed only slightly, yet the change was immediate — Ethan noticed it, and so did everyone else present. The courtyard grew noticeably quieter.

After several moments, Gareth folded the report. "Another one?"

Several officers exchanged uneasy glances. The knight nodded. "Yes, Commander."

A brief silence followed before Gareth asked the question that immediately caught Ethan’s attention. "Commander Hale confirmed it?"

"Personally."

The response came without hesitation. Gareth’s expression hardened. "Understood." He folded the report once more and turned toward the nearest officer. "Continue preparations."

At the mention of Lucian Hale’s name, Ethan’s thoughts stirred. One of Ravencrest’s most capable commanders, a man whose reports were rarely inaccurate. If Gareth considered his personal confirmation important enough to ask about separately, whatever the report contained carried more weight than the usual frontier dispatch.

Without wasting another moment, Gareth began walking toward the command building, several officers immediately following. As he passed Ethan, he paused briefly. "The Marquess may be occupied for the remainder of the morning."

"I understand."

Gareth offered one final nod before disappearing through the command building’s entrance. The courtyard gradually returned to activity — knights resuming their duties, officers carrying reports between buildings. Ethan’s gaze drifted briefly toward the supply wagons near the northern gate, several bearing markings indicating they were destined for Frostfall Fortress. His thoughts shifted toward the conversation he had just witnessed — Commander Hale’s confirmation, the increased activity along the frontier, the preparations spreading throughout the Estate. The pieces were adding up to something.

-----

Training concluded earlier than usual, with several instructors reassigned elsewhere within the Estate and the training grounds left noticeably quieter than before. Even among the knights who remained, conversation drifted repeatedly toward the frontier — the reports had clearly attracted attention throughout the grounds.

By midday, a message arrived directly from the command building. "The Marquess requests your presence, Young Master."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly. His father rarely summoned him during military discussions. Without delay, he followed the messenger through the Outer District toward the command building — a place that carried a different atmosphere from Elena’s administrative offices nearby, despite the two buildings standing within the same complex. Maps, reports, military banners. The whole structure revolved around a single purpose.

War.

After being granted entry, Ethan stepped inside. Adrian Ravencrest stood near a large table covered in maps of the northern frontier. Gareth Ironwood occupied one side of the table. Standing opposite him was a man Ethan recognized immediately — dark brown hair, sharp eyes, a calm expression that gave away nothing.

Lucian Hale. Scout Commander of Ravencrest, one of the most capable intelligence officers Ethan had ever known. Unlike Gareth, who commanded through presence and experience, Lucian’s strength lay elsewhere — observation, information, preparation, the sort of man who noticed details others overlooked. If Gareth Ironwood was Ravencrest’s shield, then Lucian was its eyes. Few people within Ravencrest noticed danger earlier than he did.

Adrian glanced toward Ethan. "You’re here."

"Father."

The Marquess gestured toward the map. "Listen." Nothing more, nothing less — a typical Adrian response.

Lucian continued his report. "Additional sightings have been confirmed across three separate patrol sectors." His voice remained calm and measured. "No signs of organized raider activity. No evidence of large-scale migration. Yet the movements continue."

Adrian folded his arms. "What is your conclusion?"

Lucian’s eyes moved toward the map. For several moments he remained silent — thinking, not stalling. When Lucian Hale paused before answering, it meant he was choosing his words carefully rather than searching for them.

"I believe something is driving them."

The room fell quiet. Not certainty — a conclusion, and Lucian Hale was not a man who reached conclusions lightly.

Gareth spoke next. "If Commander Hale is correct, the problem will eventually reach Frostfall Fortress." The northern fortress served as the first line of defense against threats emerging from the frontier, and ignoring potential instability there was not an option.

Several moments passed before Adrian made his decision.

"I’ll inspect Frostfall personally."

Simple, direct, final. No one argued. No one questioned it — if something unusual was occurring beyond the frontier, Adrian Ravencrest was the most qualified person to determine its cause, and everyone in the room knew he would have gone regardless.

Lucian nodded. "I’ll prepare the latest reports."

Gareth straightened. "I’ll assemble an escort."

The meeting shifted toward practical preparations — routes, supplies, patrol coordination, expected timelines. Ethan listened quietly until it concluded, then left for his room carrying more questions than answers.

-----

The following morning, the Estate moved with unusual purpose. Messengers crossed both the Estate grounds and the streets of Ravenhold City beyond it, carrying sealed reports. Knights inspected equipment. Stable hands prepared warhorses. The decision had been made — Adrian Ravencrest would personally inspect Frostfall Fortress.

Standing upon the inner wall overlooking the courtyard below, Ethan silently observed the preparations. Everything proceeded with practiced efficiency — no confusion, no wasted movement. A short distance away, Gareth Ironwood moved through the courtyard issuing instructions and reviewing reports while veteran officers followed behind him, knights carrying out every order without delay. The respect they showed him was obvious and well earned.

Footsteps approached from behind. Ethan turned.

Adrian Ravencrest stepped onto the wall, the black cloak of House Ravencrest resting across his shoulders, his sword at his waist. For a moment, father and son stood in silence, looking toward the northern horizon together.

"The reports concern you." It wasn’t a question. Adrian had noticed.

Ethan smiled faintly. "Nothing escapes you."

A snort escaped the Marquis. "It usually doesn’t."

"The frontier has remained quiet for too long." Adrian’s gaze stayed fixed northward. "If something is changing, I would rather confirm it myself."

"When will you return?"

"A few days. Unless the situation proves more complicated than expected."

Eventually, Adrian turned toward him. "Continue your training." The familiar order carried both authority and expectation.

"I will."

Adrian studied him for a moment, then departed. A short while later, the Estate’s outer gates opened and a small escort gathered around the Marquis — trusted knights, experienced veterans, enough to travel quickly without weakening the Estate’s defenses significantly. The procession moved through the quieter streets bordering the Inner District before merging into the wider traffic of Ravenhold City itself, and from there toward the northern road.

Standing upon the wall, Ethan watched the procession depart. The banners of House Ravencrest gradually disappeared into the distance before the gates slowly closed behind them.

The Sword of the North had left.

Then his eyes narrowed slightly.

A familiar servant crossed one of the lower courtyards carrying a sealed document case. There was nothing remarkable about the sight itself. Yet as the man disappeared around a corner, Ethan found himself pausing.

Something felt off. Not danger. Not certainty. Just a faint feeling he couldn’t quite explain — the kind his previous-life instincts had learned to take seriously even without evidence to support it.

Before he could think further, the servant vanished into the maze of corridors connecting the administrative buildings.

Ethan considered following him.

Then—

[Ding!]

A familiar voice echoed within his mind. A dark golden panel unfolded before his eyes.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[Emergency Mission Generated]

Investigate the Irregularities

Description:

Multiple irregularities have been observed within Ravenhold.

Determine their source.

Progress: 0%

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Rewards:

• War Merit ×200

• Free Attribute Points ×2

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Failure Penalty: None

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Ethan stared at the panel. Slowly, a faint smile appeared.

The mission offered no answers, only a direction. Whatever irregularities the System had detected within Ravenhold, Ethan intended to uncover them himself.