The evening wind swept across the training grounds as Ethan stood motionless, his attention fixed upon the newest notification displayed before him.

-----

War Merit Store Unlocked.

-----

Several seconds passed.

Then, with a thought, Ethan selected the notification.

The golden screen expanded. A new interface materialized before him. Unlike the status window, this one appeared far more complex. Numerous empty sections stretched across the display, most of them sealed behind gray barriers. Only a small portion remained accessible.

-----

War Merit Store

Current War Merit:

10

Available Items:

Basic Recovery Potion — 10 War Merit

Minor Stamina Recovery Potion — 10 War Merit

Locked...

Locked...

Locked...

-----

Ethan studied the screen carefully. His expression remained calm, the available items were underwhelming. Almost disappointingly so. Yet rather than feeling frustrated, he found himself strangely reassured.

If the store had immediately offered Divine-grade treasures or legendary weapons, he would have become suspicious. Nothing in this world came without cost. Nothing powerful appeared from nowhere. The fact that the store contained only basic resources suggested that the War God System followed certain rules.

Rules Ethan intended to understand. His gaze eventually shifted toward the numerous locked sections. There were dozens. Perhaps hundreds. Entire categories remained inaccessible.

Weapons. Techniques. Materials. Inheritance Records. Special Functions.

Most of them remained hidden.

The realization caused a faint smile to appear on Ethan’s face. After memorizing the available information, Ethan closed the interface. The golden screen disappeared. The sounds of the training grounds returned immediately. Wooden weapons collided. Instructors shouted commands. Young trainees continued pushing themselves through evening exercises. Life moved forward as though nothing had happened.

Yet Ethan knew everything had changed.

A few hours ago, he had been a helpless child carrying only memories of the future. Now he possessed a physique capable of rivaling legends and a system unlike anything he had ever encountered.

Most importantly...

He possessed a path.

For the first time since awakening, the future no longer appeared as an insurmountable wall. It had become a challenge. Difficult. Dangerous. But achievable. The thought caused his gaze to drift across the training grounds. Many of the young knights practicing nearby appeared familiar. Some would eventually become officers. Others would earn positions within the Black Raven Knights. A few would even fight beside him during the darkest years of the Northern Collapse.

At the moment, however, they were merely children. Children laughing between training sessions. Children competing against one another. Children unaware of the future awaiting them. A strange emotion surfaced within Ethan’s chest. In his previous life, he had spent so many years looking toward distant threats that he had forgotten how peaceful the world once was. The Northern Frontier had not always been drowning in war. There had been laughter. Friendship. Hope.

Looking at the training grounds now, Ethan found himself silently promising that he would preserve those things this time. Not only for himself. Not only for his family.

For everyone.

-----

The sky had already begun darkening by the time Ethan finally turned toward Ravenhold Manor.

The manor stood proudly atop the hill overlooking the surrounding lands, its stone walls illuminated by the warm glow of lanterns.

Home.

The word carried a different meaning now. A precious meaning. One he had only truly understood after losing it. As Ethan walked toward the manor, his thoughts gradually shifted away from the system. Tomorrow would come soon enough. There would be time to investigate the War Merit Store. Time to train. Time to prepare. For now, another promise required his attention.

A small smile appeared on his face.

Amelia. If he remembered correctly, she would be furious if he forgot.

The thought alone was enough to make him laugh softly. And for the first time since his return, Ethan realized that changing the future did not begin with grand battles or impossible plans. Sometimes it began with keeping a promise.

-----

The following morning arrived with clear skies and a surprisingly gentle breeze. Sunlight filtered through the tall windows of Ravenhold Manor, illuminating the stone corridors with a warm golden glow. The harsh northern winters had not yet fully arrived, allowing the territory a brief period of peace before the snowstorms of late autumn settled across the frontier.

For most people, it was simply another ordinary day. For Ethan, it was something far more precious. It was another day his family remained alive. The thought alone was enough to improve his mood. After finishing breakfast, Ethan found himself walking through the manor’s eastern wing. Several servants greeted him respectfully as he passed. Others appeared surprised — not because of his presence, but because he was actually heading somewhere on time.

A fact that quickly became clear when a familiar voice echoed through the corridor.

"You actually came."

Ethan stopped.

A smile appeared despite himself. Amelia Ravencrest stood at the end of the hallway with her arms crossed and an expression that attempted to appear intimidating.

Failed spectacularly.

"You sound surprised."

"I am surprised."

She nodded seriously.

"You usually forget."

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"Usually?"

"Yes."

Amelia immediately pointed at him.

"You forgot last month."

A pause.

"You forgot two months ago."

Another pause.

"You also forgot—"

"Alright."

Ethan interrupted before the list became any longer.

Amelia looked victorious. The sight made him laugh softly.

Some things truly never changed.

"Where are we going?"

The young girl’s eyes immediately brightened.

"The gardens."

Of course. Ethan should have expected that answer. Without waiting for a response, Amelia grabbed his sleeve and began pulling him through the manor. The two soon exited through one of the eastern courtyards before making their way toward the family gardens. Unlike the training grounds or military facilities surrounding Ravenhold, the gardens existed purely for peace and beauty. Colorful flowers stretched across carefully maintained pathways. Small stone bridges crossed narrow streams. Ancient trees provided shade throughout the area.

For generations, the women of House Ravencrest had overseen the gardens personally. Elena, in particular, spent considerable time ensuring they remained beautiful despite the harsh climate of the Northern Frontier. As they walked through the pathways, Amelia enthusiastically pointed at almost everything — flowers, birds, trees, a rabbit she briefly spotted near a hedge. The topics changed so quickly that Ethan occasionally struggled to keep up.

Yet he listened patiently.

Because he remembered.

There would come a day when these conversations disappeared. A day when the gardens became quiet. A day when he would give anything to hear Amelia talking endlessly about flowers again.

The memory tightened something within his chest.

Fortunately, Amelia remained completely unaware of his thoughts. She eventually stopped near a patch of blue flowers growing beside a stone pathway.

"These are my favorite."

Ethan stared at the flowers. Then at Amelia. Then back at the flowers.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"I know."

Amelia blinked.

"What?"

"I said I know."

For several moments, she simply stared at him. Then narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"No you don’t."

"I do."

"You don’t."

"I do."

"You don’t."

The argument continued for nearly a minute before Ethan finally sighed.

"The Frostbell Flowers."

Amelia froze.

"The ones you liked because Mother told you they bloom even during difficult winters."

Silence. Complete silence.

The young girl’s mouth slowly opened.

"How did you know that?"

Ethan immediately realized his mistake. Because he remembered. He remembered conversations from years ago. Conversations that had not happened yet. To Amelia, however, there was no reason he should know.

Quickly recovering, Ethan shrugged.

"You told me."

"I did not."

"You probably did."

"I definitely did not."

The certainty in her voice almost made him laugh.

Eventually Amelia decided to accept the mystery. Mostly because she wanted to continue talking about the flowers.

The two spent the next hour wandering through the gardens. For the first time since his return, Ethan allowed himself to relax. No strategies. No plans. No calculations. Just family. Just a peaceful morning beneath clear skies.

Yet even as he enjoyed the moment, another realization slowly formed within his mind. The future already felt different. Not because of the system. Not because of the Heavenly Sovereign Physique.

But because he was here. In his previous life, he had taken countless moments like this for granted. Now he understood their value.

A single conversation. A simple promise. A peaceful afternoon.

Sometimes the smallest things were the easiest to lose. And the hardest to recover. As Ethan watched Amelia happily continue speaking about flowers she clearly expected him to remember, he made another silent promise. This time, he would protect these moments too.

Not just the people. The moments.

Because they were what made life worth fighting for in the first place.

-----

The afternoon sun gradually drifted toward the western horizon as Ethan and Amelia continued wandering through the gardens. At some point, the conversation had shifted away from flowers. Then away from birds. Then away from rabbits.

Now Amelia was enthusiastically explaining why she intended to become the greatest explorer in the Empire despite never having traveled farther than the neighboring town. Ethan listened quietly. Not because the story made sense — it didn’t, not even slightly — but because her excitement was genuine. And after everything he had experienced, genuine happiness had become something he treasured.

"...and then I’ll discover an ancient ruin."

Amelia spread her arms dramatically.

"A huge one."

"A huge one?"

"The biggest one."

"I see."

"And then everyone will remember my name."

Ethan nodded seriously.

"A reasonable plan."

Amelia immediately beamed. Clearly, she had expected resistance. Instead, she found support. The result was predictable — her imagination somehow expanded further. Watching her speak, Ethan found himself smiling once again. It was strange. In his previous life, he had spent years carrying the weight of the North upon his shoulders. Every day had revolved around survival, strategy, and sacrifice.

Now he was sitting beneath a tree listening to an eight-year-old explain her plans to become a legendary explorer. The contrast was almost absurd. Yet he preferred this version. Without question. A comfortable silence eventually settled between them.

For a while, neither spoke. The wind gently rustled the leaves overhead. Nearby streams flowed quietly through the gardens. The atmosphere felt peaceful. Almost too peaceful.

Then Ethan’s gaze drifted toward the distant walls of Ravenhold.

His schedule for the coming months was already beginning to form in his mind. Cultivation. The War God System. Future opportunities hidden throughout the Northern Frontier. There was still much to prepare for, but unlike his previous life, he could begin before disaster arrived.

For the first time in years, the future felt like something he could shape rather than endure.

His expression slowly became thoughtful.

Amelia immediately noticed the change.

"Brother?"

Ethan blinked. "What is it?"

"You made that face."

"What face?"

"That face."

The explanation was entirely unhelpful.

Ethan sighed.

Amelia nodded confidently.

"See?"

"I still don’t know what face you’re talking about."

"The serious one."

The answer caused Ethan to laugh. Apparently, she wasn’t entirely wrong.

"I’m fine."

Amelia continued watching him for another few seconds before eventually accepting the answer.

Mostly. Not completely. The suspicious look remained.

Eventually, the two began making their way back toward the manor. The journey was slow, mostly because Amelia insisted on stopping every few minutes to inspect something she found interesting. By the time Ravenhold Manor came into view again, the sun had already begun setting. Golden light illuminated the fortress-like estate.

The sight caused Ethan to slow slightly.

Home. The word still carried immense weight. His gaze moved across the walls. The towers. The banners bearing the Ravencrest insignia. Everything looked strong, secure, unbreakable. Yet Ethan knew better. In his previous life, he had watched these same walls burn. He had watched these same banners fall.

The memory lingered for only a moment. Then it disappeared.

Not because he forgot. Because he refused to allow it to happen again. As they approached the main entrance, several knights were returning from patrol. One of them offered Ethan a respectful nod. Another greeted Amelia warmly.

Ordinary interactions. Ordinary moments.

Yet Ethan paid closer attention than before. The future was built from countless small details. And this time, he intended to notice every one of them. Ethan looked toward the manor. Toward the banners of House Ravencrest fluttering proudly in the evening wind.

A faint smile appeared on Ethan’s face, drawing Amelia’s attention almost immediately.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked curiously.

Then he looked toward his sister.

"Because today was a good day."

Amelia considered the answer. Then nodded seriously.

"It was."

For once, Ethan completely agreed.

-----

As Ethan and Amelia approached the main entrance of Ravenhold Manor, the evening sun had already begun sinking beyond the distant mountains. Golden light illuminated the stone walls of the fortress-like estate while the banners of House Ravencrest fluttered proudly in the northern wind. For centuries, Ravenhold had stood as the heart of the Northern Frontier. A symbol of protection. A symbol of duty. A symbol Ethan refused to lose again.

For a brief moment, Ethan simply admired the sight.

Home. A word he had spent years desperately trying to protect. Before either of them could enter the manor, hurried footsteps echoed from within the courtyard. A knight clad in black and silver armor approached quickly before stopping in front of the entrance. The Ravencrest insignia upon his chest immediately identified him as one of the household knights.

Upon noticing Ethan and Amelia, he respectfully bowed.

"Young Master. Young Lady."

Amelia tilted her head.

"What happened?"

The knight immediately straightened.

"A message has arrived from the frontier."

At those words, Ethan’s attention sharpened. The frontier. The northern frontier was rarely quiet. Messages arriving from there almost always carried significance.

The knight continued.

"The Monster Suppression Campaign has concluded successfully." A wave of relief swept through the household knight’s expression. Successful campaigns were never taken for granted on the Northern Frontier. Every victory meant fewer graves.

A faint smile appeared on Amelia’s face.

Yet Ethan froze.

The knight’s voice continued.

"Lord Marquess is returning. Along with Commander Marcus and the rest of the suppression force."

The knight’s voice remained steady. Yet Ethan noticed the pride hidden beneath it.

Silence.

For a brief moment, the entire world seemed to become distant.

Amelia’s eyes immediately brightened.

"Father is coming back?"

"Yes, Young Lady." The knight nodded. "The main force has already begun its return journey."

Amelia practically bounced with excitement.

"When?"

"Approximately three days."

The moment the answer left the knight’s mouth, Amelia disappeared into the manor.

"Mother!" Her voice echoed throughout the courtyard. "Father’s coming back!"

The knight smiled faintly before excusing himself and continuing toward the main building.

Soon, Ethan found himself standing alone.

Three days. Only three days.

Slowly, his gaze drifted toward the northern horizon. The setting sun painted the distant mountains in shades of gold and crimson. To everyone else, it was simply the return of the Marquess. The return of a husband. The return of a father.

But to Ethan, it meant something entirely different. He remembered the battlefield. He remembered the blood. By the time Ethan arrived with the reinforcements, the battle had already ended. The battlefield had fallen silent, leaving behind only scattered corpses, broken weapons, and the lingering scent of blood in the cold air.

A complicated emotion surfaced within his heart.

Relief. Excitement. Disbelief. Hope.

For years, Ethan had carried the regret of being unable to save the man he admired most.

Now fate had given him another chance.

This time, Adrian Ravencrest was alive.

And in three days, the Sword of the North would walk through the gates of Ravenhold once more.