Dawn arrived later in the Northern Territory than in the South. As Murphy’s figure crossed the final ridge before Monte Castle, the eastern sky was just beginning to pale.

The morning mist, a milky veil, clung low to the castle’s towers and stone walls. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of pine needles and frost.

He disturbed no one, slipping in through a hidden entrance at the back of the castle, just as he had when he left.

After passing through several little-known passages, Murphy reached the upper level of the main keep and the living quarters he shared with Aurora.

The corridors were silent, the candles in their wall sconces long since burned out.

He paused for a moment before the bedroom door, then pushed the heavy oak door open.

The room was warm. The embers from the previous night still glowed in the fireplace, giving off a faint light and heat.

The morning light filtered through the gaps in the heavy curtains, casting a few hazy shafts of light into the room.

Aurora was already awake. Or perhaps, she hadn’t slept deeply at all.

She wore a soft, pale beige robe, her blonde hair draped loosely over her shoulders. She was sitting by the window in an armchair with a thick velvet cushion, a ledger open on her lap and a quill in hand, seemingly reviewing something.

At the sound of the door opening, she looked up, her azure eyes clear even in the dim light.

"Murphy." She set down her quill, showing little surprise on her face, as if she had known exactly when he would return. "Was your journey safe?"

"Yes," Murphy replied, closing the door behind him.

He walked over to the fireplace, picked up the poker to stir the embers, and added a few dry pine logs. Soon, orange-red flames leaped up, chasing away the room’s chill and bringing with them more light.

He took off his deep-blue outer robe, damp with night dew and road dust, and draped it over the back of a chair before turning toward Aurora.

Aurora closed her ledger and quietly watched him approach.

She didn’t press for details about the celebration at Taymer Palace, nor did she immediately mention any territorial matters. She simply studied his face, her gaze tracing his features as if to confirm he was truly home, safe and sound.

Murphy sat in the chair opposite her.

The firelight shone on his profile, outlining features that, though weary, remained resolute.

"Eleanor’s birthday... it was lively," he said, breaking the silence. His voice was a little deeper than usual. "She’s gotten taller."

The corners of Aurora’s mouth curved into a gentle smile. "She’s five now. They grow so fast at that age. Did she... like your gift?"

"Yes." Murphy nodded, recalling how his daughter’s eyes lit up when she held the Astrolabe. "She loved it."

He paused, hesitating for a moment before pulling a small, deep-blue velvet pouch from inside his coat.

"Eleanor... asked me to give this to you." He held the pouch out to Aurora, his voice steady. "She said she collected them in the garden—the seeds from the first Snowball Flowers to bloom this year."

Aurora was visibly taken aback.

She reached out, her fingertips gently brushing the soft velvet before she carefully took the pouch.

She didn’t open it immediately. Instead, she cupped the small pouch in her palm, her eyes downcast, her thick, blonde lashes hiding whatever emotion they held.

After a long moment, she finally spoke, her voice laced with an indescribable softness. "That sweet child... she remembered I like Snowball Flowers. To think you can find seeds for a flower from the Northern Territory in a garden in the South..."

Murphy didn’t answer her question, merely watched the firelight flicker and dance across her pale blonde hair.

At last, Aurora untied the thin drawstring of the velvet pouch. She poured a few of the tiny, downy, light-brown seeds into her palm, bringing them close to inspect them before taking a gentle sniff of their faint, dry, earthy scent.

"They’re in excellent condition," she murmured. "Gathered while the morning dew was still on them... and preserved with great care."

She carefully poured the seeds back into the pouch, retied it, and clasped it in her hand.

"I’ll have the gardener try to cultivate some in the greenhouse." She looked up at Murphy. "It would be interesting, wouldn’t it? To have Snowball Flowers from the Southern Territory blooming in the gardens of Monte Castle."

Murphy nodded.

Aurora placed the pouch of seeds gently on the small table beside her and picked up her ledger again, her expression growing more focused. "The domain has been peaceful while you were gone. Arthur sends daily reports from the dam, and everything is operating normally. However..."

She flipped to a page in the ledger, her fingertip tapping at the figures. "The Peric family in the Eastern Territory sent several new orders for ore through the trade routes. The quantities are up by thirty percent, and they’re specifically requesting our highest-quality refined iron ingots on a very tight delivery schedule. It’s highly unusual."

She looked up, her gaze sharp. "Their own iron mines and workshops are more than enough for their regular needs; they even export to other domains. This sudden increase in demand for our Northern Lands’ ingots, requiring the highest quality and fastest delivery... Did something happen at the celebration in the South?"

Murphy leaned back slightly in his chair. "An uninvited guest appeared at the celebration: Marquis Alonso de la Torre of the Castile Kingdom."

Aurora’s brow furrowed, a clear sign she understood the weight behind that name and title. "The Official Wizard from the Tower of Secret Silver? He was at Taymer Palace? For Eleanor’s birthday celebration?"

"Yes." Murphy’s tone was grim. "He publicly announced that the Tower of Secret Silver will soon fully activate the Plane Waymark located deep within the Iron Ridge Mountain Range, on the border between the Eastern Territory of the Vilt Kingdom and Castile. They intend to channel the power of the New Realm and declare war on the Truth Church Court."