Chapter 348| You Promised Me, Sister. You Must Come Back.
The wild northern sea breeze swept across Northveil Port that morning.
The ice-cold air bit straight to the marrow of the bone. It carried a sharp scent of sea salt mixed thickly with the stench of engine lubricant and molten iron.
Right alongside the main dock, it rested arrogantly, slicing through the ocean.
A light destroyer plated in dark steel. The muzzles of four 120mm caliber mana-cannons—two at the bow and two at the stern—were mounted firmly, defying the horizon. Complete with two magitech rocket launchers. The vessel was certainly no Dreadnought-class, yet its steel silhouette was more than enough to make any fleet think twice before approaching.
At its main mast, the halyard remained bare. No flag was raised yet. Only the hemp ropes creaked softly against the wind. Creaak... creaak...
The port was packed with a silent sea of people.
Calloused-handed shipyard workers lined the edge of the dock with pride. Elite infantry formations of Northreach stood at absolute attention. Regional lords—Duke Hektor, Duke Eddard, and Countess Mira—stood tall, honoring the masterpiece of their kingdom.
However, the Sudrath family’s formation appeared different today.
Rumina didn’t gather alongside her siblings. The woman took her place among the official ranks of the royal council. She wore the official working uniform of the Royal Head Treasurer—a dark gray gown bearing the silver Wolf emblem.
Her black hair was tied in a tight bun. Her glasses rested with precision. Her face was extraordinarily serene, as flat as a sheet of ice, devoid of any readable emotion.
In the guest of honor line, Selene sat gracefully. The sea-blue robes of her Water Arcanum fluttered in the breeze. Behind the woman, ten Luminara guard knights stood on standby.
In the private family area, Riven stood as firm as a mountain in his military uniform. Beside him, Elena held Kaelven’s tiny hand.
"Big ship! Daddy, big ship!" Kaelven babbled, his round eyes wide in awe.
Rhea stood slightly apart. She wore a dark casual dress while cradling the sleeping Ana. Arvid accompanied her side in a shirt pulled neater than usual.
Not far away, Elara sat in her Arcanotech wheelchair, pushed patiently by Madam Sera. Though the pregnant woman’s face was slightly pale, her back remained strong and straight.
Raveena stood right beside her, her fingers tightly intertwined with Caelus’s hand. Her gray eyes stared deeply at the steel warship.
And at the corner of the line... Raphael stood in silence.
The youngest prince in his school uniform didn’t move much. There were no cheap jokes. No mischievous smirks. Raphael stared straight ahead with a clenched jaw, absorbing every inch of the weight of history this morning.
At the very front line, King Lucian Sudrath stood alongside Queen Aurelia.
The Queen tightly gripped a thick red cloth—the Northern Wolf Flag she had sewn with her own hands. Aurelia’s warm eyes were already glistening, holding back tears.
Lucian stepped slowly toward the wooden podium. His gray coat billowed in the wind. The Northern King swept his gaze over the thousands of eyes awaiting his address.
"Today, we are not commissioning a killing machine," Lucian’s deep baritone boomed, traveling above the rustling waves.
"This ship was constructed not to ignite an invasion, but as a bridge to deliver the truth. Northreach does not sail north as conquerors. We sail... as messengers of peace."
Lucian turned his head, gazing at the dark hull of the ship.
"NRS Orion. Named after a hero of Project Legion whose history was erased by the world for thousands of years. This ship will sail across the ocean, heading toward the land of Orion’s descendants... to deliver one absolute message: That we will never forget their sacrifice!"
An absolute silence enveloped the port. There were no cheers. Only the crashing of waves against the dock stones.
Duke Hektor stepped forward. He rendered a precise military salute, then presented a metal plaque to Lucian.
"Construction complete, Your Majesty," Hektor reported loudly. "The Northveil Shipyard has fulfilled its duty."
Hektor signaled with his hand. A young officer jogged over to Queen Aurelia.
Aurelia stepped forward with a mother’s gentle grace. Her eyes broke their defenses. She handed the folded red flag into her husband’s hands with trembling fingers.
Lucian accepted the flag. With firm, steady motions, he tied it to the halyard rope. Rustle... rustle. The flag was pulled up slowly. As it reached the peak of the mast, the sea wind instantly caught the heavy fabric. The Northern Wolf emblem billowed proudly, slicing through the sky.
The entire port froze in respect. Soldiers saluted. Workers bowed their heads. Regional lords simultaneously placed their right hands over their left chests—the highest symbol of Northern honor.
In the council line, Rumina stared at that red flag.
Her face remained as flat as ice. Yet deep within her soul, she knew perfectly well... once that flag billowed, her countdown had run out.
She would soon board that ship.
The official ceremony was adjourned.
Now, near the steel stairs connecting the dock to the hull of the NRS Orion, the Sudrath family formed a closed circle. It was time to say goodbye.
Aurelia stepped forward. She pulled Rumina’s body into an extraordinarily tight embrace.
Gasp. The Queen’s suppressed sobs broke against her daughter’s shoulder. "Come home safely, my love..." Aurelia whispered through her tears. "Mother won’t survive losing you over there."
Rumina didn’t cry. She returned her mother’s embrace with warm, rhythmic pats on her back. "I promise I will come home, Mother."
The moment the embrace broke, Raveena was already standing before her.
Raveena didn’t hug her. She merely stood tall, looking straight into Rumina’s eyes.
"You promised me, Sister," Raveena said firmly, her voice slightly raspy. "You must come back."
Rumina returned the gaze without flinching. "I never forget my own promises."
Raveena reached out, touching and gently squeezing Rumina’s arm. A tiny touch holding thousands of prayers for safety.
"Hey," Roland called out, approaching while holding his bandaged arm. The diplomat offered a thin smile, lightly patting Rumina’s shoulder. "You are Rumina Sudrath. You can definitely handle those Iron Empire bureaucrats with absolute ease."
Rumina sneered cynically from behind her glasses. Hmph. "Of course. At least I am vastly more rational and nowhere near as reckless as you, Brother Roland."
Roland chuckled softly, accepting the sharp response.
Behind Roland, Rianor stepped forward, standing right beside Rumina.
The scientist didn’t utter a single word. There were no lectures or cliché lines. Rianor simply stood like a statue, gazing at the ship’s hull. Yet, Rumina could feel an absolute layer of protection from the blue glow of her brother’s Arcanotech Bracer. An unspoken guarantee: Rianor would not allow anyone to harm her over there.
It was Rianor’s turn to pivot his body, looking at the woman in the wheelchair not far from him.
Elara extended her pale hand. Rianor accepted it, gripping her fingers with his warm right hand.
"Come home safely, Rianor," Elara whispered, holding back the pool of tears in her purple eyes. "I... and our baby... will always be waiting for you at home."
Rianor gave a single, firm nod. Very slow, very certain. A commitment sturdier than Adamantite steel.
Meanwhile, Riven crouched in front of Elena.
The giant general bowed his head, planting a long, deep kiss on Kaelven’s forehead as the boy hugged his mother’s neck. The toddler stroked his father’s rough cheek. Riven then looked up, meeting his wife’s green eyes.
Elena carved the strongest smile she could muster. She refused to shed tears in front of her husband as he set sail. A silent understanding between a doctor and a soldier.
In another corner, Rhea walked calmly toward Rumina.
She didn’t speak at length. She simply stopped, met Rumina’s eyes, and gave a firm, resolute nod of her head. The highest mark of respect between strong women who understood the meaning of sacrifice. Rumina returned the nod with equal respect.
Now, it was Raphael’s turn.
The youngest prince stood stiffly before his sister. His mouth was half-open, wanting to say something, but his voice suddenly evaporated. His awkwardness overflowed.
Seeing her flustered little brother, the rigid wall on Rumina’s face slowly thawed.
Rumina raised her hand. Suddenly, she messed up Raphael’s black hair quite roughly until it was completely disheveled. An extraordinarily, exceptionally rare physical gesture.
Raphael’s eyes widened, frozen in shock. Before he could react, Rumina had already spun on her heels and strode toward the stairs.
"ALL TROOPS, BOARD THE SHIP!"
Captain Thorne’s command sliced through the wind. Thirty elite infantry soldiers marched in line onto the deck. Clack! Clack! Clack!
Borch and the five members of the Ghost Squad followed, dispersing into the shadowed corners of the deck. Selene and her ten guards boarded with their blue cloaks fluttering.
Followed by Riven, who walked up with steady strides. Roland strode up the iron stairs while waving his uninjured hand. Rianor slowly released Elara’s hand, then followed them up, accompanied by the soft hum of his mechanical arm.
And the very last person to step onto those iron stairs was Rumina.
Right in the middle of the stairs, the Treasurer paused her steps. She looked back over her left shoulder, staring at the mainland.
For just three seconds.
She recorded Aurelia’s weeping face. Recorded Raveena tightly gripping Caelus’s hand. Recorded Raphael’s tense posture. And finally... recorded King Lucian’s heavy, solemn gaze as he let go of the daughter he was sacrificing.
Three seconds expired.
Rumina turned her head forward again. She strode firmly up the remaining steps until her gray figure was completely swallowed by the ship’s steel hull.
Creaak... creaak... The massive mooring ropes were cast off from the dock pillars.
VWUUUNGGG...!! The main mana-engines in the belly of the NRS Orion purred to life. An extraordinarily powerful, low hum instantly vibrated the sea water. White foam erupted at the stern as the propellers sliced through the waves.
Slowly but surely, the light destroyer pulled away from the dock. Moving farther away, heading toward the gray ocean.
The Sudrath family remained frozen on the wet dock. Not a single person turned to leave, even as the ice-cold wind continued to batter their faces.
"Father..." Raphael’s voice flowed softly, nearly swallowed by the roar of the waves. "Will... will Sister Rumina really be okay over there?"
King Lucian didn’t look back. His gray eyes locked onto the black dot of the ship growing smaller in the distance.
"She is my daughter," Lucian answered briefly. An absolute conviction that shook the very air.
The foamy waves continued to crash against the rocks. Beneath the cold sky of Northreach, the NRS Orion was finally swallowed completely by the horizon. Carrying with it the gamble of a continent’s destiny within its steel hull.