Chapter 67: Preparations Complete
"I... I heard a rumor."
The scout’s hesitant voice broke the suffocating silence that had settled over the rocky cliff.
The leader’s bloodshot eyes snapped toward him.
"What rumor?"
The young scout instinctively lowered his head beneath the man’s gaze.
"While monitoring the roads outside Northwatch, I overheard a few mercenaries and hunters discussing what happened at the Adventurer Guild. They mentioned a wounded knight arriving at the Adventurer Guild together with the villagers rescued from Maple River. Some even claimed they saw Commander of Northwatch personally appeared at the guild shortly afterward."
He hesitated briefly before continuing.
"They tried asking around...but everything related to the incident had already been classified."
Silence followed.
The wind swept across the cliff, causing the black robes of the Eclipse scouts to flutter softly.
The leader remained motionless for several long moments.
"...A knight?"
His voice carried neither surprise nor disbelief.
"Are you suggesting a mere Knight killed Sir Vael?"
The terrifying pressure behind those words made the scout instinctively step backward.
"N-No, sir!" he hurriedly replied. "I’m only repeating what I heard. Sir Vael was a Mage Commander. Someone at that level couldn’t possibly fall to a Knight."
The pressure eased ever so slightly.
"...Continue."
"That’s all I could learn, sir." The scout swallowed nervously. "The only other thing everyone agreed on was that whatever happened... it involved the Four Great Evils."
The leader fell silent once more.
His fingers slowly tapped against the hilt of the dagger hanging at his waist as he pieced together every fragment of information.
A wounded knight.
Commander Marcus appearing personally.
The Four Great Evils.
Classified information.
None of it explained Sir Vael’s disappearance.
But it revealed something else.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"That child either witnessed what happened..."
"...or the one who killed Sir Vael is connected to him."
Neither possibility could be ignored.
He slowly lifted his gaze toward the towering walls of Northwatch Fortress in the distance.
"Gather everything regarding that child."
"His identity."
"Where he stays."
"Who he meets."
"What he does each day."
"I want every detail."
Every scout immediately straightened.
"Yes, sir."
The leader reached into his spatial ring.
Several dark metallic bracelets appeared in his palm.
Each was engraved with strange black runes that faintly shimmered beneath the evening light.
He tossed them toward his subordinates.
"Wear them."
One by one, the scouts fastened the bracelets around their wrists. The runes immediately lit up. Their auras rapidly faded until not even the slightest fluctuation escaped their bodies. It was as though ten ordinary people now stood where trained assassins had been only moments before.
"These artifacts will conceal your presence."
His expression hardened.
"But don’t mistake concealment for invincibility, Don’t go anywhere near the Inner Fotress or the Adventurer Guild."
"If Marcus Ravencrest..."
"...or the Guild Master notices anything unusual..."
"You’ll die before you even realize they’ve discovered you."
A chill spread across everyone’s spine.
Neither was someone they wished to encounter.
"Blend into the city."
"Become merchants, hunters, travellers."
"I don’t care."
"But don’t attract attention."
The scouts struck a fist against their chest.
"As you command."
Without another word, the group dispersed into the darkness, disappearing one after another until only the leader remained standing atop the cliff.
His gaze never left Northwatch.
"Vael..."
His bloodshot eyes remained fixed upon the distant fortress.
"I’ll find whoever did this."
"I’ll slaughter everyone connected to your death."
"The world will witness Eclipse once again."
The following morning passed much like every other since Ethan had returned to Northwatch.
Rune lazily stretched upon the bed before curling into his usual corner, quietly watching Ethan with bright blue eyes.
Ethan’s gaze shifted toward the remaining Beast Cores stored inside his inventory.
The hundreds of Elite Beast Cores had already been completely refined over the past week.
Only the Dire Beast Cores remained.
"...Let’s continue."
With a wave of his hand, a massive bronze cauldron landed softly before him.
Unlike before, Ethan only placed six Dire Beast Cores inside.
Dire Beast Cores contained mana several times denser than Elite Beast Cores. Even after refining hundreds of Elite Beast Cores over the past week, Ethan knew his current aura control still had its limits.
Six...
That was the maximum he could safely refine at once.
Thin strands of aura slowly extended from his fingertips before wrapping around each Beast Core. Unlike his first attempts days ago, his movements carried no hesitation. His aura gradually seeped through microscopic cracks across the hardened shells, patiently wearing them down without disturbing the condensed mana hidden inside.
Minutes passed.
One shell cracked.
Then another.
Soon all six Beast Cores slowly dissolved, releasing streams of concentrated beast essence that merged together inside the cauldron.
Only then did Ethan begin adding the herbs. Bundles of Frostfire Moss entered first. Moments later came Whisper Thorn. Finally, several supporting herbs followed in precise succession.
The moment the final ingredient entered the mixture, the beast essence reacted violently.
Deep crimson slowly darkened before gradually transforming into a rich sapphire liquid threaded with delicate strands of silver.
A refreshing medicinal fragrance spread throughout the room.
Ethan maintained complete focus.
His aura continuously guided the swirling essence, balancing every ingredient while preventing the medicinal properties from clashing with one another.
Hours quietly slipped past.
Sweat gradually formed across his forehead, yet compared to his first refinement, his breathing remained remarkably calm.
Nearly five hours later...
The once turbulent liquid finally settled. Crystal-clear sapphire elixir reflected the afternoon sunlight streaming through the window.
Ethan carefully poured it into several crystal vials before lifting one toward the light. He quietly examined the mana flowing within it.
"...Peak Rare Grade."
The purity had increased significantly compared to the Elite Beast batches. Although it still belonged to the Rare Grade, its effectiveness had risen to an entirely different level.
Without wasting another moment, Ethan immediately began preparing the second batch. The following days passed in quiet repetition.
Every morning began with training.
Every afternoon was spent refining Beast Cores.
Every evening ended with Rune sleeping quietly beside him while rows of crystal vials steadily filled the expanded inventory.
As one batch after another disappeared into carefully labeled containers, Ethan’s aura control improved alongside the quality of every completed elixir.
What initially required nearly five hours gradually decreased.
Then four.
Eventually...
Barely three hours remained necessary to complete a batch. By the end of the week, the final Dire Beast Core quietly dissolved beneath Ethan’s aura.
He transferred the completed elixir into its crystal vial before storing it inside the inventory. Rows upon rows of sapphire-colored elixirs now rested neatly within the System’s storage. Most had reached Peak Rare Grade, while a handful had successfully crossed into the Epic Grade thanks to the exceptional quality of several Dire Beast Cores. It was more than enough to support the plans he intended to set into motion.
He slowly stood before stretching his stiff shoulders.
Ethan rubbed the soft silver fur between Rune’s ears.
"...Let’s go."
Rune let out a quiet yip.
Together, they stepped out of the room and made their way toward the merchant district. As they walked through the streets, Ethan’s senses quietly swept across his surroundings.
A faint sensation brushed against Ethan’s perception as he walked through the streets. It lingered for only an instant before disappearing beneath the bustle of Northwatch, but it was enough. His expression remained unchanged as a trace of coldness flickered across his eyes.
So... the cockroaches have finally crawled into the city.
From the moment Vael died, Ethan had expected Eclipse to send people. After going through the research documents he had copied, he finally understood how Vael had transplanted both the Warrior Core along with the Beast Core into his own body, and implanting various parts of beasts...transforming himself into a Chimera. The documents also revealed years of research dedicated to awakening dormant dungeon cores, a project whose value couldn’t be measured in gold. Although much of the reasearch had been carried out by Vael himself, an organization like Eclipse must have poured countless resources into supporting those experiments. Losing the research, and the results it had produced was a loss they would never simply accept.
Ethan continued walking without changing his pace.
Good.
Keep searching.
The more of you that gather... the easier it’ll be to erase you all at once.
——–—
Several thousand kilometers northeast of Northwatch, where one of the Empire’s great trade routes crossed the Northern Frontier, stood Bluewind City. Once regarded as one of the busiest merchant cities in the North, endless caravans had filled its streets from dawn until dusk while merchants from every corner of the Empire competed for warehouses, storefronts, and trading rights.
Those prosperous days, however, had long since faded.
Only a handful of merchant caravans still entered the city each day, a pitiful shadow of the endless procession that had once sustained Bluewind’s prosperity.
Numerous shops had closed their doors, abandoned storefronts lined once-busy streets, and weathered wooden signs creaked softly beneath the northern wind. Even the marketplace, once famous throughout the Frontier for its constant noise and endless bargaining, had grown unusually quiet.
At the very heart of the fading city stood Bluemoon Estate, a place that had once symbolized the wealth and influence of House Bluemoon. The ornate iron gates had long since begun rusting, while cracks spread across marble pathways that had once been polished to perfection.
The gardens had become overgrown, weeds swallowing carefully cultivated flowerbeds, and dry fountains stood abandoned beneath weathered statues whose former elegance had long been forgotten. Most of the servants’ quarters now stood empty, entire wings of the estate remained dark even at night, and only a handful of servants still struggled to maintain what little remained of the once-great household.
Inside...
the atmosphere was even heavier.
The audience chamber remained silent except for the occasional creaking of old timber.
Several candles illuminated the spacious hall, though many of the chandeliers hanging overhead remained dark, their crystal ornaments covered in dust.
Upon the Count’s seat sat a young woman who appeared no older than twenty.
Long sapphire-blue hair flowed over her shoulders, while a pair of crystal blue eyes quietly studied the reports spread before her.
Her posture remained perfectly composed despite the exhaustion hidden beneath her calm expression.
This was...
Luna Bluemoon.
The current head of House Bluemoon.
Stacks of financial reports covered the table before her.
Every report spoke of the same thing—declining trade, mounting debt, unpaid wages, and losses that continued growing with each passing month.
She quietly closed another report before gently rubbing the bridge of her nose.
At that moment...
The heavy wooden doors slowly opened.
Creak...
The sound echoed throughout the chamber.
An elderly man wearing a neatly maintained black coat entered the room.
Silver hair rested neatly behind his head, while a monocle covered one eye. Though advanced in age, his movements remained dignified, reflecting decades spent serving House Bluemoon.
He stopped several meters before the throne before bowing respectfully.
"My Lady."
Luna raised her eyes.
"What is it, Mr. Aldren?"
The old steward remained silent for a brief moment.
His expression grew noticeably heavier.
"...Another group of servants submitted their resignation this morning."
Luna quietly closed her eyes.
"I see."
"Many haven’t received a full wage in over six months."
"The remaining household staff are doing their best to maintain the estate..."
"...but I’m afraid they won’t remain much longer."
She simply nodded.
There was little else to say.
House Bluemoon no longer possessed the money to pay them.
A brief silence settled over the hall.
Finally...
The old steward spoke again.
"The knights have begun asking questions as well," the old steward continued quietly. "They’ve remained loyal despite everything, but loyalty alone cannot feed their families. Several have already begun accepting escort commissions during their leave simply to earn enough to support their households." He hesitated before adding, "They haven’t complained... but I don’t know how much longer they’ll be able to endure."
Luna slowly lowered her gaze.
"I understand."
Another report was placed upon the table.
"This arrived earlier today."
She reached forward before unfolding the parchment.
The seal decorating the letter immediately caught her attention.
House Thorn.
Without a word, she continued reading.
Several moments later...
Her fingers slowly tightened around the parchment.
The old steward quietly spoke.
"Count Thorn has delivered his final notice."
"If we fail to repay the debt within two months..."
"...House Thorn will formally declare war upon House Bluemoon and invoke a Contest of Strength under Imperial Law."
The audience chamber fell completely silent.
According to Imperial Law, noble houses were permitted to settle major territorial and financial disputes through a formal Contest of Strength. Once both sides entered the contest, the conflict became legally recognized by the Empire, and the victorious house claimed everything specified in the declaration.
For House Bluemoon...
Defeat would mean losing not only its wealth, but its lands, title, and existence as a noble house.
Luna slowly placed the letter back upon the table.
"...How much do we have left?"
The old steward didn’t answer immediately.
After several long seconds...
"...Less than two thousand gold."
The words seemed to drain what little warmth remained inside the room.
Two thousand gold.
It wasn’t even enough to maintain the estate for another month.
The steward hesitated before speaking again.
"There is... one more matter."
Luna looked toward him.
"Our final merchant caravan returned this afternoon."
"It was attacked again."
"...Bandits?"
"No."
The steward slowly shook his head.
"Monsters."
"The guards managed to protect the goods..."
"...but nearly half of them were injured."
Luna slowly closed her eyes as another weight settled upon her shoulders. Every report that reached her desk seemed worse than the last, as though fate itself had decided to strip away every remaining hope House Bluemoon possessed.
But as always... fate had plans of its own.