Chapter 66: Silent Preparations
Ethan folded the report shut before sliding it back across the table. Merin accepted it without a word and carefully returned it beneath the stack of documents inside her desk.
Without lingering, Ethan rose from his seat and walked toward the shelves reserved for Tier One and Tier Two intelligence. Unlike the restricted files, these reports covered only public information gathered from every corner of the Empire. Trade agreements, noble disputes, beast tides, military deployments, merchant caravans, harvest reports, border skirmishes, and countless rumors filled the shelves.
He picked up one report after another.
Hours slipped by unnoticed.
The room remained almost completely silent except for the occasional rustling of parchment as Ethan rapidly sifted through the information. His eyes moved over every line with astonishing speed, separating useful intelligence from meaningless gossip before storing the important details inside his memory.
Apart from the recent increase in Four Great Evils activity and several minor conflicts along the southern territories, very little had changed compared to his previous life.
The western frontier remained peaceful.
The eastern merchant routes continued operating normally.
The Grand Mage Tower had announced no major discoveries.
The Imperial Family remained silent.
Most events unfolded exactly as Ethan remembered.
Only a handful of differences existed.
Near sunset, Ethan finally reached the final report resting upon the shelf.
House Bluemoon.
His movements paused.
The elegant silver crest decorating the report immediately drew his attention. He slowly opened it and began reading every page without skipping a single line.
Several moments later...
He folded it shut.
"It’s time..."
A faint whisper escaped his lips.
Without taking another report, Ethan left the room.
Merin briefly glanced up from her desk as he departed before returning to her own work.
Outside, the evening sky had already darkened.
The moon hung above Northwatch Fortress while countless lanterns illuminated the bustling streets below. Even at this hour, merchants continued shouting from roadside stalls while adventurers wandered between taverns after returning from the wilderness.
Ethan headed toward Fifth Street within the outer district before stopping outside a lively tavern.
The Dancing Spring.
Warm laughter echoed from inside as the scent of roasted meat drifted through the open doorway.
He entered.
A young waiter hurried over.
"What would you like, sir?"
"Beef stew."
"And stir-fried meat."
"Six servings of each."
The waiter blinked.
"...Six?"
Ethan simply nodded.
Several minutes later, steaming bowls filled the table.
With a casual wave of his hand, every serving disappeared into his inventory one after another.
The waiter stared blankly.
Ethan calmly placed a gold coin upon the counter.
"The utensils as well."
The waiter instinctively counted the payment before realizing Ethan had paid an entire gold coin merely for several dishes and ordinary utensils.
"...T-Thank you, sir."
By the time he looked up again, Ethan had already disappeared into the evening crowd.
A short while later...
Ethan pushed open the door to his room inside the barracks. The room remained exactly as he had left it. Rune lay curled upon one corner of the bed, breathing softly beneath the moonlight filtering through the window.
For several seconds...
Ethan simply stood there.
His gaze remained fixed upon the small silver cub.
A quiet sense of guilt settled within his chest.
His footsteps grew lighter as he approached the bed. He reached out and gently rubbed Rune’s head.
"Wake up...little guy."
Rune’s ears twitched.
Brilliant blue eyes gradually opened before meeting Ethan’s gaze.
"...Let’s eat."
Ethan placed the bowls upon the table. The rich aroma of beef immediately filled the room.
Yet Rune didn’t move.
Instead...
The little cub continued staring at Ethan. Longer than usual. Almost as though sensing something hidden beneath his calm expression.
After several silent seconds, Rune slowly lifted one tiny paw before gently placing it against Ethan’s hand.
No words.
Just a simple touch.
Ethan lowered his eyes.
"...Thanks."
Only then did Rune hop down from the bed before happily beginning his meal. Watching the little cub devour the food somehow eased the heaviness inside Ethan’s chest.
He picked up his own bowl and began eating. The room soon fell silent once again, broken only by the occasional clink of utensils and Rune’s satisfied chewing.
After finishing every last bite, Rune lazily climbed back onto the bed before curling into his usual sleeping position.
Ethan sat beside him.
His hand rested upon the cub’s head. His eyes turned cold.
Let’s become stronger...
And one day...
We’ll kill every last one of those bastards.
As though understanding the emotion hidden beneath those thoughts, Rune let out a quiet yip before lightly rubbing his head against Ethan’s palm.
Ethan couldn’t help smiling.
"Yes...We’ll do it together."
Not long afterward, the room fell silent.
One man.
One beast.
Both... drifted into sleep.
Before dawn broke across the Northern Frontier, Ethan had already reached the training grounds. The crisp morning air filled his lungs as he began his usual routine. Only after finishing his physical training did he draw the Eternal Sovereign Blade. Basic sword forms flowed naturally into one another before transitioning into the first three forms of the Northern Heaven War Art.
Nearly two hours later...
Ethan finally returned to his room.
After washing away the sweat covering his body, he changed into simple white linen clothes instead of his usual leather armor.
Ethan made his way to the merchant stalls in the outer districts.
The elderly herbal merchant immediately recognized him.
"Oh...You’re back, young man."
"Did you manage to gather everything?"
The merchant smiled proudly before pointing toward several sacks stacked behind the stall.
"I visited nearly every herbal dealer in Northwatch yesterday. I even bought everything the merchant caravans brought in this morning."
"It isn’t quite twenty gold worth..."
"...but I gathered nearly everything available."
Several workers carried the herbs forward.
Frostfire Moss.
Whisper Thorn.
Along with countless bundles carefully sorted together.
Ethan inspected them briefly before nodding.
"They’ll do."
Although the quantity fell short of what he’d requested, Ethan still paid the remaining ten gold without bargaining. The old merchant stared at him in disbelief.
Most customers would’ve argued endlessly over such a difference.
Ethan simply accepted it.
After storing every bundle inside his inventory, Ethan produced another sheet of parchment.
"I’ll need these as well along with Frostfire Moss and Whisper Thorn."
The merchant accepted the list.
His eyes gradually widened.
"So many?"
Ethan calmly placed another fifty gold upon the counter.
"Purchase them whenever they appear."
"I’ll return in two weeks."
Before the merchant could respond, Ethan had already disappeared into the crowd once again.
"What an unusual child..." The old man muttered to himself.
After purchasing several additional materials from neighboring stalls, Ethan returned directly to his room. He locked the door.
Sat cross-legged upon the floor.
Then gently placed an enormous bronze cauldron before him.
"...Let’s begin."
He waved his hand.
One after another, twelve Elite Beast Cores emerged from his inventory before landing inside the enormous bronze cauldron. The faint fluctuations of mana released by the beast cores immediately filled the room, causing the surrounding air to grow noticeably heavier.
Ethan closed his eyes.
A thin strand of aura extended from his fingertips, carefully wrapping around the first Beast Core.
Every Beast Core possessed a hardened outer shell protecting the refined essence within. Too much force would shatter it. Too little would leave it intact for hours.
His aura gradually seeped into the cracks of the first core.
Several minutes passed.
A faint cracking sound echoed.
The hardened shell finally gave way, revealing the liquefied essence hidden within.
Without stopping, Ethan repeated the process on the remaining eleven Beast Cores. One after another, their outer shells dissolved beneath his precise control until twelve streams of pure beast essence merged together inside the cauldron.
Only then did he reach for the herbs.
Bundles of Frostfire Moss entered the cauldron first.
Moments later came the Whisper Thorn.
Finally, Ethan added several supporting herbs he had purchased earlier that morning, each one introduced in a precise sequence without the slightest hesitation.
The moment the herbs touched the liquefied essence, the mixture began reacting violently.
The crimson beast essence shifted into a deep azure hue before traces of silver appeared within the liquid. Steam drifted upward, carrying a strangely refreshing fragrance that quickly filled the room.
Ethan maintained complete concentration.
His aura continued stirring the mixture in slow, rhythmic cycles, carefully balancing every ingredient while preventing the medicinal properties from clashing with one another.
Sweat formed across his forehead.
Maintaining such delicate control for hours would challenge even experienced Knights Commanders. Every slight fluctuation demanded precision, and even a momentary lapse would destroy hours of work.
Time passed.
Nearly five hours later...
The once-violent liquid finally settled.
Its surface had become crystal clear, reflecting faint blue and crimson streaks beneath the afternoon sunlight filtering through the window.
Ethan let out a slow breath.
"It worked."
He immediately retrieved dozens of empty crystal vials from his inventory before carefully pouring the completed elixir into them one by one.
The sweet fragrance lingering throughout the room intensified.
He looked at the neatly arranged vials.
This was the same refinement technique he had previously used when preparing the Body Tempering Elixirs for Sepharina and Anna.
However...
The formula before him was far more sophisticated.
Rather than simply strengthening the body, this elixir could gradually improve one’s elemental affinity—particularly toward fire, ice, and earth—while simultaneously tempering the physique. Both Knights and Mages could benefit from its effects, making it one of the most practical support elixirs below the Epic Grade.
The true value, however, didn’t lie in the Beast Cores.
It lay in the combination of Frostfire Moss and Whisper Thorn.
To ordinary herbalists, they were little more than cheap medicinal weeds capable of treating minor wounds and infections. Hardly anyone considered them valuable.
Yet when refined together using Beast Essence as the catalyst, their medicinal properties underwent a complete transformation.
The two herbs acted as a catalyst, multiplying the effectiveness of every supporting herb refined alongside them, allowing even ordinary materials to produce results several times greater than expected.
Depending on the quality of the Beast Cores and the accompanying herbs, the final product could range anywhere from Low Rare Grade all the way to Peak Epic Grade.
Unfortunately...
The current ingredients limited him to producing only Low to Peak Rare Grade elixirs. Even so, that was more than enough for his current plans.
Without wasting another moment, Ethan summoned another twelve Beast Cores.
The second batch began.
As the hours passed, his movements became smoother.
Every cycle refined his aura control further. By the third batch, the delicate manipulation that had initially demanded complete concentration had begun to feel almost instinctive.
The time required to crack each Beast Core steadily decreased, while the medicinal fusion grew increasingly stable.
By sunset, the second batch had already been completed.
When darkness covered Northwatch, the third followed soon after.
Ethan stored every completed vial inside his inventory before collapsing onto the bed beside Rune.
The little cub merely glanced at him once before curling against his side.
The following days passed in much the same manner.
Every morning Ethan completed his daily training before returning to his room, where the remainder of each day was devoted to refining elixirs.
His aura control improved at a visible pace. What had initially taken nearly five hours could now be completed in barely three. The once unfamiliar process had become second nature.
By the end of the week, every Elite Beast Core had been refined.
Rows upon rows of crystal vials filled with azure-colored elixir rested neatly inside his inventory. Ethan’s aura had grown noticeably steadier than it had been seven days earlier.
His gaze shifted toward the remaining Dire Beast Cores.
Unlike the handful of Snowclaw Bear cores he had already refined weeks earlier, these numbered in the hundreds.
"Let’s begin..."
———
Nearly thirty kilometers outside Northwatch Fortress, ten figures dressed entirely in black remained concealed atop a rocky cliff overlooking the distant fortress.
Only their eyes remained visible beneath their hoods. Their gazes never left the towering walls standing beneath the evening sky.
The atmosphere was suffocatingly heavy.
Cold wind swept across the cliff, but none of the scouts dared move.
At the center stood a broad-shouldered man. His scarred face remained buried beneath the shadows of his hood, but the tension radiating from his frame was unmistakable.
His bloodshot eyes swept across every subordinate before him.
"Did you find anything?"
His hoarse voice carried unconcealed rage. Every scout instinctively lowered their heads.
"...No, sir."
"The Black Raven Knights haven’t lowered their guard for even a single day."
"We couldn’t infiltrate the Maple River region."
The leader’s fists clenched. Veins bulged across the back of his hands.
"...Useless."
His voice remained low.
Yet every scout felt a chill run down their spine.
"It’s been nearly a week."
"A whole week..."
"And none of you can tell me who killed Sir Vael."
The final sentence came out almost as a growl. For the first time, grief surfaced beneath the leader’s rage. His fingers dug into his palm until blood dripped onto the frozen ground.
"...Anything."
"I don’t care how insignificant it is."
"A rumor, a conversation...just anything."
No one dared answer.
Finally...
A lean young scout stepped forward.
"S-Sir..."
The leader’s gaze snapped toward him.
"What is it?"
The scout swallowed before lowering his head.
"...I may have heard something."
The leader’s bloodshot eyes narrowed.
"Speak."