The Regressed Heir of Ravencrest

After updating the Mage Saint on the major events that had transpired during her five years of seclusion, Emperor Cassius finally reached the Sword Saint’s recent investigation in the Northern Frontier.

"To think they would emerge while I was in seclusion..." Iris said, a cold smirk touching her lips. "And the Four Great Evils... those rats. To think they would actually dare to contact them. Do they even understand the consequences?"

They conversed about a few more topics before the room fell quiet.

"Are you going to visit your family?"

"Yes, it’s been a long time," Iris replied.

Cassius nodded slowly. Iris turned to leave, but before she could take a step, both of them suddenly turned their heads toward the grand entrance.

Through the heavy stone walls, they sensed the presence of the Head Butler of the Imperial Family.

"It seems to be something significant," Cassius noted.

"Yeah... he wouldn’t come here while I’m here unless it was something serious," Iris agreed.

With a flick of her wrist, Iris removed the formation covering the audience chamber. Then, with a simple wave of her finger, the massive doors of the chamber swung wide open.

Head Butler Aldric stepped into the chamber alone, bowing respectfully.

"Your Majesty. Lady Iris." Aldric’s voice was crisp and steady. "Forgive the intrusion. The Commander of the Black Raven Knights has just arrived at the palace gates carrying an urgent report from Marquis Adrian in the North."

Cassius’s eyes sharpened instantly. "Bring him in immediately."

"At once, Your Majesty."

Aldric turned and stepped out, returning moments later leading Commander Gareth Ironwood into the vast hall. Gareth carried the dust of a long, relentless ride, his dark cape tattered from travel.

The moment Gareth crossed the threshold, his breath caught in his throat. Standing before him was not only the Emperor, but the Mage Saint herself—someone he had believed to be deep within her seclusion. The presence of two such figures in the same room was overwhelming, yet years of military discipline forced him to keep his composure as he dropped to one knee and lowered his head in absolute respect.

"Commander Gareth Ironwood of the Black Raven Knights greets Your Imperial Majesty and Lady Iris."

"Rise, Gareth," Cassius commanded. "What news do you bring from Adrian?"

"It’s related to the Eclipse Conclave of the Four Great Evils, My Lord."

The moment he uttered those words, the expressions of both the Emperor and the Mage Saint sharpened.

Gareth stood and retrieved the report, along with the recovered research documents concerning the attempted dungeon outbreak. Aldric stepped forward, took the portfolio, and presented it directly to the Emperor.

Cassius broke the seal and began working through the report, carefully taking in every detail of the recovered research.

Iris leaned in beside him, her violet eyes moving swiftly across the magical formations. The amusement that had filled her expression earlier had vanished completely as she studied each formation in silence.

"This is still incomplete. There are quite a few missing links within the formations, but given a few more years, this research would have been complete."

"Does that mean what I think it does?" Cassius asked.

"Exactly what you think. Had this research been completed, and had they possessed enough sacrifices, they could have caused a catastrophe across the Empire."

Iris’s violet eyes narrowed as she studied the formations once more. "It seems the Four Great Evils aren’t trying to strike us directly. They’re trying to create chaos across the Empire while they solidify their strength."

Gareth, still standing several paces back, felt the temperature of the room shift, though nothing had physically changed.

"Who discovered this?" Cassius asked, his voice even.

Gareth hesitated for only a fraction of a second. He had originally intended to keep Ethan’s involvement as discreet as possible, but he had no way of knowing how much the Emperor already knew. Lying outright would be dangerous, yet revealing more than necessary could be just as problematic.

"It was the young master of House Ravencrest, Your Majesty."

Silence fell over the audience chamber.

Both the Emperor and the Mage Saint were visibly shocked.

"Severus’s grandchild?" Iris repeated, her violet eyes widening in disbelief. "Isn’t he around my granddaughter’s age?"

"He became a Knight recently, didn’t he?" Cassius asked, visibly surprised. "Did he break through again?"

So His Majesty already knew.

"He—no, My Lord, explain. What exactly is happening?" Iris demanded before Gareth could respond.

Tch... Did I make a mistake asking that in front of her? Cassius already knew where this was going, and for the first time that evening, he regretted revealing Ethan’s name in front of her.

"Yes. He is Sir Severus’s grandson, and he became a Knight recently before his awakening ceremony."

"And why didn’t you tell me about that earlier?" Iris demanded, her irritation obvious as she completely disregarded the fact that Gareth was standing before the Emperor.

Aldric and Gareth exchanged a brief glance before immediately returning their attention elsewhere, both of them pretending they had heard absolutely nothing.

The Emperor knew there was no turning back now and simply gestured for Gareth to continue.

Gareth began to recount Ethan’s performance report from Northwatch, detailing how he had saved the villagers during the mission and uncovered the Eclipse Cult’s attempt to forcibly create a dungeon outbreak. He explained how Ethan had killed the Chimera and the cultist responsible before being dragged into the unstable dungeon himself, only to survive and eventually return after killing the Forest Troll with Rune’s assistance.

Each successive detail drew more surprise from both Iris and the Emperor, though for very different reasons.

"To fight two realms above his own against a Chimera, then get dragged into a dungeon and survive that as well..." Iris’s curiosity burned brighter in her violet eyes. "Isn’t this kid interesting? Not only is he intelligent, but he’s clearly much stronger than he should be."

"Does he possess a high-rank physique?" the Emperor asked, his expression turning thoughtful.

"That’s what we suspect too, My Lord," Gareth replied.

By then, Iris had stopped listening to the finer details of the report altogether. Her attention had settled entirely on the boy at the center of it all.

"Lady Iris?" Cassius started, noticing the sudden shift in her expression.

Iris raised her staff, and a wave of brilliant azure spatial mana erupted around her, bending the air into a swirling vortex.

"Don’t wait up, Cassius."

With a light laugh, Iris vanished on the spot, leaving the Emperor and Gareth standing alone in the silent hall.

---

Northwatch greeted her first, the fortress city built for war around the Winterveil Mountains. Iris released her perception across the surrounding region, extending her senses hundreds of kilometers beyond the city walls. She then activated a unique spell of her own creation, one designed to detect similarities between the mana signatures of individuals belonging to the same bloodline.

Ethan wasn’t there, but the spell picked up a faint trace.

She followed the faint trace further east, into the mountains, and found instead the aftermath of something else entirely—a cliffside littered with the bodies of Eclipse Conclave scouts, cut down with a precision that left no question about who had done it, or how thoroughly.

This definitely had something to do with him.

Every new trace only deepened her fascination with the boy.

Her smile sharpened.

She tracked the faint trace south from there until it eventually led her toward the foothills bordering House Bluemoon.

There, she found House Bluemoon’s Vanguard Commander, Viren, secretly making his way toward a hidden bandit camp. Remaining unseen, Iris followed the events unfolding below, watching as Ethan tracked Viren to the camp and eventually uncovered the conspiracy brewing within House Bluemoon.

She watched Ethan tear through the disguised forces gathered there, before confronting Viren and the other Knight Commander. Even against opponents two realms above his own, Ethan willingly placed himself in harm’s way, taking injuries that would have crippled someone his age without so much as flinching.

She still couldn’t understand why Ethan had involved himself so deeply in a conflict that had nothing to do with him. His actions made little sense for a child his age, yet every decision seemed to follow its own strange logic. Rather than making him easier to understand, each answer only seemed to create another question.

She remained hidden, observing how Ethan handled his conversation with Luna, the proposed trade, and the elixirs he eventually handed over. Even his final plan caught her attention; it was bold, calculated, and far too ambitious for someone his age.

This kid... how many more surprises does he have for me?

Then came the war.

Iris settled far above Blackstone Ravine long before the first blade was drawn and remained there through every hour that followed. She watched Ethan and Rune tear through the enemy vanguard at the gate, watched the boulders fall and the arrows rain down upon soldiers who never realized the trap had already closed around them. She watched the mercenaries fall one by one before finally being disarmed, and she watched Ethan’s duel with Peter end not in triumph, but in something far stranger—recognition.

Beneath it all, she could sense the presence of the crimson-eyed woman lingering at the edges of the battlefield, watching just as she was. Iris made no attempt to interfere until the woman finally sensed her presence and withdrew without leaving a trace.

By the time she finally stepped forward to take Ethan with her, her curiosity had already become an obsession. Understanding him was no longer enough. She wanted to know exactly how far his potential could reach.

---

The Valerian estate rose across the southern hills in a breathtaking display of wealth and magical craftsmanship. Vast terraces of white marble descended along the slopes, connected by elegant bridges and surrounded by meticulously cultivated gardens where rare magical plants bloomed beneath softly glowing enchantments. Towering spires of pale stone rose above the estate, their surfaces etched with intricate arcane patterns that shimmered faintly in the morning light, while countless magical formations were woven seamlessly throughout the grounds.

It was not merely the residence of a ducal house. It was a place that reflected the legacy of House Valerian—a family whose influence in the Empire had been built upon generations of mastery over magic.

Ethan had expected Iris to take him to the Mage Tower, the church, or perhaps somewhere else where his injuries could be treated. He hadn’t expected her to bring him here.

His steps slowed as he stared at the estate, a strange sense of familiarity settling over him.

Then, before he could stop himself, a single name surfaced in his mind.

Isabella.

His heart suddenly began to race.