Chapter 43: The Border Town of Ashfall

The second day of the journey began beneath gray skies.

A cool wind swept across the Imperial Highway as Kael's convoy continued east.

The further they traveled from Blackwood...

The more crowded the roads became.

Merchant caravans rolled past carrying enchanted ores from the northern mountains.

Pilgrims made their way toward the holy sanctuaries.

Mercenary companies marched in neat formations, escorting wealthy nobles.

Travelers from every corner of the Empire shared the same road.

For the first time...

Kael truly saw the scale of the nation he hoped to change.

By midday...

A massive stone wall appeared on the horizon.

Built along the banks of the Ash River...

The bustling frontier city of Ashfall came into view.

Unlike Blackwood...

Ashfall was alive.

Smoke poured from dozens of blacksmith forges.

Market stalls stretched across several streets.

Horse-drawn wagons packed the roads.

Children ran through the plazas laughing.

Street performers entertained crowds while merchants shouted over one another.

It was the first prosperous city Kael had seen since leaving the palace as a child.

Walter let out a low whistle.

"Now this..."

"...this feels like an Imperial city."

Edwin smiled.

"Ashfall sits at the crossroads of three provinces."

"Most trade heading toward the capital passes through here."

"No wonder it's wealthy."

Kael studied the streets.

"They're doing better than Blackwood."

Edwin nodded.

"Much better."

"But don't let appearances fool you."

"Cities like this survive because the villages around them suffer."

Kael looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

"The taxes."

Edwin answered quietly.

"Every village around Ashfall pays heavy tariffs to keep the city rich."

"That's how many nobles maintain their influence."

Kael frowned.

"So the villages build the city..."

"...while the city forgets the villages."

Edwin gave a small nod.

"Exactly."

Kael said nothing.

But he remembered every word.

The Lord's Welcome

The convoy stopped before the city's western gate.

Imperial guards quickly recognized the royal crest on Kael's carriage.

Within minutes...

The city gates opened.

A group of armored knights emerged.

Leading them was a tall man in his late fifties.

Silver hair.

Broad shoulders.

A scar ran across his left eye.

His armor displayed the crest of House Ashford.

He immediately knelt.

"Welcome to Ashfall, Your Highness."

"I am Lord Cedric Ashford."

"The governor of this city."

Kael stepped down from his horse.

"There is no need to kneel."

Cedric smiled politely.

"There is every need."

"You are still an imperial prince."

Before anyone could continue...

Cedric's eyes shifted toward Leon.

His smile disappeared.

"...Leon?"

Leon froze.

"...Father."

Silence settled over the street.

Walter looked between them.

"You two know each other?"

Neither answered immediately.

Cedric slowly stood.

"I wasn't informed that my son had joined your service."

Leon lowered his head.

"I didn't think you'd approve."

Cedric sighed.

"I wouldn't have."

The atmosphere became awkward.

Kael glanced between them.

"You know each other well?"

Cedric gave a bitter laugh.

"Unfortunately."

"He is my youngest son."

"And the greatest disappointment of House Ashford."

Leon clenched his fists.

Cedric looked toward Kael.

"My Lord..."

"If he has caused trouble..."

"I apologize."

Leon immediately spoke.

"I haven't."

Cedric ignored him.

"He lacks talent in politics."

"He refuses arranged marriages."

"He abandoned his duties."

"He embarrassed our family."

Kael looked at Leon.

Then back at Cedric.

"I disagree."

The governor blinked.

"My Lord?"

"I've watched Leon lead."

"I've watched him think."

"I've watched him protect others."

"He isn't a disappointment."

"He's one of the finest young leaders I've met."

Silence.

The guards looked at one another.

Even Walter stopped smiling.

Cedric studied Kael carefully.

Then...

For the first time...

He truly looked at his son.

Not as the heir he wanted.

But as the young man stood before him.

"You've changed."

Leon answered quietly.

"So have I."

Cedric slowly exhaled.

"Perhaps..."

"I judged you too quickly."

It wasn't an apology.

But it was closer than Leon had ever expected.

A Different Kind of Nobility

As the convoy entered Ashfall...

Kael noticed something unusual.

Unlike Blackwood...

The streets here were divided.

The wealthy district sparkled with clean roads, fountains, and elegant homes.

Only a few streets away...

The poorer district looked completely different.

Cracked roads.

Broken homes.

Hungry children.

Workers carrying impossible loads.

The contrast was impossible to ignore.

Kael slowed his horse.

"Does Lord Cedric know about this?"

Edwin answered honestly.

"He probably does."

"Whether he can change it..."

"...is another question."

A small boy suddenly bumped into Kael's horse.

He immediately fell to the ground.

"I'm sorry!"

"I'm sorry!"

"I didn't mean to!"

Before anyone reacted...

Kael climbed down.

He helped the boy back onto his feet.

"Are you hurt?"

The child shook his head rapidly.

"No, my lord."

Kael noticed the basket lying beside him.

Fresh bread.

Scattered across the street.

The boy's eyes filled with panic.

"My mother..."

"She'll lose today's wages..."

Without hesitation...

Kael knelt beside the road.

He began picking up the bread himself.

The Black Dragons stared.

Then...

One by one...

They joined him.

Leon.

Iris.

Walter.

Damien.

Even Grom quietly gathered the remaining loaves.

The marketplace fell silent.

People stopped walking.

A prince...

Picking bread off the street?

No one had ever seen such a thing.

An elderly woman whispered,

"Is that really the Tenth Prince?"

Another replied,

"I've never seen a noble help anyone."

Word spread through the market faster than wildfire.

By the time Kael handed the basket back...

Hundreds of eyes were watching him.

The little boy bowed repeatedly.

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Kael smiled.

"Take care of your mother."

The child nodded before running home as fast as he could.

Hidden beneath a nearby awning...

A hooded woman wearing the silver wolf emblem quietly watched everything.

She smiled.

"He didn't do that because people were watching."

"He forgot people were watching."

She closed her notebook.

"Interesting..."

The System

As the convoy reached the governor's estate...

A blue window appeared before Kael.

"Hidden Reputation Increased"

Ashfall Citizens

+350 Favor

Leadership Trait Improved

Compassion → B+

New passive effect unlocked:

Voice of the People

Commoners are more likely to trust your words and support your rule.

Kael closed the screen.

He hadn't helped the boy for a reward.

But perhaps...

That was exactly why the system rewarded him.

That night...

As rain began falling over Ashfall...

A lone raven landed on the roof of the governor's mansion.

A small scroll was tied to its leg.

Lord Cedric removed it.

His expression darkened as he read.

The message bore the seal of the Imperial Capital.

Only four words were written inside.

Watch the Tenth Prince.

Cedric looked toward the guest wing where Kael was staying.

Then out into the rain.

"The Court..."

He murmured.

"...has already begun moving its pieces."

Far away in the darkness, someone else watched the governor's estate.

The hooded figure with the silver wolf insignia whispered to herself.

"Two factions are watching him now."

"I wonder which one he'll trust..."

The people spying on Prince Kael were growing larger than he realized.

And he had only just begun his journey to the capital.