Chapter 379: The Northern Estate

[Evrard’s POV]

A man in his late forties, with a distinguished white beard and swept-back white hair, was sitting on his high-backed armchair. His hand was pressing against his temporal region, where a dull headache had been steadily building for the better part of the morning.

Frustration and exhaustion were already wearing heavily on him. At this point, he barely knew which problem he should deal with first.

With a weary sigh, Lord Evrard grumbled, "My daughter suddenly refuses to return home a few days ago, and now there is also some troubling matter concerning Frostgrave Fortress."

He was starting to wonder what exactly he had done to deserve such a week.Calyra disappearing without properly informing the household where she intended to go had already been troublesome enough.

’That child of mine... what is she up to this time?’

And before he could properly deal with that, a report arrived from Frostgrave the next morning; several soldiers stationed there had begun suffering from an unexplained mental affliction.

Their bodies showed no obvious signs of illness, yet their concentration and spirits had dulled. Even experienced men were gradually losing the resolve to remain at their posts.

Not long after, the scouts discovered several enormous plants beyond the northern side of the fortress.

According to their reports, those plants had not existed there only a few days earlier. They had appeared almost overnight across the distant ground, growing to unnatural heights in a region where vegetation of that size should never have survived.

More worryingly, the first cases among the soldiers had begun shortly after their appearance. It was surely no mere coincidence.

But as he was still thinking about the matter, a sudden knock came from the door.

"Come in," Lord Evrard said, allowing the person outside to enter.

The door opened a moment later, and a young knight stepped into the room wearing the dark blue uniform of House Arcanis.

His short brown hair was neatly kept, and after stopping several steps from the desk, he bowed respectfully.

"My Lord, we have just received word from the western city patrol. Lady Calyra has been spotted within Valcavein, and she is currently on her way back to the estate."

Hearing that, Lord Evrard was visibly relieved. The tension around his eyes eased slightly, and his hand finally moved away from his temple.

"That is good to hear. Thank you for bringing me the report," he said, leaning back against his chair. "Was there anything else?"

The young knight hesitated, his eyes briefly shifting toward the floor before he continued.

"There is one more thing, My Lord. Apparently, Lady Calyra is not returning alone, she has brought someone with her."

Lord Evrard’s brows slowly drew together. His gaze immediately settled on the young knight with a wary edge.

"She brought company? Who is it?"

The young knight gave a small shake of his head.

"We do not know his identity yet, My Lord. But he looks to be around Lady Calyra’s age, so the patrol believes he may be another student from the academy."

Lord Evrard’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’Hmm... Orianna and Bram said she suddenly left her things with them before vanishing with her magic. They didn’t know where she went after that.’

’Was this young man the reason she suddenly left Orianna and Bram behind without saying where she was going?’

He glanced at the clock on the far wall before facing the knight again.

"How long until they arrive at the estate?"

"Not long, My Lord," the knight replied. "If they continue at their current pace, they should reach the main gate within ten to fifteen minutes."

*****

[Ruvian’s POV]

Ruvian sat quietly beside Calyra as the carriage rolled through the northern district of Valcavein.

Through the window, he watched the houses slowly change around them, with crowded shops and stone buildings giving way to wider roads, taller walls, and large private compounds.

The number of pedestrians had also fallen sharply. There were more guards wearing the dark blue colors of House Arcanis standing along the roads.

The carriage turned onto another broad road, and Ruvian finally saw the estate ahead.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

A tall stone wall stretched across both sides of the road, enclosing a large section of land near the northern edge of the city.

The wall itself was not excessively decorated, but it was far thicker than anything surrounding the other noble estates they had passed earlier.

Ahead of them stood an imposing iron gate set between two squat stone towers. The crest of House Arcanis had been carved deeply into the stone above it.

Two rows of guards stood near the entrance, each dressed in the dark blue colors of House Arcanis beneath fitted plate armor.

The moment the carriage approached, several of them immediately straightened while one raised a gloved hand, signaling the coachman to halt before the iron gates.

The carriage gradually slowed to a stop.

Ruvian heard the horses shift restlessly outside, followed by the muted clatter of armor as two guards approached from opposite sides.

One of them stopped beside the coachman, his expression stern but practiced.

"Hold there. State your name, registered household, and your business within the Arcanis estate."

The coachman calmly reached inside his coat and produced a folded travel document along with the token issued at the city gate.

"Berek Marr, licensed carriage driver from the southern district," he replied, already holding the documents out for inspection. "I’m bringing Lady Calyra home, along with a guest traveling under her invitation. Unless the household has suddenly begun turning away its own Young Lady, I believe that should cover my business here."

The guard gave him a flat look.

"I would advise against testing that theory, Mister Marr."

Berek merely offered a harmless smile.

"I know, wouldn’t dream of it, so don’t worry."

The guard took both items from his hand and inspected them carefully without another word.

Another guard had already moved toward the carriage window.

Ruvian watched as the man first inspected the crest stamped onto the carriage permit before leaning slightly closer, his practiced gaze moving toward the passengers inside.

The instant he recognized Calyra, the severity in his face eased.

"Young Lady."

The guard immediately lowered his head, one hand settling respectfully against his chest. Several guards nearby followed suit once they realized who was sitting inside.

"Welcome home, Lady Calyra. It is good to see you safely returned."

Calyra gave them a small nod.

"You may rise."

The guards straightened again, but neither of them stepped away from the carriage.

’Even she doesn’t get a free pass, huh?’

Then, the first guard returned Berek’s documents before stepping closer to the carriage, his attention naturally shifted toward Ruvian.

The guard did not stare, but his eyes lingered for half a second too long. So naturally, Ruvian already knew what was coming.

’Well, of course. Their missing Young Lady comes home with some random young man beside her. I’d be suspicious too.’

"With your pardon, Young Lady," the guard finally said, keeping his tone courteous. "We still need to record the identity of anyone entering the inner estate. May I ask who your guest is?"

"Ruvian Castelor," Calyra answered before Ruvian could open his mouth. "He is a scholar from the academy, and he came here at my invitation."

The guard gave a brief nod before looking back at Ruvian.

"Understood. Then, Mister Castelor, do you have your academy insignia with you? I will only need to verify it for a moment."

"Of course."

Ruvian had expected something like this the moment the carriage stopped at the gate.

Reaching inside his coat, Ruvian pulled out his academy identification, a small insignia-shaped badge bearing his name and academy seal.

He held it between two fingers and passed it through the open window. The guard took the badge and lowered his eyes to it.

Ruvian leaned back against his seat as the man checked the academy seal, and identification markings before lifting his gaze to compare them with Ruvian’s face once more.

The guard studied it for another second before finally handing it back. "Everything is in order. Thank you for your cooperation."

Ruvian accepted the badge with a smile. Then, the guard stepped away from the carriage and raised one hand toward the gatehouse.

"Everything checks out. Open the gate."

A heavy mechanism shifted somewhere inside the stone structure; chains rattled overhead as the enormous iron gates groaned and slowly swung inward.

The guards returned to their positions while the road beyond the walls gradually opened before them.

Only then did Berek flick the reins; the horses moved again, and the carriage rolled forward beneath the shadow of the gatehouse.

"You ready?"

Ruvian asked with a touch of mischief in his voice.

"Your place on the expedition isn’t guaranteed yet, so try not to sabotage me in there. I’ll make a good impression and you’ll play your part well."

Calyra waved him off.

"Hmm, it’s just my father, so there’s no need to be on edge.... Besides, this is hardly the first time I’ve caused him trouble, so it’ll be fine," she replied with a small, wicked little smile.

"And I doubt it’ll be the last."

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[Chapter 379: The Northern Estate]