Chapter 142: The Celestine Prophecy

The moment Anna and Sepharina stepped out of the suite, they slowed down.

Several maids sat slumped against the corridor walls, still dazed, their hands pressed against their aching heads. Those who had regained consciousness earlier were helping the others recover. Recognising the women who had looked after them throughout their stay, the sisters immediately crouched beside them.

"Is everyone okay?" they asked anxiously.

"Y-yes..." the maids replied weakly.

Reassured that they were recovering, the sisters hurried toward the entrance, with William helping Elene follow behind them.

A few hundred meters from the guest house, the main road was crowded with people. Citizens who had only just regained consciousness stood in anxious groups, whispering among themselves as they stared toward the distant walls of the Inner Fortress.

Only then did the Ashwoods notice the damage around them. Broken roof tiles littered the road, while the carcasses of winged beasts lay sprawled across rooftops and in narrow alleys, their bodies scorched by magic or pierced by arrows. Some of the aerial beasts had managed to cross the fortress walls and reach the Outer District.

Sepharina slowly raised a hand to her mouth.

Elene tightened her grip on William’s arm.

———

Meanwhile, Iron Wolf had been searching for Ethan ever since the battle ended, despite his own exhaustion. He had gone straight to the central battlements after the soldiers were dismissed, only to discover that Ethan was no longer there.

Once the Black Raven Knights had delivered their orders and the squad members’ more serious wounds had been treated, Iron Wolf searched the courtyard while the others checked the surrounding areas. They questioned every mercenary unit and soldier they encountered. Most greeted them warmly, praising their courage during the battle, particularly their efforts to hold the breach and rescue the trapped soldiers. Yet whenever the squad asked about their captain, the answer was always the same: no one knew where he was. Several soldiers even expressed their desire to meet him again, and a few offered to help search, but the squad declined, knowing their comrades were still recovering.

"Maybe he’s with the healers somewhere we haven’t checked..." Finch said quietly, though his uncertain expression betrayed his doubts.

"Sir Iron Wolf, perhaps we should ask Sir Van," Vera suggested. "He should know where our captain is."

The others agreed. They knew Ethan had a close relationship with Van, making him their best lead.

"All right. Stay here while I speak with him."

The squad stayed behind, their concern far from eased. Ethan had suffered injuries far more severe than any of theirs, yet he had continued fighting when the rest of them were struggling to survive. Without his training and protection, they doubted they would have made it through their first Beast Tide alive. Not only that, they had also earned the respect of the soldiers and other mercenary units. They doubted that even after more than a dozen Beast Tides, they would have gained even a fraction of the experience or recognition they had earned in this one.

Iron Wolf eventually found Van overseeing the retrieval of beast cores at the edge of the courtyard while issuing instructions to the other officers. Unsure whether he would even be allowed to approach during such a busy period, he nevertheless made his way forward.

Several Black Raven Knights intercepted him before he could get close. However, a few captains who had fought alongside Ethan’s squad recognised Iron Wolf and exchanged brief glances before allowing him through.

Van sensed his approach and turned toward him.

Iron Wolf bowed respectfully.

Van acknowledged him with a nod, already recognising him as a member of Ethan’s squad.

"Sir... we can’t find our captain. Do you know where he is?"

"He is safe," Van replied, gesturing for him to leave.

Iron Wolf noticed the concern in Van’s eyes, but he understood that nothing more would be said. Though he still wanted answers, he had no choice but to return to his squad and relay what he had learned. Once they heard that their captain was safe, he instructed them to get some rest, and they obeyed.

After leaving the squad, Iron Wolf remembered the Ashwood family staying at the guest house. They would undoubtedly be anxious about Ethan as well, so he decided to check on them while continuing his search.

He hadn’t gone far into the Outer District when he spotted them standing amid the crowded street. He immediately made his way over.

All four turned toward him. Relief crossed their faces when they recognised him, followed almost immediately by fear.

"Sir Iron Wolf!" Sepharina hurried toward him. "The Young Master... is he all right?"

The unease in Iron Wolf’s own chest remained, but he knew Ethan wouldn’t want the family worrying unnecessarily.

"He’s safe," he assured them with a small smile.

"Then where is he...?" Anna asked.

"It’s still dangerous for you to be out here," Iron Wolf replied. "Didn’t the Young Master tell you to remain at the guest house?"

The sisters lowered their heads, realising that their panic had made them forget his instructions.

"I’ll take you back," he continued, his voice softening. "I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything."

Elene released a shaky breath. "Thank you..."

Iron Wolf nodded and led the family back toward the guest house.

———

Meanwhile, in the Celestine Duchy

Among the Empire’s ducal houses, House Celestine rivalled House Valerian in both magic and magitech, yet they remained the most mysterious of all the ducal families. They rarely involved themselves in imperial affairs, and even the other noble houses knew very little about them.

Their crest reflected that enigmatic reputation. Against a field of deep midnight blue rested an eight-pointed silver star, encircled by smaller stars arranged like a constellation. Above it curved a crescent of light, resembling the edge of the heavens. To the common people, it was simply a beautiful emblem. To those who knew the Celestines, it was a reminder that this family had always looked higher than anyone else.

Their vast territory bordered both the Valerian and Blackwood territories, with its capital built across the slopes of a mountain range. Pale-stone buildings and silver-roofed towers rose in successive tiers, connected by wide, winding streets. Every evening, lanterns illuminated the city from its lowest districts to its highest reaches, making it appear like a reflection of the star-filled sky. Merchants travelled there from across the Empire, though few ever gained access to the inner districts.

At the summit stood the Celestine ancestral estate, towering above the rest of the city. Perched so high upon the mountain, its rooftops seemed to merge with the night sky on clear nights.

———

Deep within the estate, Duke Celestine stood before a pair of tall doors engraved with constellations.

He took a slow breath before stepping inside.

The chamber beyond was vast and almost completely dark. Its ceiling disappeared into shadow, though countless points of light glimmered overhead, shifting slowly like a living night sky. At the center of the room, upon a raised platform, sat a woman veiled in thin silver cloth.

Long, pale hair, almost white, spilled over her shoulders and pooled around her on the platform. She wore flowing robes of deep midnight blue, the same shade as the Celestine crest, with faint patterns of constellations woven into the fabric that seemed to shimmer whenever the light above shifted. Her hands rested still upon her knees, slender and pale, and she sat so perfectly motionless that she might have been mistaken for a statue. Even through the thin veil, the delicate outline of her face could be faintly seen, and her beauty was so ethereal that it hardly seemed to belong to this world.

Her face remained hidden, but her eyes shone beneath the veil like distant stars.

The Duke lowered his head respectfully and waited.

She offered no acknowledgment. Her gaze remained fixed somewhere far beyond the walls, as though observing something invisible to everyone else.

Minutes passed, then hours, and eventually days. Throughout it all, the Duke remained motionless, neither interrupting her concentration nor daring to hurry her. Even as his legs grew stiff and the days dragged on, he didn’t shift his stance even slightly.

At last, the stars above began to move faster. The woman slowly raised one hand, and the lights gathered above her, forming intricate patterns that shifted and turned in perfect silence. Some of them drifted together and merged into brighter points, while others faded away entirely, as though they had never existed. The patterns changed again and again, each one more complex than the last. Her luminous eyes followed every movement with unwavering focus, never blinking even once.

Then, without warning, the stars came to a halt.

The woman lowered her hand.

"Prepare a grand celebration," she said, her calm voice echoing softly around them.

The Duke raised his head.

"At her Awakening," she continued, "your daughter will awaken a Legendary-rank talent... and core."

For a moment, Duke Celestine forgot to breathe. The prediction itself was extraordinary, but that wasn’t what had stunned him most. Legendary-rank cores had appeared in their family before, yet never had a previous Divine Maid instructed them to hold a grand celebration for an Awakening.

The woman briefly closed her eyes. The lights dimmed, and the room fell silent.

When she opened them again, she spoke once more.

"And don’t forget to invite House Ravencrest... along with their heir."

The Duke’s eyes widened slightly.

House Ravencrest...?

Questions crowded his mind, but the woman had already returned her gaze to the heavens above. Understanding that she had nothing further to say, he bowed deeply and quietly left the chamber.