Chương 8: Departure

The crisp morning air of the frontier was shattered early by the rhythmic chaos of a camp in motion. Long before the three moons had fully dipped below the western horizon, the Ember-Watch garrison was already bustling with noise. The sharp snaps of canvas tents being struck, the heavy thud of wooden crates being loaded, and the coarse shouting of vanguard soldiers echoed off the palisade walls.

The smell of wood mingled with the sharp scent of damp earth and horses as the caravan readied itself for the long trek south. Tucked away in the middle of the convoy sat the third heavy carriage, iron-reinforced wagon drawn by a pair of draft horses. Inside, tucked into the dim, claustrophobic space of the covered interior, Stelle sat quietly. She had positioned herself in the furthest corner, her knees once again pulled tightly against her chest.

To the other occupants, she was just a little girl wrapped in an oversized wool blanket. Unlike the first two carriages, which were tightly packed with groaning, bandaged vanguard soldiers from the recent skirmishes, the third carriage was primarily occupied by a handful of traveling merchants who had sought the military's protection for their journey past the wall.

Only two wounded soldiers occupied the bench across from Stelle, both of them fast asleep, their snoring cutting through the nervous chatter of the merchants. The traders were busy adjusting their remaining packs of pelts and rare frontier herbs, their low voices filled with anxious relief about finally returning to civilized lands. Outside, the ambient sounds of the camp are getting noisier. Through a small gap in the carriage's canvas flap, Stelle's eyes lock onto Vira.

The scout looked sharp and authoritative in the morning light, her leather armor buckled tight as she commanded a group of young soldiers handling the supply. In her left hand, she casually held the leather leash of her dark bay horse, the beast stamping its hooves impatiently against the hard-packed gravel. Vira's eyes occasionally flicked toward the third carriage, her protective vigilance unyielding even amidst the departure chaos.

Suddenly, the bright morning light flooding the back of the wagon was completely blocked out. A massive frame leaned over the wooden tailgate, peering directly into the carriage's dim interior. The wagon creaked slightly under the sudden shift in weight. It was Rakan. His wild hair was tied back, and his characteristic boisterous grin cut right through the somber mood of the crowded space. His golden eyes scanned the merchants before locking onto the small, silver-haired girl in the corner.

"Hey there, little snowflake," Rakan boomed, his deep voice causing the two resting merchants nearby to jump in their seats. He rested his massive, calloused forearms against the wooden tailgate, completely unbothered by the cramped space or the startled glances of the passengers.

"Thought I'd check in before we roll out. You holding up alright? Not too cramped in here with the old spice-peddlers, are ya?" Stelle blinked slowly before her body shrank a fraction deeper into her oversized wool blanket, letting her bright blue eyes widen with quiet gratitude. She offered a small, hesitant nod. One of the merchants, an older man with a stained velvet vest, cleared his throat nervously.

"Sir Rakan... is the road to Oakhaven clear? We heard rumors of a pack of snow wolves breaking through the lower ridges yesterday." Rakan scoffed, waving a hand dismissively as if swatting away a fly.

"A few stray dogs? Don't stress your coin purses, old man. The vanguard is riding point, and Vira and I, along with some men, are flanking the line. If anything so much as twitches in the treeline, it'll be diced up and sizzling over a campfire before it can even blink." He turned his attention back to Stelle, his rugged face softening into a surprisingly gentle expression for a man who carried a sword twice her size. Reaching into a leather pouch at his belt, he pulled out a piece of bread coated in dried honey.

He tossed it lightly, landing it right into her lap.

"Eat up," Rakan said with a wink.

"Vira's going to make us push hard until high noon without a break. Got to keep your strength up and build your arms some muscle!"

"Rakan!" Vira's sharp voice cut through the morning air before Stelle could even react. The giant man winced slightly, turning his head toward the sound. Vira was walking over, leading her bay horse by the reins, her brow furrowed in disapproval.

"Stop bothering the passengers and get to your position at the rear line. The Captain just gave the order to pull out."

"I'm just giving the kid some rations, Vira! Strict protocol, keeping the morale high," Rakan laughed, finally pushing himself away from the carriage tailgate and giving the wooden frame a companionable slap.

"See you at the crossroads, snowflake. Keep an eye on those merchants for me." With a loud, boisterous chuckle, he turned and jogged off toward his mount. Vira walked up to the edge of the carriage, looking inside with a reassuring smile. Her eyes lingered on Stelle for a brief moment, checking to see if Rakan had actually overwhelmed her. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

"We're moving out now, Stelle. Just stay inside and stay warm. I'll be right outside if you need anything." A heavy horn blew from the front of the column, its deep, resonant echo signaling the departure.

"Move 'em out!" one of the soldier yelled. With a sudden, violent jerk and the loud groan of wooden axles, the third carriage began to roll forward. The horses kicked up loose gravel as the convoy slowly snaked its way out of the fortified gates of the Ember-Watch garrison.

Behind them, the shadow of the melting frozen mountains began to recede, and ahead lay the long, unpredictable road toward the Grand Wall and, beyond it, Oakhaven itself—a stronghold Stelle had already cross-referenced against the map from the tent she had stayed in. Sitting in the dim corner, Stelle quietly picked up the dried honey bread Rakan had left in her lap. Her internal system initiated a scan, breaking down its composition instantly.

[MATERIAL ANALYSIS: COMPLETED] [Target: Honey-Glazed Bread] [Nutritional Value: High-density carbohydrates, localized glucose enrichment] [Status: Safe for consumption] She took a small, delicate bite, her mind mapping the precise trajectory of the moving caravan. The carriages rolled forward a few dozen yards before grinding to a halt near the camp's heavy, iron-reinforced eastern gates. Stelle tilted her head slightly, her ears catching the crisp crunch of boots on gravel.

Peering through the small gap in the canvas flap, she observed a small assembly waiting at the checkpoint. Captain Alden stood at the forefront, his iron-gray cloak snapping in the morning breeze. Standing right beside him was a young woman in her early twenties, wearing the structured, dark-blue robes of a scholar. She held a thick, leather-bound ledger against her chest, her sharp eyes scanning the carriages with analytical precision. Behind them, a squad of vanguard soldiers stood at rigid attention.

The carriage door was gently pulled open, letting the crisp morning light flood the dim interior once more.

"Stelle," Vira's voice was soft as she appeared at the opening, offering a reassuring hand.

"Come out for just a moment. Captain Alden wants to see you before we clear the gates." She wrapped the oversized wool blanket tighter around her shoulders, letting her wide, bright blue eyes project a perfect sense of timid compliance. She climbed down from the carriage bench, her temporary boots given to her earlier hits the gravel with a soft thud. Captain Alden stepped forward, his heavy chainmail clinking softly.

His stern, weathered face didn't betray any emotion, but his gaze softened just a fraction as he looked down at the silver-haired girl.

"I won't delay your departure," Alden said, his deep baritone carrying over the ambient noise of the camp. He gestured to the young woman beside him.

"This is Scholar Lyra. She handles the official census and core registration logs for the frontier sector. Before you leave the jurisdiction of Ember-Watch, we must formally document your departure for Oakhaven." Lyra stepped forward, her intelligent eyes instantly locking onto Stelle. She didn't look at the girl with pity, but rather with the intense curiosity of an academic.

[QUANTUM OPTICS: ACTIVE] [Subject: Lyra] [Status: Scholar / Census Registrar] [Mana Output: Medium, fluid energy signature with liquid-attribute affinity]"Fascinating," Lyra murmured under her breath, her eyes tracing Stelle's pristine silver hair and flawless features. She opened her ledger, dipping a quill into a small well attached to her belt.

"An undocumented child while exhibiting signs of a Tier 1 Awakened core... all while surviving the Frost-Veil peaks."

"She has no memory, Lyra," Vira reminded her gently.

"Of course," Lyra replied, flashing Stelle a polite, reassuring smile that didn't quite hide her professional intrigue.

"Don't be afraid, little one. I am simply registering your provisional status. Once you arrive in Oakhaven, the authorities will use this log to ensure you are placed under proper care."

"It's done, you can go back now little cutie." She smile teasingly. Stelle kept her head down, nodding meekly to the woman in front of her. But beneath her facade, her mind was deep in calculations. Tier 1 Awakened Core. The phrase repeated inside her mind. They believed she possessed a Tier 1 Awakened Core. Was this classification related to her recent system upgrade? It was highly probable.

The core they were referring to was undoubtedly the system energy core within her synthetic-biological framework, which was currently utilizing mana as an energy source following the integration. It had already become the primary fuel source for her operational systems, but its true utility remained largely unmapped. If it functioned like the classical energy structures of this planet, its applications extended far beyond mere power generation.

Rakan had manipulated his to reinforce his weapon and generate thermal force. The books in her archive also described it as the foundation of power in this world. Many of the characters in the novels had entirely different ways to utilize it, though all of them underwent rigorous training and study to master the Mana. There was also the term Path —a specific mastery that all Awakened pursued to control mana itself. But that concept was only vaguely detailed in the literatures.

As a result, she lacked a solid, comprehensive understanding of it for now. So they can see my core… she murmured to herself. It was a serious oversight that she hadn't anticipated. They could see it. That was the problem and also a critical case of negligence on her part. If a high-level entity or a specialized sensory system examined her in Oakhaven, her synthetic architecture might be completely expose. She would absolutely need to find a way to mask or compress the energy signature in the future.

For now, though, it was too late since they had already registered her; she would simply have to maintain this identity as a Tier 1 Awakened.

"Thank you, Captain Alden... thank you, Lady Lyra," she whispered, her voice a perfect imitation of a grateful child bidding farewell to her helpers. Alden gave her a single, firm nod of dismissal, his stern gaze lingering on her for only a second longer before he signaled the gate guards. Lyra offered one last, polite wave and a wink before looking back down at her ledger to finalize the ink marks.

Stelle slipped back into the dim safety of the wagon, and the heavy wooden doors clicked shut, plunging her back into the dark ambience of the interior. Outside, a heavy whip cracked, the draft horses strained against their leather harnesses, and with a sudden, violent groan of iron axles, the carriage finally began its journey.

Sitting in her dark corner, her internal system quietly calculated the rhythmic rotation of the wheels as the convoy rolled past the heavy iron gates of Ember-Watch, leaving the frontier outpost behind and venturing into the unknown world waiting for her.