Festhorn was no place of hidden fortune. The region yielded little in the way of Ether crystals. Only hunters seeking wild boars and warthogs bothered to wander so far off profitable routes.
Prince Kaelan felt their collective scrutiny and smiled with practiced mystery.
"You will understand when we arrive, Lucian," he said. "Trust me and follow."
Lucian studied him for a moment longer before giving a small shrug. "Very well. I hope you are not wasting my time, Your Highness."
After a brief rest, the group resumed its march.
The deeper they traveled into Sector Eight, the denser the foliage became. Sunlight filtered through layered canopies in fractured beams, and the air carried the earthy scent of damp soil and distant beasts.
A rustling sound emerged from the brush ahead.
Two warthogs burst from the undergrowth, their coarse bristles standing upright as they charged, tusks gleaming and eyes fixed on human prey.
The soldiers instinctively stepped forward, blades rising.
"Stand aside," Prince Kaelan commanded, lifting his hand.
The soldiers obeyed immediately, shifting formation.
"Fireball"
A sphere of flame bloomed in Kaelan's palm, Ether condensing into a blazing orb the size of a cannonball. Heat rippled outward as he hurled it toward the first beast.
The explosion struck with force, blasting the warthog backward into a tree trunk. Bark splintered. Smoke curled upward.
The second warthog pressed forward undeterred.
"Hmph. Livestock," Prince Kaelan muttered, summoning another fireball, this one swelling to nearly twice the previous size as Ether gathered in dense spirals.
Before the spell fully formed, a figure flashed across his field of vision.
Lucian moved like a blade freed from its sheath.
His sword carved downward in a single clean arc, splitting the charging beast neatly from skull to spine. The halves fell apart before momentum could carry them forward.
The first warthog, dazed yet alive, staggered upright only to freeze at the scent of death.
It attempted to flee.
But Lucian was already there.
One swift step closed the distance. Another precise strike ended it.
He sheathed his sword and returned to the group as though he had merely brushed aside fallen leaves.
Arceus Silver's eyes gleamed.
"That was incredible, Luce."
"Indeed," Sienna Vale agreed with a graceful nod. "The title of genius swordsman is not undeserved."
Though her tone remained composed, Sienna's fingers tightened subtly around her fan. Both she and Lucian stood at three-star rank, yet the disparity in combat sharpness felt undeniable.
Prince Kaelan allowed the gathered flames in his palm to dissipate.
"You are swift," he remarked.
"You were slow, Your Highness," Lucian replied flatly, taking his place beside Arceus.
Prince Kaelan forced a faint smile, not offended by the rude remark. "I follow the mage's path, Lucian. Precision requires time."
His destructive power exceeded that of most warriors present, yet mages bore inherent limitations. The greater the devastation, the longer the casting and the heavier the Ether consumption.
They pressed onward.
More beasts emerged throughout the afternoon, mostly two-star rank wild boars drawn by the scent of blood. Each encounter ended swiftly beneath Lucian's blade before the soldiers or nobles could intervene.
Strangely, Prince Kaelan showed no irritation. On the contrary, admiration deepened within his gaze.
By dusk, the trees thinned, revealing crumbling stone structures half swallowed by vines and moss.
Broken statues lay scattered across the clearing, their faces eroded by centuries of rain and neglect. Fractured buildings stood in silent decay, remnants of a forgotten settlement.
Sienna unfolded her fan thoughtfully.
"I have heard," she began, "that during the Arcana Dynasty, criminals and dissenters were exiled to these forests when the southern lands still answered to Emperor Aerondor Arcana."
Prince Kaelan inclined his head.
Lucian glanced around at the ruins, expression thoughtful.
"The last emperor of the Arcana Dynasty was too infamous, Miss Vale," he said. "Aerondor Arcana was said to indulge in excess without restraint. His reign overflowed with decadence and cruelty."
Arceus listened with interest.
Lucian continued, voice steady. "He treated commoners as expendable tools. Disobedience invited execution. Nobles who displeased him faced imprisonment or exile to this forest. Vassal kings who resisted were crushed without hesitation."
"Yeah, we all know the history. The rebellion led by Andre Phoenix required twenty years to gather sufficient support," Sienna added. "With the aid of six great houses, he overthrew Aerondor and founded the Phoenix Empire, restoring order."
Lucian nodded. "The settlements formed here by exiles persisted until Emperor Andre abolished the practice. Survivors eventually returned south."
Prince Kaelan smiled faintly.
"History barely records the surface, brother..." he said. "Not all truths were meant for public reading."
From within his robes, he withdrew a parchment fashioned from aged, unknown hide. Its texture appeared preserved beyond natural explanation.
"My servant discovered this within a cave," Kaelan explained. "Clutched in the skeletal remains of its former owner."
Interest sharpened instantly across the group.
"A relic from before the Era of Ether?" Arceus asked quietly. His interest was piqued by it.
"Dated eighteen centuries before the Era," Prince Kaelan confirmed.
Before anyone could examine it, he returned the parchment to his sleeve.
"According to this document, scarlet crystals were discovered here long before the official emergence of Ether crystals. Those who touched them absorbed their energy and died."
Silence rippled outward.
Even the soldiers exchanged uneasy glances.
Lucian's brows furrowed. "You suggest those were Ether crystals?"
Prince Kaelan nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"That contradicts accepted history," Sienna said carefully with a deep frown on her face. "The first recorded spirit warrior appeared only 1,786 years ago, marking the beginning of the Era of Ether. How could that be possible?"
Prince Kaelan shrugged lightly. "Perhaps discovery preceded understanding."
Arceus looked around the ruins again, eyes searching. "What does that have to do with this place, Your Highness?"
Prince Kaelan's smile deepened, shadowed by intrigue.
"This clearing," he said quietly, "was Emperor Aerondor Arcana's final refuge before he died of old age."
Shock registered across every face.
"What?"
"Hideout of Emperor Aerondor Arcana?"
The words lingered in the air like dust unsettled from ancient stone.
Arceus stared at Prince Kaelan in open disbelief, the faint forest breeze stirring his hair as though the trees themselves were listening.
"Your Highness," Arceus said slowly, "the records state clearly that Emperor Aerondor was slain by Founder Andre Phoenix on the battlefield. The chronicles describe his beheading as the moment peace returned to the land."
Sienna Vale's fan stilled mid-motion, her composure thinning for the first time that day.
Lucian Storm's gaze sharpened, cold and analytical.
"Are you implying," Lucian asked evenly, "that the history recorded by House Phoenix has been altered?"
The question was direct, almost accusatory.
Prince Kaelan exhaled quietly, the weight of implication settling across his shoulders.
"It appears so," he admitted.
The admission hung heavier than any beast's roar.
If one cornerstone of history had been reshaped, then countless others might have been polished into more convenient forms.
Silence stretched between them, broken only by distant rustling leaves.
Arceus cleared his throat gently, attempting to shift the atmosphere away from dangerous speculation.
"So this place holds something?" he asked. "Treasure perhaps?"