Wanderer Returns Home

The caravan traveled for two full days before finally reaching its ultimate destination: Firefall Fortress.

Before reaching the fortress, the first things to come into view were vast stretches of terraced farmland spiraling up the mountainside.

It was the Month of the Sun (August), the peak of the growing season. Tender green wheat seedlings swayed in the morning light, and winding paths crisscrossed between them where farmers bent over their labor—these scenes were incredibly familiar in the original owner's memories, yet somehow different.

In those memories, the fields seemed more vibrant, but now, many plots lay barren and overgrown with weeds, and the drainage ditches were clogged from a lack of dredging.

More importantly, when those farmers saw the guard unit bearing the Summerstar crest pass by, they no longer offered respectful bows; instead, they lowered their heads with dull, vacant eyes, as if avoiding some kind of plague.

At the end of the line of sight stood Firefall Fortress.

As one of the gateways to the Eastern Marches of Cormyr, this castle was born entirely for war. Built against the mountain, its gray-white granite walls blended seamlessly with the terrain. The position was perilous and easy to defend but hard to attack; the only ramp leading to the fortress gate was wide enough for only two carriages to pass side-by-side, and it remained completely exposed to the overlook of the arrow towers.

Such a fortress was so formidable that even the elites of the Purple Dragon Legion would have to pay a heavy price to take it.

Behind the side of the castle, a massive waterfall cascaded down from the mountain peak, often appearing as red as flame in the sunset—this was the origin of the name "Firefall."

"Young Master, the castle seems... a bit different from when we left." Ailian leaned over from beneath Ye Weian's chin, looking out as she spoke with a sigh.

"Does it? I didn't notice."

"Look over there." Ailian pointed to the flank tower. "Hasn't that arrow tower been heightened?"

Recalling the memories of his predecessor, Ye Weian indeed spotted the difference.

Compared to four years ago, the castle's defensive fortifications had clearly been reinforced.

The western tower had been raised by a full story, and several ballista firing ports had been added to the outer wall. Furthermore, some of the guards on the ramparts wore dark gray cloaks—not the traditional ink-green of the Summerstar Family, but rather something more akin to the livery of the Amarisk Family's private troops.

It seemed that since the Baron had fallen ill, the Baroness's influence over Firefall Fortress had only deepened.

"Finally back," Ye Weian murmured, his tone devoid of any warmth for returning home.

The caravan stopped at the first checkpoint below the fortress's gentle slope.

Just minutes earlier, the checkpoint had let through a fellow riding a donkey.

The sheer, sweeping scale of the caravan immediately drew the guards' vigilance.

"Halt! This is the territory of Baron Summerstar. State your business!" The two soldiers at the checkpoint slammed their steel crossbows into position. Though they were intimidated by the massive size of the party, their tone remained rigid.

Cain spurred his horse forward and abruptly unfurled the sealed documents in his arms, his resonant voice echoing through the valley:

"Open your eyes and look clearly! This is the Baron's son, Young Master Ye Weian Summerstar! A mage returned from his studies in Suzar, now officially coming home!"

"The bastard son is back!"

The sentries' previously tense expressions turned incredibly colorful—shock, hesitation, and even a faint trace of panic.

Soon, a shrill whistle was passed upward, level by level, along the slope.

The horn on the watchtower sounded urgently, and the heavy pulleys groaned with the sound of strained friction as the thick black oak drawbridge of Firefall Fortress began to lower slowly.

Inside the castle, the Baroness's private chambers.

The furnishings here were the height of luxury; velvet curtains were half-drawn, and the room was permeated with the scent of expensive ambergris.

Lady Selina had been pruning a pot of violets from the south when she suddenly heard a flurry of rapid footsteps outside the door.

The fellow who had been riding the donkey earlier—the Baroness's personal steward, who usually prided himself on his decorum—now stood with his official cap askew and boots caked in mud, leaning against the doorframe and gasping for air:

"My Lady... huff... My Lady! A-a disaster has occurred!"

"By Sharess, can you not be more composed? You look like a stable hand chased by a stray dog."

Lady Selina frowned, asking with dissatisfaction, "Did Gray Crow succeed? I told him to report to me personally after he finished. Why are you the one here?"

"No, he didn't succeed!" The steward's voice trembled violently. "Firefall Town has turned upside down! That bastard... he isn't dead at all! Instead, Gray Crow himself has gone missing, and his men have been arrested in droves. According to the townsfolk, they were all purged by a 'righteous Young Master Summerstar.' Torm must be blind!"

"What did you say?!"

The scissors in Selina's hand snapped, shearing off a branch of blooming flowers.

"What did you say? Are Gray Crow's men useless?"

"It's all over! They've all been caught!" the steward stammered, collapsing to the floor. "He was handing out money with great fanfare in the town, digging up all the property deeds Gray Crow had seized through extortion, and using the money from those assets to pay off the lowlifes! By my Lady Waukeen, that was thousands of gold coins! Now the whole of Firefall Town is calling him their 'savior'!"

Selina swayed, only managing to stand steady by gripping the edge of the table.

She could hardly believe her ears!

"That was my money!" she shrieked. "That bastard actually killed my men and used my money to buy people's hearts! How dare he!"

She then turned to her subordinate and demanded, "Why am I only receiving this news now? Why did you have to run back to report it yourself? Have all of Gray Crow's men been captured?"

"My Lady, I suspect not a single one of Gray Crow's men escaped!" The steward looked miserable, slumped on the ground. "I was following your orders to check the tenant rents in the countryside when I ran into townsfolk visiting relatives this morning who were excitedly discussing what happened, and that's how I found out... I immediately rode my donkey back to report to you, rushing as fast as I could until my throat was scorched. And... and..."

"And what!"

"And when I entered the city gate just now, I heard the checkpoint below reporting... that bastard, he has already reached the foot of the fortress! He's right behind me!"

The scissors in Selina's hand clattered to the floor.

"Four years gone, and that once silent, cowardly thing has changed so much..."

She stared fixedly out the window, her fingernails digging deep into the flesh of her palms.

In her memory, Ye Wei'an had always been a cautious, taciturn fellow, practically invisible within the castle.

That was precisely why she had felt at ease sending him to Suzar to study magic—he was merely a mediocre bastard; even if he learned a bit of magic, he would pose no threat.

"My Lady, according to the boasts of those townsfolk..." the steward lowered his voice, a trace of involuntary awe in his tone, "that Ye... bastard is now an incredibly powerful mage. The townsfolk speak of it as if it were divine, claiming that with just a single glance from him, those wicked thugs would weep and kneel to confess their crimes..."

"A mage?" Selina whipped her head around. "That's impossible! The intelligence sent back from Suzar clearly stated that although the boy spent several years at the academy, he had no talent for magic whatsoever—at most, he was an apprentice who knew a few parlor tricks! How could Mystra, the Goddess of Magic, favor a bastard?"

But immediately after, her complexion shifted from deathly pale to livid.

"He hid it well... truly well." She spat these words through gritted teeth.

If the intelligence was wrong, it meant Ye Wei'an had been feigning incompetence for the past four years, and even the people she sent to monitor him had been played for fools.

The reason this assassination attempt had failed was clearly due to a gross underestimation of his true strength.

"And what of Gray Crow? Is there any news?" the Lady pressed.

"I don't know... but judging by the situation, he has likely fallen into the hands of Ye... that bastard."

Selina's breathing became rapid in an instant.

That was Gray Crow! He was the black glove who handled all her dirty work, held countless secrets of hers, and even knew of the evidence linking her to the Amarisk Family!

If Gray Crow had truly fallen alive into that boy's hands...

Countless terrifying consequences flashed through her mind: the murder of her stepson, collusion with bandits, smuggling contraband... Once these charges were brought before that old man on the Dragon Throne who had yet to draw his final breath, or presented to the courts in Suzar, even she, a daughter of the Amarisk Family, would be ruined!

"My Lady... My Lady?" the steward reminded her in a low voice.

In his eyes, the Baroness had always been deep-scheming and unflappable; this was the first time he had seen her appear so flustered.

After a long moment, Selina took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the panic surging within her chest.

Born of a noble house, she finally regained her composure after the initial shock. She walked quickly to the mirror, smoothed her slightly disheveled hair, and resumed her elegant posture.

"What is there to panic about? This is Firefall Fortress. I am the Baron's legitimate wife and the rightful ruler of this land. Sharess will protect my reputation and status. As long as he still acknowledges his identity as a member of the Xiaxing Family, there is nothing he can do to me."