The morning of the expedition arrived beneath a pale autumn sky.
Outside the Royal Academy of Asteria, several horse-drawn carriages stood in formation. Academy knights were checking weapons, while students gathered around the supply wagons.
The destination was Frostmere, a small settlement located near the northern mountains.
For most students, it was an opportunity to gain practical experience.
For Adrian, it was something else entirely.
An opportunity that had originally belonged to the protagonists.
He stood beside a supply carriage, checking the contents of his travel bag.
Two changes of clothes.
A short sword.
A dagger.
Several healing potions.
A notebook containing maps and information about the northern region.
And a small pouch of money.
He had deliberately avoided purchasing expensive equipment.
A student wearing ordinary equipment attracted less attention than one carrying an expensive collection of enchanted weapons.
"You're prepared early."
Adrian turned.
Gareth Voss stood behind him, carrying a large backpack.
"Good morning, Gareth."
"Good morning. I heard you're joining the northern expedition."
"I am."
Gareth smiled.
"Then we'll have plenty of opportunities to spar."
"I was hoping for a peaceful journey."
"That's boring."
Adrian shook his head.
Gareth had become one of the few people he could comfortably speak with at the academy.
Their previous sparring match had not damaged their relationship.
In fact, Gareth seemed to respect him more after losing.
"Are you going with the academy group?" Adrian asked.
"Yes. I'm assigned to the eastern scouting team."
"Then we might meet along the way."
"Hopefully."
A bell rang.
The expedition leader stepped forward.
He was a middle-aged knight wearing silver armor.
"All students, gather!"
The conversations gradually stopped.
"I am Captain Roland Weiss. I will be responsible for this expedition. Our destination is Frostmere, where we will investigate unusual monster movements and examine several abandoned settlements."
He looked across the assembled students.
"This is not a competition. You are not here to prove your strength. Follow instructions, remain with your assigned groups, and do not enter restricted areas without permission."
His eyes briefly stopped on Adrian.
"Anyone who ignores these orders will be sent back to the academy."
Adrian looked away.
He had no intention of becoming an example.
The students began boarding the carriages.
Adrian chose a seat near the back.
It offered a clear view of the road and allowed him to avoid unnecessary conversations.
Unfortunately, someone sat opposite him.
"Adrian."
He looked up.
Leon Arclight.
The golden-haired hero smiled.
"Looks like we're traveling together."
Adrian returned a polite smile.
"Apparently."
Leon placed his luggage beside the seat.
"I heard you performed well in the recent combat assessment."
"Nothing remarkable."
"You defeated Victor Halbrecht. That was a good result."
"He made a mistake."
Leon laughed.
"You're quite modest."
Adrian said nothing.
He didn't particularly dislike Leon.
The problem was that the young man attracted trouble wherever he went.
And trouble was something Adrian preferred to avoid.
A moment later, another student entered the carriage.
Kael Draven.
He looked at Leon, then at Adrian.
"Is this seat available?"
"Of course," Leon replied.
Kael sat beside the window.
The carriage began moving.
For a while, nobody spoke.
Then Leon broke the silence.
"Have either of you visited the northern region?"
"No," Adrian answered.
Kael shook his head.
"I have."
Leon turned toward him.
"Really?"
Adrian noticed the slight tension in Kael's expression.
He remembered that Kael's family had disappeared.
Leon seemed to notice it too, but didn't press further.
Instead, he asked about the weather.
The conversation moved to safer topics.
Adrian leaned against the carriage wall and looked outside.
The academy gradually disappeared behind them.
The northern expedition had begun.
By noon, the carriages had reached the outskirts of the capital.
The landscape slowly changed.
Farmland gave way to forests, and the road became narrower.
Adrian spent most of the journey observing the surroundings.
His enhanced hearing made it easier to notice distant movement.
At one point, he heard something moving through the trees.
He turned his head.
"What is it?" Leon asked.
"Nothing."
Adrian listened again.
A few seconds later, the sound disappeared.
Perhaps an animal.
Perhaps something else.
He didn't mention it.
Around sunset, the expedition stopped near a small roadside settlement.
Captain Roland ordered the students to establish temporary camps.
Adrian helped unload supplies.
While carrying a wooden crate, he noticed two academy knights speaking quietly.
"...another group disappeared?"
"Three days ago. Near the old forest."
"Did they find anything?"
"Only a broken carriage and bloodstains."
Adrian slowed his steps.
The northern disappearances were becoming more frequent.
He placed the crate down and approached one of the knights.
"Excuse me. Are you discussing the recent disappearances?"
The knight glanced at him.
"Why do you ask?"
"I heard there were problems near Frostmere."
The older knight sighed.
"Several adventurers have gone missing. The local authorities believe monsters are responsible."
"Do they know which monsters?"
"Not yet."
Adrian nodded.
"Thank you."
He returned to the camp.
A few minutes later, Kael approached him.
"You heard about the disappearances?"
Adrian looked at him.
"Yes."
"My father mentioned something similar before he disappeared."
Adrian remained silent.
Kael continued.
"He believed something was awakening beneath the northern mountains."
"Do you know what?"
"No."
Kael looked toward the distant forest.
"But I'm going to find out."
Adrian followed his gaze.
For a moment, he considered telling Kael about the watchtower.
But he stopped himself.
He still didn't know whether Kael could be trusted with that information.
Instead, he said:
"Then make sure you survive long enough to find out."
Kael glanced at him.
"That's the plan."
Night settled over the temporary camp.
Most students gathered around the central fire.
Leon was surrounded by several classmates, listening to their stories.
Elena Seraphine was helping the injured horses.
Gareth was arguing with another student about spear techniques.
Adrian sat slightly away from the main group, examining a map.
He had marked three locations.
The abandoned watchtower.
Frostmere.
And the forest where the frost-marked wolf had reportedly appeared.
He was comparing the distances when a shadow fell across the map.
"You're interested in geography?"
Adrian looked up.
Elena stood beside him.
"Something like that."
She sat on the opposite side of the small fire.
Adrian folded the map.
"I enjoy studying old places."
"Do you believe the stories about the ancient knights?"
"Some of them."
Elena smiled.
"My father says most ancient legends contain at least a little truth."
"Your father sounds knowledgeable."
"He is. He has spent years studying the history of the church."
Adrian nodded.
He knew Elena's background, but he couldn't reveal that knowledge.
She looked toward the main camp.
"Leon seems to know everyone already."
"He's easy to approach."
"True."
There was a short silence.
Then Elena asked:
"Why did you join this expedition?"
Adrian considered his answer.
"Experience."
"Only that?"
"And perhaps an opportunity to learn something interesting."
Elena laughed softly.
"That's a very noble answer."
Adrian smiled.
He wasn't sure whether she was joking.
Before she could ask anything else, a horn sounded from the edge of the camp.
Everyone turned.
One of the guards was running toward Captain Roland.
"Captain!"
The knight was breathing heavily.
"We found something near the road."
"What?"
"A destroyed merchant carriage."
Captain Roland immediately stood.
"Any survivors?"
"One."
The guard swallowed.
"But there's something else."
"What?"
"The entire area is covered in frost."
Adrian's expression changed slightly.
Frost.
In the middle of autumn.
The knight continued.
"And there are enormous footprints leading into the forest."
The camp became silent.
Kael rose from his seat.
His eyes were fixed on the guard.
"What kind of footprints?"
The knight looked at him.
"Wolf."
Adrian slowly closed his notebook.
The third bloodline opportunity might have appeared sooner than expected.
Captain Roland ordered several knights to prepare.
"No students will leave the camp tonight. We investigate at first light."
Adrian didn't object.
He had no intention of entering an unknown forest at night.
But as the students returned to their tents, he noticed something strange.
His enhanced hearing detected a faint sound beyond the trees.
A low growl.
Then another.
And finally, something that sounded almost like a human voice.
Adrian stood still.
The sound came from the northern forest.
A moment later, his system activated.
Unknown Entity Detected
[Bloodline Usurper System]
[An ancient bloodline signature has been detected.]
[Species: Unknown]
[Bloodline Classification: Ancient Beast]
[Inheritance Potential: High]
[Warning: Target's strength exceeds host's current combat capacity.]
Adrian stared at the notification.
The system displayed one final message.
[Recommended Action: Observe. Do not engage.]
He looked toward the forest.
A faint blue light appeared between the trees.
Adrian slowly stepped backward.
"Well..."
He put his hands into his coat pockets.
"That complicates things."
The northern expedition had only just begun.
And already, something ancient had noticed their arrival.