Inside the fortress courtyard, three thousand soldiers fell to their knees. Some wept in sheer relief, while others stared at the dark-haired traveler with terror so profound they could not draw breath. The legendary calamity beast that had required three generations of royal ancestors to seal had been swatted out of the sky like an annoying insect.
Adam stepped through the shattered entrance of the courtyard. The floor was littered with broken stone and melted ice, but his boots made no sound as he walked past rows of paralyzed knights.
High on the balcony, Duke Ironwood dropped his golden spyglass. It shattered against the stone floor, but he didn't notice. His hands, hardened by fifty years of brutal warfare, were trembling. He knew the limits of human power. He knew what grandmasters, arch-mages, and saint-tier swordsmen were capable of and what he had just witnessed transcended every law of magic in the realm.
The Duke pushed past his panicked guards, descending the tower stairs at a full sprint. He burst into the courtyard, stepping directly into Adam's path.
Instead of drawing his sword, Duke Ironwood unbuckled his scabbard, letting the priceless royal blade fall loudly onto the stone. He dropped to one knee, lowering his head until his brow nearly touched the frost-dusted ground.
"Mighty Senior," the Duke said, his voice echoing clearly through the silent courtyard. "I am Duke Reginald Ironwood of the Royal House of Frostholm. I apologize for the foolish hostility of my men. We mistook your grand presence for an enemy invasion."
Adam stopped a few paces away, looking down at the kneeling nobleman. "Stand up. I do not require obeisance."
Duke Ironwood rose slowly, though he kept his gaze respectfully lowered. "Senior, you have just saved three thousand lives and preserved the northern stronghold. The Frost-Tide Wyrm's sudden awakening means the ancient blood-seals beneath our realm are failing..." The Duke paused, his eyes flickering with a desperate hope. "Our realm's royal capital is currently hosting the Princess and the Grand Assembly to address this collapse. If a supreme being like you could grant us even a moment of your time, the entire royal family would be eternally in your debt."
Adam looked at the Duke, reading the genuine desperation and duty woven into the man's mortal soul. There was no deceit here only a leader trying to protect his people from an impending disaster.
"A blood-seal collapse?" Adam mused, his mind drifting back to the ancient structures he had seen across the continent.
"Yes, Senior," Ironwood urged quickly. "The divine array forged by our founding ancestors at the Royal Palace is cracking. If it breaks completely, the subterranean ley-lines will shatter the entire northern continent. The Royal Family is offering any treasury artifact, land, or title in existence for assistance."
Adam smiled faintly. Treasures and titles meant less than nothing to him, but the prospect of seeing the central heart of this world's civilization and observing how its rulers carried their burden piqued his quiet curiosity.
"Lead the way," Adam said calmly. "I will visit your royal capital."
Duke Ironwood's breath hitched in sheer relief. He turned instantly toward his stunned adjutant, shouting orders that rang across the courtyard. "Prepare the Royal Sky-Carriage! Send an urgent, high-tier spell-pigeon to Her Highness Princess Elena at once! Tell her... tell her a supreme ancestral entity is arriving at the capital!"