Three days until the Ashford deadline.
Ethan woke before dawn with a plan already forming in his mind. The family believed—most of them, anyway. Thomas had come around. The elders were cautiously supportive. But belief within the family alone would not be enough.
Arthur needed to be real to the world.
"System," he said quietly. "How do I spread belief beyond the family?"
『 Outsider Faith is a new mechanic. When someone outside the Blackwood bloodline believes in an ancestor, their faith is weaker but more stable. 』
『 A hundred outsiders believing is worth ten family members. But outsiders are harder to convince. They have no reason to believe. 』
Ethan nodded slowly.
"They need a reason."
『 Yes. They need to see something. Experience something. 』
『 You must give them a story they cannot forget. 』
He found Lily in the training grounds.
The twelve-year-old was practicing with her wooden sword, her movements sharper than before. Since Arthur’s voice had begun speaking through the sword, something had changed in her. She carried herself differently. More confident. More determined.
"Lily."
She stopped and turned.
"I need your help."
Her eyes brightened. "What kind of help?"
"There’s a village at the base of the mountain. Greystone. The people there have lived under Blackwood protection for generations."
"I know it. I used to go there with my mother before she died."
Ethan paused. He had forgotten that Lily’s parents had died in a demon attack near Greystone.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t think..."
"It’s okay." Lily’s expression was steady. "My mother loved Greystone. She used to tell me stories there. About the family. About our history."
She looked at him.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Help me tell Arthur’s story. Not to the family but to them."
They left at midday.
The journey down the mountain took several hours. The path was steep and winding, and Ethan found himself grateful for the training he had done with Arthur’s memories. His body was still weak from the ancestral debts, but he was stronger than he had been.
Lily walked beside him, her wooden sword tucked into her belt.
"What was your mother like?" Ethan asked.
Lily was silent for a moment.
"She was kind. She always had time for me. Even when things were bad, she found ways to make me smile."
She paused.
"She used to tell me that the Blackwood Family was special. That we had a destiny. That one day, we would rise again."
Ethan smiled faintly.
"She sounds like a wise woman."
"She was. She believed in things. Even when no one else did."
Lily looked at him.
"She would have liked you."
They walked in silence for a while.
Then the trees parted, and Greystone Village appeared below them.
The village was small—perhaps two hundred people, mostly farmers and craftsmen. The houses were simple wooden structures, their roofs patched with straw. A few shops lined the main road, their windows shuttered against the afternoon sun.
But the people were alive. Children played in the streets. Women carried baskets of vegetables. Men worked in the fields beyond the village walls.
Ethan stopped at the edge of the village.
"They don’t look afraid," he said.
"They’re not," Lily replied. "They don’t know about the Ashford demand. They don’t know what’s coming."
Ethan nodded slowly.
"Then let’s give them something to believe in before they have to be afraid."
The village elder was a man named Greyson—Old Man Greyson, the villagers called him. He was ancient, his face weathered by decades of sun and wind, his back bent with age. But his eyes were sharp.
"You’re a Blackwood," he said when Ethan approached. "I remember your face. You used to come here as a boy."
Ethan nodded. "I remember you too. You used to tell stories about the old wars."
Greyson smiled. "I still do. The children love them."
"I have a new story for you. One I think you’ll remember."
Greyson’s eyes narrowed. "What kind of story?"
"The story of Arthur Blackwood. The Iron Ghost."
Greyson froze.
For a long moment, he simply stared at Ethan.
Then he whispered, "My grandfather told me about him. The warrior who could not be killed. The one who stood alone against the demon army."
"That’s the one."
"But... that was a legend. A myth. No one has spoken his name in generations."
Ethan held up Arthur’s sword.
"Touch this. And tell me if you still think he was a myth."
Greyson reached out with trembling fingers.
The moment his skin touched the blade, his eyes widened.
"What... what is this?"
"The truth."
Greyson’s hand shook as he withdrew it.
"I felt him. I felt his presence. It was like... like standing before a storm."
"He was real. He is real. And he is coming back."
The villagers gathered in the center of the square.
Ethan stood on a wooden platform, Arthur’s sword in his hand, and told the story.
He told them about the general who stood alone against a thousand demons. About the three-day battle. About the demon lord and the final, fatal blow.
He told them about the Iron Ghost.
When he finished, silence hung over the crowd.
Then Old Man Greyson stepped forward.
"I remember," he said quietly. "My grandfather told me stories about the Iron Ghost. He said the warrior’s spirit would return when the family needed him most."
He turned to face the villagers.
"I believe."
One by one, others stepped forward.
"I believe."
"I believe."
"I believe."
『 Outsider Faith: 15 』
『 Story Credibility: 55% 』
『 Arthur Blackwood’s manifestation progress: 50% 』
That night, Ethan and Lily stayed in Greystone.
They were given food and shelter by the villagers, who treated them like honored guests. Old Man Greyson sat beside Ethan, his eyes fixed on Arthur’s sword.
"There is more to your story," Greyson said. "Something you’re not telling me."
Ethan looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
"I’ve lived a long time. I’ve seen many things. And I know when someone is holding back."
He paused.
"You’re not just telling stories, boy. You’re creating something. Something real."
Ethan was silent.
"You don’t have to tell me," Greyson said. "But know this—whatever you’re doing, whatever power you’re wielding, use it wisely. Because the world has a way of pushing back."
He looked at the sword.
"And it always collects its debts."
The next morning, Ethan and Lily returned to the mountain.
As they climbed the path, Ethan noticed something strange. The air felt different. Lighter. The trees seemed greener. The sky seemed brighter.
"What’s happening?" Lily asked.
Ethan checked the system interface.
『 Story Credibility: 55% 』
『 Family Faith: 70 』
『 Outsider Faith: 15 』
『 World Rebuttal: 22% 』
『 Arthur Blackwood’s manifestation progress: 50% 』
『 Milestone Reached: Full Ancestor’s Memories 』
『 New Information Unlocked: The Nexus 』
Ethan’s eyes widened.
"The Nexus. The door in the hidden chamber. It’s opening."
They reached the ancestral hall at dusk.
Ethan hurried to the hidden chamber, Lily following close behind. The moment he entered, he saw it..
The sealed door was glowing.
Not brightly. Just a faint shimmer, barely visible. But it was there.
『 The Nexus is responding to the family’s belief. 』
『 When Arthur’s manifestation progress reaches 100%, the door will open. 』
『 And Arthur will return. 』
Ethan stepped closer.
"How long?"
『 The Ashford deadline is in three days. Arthur’s manifestation requires at least one more major belief event. 』
『 You need to reach 75% credibility before the deadline. 』
Ethan nodded slowly.
He turned to Lily.
"We need more believers. More stories. More evidence."
Lily met his gaze.
"Then we’ll find them."
That night, a knock came at the main gate.
The guards were surprised—no one had approached the mountain in weeks. When they opened the gate, they found a figure standing in the shadows.
A woman. Cloaked in black. Her face hidden beneath a hood.
"I need to speak with Ethan Blackwood," she said.
Her voice was cold and sharp.
"Tell him it’s about the Ashford Family."
『 Story Credibility: 55% 』
『 Family Faith: 70 』
『 Outsider Faith: 15 』
『 World Rebuttal: 22% 』
『 Ancestral Debt: None active 』
『 Arthur Blackwood’s manifestation progress: 50% 』
『 Silas Blackwood’s manifestation progress: 35% 』
『 Next Milestone: 75% Credibility — Partial Manifestation 』