Chapter 230 – Nathan Arrives at the Devastated Port
Nathan Evenhart:
For three days aboard the ship, my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, each spiraling into futility as I tried to craft an apology. Every idea I conceived was quickly discarded. Adrihna had given a ride to the Royal Capital, and thanks to her golems, what would’ve been a two-day journey on horseback had been reduced to less than one. Yet, even with the extra ti, I found myself trapped in a loop of self-recrimination.
Sitting on the bed with my hands covering my face, I struggled to find a way to make ands with Chloe.
But how can I even face her now? I thought. She must be furious with .
I sighed, the weight of guilt pressing heavily against my chest.
And then there’s Kinue...
Adrihna had revealed sothing I had never considered. Kinue had liked for a long ti, and every change she made in her life had been aid at becoming soone she could be proud of, soone who would have the courage to reveal her feelings. But beyond that, she endured struggles simply for being who she was. Her demi-human appearance made her a constant target of prejudice. To so humans, she was nothing more than an animal.
I had always seen her as a close friend, but I never imagined the burden she carried silently. I never thought about how my actions could add to that weight.
My thoughts swirled, bringing back to my argunt with Chloe.
"Forgive , Chloe," I murmured. "I like you too..."
The mory of her pained eyes and the frustration in her voice was a bitter echo in my mind. Our last exchange had been a fight—the first serious one we’d ever had. And now, I understood how much it could hurt.
"To her, I’m not Icarus. I’m Nathan. If I stay shackled to the past, I’ll never move forward. I’m scared of repeating my mistakes. But because of that fear, I’m failing to appreciate what I have now," I whispered aloud, giving voice to the internal battle consuming .
Then the ship stopped abruptly, shaking from my thoughts and dragging back to reality.
The water and wind mages had ceased their magic. It seed we had arrived.
But a sense of sha lingered, burning my skin as if unseen eyes were judging . The idea of facing Chloe felt impossible. Determined to clear my head, I left my cabin and climbed the stairs toward the upper deck, only to be stopped by a staff mber who approached in haste.
“Lord Evenhart, there’s been an issue,” she said nervously. “We’re not yet at the port. Our ship has been detained. I ask that you remain in your quarters.”
I frowned, sensing sothing amiss.
“Detained?” I asked, trying to make sense of it.
“Yes, sir. The port guards have halted all dockings. No ships are allowed to anchor.”
Is the primary trade route of the duchy being halted? Aunt Margie would never permit such a disruption without an urgent reason.
Disregarding her request, I continued up the stairs.
“The guards have requested that all nobles stay in their rooms,” she insisted. “It must be a routine issue. Once they verify the passenger list, we’ll be cleared. Please don’t worry; I’ll have food sent to you while you wait.”
Sothing’s wrong.
Ignoring her words, I kept climbing. Nothing about this felt right. A route as vital as this one would never be interrupted lightly, and passenger verification was always done before boarding, not mid-journey.
Upon reaching the deck, I was t with utter chaos. High-class nobles waved their docunts and tickets in the air, shouting frantic orders that the soldiers steadfastly ignored.
I don’t have a ticket. This ship belongs to ...
I ignored the commotion and walked straight to the edge of the ship, wanting to see the commotion for myself. Before I could observe the scene at the harbor, a firm hand gripped my shoulder.
“Stop! Papers,” a soldier barked with authority.
Before I could respond, another guard quickly intervened, slapping the first one’s hand away.
“Do you even know who he is?” the second guard asked, his voice dripping with disbelief.
The soldier who had grabbed stepped back, his expression shifting to one of confusion as he gave a once-over, trying to identify .
Sothing was definitely wrong.
Ordinary soldiers don’t have access to my true identity—at least not until the day Chloe takes over the duchy’s authority, and both she and I are introduced to the public.
“He’s your lord! Apologies for the disrespect, Lord Nathan.” The second soldier stepped forward, his tone a blend of respect and unease. “I am Theodore Borir, the officer in charge of this ship’s inspection. Forgive the lapse in decorum, my lord. We’ve been given direct orders to ensure your safety after… the incidents.”
I ignored his fumbling attempts at an explanation, turning my gaze to the subterranean river. The scene below was desolate: endless rows of stationary ships, lined up like mismatched pieces of a puzzle. The chaos was palpable, with orders being shouted across the docks and debris drifting aimlessly in the water.
“What happened?” I asked, my voice steady, though an edge of tension crept in.
“A terrorist attack, my lord,” Theodore replied. “Two high-level mages engaged in a confrontation here. My orders are to escort you to safety.”
A terrorist attack? This is one of the most secure locations in the kingdom.
My eyes scanned the river’s surface. Shattered pieces of wood and broken structures floated aimlessly. Yet, what truly caught my attention was the state of the port—utterly devastated, as if a natural disaster had swept through. Among the destruction, a patch of the subterranean river was frozen solid.
“When did this happen?” I demanded, an urgency growing in my chest.
“It’s been a few days,” Theodore said hesitantly.
The words hit like a blow. My chest tightened as I jumped to the ship’s edge for a better view. Snow, ice, destruction. This wasn’t the result of a re skirmish between mages; the scale of devastation pointed to sothing far more catastrophic.
“Sir, I must insist—I need to escort you—” Theodore started, but his voice faded as I tuned him out.
I don’t have ti for noble formalities.
Without a second thought, I leapt from the ship into the river below. Theodore’s panicked shout followed . “My lord!”
I summoned my mana, channeling the wind to propel myself forward, running across the water’s surface with speed and precision.
“Thunder Dash,” I muttered, adjusting my stance as I accelerated. Sparks of energy crackled around , leaving faint trails on the water as I surged forward.
I reached the frozen section and stopped at the edge of the devastated port. The scene before was apocalyptic, a chaotic mix of ice, fire, and destruction.
Every structure lay in ruins, scarred by the aftermath of a catastrophic battle.
The surrounding houses were cleaved in half, their roofs collapsed under the weight of thick ice. So walls bore scorch marks from fire, with charred wooden beams creaking and slowly crumbling. Upturned carts, their wheels blackened, still smoldered in places, filling the air with the acrid stench of burned wood.
What once stood as proud monunts of the city’s prosperity were now unrecognizable heaps of rubble, covered in jagged ice formations or split apart as if a violent explosion had torn through them.
The snow covering the plazas was stained with soot, and craters tore through the ground like open wounds, remnants of powerful explosions that had sent debris scattering in all directions. Fragnts of stone and tal were strewn across the area—so embedded in the shattered walls, others buried in the ice.
Here and there, broken weapons and shattered pieces of armor lay like silent witnesses to the battle. So areas still radiated heat from recent explosions, the contrast of fire and ice creating an eerie vapor that lingered over the ground like a ghostly lant. A mana crystal streetlight stood twisted, one half consud by flas while the other was frozen solid—a surreal tableau of clashing forces.
This wasn’t a simple duel.
“What happened here?” I murmured, my voice barely cutting through the oppressive silence that blanketed the area. The destruction surrounding was overwhelming.
Guards were scattered around the port, their faces as bewildered as mine. A few noticed , their confusion quickly shifting to suspicion as they drew their swords.
“Identify yourself!” one of them barked.
Without hesitation, I propelled myself into the air with a burst of wind, leaping over the guard and running across conjured air platforms. I needed answers. With every step, the scale of the devastation grew clearer. Collapsed buildings, debris blanketed in ice and snow, and the complete absence of life painted a nightmarish scene.
This was a battle of imnse proportions.
There was no mistaking it.
Snow and ice... Chloe.
My chest tightened, a knot forming in my throat as the worst possibilities swirled through my mind.
“Chloe...” her na escaped my lips, barely a whisper, laden with dread. The growing ache in my chest felt like an open wound, raw and unrelenting.
I ran aimlessly, trying to piece together what had happened. Leaping onto the remnants of a destroyed building, I scanned the area for a better vantage point. From this height, I saw the devastation across the subterranean city—parts of it buried in snow, while other areas were reduced to smoldering ruins.
“Nathan!” A familiar voice cut through my racing thoughts, stopping my heart for a mont.
“Sifu.” I recognized the monk imdiately. I quickly descended from the wreckage and approached him. Behind him, I noticed several won hiding among the debris.
Maids? Why are so many of them here?
“What happened?” I demanded, my voice trembling with urgency as I struggled to comprehend the scene before .
Sifu’s expression made my stomach sink. His usual calm deanor was overshadowed by a rare seriousness.
“I ca to escort you to safety,” he began, his voice steady but unable to conceal the gravity of the mont. “I knew you’d ignore the guards and head straight to the port. This was the quickest way I could reach you.”
My hands shook as I looked around again, trying to piece everything together. But what truly unsettled was the way Sifu avoided eting my gaze.
“Nathan... we need to talk,” he said, hesitating—a rarity for him. “Sothing happened to Chloe.”
Those words... It felt as though the ground beneath had vanished. The world around fell silent, leaving only an unbearable, crushing pain. A wound reopened in my soul, one I thought I had buried long ago. A pain I never wanted to feel again.
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