Lyon's offensive against the mountain orcs came to a standstill. Though no official announcement was made, anyone paying attention to the war quickly guessed why.

The terrifying Silvermoon Knight had finally died.

With the empire's strongest paladin gone, even the arrogantly aggressive Lyon Empire had no choice but to halt its invasion. Once the orcs learned the news, they launched a full-scale counterattack. The result was that four of the five cities Lyon had seized fell back into orc control. Only Tusk City remained firmly in Lyon's control.

The orcs attempted to besiege it several times, but after leaving behind more than a thousand corpses of orc warriors, they were forced to temporarily give up.

Lyon had captured the gateway to the mountains, Tusk City, at the cost of the Silvermoon Knight. Whether that trade was profitable remained to be seen.

At the very least, Ambrose had profited recently.

Naomi had finally woken from the dreamscape after two days.

As Naomi's master, Ambrose could already sense the changes in her faculties.

Previously, Naomi had been an ordinary druid, unremarkable in terms of talent or ability. After forming a contract with Ambrose, she had been forcibly advanced into the legendary rank. The two days she spent sleeping had felt far longer for her in the dream.

The natural dreamscape could perfectly simulate everything a druid needed for training. Naomi had worked hard; now that she had awakened, she seemed completely transformed.

"Can you already transform into a dragon?" Ambrose asked. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Naomi nodded. "I've only tried it in the dream, but I'm confident I can do it for real. And my wound has healed completely."

She pointed to her neck. There had once been a wound that cut entirely across her throat, which had existed in a strange superposed state. The fact that it had completely healed meant that Naomi had fully integrated the temporal power within the wound and gained complete control over it.

The hourglass artifact had also played a role. Ambrose could not sense anything while holding it, and neither did Catherine. But when Naomi touched the hourglass, the residual temporal energy in her body resonated with it, allowing her to master its strange power that much faster.

Catherine exclaimed, "Then let's try it!"

For the elven queen, the idea of traveling back in time was something entirely new and thrilling.

Ambrose quickly stopped her. "If she transforms into a time dragon here, this castle will explode. She'd be far too large. And besides, this is druid territory. Who knows what might happen if we activate time reversal here?"

Catherine asked, "So you're saying it's time to leave?"

Ambrose nodded. Yes, yes it was. The real trouble, however, was figuring out what to do about the Ragetide Kingdom.

After all the oaths Monge Greywater had sworn, it was about time he died without leaving a corpse behind.

After leaving Catherine's treehouse castle, Ambrose returned to the small ravine.

The illusion he had created was still faithfully playing its role. The instructions he had given it were simple: appear mentally exhausted, remain bedridden for long periods, and refuse all treatment.

The illusion performed perfectly. At the very least, Ariel and the druids hadn't noticed anything unusual. They merely assumed that the Stormborn wasn't used to the druids' diet. Old Sares had even caught him a few fish for his meals.

The illusion magic was truly incredible, and easily the most outrageous spell Ambrose had mastered.

After returning to his room, Ambrose cast another illusion, transforming back into the appearance of Monge Greywater. This time, however, he added some additional details. His complexion looked sickly pale, featuring grayish-white skin with dark blue veins. Anyone who saw him would immediately notice that something was wrong.

The moment Ambrose stepped outside, he saw Ariel standing guard. She was fiddling with something in her hands—apparently some herbs.

When she saw him, she exclaimed in surprise, "Your face... what on earth happened to you?"

Ambrose gave her a wry smile. "Is it that bad? Heh... there aren't any mirrors here, so I can't even see my own face."

Even someone as naïve as Ariel sensed something wrong in his tone. "What illness do you have?" she asked anxiously.

Ambrose didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "Princess, during this trip to Emerald Dreamwood, you've learned quite a lot, haven't you?"

Ariel frowned. A sense of foreboding crept into her heart. Why did he sound like he was delivering his last words?

"Well, I suppose you won't be satisfied unless I tell you the truth. You've noticed I've changed a lot over the past few days, almost like I'm a different person entirely."

Ariel nodded.

"You're much smarter now than before."

Ambrose smiled and explained, "A person's intelligence is largely innate. Experience may improve it to some extent, but doing so takes time and self-reflection. People don't just suddenly become much smarter in a few days' time. Wouldn't you agree?"

Ariel grew confused. "What exactly are you saying? Did you... become smarter by paying some kind of price?"

"Exactly. You guessed correctly, Princess." Ambrose sighed. "I traded my life for a few days of wisdom. Fortunately, with the gods' blessing, those few days were enough for me to turn the kingdom's situation around. The Silent Sea Pirate Company is no longer a threat. The Emerald Dreamwood is willing to cooperate with us. Even the elves have exchanged gifts with our kingdom. Princess, as long as you continue pursuing these diplomatic policies, even if the kingdom faces future crises, they can be overcome."

"Wait—what are you talking about? What do you mean you traded your life away?!" Ariel grabbed his arm in agitation.

The strength nearly crushed his bones. Previously, that force would have shattered Ambrose's transformation spell instantly. But Leyla's illusion spell was so realistic that even broken bones would not break the deception.

In that case, Ambrose could act freely.

"Princess, I can't explain. I made the deal with an existence that cannot be spoken of. But I can tell you this: the day my ambush against the Silent Sea pirates failed... I died at sea. A great being gave me one last chance to spend my remaining time serving the kingdom.

"I've long enjoyed His Majesty's favor, but I've accomplished nothing for years. Instead, I repeatedly led the kingdom into defeat. Only after dying once did I understand my mistakes. That's when I finally realized that my old way of governing was wrong. Your ideas, Princess, would be better for the kingdom."

Ambrose suddenly began coughing violently. A large mouthful of blood spilled into his palm.

Ariel stared in shock and quickly helped him into a chair. She raised her hand to cast divine healing, only to immediately curse.

She was wearing a bracelet that would cause her to fall asleep if she cast divine magic.

She was about to summon the druids for help when Ambrose grabbed her hand.

"Princess, I don't have much time left. Listen carefully to what I say next. You must keep every word in mind."

Seeing how serious he was, Ariel forced herself to suppress her anxiety. "Speak quickly. When you're done, I'll take you back for treatment!"

Ambrose continued gravely, "First, after I disappear, you must not make a public scene. Return quietly to the kingdom. Do not pursue responsibility, and do not mention this to the druids. We've finally established the foundation for cooperation with the Emerald Dreamwood. Nothing must jeopardize it. And my death has nothing to do with them, at any rate.

"Second, do not investigate the cause of my death. Death does not mean complete annihilation. I will find a way to return. But if you investigate the truth behind this matter, you may anger that great existence—and I will suffer for it.

"Third, after returning home, keep a close watch on the court mages, especially the necromancer. You must keep him under strict observation."

Ariel listened carefully, but her expression grew increasingly grim. She had no idea what was truly happening, except that she could do nothing about it.

"Don't give up! The Lord of Storms is incredibly strong. If we pray to him, perhaps—"

Ambrose quickly interrupted her. "No. The gods must not be involved. This was the price I paid for the Ragetide Kingdom. If divine intervention occurs, all my efforts will have been in vain. Princess, remember this: death is not the end. If you follow my instructions, I may still find a way back. But if you make a big commotion, I may never return."

Ariel clenched her teeth in anger, but she didn't know where to direct it.

This disaster had come all too suddenly. She had no time to prepare herself.

Ambrose gave her no chance to think. He grabbed both her hands and cried out, "Princess, I regret that I didn't understand your ideas sooner. I regret the resources and lives our kingdom wasted because of me. But if I can correct all that with my death... I will be satisfied.

"Don't worry. We'll meet again soon, I promise!"

The dark veins spread across his face like a spider's web.

Then his body suddenly began to crack. Before Ariel's eyes, it collapsed into a pile of ashes.

Ariel stared in shock at the gray dust on the ground.

Had Monge Greywater really died, just like that?

Hidden nearby, Ambrose carefully observed Ariel's reaction. The foolish princess stood there stunned for several minutes. Then she carefully gathered the ashes together, scraping up even the soil that lay beneath.

She didn't cause a scene with the druids. Instead, she clutched the ashes tightly, her expression tense, and hurriedly left with her attendants.

Watching her departing figure, Ambrose finally breathed a sigh of relief.

His hasty act contained many flaws. But as long as Ariel never realized he was a fake, she likely wouldn't investigate further.

After all, the ashes were real. No test would reveal any issues.

The only possible complication would be the Lord of Storms.

Ariel might pray to that god for help, but Monge Greywater had never been a devout believer—his soul had most likely gone straight to hell. His soul wouldn't exist in the Lord of Storms' divine realm, and tracing it wouldn't be easy. The Lord of Storms certainly wouldn't bother negotiating with the lords of hell over such a minor matter.

Everything was prepared. It was time to leave Emerald Dreamwood and begin his journey through time.