Chapter 124: Chapter 117:The preparation before the journey

Snow fell heavily across the northern fortress of Elarion.

The mountains howled beneath freezing winds while forge fires illuminated the valleys like burning stars scattered across the snow-covered wilderness.

Yet despite the late hour—

The territory remained alive.

Steel hammers echoed endlessly through workshop districts. Military patrols marched across reinforced walls. Supply wagons moved constantly between warehouses carrying ammunition, mana crystals, and newly forged machine parts.

The entire north had become a giant war machine.

And now—

It was preparing for its lord to leave.

Deep inside the central command hall—

A massive map of the kingdom covered nearly the entire stone table.

Pins marked supply depots. Artillery emplacements. Rail construction sites. Defensive lines.

And near the southern edge—

The capital.

Lucien stood calmly beside the map while the others gathered around him.

Malen. Cedric. Lucas. Gandalf.

And sprawled lazily across the enormous chamber behind them—

Aurethar.

The ancient golden dragon had somehow forced nearly half his gigantic body into the hall by coiling around support pillars and partially resting through a shattered section of wall that engineers had long ago given up repairing.

Golden scales reflected firelight brilliantly while smoke drifted lazily from his nostrils toward the ceiling.

At this point—

Everyone simply accepted it.

Cedric stared at the map with folded arms.

"So we’re really doing this."

Lucien nodded calmly.

"The invitation cannot be ignored."

Lucas leaned against the wall nearby.

"Technically it can."

Malen answered immediately.

"And then the crown declares Elarion rebellious."

Cedric snorted.

"They might already think that."

"That’s different from openly declaring it."

Silence settled briefly across the hall.

Everyone understood the situation.

The capital was dangerous because politics in noble courts were often deadlier than battlefields.

Lucien’s gaze rested briefly upon the southern region of the map.

The system quest still lingered in his mind.

A Legendary-ranked mission.

Go to the capital.

Find the truth behind his mother’s death.

The fact the system itself acknowledged a conspiracy changed everything.

Malen eventually spoke again.

"The journey itself will take nearly two weeks unless we push continuously."

"We won’t."

Lucien answered calmly.

"This isn’t a military campaign."

Cedric immediately looked offended.

"...That sounds boring."

Lucas chuckled quietly.

"You’re staying here anyway."

Cedric blinked.

"...What?"

Lucien finally looked toward him.

"You and Lucas will remain in Elarion."

The room became quieter immediately.

Cedric frowned.

"You’re leaving us behind?"

"You’re staying because I trust you."

That answer immediately killed most of Cedric’s complaints.

Almost at least

Lucien pointed toward the northern sectors of the map.

"The territory is still vulnerable."

Then toward the western frontier.

"The coalition remnants haven’t fully stabilized."

Then toward the engineering district markings.

"And the projects cannot stop."

Cedric slowly exhaled.

He hated admitting it.

But Lucien was correct.

The first Warhound prototypes still required constant protection.

The factories remained incomplete.

And Elarion itself had grown too important militarily.

If Lucien took all his strongest people south—

The north would become vulnerable.

Lucas finally nodded slightly.

"I’ll handle internal security."

Cedric sighed dramatically.

"And I’ll handle the armies while you enjoy noble banquets."

Lucien calmly answered:

"If nobles attempt poisoning me, I’ll write your name in my will."

Cedric looked genuinely touched.

"That’s friendship."

"That’s suspicion."

Even Malen nearly smiled slightly.

Meanwhile—

Gandalf quietly sat near the fireplace reading several documents while pretending not to listen.

Lucien glanced toward the old wizard.

"You’re coming with me."

The old mage froze briefly.

Then slowly lowered the papers.

"...I suspected this unfortunate possibility."

Cedric immediately laughed.

"You’re doomed."

Gandalf sighed deeply.

"The capital is exhausting."

Lucien walked toward the old wizard calmly.

"I need someone who understands ancient magic, court mages, and political manipulation."

Gandalf looked offended.

"You just described three things I despise."

"Yes."

"That is precisely why you’re useful."

The old wizard stared silently for several moments.

Then sighed.

"...Fine."

Cedric immediately grinned.

"Oh this will be entertaining."

Gandalf pointed toward him angrily.

"If I die in the capital, I will haunt you specifically."

"That seems unfair."

"It will also be intentional."

Near the rear of the chamber—

Aurethar lazily opened one massive golden eye.

"...Humans continue speaking excessively."

Lucas glanced toward the dragon.

"You’ve been listening this whole time."

"I have superior hearing admit it mortal."

Cedric folded his arms.

"You also gossip more than old women."

The dragon looked mildly offended.

"I am preserving strategic awareness."

"That’s somehow even worse."

Lucien finally turned toward Aurethar.

The room quieted slightly again.

Because this part mattered.

"The capital may become dangerous."

Aurethar blinked slowly.

"Yes."

"I may require your support there."

The dragon stared silently for several seconds.

Then—

"...No."

Cedric nearly choked.

"You rejected him instantly?!"

Aurethar ignored him completely.

Golden eyes remained fixed on Lucien.

"I refuse to walk among southern nobles."

The dragon sounded deeply disgusted.

"They weaken my majesty."

Lucas rubbed his forehead.

"That’s honestly difficult to argue against."

Lucien crossed his arms calmly.

"So you’re staying?"

Aurethar closed his eyes again lazily.

"I will come if necessary."

Malen frowned slightly.

"How exactly?"

The dragon answered casually:

"I will teleport."

Silence filled the room immediately.

Cedric blinked twice.

Gandalf looked like he discovered a new dimension worth researching.

"...You can WHAT?"

Aurethar looked mildly annoyed.

"We are connected."

Then one gigantic golden eye opened slightly.

"If danger becomes significant, I will simply arrive."

Lucas stared blankly.

"You’ve been able to do that this entire time?"

"Yes."

"...Why didn’t you mention this earlier?"

The dragon looked genuinely confused.

"You never asked."

Cedric immediately pointed accusingly.

"That’s not information you WAIT to share!"

Even Lucien looked slightly surprised.

Not because Aurethar could teleport.

Ancient dragons breaking logic had become normal already.

But because the dragon said it so casually.

Gandalf suddenly narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"The soul contract."

Aurethar nodded slightly.

"Our connection bypasses ordinary spatial restrictions."

The old wizard slowly looked toward Lucien.

"...Do you realize how absurd that is?"

Lucien answered honestly.

"At this point I’ve stopped measuring absurdity."

Cedric still looked betrayed.

"You could’ve appeared dramatically during battles this entire time."

The dragon rumbled softly.

"I prefer dramatic timing."

"That somehow makes it worse."

Aurethar lazily stretched one gigantic golden wing slightly across the hall.

"If the capital becomes troublesome..."

Golden eyes narrowed faintly.

"...I will arrive."

The temperature inside the chamber seemed to drop slightly.

Even Malen remained silent.

Because everyone understood what that truly meant.

If Aurethar entered the capital—

Political problems would become very secondary concerns.

Lucien eventually nodded.

"That’s enough."

Then he turned back toward the map.

"The escort will remain small."

Malen immediately answered.

"Agreed."

"A large military convoy would provoke the capital."

Lucas smirked slightly.

"So naturally we’ll provoke them intelligently instead."

Lucien nodded once.

"Exactly."

The plan slowly began taking shape afterward.

A compact escort force. Elite northern guards no more than 500 total. Several armored transport vehicles. Supply wagons. Limited artillery presence.

Not enough to resemble invasion.

But enough that assassination attempts would become extremely difficult.

Cedric eventually pointed toward one section of the map.

"What about the Warhound?"

The room quieted slightly again.

Because everyone knew why that mattered.

Lucien remained silent briefly before answering.

"One prototype comes with us."

Even Malen looked surprised.

"To the capital?"

"Yes."

Gandalf immediately sighed.

"...You truly enjoy causing panic."

Lucien calmly answered:

"I prefer demonstrations."

The truth was simple.

The capital already feared Elarion.

Hiding the Warhound changed nothing.

Instead—

Lucien intended to show controlled strength.

Enough to force caution. Enough to discourage reckless actions.

Cedric slowly grinned.

"Oh the nobles are going to lose their minds."

Lucas nodded slightly.

"Especially after seeing the turret rotation."

The first Warhound prototype already possessed terrifying battlefield capability.

Mana-assisted engine systems. Sloped reinforced armor. A 57mm high-velocity cannon. Dual MG34 Stormhowl machine guns.

It looked less like a medieval war vehicle—

And more like an artifact from another civilization entirely.

Which technically—

It was.

Lucien’s gaze drifted briefly toward the snowy windows overlooking the engineering district.

The transmigrator inside him understood something nobody else in this world fully realized yet.

Once mechanized warfare began—

It never stopped evolving.

There would always be:

larger guns,faster engines,stronger armor and deadlier weapons

Civilization itself would transform around war.

And he—

He had started that process.

Far below the fortress—

A loud mechanical rumble suddenly echoed through the valleys.

The first operational Warhound prototype emerged slowly from the engineering halls beneath clouds of steam and mana exhaust.

Heavy tracks crushed snow beneath its weight while workers and soldiers gathered around it excitedly.

Even from the command hall windows—

The machine looked terrifying.

Cedric stared outward proudly.

"Our enemies are doomed."

Gandalf adjusted his robes tiredly.

"Our enemies." "Our allies." "Possibly reality itself.

Aurethar suddenly rumbled softly from the rear of the chamber.

"...The world is changing."

Lucien watched the moving Warhound below calmly.

"Yes."

The dragon slowly opened both massive golden eyes.

"And the capital still believes it controls the future."

Silence settled across the chamber afterward.

Because everyone understood the truth.

The kingdom still thought Lucien was merely another noble lord.

They still believed Elarion was simply a powerful northern territory.

They still believed politics could control what was coming.

They had no idea—

The age of industrial war had already begun.