Kael Draven expected many things when he traveled north.

Cold weather. Undisciplined frontier soldiers. Half-starved settlements struggling through recovery.

What he did not expect—

Was smoke.

Not the thin smoke of village chimneys.

Not campfires.

Industrial smoke.

Even from several kilometers away, Kael could already see dark pillars rising beyond the northern mountains into the gray evening sky.

Too much smoke for a frontier fortress.

Far too much.

The elite knight slowed his horse atop the frozen ridge while the cold wind pushed against his cloak quietly.

Below him, the northern roads stretched toward Elarion.

And unlike most northern roads—

These were maintained.

Properly maintained.

Stone reinforcement. Drainage trenches. Wide enough for heavy transport movement.

Kael crouched slightly beside the ridge afterward while observing the movement below.

Trade carts.

Steel shipments.

Workers.

Military patrols.

The road remained active even near sunset.

That alone felt wrong.

Most frontier territories became quiet after dark due to monsters and harsh conditions.

Elarion apparently ignored that logic entirely.

A merchant convoy passed beneath the ridge moments later.

Kael listened carefully.

"...Third steel shipment this week."

"The factories barely stop anymore."

"I heard they work through the night now."

"Not heard. Seen."

The merchants continued onward while Kael remained silent.

Factories.

Again that word.

The knight resumed moving shortly afterward while keeping distance from the main road.

As night gradually fell across the north—

The distant glow appeared.

Kael stopped again immediately.

At first he thought it was a city fire.

Then he realized the truth.

The lights were controlled.

Rows of orange industrial glow illuminated the valley ahead while steam and smoke drifted upward beneath the dark sky.

Elarion.

Kael stared silently.

No northern fortress should look like this.

The territory below resembled something entirely different from the reports he remembered months ago.

Massive walls surrounded the central fortress. Watchtowers overlooked expanded districts spreading across the valley. Factory smoke stacks rose above entire blocks of newly constructed buildings.

And even from this distance—

He could hear machinery.

Low metallic thunder echoed faintly through the cold night air.

Clang.

Steam hiss.

Hammer strikes.

Continuous.

Relentless.

Alive.

Kael’s expression hardened slightly.

The reports were real.

Worse—

The reports had understated things.

The knight guided his horse carefully down the western ridge afterward before leaving the main trail entirely.

If Elarion truly possessed this level of organization, direct approach would attract attention immediately.

And Kael had no intention of being noticed yet.

The deeper he moved toward the territory, the stranger things became.

More roads. More patrols. More signs of activity.

Even isolated northern farms showed improvement.

Stone foundations replaced weak wood. Water systems connected smaller settlements. Large storage buildings stood reinforced beside the roads.

This wasn’t random growth.

It was systematic.

Planned.

Kael eventually stopped near a small roadside tavern several kilometers from the fortress itself.

The building looked ordinary enough.

Warm lanterns. Travelers resting inside. Horse carts parked nearby.

Perfect for gathering information.

The knight entered quietly afterward while keeping his cloak hood lowered enough to avoid immediate recognition.

Conversations filled the tavern.

Mostly workers and merchants.

And almost all of them discussed Elarion.

"...production doubled after winter."

"I heard Lord Lucien expanded the steel district again."

"My cousin works near the western foundries now."

"They really pay that well?"

"Better than southern nobles."

That last line caught Kael’s attention immediately.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

A northern worker speaking positively about noble rule was already unusual.

Speaking positively compared to southern territories?

That was dangerous.

Kael took a seat quietly near the corner while listening further.

One older merchant drank deeply before laughing.

"You should’ve seen the rifles."

Another snorted.

"The thunder weapons again?"

"I’m serious."

The merchant leaned forward.

"One shot split straight through steel plating."

"That’s impossible."

"That’s what I said."

The table laughed nervously afterward.

Not mocking laughter.

Uneasy laughter.

The kind people used when discussing things they genuinely did not understand.

Kael remained silent while absorbing everything carefully.

Weapons. Industry. Loyal civilians.

All matching previous reports.

One worker eventually noticed him sitting nearby.

"You heading toward Elarion?"

Kael answered calmly.

"Possibly."

The worker grinned immediately.

"Then avoid the eastern road tomorrow morning."

"Why?"

"Military drills."

Another man laughed loudly.

"Again?"

"They train constantly now."

Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"How large are these drills?"

The worker shrugged.

"Large enough that the walls shake sometimes."

That sounded deeply concerning.

Hours later, Kael finally departed the tavern and continued toward the territory under full darkness.

The closer he moved toward Elarion—

The more unnatural the place felt.

Not magical.

Industrial.

Steam pipes ran beside sections of road. Large water-driven machinery operated near the outer districts. Workers moved supplies even deep into the night.

And everywhere—

Activity.

The territory simply never stopped moving.

Kael eventually reached the outer observation ridge overlooking the main valley itself.

Then stopped completely.

Below him—

Elarion spread across the northern valley like a city reborn through steel and smoke.

Factory districts glowed orange beneath the darkness. Steam rose endlessly into the sky. Massive fortress walls surrounded expanding industrial sectors. Watchtowers scanned the roads constantly.

And at the center—

The main fortress overlooked everything like the heart of some growing machine.

Kael remained silent for a very long time.

Because this was no longer a frontier territory.

This was becoming an industrial state.

The elite knight slowly crouched near the ridge afterward while studying the military patrols below.

Disciplined formations.

Regular movement intervals.

Armed guards carrying rifles unlike standard flintlocks.

Even from this distance, Kael could tell the weapons looked refined.

Efficient.

Dangerous.

Then suddenly—

CRACK.

A sharp thunder-like sound echoed across the valley.

Kael’s head snapped instantly toward the western training fields.

Another shot followed.

Then another.

Rifle training.

At night.

The elite knight narrowed his eyes while watching distant flashes appear near the military district below.

No smoke clouds followed afterward.

That immediately unsettled him.

Even advanced flintlocks produced smoke.

These weapons barely did.

Kael slowly realized something then.

House Valcriox was already behind.

Not politically.

Technologically.

And perhaps by a terrifying margin.

The knight stared toward the industrial valley silently while steam engines thundered endlessly through the night below.

Then for the first time since entering the north—

Kael felt genuine unease.

Because Elarion did not look like part of the kingdom anymore.

It looked like the beginning of something new.