The second and third days of travel took us through less familiar territory. The landscape changed, they were fewer farms and more forest, the roads becoming wider and better maintained as we approached more central regions of the kingdom.
We passed through two larger towns. In each one, I noticed the same patterns—merchants doing brisk business, guards patrolling the streets, but an underlying tension in people's expressions. Like everyone was waiting for something.
"The mood is different here," I said to Valerie as we passed through the second town. "It seems more anxious."
"News travels," she replied. "They are probably just worried about the situations in Ashford and the monster attacks across the kingdom."
"Should they be?"
She met my eyes. "Honestly? Yes. What happened at Ashford wasn't isolated. The monster activity is increasing kingdom-wide. The crown is stretched thin responding to incidents everywhere. And there are things happening in the deeper territories that haven't made it into official reports yet."
"What things?"
"My father's merchants have been reporting strange phenomena. Some abandoned villages in the far eastern regions, then trade routes going silent." Her expression was troubled. "Something is building, Chase, it might be a worse case than the one at Ashford."
She was right. I knew she was right. Because in the novel, the Ashford dungeon had been just the beginning—the first visible sign of a much larger crisis that would eventually threaten the entire kingdom.
A crisis I had only partially remembered from the novel's plot.
"When do you think it escalates?" I asked carefully.
She gave me a sharp look. "You say that like you already know it will."
"The way it's happening suggest it. Monster attacks have kept on increasing, with dungeons manifestations and other strange phenomena." I kept my voice neutral. "Historically, these things escalate before they resolve."
"Historically," she echoed. "You've been reading historical accounts of magical catastrophes?"
"Among other things."
She held my gaze for a moment, and I could see her filing away this conversation, adding it to the growing collection of moments where I'd known things I shouldn't.
"The crown's advisors believe the instability will peak within the year," she said finally. "My father's intelligence suggests sooner. Three to four months, possibly."
Three to four months. That matched what I remembered from the novel, which put the major crisis right around the time the capital arc would conclude.
"Then we need to move fast on the Ashford project," I said. "Get the trading post established, the infrastructure improved, supply lines secured. When things escalate, having a stable base in the east will be critical."
"You keep doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Thinking three steps ahead. Planning for contingencies that haven't happened yet." She studied my face. "It's like you're preparing for a specific future you've already seen."
My heart rate spiked, but I kept my expression calm. "I'm just trying to be thorough."
"Chase." Her voice was soft but serious. "Is there something you're not telling me?"
"I tell you everything that matters."
"That's not the same as telling me everything."
A heavy silence fell between us. Outside, the forest gave way to open plains, the road stretching ahead toward the distant smudge on the horizon that would eventually become the capital.
"When I know something concrete," I said carefully, "I'll tell you. I promise."
"And what you know now isn't concrete?"
"It's incomplete. Pieces of a picture I'm still trying to understand." All of which was technically true. My memories of the novel were fragmented—broad strokes and key events, not comprehensive detail. "When I can give you something actionable, I will."
Valerie looked at me for a long moment. "I'm going to hold you to that promise."
"I know."
She leaned against me, resting her head on my shoulder. "I trust you," she said quietly. "Even when you're keeping things from me. I don't entirely know why, but I do."
"Because you're smarter than anyone gives you credit for."
"Obviously." A pause. "But Chase? Whatever you're preparing for, whatever you're worried about—we will face it together. No more dragon moments where you throw yourself into danger without warning me first."
"Agreed."
"I mean it."
"I know you do." I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "So do I."
---
On the fourth day, we were joined on the road by an unexpected addition.
A rider approached our caravan at midday, bearing Morningstar colors. He pulled up beside our carriage, and Valerie opened the window.
"Message from Duke Morningstar, my lady." He handed over a sealed letter. "He says it's urgent."
Valerie broke the seal and read, her expression shifting as her eyes moved across the page.
"What is it?" I asked.
She handed me the letter without a word.
It was brief:
'Valerie,'
'Intelligence confirms House Valdris has been active in the capital since news of Ashford reached the city. They have been meeting with several minor houses and at least one member of the royal court whose name I cannot yet confirm.'
'More concerning: there are gossips that Thomas Valdris has specifically mentioned Lord Chase by name. His intentions appear to be to publicly challenge him upon arrival.'
'Be careful. Both of you.'
'Father'
I read it twice, then handed it back to Valerie.
"Thomas Valdris," I said.
"He's a level 25 with a fire affinity, and twelve duel victories." Her jaw was tight. "He's going to challenge you the moment we arrive. Make a spectacle of it."
"To undermine our position at court."
"To destroy it. A public defeat would humiliate both our families, question our credibility from Ashford, and establish Valdris dominance before we've even had a chance to speak with the king."
I stared out the window at the passing plains, processing this.
In the novel, duels had featured prominently in the capital arc. I remembered vague details—important confrontations that shaped the political landscape. But I hadn't remembered this specifically.
Which meant either my memory was incomplete, or this was something new. Something that had changed because of me.
"Can we refuse a challenge?" I asked.
"Technically, yes. But refusing would be seen as cowardice. It would achieve the same result as losing, just without the physical danger." She folded the letter. "You'd have to leave the capital in disgrace."
"And fighting and losing?"
"Same result, plus injuries." Her voice was carefully controlled. "Chase, be honest with me. Can you beat a level 25 fire mage in a formal duel?"
I was quiet for a moment.
"Not as I am now," I admitted.
"Then we have three days before we arrive." She sat up straight, her expression shifting into something determined. "We use every hour."
"Valerie, three days isn't enough to close a thirteen-level gap."
"No. But it might be enough to develop a strategy that doesn't require you to overpower him." She was already thinking, I could see it in her eyes. "You have no mana. He doesn't know that. There's an advantage in that ignorance."
"How?"
"Because he'll fight expecting you to use fire magic. He'll structure his approach around countering your spells, leaving gaps in his physical defense." She turned to me fully. "You fight him on physical terms, use his assumptions against him. Make him look for a magical attack that never comes."
"That's... actually smart."
"I'm always smart. You're just now appreciating it." She opened the carriage door, calling to Marcus riding alongside. "We need to stop early today. Lord Chase requires intensive training. Find us a suitable location."
Marcus looked surprised but nodded. "Yes, my lady."
As he rode ahead to scout, Valerie turned back to me. "Take off your jacket. And don't argue."
"Why would I argue?"
"Because what I'm about to put you through in the next three days is going to make everything before it feel like gentle exercise." She met my eyes. "And Chase? We're going to need William's help."
"William's—what? Why?"
"Because he's a level 24 knight who fights without magic. He's the closest thing to a sparring partner you'll find for Thomas Valdris." She was already pulling out parchment to write. "And whether he likes it or not, he's the best person to help you survive this."
I stared at her. "You want to ask William Stone—the man who's wanted me dead for years—to help me prepare for a duel?"
"Yes."
"That's insane."
"That's tactical." She met my gaze. "Can you think of a better option?"
I couldn't.
"He's going to love this," I muttered.
"He's going to hate it," Valerie agreed. "But he'll do it anyway."
"How can you be sure?"
She smiled slightly. "Because helping you is the right thing to do. And whatever else William Stone is, he does the right thing."
She was right. Of course she was right.
Three days until the capital. Three days to prepare for a fight I had almost no business entering. Three days to close thirteen levels of gap with nothing but strategy, desperation, and the help of a man who despised me.
Just another day in my completely absurd life.