The battlefield still smoldered with the remnants of Jorik's might. The air buzzed with whispers—soldiers, knights, even nobles murmuring the same name: Jorik. The young warrior who silenced an entire battalion single-handedly. The boy who cleaved through elite assassins and corrupted mages like a phantom born of legend.
And now, the King himself summoned him.
Two days passed, and Jorik stood before the grand obsidian gates of Velquoria's Royal Citadel, flanked by silver-armored honor guards. His once-worn traveling cloak had been replaced with a formal black-and-crimson ensemble, tailored to match the colors of victory.
Inside the Throne Hall of Chronostone, King Vaelrik II Ardenthelm, the ruler of Velquoria, awaited—his presence radiating regality and power. Adorned in midnight blue robes stitched with golden threads of time sigils, he studied Jorik with an expression carved from steel and pride.
> "Jorik… Slayer of the Crimson Crescent. Defier of Chrono-fate. You are no longer just a boy with a blade. You are a symbol."
The court gasped. The king stood—a rarity in any audience.
> "Velquoria owes you a debt that cannot be measured in coin alone. But we will try."
Rewards rained upon Jorik:
A chest of enchanted platinum coins equal to a noble's lifetime fortune.
A Velquorian Royal Academy scholarship, granting access to elite magical, martial, and philosophical training.
A titling of honor: "The Twilight Fang of Velquoria."
But the most shocking gift was yet to come.
> "And lastly," the King declared, "by the will of the crown, and with the blessing of House Caldereth, you shall be adopted as the foster son of Duke Argen Caldereth, Lord of the Silver Flame and Guardian of the Northern Skies."
Noble gasps filled the air. House Caldereth was one of the Five Great Houses, second only to the royal family.
A man stepped forward—tall, silver-haired, with runic flame tattoos on his arms. Duke Argen Caldereth offered his hand.
> "Welcome home… son."
Jorik, who had walked this world alone for so long, bowed—accepting not just wealth or power, but a place to belong.