The Scholar's Rebirth-Chapter 33: We’re leaving

The first rays of dawn filtered through the curtains, casting soft light over the chamber. Rowan stirred, eyes fluttering open to find Julian still beside him, already awake.

"You should've woken me," Rowan muttered, rubbing a hand down his face.

"You needed the rest," Julian replied simply.

Rowan sat up, stretching the stiffness from his limbs. His mind was clearer than it had been the night before.

He pulled open the door to find Cassian standing just outside, arms crossed, clearly waiting for him. Cassian's sharp eyes flicked over him, assessing.

"Prepare for a journey," Rowan ordered, his voice even, controlled.

Cassian's brows furrowed. "A journey?" he echoed, glancing at Julian, as he joined them inside the room. "You do realize the King ordered us to stay put after our last expedition?"

Rowan barely spared him a glance as he strode past. "Then we leave before he knows. We will leave tonight. So make sure everything is ready." Then he paused as he recalled something, "We'll have company so increase the amount of resources and bring enough gold,and when I sat enough,I mean enough." He emphasised looking straight at Cassian.

Cassian hesitated. This wasn't like the last time. Last time, after she had died, Rowan had vanished without a word, shutting them all out. Now, he was doing the same thing,but at least...not alone.

Still, the King's order wasn't one to be ignored. "Rowan, if the King finds out—"

"He won't," Rowan cut him off. "I'll be gone before he has a chance to stop me."

Cassian stared at him for a long moment, then exhaled sharply and nodded. "Fine. I'll make the arrangements."

Without another word, he turned and left, his boots echoing against the stone halls.

Julian, who had been quiet all this time, finally spoke. "Where are you both going?"

Rowan turned to him, expression unreadable. "Not 'you both.' 'We.'"

Julian arched a brow, mildly surprised. Normally, he remained behind, keeping things in order while Rowan and Cassian handled matters beyond the city. For Rowan to include him so directly this time... What exactly is he planning.

He folded his arms. "Where are we going?"

Rowan turned to the window, staring toward the distant port.

"A far, far place," he murmured.

Julian sighed but began preparing nonetheless.

Once he was dressed, Rowan left his chambers without another word,Time to see if the message was well received.

The halls of the palace were quiet this morning, an unnatural stillness hanging in the air. Whispers still clung to the corners, servants murmuring behind their hands, retelling the events of the previous night. But Rowan didn't care. He headed to Pamela's chamber, though his goal was a different person.

Selene. Selene Saeris.

She was his sister's shadow, both figuratively and literally—the silent guardian Rowan himself had assigned to protect Pamela. A pure-blooded elf, though not a mage, Selene was both quiet and powerful, the best combo if he were asked.

When he arrived at Pamela's door, he didn't bother knocking. Instead, he simply pushed it open and stepped inside.

Pamela was still asleep, sprawled out on the massive silk-draped bed, her face serene in the morning light. Rowan allowed himself a brief moment of fondness for his younger sister before shifting his attention to the far corner of the room.

"You there?",he asked in a whisper,being careful not to wake Pamela up.

"You came," A voice replied,barely above a whisper. Rowan turned around quickly to face her.

Rowan smirked faintly. "You got my message."

Selene stepped forward, her movements as fluid as flowing water. "I did," she confirmed. "And I did exactly as you instructed."

"Good." Rowan folded his arms. "Then tell me—how many?"

"A hundred," she said simply.

Rowan blinked. "A hundred?"

Selene nodded. "I was just as surprised as you. Finding a hundred elven mages in Solvaris is nearly impossible, but considering they are heading home, they were more willing to comply."

Rowan exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "That's... a lot."

"Indeed." Selene tilted her head. "Which brings me to my next question—Are you really heading for Lumindor?"

He nodded.

She narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

Rowan shrugged, feigning indifference. "Maybe I just feel like seeing the world."

Selene didn't believe him. He could see it in her sharp gaze, the way her lips pressed into a thin line. But she didn't push.

Instead, she sighed and shifted her stance. "You want a report on Lumindor?"

"If you have one."

She nodded. "The last I heard, things were stable. The capital is running fine, trade is steady, and there haven't been any major conflicts."

"But?" Rowan prompted.

Selene hesitated for a brief second before continuing. "There's a rumor."

Rowan's expression remained impassive. "What kind of rumor?"

Selene crossed her arms. "There's talk of a dragon."

Rowan stiffened.

"A dragon?" he repeated.

"Yes," Selene said. "Apparently, it's been sighted near the island of Luinmir. No one's entirely sure how it got there, but..." she hesitated, as if debating whether to continue.

"But?" Rowan urged.

Selene exhaled. "The dragon destroyed the island's core."

Rowan's eyes darkened.

He knew exactly how important cores were to Lumindor's islands. Unlike in Solvaris, where prosperity was determined by wealth and politics, Lumindor's islands depended on their cores—magical sources of energy that sustained life, weather, and stability.

If a core was destroyed, the island itself would begin to wither.

"The king sent men to deal with the dragon," Selene continued, "but they failed. With no way to replace the core, he deemed the island cursed and removed it from his territories. Now, it's a lone island, abandoned."

Rowan hummed in thought, piecing everything together. If the core was gone, then Luinmir was likely dying—or already dead. It was only a matter of time before the island either crumbled or sank into the sea.

Still...

"If I get the chance," Rowan murmured, "I might take a look at it."

Selene's expression turned sharp. "You'd be a fool to do that."

Rowan raised a brow. "Oh?"

Selene crossed her arms. "An island without a core is incredibly dangerous, Rowan. It could collapse or sink at any given moment. Not to mention, the dragon may still be there."

Rowan smirked. "You sound concerned."

Selene rolled her eyes. "I'm not. Just making sure you don't do anything reckless."

Rowan chuckled but didn't argue.

"Anyway," Selene continued, changing the subject, "the mages are already at the ship."

Rowan nodded. "And how long will the journey take?"

Selene considered the question before answering. "If you were using ordinary rowmen, close to a year. But with the mages? Six months more or less."

Rowan's eyebrows shot up. "Six months?"

Selene smirked slightly. "Elfs are not ordinary rowers."

Rowan let out a breath. "You must be ridiculously powerful."

Selene shrugged. "We have our ways."

He chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. Then, as he turned to properly thank her—

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

She was gone.

As abruptly as she had appeared.

Rowan sighed, not even surprised.

Shaking his head, he cast one last glance at Pamela, who was still peacefully asleep, before turning on his heel and headed out.

---

Travel by sea in Solvaris was a labor-intensive process. The larger the ship, the more rowers were required. Unlike on Earth, there were no engines—ships relied purely on manpower.

For most nobles, this meant using slaves to row their vessels. For others, it meant hiring willing men and paying them in intervals at different ports. If a journey was too long, the rowers would be swapped at designated stops, ensuring fresh manpower to keep the ship moving.

However, Rowan had an advantage most did not—magic. With a hundred elfs,some being mages handling the ship's movement, he would bypass the need for frequent stops and cut his journey down from a year to six months.

A rare and powerful advantage.

------

Rowan left his sister's chambers and wandered through the palace, killing time. He couldn't leave the palace yet—not without raising suspicion. His father was already wary after last night's disaster, and if he suddenly disappeared into the city, it would only confirm his worst assumptions.

Instead, he made his way to one of the palace gardens, a quiet spot away from prying eyes. The morning air was cool, and the scent of damp earth and flowers lingered from last night's rain. He sat beneath an old oak tree near a pond, watching the water ripple when a breeze passed through.

Then, he heard his name.

"Rowan."

He turned.

King Edric stood at the garden's entrance, dressed in his usual dark robes, hands behind his back. His expression was unreadable.

He straightened his posture as his father approached.