(PS: This is the promised golden ticket bonus Chapter, and something I forgot to remind you of before posting extra Chapters. But this one is the extra Chapter that was promised last month. Thank you for your continued support.)
That evening, Aurelian sat alone in the Black Crown’s planning room, quietly reviewing the fleet’s latest advancement reports.
Astra was still well ahead of everyone else, just as expected. Rhoswen had made the biggest improvement in actual combat habits, even though her rank had not jumped dramatically.
She fought with better control than before and was slowly learning when to hold back rather than charge straight ahead.
Solenne’s carrier wing had taken losses in recent battles, but steady drone production and continuous pilot training had already begun to make up the difference.
Lysara was becoming more valuable every day, especially inside Mournveil, where many of the strange readings and forgotten structures seemed connected to old Vhaloric knowledge.
Meridian had gathered enough rare materials to recommend several new shield and repair upgrades, while Neris had already begun organizing long-term storage plans for the growing collection of beast materials.
Even after reading every report, Aurelian found himself thinking most about Elowen.
She was not with the fleet.
Her work was somewhere else entirely. Larkspur Haven still needed her attention, Karven Spire required careful ecological recovery, and Nhalis would eventually need the same treatment once its immediate problems had settled.
Even so, the materials gathered from Mournveil might benefit her as much as anyone else.
If the organic conductive fibers, energy glands, and other strange biological materials could be adapted into ecological support systems, then her future refit path might become much stronger than they had first expected.
He made a note to send secured samples back to her once the first phase of Glasswake Watch had officially ended.
As he finished reviewing the collected materials, the Destiny System quietly appeared for the first time in hours.
A single prompt appeared before him.
Aurelian read it once.
Then he closed it without another thought.
The shipgirls would never see those messages, and he intended to keep it that way. As far as everyone else was concerned, every useful discovery came from captured enemy data, Eirenne’s analysis, Meridian’s engineering work, Elowen’s expertise, or his own planning.
That explanation was enough.
The following morning brought exactly the news he had expected.
Cassian contacted him before the local watch cycle had even finished.
Aurelian accepted the call inside the command chamber while Astra stood nearby and Eirenne’s projection quietly observed from the side.
His father’s image appeared above the command table.
"Varensk is no longer satisfied with our relay excuses," Cassian said without wasting time. "They have dispatched an inspection flotilla toward Karven Spire."
Aurelian’s expression became serious.
"How long?"
"Two days. Three at most if something slows them down. They are not traveling like they expect a major battle, but they have become suspicious."
"So our window is closing."
"Yes."
Aurelian turned toward the strategic map.
Glasswake Watch still glowed quietly among the crystal belt, surrounded by newly charted travel lanes, survey markers, and resource locations.
Beyond it, hidden deep inside the Ashring Drift, Auric Maw remained concealed behind layers of dangerous terrain.
They had accomplished enough.
Not everything he wanted.
But enough.
"We can begin withdrawing within six hours," Aurelian said after thinking for a moment. "Glasswake Watch will remain operational under Meridian’s skeleton engineering team and Orvain’s survey group. Automated defenses and emergency retreat protocols will stay active. No further deep exploration until we return."
Cassian gave a single nod.
"Good. Bring your main fleet back. Once you arrive, we will decide whether to intercept the inspection flotilla, deceive it, or use its arrival to create better conditions for moving toward Virell’s Reach."
Aurelian immediately understood what that meant.
The quiet stage of the campaign was ending.
The Kharov had finally started paying attention to the part of their outer territory that had gone silent.
"I’ll return," he said.
Cassian’s expression softened ever so slightly.
"You established your outpost?"
"Yes."
"And gained what you needed?"
Aurelian thought about everything that had happened over the past several days.
He remembered the hunts through Mournveil, the valuable materials they had recovered, Rhoswen stopping exactly where he had ordered instead of chasing deeper into danger, the projection of Auric Maw hidden beyond the Ashring Drift, and the quiet lights of Glasswake Watch standing alone inside the endless crystal belt.
After a moment, he answered.
"We gained a start."
Cassian nodded.
"That is often enough."
The communication ended.
For a few seconds, Aurelian simply stood there without speaking.
Astra watched him quietly.
"You wanted more time."
"I always want more time."
"That is normal."
"It is also inconvenient."
A faint smile appeared on Eirenne’s face.
"Glasswake Watch is stable. The information gathered during this operation is valuable, and although the route to Auric Maw cannot be used safely yet, we now know where it is and how to reach it in the future. The operation achieved its primary objective."
Aurelian nodded slowly.
She was right.
There was always more to accomplish, but that did not mean this mission had fallen short.
Before he could say anything else, Rhoswen’s voice suddenly appeared over the fleet channel.
"So we’re leaving?"
"For now," Aurelian answered.
"And we’re coming back?"
"Yes."
"Good."
There was a short pause before she continued.
"The rude simulation beast still hasn’t lost."
Astra looked toward the communication display.
"You’re still fighting it by yourself?"
"For training."
"Are you winning?"
Another pause followed.
"Less badly."
Aurelian let out a quiet laugh.
That counted as progress too.
By midday, the withdrawal officially began.
All collected materials were secured for transport. Survey drones either returned to the fleet or switched into passive observation mode to continue quietly recording data.
Glasswake Watch entered its low-signature operating state, reducing its shield output just enough to blend naturally into the surrounding crystal belt without leaving the station exposed.
Meridian left behind a small engineering team along with enough automated repair frames to keep the outpost functioning on its own.
Even then, she personally inspected every critical system twice before finally agreeing to leave, clearly unwilling to trust anyone else’s inspection until she had verified everything herself.
As the Black Crown slowly pulled away from Glasswake Watch, Aurelian stood near the external display and looked back one last time.
Against the endless crystal belt, the outpost looked almost insignificant.
Small.
Almost fragile.
Yet it was still there.
A foothold inside Mournveil.
A quiet promise that the March would one day return.
The fleet gradually turned toward the hidden route leading back to Larkspur Haven and the captured Kharov systems beyond.
Behind them, the Ashring Drift continued its endless, silent rotation, guarding Auric Maw and whatever secrets still waited inside its mysterious five-star heart.
Ahead of them, Varensk had finally begun asking the right questions.
Aurelian watched the navigation markers line up one after another and felt the familiar weight settle back onto his shoulders.
Training was over for now.
The war was calling again.