Over the next half hour, Cane and Mori hunted down and destroyed the final walking corpses. Most of the Zuni troops stationed there had already been slaughtered—unprepared for undead metallurgists. The few who survived didn't resist.
When they returned to Bushon's body, it had already begun to turn black.
Mori grimaced. "Does he have necrometal in him?"
"Not sure yet. Gather all his research—pile it in the center."
Cane stepped forward, Starstrike flashing out in one clean arc, severing Bushon's arm. The metal spiral was there, embedded deep. But it was... wrong.
Halfway between Cold Iron and necrometal, its presence churned his stomach. An abomination.
Cane smashed it into fragments without hesitation. Its very existence was a danger to the living world—and to everything the Metallurgists had preserved.
Their final act was simple.
They opened the ceiling of the lab, letting starlight touch the horror below. Together, they gathered every flammable scrap they could find—oils, scrolls, reagents, old furniture—and piled it high in a ritual blaze. Not to honor Bushon. But to lay to rest the villagers who would never walk Philas's world.
Mori looped her arm through Cane's as they stood beside the flames. The gesture was natural, casual… later, she'd be mortified by it. But now?
Now it felt right.
"There's a lot of mystery around you and your grandfather," she said softly.
"We're open books," Cane replied, deadpan.
Mori laughed. "Any regrets? Destroying his research?"
Cane shook his head. "I underestimated him. It nearly cost me everything."
She nodded. "True. But he underestimated you. And now he's dead. You're alive."
"Eh, you killed him," Cane grinned. "I was just the distraction. Thank you, Mori."
The words weren't elaborate, but she felt their sincerity.
"You're welcome."
They watched as the lab was reduced to ash—rock glowing, steel melting, everything else consumed in cleansing fire.
Night had fully fallen by the time they returned to the tents near the staging area. Cane ducked inside first, pausing only when Mori followed and closed the flap.
"We're staying here tonight?" she asked, sitting on one of the cots. "We could make the capital if we pushed."
"I made dinner. Come and eat."
Gadira's voice echoed in his mind—and a moment later, the tent was empty.
"You're really here!" Gadira exclaimed, pointing at Cane as he stepped into the ringworld.
He nodded. "Just like Philas said… the ring reverted to its original purpose. The world is now the anchor."
From the doorway, Philas rushed forward and hugged him hard.
"Boy, you gave me a fright."
Cane laughed, sheepish. "Yeah... sorry about that."
"Come out here!" Mori's voice called from outside the cottage, drawing them forward.
They stepped out just in time to see the three moons rising behind the red sun, which now dipped low beyond the mountains.
Philas stared upward, pride unmistakable on his face.
"My bloodline… barely into manhood, and you've built a world."
Cane rolled his eyes. "Let's eat," he said, grinning. "I'll tell you everything."
The pair arrived at the Ironheart Estate just as the sun rose over the courtyard.
A large group lounged near the fountain, the air filled with soft chatter and laughter. Dhalia and Clara's families had spent the night as honored guests—an invitation Cane had quietly extended before his mission. The courtyard now bore the echoes of good-natured teasing, shared stories, and the gentle groans of a few persistent hangovers.
Fergis spotted them first, immediately touching his psi-rune.
Fergis: Cane's back.
Clara and Dhalia turned at once from opposite sides of the yard, their families following their gaze. A murmur rippled through the crowd—many had hoped to meet the legendary cadet firsthand.
But from the center path, Sophie moved first—running full-speed across the courtyard until she leapt into Cane's arms, wrapping him in a fierce embrace.
"You're back!" she whispered, pressing their foreheads together. Her hands cupped his face. "That was faster than I thought it'd be."
Cane smiled, nodding. "Thanks to Mori, it was pretty seamless."
Moriwynn offered a faint smile of her own. "Good morning, Sophie."
Sophie blinked in surprise at the warmth in her voice. "Good morning, Commander Moriwynn."
Mori turned slightly, eyes finding her brother across the gathering. "You've trained him well, Elohan."
The elven thief looked like he might burst from restrained pride. "You rejoining your Company now?"
"Yes," she said simply.
"You're welcome to stay a bit," Cane offered.
Mori placed a hand on his shoulder, eyes soft but firm. "Nin melin lle."
Cane grinned, understanding the gesture now. "Oh. I like you too. Safe travels."
And just like that, Mori vanished into morning light.
The courtyard fell still.
Elohan looked like he might choke. He rubbed his ears as if they were malfunctioning.
Sophie leaned in, squeezing Cane's hand. "Was it… very dangerous?"
"Mostly boring," Cane said with a chuckle, scratching his head. "Did you have fun at the ball?"
"CANE!"
Clara's voice cut through the quiet, as she dragged a middle-aged couple toward him with uncontainable excitement. "This is my mum and da! Regina and Wyman."
Cane smiled and shook their hands. "Clara's parents? You must be very proud. She's one of my best friends—and a vital part of our team."
Clara's cheeks turned crimson, her freckles doubling in density. "T-That's true!"
Cane turned as Dhalia approached, beaming.
"Cane, these are my parents—Elle and Dolan."
Cane shook their hands warmly. "The parents of our illustrious healer. It's wonderful to meet you. Your daughter's work ethic is second to none. She always pushes herself, always sets the example. We wouldn't have finished off Terror without her."
"Terror?" Dolan raised a brow.
"A hero in the truest sense," Cane said, sliding an arm companionably over his shoulder. "Have you tried our cook's breakfast pastries? Legendary. Let's grab you a few for the road."
With that, a crowd followed him toward the kitchen—half laughing, half starstruck—none willing to miss a chance at the pastries in question.
Cane dutifully made the rounds—greeting each of Clara's brothers, listening to Dhalia's extended family share stories from her childhood.
Clara was her usual boisterous self, while Dhalia smiled more freely, allowing her friends to glimpse the woman her parents had raised: intelligent, grounded, and deeply compassionate.
As the families departed, the estate staff gathered in the courtyard, waving them off. The morning wound to a gentle close, and at last, Cane could breathe.
Small changes were beginning to surface.
The spiraled starmetal embedded in Cane's body had been joined by cold iron. His connection to metal had deepened dramatically. He could now sense every hidden dagger, every belt buckle, every coin purse on a person's body. At first, it was a sensory overload—but then came the realization: the metal moved toward him. He remembered how the corpse metallurgists had bent weapons away mid-swing. With time, perhaps he could do the same.
"They'll remember this day even more than the last," Fergis said, appearing at his side by the fountain. His cheeks were sore from smiling. "You find the missing villagers?"
Cane nodded. "We did."
Fergis rubbed his ginger hair, clearly still recovering from too much celebration. "You missed one hell of a party."
Cane snorted. If they only knew.
He spotted Nina exiting the guest quarters and waved her down.
She squinted against the sun, her normally dark complexion a little pale. "Don't say it…"
"Say what?" Cane grinned. "You know anyone in the Beast Tamer's Guild?"
Nina blinked. "Quite a few."
"Think we could visit them?"
"Trying to tame something?"
"Not really." Cane shrugged. "More like... populating a large wooded island I've recently come across."
Nina paused. "Then you don't need the tamers. You need the hunters they work with."
A short time later, a coach rumbled away from the estate. Inside, Cane, Fergis, Sophie, and Nina chatted as they rolled through a minor city gate toward a sprawl of tents set just outside the capital.
Fergis whistled at the number of caged animals. Not something he liked, but he couldn't deny the fascination.
"This looks like more than the Guild could possibly use," Cane frowned, noting the poor condition of some of the animals.
"A portion goes to the Guild," Nina said neutrally. "Some get sold to butchers… others to tailors for their fur."
"I'll take everything that isn't a predator," Cane said, pointing to the deer, rabbits, wild sheep, exotic birds, and aquatic mammals.
Nina raised an eyebrow. "Everything?"
Cane nodded. "Let's take a look at the small predators too."
They picked out a few mere-cats, blue-tailed foxes, and pine martens. When finished, the encampment was left nearly empty—only the large predators remained.
Nina handled the payment. "Where should they deliver the shipment?"
"Oh, right here's fine." Cane walked down the line of cages with the bill of sale in hand. As he passed, the crates began vanishing—one after the other. The gathered hunters stood slack-jawed, whispering as the infamous cadet emptied their camp of everything not bolted down.
"Is this dinner?" Gadira's voice teased from the Ringworld.
The return ride to the estate was quiet. Cane refused to explain anything, brushing off questions with a mysterious grin.
Sophie leaned against him with a playful wrinkle of her nose. "So many secrets…"
Cane touched the psi-rune behind his ear.
Cane: We're making a visit to the Ringworld. Could use some help.
Clara: Now?
Cane: Yes. Meet me in the courtyard.
Dhalia: You got it.
Nina noticed the psi-whispers but didn't pry.
"Want to see something amazing?" Cane asked.
Nina exchanged a glance with Sophie, then smiled. "You're sure it's okay?"
"Yeah," he said simply.
They arrived in the courtyard to find the others already gathered. Jonas had left the forge and was lounging nearby.
Cane nudged Fergis. "Activate the transport rune."
Fergis rolled his eyes. "You and your theatrics…"
The rune lit up with spectacular effect—harmless showmanship, but a useful cover for any onlookers. Moments later, the group vanished.
They reappeared inside the Ringworld to a collective gasp.
Even those who'd seen it before were stunned. This wasn't the same space.
A red sun rose over towering trees. Three moons faded into the horizon. The taste of wood mana was gone, replaced with swirling, untamed wild magic. Every caster in the group felt the surge. In the far distance, a mountain range loomed. The salt-scented breeze carried the sound of crashing surf.
Only the cottage remained the same.
On the front steps, Gadira sat with Moxie. Pudding perched nearby, eyeing the rabbit cages.
"You bring some interesting gifts," Gadira said, smiling at the neat rows of animals.
Sophie suddenly froze, staring at Cane. "You're... really here?"
Cane laughed, surprised it had taken this long. "Yeah. One of the new changes."