I mean, it's good to have confidence in your writing but you underestimate the perception readers could have, and that's a fallacy you shouldn't ignore.
My thoughts? Honestly, Cloudcrest would be better off dying early in the next volume. He's a character that can easily ruin a story that's been on the more light hearted side. It's good to have some drama and suspense, but please don't drag it out. It can lose a lot of readers.