Chapter 97 – Oath of the Wandering Knight
The ground was cracked, dust still hanging thick in the air. At the center stood two figures, both battered but unbroken.
Fenrir leaned on his splintered sword, blood dripping from his arm and shoulder, his chest heaving. His crimson eyes still burned with defiance, even as his body trembled near collapse.
Before him, Kael Morgenstern loomed like a black mountain, his enormous sword buried in the soil, his aura no longer suffocating but steady—watchful.
The crowd surrounding the training field held its breath. Then Fenrir forced his voice out, hoarse but resolute:
> "I… am still standing."
Whispers broke into gasps, then grew into cheers.
---
Kael's sharp gaze lingered on Fenrir for what felt like an eternity. Then, a deep chuckle rumbled from his throat.
> "Impressive… I have faced nobles with vast estates, generals with lifetimes of battle behind them, warriors whose bodies were twice the size of yours. Many had sharper blades and stronger strikes. Yet…"
He stepped forward, each footfall heavy, shaking the earth.
> "Not one of them carried a will like yours. Your aura snarled like a wolf even as your body nearly broke. You bleed, you stagger, yet your eyes never dimmed. Fenrir Eisenwald… you are not ordinary."
The audience erupted in shouts, awe spreading like wildfire.
---
Kael released his grip on his greatsword. The weapon thudded into the ground as he sank to one knee before Fenrir, bowing his head in submission.
> "I, Kael Morgenstern, shall wander no longer. From this day forth, I swear upon my blood and my blade… I will serve as your sword."
The crowd roared, their cries shaking the walls.
Fenrir's hand trembled as he lifted his broken blade and touched it to Kael's shoulder. His voice, though weary, carried clearly:
> "Rise, Kael Morgenstern. From this day, you are no longer a wanderer. You are my sword, my right hand… and commander of the Crimson Knights."
---
Fenrir turned toward the recruits gathered—spear experts, archers, swordsmen, and more than ten aura users with faint but precious sparks.
> "You all came to Eisenwald seeking a place. Today you have seen it. I will not accept followers blindly. I will test, I will choose. And from those with courage enough, you will form the core of my new force."
He pointed at Kael.
> "This unit shall be called the Crimson Knights. Led by Kael Morgenstern, and built of you—those who wield aura, however thin. Together you will be the first fangs of Eisenwald, the strike that makes the world tremble."
The recruits' hesitation melted into fervor. They shouted until their throats burned:
"Hail Baron Fenrir! Hail Sir Kael! Hail the Crimson Knights!"
---
Voices rippled among the onlookers.
A farmer whispered to his son, "Even a knight who roamed free bows to our lord. This baron of ours… he is no ordinary man."
The boy's eyes shone. "One day, Father, I'll fight for him too."
A scarred veteran nodded grimly. "I've served three barons before. None of them could make a knight like that kneel. But this young wolf… he's building something the Empire will remember."
Fenrir stood in the center, battered yet upright. He knew this was not just victory by blade—it was victory of leadership.
---
A cold chime rang in his head.
[Quest Update]
Shadows of the Border – Objective 1 (Identify spies): Completed.
Special Bonus Achieved: Recruitment of a High-Value Subordinate.
Reward:
Unique Skill [Oathbound Command] – Loyalty of sworn subordinates increases by +15%.
+10 Charisma
+5 Cunning
Fenrir smirked faintly. The system itself acknowledges him. With this, my pack grows stronger—not only in numbers, but in loyalty.
---
[Status Panel – Fenrir Eisenwald]
Age: 17
Title: Crimson Wolf of Eisenwald
Level: 16
EXP: 19,500 / 28,000
Aura: 140
Stamina: 120
Strength: 120
Cunning: 225 (+5)
Charisma: 150 (+10)
Mental Fortitude: 185
Skills:
[Aura Control Lv.3]
[Swordsmanship Lv.3]
[Leadership Lv.4]
[Tactical Instinct Lv.3]
[Passive – Legacy of Strategies]
[Oathbound Command] (NEW)
Traits:
[Wounds That Shape]
[Lord of the Marsh]
---
Kael rose to his feet, aura dark but steady, standing at Fenrir's side. Behind him, the ten aura users lined up, forming the first core of the Crimson Knights.
Fenrir raised his broken blade, his voice ringing above the crowd's chants:
> "Hear me! Eisenwald is no longer just a swamp. Today we forge new fangs. And one day… the world will know just how sharp those fangs are."
The crowd's roar shook the fortress. The Crimson Wolf had gained a blade as sharp as legend itself.
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