The smell of burning wood and iron filled the air.By dawn, the battlefield that had once been a caravan road lay silent. The bodies of the fallen ogres were proof enough — something unnatural was stirring near the northern border.
Arden wiped the blood from his knife and looked at the survivors. There were a dozen merchants and guards, shaken but alive.
"Gather your things," he said calmly. "We'll escort you back to Vale Village."
The merchant captain, a bearded man in fine leather, bowed deeply. "You saved us, young master! Please, let us repay—"
"No need," Arden interrupted. "Just reach the next town safely."
His tone was steady, almost cold, but his eyes softened as he turned to Mira and Elyndra. "Stay alert. There may be more."
They both nodded.
By the time they returned to Vale, rumors had already spread.
The boy who slew three ogres alone.The child warrior of the north.
The Adventurer's Guild sent scouts to confirm it, and by evening, the entire northern district buzzed with curiosity.
When the guild representative finally arrived, he was not what Arden expected — a tall woman in black armor, long silver hair tied behind her back, and sharp, hawk-like eyes.
"Name?" she asked.
"Arden Vale," he replied.
"Age?"
"Six."
Her brow twitched. "...You're joking."
He shook his head.
The woman crossed her arms, studying him intently. "Reports claim you defeated three ogres alone. That would put you at least in the upper B-rank category. I find that… difficult to believe."
Arden simply met her gaze. "Then test me."
A smirk curved her lips. "Very well."
They met in the guild's open training ground the next day. The air was thick with tension as adventurers gathered around, whispering excitedly.
The woman drew her blade — a curved longsword with a faint magical glow. "I am Serena Arkwright, Guild Knight and examiner of the North Branch. If you can land even one hit on me, I'll believe your story."
Arden bowed slightly, his calm expression never changing. "Understood."
When Serena lunged, her movements were swift, precise — the strike of a seasoned warrior. Yet Arden stepped aside as if he had seen it before. His footwork was light, almost effortless.
He's reading me? she realized, shocked.
He ducked beneath another swing, tapped her wrist, and twisted. Her sword slipped from her grasp. Before she could react, the cold edge of his wooden practice knife rested against her throat.
The entire yard went silent.
Arden stepped back. "Satisfied?"
Serena stared at him, speechless for several seconds before finally sheathed her blade and laughed softly. "Heavens… you're not just strong, boy. You're dangerous."
She turned to the watching adventurers. "By the authority of the Adventurer's Guild of Asterion—Arden Vale is hereby recognized as a C-Rank Adventurer. Further testing is to be postponed until his growth stabilizes."
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Elyndra smirked proudly. Mira jumped up and down, tail flicking excitedly. "Master's famous now!"
Arden, however, only sighed softly. Fame draws eyes I don't need yet.
Days later, those eyes arrived.
A royal envoy from the capital rode into Vale, bearing the crimson crest of the Empire. The villagers gathered nervously as the armored knights dismounted, their banners fluttering.
The envoy stepped forward — a young noble with emerald eyes and a calculating smile.
"I am Lord Cedric Alvaron, representative of His Majesty's Northern Court," he announced. "I come seeking the one known as Arden Vale."
Arden approached calmly, his simple hunting clothes stark against the noble's finery.
"That would be me," he said.
Cedric studied him curiously. "So it's true. A child slaying ogres and dueling a Guild Knight. Impressive."
"What does the court want with me?"
Cedric smiled thinly. "The Empire needs strength. Monsters grow restless, and our borders thin. His Majesty wishes to sponsor you — a scholarship to the Royal Academy, and perhaps, a noble title in time."
Elyndra's expression hardened. "Sounds like a leash."
Cedric chuckled. "A fair observation, young elf. But tell me — wouldn't a leash of gold be better than none?"
Arden remained silent for a moment, then spoke evenly.
"I appreciate the offer," he said. "But my path lies here, in the North."
Cedric raised an eyebrow. "You would turn down the Emperor himself?"
"I have no interest in politics or empty titles. I seek strength — and the means to protect what's mine."
Cedric's smile faded slightly. "…So be it. But remember this, boy — the Empire does not forget talent. Sooner or later, it will come calling again."
He turned, mounting his horse. "When it does… be ready to choose."
That night, under the cold northern stars, Arden sat alone outside his home, sharpening his knife.
Elyndra approached quietly. "You could've accepted. A noble title would've given you protection."
Arden shook his head. "Protection from one side means chains from another."
Mira tilted her head. "Then what will you do now, Master?"
He looked up at the dark horizon — toward the frozen lands beyond the mountains.
"Build," he said simply. "Train. Prepare."
He stood, the wind tugging at his cloak. "This land will become a fortress — a haven where no tyrant, no noble, and no monster decides our fate. That is my oath… the Oath of the North."
The two girls stared at him in silence, the weight of his words sinking deep.
In that moment, the seed of a kingdom — the Northern Dukedom that would one day shake the world — was planted beneath the frozen sky.