Chapter 200: Officially Joining

In this world, when noble scions stripped of inheritance chose to swear fealty to another grand lord, they pursued but three earthly designs: wealth, power, and fiefdom.

The acquisition of these three prizes grew progressively more arduous with each successive step.

Some had calculated that for a freeman to ascend into the landed nobility, he must generally endure a passage through four distinct trials:

The first generation would rise from the ranks of common men to become officials or trusted retainers within a lordly house;

The second would awaken extraordinary abilities, following their masters to win renown upon the battlefield, thereby earning knighthood—the lowest rung of nobility, whom the common folk called Sir;

The third generation, building upon the knighthood of their fathers, would rely on newfound merits to be formally granted a title.

Though a few extraordinary souls might curtail this journey from freeman to lord, the vast majority relied on the slow accumulation of generations, raw talent, and a stroke of fortune to breach the aristocratic enclave.

Logner's talent was indeed formidable, and his lineage was far from ordinary, yet the likelihood of him securing a fiefdom from Ronin in short order remained exceedingly slim.

If such was the case for him, it was truer still for Grado, whose background was humbler by comparison.

As for Kelami, her fate was bound inextricably to Logner’s; after all, the two were betrothed and soon to be wed.

Thus, the second condition Ronin had put forward mattered little to the trio.

"My Lord, none of this poses an obstacle."

Logner took the lead in rising, only to drop back down onto a single knee. "I had already resolved my mind before our arrival. Please, accept my allegiance!"

Kelami and Grado knelt in unison behind him, renewing their sacred vows of fealty.

The corners of Ronin’s mouth curled slightly, forming an understanding smile.

Since they had come to this, what reason had he to refuse them?

"Then, I formally welcome the three of you into the Northern Mist Dominion!"

With those words, another high knight was added to Ronin’s ranks alongside Joffrey.

The Northern Mist Dominion now boasted two silver knights, two high knights, and three intermediate knights—a small band of warriors whose martial prowess had truly reached the pinnacle.

Next, Ronin discussed with the three of them the compensation they would receive upon entering his service.

This followed the established rule, with rewards matched precisely to their level of strength.

As a high knight, Logner would receive a daily wage of one hundred copper coins; Kelami, an intermediate knight, sixty coppers; and Grado, a novice knight, thirty coppers.

Should they be appointed to specific offices—just as Rhyder served as commander and McCain as captain of the guard—they would receive additional stipends for their duties.

Beyond these coins, it was the lord's duty to provide his retainers with suits of armor and warhorses.

However, Logner and his companions had brought their own gear, sparing Ronin that immediate concern; for now, he needed only to provide them with lodgings.

During their earlier days in Mountain Forest Town, limited resources had forced Ronin to house his knights within the inner or outer baileys of the castle.

Yet a castle was, after all, the private residence of the lord; not every follower possessed the right to dwell within its walls.

Now that the affairs of the territory were gradually settling into an orderly rhythm, matters previously overlooked demanded proper planning.

For instance, Ronin could designate a tract of land surrounding the castle to build a "noble enclave," where only the extraordinary who followed him or distinguished guests visiting the realm would be permitted to live.

Of course, this remained a mere concept for the time being; real estate development required a sufficient population to sustain it.

As things stood, if his followers desired grander dwellings—such as those with independent courtyards and vast acreage—they could petition Ronin for plots of land and hire laborers to construct them at their own expense.

For Ronin, the burning urgency of the territory lay in providing shelter for the thousands of slaves soon to arrive; the creation of a noble enclave would have to wait.

After all, there were vacant dwellings within the outer bailey of Swamp Keep and around the town, more than enough to temporarily house Logner and his companions.

After ordering Chahar to lead the trio away to settle in, Ronin kept Tom behind to inquire after the status of the Viper Slave Exchange.

According to the manager, Anthony, the Viper Exchange had already assembled four hundred slaves who met the specifications, ready for transport at a moment's notice.

Meanwhile, the remaining six hundred slaves would be gathered in full over the coming two months.

With the spring plowing fast approaching, the territory was in dire need of labor.

Ronin immediately dispatched Tom to inform Pearson that upon reaching Horse Pasture City, he must pay a visit to the Viper Slave Exchange and have Anthony arrange for the immediate transport of these four hundred slaves to Swamp Town.

The remaining six hundred slaves were destined for Mountain Forest Town, where over forty thousand mu of land still lay wild and untamed.

As for clearing the wilderness around Black Soil Village, Ronin planned to deploy a cohort of workers directly from Swamp Town once the spring plowing was finished; a shortcut led from Swamp Town straight to the Black Collar Tribe, making it far more convenient than drawing men from Mountain Forest Town.

In the art of cultivation, Ronin was deadly serious; he had no desire to squander hundreds or thousands of gold coins purchasing grain from the outside world.

That very night, Ronin summoned Rhyder, McCain, Joffrey, and the rest of his knights to hold a grand welcoming banquet within the halls of Swamp Keep.

While the assembled knights extended their greetings to Logner and his companions, they also felt a faint, creeping pressure.

Their lord was growing mighty indeed, capable now of drawing the second son of a viscount’s house to his banner; in the days to come, the throngs seeking to swear fealty would surely multiply.

David, Tom, and the others were still mere novice knights; how to demonstrate their worth to the lord and secure his deepest trust before more followers arrived was a riddle they must urgently solve.

Deep in the night, Logner and Kelami lay together in bed, the candlelight casting a warm glow across the chamber.

"What occupies your thoughts?" Kelami asked in a hushed tone.

Lost in a trance, Logner shook himself awake and smiled softly. "I was thinking of the pointers Rhyder gave me at the feast just now."

The banquet had featured no dancing, but it had known the clash of steel.

Anxious to gauge Logner’s prowess, Rhyder had stepped forward to request a sparring match.

Logner had known he would taste defeat, yet he had not anticipated that his ruin would be far more wretched than his bout against Jaime Monson.

For the longest time, he had been viewed by outsiders as a paragon of the younger generation, yet standing before Rhyder—who appeared no older than himself—he had been so utterly suppressed in every discipline that he could scarce offer a counter.

"That Rhyder is terrifyingly strong; I harbor doubts that even Sir Sori could best him."

Kelami knitted her brow slightly. "Surely it cannot be so severe. Sir Sori is a master with one foot already planted in the Silver realm. It was only a short while ago that Rhyder barely managed to defeat Baron Resen."

Logner could only shake his head, beginning to wonder if Resen had merely inflated his own performance to save face, and if Rhyder had in truth won that duel with effortless ease.

"Aside from Rhyder, McCain, and Joffrey, I never imagined Ronin already commanded the loyalty of so many knights."

Logner could not help but sigh with emotion. On his last visit to Ronin’s domain, he had found it utterly unremarkable.

Yet tonight, seeing this gathering of knights in truth, he had been profoundly shaken.

Most were young, their potential boundless, and every single one of them burned with an intense passion and drive; given time, legends would surely rise from their midst.

To this, Kelami offered her deepest agreement.

She had previously failed to comprehend why her Uncle Marvin would send his own son to serve a lord even younger than Logner, but having endured the feast of this night, she finally understood the true meaning of "boundless potential."

"Well, let us think on it no more."

Logner lay back down, pulling Kelami close into his embrace. "Tomorrow we must join Rhyder and the others on their purging missions. Let us rest early."

During the banquet, Ronin had already laid out his designs for Logner and Kelami.

Whenever the territory’s merchant caravans carried precious commodities requiring trade and transport, the two of them would lead the escort.

Ronin had chosen this path because Logner was far more trustworthy than Pearson, and as a high knight, he possessed the requisite strength to guard the treasure.

Furthermore, Logner was the son of Viscount Marvin, unlike Pearson who hailed from common stock; in certain formal arenas, he could navigate the currents of high society with far greater ease.

Even later on, when the time came to negotiate the silk trade with the nobility, Ronin could leave the talking entirely to them; having been raised in Iron Hoof Keep, a house renowned for its commercial acumen, Logner undoubtedly possessed a natural gift for such affairs.

Taking everything into account, Ronin deemed it an exquisite arrangement to introduce the couple to the commerce of the Northern Mist Dominion.

Naturally, during the idle gaps between merchant runs, their duties would be assigned at the discretion of Commander Rhyder, such as the grand purging campaign currently underway, which could well utilize their blades.

“Sigh~”

Krami smiled bitterly: “The days of freedom are over.”

Rognar couldn’t help but laugh. Compared to their former life, dependent yet carefree within the family, the days ahead would require obedience to others’ arrangements—indeed, freedom had diminished.

Yet they would eventually form their own household, must plan for the future, and could not cling to the family forever; they had to step out.

That Krami was willing to walk beside him out of her comfort zone required immense courage, and Rognar felt profound gratitude in his heart.

“Believe our tomorrow will be better.”

Without thinking, he kissed her lips, “Good night.”

“Mm, good night!” (End of chapter)