At the edge of the training ground, Velin gazed from afar at the twelve knights two hundred metres away, already understanding in his heart that these were the guards entrusted to him by the family.
He observed them as he approached.
All twelve were remarkably young, roughly between twenty-four and twenty-eight years of age, a clear indication of their exceptional talent.
Unsurprisingly, these twelve individuals assigned to him by the family would become his future right-hand men.
As Velin understood, training a squad of Bronze Knights from scratch was impossible without spending tens of thousands of gold coins. Moreover, these twelve possessed exceptional natural talent; otherwise, no amount of training would prevent them from becoming useless.
The priest standing nearby, upon seeing Velin approach, raised his staff and declared in a solemn voice, "In the presence of the Goddess of Life, the oath begins."
"Draw swords."
Baird commanded loudly upon hearing this.
The other eleven drew their knightly swords, placing them before their chests as they rendered a salute to Velin.
Seeing this, Velin likewise drew the short sword he carried, holding it vertically before his chest as he regarded the twelve solemnly.
"I, Baird."
"I, Andrew—"
"..."
"...swear upon my honour, before the Goddess of Life, to fight to the utmost for this man before me, to fulfil my duty, to uphold the knightly code. Where his blade points, there shall be my direction."
"I, Velin Ecks, as your sworn object, accept your allegiance. I shall not forsake you. Let the Goddess of Life bear witness."
A sacred radiance flared, enveloping all thirteen.
An invisible bond now tied the destinies of twelve men to Velin's.
"The oath is complete. May the great Goddess of Life protect you." The old priest declared the ceremony concluded, then retired to rest, guided by a steward.
Simultaneously, all thirteen sheathed their swords, bringing the oath-taking to a close.
From this moment forth, these twelve High Bronze Knights shared Velin's destiny—rising and falling together.
"Gentlemen, you have chosen me. I shall not betray your trust."
Velin scanned the twelve, committing their features to memory.
He then strode directly to the weapons chest, lifting its lid to reveal the exceptional-grade knight's swords within.
"As your master, this is my gift to you."
"Moreover, each of you may select one of these red-scaled horses as your mount. May you become my sharp blades, forging new territories for me."
"Thank you, my lord," the twelve replied in unison.
...
From a window in the keep, unseen by them, the Earl of Eagle witnessed it all.
Angus felt profound satisfaction at his fifth son's actions.
One must be generous to those who pledge allegiance, never stingy, for only thus can one swiftly secure the loyalty of one's men.
On the battlefield, it is always your knight who shields you from the sword.
Your wife, your children, even your brothers, could never do this for you.
This was the truth Angus had gradually come to understand over the past thirty years.
"Go and make preparations. Tomorrow morning we shall depart from Windsor Castle and journey to West River Capital."
"We shall comply with your instructions."
The twelve men struck their right chests, bowed their heads slightly, and replied with reverence.
Watching their retreating figures, Velin began to take inventory of the remaining items. After confirming everything was in order, he ordered servants to load these belongings onto the carriage outside his residence in the outer bailey.
He then proceeded to the main keep to bid farewell to his mother.
After all, this parting might mean an unknown length of time before they met again.
Take his fourth elder brother, who had departed five years prior—he had not returned once, striving relentlessly in some unknown place.
Silent until he speaks, then speaks with astonishing impact.
That was Velin's assessment of his fourth elder brother. His perseverance and talent truly merited such praise.
His mind kept replaying how he should bid farewell to his mother.
Unconsciously, he found himself before his mother's chamber door.
Gently pushing it open, he saw his mother, Eliza, seated by the window. Bathed in sunlight, she was weaving a silk scarf in her hands.
The head maid standing beside her, noticing Velin's arrival, bowed her head and murmured something softly.
Eliza paused her work, lifting her gaze to meet Velin's.
For some reason, though he'd rehearsed his words, they failed him in that moment.
"Mother, I depart tomorrow."
"Ah, I understand. My fledgling eagle has grown and must take flight. With your own ambitions now set, I hope you return in glory."
"That day shall come, Mother."
Velin stepped forward, embracing his mother for a final farewell.
A thousand words were distilled into that single embrace.
After an unknown length of time, Velin left her room, carrying the silk scarf his mother had given him.
He then proceeded to his father's study to inform him of his departure, receiving his father's counsel and blessing.
Having bid farewell to his parents, Velin returned to his own quarters and instructed his two underage guardian knights to pack his belongings, preparing for tomorrow's departure.
...
On the 3rd of April, 9720 Glorious Era, at the eastern gate of Windsor Castle, Velin, clad in light cloth armour and mounted upon a tall steed, surveyed a corner of the castle grounds and commanded in a loud voice: "Depart."
At his command, a modest convoy comprising six carriages, twelve knights of the guard, and two juvenile guardian knights departed Windsor Castle, heading towards West River Capital.
West River Capital lay deep within the southern heartland of the Kingdom of Ilia, spanning an area of nine hundred and fifty thousand square kilometres. It comprised two marquisates, three earldoms, and over a hundred viscountcies and baronies interspersed between the five great noble domains. These smaller fiefs were distributed along the borders, serving as buffer zones.
To circumvent the Sachaklos Mountains within the Ironclad domain, Velin opted for a detour through the adjacent woodlands, avoiding potential ambushes by hostile factions en route to West River Capital.
Though this added over two hundred kilometres to their journey, it was preferable to having his fledgling power crushed outright.
After over ten days and six hundred kilometres of travel, Velin's party arrived safely at West River Capital. This vast city, directly administered by the royal court, spanned four hundred square kilometres within its walls, governed an area of ten thousand square kilometres, and housed a population exceeding two million.
Stroking his mount, Velin looked up at West River Capital's thirty-metre-high city walls, towering three metres above the turrets of Windsor Castle.
Occasionally, Griffin Knights soared through the skies above.
He recalled that the Ecks family also maintained a Griffin Knight order, comprising one hundred and twenty members, each holding the rank of mid-tier Silver.
In this world, all professions could broadly be categorised from lowest to highest as Apprentice, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Star-Shining. As for the subsequent Legendary tier, he remained unaware of its specifics at present.