Morning arrived beneath a sky of steel-gray clouds.
The frozen winds of Frostbound Coast swept across the city walls, carrying with them the scent of snow, pine forests, and distant wilderness.
The city was already awake.
Smoke rose from hundreds of chimneys.
Merchants opened their shops.
Blacksmiths hammered glowing metal.
Patrols changed shifts atop the walls.
Life continued as it always had.
Yet today felt different.
Something invisible had changed.
The conversations spreading through taverns, guard posts, and barracks the previous night had not faded.
Instead, they had grown stronger.
The words spoken by their young lord had ignited something within the hearts of Frostbound Coast's defenders.
The desire to survive.
The desire to protect.
The desire to build a future.
Not through sacrifice.
Through victory.
And because of that...
The atmosphere within the training grounds was completely different.
The massive training field was already filled with knights.
Armor gleamed beneath the weak sunlight.
Swords rested at waists.
Shields hung upon backs.
Breaths escaped as white mist into the cold air.
Yet unlike previous mornings...
Their eyes burned with unusual intensity.
The knights trained harder.
Moved faster.
Struck stronger.
The previous night's conversation had not merely motivated them.
It had awakened them.
Even Gareth Thornwall noticed it.
The veteran stood near the front ranks.
His scarred face remained calm.
Yet inwardly, he could see the difference clearly.
These men looked less like exhausted defenders.
And more like hunters preparing for a hunt.
Then suddenly—
The training grounds fell silent.
A figure had appeared.
Silver hair.
Golden eyes.
Dark noble attire embroidered with frost-like patterns.
Kel Rosenfeld.
The young lord calmly walked toward the center of the grounds.
Every knight straightened.
Without needing orders.
Without needing commands.
Respect had already begun taking root.
Kel stopped before them.
His gaze swept across the assembled knights.
One hundred and twelve.
The same number he had observed yesterday.
The same men whose hearts had begun changing.
Then he spoke.
"Today."
His calm voice echoed across the grounds.
"We are leaving the city."
Instantly, attention sharpened.
The knights listened carefully.
Kel continued.
"We are going to clear the nearby wilderness."
Silence followed.
Not because they were shocked.
Not because they were afraid.
Because every knight immediately understood what that meant.
Monster extermination.
The task responsible for countless deaths over the years.
Yet strangely...
Not a single complaint appeared.
Not a single objection.
Not a single fearful expression.
Yesterday, many of them had accepted death.
Today...
They sought victory.
Kel's golden eyes swept across the crowd.
Then he added another sentence.
A sentence nobody expected.
"Additionally."
The knights focused completely.
"Any knight who kills monsters today will receive a bonus."
Several eyebrows rose.
Even Gareth blinked.
Kel continued.
"Two percent of the final commission value of every monster core you collect."
Silence.
Then confusion.
Then realization.
Then excitement.
The atmosphere instantly changed.
Monster cores were valuable.
Depending on the monster, some could be sold for significant amounts.
Normally all profits entered military funds and territorial budgets.
Receiving a direct share was uncommon.
Yet their young lord was offering exactly that.
A reward based entirely upon results.
Kel folded his arms.
"The stronger the monster."
"The more valuable the core."
"The greater your bonus."
His expression remained calm.
"You may earn as much as your abilities allow."
The effect was immediate.
Several younger knights nearly exploded with excitement.
Even experienced veterans straightened.
Not because of greed.
Because the reward felt fair.
Simple.
Logical.
You contribute.
You receive compensation.
No favoritism.
No noble games.
No hidden conditions.
A straightforward exchange.
Gareth couldn't help but smile.
This young lord truly understood how to motivate soldiers.
No.
Protectors.
Less than thirty minutes later.
The city gates opened.
A large mounted force emerged.
Snow crunched beneath hundreds of hooves.
The knights rode in organized formation.
Banners carrying the symbol of Frostbound Coast fluttered against the northern wind.
Kel rode at the front.
His horse moved calmly through the snow-covered road.
Many knights secretly observed him.
Not openly.
Subtly.
Curiously.
Because despite everything...
One question still lingered within their minds.
Can he actually fight?
Certainly, everyone knew he was talented.
His reputation had already spread throughout noble society.
He was called a genius.
A prodigy.
A noble among nobles.
But reputation and reality were different things.
Especially on a battlefield.
Especially against monsters.
Many geniuses excelled in academies.
Many nobles excelled in sparring arenas.
Yet monsters were different.
Monsters killed.
Without hesitation.
Without mercy.
And their lord was only fifteen years old.
No matter how intelligent he was...
Could he truly fight?
Even Gareth secretly wondered.
Not doubting Kel.
Simply being realistic.
Then—
The answer arrived much sooner than anyone expected.
The expedition had traveled less than an hour.
Snow-covered forests surrounded the road.
Ancient pine trees stretched toward the gray skies.
Their branches carried layers of frost.
The atmosphere felt eerily quiet.
Then suddenly—
A knight shouted.
"Movement!"
Instantly every soldier reacted.
Weapons were drawn.
Formation tightened.
The forest exploded.
Three monsters burst from the snow.
Frostfang Wolves.
Each nearly three meters long.
Their blue-white fur blended naturally with the environment.
Crimson eyes radiated hunger.
Sharp fangs glistened beneath the pale sunlight.
The beasts moved rapidly.
Directly toward the mounted formation.
Several younger knights instinctively reached for their weapons.
Then froze.
Because someone moved first.
Kel.
Or rather—
Something moved beside him.
A faint silver glow appeared.
Aura condensed.
Compressed.
Solidified.
A sword manifested.
Not steel.
Not metal.
Pure aura.
The surrounding knights widened their eyes.
The famous technique.
The technique that had become one of the Empire's greatest topics.
Sovereign's Orbit Sword Arts.
The floating sword hovered beside Kel.
Elegant.
Deadly.
Beautiful.
The young lord never even reached for a weapon.
He simply looked toward the charging monsters.
Then—
The aura sword moved.
Whoosh.
Like a shooting star descending from the heavens.
The first wolf died instantly.
Its head separated from its body before it even realized what happened.
Blood scattered across the snow.
The second wolf lunged.
The sword changed direction.
Faster.
Sharper.
A silver flash appeared.
Another corpse collapsed.
Then the third.
The creature barely managed a growl.
The floating blade pierced directly through its skull.
Silence.
The entire encounter ended within seconds.
Kel never dismounted.
Never moved.
Never even altered his posture.
The aura sword returned calmly to his side.
Hovering silently beside him.
As though nothing unusual had occurred.
The surrounding knights stared.
Completely stunned.
The forest became deathly quiet.
Only the sound of falling snow remained.
Several younger knights looked as though their souls had left their bodies.
One nearly fell off his horse.
Gareth himself froze.
Because what they had witnessed was absurd.
Not impossible.
But absurd.
A Beginner Swordsman could sense aura.
An Intermediate Swordsman could strengthen their body with aura.
An Advanced Swordsman could channel aura through weapons.
That was common knowledge.
Yet what Kel had demonstrated...
Was far beyond ordinary understanding.
He hadn't used a weapon.
He had created one.
A sword forged entirely from condensed aura.
And controlled it remotely.
The implications were terrifying.
The veteran's eyes widened.
At minimum...
Advanced Rank.
Possibly Peak Advanced.
Perhaps even Expert.
At fifteen years old.
The thought alone was ridiculous.
Several knights exchanged shocked glances.
The rumors were real.
Perhaps even understated.
One young knight swallowed.
"...By the heavens."
Another nodded mechanically.
"I suddenly understand why the entire Empire keeps talking about that sword art."
A third knight stared at the floating sword.
His voice trembling slightly.
"That isn't swordsmanship."
"That's witchcraft."
The nearby veterans silently agreed.
Even though they knew exactly what technique Kel used.
Even though everyone had heard stories about Sovereign's Orbit Sword Arts.
Actually witnessing it felt completely different.
Stories could not capture the reality.
The elegance.
The efficiency.
The sheer lethality.
Meanwhile...
Kel simply glanced toward the corpses.
"Collect the cores."
His calm voice snapped everyone back to reality.
The knights hurried forward.
Still half-stunned.
Still processing what they had witnessed.
As monster cores were extracted, whispers spread throughout the formation.
Not fearful whispers.
Excited whispers.
Inspired whispers.
Because if their fifteen-year-old lord could ride calmly at the front and kill monsters without hesitation...
How could they possibly allow themselves to perform poorly?
The atmosphere changed again.
The knights sat straighter.
Gripped their weapons tighter.
Their blood boiled.
Not from recklessness.
From motivation.
Then Seiren's voice echoed within Kel's mind.
Far away beneath the ancient waters of Scarder Lake.
"You intentionally held back."
Kel's expression remained unchanged.
"Of course."
The guardian became silent.
Then amusement entered her voice.
"If that was holding back..."
Kel glanced toward the distant forests.
Countless monster signatures lingered beyond.
Hidden.
Watching.
Waiting.
A faint smile appeared.
"This is only the beginning."
The ancient guardian suddenly felt pity.
Not for Kel.
For the monsters.
Because she had already realized something.
The wilderness surrounding Frostbound Coast had spent decades terrorizing humanity.
But today...
For the first time in a very long time...
Something far more dangerous had entered the wilderness.
And his name was Kel Rosenfeld.
The young lord gently nudged his horse forward.
The floating aura sword followed beside him like a loyal guardian.
Behind him rode over a hundred knights.
Ahead of them stretched monster-infested lands.
And as the expedition advanced deeper into the frozen frontier...
None of the knights noticed.
But the fear they once carried toward monster territory had already begun disappearing.
Replacing it was something else.
Confidence.
Because their lord did not hide safely behind walls.
He rode at the very front.
Leading them into the darkness himself.