Kingdom Building Game: Starting Out With A Million Upgrade Points! - Chapter 170

Chapter 170: • The Sword of Vale Bloodbane
They had been of closly similar age.

That, many had believed, had been the key. Not only power, not only talent, not only skill—though all those things were important—but kinship.

The closeness that came with growing up side by side, learning together, struggling together.

A ruler and his sword should not stand apart like lord and servant.

No, they had to be brothers-in-arms, their fates intertwined so that one could not rise without the other.

They would do so together.

And so, a tradition had been born.

Whenever a new heir of the Bloodbane line was born, a member of House Valebright would be chosen to swear their loyalty to them—to be their shield, their blade, their ever-present shadow. But not just any member.

It had to be one close in age.

The eldest sons of Valebright were already hardened warriors, men shaped by battle, by command, by the weight of their own legacies.

But that was not what the empire demanded for this sacred bond.

It demanded someone who could grow with the prince, someone who could understand him not just as an heir to the throne, but as a person.

And so, it fell to Ralph, the fourth son.

A boy of fifteen, barely stepping into manhood.

He had trained with the sword since he could walk, had been drilled in duty, in honor, in the expectations that came with his blood. But all of that paled in comparison to the burden placed upon him now.

He would not merely serve the prince.

He would become his most trusted. His closest. His first and truest knight.

For better or worse, his fate was now tied to Vale Bloodbane.

“Do you, Ralph, pledge a soul oath before the emperor, the young prince, and the virtuous gods?” Head Priestess Isode’s voice carried with divine authority, her purple eyes seeming to glow brightly as she spoke.

Ralph swallowed.

And then, he spoke the words that would bind him to the prince for the rest of his days.

“I, Ralph Valebright, fourth son of Lord Tarius Valebright, pledge a soul oath to the young prince, that I shall be loyal to him till the end of my days.”

Isode nodded.

“Then let this oath be sealed in blood.”

The blade gleamed as she handed it to him.

Ralph took a steady breath, then reached out. He grasped the handle with steady hands—he would not allow them to shake now.

He drew the edge lightly across his palm, mirroring the priestess’s earlier gesture.

The sharp sting barely registered as he raised his hand, letting his own blood drip onto his forehead.

A crimson promise.

Isode nodded once. “The gods have witnessed. The empire bears witness. And now, the oath is set.”

She turned to Emperor Arkanos.

“Your Majesty, do you accept this vow?”

The emperor regarded Ralph with an unreadable expression, his gaze steady, piercing. Then, slowly, he inclined his head.

“I do,” he said, his voice carrying the weight of sovereign decree.

Isode then turned to the silent babe. “And do you, Vale Bloodbane, accept your knight?”

The child merely blinked up at her, his wide red eyes filled with wonder.

A soft murmur rippled through the court—some amusement, some reverence.

Isode smiled faintly. “Then so be it.”

She gestured for Ralph to rise.

He did so, standing tall despite the tightness in his chest. He had done it. The moment was real. His fate was sealed.

The hall was still, the gravity of the ceremony settling over those present like a silent storm.

Then, Emperor Arkanos spoke again.

“Let it be known that Ralph Valebright is now the sworn sword of Vale Bloodbane. Let none question his place. Let none doubt his duty.”

His gaze swept over the gathered nobility, daring any to speak otherwise. None did.

A slow, deliberate clap broke the silence.

Lord Tarius Valebright, Ralph’s father, stepped forward from among the assembled knights, his expression one of quiet pride.

“It is done,” he said, his deep voice filled with something that almost sounded like relief.

Ralph then walked back to join the gathered knights.

Garik nudged Ralph lightly with an elbow, smirking. “Well, look at you. A proper knight now.”

Ralph exhaled, a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

He had done it.

He was no longer just another son of House Valebright.

He was Vale Bloodbane’s sword.

The grand hall was alive with a steady procession of nobles stepping forward to present their gifts before the emperor.

Each offering was a display of wealth, power, and favor—tributes to the newborn prince, meant to secure alliances or reinforce existing bonds.

Of course, the families married to the throne were first.

Lord Darkmoon, clad in deep blue robes embroidered with silver constellations, stepped forward first.

His gloved hands held a finely wrought black dagger, its blade inscribed with ancient runes that shimmered in the light.

“A blade of Evernight Steel, forged under a moonless sky. May it be his shadow in times of need.”

Next, Lady Windwhisper presented a delicate silver circlet inlaid with wind-etched sapphire. “A blessing from the Whispering Isles. May the winds always guide his path and keep him safe from ill fortune.”

One after another, nobles from across the empire came forth, each bearing gifts of gold, enchanted relics, or rare tomes.

Some carried armor too grand for an infant, meant to be worn when the prince came of age.

Others brought relics steeped in history—tokens of power meant to bind their families to the Bloodbane legacy. Some even signified they had growing daughters as well, eagerly hoping to bind themselves with the royal family.

While the court was caught up in this display of wealth and fealty, the true heart of the Bloodbane family lay elsewhere.

In the private dining hall, Lady Selene Bloodbane, the emperor’s mother, sat gracefully at the long table. She held the young prince in her arms, her sharp golden eyes gleaming with adoration as she studied his tiny body.

“Truly, my grandson is a masterpiece,” she said with deep satisfaction.

“Illena, my dear, you have done a fine job bringing him into this world. It is clear his beauty is a gift from your high elf bloodline.”

Illena, seated beside her, blushed furiously at the praise.

“Lady Selene, please, do not say it like that…”

Selene chuckled, brushing a soft curl of the baby’s silver hair away from his forehead.

“Oh, but I am not lying, am I? Just look at him! Those features, that regal air—he will be a devastatingly handsome young man. As expected of my grandson.”

Illena sighed, though a small smile tugged at her lips. “You make it sound as if you are already planning his future conquests.”

“Well, why not?” Selene teased. “With that face and his heritage, he’ll have the world at his feet before he even grows into his first set of armor.”

Illena shook her head, glancing at her son, who merely gazed up at his grandmother with wide, curious eyes.

“For now, let him be just my little Vale.”

Selene smiled fondly. “Of course, my dear. But let me dote on him a little longer. All this waiting in that ring has been unbearable.”