The Kingdom of Ravenhill was just one of the many kingdoms on the Continent of Glory.
The Kingdom of Ravenhill, located in the southern part of the Glory Continent, was a place inhabited by people who lived happily and peacefully without hunger, thanks to its arable lands.
In addition, the Kingdom of Ravenhill, which was a developed trade center with its connection to the Warm Sea, attracted the jealousy of other kingdoms on the Glory Continent.
That is why military force was always at the top of the list as a development priority by the royal family who ruled the Kingdom of Ravenhill and the nobles who governed the territories within the kingdom.
Possessing extremely fertile land would sometimes attract unwanted attention, and the riches one possessed would become the target of others due to greed.
This was exactly why the Kingdom of Ravenhill became a target for these greedy kingdoms and nobles.
The most obvious indication of this greedy attitude was that the two neighboring kingdoms, which shared borders with the Kingdom of Ravenhill, would unleash their soldiers, disguised as bandits, against Ravenhill.
They plundered villages and towns within the Kingdom of Ravenhill and captured the common people living in these settlements as slaves.
This behavior of the neighboring kingdoms was eventually understood by the Kingdom of Ravenhill. Immediately afterward, nobles were settled in four regions (marquisates) that bordered these neighboring kingdoms.
The Kingdom of Ravenhill, which supported these areas with troops, turned these regions into buffer zones to gain time for preparation in case of an attack by neighboring kingdoms.
The Marquisate of Ironwall was one of the four marquisates established by the Kingdom of Ravenhill to prevent harassment from the neighboring Kingdom of Stormhill.
The Marquisate of Ironwall, located on the side of the Kingdom of Ravenhill, and the Marquisate of Spear, located on the side of the Kingdom of Stormhill, established four baronies right next to their intersecting borders. Like their kingdoms, which placed themselves on the border to act as a buffer zone, they made these four baronies their buffer zones.
The Barony of Shield, located within the Marquisate of Ironwall on the side of the Kingdom of Ravenhill, governed an area that included a small village.
On a small hill in the middle of this settlement, known as Shield Village, Shield Castle was built, surrounded by high walls.
Situated at a high position, Shield Castle was of strategic importance, being easy to defend and difficult to besiege.
"I've finally arrived."
Standing on a dirt road inside the Shield Barony that led to the only settlement in the area, a man spoke in a relieved tone, overlooking the town of Shield, which was surrounded by a wooden fence.
This man was dressed in a black cloak that hid his appearance. He also had a sword sheath hanging down right next to his waist, and the hilt of the sword glowed under the sun.
"My hometown, we're finally together again."
Slowly pulling down the cloak that hid his face, the man revealed a handsome face that still looked middle-aged.
"I'm Luther Ashborn... I'm back in the land where I was born."
With a smile on his face, Luther looked at Shield Village in front of him and suddenly recalled a few memories from the past.
He remembered being born into an ordinary family in Shield Village, where they made their living by farming and had a few small cattle in their backyard. He remembered living happily with his family and having a warm home.
"Good memories worth remembering," Luther muttered, closing his eyes for a moment.
When he opened his eyes again, his expression had completely changed. "And the memories I don't want to remember!"
Recalling that his village had been raided by a band of bandits and that his family had been killed before his eyes, Luther remembered hiding in the cellar under their house and watching everything through a small gap in the wooden planks.
He still remembered, as if it were yesterday, how the thugs who slit his father's throat laughed and the dirty grins on the faces of the men who raped his mother before killing her.
"That's when I changed."
After witnessing the unprovoked murder of his parents, who had no enmity with anyone and were kind to everyone, Luther realized that he could no longer remain the same.
This world was not suited for the weak, and the stronger side always pulled the strings. The sheep, oblivious to everything, waited to be hunted by wolves when the time came.
"So I left everything behind and quickly climbed the ranks to gain power by joining the army."
With the murder of his family, Luther, who had nothing to hold onto, left his homeland and joined the kingdom's army, quickly rising through the ranks with his unshakable desire for power.
Looking at the scroll he was holding in his hand, Luther muttered, "Knight Luther Ashborn..."
Immediately afterward, with a sigh, he began to walk slowly toward Shield Village and soon arrived in front of the entrance gate.
The entrance to the village, which was surrounded by a simple fence, was blocked by a wooden gate. On either side of the gate stood a soldier on guard.
Seeing Luther approaching, the soldiers immediately moved their hands to the hilts of their swords, which hung from their belts.
"Who are you, and why have you come to Shield Village?"
Luther handed the parchment he was holding to the soldiers, showing that he had no intention of speaking.
One of the soldiers, hesitantly taking the scroll, looked at it and said in a somewhat cold tone, "Wait here. I will pass it on to the village headman."
Remaining silent, Luther nodded, signaling for him to proceed.
The soldiers, offended by Luther's arrogant demeanor, frowned but did not dare to neglect their duty, so they decided to ignore his behavior.
Taking the scroll from Luther, one of the soldiers hurried into the village, while the other continued to grip the hilt of his sword, watching Luther warily.
A short time later, the soldier returned with an old man in tow, now looking at Luther with reverence.
The man, who looked quite old, studied Luther from head to toe, carefully examining him.
"Knight Luther Ashborn, I didn't know you were a former native of our village. I need to send this scroll to Shield Castle and verify your identity. Immediately afterward, you will be gladly approved to settle in Shield Village for retirement."
Looking at the old man, whom he assumed was the village headman, Luther simply nodded and remained silent.
It was uncommon for an ordinary person like him to rise to the rank of knight. After many years in the army, Luther had become a full-fledged knight, and now he had returned alone to avenge his family.
To this end, he resigned from the army and obtained an official document to return to his homeland for retirement.
This way, the lord who governed the region would not suspect his identity and would give him a warm welcome.
The parchment held by the headman also recorded Luther's deeds and achievements over the years, indicating that he was an elite warrior, far beyond the rank of a small nobleman who ruled a place like Shield Village.
The lord, who would not want to miss the fortune that had suddenly fallen into his lap, would naturally want to stay on Luther's good side. After all, having such an elite knight residing in his village would inadvertently strengthen his military power, albeit indirectly.