Warhammer 40: Doom

Chapter 27 Guardian's Oath
Doom looked slightly dazed, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion, yet it felt incredibly real.

"An incredible strike!" The champion swordsman stepped forward and excitedly grabbed his shoulder: "Perfect timing! The most effective attack was launched at the most opportune moment."

The sweeping attack threw the short-legged orc off balance, and then, using the momentum, combined with a body spin to build up power, the attack sent the orc crashing down. Simultaneously, the attacker's left fist slammed upwards, shattering the orc's fragile facial bones and damaging its central nervous system.

It's breathtaking; with simple techniques, it achieves the most intuitive effect.

Harlan patted his shoulder with his large hand, the force waking him up, and he finally realized that he had returned to reality.

"Small guy! Small guy! Small guy!"

My keen senses returned, and I heard the whistles and cheers of the orcs.

“Champion Swordsman.” Blood splattered from the orc's face as he gave a gentle, chilling smile. “Has my image in your mind changed?”

“Dum, the Third Prince.” Harlan’s expression was serious, and his movements were very solemn.

He placed his left palm over his heart and bowed slightly to Doom: "I am ashamed of my disrespect for you. I should not have looked down on you by the standards I use to judge ordinary people."

This is how the soldier understands it; it represents "open and honest communication" and is the most sincere form of body language.

“I accept your apology.” Doom said, supporting Harlan’s tall body with his hands and looking directly at his handsome face torn by battle scars. “But you don’t need to take it to heart. I am an anomaly beyond your comprehension, a special existence that has never existed before.”

“If he is a normal citizen of Nur, your judgment is completely correct.”

“You mean…” Harlan was surprised by Doom’s strength, which far exceeded that of someone of his size, and how easily he had helped himself up. After thinking about it, he understood: “Do I need to learn more about you so that my judgments will be more accurate in the future?”

“It’s not just you who needs to learn,” Doom said, his gaze sweeping over the Night Guards at the edge of the arena, his voice carrying a certain authority. “It’s everyone who needs to learn.”

“I am Doom Norwick, the third son of Norwick. I am destined to become a warrior. You must get used to me and understand me in order to fight alongside me.”

The young man, full of vigor and spirit, showed no pride in victory, but calmly stated a fact.

The Night Guardian was surprised by the boy's shining confidence, a candid radiance that emanated from within without any concealment.

The proud warriors were moved; their eyes held no contempt, and they solemnly declared in unison, "Then we'll be waiting for you on the battlefield, Destroyer Warriors!"

At the edge of the arena, King Norwick nodded repeatedly, clearly approving of his son.

“Look at him.” King Norwick turned his head and whispered in Queen Daisy’s ear, “You have taught him very well. He is intelligent and has a clear purpose.”

“I proved myself well through my actions, which not only dispelled the locals’ distrust of outsiders, but also allowed me to quickly integrate into the group of fighters.”

"Knowing that they will one day step onto the battlefield and become a leader, the Night Watchers will take what they have seen and heard today to the battlefield far away in the wasteland, and in the end everyone will know that there is such an extraordinary prince."

"It instills a sense of expectation in people, so that even if it's the first time they meet him, some people will believe him without hesitation."

"He will become a legend passed down by word of mouth, a person of great renown."

King Norwick kept talking, his eyes filled with increasing satisfaction; he loved this son who had fallen from the sky.

Before meeting him, I had a vague expectation; after meeting him, my affection for him was overflowing.

"It's good that you don't think he's too scheming." Queen Daisy's lips curled up, her smile gentle, but the pride in her eyes was undeniable.

“He is fine.” King Norwick stood up, took his wife’s fair hand, and very gentlemanly helped her up.

“Scheming is a manifestation of wisdom, and scheming used for the right purpose is a good thing. The enemies he will face in the future are unprecedented, and to defeat them, both strength and wisdom are indispensable.”

"Sometimes we have to compromise. Only by being more ruthless and cunning than our enemies can we defeat them."

"Let us go, my queen. Let us witness his victory, and the oath of the defenders."

Queen Daisy placed her hand on King Norwick's arm guard, the two together embodying the romance of iron and rose. Resilient yet gentle, serious yet elegant.

"Champion Swordsman! Harlan Oglieve."

Norwick's deep, authoritative voice rang out, drawing out in a ritualistic high pitch: "Fulfill your promise."

Doom looked somewhat reservedly at his father, whom he had never met before but whom he admired, as he slowly walked over with his mother. He was nervous.

Only when he saw the reassurance and affirmation in his father's eyes did his anxious heart finally settle down. No child doesn't long for their father's approval, not even Doom, the Primarch created by the Emperor.

Being recognized by one's father and loved by one's mother during one's growth is a very happy thing.

"Give me a ceremonial longsword!" Harlan called to the Night Guard, preparing to fulfill his oath of guardianship.

In the Guardian Realm, the first thing a qualified Night Guardian does after completing all training is to swear allegiance.

Their first object of loyalty is Nur, whom the Night Guardians swear to protect with their lives for its purity and peace. Their second object of loyalty is King Norwick, to whom they will remain loyal for life.

Most Night Guardians only swear two oaths: to remain loyal to King Norwick and to protect Nur.

Only a few people will pledge allegiance to those who have the right to be pledged allegiance to.

A typical example is the princes and queens of the Novik dynasty, who became their personal guards. Within the bounds of not harming Nur and not deviating from the rules of the Novik dynasty, they chose a worthy master to serve.

Harlan demanded a ceremonial sword to fulfill his promise and pledge allegiance to the third prince of Norwick.

“No need.” King Norwick lifted his cloak, took the hilt of his sword from his waist, and used a practical weapon instead of the ceremonial object to witness the oath between the two.

“Take it, son.”

Doom's hands trembled slightly as he took the sword hilt from his father's hands; the hilt was a little too big for him now.

In such a solemn oath-taking ceremony, everyone present accurately found their place.

The Night Guards, military officers, stand on the left, holding spears that illuminate dimensional blades. The Scholars, civil officers, stand on the right, their hands folded inside their robes, eyes closed, heads bowed.

Queen Daisy wiped the blood from Doom's face, straightened his clothes, and smoothed his disheveled hair.

Everything was ready. The Norwick couple stood on either side of Doom, with civil and military officials on either side of him. Harlan knelt on one knee, his tall figure able to look him in the eye.

With a solemn expression, Doom pressed the mechanism on the hilt of his sword, and the King's Sword sprang forth a deep blue dimensional light blade, which he carefully placed on Harlan's left shoulder.

Harlan Ogrivey, clad in battle-worn white power armor, lowered the proud head of the champion swordsman and recited the oath of loyalty to the prince:
"In the name of the King's Sword and the Champion, with the King and Queen as witnesses, I, Harlan Oglie, hereby swear:"

My blood is my shield, protecting your safety; my sword is my oath, slaying your enemies.

Loyalty is more important than the soul, honor is more important than life. Your will is my direction, your enemy is my mortal enemy.

This oath is as strong as steel, this heart as steadfast as the stars. Until my last breath, until my sword breaks, my soul will remain loyal to this oath.

After reciting the oath, Doom flipped his lightsaber over Harlan's head and rested it on his right shoulder, solemnly declaring, "I, Doom Norwick, accept your oath, accept your loyalty!"

Neither of them knew that at the moment the warrior made his oath, in the churning subspace, the Blood God was overjoyed.

He loves warriors, and generously bestowed blessings upon the warrior who also possessed a fervent soul.

“My lord, what is your emblem?” Harlan asked.

Guards who pledge allegiance to the royal family are given a personal insignia of a royal member as a symbol of their oath of allegiance.

Doom has no personal insignia, and he is still considered a newborn in the laws of the Guardian Domain.

"Doom, shall we use this?"

Just as Doom was at a loss for what to do, Queen Daisy's gentle voice came and she gently pulled open Doom's robe, revealing the blood-red rune mark on his chest.

"Yes. It's my innate personal emblem, the perfect one."

An unexpected battle ensued, and the champion swordsman became Doom's personal bodyguard as part of the prize for the duel.

It wasn't until he embarked on the path to conquer the stars that the champion swordsman realized the truth. The king and queen both knew Doom would win, and Doom himself knew he would win.

King Norwick dug a hole and happily jumped in.

(End of this chapter)