7. My Oath.

**Ding dong Ding dong Ding dong Ding dong

**Dang! Dang!! Dang!!! Dang!!!!

At six, the Pendulum clock in Sigurd's room and the clock tower in the city rang simultaneously to alarm the sleepers that it was morning for all men.

Sigurd shushes the ringing and slept for another 45mins before waking up and stepping into the bathroom. He washed his face, brushed his teeth, changed from his sleeping wear, then stepped out of his room to see Ophelia in full uniform guarding his door.

Do not misunderstand, she wasn't guarding the whole night, or not even her Zen could have saved her. Sigurd had arranged a room for her next to his for obvious security reasons like all do for their right-hand knights.

They walked to the dining room for a heavy breakfast because Sigurd planned to continue his routine now that he's done with the paperwork which is one of the most annoying things to do as a ruler or lord.

Before they ate, Sigurd asked one of the waiting maids a question after noticing the absence of his stepmom and stepbrother at the table.

"Haven't Mrs. Jodie and Hans woken up yet?"

"The Lady and Young master ate their breakfast around 6:30 before he left for school, sir"

"He went to school way before class time?... it looks like he's working towards becoming a Squire before he completes basic school but I would have liked to see him. It seems we've been missing each other lately {as in not meeting; for those too invested to get it}"

This statement caused a flicker of change in the expression of Ophelia and the waiting maids in the room but no one said a thing. When did the Young lord become so sentimental?, was what flowed through their minds as they acted normal. Even though he wasn't distant to Hans as he was with his Stepmom, he always looked like he had a lot going on to sit and have a full conversation with the boy.

"What about my Aunt? Is she still shut in?"

"Yes. Miss Jade always requests for her meal to be sent to her apartment, sir"

"Too nerdy as always"

Nothing else was said as they finished their heavy breakfast and wandered to the training grounds to watch the guards drill for almost an hour before strolling to the back of the house for some morning workouts. Now that an hour has passed after the meal, they could work out without worrying about gastrointestinal issues that may hinder their progress.

Behind the estate was a training hall reserved only for family members and those allowed by them for the right reasons. It's a fairly large hall with everything the training grounds don't have; I'm talking about full sets of neatly kept gym equipment, training dolls made with hardwood and metal that are also targets for mages, neatly kept weapons of any kind- both real and wooden, air conditioning, and hard graphene floors that can even withstand the power of Master Zen users.

They changed into their workout clothes and got ready but Sigurd wasn't feeling the edge for rigorous sword swings this morning, so he opted for some squats, seated spinal twists, planking, press-ups, and situps in 5sets whiles Ophelia did inclined bench presses and used the stationary bike.

After an hour and a half, they proceeded to take a dump and a shower before stepping out again feeling refreshed. As he aimlessly roamed the estate waiting for his order to arrive, he reached a part of the estate with two sentries actively guarding a room. One of the few places in the entire estate where guards guard a room instead of standing at strategic points in the estate awaiting the next shift.

Sigurd stood before the door for a minute in silence but with distant eyes and thoughts. He had forgotten that the person this room belonged to was still alive... being kept alive to be precise. And if he was honest, the remembrance of his existence brought zero change to what Sigurd needed to be done.

"Is someone in there with him?" Sigurd turned to the guard on his right and asked.

"Yes sir. The Lady is visiting the Family Head"

Sigurd nodded before opening the door into the chamber to see the same big space, color, and arrangement from over a century ago, perception-wise. Ophelia closed the door behind her and stood adjacent to another female knight who was in armor as Sigurd proceeded toward the king-size bed.

Jodie Klein's curious gaze followed Sigurd from the moment he came in till he reached the bedside. The teen before her eyes rarely visited the love of her life... his father, after the 3rd Purge which killed his mother and bedridden her love.

Sigurd scrutinized the blonde bedridden middle-aged man who is being kept alive with pills and potions, and Divine powers manifested every two weeks by the Head Priest of the local temple with apathy.

' He used to look very young for a 46yr old man with a Walrus moustache but now it looks like his age is catching up to him now that his Zen has been dormant for a while ' thought Sigurd as this was the first time seeing him like this in two lifetimes. In his second life, Sigurd never approached the man till his death.

"Still no improvement, I see... but at least the money keeps him from being too pale... "

"There's movement whenever Divine Recovery is used on him but he doesn't seem to get any better. Whatever the Fiends did to him for this result is not physical since those healed years ago." replied Jolie who treated Sigurd's cold statement as past hurt.

'It's purely psychological. He doesn't want to wake up for a very stupid reason... at least it is to me '

" Well you've attended to him lovely... going as far as to keep his "Pride" moustache from growing into a beard. Nevertheless, he shan't die... he's too Prideful to ". Sigurd looked to the hazel eyes of his brunette stepmom and assured before gazing upon the man for a second then walked out with Ophelia in tow.

"That's some long-lasting apathy if I've ever seen one," said the knight immediately the sound of footsteps became distant.

"Hm. I don't know if you've heard, Cynthia, but Roland and Sigurd were never close for some reason. Martin was Roland's favorite and so people thought it was because of Sigurd's black hair but that wasn't it either because Adelaide Völsunga also had black hair... and he loved her"

"If that was the case, shouldn't the normal response be a hard thrive for his father's attention, being jealous or at odds with his brother, or hatred not indifference towards his father?"

"You would think so, but Sigurd's eyes always shone with clarity and brilliance unbefitting of a child from his early years. It was to the extent of people questioning who was the older brother and No childish attempt for his father's attention was ever made. His relationship with Martin was cordial but one with his mother was almost fanatical that I wished that for Hans.

The thing is, he blames Roland for the death of his mother and I could see why. Roland's pride led him into the Purge blind and without context, and you know what was lost "

"Yes. He was injured and bedridden, Mrs. Adelaide Klein died, Sir Martin left, and the region lost our prestigious Iron Mist Knight Order"

"The other noblemen who participated also lost a lot. The losses were surprising considering the small scale of the battle but then again it was because of that it was even considered the 3rd Purge" stated Jolie as she stretched a little.

***

As Sigurd walked away from his father's room, he came across a portrait of a very beautiful woman hanging by the hallway junction. Her silky black hair, cherry lips, and red eyes were made real by the painter's touch. This was his Mother, Adelaide Völsunga from whom he took his surname discarding the Klein family name.

Sigurd glimpsed at the painting with nostalgia then a serious glint flashed in his scarlet eyes.

' l will not make any promises Mom, but if all goes well, I swear that your killer shall kneel before you in the afterlife. That's my oath and my primary reason for living again'

...