Ken stepped forward, giving a crisp salute.
"Your Majesty, the full wave of recruits has arrived. Two hundred from Iron Hearth, three hundred and fifty from Eldoria, and another two hundred and ten from Slarny. They're assembled outside the palace gates, awaiting your words… and your command to begin official training."
Arthur stood from his seat in the council chamber, the weight of responsibility settling across his shoulders like a familiar cloak. He walked toward the open balcony overlooking the grand courtyard, where over seven hundred newly recruited men stood in disciplined rows—some in borrowed armor, some still in plain leathers, but all standing straight and tall under the banner of Keldoria.
The sun hung low, casting golden light across their faces as silence fell.
Arthur stepped onto the marble platform. His gaze swept across the sea of faces—farmers, hunters, smiths, and even a few former mercenaries. Not soldiers yet. But the foundation of something greater.
