Gray rain covers the wasteland, and the whispers of the old gods are awakening underground. After his father's death, Lane Weir inherited the kingdom's poorest territory, the Brythorn Territory. On the first day of his journey to the territory, his caravan was ambushed. All the guards were killed in the battle, the supplies were looted, and he himself woke up among the dead. The only people accompanying him were a young man who was still seriously injured and a Nightborn woman who had just been released from the slave cage. There is also an "Ashes Contract" that only he can see. It can record the skills that Ryan has personally mastered, deduce the dangers faced by the territory, and respond to the oaths that are truly fulfilled-but it will not give him power, let alone swing the sword for him. If he wants to become stronger, he must train himself. To gain loyalty, he must first fulfill his promise. If he wants his territory to survive, he must be responsible for every piece of bread, every arrow, and every life. When Ryan finally arrived in the Bitterthorn Territory, what awaited him was not the cheers of his subjects, but closed city gates, poisoned wells, food that was about to run out, and a group of people who no longer believed in the nobles. The wilderness mercenaries want his head. The Church of the Silver Flame covets the secrets of the underground world. And deep in the Bitterthorn Castle, a seal that had been maintained for hundreds of years had only the last glimmer left. After twenty-nine days, the seal will be completely ineffective. At that time, the purple moon will rise, the dead will return, and the ancient beings sleeping in the cracks of the world will also open their eyes again. This is the story of a weak lord who started with a broken sword and a broken wall, managed his territory, united different races, and established his own order among the kingship, the church, and the gods. Even if he is oppressed by the whole world, he will only say: Don't make friends with anyone from the Bitter Thorn Territory!
