Chapter 71

"Einar... I need to confess... I've lived a life of violence. I've had no hope... I killed many, many people with these hands... people whose names I didn't know. People who had no quarrel with me... so, so many... Even today... I punched a man. I punched him, though I knew it wouldn't solve a thing... never again. I will never harm another person again. As of today... I am through with violence. I'll be reborn. And through that rebirth... make amends for what I've done! I have to... I have to fight... the true battle!"

- Thorfinn

Oath (誓い) is the 71st chapter of the Vinland Saga series.

Overview
In his dream, Thorfinn holds on to the earth's walls as dead warriors fight below him. He speaks to Askeladd, who is sitting on a nearby pillar and tells him this is the world of ultimate warfare where everyone is an enemy and where Thorfinn used to live. He says Thorfinn got out when he got hollowed out, and asks what fills him now that all that he was, a warrior, has been drained away. The dead men pile up and start reaching for Thorfinn, who tries to kick them off. Askeladd tells him they are all men he killed. Thorfinn realizes he does not even recognize them or remember when and how he killed them, and tearfully apologizes to them. Askeladd jumps down to slay cadavers who are shooting arrows at Thorfinn. He tells Thorfinn to climb on, take those he killed with him, fight his true battle and become a true warrior. Thorfinn determinedly climbs and wakes up on the road. He wakes Einar, who had passed out, and helps him walk. Thorfinn tearfully confesses to Einar that he's led a life of violence and has killed many people, but that he'll never hurt another person again, be reborn, make amends, and fight the true battle. Einar tells him he doesn't really get it, but thinks he sees. He tells Thorfinn they'll do it and be reborn together. Meanwhile, the farmhands demand that Ketil punish Einar and Thorfinn for fighting and wounding them, but Ketil presents them with one of Trygve's coat buttons, which Pater found with the sabotaged crops. The farmhands are forced to let go of their demands, lest they be punished themselves. Pater thanks Ketil, who brushes it off since it was the just thing to do and compliments Pater on his strong spirit. Determined, Thorfinn and Einar work the fields with renewed vigour, watched on by Sverkel.

Summary
Thorfinn hangs down, holding on to the earth's walls, as grotesque dead warriors wage war underneath him. He realizes, surprised, that they are laughing. He notices one of the dead soldiers is Bjorn. Askeladd, sitting on a tall pillar nearby with his bloody sword leaning on his shoulder, laughs and asks Thorfinn if he is still stuck up there, telling him it's been a while. He tells Thorfinn he never learns, since he came back again. He asks Askeladd if they're in Valhalla, but Askeladd tells him that would be much nicer and that this is the real world and an ultimate state of warfare, where all the shit winds up, the final destination of all warriors, where everyone is an enemy and no one ever wins or loses. He asks Thorfinn if he remembers that he used to live there, until he escaped, for better or worse, by getting hollowed out. Askeladd says he may not be in any position to say it, as the man who dragged him there, but that Thorfinn is lucky, since few ever get to leave. He asks Thorfinn what fills him now, since being a warrior was all that he was, but it's now all drained away. Thorfinn regretfully says he is still a warrior and that he's come back because he punched another man in anger. He laments that he is lowly and pathetic and never grows up or moves on. Askeladd interrupts his sob story and says that he can punish himself all he wants, but should open his eyes, since he's missing quite a sight. Thorfinn opens his eyes and sees that the cadavers are piling up over each other in a grotesque makeshift tower to try to get to him. He kicks at that and tells them to stay away. Askeladd laughs that kicking them is heartless and that he should at least hear their curses, and that Thorfinn should recognize them, since all of them are people he has killed. Thorfinn looks at them and admits to the dead men that he does not know who they are, or when or where he killed them. He cries, telling them he knows they didn't want to die, and tells them he is sorry. Askeladd smiles, then notices some of the dead soldiers at the bottom are shooting arrows at Thorfinn. He jumps down from his pillar and slays the archers, then tells Thorfinn to stop moping around and climb if he doesn't want to fall back down. He tells Thorfinn to let the dead men hang off of him and climb, to go and take those he killed with him to fight his true battle. Thorfinn determinedly climbs as Askeladd tells him to become a true warrior, an echo of his true last words to Thorfinn. Thorfinn regains consciousness, reaching up toward the sky. He recalls Askeladd's last words to him and remembers his dream. Thorfinn runs for Einar, who is laying nearby, and asks him if he is alive. Einar wakes up and guesses he got knocked out and fell asleep. Einar asks Thorfinn if his head is alright. and tells him they won the fight. Thorfinn helps Einar up and supports him as they start walking. Einar tells Thorfinn that they've really hit rock bottom, with their wheat ruined and their bodies a mess, on top of the fact they're going to be punished for fighting. He laughs and says that at least, he felt a weight off his chest when Thorfinn punched one of the farmhands. Thorfinn does not respond and starts to cry; Einar asks him what's wrong and if it's the pain. Thorfinn tells Einar that he needs to confess he led a life of violence, had no hope, and has killed many people whose names he didn't know and who had no quarrel with him. He says that even today, he punched a man even though he knew it wouldn't solve anything. He rubs his tears off with his arm and swears that he will never harm another person again, and as of today, he is through with violence. He says he will be reborn, make amends for what he's done, and fight the true battle. Einar tells him he doesn't really get it, but thinks he sees. He tells Thorfinn they'll do it and be reborn. The farmhands talk to Ketil. Pater stands by and listens, his tunic soiled. The farmhands are incensed when he says he will not punish Thorfinn and Einar. They argue that they've been wounded, that the slaves will think themselves better than they are if they're not put in their place, and that it will put the hierarchy of the farm at risk. Ketil tells them that there is equal blame in fights in most cases and asks them where is their reflection on their own actions, since they're so concerned with seeing their opponents punished. He lays an agate button on the table, which Pater found in the ruined fields. One of the farmhands, Trygve, recognizes the button as his. Ketil continues to say that it seems the button belonged to the person who committed the crime, and asks Trygve where his usual coat is. He says that if he investigates further, he will have to punish many people and would rather not do so. He states that wild pigs ruined the field and that there was no fight, and that that is the end of the matter. The farmhands leave, angry at Pater for exposing them and at Trygve for messing up. Inside, Pater thanks Ketil, who says it was right and true and that it would be unjust for even slaves to be punished after having their crops ruined and being attacked. He tells Pater that he has a strong spirit and asks if he does not fear being isolated by the others, but Pater says he's been hardened by his experiences, having once been a slave himself.

Einar and Thorfinn are already back in the fields, working with determination. Sverkel watches and tells Thorfinn to let the weight of the hoe carry the momentum, as otherwise he'll tire himself out by handling it so hard. Thorfinn welcomes the advice and keeps working.

Supplemental Material
The end of Chapter 71 includes a Map of Thorfinn's Travels (including information boxes for "Thorfinn's home village", with an image of Thors; "Southern Jutland", with images of Thorfinn, Ketil, Snake, Sverkel and Arnheid; and "Northern England", with an image of Einar.

The Afterword talks about boys growing into men.

Translation Notes: Thing, Thrall,

Bonus Story: For Our Farewell Is Near (Part 5)

Translation Notes (Bonus Story): "Truth (kanji)", Black ships, Toba-Fushimi, Yoshinobu, -dono, Ikedaya.

An Ask Yukimura Q&A is included, talking about theology and religion, the process of creating colour illustrations, and inspirations from historical slavery.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Thorfinn
 * Bjorn (dream)
 * Askeladd (dream)
 * Einar
 * Trygve
 * Ketil
 * Pater
 * Sverkel