The brand-new gray wall bricks looked utterly out of place amid the surrounding world, where everything had been eroded to an earthy yellow by the sand.
A black eagle banner fluttered atop the Lord's Hall.
Leonard knew that it was his new lord's personal crest.
A sleepy-eyed soldier emerged from the barracks, stretching as he asked, "Old Leonard, what's going on?"
"Is it time for drills? I heard that Lord Moder is a very strict officer. If we're late, we'll definitely get whipped."
"See for yourselves!"
Leonard raised his hand, wanting to point, but fearing it might be disrespectful, he quickly lowered it again.
Besides the newly refurbished castle, which was in no way inferior to that of a great lord, a massive stone barracks had also been built on an open stretch of ground beside the walls.
Two banners hung from the barracks tower.
One was the familiar Black Eagle banner. The other had a red field, emblazoned with a mounted warrior wielding a lance and bearing wings on his back.
"Did any of you hear anything last night?"
"No! There's no way such a magnificent building could have been erected in a single night!"
The castle's main keep was one thing. From the outside, it merely looked as though it had been completely renovated.
But this stone barracks had clearly risen from nothing overnight!
"A miracle!"
"It's a miracle!"
"This is the will of the Heavenly Father!"
Leonard instinctively muttered, "My lord is one of God's Chosen!"
At some point, Lothar had appeared behind Leonard. Wearing a silk shirt, he made the sign of the cross over his chest. "That's right. This is the will of the Heavenly Father."
His face remained composed, untouched by praise or humiliation. "There's no need to make such a fuss. Miracles are