After Ang returned to the territory from Pat City, he temporarily set aside the warnings about the Black Magic Society and refocused on the territory's affairs. He knew that, as the lord, he could not let his emotions show and affect those around him. That night, he reviewed materials alone in his study and made some preparations for the coming arrangements.
Early the next morning, sunlight filled the courtyard, and the air carried a fresh scent. Ang had sent guards at dawn to summon Aida, Bruno, and several core members of the guard unit. Within half an hour, all five had gathered in the office and bowed in greeting.
"Have a seat." Ang waved a hand, signaling for the guards to bring in several chairs.
Once everyone was seated, Bruno was the first to speak. "My lord, did you summon us for some instructions?"
Ang smiled faintly, his tone gentle. "No rush. First, tell me how things have been going. How is the guard unit's training progressing now?"
Bruno scratched his head and answered somewhat bashfully, "My lord, the training has been going fairly smoothly. We've been following the standards you set before. But we've recruited many new people recently, and some of them need time to adapt."
Ang nodded and turned his gaze toward Aida. "Aisha told me that the guard unit is nearing two hundred members now. Is that right?"
Aida smiled and replied, "Big Brother, we've already passed two hundred. Most of the recent recruits are from the group we rescued from the bandits' hideouts."
"How are they doing?" Ang asked with evident concern. "Can they keep up with the training?"
Aida gave a confident smile. "They can. Quite a few of them are strong. Several have even reached the level of Junior Squire."
Ang raised his