The Knight Order Arrives

Derek knew that compared to the sons of great noble houses, he had nothing.

The only thing he could do was craft a positive image for himself.

Repay kindness! Generous and forthright!

Never mind my background—would you like a friend who was such an easy mark?

Like him? If you did, why not lend him a hand? The rewards would come naturally afterward.

Cesar felt as though he were on an airplane, shooting straight into the clouds.

He had considered winning favor through kindness, but he had never expected the payoff to come so quickly—or so forcefully.

He tried hard to refuse, but Derek seemed even more agitated than he was.

He even put on an air of, if you don't want it, you're looking down on me; if you don't accept it, you're making an enemy of me.

With things having reached that point, could he refuse?

Of course not. Cesar led the warhorse out of Derek's camp in a daze.

It was not until he returned to the center of the military camp that he came back to his senses.

"Derek, Derek.

What a generous fellow. Looks like I didn't make the wrong friend."

One should repay a peach with a plum, and accepting gifts left one indebted. Naturally, he had to do something.

Thus, that very afternoon, Derek saw a group of high-quality recruits report for duty.

As the registration officer, who knew the makeup of the Second Legion better than Cesar?

These men from knightly or merchant families had virtually no connections. Bringing a few carefully selected soldiers with them, they joined the Second Legion.

Their backgrounds were clean, they looked spirited, and at the very least, they were not a motley bunch. They also had a certain level of education, enough to ensure obedience.

They were absolutely the finest recruits and junior officers.

Marco had even been deliberately separated from Derek. After all, the former was the Ferrera Family's eldest legitimate son, while Derek had been drifting about on his own outside. Who knew what unpleasantness might arise between them?

As Derek's friend, Cesar naturally had to lend him a hand.

The entire Second Legion swiftly completed its reorganization. By protocol, there were also messengers sent by Count Perez.

Derek's Triangular Flag flew high. From that day onward, he was the master of this chiliarch unit.

He then began a sweeping overhaul without hesitation, retaining one centuria and mixing the rest together with the newly arrived soldiers.

Following convention, he appointed some knights and soldiers from merchant backgrounds who had brought their own men as decurions, or even banner captains.

However, each decurion had to have a squad leader placed under him, while every banner captain would certainly have decurions loyal to Derek under his command.

Through these methods, he could rapidly take control of this chiliarch unit.

And with the Data Panel, he believed he would soon gain even firmer control over the army.

As a chiliarch with absolute authority, killing a few people at will would be all too easy.

That evening, Derek arranged a small gathering. Aside from his original subordinates, there was now a large group of junior officers as well.

Adrian, for example, led an entire centuria and served as Derek's Standard Bearer.

It was truly a case of one man rising to power and bringing all those around him along.

Had he relied on himself, he might not have received such an opportunity even after struggling for a lifetime.

Adrian became even more convinced that he had made the right choice.

One meal could not win everyone's wholehearted loyalty, but it could at least help them get to know one another.

Derek met his new subordinates one by one and told them frankly, "An army is not child's play. Perhaps some of you have studied military knowledge, but that is not enough to take on greater responsibilities.

"Marching and deployment, commanding soldiers, even logistics management—there is much to learn in all of them.

"I was born into a military noble family and served in the Perez Knight Order during my years as a knight. I consider myself to have a little more experience than all of you. If there is anything you do not understand going forward, you may ask me. Otherwise, if you delay a battle at the battlefield, do not blame me for showing no mercy."

He had legitimacy, had displayed his strength before everyone, and even possessed both background and military experience.

Perhaps some people were dissatisfied with Derek becoming a chiliarch, but none of those present had any right to be dissatisfied.

Cesar had saved him a great deal of trouble. These were truly excellent recruits.

Derek felt that warhorse had been well worth giving away.

The next day, the Second Legion set out in winding columns, departing in batches.

Though ten thousand men might not sound like much, for this era, it was already a massive army.

Not just anyone had the qualifications and ability to command such a huge force.

Even marching did not mean everyone simply surged forward in a mass.

Formations, batches, front and rear.

As a newcomer, Derek had no duties. He simply marched along obediently.

Count Perez's direct troops, meanwhile, had to shoulder the vanguard's duty of clearing the way.

The regular officers who held kingdom posts were assigned many tasks as well.

The temporarily conscripted troops still needed training.

It was no wonder others looked down on such temporary formations. The gap truly was vast.

However, the officers at the chiliarch level were all experienced, so no trouble arose. They could not manage much else anyway.

They trudged along for five days. Ironwall City had now been under siege for fifteen days.

That day, waves of hoofbeats sounded, and the entire Second Legion stirred uneasily.

Derek rode to higher ground to take a look. Count Perella made no move, but as the cavalry passed the Tenth Chiliarch Unit, he saw a familiar emblem.

"It's the Perella Knight Order!"

The familiar Eagle-Head Banner, which he had once seen every day.

He had been wondering why he had not seen the Perella Knight Order before. He had not expected them to arrive now.

Judging by their numbers, they had doubled in size, and their ranks were orderly. They were not soldiers gathered haphazardly.

"Knight Squires, and knights who have served before."

Derek immediately understood. Every year, there were quite a few retired knights and Knight Squires like himself, and Count Perella could not afford to keep so many men.

Yet over the years, the count had spent his own money helping neighboring nobles and merchants train knights. He was no great philanthropist.

At a time when men were needed, a single summons brought large numbers of former knights and Knight Squires back into the Perella Knight Order.

Bringing their own horses and weapons, these knights had completed knightly training and survived independently in the outside world. Their combat strength was not low.

Once gathered together, they formed a powerful Knight Order.

As soon as the Perella Knight Order arrived, the Northern Province Second Legion, which had undergone preliminary integration, immediately accelerated.

Over the past days, the various chiliarchs had not been idle. All of them had gained initial control over their troops.

The newly joined soldiers and peasants had also adapted to the army's rhythm.

The sudden increase in speed caused no chaos. It even looked orderly and well organized.

If they could find opportunities to fight a few more battles, the Northern Province Second Legion would basically develop combat effectiveness.

"As expected of an old general seasoned by countless battles."

Derek had learned something. This was all Count Perella's handiwork.

It appeared that he had made no major moves, but through subtle adjustments, he had already completed the integration.

Of course, that was also because Count Perella had a qualified officer corps. If some court noble had been put in his place, he probably would not even have figured out who was who yet.