Farewell and Training

Farewell, Training

Spring nights still carried a chill. In the seaside town, lacking entertainment, most people had already drifted into dreams. In the quiet wooden house, only the sound of Roderick's leather boots scraping across the floor could be heard.

"Low-level mages have limited use in small-scale military conflicts. Their burst damage is insufficient, and their endurance is constrained by mana recovery. Aside from a few large-area control spells with notable effects, their overall combat strength is actually inferior to elite warriors. Their cost-effectiveness is practically bottomless."

"I understand. Before they mature, psykers are inevitably no match for Space Marines. Let's set magic aside for now. What's going on with the Holy Light? Why can I suddenly use it again?" Roderick could not make sense of this wondrous world either.

"Your souls could be said to have almost completely fused. I remember that you prayed to the Holy Light back then."

"..."

"There is no Inquisition of the Imperium here, Lieutenant. The positive energy within it aids your organ modifications, suppressing rejection reactions to a minimum. With the support of Holy Light, the first phase of the physical modification plan can be completed ahead of schedule."

Tonight would be another sleepless night. Albert's notes needed sorting, as did Remilia's belongings for tomorrow, along with the Guard's specific training methods. Antoine, who had gone traveling, would be returning soon as well...

When Remilia woke up, she found all her clothes neatly folded inside her suitcase. A simple breakfast sat on the table: hot milk, soft sweet wheat bread, and a plate of small gingerbread cookies.

"Remi, after breakfast, we're going to the cemetery outside town."

"Mm."

The brother and sister stood solemnly before their mother's gravestone, the resting place of a great mother: the grave of Elaine Northumberland. Remilia gently placed down the Peacebloom their mother had loved most in life. Morning dew still clung to its white petals, giving off a faint fragrance.

"Mom, I'm going to Dalaran to study magic. I'm doing well, and so is my brother. Everyone treats us very well..." The figures had already gone far away. Dew slowly slipped from the petals, soon vanishing into the damp earth.

When Roderick escorted his sister to Albert's house, Morris was already prepared. Remilia's clothes and daily necessities filled two large trunks. Strangely enough, she was also holding a potted plant in her arms—a thriving Peacebloom blooming brightly in the sunlight.

With teleportation imminent, Remilia gave her brother one final tight hug. Holding back the tears at the corners of her eyes, she waved goodbye. In the blink of an eye, she had appeared before the gates of the Tower of Stars. Albert also needed to go to the Battlemage Corps garrison on the other side of Dalaran to apply for registration. Gathering her courage, Remilia pushed open the doors of the white tower. A new world was about to unfold before her.

Remi had left, and Albert was temporarily gone as well. Roderick set aside his needless sense of loss. Over the next while, improving the combat capabilities of these Guard members as much as possible was the foremost priority of his work.

It was still the familiar training ground and familiar crowd. Yet the same people now carried themselves entirely differently from a few days ago. The former militia had been nothing more than a rabble, lacking even the courage to charge a small Murloc force. The current Guard members might still need improvement in their combat skills, but their fighting spirit had become far more tenacious. At the very least, defending against some Murloc warriors' attacks would no longer be a problem.

The soldiers before him were still not standing in perfectly orderly ranks, but their posture and mental state satisfied Roderick greatly. "The numbers are in. The Southshore Guard currently has ninety-three registered members. The remaining personnel have formed the Southshore Constabulary, with a total of one hundred and eighty-seven members. Some former militia members voluntarily withdrew due to weak health, injuries, and other reasons." Alwyn's eyes were dark-rimmed and bloodshot, and he looked far more haggard. He had been running himself ragged these past few days.

Yet he did not look dejected. On the contrary, he was full of drive. "Recruitment efforts in Hillsbrad have drawn few applicants. They have their own Hillsbrad Militia there, with members almost entirely composed of local farmers. Oh, and Yug—the bald man from Jade Mine. Aside from the group that came with him, he has also brought along some northern refugees. But those people are of average physical quality, so getting into the Guard is out of the question. He said some people were clamoring to return to the mine to work, and he has temporarily calmed them down. Still, we have no better way to solve their livelihood problem." Adrian still looked as energetic as ever, without any sign of fatigue.

"Don't rush. We'll find a way eventually. It's about time. Arnold, begin." Roderick had complete confidence in his own force.

A low, mournful sound rang out as Arnold blew the horn. Urged on loudly by the other knights, the crowd quickly assembled beneath two fluttering banners. One was the blue lion banner of the Kingdom of Stormwind; the other was the white double-headed eagle banner of the fallen Kingdom of Lordaeron.

Mayor Heni and several council members observed the entire ceremony from the side, smiles covering their faces. They seemed highly satisfied with the Guard's condition. After the mayor spoke, a priest of the Church of the Holy Light blessed the establishment of the Guard. Roderick offered no needless words. Under his lead, everyone raised their weapons and shouted in unison. Southshore's new Guard had officially raised its banner.

After seeing off the mayor and his group, they moved on to the tedious work of issuing equipment. Every Guard member received the same set: shield, breastplate, longsword, and helmet. Once fully equipped, the formation no longer had the ragged, mismatched look of a militia force. Instead, it possessed some of the imposing bearing once displayed by the infantry of the Kingdom of Lordaeron.

The force of more than ninety men was simply divided into three squads. Alwyn, Adrian, Chris, Red, and even the young Darezzo were appointed officers responsible for commanding the troops. Arnold listened until the very end without hearing his own name. He knew he had nearly gotten Roderick killed last time and had mentally prepared himself, but when the moment truly came, he could not help feeling dejected.

"Arnold is appointed my adjutant, and will also serve as clerk of the Southshore Guard, responsible for handling all of the Guard's documents."

"Yes, sir. Arnold will not fail in his duty." Arnold's emotions soared and crashed so violently that he happily replied, his earlier unhappiness disappearing without a trace.

It was not as though Roderick insisted on favoring his own people. The young officers appointed so far came from a broad range of backgrounds, though nearly all were born into noble families. There were also people like Alwyn, the son of a blacksmith. His father owned Southshore's largest smithy and was responsible for maintaining all weapons and equipment, making his status important.

Or there were those like Darezzo, who came from a wealthy merchant family. His family owned a fleet primarily engaged in maritime trade with Stormwind City and Menethil Harbor, and they were the richest family in Southshore.

In this era, anyone able to receive knightly training from childhood was either a noble or the child of a wealthy merchant, without exception. The vast lower class could not even guarantee basic food and clothing, much less afford expensive weapons and equipment for military training.

Several days of recruitment in town, along with searching among the original ranks, had failed to uncover anyone with strength beyond that of ordinary people. This disappointed Roderick for days. In the world of Azeroth, as an ordinary mortal, even reaching the highest level only made one a 135-gold adventurer—a stepping stone for countless heroic figures.

Among the junior officers, the only exception besides these people was Yug. He had a sturdy build and tremendous prestige among the refugees. Of all the soldiers, he was the one Roderick thought most highly of. He arranged basic infantry training for everyone: simple thrusts, chops, recovering their blades, and shield-blocking movements. Once they mastered these, they could move on to combined actions and footwork.

"Darezzo, spar with me. Let's see whether you've been slacking off lately." Roderick had always wanted some face-to-face training so he could gain the most direct understanding of this world's power system.

"Let's be clear in advance—I can't beat you, but that doesn't mean my training is the problem." Darezzo said with a bitter expression.

The two took their stances at the edge of the training ground, with Adrian acting as referee. The instant the command was given, Darezzo first cast Blessing of Might on himself, activated Seal of Righteousness, and faint white light spread beneath his feet—the signature Devotion Aura of a paladin. Following the image in his memories, Roderick did not rush to attack. He likewise layered himself in buffs. The two men on the field were immediately bathed in radiance, looking exceptionally dazzling.

Though weaker than his opponent, Darezzo was young and hot-blooded. He swung his warhammer and charged in, completely abandoning defense. Roderick also wanted to familiarize himself with a paladin's fighting style. He slightly raised his shield, held his one-handed longsword at an angle, and waited calmly for his opponent's arrival.

With a boom, the warhammer smashed viciously into the shield. Roderick steadily lowered his center of gravity into a half-bow stance, bleeding away the tremendous force transmitted through the shield. Just as he prepared to counterattack, another violent burst of energy struck his arm. It would not cause much damage, but it perfectly interrupted his adjustment, forcing him to continue defending against Darezzo's fierce assault. Knowing such attacks would achieve little, Darezzo twisted his body. The howling warhammer swept in a semicircle toward Roderick's sword arm as he shouted, "Judgment of Justice!" Golden energy surged forth.

Rather than retreating, Roderick advanced, pressing himself close to his opponent. He lightly struck Darezzo's wrist with his sword, then raised his shield to block the incoming Judgment of Light.

Darezzo felt as though someone had smashed his wrist with a hammer. His hand went weak, and the swinging warhammer naturally lost its killing power. His opponent had already closed in before him, leaving him, with a hammer in hand, in an unfavorable position. He reacted quickly, instantly swinging a transparent hammer wrapped in Holy Light at Roderick.

Roderick only had time to raise his shield before he was stunned in place. This Hammer of Justice, formed of energy, struck directly at his soul. Raising his shield did nothing to evade it.

The Space Marine enhancement surgery revealed its power at that moment. Under the command of the central nervous system, his two hearts pumped vast quantities of blood carrying oxygen and the energy his body required throughout his body under immense pressure. In only a brief moment, Roderick broke free from the stun. Darezzo was still applying Seal of the Crusader nearby and retreating backward.

When the shield infused with Holy Light slammed into Darezzo's chest, he cried out miserably and was sent flying several meters. The hammer clenched in his hand fell to the ground, and he lay there, unable to rise for the moment.

The outcome was already clear. Roderick cast Holy Light on him. Bathed in positive energy, Darezzo's complexion finally returned to normal.

"Captain, your shield hurts way too much when it hits someone. And why did Hammer of Justice last so much less time? I still had a combo I hadn't used yet." Darezzo got to his feet, rubbing the spot on his chest that was beginning to bruise as he complained incessantly.

"You've improved quite a bit lately. When you get home, remember to have your family apply some ointment. All right, go train too. Later, inform them to come to the Southshore Inn tonight. There's something I need to discuss with everyone." Roderick adjusted his breathing and looked exceptionally relaxed.

"And remember to notify Yug. Don't forget."

After Roderick left the group, Arnold teased Darezzo with a smirk. "Darezzo, you've got some guts. You can be vice-captain from now on, hahaha."

"I'm not a coward like you, without even the courage to challenge him," Darezzo retorted angrily.

"I can't beat the captain, but dealing with you would be easy. The usual rules—ten bottles of Southshore Spirits."

"Bring it on, then. Hammer of Justice!"

"A sneak attack? You shameless brat..."