Chapter 12

Morning.

Cyrus woke to the cries of seabirds, slowly crawled out from beneath the covers, and mumbled in a sleepy nasal voice, "Judas, I'm up."

"I'm here, my lord."

Judas's voice came from the foot of the bed.

Cyrus turned around and looked over groggily. He gave a small yawn and sat up, his soft nightclothes clinging to his body, the hem slightly curled up to reveal his fair little belly.

Judas walked to the bedside and gently pulled his nightclothes into place. "Are you ready to wash up, my lord?"

"Mhm." Cyrus nodded softly.

Judas immediately rang the bell.

Not long after.

Kelly pushed open the door, carrying a basin of water and washing supplies. Toby followed behind her with a towel in hand.

After Cyrus washed up, he took the towel and wiped his face, asking vaguely, "Does Gibran have a math test today?"

"Yes, my lord. My brother got up very early and went to Grandpa Nick's place."

Nick was the old accountant's name.

To help Gibran study more efficiently, Cyrus had subtly given the old accountant a few pointers, telling him to turn the material to be tested into exam papers.

There was a small test every half month and a major test every month.

Gibran's days were packed with study—literacy, mathematics, business management, and more.

Cyrus occasionally went to class with him as well, putting on a show. After all, a lord could not be illiterate.

He studied perfunctorily, skipping days as he pleased, yet still managed to score full marks on every test.

The castle servants unanimously believed that their little lord was a genius!

After helping Cyrus get dressed, Judas asked, "My lord, will you be attending the test today?"

Cyrus shook his head. "No. Tell Nick to save the exam paper for me. I'll do it when I have time. I'm going to the alchemy room today."

He needed to use alchemical experiments as a pretext to gradually demonstrate the effects of medicinal herbs.

Before that, his preparation had been to order people to dig up uncommon or rare plants from Par Mountain and bring them back to the castle.

After some time had passed, he would have the knights post notices throughout the city.

They stated that if commoners or slaves found or picked plants whose species and names they did not know, they could bring them to the castle and exchange them for a certain number of copper coins.

Over time, nearly everyone in Visas came to know that the lord seemed to be researching alchemy related to the uses of plants.

Afterward, commoners and slaves often went up the mountain or searched elsewhere for plants in exchange for copper coins, and the number of plants delivered to the castle began to multiply.

Cyrus's method proved remarkably effective.

By comparing them with the illustrations in Illustrated Guide to Chinese Medicinal Herbs, he quickly discovered medicinal herbs such as mugwort, plantain seeds, and nettles among the many plants.

These past few days, he had been immersed in the room used for alchemical experiments, researching how to turn medicinal herbs into potions or salves.

For that purpose, he had specifically exchanged reputation points for Chinese Medicinal Herb Potion Recipes and Complete Guide to Chinese Medicinal Herb Salves. His habit of studying on and off had slowly passed in the system's reading space.

He was actually very diligent and hardworking :)

Before going to the alchemy laboratory, Cyrus asked, "How much longer until the recruits' first round of training ends?"

"A little over half a month, my lord."

"I remember Ferdinand and Walker telling me more than two months ago that some knights wanted to join the training as well. Did they stick with it?"

"They have persisted, and they want to compete for the positions of platoon leader or company commander."

"Oh, I see." Cyrus said, "Once training is over, they'll all be assessed together. I just hope they don't embarrass themselves."

They had better not end up worse than commoners and slaves.

The soldiers trained for five days and rested for two. They were not allowed to leave the training camp freely.

During those two rest days, soldiers were permitted to return home to visit their parents and families, but no more than thirty people could leave at a time, and they took turns with approval.

At first, many commoners and slaves struggled to adapt to the high-intensity training, using the two days to rest and regain their strength.

After gradually getting used to it, some commoners and slaves did not relax their training even during rest periods, hoping to compete for positions as squad leaders or even platoon leaders. They refused to let themselves slack off in the slightest.

Mike Andrew was one of them.

He had not gone home for more than half a month. Today, taking advantage of the rest day, he submitted a report and was quickly approved.

When he passed a butcher shop in the city, Mike Andrew spent eight copper coins on some pork to bring home.

The neighbors of Mike Andrew's family were also slaves who had come from Komoy Fort. Their son was in the recruit training camp as well, but he had not returned today.

When their neighbor, Uncle Mock, saw him, he greeted him. "Mike, your parents are working at the salt-drying grounds today. They won't be home until before sunset."

Mock worked on the refined salt production line and had one day off after every six days.

Today was his day off.

Mike Andrew's parents, meanwhile, would not rest until tomorrow.

Mike Andrew nodded. "Thank you, Uncle Mock."

"No need to thank me. Hurry inside. Old Andrew will definitely be very happy when he sees you've come back." Mock laughed loudly.

After chatting for a few more moments, Mike Andrew finally went inside.

The place they lived in now had already changed enormously from when they had first arrived in Visas.

Old Andrew was skilled at carpentry.

At first, there had only been crude beds in the house, not even a table.

Now, however, it was cozy and fully furnished, filled with the necessary furniture and decorations. A few wildflowers adorned the windowsill, their petals trembling gently in the soft breeze, their faint fragrance lingering in the air.

Mike Andrew was in a particularly good mood. Seeing this, he could not sit still and began tidying up the house.

Before sunset, Old Andrew's hearty, booming voice rang out from outside the door.

After the initial joy.

Mike Andrew chatted with his father while his mother went to prepare dinner.

"I heard from Myle that your training has added quite a few new courses. You're exhausted every day, and you can eat two huge pieces of black bread at the cafeteria. They even serve some meat there too, right?"

Myle was Uncle Mock's son.

Mike Andrew gave a grunt. "There's plenty of food in the cafeteria, and we can eat until we're full every day. The training courses really have been increasing gradually, and some knights have joined as well."

That was precisely why he felt such urgency. He feared he would not even meet the standard to become a squad leader.

Old Andrew asked curiously, "You said before that all the training courses were devised by the lord. What did they add this time?"

"An 5,000-foot mountain run, 200-foot sprint drills, sit-ups, push-ups... wrestling, grappling, greatsword practice, spear thrusts, crawling, climbing... I stuck with all of them."

Mike Andrew listed many courses. Old Andrew listened with a complicated expression, feeling both heartache and relief, mixed with immense pride in his son.

Since entering the Soldiers' Training Camp.

He had watched his son undergo visible changes every time he came home. He had grown taller and stronger, walked with his back straight, and though Old Andrew could not say exactly what was different, he simply looked much more spirited.

And it was not only his son whose changes were obvious. Their own changes were clear as well.

They were still slaves, still working for an estate owner.

But in Visas, they had fixed working hours, one rest day after every six days, and earned far more copper coins than before. Such a life had once been too wonderful to even dream of.

"Oh, thank the Creator God. Thank the lord for his mercy!" Old Andrew could not help saying.

He now prayed to the Creator God every day, hoping that the lord would remain healthy and grow up safely.

"Yes, thank the lord!" Mike Andrew said devoutly.

Three months of training came to an end.

Cyrus returned once more to inspect the results.

The reserve soldiers, all dressed in black, stood neatly behind Fernandi Edward, while the regular soldiers, all dressed in white, stood neatly behind Walker William.

Cyrus waved his little hand, and their uniform greetings rang through the mountains and forest.

Gibran had come along for the first time and could not help widening his eyes.

Toby was even more stunned, his mouth hanging open in shock for a long while.

Cyrus sat on the raised platform and looked down. "You may begin."

The reserve soldiers demonstrated first, in groups of twelve. Fernandi Edward recorded the first-place finisher in each exercise. Then the regular soldiers demonstrated, with Walker William likewise recording the first-place finisher.

By the time the demonstrations finally ended, the sun was already close to setting.

Judas brought the parchment with the recorded names to Cyrus.

Cyrus accepted the parchment, rose from his chair, and walked to the edge of the platform. "I am very satisfied with the results of this demonstration. I believe you can all feel how much you yourselves have improved..."

"In my hand is the list of the first-place finishers from each exercise. Each of you will receive a reward of twenty copper coins..."

Before he could finish, the crowd below immediately erupted into excited commotion.

Walker William struck the gong, telling them to quiet down.

Cyrus continued, "Commander Fernandi and Commander Walker each have another list in their hands."

"It records each of your daily performances and your training results over the past month... Your commanders will use these two lists to divide you into squads. Those with the most outstanding performance will become the squad leaders."

"As for platoon leaders and company commanders, unfortunately, only a very small number of knights met the standard."

Yet the commoners and slaves did not feel disappointed. Instead, competitive fire rose in their hearts.

Especially those who had nearly reached the standard for squad leader, and those who had placed second in the demonstrations—they were filled with regret.

"The positions of squad leader and even company commander are not fixed forever."

"Each quarter's assessment will be based on your usual performance and demonstration results. If a squad leader fails to meet the standard, or if your results surpass the squad leader's, then you may become a squad leader or even a company commander."

"As long as you are willing to work hard, anything is possible."

The soldiers below listened with surging excitement.

Ferdinand and Walker spent some time dividing them into squads and announcing who would serve as each squad's leader.

Mike Andrew was among them. He had become the squad leader of Squad One.

Finally, Fernandi Edward stepped forward and shouted, "I hope you do not forget who gave you the honor you have today. It is because you live in Visas, because you have a wise and tolerant lord!"

"Swear it! You will forever pledge your loyalty to Lord Desinia!"

The soldiers on both sides straightened their bodies, clenched their right fists over their left chests, and made their solemn oath.

—"I shall devote my life to Lord Desinia! Until death, I shall defend Desinia's honor and glory!"