Leaving Silco's laboratory full of bottles and jars, Louis pulled on his cloak, followed the stone road through the gates, and arrived at the knight training grounds outside the Red Tide Fief's city.
What had once been a simple drill ground had long since expanded into several adjoining training camps.
The morning frost had yet to melt. The air smelled of vegetation and steel, and the dull thuds of clashing battle aura echoed in the distance.
Louis stopped in a small pavilion on high ground, his gaze sweeping over the entire field.
"Hah!"
A chorus of battle cries split the air. Dozens of Apprentice Knights drilled in formation, red battle aura glimmering through the gaps in their armor like blazing flames.
They practiced formation charges, shield walls, battle aura trials, and other daily drills.
The Red Tide Fief now had 1,283 knights under its banner.
Of those, 173 had reached the Elite Knight rank.
In the Northern Frontier, that number alone was enough to leave other local lords sleepless with envy.
Moreover, the knights of the Red Tide Knight Order were roughly a dozen years younger on average than those of conventional noble orders, brimming with fighting spirit and steadily honing their skills.
Most importantly, they were obedient, united, and loyal.
But for Louis, that was still nowhere near enough.
Given the fief's current expansion and the pressure on its borders, their numbers would have to multiply several times over before they could truly provide military coverage everywhere.
After all, this land would not give him a moment to breathe. That was why recruitment had to continue.
In the wake of the insect plague and snow disaster, vast numbers of unattached knights had been left wandering the Northern Frontier.
To that end, the Red Tide Fief had been recruiting intensively: