Military Stance Training

The last time Field had given them eggs, quite a few had greedily swallowed them whole after barely chewing, choking until their eyes rolled back. The scarcity of food had left them desperate for protein, and many still savored the taste of those eggs in their dreams.

They had thought that treat would never come again. They had never expected the eggs they dreamed of to return so soon.

"It's simple. Follow my lead."

Field demonstrated the military stance used during student military training in Huaguo, then patiently corrected them one by one.

These were the best of the guards, and Field had high hopes for them. Barring any surprises, they would form the backbone of his future army.

Once that was done, Field had a male servant bring him a chair and took out an hourglass to time them.

"Hold out for half an hour, and the eggs are yours." Field flashed a devilish smile.

Iron Hammer awkwardly stuck out his backside, doing his best to stand ramrod straight. His hands pressed clumsily against the sides of his hips, and his feet had to turn outward at a particular angle.

This might be one of those funny performances nobles like. Iron Hammer had heard that nobles enjoyed watching clowns. He had never seen a clown, but he guessed they probably looked like he did now. Still, it's worth it for the eggs. Can anything be more tiring than hauling bricks or mining?

Before long, Iron Hammer discovered just how terrifying standing at military attention could be.

Even after purification with Purification Potions and Field's lord ability, Nightfall Territory's farmland had yet to recover completely. It was soft and mushy, as though rain had just fallen, and Iron Hammer felt he could barely keep his footing.

To the spectators, however, the ground was not the problem. The people standing on it were trembling, their legs shaking like limp noodles. As heaviness spread through their bodies, the guards realized that standing still was no easy task. The tingling aches were as painful as hauling heavy loads all day.

Cold sweat streamed down Iron Hammer's body. He gritted his teeth and silently encouraged himself.

For the eggs.

Several guards repeated those words silently. Even as their bodies swayed, they gritted their teeth and held on.

The corners of Field's mouth lifted involuntarily as he glanced at the hourglass. "Sure enough, material rewards are a powerful motivator."

Only after leisurely finishing a cup of black tea did Field announce a break. Relief washed over the guards, and they collapsed in a heap like puddles of mud.

"My lord, a stroke of genius. This is exactly how they should be treated." Kao, the steward, came over to report after taking inventory in the wine cellar, carrying sheets of paper with the ink still wet. Seeing Field "tormenting" the guards, he assumed Field had grasped the key to being a noble: not treating people as human beings.

Kao immediately felt deeply reassured.

"Oh? You understand the power of discipline too?" Field was astonished and even straightened in his chair. The significance behind military stance training was not something a medieval person could readily understand. He had never expected his steward to have such a forward-thinking outlook.

Kao rubbed his nose in confusion. "Discipline? I mean that when dealing with slaves, you ought to keep finding new ways to torment them. That's how you make them obedient."

"Oh. Never mind, then." Thoroughly disappointed, Field slouched back against his chair and gave a mischievous smile. "This isn't torment. It's training. They've done very well, so I've decided to give them extra eggs at lunch."

"Eggs? For the slaves again?" Kao froze as though struck by lightning. His mouth opened and closed, and he nearly passed out. "My lord, this is the second time you've done something so absurd. Slaves should be fed the lash, not eggs!"

Kao could just about call stuffing glittering gold coins into an ugly old witch's "treasure cave" creative, but giving slaves eggs made his heart ache at the waste.

Kao would swear that Field's actions were utterly bizarre and outrageous by the standards of the entire Empire.

Not even the most unruly wastrel in the imperial capital would come up with such an inventive way to squander money.

Watching the steward repeatedly tug at his collar to cool himself down, Field was inwardly amused. He reassured him, "This is the Cursed Land. Of course we can't follow the same rules as ordinary regions. Every rule here will be new. I'm sure you'll get used to it. By the way, how did the wine inventory go?"

"That's precisely why I'm here." Turning to business, the steward handed Field the results and reported excitedly, "Measured in standard Sherry Casks, we have three casks of Barley Wine, seven of Mead, seven of Olive Wine, and twenty-four of Black Pearl Grapes Wine. We also discovered some precious Sparkling Wine, otherwise known as Champagne, though there's only one cask."

The first three were commoners' drinks. The grape wine was what held real value.

"That's much better than I expected. Excellent." Field stood and paced back and forth, his heart pounding with too much excitement to let him sit still. He laughed heartily. "Our top priority now is turning all of it into cash. I won't feel secure until it's become glittering gold coins."

If monsters slipped in and wrecked the place, that money would go down the drain.

"Kao, assign some slaves to load the wagons with enough provisions for forty people for ten days. Oh, and fodder for the horses too. You're responsible for checking that nothing is missing. I'm going to Mapleleaf City myself to visit the local nobles and find buyers for the wine."

"Isn't... isn't that too risky? The Death Miasma is no laughing matter. We're unlikely to be as lucky as last time. If we run into a large corpse tide, something could easily go wrong. My lord, couldn't you just have the Chosen One lead the expedition?" Kao raised his objections, furtively looking around. Only after confirming that Ashina was absent did he breathe a sigh of relief. He did not like that frightening demihuman one bit. "Besides, we've only been in Nightfall Territory for a few days. Everyone needs your leadership."

Field sighed helplessly. Not going himself would be the dangerous choice.

If Ashina fell, Field would have no hope of holding the Grand Winery.

Without the Mini-Map, Ashina was certain to run into huge corpse tides, and not just one or two. Field knew exactly how dangerous the Northern Frontier Province was. They were like people splashing around in an ocean of corpse ghouls. The slightest mistake would spell their doom.

"This is an order. Just carry it out properly."

Field waved a hand and turned his face away, not bothering to explain. Kao was one of only two literate people in the territory, but that did not make him a capable administrator. Sending the Chosen One to trade would be as good as telling the entire Empire that Field, an unfavored minor baron with no backing and no allies, possessed a precious Chosen One.

No matter what, Field could neither lose Ashina nor expose her to outsiders.

"Hmm? What are those two up to?"

Field noticed two female slaves quietly discussing something as they walked toward the outskirts of the territory.

"Maybe it's a little secret between women. Or gossip. Or... a conspiracy."

A conspiracy was unlikely. Without a Mist-Driving Lamp, they could only escape if they awakened as Chosen Ones on the spot.

They were probably going off to slack off. Field had plenty of experience with slacking off.