Guard Training Method

Lin Ke wanted to see whether the system's wording was open to interpretation or whether there was only one way to complete the task.

[Task completed]

[You have proclaimed yourself King of Azan before your bloodline awakening]

[Reward: awaiting collection]

Well, damn!

A glimmer of delight appeared in Lin Ke's eyes.

Just as I thought!

The system had not actually meant for him to overthrow his father right now.

It was just like the previous task, his very first one.

Back then, the system had told him to go outside a castle and use vocal mimicry to wear away the King of the Gods' last sliver of life.

The reward had even been listed as "unknown."

His first instinct had been to refuse.

Come on, that was the King of the Gods! The God King!

Was this system insane?

Still, curious about what the God King looked like, Lin Ke had shaken off the servant following him and gone to take a look.

What he found was a dying King of the Gods...

So, judging by that, the system did not seem to give him impossible tasks, and the methods for completing them were open to interpretation.

The current task was the same.

With that in mind, Lin Ke would know what to do when new tasks appeared.

As for the task reward, that so-called follower, Lin Ke planned to claim it later when he had time and see what he got.

While Lin Ke pondered, the first wife took a small sip of fruit nectar from her silver goblet at the dining table, then cleared her throat. "By the way, there's something I'd like to mention."

Everyone, who had been mulling over Lin Ke's words, turned their attention back to the first wife.

Her eyelids were half lowered, giving her an air of languid elegance.

"The purchasing party is going into town tomorrow to buy a few things. This time, they can take two extra people. Would any of you like to go?"

As she spoke, the first wife glanced at Lin Ke twice, a smile in her eyes.

She meant that she was the one who truly called the shots in Azan Castle.

That's what she means, right? A provocation?

Lin Ke found it amusing.

After all, Steward Billy had been reporting many matters to him lately, though they were only reports, not requests for permission.

Still...

Isn't a trip into town something you arrange privately? Why bring it up here?

Lin Ke was puzzled. Besides, the leader of the purchasing party usually chose any extra passengers.

The purchasing party had supplies to buy, while the extra passengers mostly went into town to stroll around and have fun, returning after two or three days. Usually, only young girls liked that sort of thing...

Wait.

Oh no. Young girls?!

Lin Ke turned his head slightly to look at his mother.

Sure enough, a strong flicker of anticipation crossed her eyes, mixed with a little hesitation.

Life in the castle was certainly comfortable, but the new sights and experiences in town were what truly interested her.

Clearly, the first wife had brought this up at dinner to get Lin Ke's mother out of the castle!

And there just happened to be two spare places. What were the odds...?

Lin Ke gulped down a mouthful of juice with the gusto of someone knocking back a glass of seventy-proof pure-alcohol Moutai from 1982.

So... what motive or scheme does the first wife have for sending Mother and me away...?

Could she be using this chance to get rid of my personal manservant, Little John?

Just a few minutes ago, the first wife had accused his manservant of wagging his tongue. Who knew whether she might have John's tongue ripped out once he and his mother left?

At that thought, he was about to offer an excuse.

But when he saw the anticipation in his mother's eyes, the words took a different turn on their way out. "Mother and I will go, along with my manservant John."

He had to include John, or his mother would surely say that only the two of them were going.

His mother had been about to speak. She opened her mouth without saying anything, glanced at Lin Ke twice, then nodded. "Yes, yes, the three of us will go."

Lin Ke knew that his mother, a girl from a commoner family, did not have many opinions of her own and was often easily led by his words.

Although he did wonder about it. A carefree innocence like his mother's was usually something only great noble houses could nurture.

Mother is from a great noble house? Don't be ridiculous.

What child of a great noble house would marry down to a viscount, and as his second wife at that, practically a concubine?

At that moment, after hearing Lin Ke's words, the first wife frowned. "There are only two extra places. Too many people would be inconvenient."

Just as I thought!

Lin Ke felt he had guessed correctly. The first wife might well be planning to target Little John.

Perhaps after killing him, she could conveniently plant one of her own people at Lin Ke's side.

That was how all the palace intrigue dramas went.

"You and Mother are as close as sisters, Auntie. One extra person won't make any difference, right?" Lin Ke said in his babyish voice.

Unexpectedly, the first wife did not make things difficult. She set down her empty juice cup and waved a hand. "Very well."

"Great!" Lin Ke's mother happily pumped her fist, then pinched his little cheek.

Clearly, just being able to go out and have fun was enough to delight her.

Looking at his mother's immature behavior, Lin Ke could only feel helpless.

A girl like her really posed no threat to the first wife. No wonder she had not gotten rid of his mother after all these years.

Seeing Lin Ke's mother's playful behavior, even the first wife across the table pinched the bridge of her nose. "Little sister, you must remember to conduct yourself as a noblewoman."

Lin Ke's mother knew she had gotten carried away too. She stuck out her tongue sheepishly. "I know."

And so...

The first wife looked distracted, thinking about who knew what; Lin Ke's mother was in high spirits; and Lin Ke kept thinking about his "follower with exceptional potential."

The three quickly finished dinner and left the dining room, leaving the servants to swiftly clear away the dishes and leftovers.

Evening.

With Steward Billy and Little John following behind him, Lin Ke arrived at the open ground outside the castle.

From the outside, the castle was immense. Ten Western-style arrow towers stood around its base, with a ring of projecting balconies higher up. The uppermost level belonged to Azan's master and housed his study and bedroom.

Apart from its black exterior, the castle bore vivid red patterns and seven or eight hanging flags emblazoned with "Azan."

Those patterns were said to be the work of someone with the [Architect] profession, capable of reinforcing the stone walls and improving the castle's defenses.

And red was Azan's primary color.

Whether butler, servant, or slave, everyone bore some trace of red on their body or clothing. This was a "new tradition" introduced by Lin Ke's bastard father.

The entire castle resembled a black gemstone veined with red, and was about the size of some tiny county seats or towns Lin Ke had seen in his previous life.

Packed tightly enough, it could probably hold over a hundred thousand people.

In reality, however, even counting the servants' families and the slaves, the castle housed fewer than ten thousand people.

And those ten thousand people currently served just Lin Ke and the two women.

That was the kind of era this was.

Lin Ke glanced back at the castle, then turned his gaze forward again.

A thousand guards stood before him.

Aside from the thirty arrow-tower guards and the guard captain, all the guards were present.

Lin Ke looked at them with his hands behind his back and shouted in his babyish voice, "At ease! Attention!"

The thousand men crowded before him varied in height, build, and age.

The only thing they shared was the clanging of their rusty iron boots when they snapped to attention.

They were not allowed to wear their proper equipment ordinarily. That required permission, and all that equipment was kept securely locked away.

"At ease!" "At ease!"...

"Attention!" "Attention!"...

Clang! Clang! Clang!...

After four or five rounds, Lin Ke finally nodded in satisfaction. "Very good. Now, run three laps around the castle. Remember to chant, and keep your formation! Ready... go!"

At his command, the guards ran off.

"Azan, Azan..."

The pronunciation of Azan sounded like a blend of Latin and Chinese, and when shouted, it sounded much like the "Lan Language."

Chanting "Azan" as they ran was like calling out "one, two, one."

Watching the rows of guards run off, Steward Billy offered praise from beside him. "Your bloodline must be exceptionally fine, young master. Such an ingenious training method might impress even the master himself."

"It's nothing special," Lin Ke replied modestly.

Steward Billy had served at his bastard father's side when he was young, so he had supposedly seen many races whose members showed intelligence at an early age.

Generally speaking, no matter the creature, precocious intelligence very likely indicated an excellent bloodline.

Thus, when Butler Billy first discovered Lin Ke's precocious intelligence, he had secretly sworn to protect his master's child with his life.

Lin Ke, in turn, had come to trust Butler Billy after certain incidents and tests, and called him Uncle Billy.

"What's the point of this?" John asked from beside him, pointing at the guards in bewilderment.

At ease, attention, and a bit of running.

The corners of Lin Ke's mouth curled upward.

What's the point?

Heh. Foolish otherworlders.

P.S. Foolish Earthlings, hand over your recommendation votes and monthly votes!