Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Soldier Squad in Position
After listening to Kaelon’s explanation, Duane roughly understood the situation.
Spiritual Power was indeed necessary for Mages, but that didn’t mean other people didn’t have it.
On the contrary, everyone had Spirit; it was just a matter of whether it was high or low.
Returning to the topic of a Warrior’s breakthrough.
The cultivation of a Fighting Qi Seed was actually a measure of a person’s overall state of being.
Some people clearly had enough Strength but were unable to cultivate a Fighting Qi Seed and break through. This was often because their overall state of being was slightly lacking.
Kaelon accompanied Duane into the inner courtyard of the castle.
"The Spiritual Power required to become a Basic-level Warrior is lower than what’s needed to become a Mage, but it’s still a hurdle many people never overcome in their lifetime."
Some people’s Spirit growth is inherently low, and not even medicine can make up for it.
As he spoke, he couldn’t help but glance at Duane, as if the Baron before him would have a hard time crossing that threshold.
Duane agreed. ’This must be what people call a bottleneck, right?’
"My lord, you should get some rest. You might have a busy day tomorrow."
Kaelon prepared to leave. "Training should also be balanced. Pushing too hard often leads to poor results."
"Thank you for the reminder. That’s enough for tonight. I appreciate your hard work."
"It is my duty."
After seeing Kaelon off, Duane took a bath, washing away the fatigue from their sparring session.
Lying on his soft bed, he allocated his remaining 0.1 attribute points to Spirit.
He sensed it for a moment. It seemed this small increase in Spirit didn’t bring about any noticeable change.
Then, Duane closed his eyes and began to process the massive flow of information that came with his Basic Swordsmanship breaking through to Mastery.
Persistence and good self-discipline were habits Duane had developed over his years of living alone, and this remained true even after crossing over to this Otherworld.
Despite how busy the day had been, he still woke up early the next morning to train.
On one hand, he wanted to familiarize himself with his Mastery Level Basic Swordsmanship and fully integrate the insights he had gained. Unfortunately, this process didn’t increase his Skill Level in Basic Swordsmanship.
On the other hand, he also needed to start practicing Spirit Swordsmanship, no longer just reading the Sword Manual.
After about an hour and a half of practice, his Spirit Swordsmanship Skill Level increased by 66, reaching (Initial 89/100).
Seeing he was on the verge of a breakthrough, Duane was about to continue practicing when he was interrupted by the sound of hooves and footsteps.
He put away his sword. "Have the soldiers His Majesty the King sent me arrived?"
"One moment, my lord. I’ll go take a look."
Owington quickly ran out of the castle. What he saw was not thirty soldiers, but a long column of people, numbering at least several hundred.
"My lord..."
He ran back in a panic. "There’s an army outside!"
’An army?’
Duane’s heart tightened. He just wanted to leave the Royal Capital, this place of trouble, as soon as possible. ’Don’t tell me something else has come up.’
He hurried up to the tower at the castle’s front gate to look out. He could indeed see a well-equipped force of several hundred people advancing along the road by Clear Water Lake.
"That direction leads to the Lakefront Secret Realm. They’re going to enter the Secret Realm."
Duane’s gaze fell on the rear of the column, where a group of peasants in assorted linen clothes were pushing carts and carrying various tools.
He understood. This group wasn’t here for him; they were heading to the Secret Realm to mine for resources.
’I wonder how the King and those few nobles finally came to an agreement on the distribution of the Secret Realm’s resources.’
As he was thinking, a small detachment broke off from the main force and headed toward the castle.
At the same time, a fast horse caught up with them. After a brief stop, the horse galloped toward the castle.
The rider was none other than Kaelon.
There was no need to guess; this small unit of about thirty men must be the one the King had arranged for Duane.
"My lord, your soldiers have arrived!"
Kaelon rushed over to inform him. "Lord Lloyd is leading them personally."
If it were just soldiers, Duane wouldn’t need to give them a grand reception, but the arrival of Lloyd, a Clerk, was a different matter.
"Owington, go and inform Mara quickly. Have her and Jasmine prepare food and drinks."
"Yes, my lord!"
Owington was a little nervous. Since the butler, Ralph, was busy with recruitment and not at the castle, he had to be the one to host the guests.
Although he had been taught how, he had never actually hosted anyone before and was afraid of messing it up.
Fortunately, there was still the veteran servant Mara in the castle; she had experience preparing food and drinks to entertain nobility.
Duane, accompanied by Kaelon, walked out of the castle.
"Welcome, Your Lordship! I didn’t expect you to come in person!"
Lord Lloyd, dressed in a magnificent coat, dismounted his horse cleanly, a gentle smile on his face.
The two men shook hands firmly. Lord Lloyd smiled and greeted him, "Your Lordship seems to be in higher spirits today!"
Duane laughed. After the two exchanged some pleasantries, his gaze shifted to the soldiers behind Lloyd.
The first thing that surprised him was the soldiers’ gear.
They were actually wearing Helmets, Chain Armor on their upper bodies, and Protective Gear on their legs.
Weapons, Protective Gear, Shields—they had everything.
Although the craftsmanship of the equipment wasn’t exactly exquisite, it would definitely provide a significant boost in defense.
The gear for these thirty men alone was worth a considerable amount of Gold Coins.
Leaving aside their combat prowess, Duane was at least very satisfied with the equipment they were wearing.
Lord Lloyd chose this moment to explain, "They are all soldiers drawn from the Third Legion. Commander Hunter, entrusted by His Majesty, specially selected a decent set of weapons and Protective Gear for them to better ensure your safety."
"Although these thirty men are all ordinary people, they are regular soldiers who have undergone years of training. With this squad, you’ll be able to handle even a Middle Level Demon Beast with ease."
Duane’s eyes lit up.
On Black Forest Island, the dangers, aside from people, were Demon Beasts and Exotic Beasts.
With these men, as long as he was within Broken Wave City, his safety should be guaranteed.
"This is a powerful squad!" Duane couldn’t help but praise.
He looked at Lloyd. "Please convey my sincere thanks to His Majesty and Lord Hunter!"
"I will be sure to pass it on!"
Lord Lloyd raised his hand slightly, signaling that Duane could step forward and take command of the soldiers.
Duane took a deep breath and stepped forward, with Kaelon following by his side.
Standing before this group of uniformed soldiers, he actually felt a bit of pressure.
’Perhaps it’s because I’ve never personally experienced a scene like this.’
However, Duane knew that as their new Lord, he needed to display sufficient authority.
He composed himself and his gaze swept over each soldier.
"Soldiers!"
Duane began to speak, his voice loud and steady, betraying no hint of nervousness.
"From this day forward, you are the personal Guard of me, Duane Brian, the Baron of Black Forest Island!"
He paused, observing the soldiers’ reactions.
Everyone stood ramrod straight, their eyes all focused on him.
Those gazes might hold doubt, or reluctance, or even resentment at being forced to leave their homes.
But Duane didn’t care.
They were now strongly bound to the Brian Clan. Without his permission, any soldier who deserted would have nowhere to run.
In a deep voice, he gave an undeniable command, "Now, pledge your loyalty!"
His voice was still echoing when, after only a two-second pause, someone took the lead and knelt on one knee.
Pledging loyalty was, in fact, the process of swearing an oath of fealty.
As one person led, the others knelt one by one, loudly swearing their oaths.
The corners of Duane’s mouth curled up slightly. ’This feeling of being a Lord is pretty good.’
He raised his hand, gesturing for them to rise.
"Black Forest Island may be a place full of challenges, but it is undeniably also a place full of opportunities!"
Duane declared loudly, "I promise all of you, as long as you are loyal to the Brian Clan, loyal to me, I will absolutely not treat you poorly!"
Although these were just formal words, the formal words of a noble carried weight, especially when spoken in front of another noble.
At the very least, the spirits of these men, who had been suddenly reassigned, were somewhat soothed.
Duane looked at Kaelon beside him and introduced him to the soldiers.
"This is Kaelon Taylor, a Peak Human Tier Warrior. He is my Guard Officer, and he will also be your commander!"
Kaelon puffed out his chest and swept his gaze across the men. Perhaps it was because of his strength, or perhaps because of the countless bloody battles he had experienced, but his gaze was far more intimidating.
"The rest is up to you," Duane said.
Kaelon reined in his aura and replied respectfully, "Yes, my lord!"
