STARTING WITH AN SSS-RANK SWORDSMANSHIP TALENT

And so, Lucas led over two hundred warriors of House Silversword to Turtle Fort. The formidable lineup stunned the residents of North Pine Town, but their presence also made them feel secure.

The former residents of Alverton were also grateful to these warriors for it was because of them that they were able to get back on their feet.

When the army passed by Evergreen Forest, the wild beasts and monsters there trembled in fear. They didn’t dare leave their caves, afraid the warriors would kill them.

“Luckily the weather is cooperative this time,” Alaric remarked as he looked at the blue sky.

Spring had come and the snow had already melted. Many flowers started blooming, showcasing their bright colors and beauty.

The creatures that were hibernating during winter started coming out of their dwellings, but when they sensed the powerful army approaching, they immediately returned to their hiding places.

“Alaric.” A pleasant voice drifted into his ears.

He turned his head. “What is the matter?” He asked.

Yvanna sighed. “I was not able to join your birthday celebration. We went as fast we could, but we made numerous detours to evade the goblin outposts…”

She explained the experience they had gone through on their way to North Pine Town.

Hearing this, Alaric smiled faintly and shook his head. “So you are worried that I would be upset?”

Yvanna nodded.

“Haha!”

Alaric chuckled.

“It is fine. I understand your situation. If it was me, I would have done the same.”

His gentle smile made her heart beat erratically.

She immediately lowered her head and hummed in response. “Mn.”

What is going on with me today? Why can’t I look at him in the eye?”

She couldn’t understand her emotions. She had never been like this before.

Suddenly, she seemed to have recalled something. “Oh, I have something for you!”

She took out something from her clothes and tossed it to Alaric.

“Hm?! This is!” Alaric was dumbfounded when he realized what she had casually tossed.

It was a pearl, but unlike ordinary pearls, the one in his hand was filled with a dense amount of mana. It was so dense that the energy was overflowing through his palm.

A mana pearl!

A mana pearl was a blessed product of nature. It was a natural resource that could only be found near a mana spring. It usually took years to more than a decade to form a single mana pearl. This was because it only takes form in certain conditions. Many tried to create a synthetic mana pearl, but no one had succeeded.

The mana pearl in his hand wasn’t that big, but it contained energy that was equivalent to the energy inside a Disaster-grade beast soul crystal!

The Knights seemed to have sensed the energy released by the mana pearl, but Alaric quickly placed it inside his pouch.

“Thank you, Yvanna.” The gift was very precious, but he didn’t bother to act like a hypocrite.

Yvanna smiled when she saw him keep her gift. “Please use it well.”

“I will.” Alaric couldn’t see her face because of her hood, but he could sense the joy in her voice.

The two chatted along the way so the journey wasn’t boring for them.

When they were about to cross the borders of Vale, two scouts from the city approached them on horseback.

Lucas raised his hand, signaling the army to stop moving.

The two scouts were shocked when they realized that it was Lucas who was leading this army. “My lord, we didn’t know it was you! Please forgive our impertinence!”

The two scouts immediately jumped down from their horses and fearfully bowed to Lucas.

The baron was no longer the same person as he was back then. To be precise, House Silversword was no longer just a simple countryside barony. It had become a formidable force, a force that was strong enough to make the whole North worship them with respect.

Lucas waved his hand dismissively. “You have not done anything wrong. Relay my words to the garrison commander and the officials of the city. Tell them that we are only passing by and there is no need for them to worry.”

“Yes, my lord! We will relay your message to them!” The two scouts responded.

“You may leave,” Lucas said.

Hearing this, the two scouts jumped onto their horse and left after giving Lucas another salute.

Lucas watched them leave before he gave the command to continue the journey. “Let us go!”

Meanwhile, Baron Smith Heinrich and Baron Nathan Paxley who had received Alaric’s letter immediately assembled their armies and headed to Turtle Fort.

They didn’t even hesitate.

To them, House Silversword’s instructions were like the emperor’s edict.

Five days passed by in a flash. During these five days, Alaric wasn’t able to complete his daily missions. It was disheartening for him, but he could only swallow his sorrow. There was no equipment for him to use so he couldn’t perform the weighted exercises.

It was the 13th day of April and they were also the last ones to arrive at Turtle Fort. Both House Paxley and House Heinrich were much closer to the fortress city so they arrived a day earlier.

Upon their arrival, the officials and the commander of the fort’s soldiers greeted them at the entrance.

The officials were literary scholars so they were just normal humans. Most of them were also acquainted with Lucas.

On the other hand, the fort’s commander was a formidable figure. He was an old warrior, but he was a peak Elite Knight! His wrinkled face was covered in scars, a testament to the fierce battles that he had gone through.

Rommel [Elite Knight] EXP: 490/500

Potential: C

Traits: Horseback Riding (C), Axe Mastery (C), Hunting (C), Tracking (D), Archery (E), Swordsmanship (E), Close Combat (C)

Strength: 221

Stamina: 169

Agility: 180

Endurance: 207

Vitality: 130

Mana: 125

This old man is not weak. Although his vitality and mana are low, his other attributes are high, especially his strength and endurance.

The old man was stronger than Arthur and Henry!

Only someone like this old man could guard Turtle Fort.

The fortress city was the empire’s first line of defense against the creatures from the Enchanted Woodlands so a powerful warrior was needed to lead the fort’s soldiers.

“Greetings, Lord Lucas! I am Rommel, the Commander of Turtle Fort’s armed forces. It’s a pleasure to see you.” The old man smiled, causing more wrinkles to appear on his face.

Lucas nodded. “It has been a while, Sir Rommel. How have you been?”

The old man was also an acquaintance of his and there was a lot to catch up on.

The two chatted for over ten minutes before they decided to continue their conversation inside the city.

While Lucas was catching up with his acquaintances, Alaric led the army to meet the soldiers of House Paxley and House Heinrich.

Alaric was surprised when he saw that Dylann was part of House Heinrich’s army. The guy had a fresh cut on his face which looked like a result of someone punching him hard.

Did Lord Smith beat him up again?

Alaric chuckled when he thought about this. He remembered that Baron Smith had beaten him up because of what he did during the orc subjugation. It seemed like he had done something to upset his father again.

“Greetings, Lord Alaric.” Baron Smith cupped his fist as he smiled at him.

“Lord Smith.” Alaric returned the greeting with a smile. He then turned his gaze to Dylann and nodded at him.

“Lord Dylann.”

Sensing Alaric’s teasing smile, Dylann could only helplessly shake his head.

On the side of House Paxley, Baron Nathan wasn’t present this time. The one leading them was surprisingly Jared Paxley, Nathan’s cousin and the garrison commander of Ryvaad.

During the orc invasion in Alverton, he had sustained severe injuries, but it appeared that he had already recovered.

“My lord!” Jared gave him a salute.

Alaric also saluted the man. This guy was also a true warrior. Despite the overwhelming odds he faced during the orc invasion, he didn’t abandon his soldiers and fought relentlessly.

“I came here with Lord Theo. He wanted to gain more battle experience so when he heard that you were assembling troops, he volunteered to follow me here.” Jared turned his gaze to his nephew.

Theo stepped forward at his uncle’s cue and saluted. “Lord Alaric.”

Alaric smiled at him. This man was Hershey’s older brother so he wanted to maintain a good relationship with him. “Do not be formal with me. We will be family soon.”

Unlike Liam who was a pure disappointment, Theo was the exact opposite. He was skilled in managing their territory so Baron Paxley was satisfied with him.

Theo smiled at his words.

“By the way, I heard that Lord Lucas is with you, my lord. Where is he?” Baron Smith suddenly asked.

“He is catching up with his friends. In the meantime, you guys should follow me. I will tell you the details of the mission.” Alaric’s expression suddenly turned serious.

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