Chapter 48

Chapter 48 Four Great Knights Under His Command! Birth!In another part of the territory, Richard remained unaware of the swamp’s lurking conspiracy. He continued to go about his duties in an orderly manner, adhering to his well-thought-out plans.

As he rode his horse around the territory for a routine inspection, he arrived at the old town. There, everyone was busy working.

The dilapidated structures that once stood had been completely demolished, and workers were clearing away the debris. The area had long been abandoned, and leaving it in its state was not only pointless but also a potential breeding ground for disease, with waste and filth accumulating in various corners.

Now that the primary tasks had been completed, some workers were assigned to clean up the remnants.

“Where’s Ali?” Richard inquired of a local team leader.

The man saluted before replying, “Foreman Ali went to the fields. He said the work here is almost done and left us team leaders to oversee the final cleanup. The wheat fields are more important, and he wanted to keep an eye on them.”

“Has he been guarding the wheat fields this entire time?” Richard asked.

The team leader nodded. “Yes, Foreman Ali is worried that wild animals might damage the crops. He even organized a patrol from among us to keep an eye on the fields, checking for any wildlife.”

“I see. Carry on with your work,” Richard acknowledged, turning his horse around and leaving.

He hadn’t asked about Ali just out of curiosity. He specifically sought him out for a reason.

Recently, Richard had noticed that some of his knight followers were nearing a critical point in their life force. He was now making one final check.

Two people had already been confirmed: Charles and Helen.

Both had been leading the militia in their training, and their strength had increased significantly. Part of this was due to their full-time dedication to training, but both of them were also naturally gifted, which was why Richard had entrusted them with the militia’s training in the first place.

As for Ali, who had to balance managing the workers and practicing his breathing techniques in his spare time, it was a pleasant surprise for Richard to see him approaching the critical point.

If Ali reached the threshold this time, Richard intended to help them all advance together.

In total, Richard had identified four potential candidates. Apart from Charles, Helen, and Ali, the last one was an unexpected surprise: the academy’s head teacher, Sinton.

If all four could advance to official knights, it would significantly bolster the overall strength of Long Eagle Territory.

Richard had been focused on growing crops, training soldiers, and building strength during this time so that one day, Long Eagle could become a powerful force of its own.

Although everyone knew Richard had the backing of the Duke’s domain, he had not taken a single thing from them since arriving.

He didn’t want to be known as the second son of Duke Gerwin of the Bayne family. Instead, he hoped that one day, people from the Duke’s domain would proudly say they came from the territory of Lord Richard.

Richard detested the barbaric system of this land, and so he worked diligently to gather strength, aiming for the day when he could sweep through it all, stamping his mark on this ignorant and savage world.

On a small hill outside the wheat fields, a young man was training. His body exuded an overwhelming pressure—wild and savage. Every move he made was powerful and destructive, crushing shrubs in his path and scaring away small animals.

It was the Bear Breathing Technique.

Sensing the disturbance, the young man turned abruptly, adopting a defensive stance. When he recognized Richard, he quickly dropped his guard and respectfully saluted.

“Ali greets Lord Richard!”

Richard dismounted with a smile, patting Ali on the shoulder. “Good progress. Meet me at the militia training camp. I’ll give you a special training session today.”

Ali’s eyes lit up in excitement, and he quickly bowed. “Thank you, Lord!”

Richard grinned, “Go ahead. I still have some matters to attend to, but I’ll meet you there later.”

“Yes, Lord!” Ali responded with a respectful bow before hurrying off.

As for Sinton, Richard was a bit less certain about him. The last time he checked on Sinton’s progress was a week ago. Back then, he was still a bit far from the critical point.

Normally, Richard wouldn’t bother with someone at that stage, but Sinton was different. After being appointed as the head teacher, Sinton had found his calling, and his energy and focus had transformed him. His progress in training had been astonishingly swift.

So, Richard decided to give him a chance, and Sinton didn’t disappoint.

When Richard checked on him after class, he found that Sinton’s life force, while slightly weaker than Ali’s, had exceeded his expectations. After offering some words of encouragement, Richard brought him along to the training field.

There, the three others were already waiting, looking at each other in confusion, unsure of what was about to happen.

When they saw Richard bringing Sinton over, they were even more bewildered as to why the four of them had been singled out for special training. Sёarch* The Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Any questions can wait until after the training,” Richard commanded. “Now, release your life force and begin forming your life seeds!”

The four stood frozen in shock.

Sinton, in particular, looked utterly incredulous.

“What are you waiting for?” Richard scolded, snapping them out of their daze. They quickly adopted their stances.

The atmosphere became charged as the aura of the Bear, Serpent, Leopard, and Ape clashed and reverberated around them.

Though Richard practiced a different breathing technique than they did, he was familiar with all of their methods.

For him, guiding them through the life-seed formation was no more complicated than a college student solving elementary math problems. All he needed to do was offer support, converting his own life force to help them along.

With a series of invisible sound bursts, four entirely new auras erupted simultaneously. Although the Bear, Serpent, Leopard, and Ape’s presences remained, this time, they felt more real, more tangible.

“Did we really just… break through?” they muttered in disbelief.

The next moment, they were overcome with joy, dropping to their knees before Richard. “Thank you for your grace, Lord! We pledge our lives and blood to serve you, unto death!”

A faint light flickered across Richard’s face as his vast life force replenished itself, his complexion regaining its healthy glow. He smiled and said, “Prepare yourselves. You’ll be knighted this afternoon.”

“Yes, Lord!” they responded, their voices filled with excitement, ringing across the training grounds.