Chapter 137: The First Candidate

Malrik walked with steady steps toward the Duchy’s military compound, followed by his new team.

Their faces were pale, their steps heavy, and a strange silence hung over them. It seemed they were still trying to process how they ended up working for five years without pay, while also being forced to pay a tax.

They followed Malrik until the roar of the training grounds reached them, filling the air with the sounds of activity. The clang of steel against steel, the stern shouts of drill captains, and the sound of steel swords striking shields all blended into one continuous roar.

This was no ordinary training ground, it was a miniature version of a real war.

Thousands of elite knights moved in meticulously organized formations without any chaos or wasted motion. On one side of the courtyard, infantrymen traded blows with perfect coordination, while on the other, an entire formation of spearmen advanced as one.

Upon seeing this, Ronan and his entire squad froze in place, but Kael seemed the most astounded by the sight.

In Blackthorn, when he took command of the fortress in place of his father, the Baron, the garrison suffered from a severe shortage of capable soldiers. They fought with everything they had just to survive a single Morvyth wave, and he was forced to hire mercenaries just to fill the gaps.

But here... he finally understood the terrifying gap between a struggling border garrison and the main military force of a family led by one of the most powerful Dukes in the Empire, with four Supreme-rank individuals among its ranks.

Even Malrik, despite having trained in these grounds several times since his awakening, felt a sense of awe every time he witnessed this level of organization and discipline. It truly was an impressive sight.

However, that was not the reason for his visit today.

He had come to select his subordinates from among these men. As a Banner Bearer, he had the right to choose five Ascendant-rank fighters and one hundred Awakened-rank soldiers.

Malrik made his way through the crowded courtyard until he reached a quiet side area. There, among polished weapon racks, he spotted a familiar figure quietly observing the drills.

He was a man standing well over two meters tall, with a dense, muscular build. His dark ash-colored hair was cut short, streaked with silver strands, while his deep-set, steel-gray eyes rested beneath thick, straight eyebrows. Faded silver scars covered his forearms as he stood perfectly still, holding a training spear.

Malrik recognized him instantly.

It was Instructor Kael, one of Vesperion’s senior weapons instructors, and the man who had personally overseen his training several times after his awakening.

As Malrik approached, his eyes met the instructor’s. The man lowered the training spear he was holding, and a faint, welcoming smile appeared on his stern face.

"Look who finally decided to visit us," the instructor said in his rough, deep voice. "The Seventh Young Master himself."

Malrik replied with a calm smile, "I am now the Seventh Banner Bearer, and also the Baron of Dreadmoor."

Kael nodded and rested his spear by his side. "So you survived the trial. How were things in Blackthorn?"

Malrik sighed. "It was chaotic... I’d rather not talk about it."

Kael let out a short, grating laugh. "That is the exact same answer I always hear from the Banner Bearers."

Malrik raised an eyebrow slightly. "Did you train all six Banner Bearers?"

Kael shook his head.

"Not all of them. I didn’t train Alex or Vilerosa. I was too weak to offer them any guidance at that time."

Kael’s gaze shifted, becoming more serious as he scrutinized Malrik closely.

"Anyway, congratulations. I heard the news... rumor has it you killed a Fallen-rank Morvyth."

A faint smile touched his lips.

"The last time I saw you, you could barely handle a Mortal-rank Morvyth...You’ve grown a lot."

Malrik shook his head in denial.

"I was just lucky, and a lot of circumstances worked in my favor."

He wasn’t just being modest. Malrik knew it very well. He had been lucky—very lucky.

If he hadn’t crossed paths with Lokris on his way to Blackthorn, he never would have been able to take down Biggie. In that case, Lilith would have been forced to intervene herself, and the outcome of the battle would have been far from guaranteed, especially with the potential intervention of Vorgath and his Fallen-rank followers.

Things could have ended completely differently.

"Luck matters too," Instructor Kael said quietly, as if reading Malrik’s mind. ""In truth, if it weren’t for luck, many of the great figures alive today would simply be corpses buried beneath the earth."

Kael straightened his posture, then threw a glance at Ronan’s exhausted team standing in the back, before returning his gaze to Malrik.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"So, Baron of Dreadmoor... let me guess. You didn’t come here to train today, did you? You are here to pick your new followers."

Malrik gave a slight smile. "Is it that obvious?"

Instructor Kael nodded, a faint smirk surfacing on his face.

"Absolutely. It is the exact same hungry look I saw on your siblings’ faces when they first came to these grounds to form their own legions."

Kael leaned on his spear, then continued in a practical tone, "Every Ascendant in this courtyard already has a squad of twenty Awakened-rank soldiers. Therefore, focus on the Ascendants. They are what matters."

Malrik understood immediately.

So that is how it works.

It made perfect sense. If he chose five capable Ascendant-rank fighters, he would automatically get their squads along with them, amounting to twenty Awakened per Ascendant. Thus, he would instantly acquire the one hundred soldiers he was entitled to select.

This would save him the trouble of choosing a hundred soldiers individually and trying to turn them into a functioning unit from scratch. Instead, he would receive five ready-made units that already knew how to fight together and had combat experience.

Malrik nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Instructor Kael with confidence.

"That makes things much easier," Malrik said with relief. "Since you watch these men train every day and know what they are truly capable of... do you have any recommendations?"

Instructor Kael pointed his massive hand toward an open corner of the courtyard.

"If you are looking for your first candidate, I recommend Orren."

Malrik followed his gesture across the massive training ground.

There stood a man in his late thirties, shirtless, with a rock-solid, muscular body covered in numerous scars. His long black hair and thick beard gave him a rough, mature appearance, while his blue eyes remained calm and steady.

He was gripping a greatsword, swinging it through the air slowly and steadily, repeating the same motion with extreme patience and without rushing.

"He is one of the best Ascendant-rank fighters in this courtyard," Instructor Kael continued in a tone carrying clear respect. "But his strength isn’t the only reason I think he is a good choice for you."

He paused for a moment, then added:

"Orren is extremely loyal. If you manage to earn his loyalty, you will gain an excellent fighter and a man you can rely on when things get tough."

Malrik watched the man for a few moments, then narrowed his eyes.

"He looks a bit older than the rest of the elite knights here," Malrik said skeptically. "If he is this strong and loyal, why is he still here? Why didn’t any of my siblings recruit him into their legions when they had the chance?"

Instructor Kael let out a rough laugh.

"It’s not because they didn’t want him, Seventh Banner Bearer. Quite the opposite. He simply refused to work under anyone’s command except the Duke or the High Elders."

He paused for a second before continuing:

"The Third and Fourth Banner Bearers tried to recruit him, and even the Twin Banners offered him a place in their legions, but all their attempts to convince him failed."

Malrik raised an eyebrow in surprise. "He refused?"

"That’s right." Instructor Kael smiled faintly.

"In the end, they resorted to the usual method used in these training grounds: a fight. If they could defeat him in an honorable duel, he would agree to serve under their command."

Malrik furrowed his brows immediately.

"Wait... isn’t that a bit unfair? I mean, when my siblings were forming their legions, they were barely at the Awakened rank. How could they challenge a veteran Ascendant-rank fighter?"

"True, it would have been unfair," the instructor nodded. "That is why certain restrictions were put in place."

Malrik raised an eyebrow.

"What kind of restrictions?"

"Orren was only allowed to use his physical strength and was forbidden from using any skills or laws. The Banner Bearer, however, was allowed to use their full power."

The instructor fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. "Yet, none of them managed to defeat him."

The moment Malrik heard that, everything he had been thinking about regarding the other candidates vanished, and a clear glint of greed appeared in his eyes.

A loyal veteran fighter who refused to join his siblings and had even defeated them using only his physical strength, without any skills or Laws?

Damn it... I have to get him in my legion at any cost.

Malrik’s smile widened, and he turned to Instructor Kael with eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Well then, Instructor... I think it’s time I went and said hello to my first candidate."