Chapter 119: Forging the Squad

Private Training Grounds — Outer District

The next day, in the silent, chill hours long before sunrise.

Ethan stood with his arms crossed in a secluded training yard, his eyes fixed on Anna and Sepharina, while Iron Wolf stood calmly behind him like an imposing stone pillar. In the larger training ground beside them, the mercenary squad was already gathered, having arrived early per Ethan’s orders.

After revealing his identity to the Ashwood family the previous day, and once they’d digested the revelation over a few long, quiet hours, their attitude toward him had grown even more formal as the initial shock wore off, but Ethan insisted they didn’t need to feel uncomfortable, and that they should simply treat him as they always had. He also explained that since the Awakening Ceremony was drawing near for both Anna and Sepharina, he intended to teach them a few things personally and help build their foundation before it arrived.

Even though Anna had already failed the ceremony twice and Sepharina once, both Elene and William still wished for their daughters to awaken a strong core and worthwhile talent. Seeing the stubborn resolve burning in their eyes gave them hope despite their previous failures. The failed attempts weighed heavily on them. It was rare for someone who failed to awaken during their first ceremony to succeed in a later attempt, but they could only hope, and upon learning Ethan planned to personally guide them, both parents had been overjoyed, William nearly bowing on the spot before catching himself.

"You’ll do whatever I say, right?" Ethan asked, a look of quiet seriousness settling over his eyes as he studied both Ashwood sisters.

"Y-Yes, Young Master!" Anna and Sepharina answered together, almost shouting. They’d already resolved to do exactly as Ethan instructed, whatever it turned out to be.

"Good. Run around this training ground until I tell you to stop."

Both sisters blinked, clearly confused. They’d expected him to teach them something directly, not simply order them to run. Still, they stepped forward without protest and began.

Ethan lingered a few minutes longer, watching them fall into a steady pace, before making his way to the next training ground with Iron Wolf close behind.

The moment the mercenary squad spotted Ethan approaching alongside Iron Wolf, his towering, rugged figure radiating an aura even more intimidating than that of Corvus or Stone, every one of them immediately understood that he was a Peak Knight Commander.

Vera stepped forward first, followed closely by the rest of the squad, as they offered a quick, respectful bow.

"C-Captain..." Vera began, her eyes darting nervously toward the giant behind him. "Who is this...?"

"This is Iron Wolf," Ethan replied, looking over the assembled group.

The squad exchanged nervous glances, cold sweat instantly beading on their foreheads. Looking at the subtle, chilling smile gracing Ethan’s face, they recognized it instantly: the devil’s smile they collectively named, and seeing it again immediately put every one of them on edge.

For the past several days, in the name of discipline, he’d put them through hours of running each morning, followed by hundreds of push-ups and endless body-conditioning drills, and then, under the guise of correcting posture and improving technique, beaten every last one of them thoroughly senseless during sparring.

They’d felt genuine relief the day he hadn’t shown up the previous day. They had naively believed he was finally giving them a break, thinking perhaps he possessed at least a shred of sympathy and occasionally needed rest himself. But then came his order to gather at the grounds even earlier than usual today.

Ethan introduced Iron Wolf to the group properly. Once the introductions were finished, he looked at the group with an unbothered expression.

"Do you know why I brought him here?" Ethan asked.

Corvus and Stone swallowed hard. "To make us suffer," they whispered in unison, their voices barely audible, yet somehow perfectly clear to everyone standing around them.

"You are correct," Ethan said, a dangerous smile spreading across his face.

The instant the words left his mouth, Vera and Finch, followed swiftly by the rest of the squad, turned as one to glare at Corvus and Stone with murder plain in their eyes. If Ethan hadn’t been standing right there, they probably would have buried both of them on the spot for jinxing them.

Ethan’s expression turned serious as his voice cut through their silent rage. "In every Beast Tide, mercenaries suffer far more casualties than soldiers do, even at comparable strength. That’s because mercenaries rarely coordinate properly, most of you rely purely on instinct, and your teamwork, frankly, is terrible. Soldiers can fall into formation when needed, and still fight individually when the situation calls for it. You can’t."

He paused, letting the words sink in, watching each of their faces carefully.

"So, starting today, all of you will focus on two things simultaneously: increasing your individual combat strength, and mastering group formations. Iron Wolf will serve as your sparring partner and instructor from now on. He’ll teach you formation discipline, and spar with each of you personally, every day."

"He’s... our sparring partner?" everyone asked in disbelief, their eyes widening.

Iron Wolf glanced across the group without saying anything. He had already heard enough from Ethan to understand what kind of squad this was, and the condition of their equipment and posture had told him even more.

Ethan tilted his head slightly. "Why? Would you prefer I take his place instead?"

"No! No, Captain!" the entire group chimed in frantically, waving their hands in panic, their eyes filled with desperate hope that Ethan wouldn’t reconsider. "You don’t need to waste your precious time on us. Sir Iron Wolf is more than enough."

Somewhere near the back, Finch nodded so vigorously he nearly lost his balance entirely.

"Hmm..." Ethan studied their expressions carefully. He had fully anticipated their denial, though a flicker of mild disappointment crossed his face that not a single one had stepped up.

I at least expected Vera to take my side...

"Very well. It seems all of you are eager to learn from your new instructor." Reaching into his coat, Ethan drew out multiple copies of a formation manual, the Iron Fang Formation Art. The Iron Fang Formation Art specialized in both offense and defense. Though only A-rank, it was one of the most practical formations of its grade, built around coordination, protecting weaker members, and allowing the front line to advance and rotate as needed during combat. Given the limited time remaining before the Beast Tide, Ethan couldn’t realistically teach them anything more advanced, but even an A-rank formation represented a significant upgrade for a mercenary squad whose members typically relied on B-rank techniques or something even lower.

Ethan handed a copy to each member, instructing them to memorize the forms quickly and familiarize themselves with the movements. He’d already taught the full art to Iron Wolf the previous evening and, somewhat to Ethan’s surprise, Iron Wolf had picked up every form with remarkable speed, achieving considerable proficiency within a single day. Curious, Ethan had asked whether he possessed some relevant talent, and Iron Wolf had admitted that he’d awakened an A-rank perception-based talent called Insightful Mind.

Ethan quickly remembered its nature, as it remained one of the few talents that proved highly effective within its rank. While not an overwhelmingly powerful talent on its own, Insightful Mind excelled specifically at rapid observation and comprehension, allowing its user to observe, comprehend, and reproduce techniques far faster than most people. Combined with Iron Wolf’s already attentive nature, the talent suited him almost perfectly.

Ethan remained for another hour, instructing Iron Wolf firmly not to go easy on any of them, before finally taking his leave, confident the squad was now in capable hands and free to turn his attention elsewhere.

Meanwhile, in the secluded training ground...

"Huff... huff...!"

Both sisters continued running across the training ground, their clothes completely drenched with sweat dripping steadily onto the stone floor beneath them. Their muscles screamed in protest, their breathing ragged and uneven, legs threatening to give out with every fresh lap around the perimeter. They’d been running for nearly two hours straight without a single pause. Pain flared through every inch of their bodies, their minds screaming at them to stop, to take even one moment’s rest, yet they clenched their teeth and kept moving forward regardless, one foot dragging after the other. Compared to the suffocating despair of watching their mother’s condition deteriorate before their eyes, this physical pain paled in comparison to the psychological agony.

Ethan had arrived several minutes earlier without announcing his presence, watching both of them struggle silently. He could see the sheer willpower driving them forward despite their staggering steps, though he made no move to tell them to stop.

He took no pleasure in pushing them to the brink of exhaustion, but with the Beast Tide approaching fast and the Awakening Ceremony immediately following it, time was a luxury he did not possess. He needed to build their foundation properly and quickly. So he had chosen a harsher and more demanding method than traditional preparation would normally allow.

In the distance, the first pale light of dawn finally broke over the fortress walls, and still neither sister slowed.