Chapter 35 : Chapter 35
Chapter 35. Registering with the Royal Ninth Legion
Just as dawn began to break, William was already awake.
After a simple breakfast, he went straight to find Pand, the Chief Steward of the royal household, to obtain an Exit Authorization.
When he left the royal palace, the streets were already filled with hurried youths. Carrying packs on their backs, they moved toward the recruitment stations.
Everyone understood that the ten legions His Majesty was forming would become the kingdom’s foundation for the next decade.
There was no way the king would send them to die meaninglessly. This was a rare opportunity.
William mounted his horse and rode out of the city toward the manors.
The two thousand five hundred thirteen people from the four manors had already assembled. Each wore standardized leather armor and carried a regulation longsword. Their eyes showed both nervousness and eager determination.
“Move out.”
With William’s order, the group began marching toward the encampment of the Royal Ninth Legion outside the Royal Capital.
His choice of the Royal Ninth Legion was not accidental.
Its deputy legion commander, Marquis Peter, was his maternal grandfather.
Entrusting the people he had personally trained to family naturally gave him greater peace of mind.
When they arrived at the Royal Ninth Legion camp, Marquis Peter was already waiting outside the main camp.
The old marquis wore silver-gray armor. His hair and beard had turned slightly white, and his expression toward William was somewhat complicated.
“Your Highness, to be honest, I did not expect you to personally go to the Northern Frontier.”
William felt slightly surprised. How had his grandfather already learned about his visit to the king the previous night?
Seeing his confusion, Marquis Peter smiled.
“His Majesty announced it this morning.”
“Last night, the only ones who went to see him were you and the Third Princess.”
He paused and waved his hand.
“Enough. We should not discuss royal matters too much.”
“Do not worry, Your Highness. Leave your people to me. By the time this is over, I will make sure they undergo a complete transformation.”
William nodded.
“Thank you, Grandfather.”
“Why be so polite with family?”
Marquis Peter patted his shoulder and turned toward the camp.
“Come. I will show you the legion.”
“Your people will temporarily be assigned to the Vanguard Battalion so they can adapt to military discipline.”
The formation of more than two thousand followed behind them in orderly lines. Their footsteps struck the frozen earth with heavy, powerful sounds.
William looked at his grandfather’s back and then at the young faces around him. A sense of calm suddenly settled in his heart.
With his grandfather watching over them, these people would not be treated as cannon fodder.
The distant sound of military horns echoed across the camp, carrying a cold, warlike atmosphere.
The Vanguard Battalion’s encampment was even more orderly than William had imagined.
The tents were arranged in straight lines. Patrolling soldiers wore gleaming armor, and the longswords at their waists swayed lightly as they walked, radiating the killing aura of seasoned veterans.
As Marquis Peter led him through the camp, soldiers occasionally stopped to salute. Their gazes lingered briefly on William before quickly returning to their disciplined composure.
“Go register these men.”
Marquis Peter called over a clerk holding a stack of parchment and gestured toward William’s formation.
The clerk quickly acknowledged the order. Taking out his pen and ink, he began recording the names of all two thousand five hundred thirteen recruits with efficient precision.
After the registration was complete, a knight wearing silver-edged armor and a noble crest stepped forward and bowed to William and Marquis Peter.
“Your Highness, Lord Marquis, I will take these recruits back to the camp and assign them to their formations.”
“They’re yours, Nahn,” Marquis Peter instructed. “I know your abilities. Train them hard—hard enough that they think they might die.”
“Yes!”
The knight turned and shouted toward William’s formation.
“All of you, follow me!”
As the group followed the knight deeper into the camp, William withdrew his gaze, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Along the way, he had sensed the Dou Qi fluctuations within many of the soldiers.
They were not at the very peak, but every aura was solid and refined. Clearly, these were elite troops tempered by real combat.
Moreover, quite a few of them were already at Bronze Rank despite their young age. Their talent far exceeded that of ordinary soldiers.
“Surprised?” Marquis Peter laughed when he saw William’s reaction.
“The Vanguard Battalion is the sharp blade of the Royal Ninth Legion.”
“We select either the best young talents sent by the major families or the fiercest warriors who fought their way up from the bottom.”
“If I did not place your people here, how could it be called tempering?”
He pointed toward soldiers training in the distance.
“The rules here are strict, the training brutal. Every day we simulate real combat.”
“When we return from the Northern Frontier, forget Bronze Rank. Anyone who survives the Vanguard Battalion will at least reach Silver Rank and be capable of fighting ten enemies alone.”
William nodded, increasingly approving of his grandfather’s arrangements.
What these commoner youths lacked most was real combat experience and the tempering of blood and steel.
Training alongside these elite soldiers in the Vanguard Battalion would only accelerate their growth.
As for casualties, neither of them mentioned the matter.
“Come,” Marquis Peter said, patting his back. “I will take you to meet the Legion Commander.”
“Even if we are family, the proper formalities must still be observed.”
The two walked toward the central command tent of the camp. Beneath their boots, the frozen ground cracked faintly.
In the distance came synchronized shouts as soldiers conducted weighted sprints. Their voices carried a fierce determination.
Inside the main command tent lingered the scent of ink and leather.
A large map lay spread across the long table, marked with countless red dots and lines.
The Legion Commander was leaning over the map, his finger tracing across the territories of the Northern Frontier. Only when he heard the footsteps did he straighten.
William noticed the purple-and-gold-trimmed armor the man wore.
It suddenly looked familiar.
That armor was exclusive to princes.
“Ha! Little William!”
The commander turned around, his hearty laughter causing the candle flames inside the tent to flicker.
“I did not expect that among all of you, the only ones brave enough to go to the Northern Frontier would be you and the Third Princess.”
There was clear admiration in his eyes.
“Even though the Third Princess is a girl, her courage surpasses that of your eldest and second brothers. Those two boys have been timid since childhood—practically like delicate ladies.”
William quickly bowed.
“Greetings, Prince Kande.”
“Ah, do not call me Prince.”
Kande waved his hand and strode forward, patting William on the shoulder.
“In terms of family hierarchy, you should call me Fourteenth Uncle. Do not be so formal.”
The more Kande looked at William, the more satisfied he felt.
“The fact that you volunteered to go to the Northern Frontier already shows greater promise than your two brothers.”
“Do not worry. With your Fourteenth Uncle here, I will take care of your people whenever I can.”