Chapter 260
The group walked over to the stone wall. The recruits immediately checked the building's status window.
[Sword Knight Division]
[Intermediate Knight Division (Lv. 1)]
[Captain: Piaro]
[ - The Division can currently train a total of 110 Knights.
- Sword knights receive a 20% increase in physical attack power, 25% increase in attack speed, and 15% increase in movement speed.
- The effect is permanent as long as the person belongs to the knights division.
- Due to the Presence of the Sword Saint, the Knight Division’s effects would be doubled when a sword-type item is equipped.]
[Knights Division's Passive Skills: Increased Health Regeneration (High), Decreased Stamina Consumption (High), Increased Sword Damage (High), Increased Farming Yield (High).]
[Current Roster: 35 Humans, 15 Sirens, 20 Witches and 30 Beastmen.]
Red read the text. He read it again. He leaned closer to his interface window, acting like squinting would make the numbers make more sense.
"A forty percent increase in physical attack power?" Red asked, his voice cracking slightly. "Fifty percent increased attack speed? Doubled because of..."
Red stopped. He stared at the fifth line of text.
Galahad saw it too. The heavy tank stumbled backward, his metal boots scraping the dirt. "By the heavens! The saint of the swords doth reside in this very courtyard?!"
"Wait, Sword Saint?!" Red yelled, completely dropping his lazy attitude. He spun around, frantically scanning the courtyard. "There is a literal Sword Saint in there?! Where is he? Is he meditating under a waterfall? Is he cutting a boulder in half with a butter knife? Has he unlocked the Bankai of this territory? "
This courtyard was easily the strangest of the three as the actual military grounds were replaced with the farming fields. A mix of humans, Sirens, Beastmen, and Witches were jogging through the dirt. Standing dead center in the yard, wiping sweat from his scarred forehead, was a man wearing a simple, dirt-stained tunic and a straw hat. Resting securely on his hip was a polished sword, but in his hands, he held a clean iron hand plow.
Rudra leaned over the wall. "Hey, Piaro. We have some new recruits."
Piaro stopped digging. He rested the hand plow in the dirt and walked over. He looked at the twelve players, his sharp eyes instantly assessing their balance and muscle tension and how they would fare in the fields.
"This is Piaro," Rudra told the group, popping another piece of dried fruit into his mouth. "He's the Captain of the Sword Knights."
Red leaned on the stone wall. He looked at the straw hat, the dirty boots, and the hand plow. He looked back at the system window. He looked at Piaro again.
"No offense, boss," Red said slowly. "But why is the Sword Saint holding a farming tool?"
"Oh, because he's the Dual Legend from that server message more than a year ago," Rudra said casually. "Sword Saint and Legendary Farmer."
The casual delivery hit the group like a physical blow.
Red's mouth opened, but no sound came out. Galahad choked on his own spit, coughing violently.
Cecilia blinked, staring at Piaro, the strongest swordsman in the continent and probably the strongest NPC in the continent. The 1st-ranked merchant rubbed her forehead, feeling a sudden headache coming on. The sheer accumulation of legendary assets in this one territory was making her dizzy. First a Magic Saint, then two Alchemy Craftsmen, and now a Dual Legend.
Piaro’s eyes lit up. He could sense that they were all quite strong and that they would be suitable for the fields.
"You all seem quite accomplished but you need some field work to improve your core," Piaro stated smoothly. "Your upper bodies are tense, but your footwork is incredibly light. Grab a tool. We have three acres of hard soil to turn before the afternoon sun dries it out. It will build your core."
Rudra stepped in before the farmer could hand out shovels to the spellcasters. "Hold on, Piaro. They aren't all combatants. The mages and the crafters need to report to their respective facilities. Besides, your knight division only has room for about ten more people right now. Let them choose a division that would suit them the best.”
Piaro sighed, looking a bit disappointed. "Very well. Non-combatants are dismissed."
Cecilia, Spark, Vial, and the others didn't need to be told twice. They quickly backed away from the wall and hurried off as they seemed to have a bad feeling about the recruitment.
But Red didn't leave. The dual-sword user subconsciously stepped closer to the gate. Galahad and a few other melee fighters did the same. The massive buffs provided by the Sword Knight Division were simply too good to pass up for anyone who used a sword.
"Wait," Red said, his competitive nature flaring up again. "You're offering personal training from a Sword Saint? I'm down for some secret techniques. Do we strip down to the waist and meditate on a mountain peak and unlock our Sword Soul or learn the true name of our sword and unlock our Bankai"
Gold nervously tugged on Red’s arm. "I don't know, Red. I feel like something is wrong."
"It's a great opportunity, Gold," Galahad boomed, puffing out his chest. "A true knight doth not shy away from a little sweat!"
A golden system window suddenly popped up in front of the combat recruits.
[Quest: Fun and Enjoyable Training]
[Difficulty: A]
[The Dual Legend Piaro has offered to temper your foundation. Follow his instructions and endure the physical labor for 2 weeks.]
[Clear Condition: Complete the daily stamina conditioning.]
[Reward: +2 Sword Mastery, [Basic Farming] will be opened, Affinity with Piaro will increase by 20.]
[Failure Punishment: Affinity with Piaro would decrease by 50!]
"Plus two mastery?!" Red gasped. Earning mastery levels manually took months of endless grinding. Getting a flat plus two for a two-week quest was absurd and the affinity boost with a Legendary NPC was a bonus no matter what way you look at it..
Red immediately tapped 'Accept'. Echo, Galahad, and two other melee fighters quickly followed suit. They all fully expected to be handed wooden practice swords and taught a secret, high-tier sword skill.
Red eagerly hopped over the low stone wall. He unbuckled his twin rapiers and set them carefully on a clean wooden crate. "Alright, Master Piaro. We’re ready to learn your legendary swordsmanship"
Piaro offered a warm, approving smile. He walked over to a nearby wooden cart and grabbed a handful of iron hoes. He dropped them into the dirt at the recruits' feet.
"Pick up the hoe," Piaro said.
Red grabbed the farming tool. "Okay. Now what?"
"Now, you dig," Piaro instructed. "Keep your back straight. Drive the iron into the earth using your hips, not your shoulders. Follow the trench line."
Red blinked. He looked at the hoe. He looked at the massive, empty field of hard, dry dirt stretching out behind the barracks.
"Where do the swords come in?" Red asked.
"The dirt is the sword," Piaro said calmly. He turned his back and walked toward the center of the field. "Begin. Do not stop until the soil is fully turned. If you perform well, we will spar in the evening everyday"