Knight training (3)

A month passed in a flash.

It was night already, and Greem had just finished his training. As always, Albert had prepared his bath with medicinal herbs, including some of those Jade Flowers, found in the Boar Island Main forest. After numerous trials and errors, Greem found out that it had benefitial synergy properties with life force manipulation, and by extension, practicing his breathing technique.

[You have successfully completed a cycle of Steelguard Breathing Technique...Your attributes rise slightly]

Every single day, he would train and complete a cycle of his family's breathing technique. Over a month, it had allowed him to reach height that would have never been achievable in such a time frame if he had focused on his training at such a level.

However, one reason behind his fast growth attribute-wise could also be attributed to the medicinal bath.

[The medicinal bath has benefitial effects...Your recovery rate will increase by 18%...Growth of your attributes will increase by 45%]

Depending on the quality of ingredients found, the recovery rate and bonus of attributes would vary slightly. However, these allowed him to progress much faster than if he was mindlesly practicing it in the first place.

Adding to that the fact that his steelguard breathing technique was rated as GK (Grand Knight Level), the benefits were incomparable to the average knight breathing technique that noble heirs from regular knight household would receive. This was the power of accumulation that came along the Steelguard surname.

[Name : Greem Steelguard 

Class: Preparatory Knight (134 / 200) | EXP: 36

Strength: 1.8, Agility: 1.8, Vitality: 2.0, Magic Power: ø

Active Skills: Steelguard breathing technique [GK] (Intermediate)

Passive Skills: Steelguard Military Swordsmanship [K] (Beginner)

Perk: None]

His attributes were not the only things that went up during the month. His proficiency in practicing the breathing technique reached the intermediate realm. Considering that skills had six realms: Basic, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Master, Grandmaster, Greem had really improved a lot, to the point that only a few individuals in the History of the Steelguards had come to such an understanding of the technique. 

As for the swordsmanship, he had a little bit less success. He still managed to reach the beginner realm, which was much better than any of the soldiers of the Lion Manor. However, he was still inferior to Sir Rudolph skill-wise. 

To grow his proficiency in swordsmanship, he knew he needed more than just sparring and training. He needed to broaden his understanding of the sword itself. And to do that, he needed to either put his life on the line on a battlefield or continue to train.

For now, he did not see any opportunity to battle, so he kept training.

After getting out of the bath, Greem naturally moved to the dining hall. Many meals had already been prepared, and guests were waiting for him, standing up in a sign of respect. As soon as he arrived, they bowed.

"Good. You can rest", Greem said in an authoritative voice, the past naive self replaced by a commander aura that everyone in the room acknowledge.

After all, Greem took the role of mayor of Marsaskala with great interest. It was not only the responibility he was given by the Steelguard Household, it was also his home, his territory that was bound to him. It already brought a lot of benefits ressource-wise, so he planned to make this place even more prosperous and start to govern it with care.

His objective was the growth of his own strength in the knighthood path. And Marsaskala Mayor was a title that would make his life easier, much easier.

In the room, there was naturally Albert. Although he was a butler, everyone knew that the middle-aged man with a grey beard was not your average servant, but a mysterious entity, an acolyte with a great background. He was the one governing Marsaskala in the shadow until Greem took the reign back himself. And although he did nothing too fancy to improve it and make it grow, he had stabilized the situation enough to be called a skilled leader.

Next to Albert, there was Sir Rudolph, the Lion Manor Guard Order's trainer. All 100 soldiers from the Lion Manor Guard had trained under him at some point of their service, and their standard of strength and discipline were engraved in their muscles and bones by this strong, bulky yet skilled man.

Sir Rudolph was one of the three knight of the Lion Manor Guard Order who had sworn fealty to the Steelguard Household. The other two were naturally standing next to Greem himself. One of them was called Bjorg, and the other Lady Emma. 

Bjorg was the Lion Manor Guard Order Captain, and he was the man responsible for patrolling around the manor and make sure that there was no intruder. His role was essential, and he was the strongest knight in the Lion Manor Guard, with more than five decades of experience. He was also the only knight Greem had seen with such beautiful variations of the Steelguard Military Swordsmanship. 

Lady Emma was a prodigy, only 25 years old. She was responsible for exterior interventions, whenever Greem needed her for something outside of the Manor's premises. Her role was especially important in times of war to strategize and organise the defences of Marsaskala itself, her rank and intellect being enough to coordinate a strong and fast defence against enemy offensives, her role and skills having been proven several times already to defend against invasion of Fire Ants, a magical beast species with humanoid form that ran rampant on Boar Island.

In the past, there would be merchants and influential officials dining at this room, but Greem had given them so many tasks on how to reform their way of handling things in the past few weeks that they did not even have time to attend such fancy dinners. 

Albert, however, revealed a complicated expression: "Young Master, a guest has reached the gates of the manor. You might want to receive them yourself"

Greem asked: "Who is it?"

"Your cousin Laylah"

Greem cursed inwardly. Laylah Steelguard, a woman who possessed the main family blood and a genius acolyte who had already reached the peak of the beginner acolyte realm at the age of 18. She was not only strong and intelligent, she was also unbelievably cruel. 7

He could remember her cold voice to Greem when his body was only 11, as she mocked the fact he had been exiled.