By midday of the following day, all the city's boys and adolescents had gathered beside the castle's high wall. Their number was around four hundred. None of them knew why they had been summoned, which made them anxious and hesitant. Many wanted to return home, but the powerful soldiers surrounding them prevented any rash actions.
They whispered among themselves in hushed tones:
" Why have they gathered us here? "
" I heard it's Lord Arvan's orders. "
" Look, they even brought all the girls too… I'd understand if it were just them, but why us as well? "
Their bodies trembled, and some felt like vomiting at a disgusting thought that crossed their minds. But they quickly pulled themselves together and dismissed the idea.
Amidst their murmurs of fear and anticipation, the one responsible for this scene appeared. Arthur exited the castle gates, accompanied by Chadwick, Octavia, and a few other soldiers who watched their surroundings cautiously.
His appearance was imposing, dressed in noble, elegant garments. His skin was clean and smooth. Instinctively, many of the ambitious youths felt a surge of jealousy. But they quickly remembered their position, and their envy turned to fear. They bowed their heads, not daring to look him in the eye again.
Arthur stood before the crowd and, with chilling indifference, began scanning them using the system.
[ Physical Potential: Low ]
[ Physical Potential: Low ]
[ Physical Potential: Medium ]
[ Physical Potential: Low ]
[ Magical Affinity: None ]
[ Magical Affinity: None ]
[ Magical Affinity: None ]
[ Physical Potential: High ]
' High potential? ' Arthur was surprised when he saw it. Without hesitation, he pointed at an eighteen-year-old boy with brown hair and a frail body.
" You. Stand over there. "
The boy hesitated, glancing around nervously. Before he could react properly, a burly soldier beside him grabbed him and dragged him forcefully to where Arthur had pointed.
Arthur nodded, then resumed scanning the crowd. That's when he noticed something interesting.
[ Magical Affinity: Medium ]
The girl with magical affinity had dirty blonde hair and weary, mud-colored blue eyes.
Calmly, Arthur pointed at her.
" You too. Stand in the same place. "
" You. And you… "
He continued pointing at seven more individuals—six with medium physical potential, and one fourteen-year-old boy with low magical affinity.
No one understood why Arthur was selecting people seemingly at random. But all of them fervently prayed they wouldn't be next. No one expected anything good from a villain like Arvan.
After choosing those with the best physical and magical potential, Arthur turned his gaze to the remaining youths.
' The rest all have low potential. I can't train them all… '
After some thought, he asked,
' System, can you rank the low potentials by priority? Like, who's the best among the weak? '
[ Yes, I can. ]
' Good. '
After re-evaluating them, he selected about seventy more. Then he looked at the rest and said:
" Leave. "
Many youths sighed in relief, finally able to return to their homes. Meanwhile, those who remained grew more nervous. Arthur ignored their feelings and motioned to a soldier carrying a small chest.
He opened it in front of everyone, revealing shining gold coins.
The eyes of every youth and even the seasoned soldiers widened. Their mouths hung open involuntarily, and they swallowed hard, unable to hide their greed. For most, it was the first time seeing real gold.
Arthur watched their foolish expressions and sneered:
" A pack of miserable peasants… What an ugly sight. A few gold coins were enough to make you pant like dogs. "
Harsh as his words were, no one dared talk back. On the contrary, they proved his point. Even after his insult, they couldn't take their eyes off the gold.
Arthur's brow furrowed in disgust. With icy coldness, he scooped a handful of coins and tossed them into the filthy river nearby.
Their eyes widened further, and many silently cursed him—but none dared speak aloud. Powerless, they watched the gold sink into the riverbed. Even Arthur felt a twinge of pain, but he wanted to leave a lasting impression.
He barked a firm order:
" Listen well. If anyone tries to fish that gold out of the river—cut off their head. "
" Yes, my lord! "
The guards all responded in unison, realizing the warning included them too.
Having set an unforgettable example, Arthur turned back to the stunned youths and said:
" From today onward, you have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. One your fathers and grandfathers never had. If you waste it, your children won't have it either.
You have two options: withdraw now and return to your pathetic lives as useless peasants, or pledge loyalty to me and follow my orders exactly. If you do, a glorious future will open before you. Your voices will matter, and you'll no longer have to grovel in the mud just to eat scraps. "
" So—who wants to leave? "
His words were like thunder in their ears. They carried irresistible temptation, but also a terrifying ambiguity. None understood his true purpose—but more importantly, they feared him too much to risk disobedience.
No one left. They simply hoped he wasn't mad enough to hurt them without reason.
Arthur understood. Calmly, he said:
" Good. Very good. You have some guts. "
" Pledge your loyalty. "
The oldest among them, who understood what it meant, dropped to one knee and said in a rough voice:
" I pledge my loyalty to Lord Arvan. "
Quickly, everyone else knelt—even the soldiers around them. Octavia and Chadwick included. They didn't understand why, but a strange instinct told them this was the correct response.
In unison, they declared:
" We pledge our loyalty to Lord Arvan. "
Arthur sighed upon hearing the name "Arvan" again—it haunted him. Then, calmly, he gestured for them to rise.
" Chadwick, arrange quarters for them. Separate area for girls and boys. Anyone who enters the wrong section gets ten lashes. "
" Yes, my lord. "
" You all heard him. Follow me. "
As Chadwick was about to leave, Arthur said:
" When you're done, come see me. I need you for something. "
After the recruits departed with Chadwick, Arthur noticed Baronet Edgar approaching. As soon as he arrived, the man bowed and greeted him.
" Greetings, my lord. "
" What do you want? "
Edgar smiled awkwardly, hesitating before asking,
" Nothing, my lord. I'm just curious—like the others. What do you need so many people for? "
" Hmph. "
Arthur immediately understood Edgar's intent. Despite keeping distance, the Baronet and his son had been spying. Arthur's actions never went unnoticed.
So, he chose to stay cryptic.
" I've simply decided to train my own soldiers. From what I've seen, your troops are useless—like you. So next time you see me doing something, stay silent and mind your own business. "
Edgar's smile froze. He bowed fearfully,
" I apologize, my lord. It won't happen again. Please forgive me. "
" Hmph. It better not. I haven't seen a decapitation in a while. "
Without giving him another moment, Arthur turned and returned to his quarters.
There, he instructed Octavia once again to draw in mana from her surroundings. She failed, but Arthur wasn't bothered—it was entirely expected.
After leaving her to continue practicing, he awaited Chadwick's return. Once he did, Arthur told him to bring three trustworthy soldiers.
Without delay, Arthur explained the strict training system he intended to enforce for the recruits. His knowledge of modern military training and local combat techniques helped him design a program that would extract every bit of potential from the youth.
He assigned Chadwick as the personal instructor for the nine individuals with medium potential , along with the one with high physical potential. Arthur created a harsher regime specifically for them—they were the foundation for his entire plan.
Naturally, Chadwick and the other soldiers had no idea about modern training concepts, so Arthur had to teach them first. They were shocked by his methods—but thanks to their experience, they quickly recognized their effectiveness.