Alistair awoke to a faint familiar sound, but this time, it wasn't just the sound that woke him, but the warmth of a body that had become completely different from what it was a week ago.
He opened his eyes slowly. The wooden ceiling hadn't changed, but it no longer looked as miserable as before. The faint light sneaking through the window reflected off the clean walls, and the air carried the scent of fresh wood.
He sat on the bed, stretching his arms with a light yawn, then murmured:
"Just a week... but I feel like my body has been rebuilt."
He rose lightly and walked toward the corner of the room where a small wooden table had been placed. Breakfast awaited him there: a glass of fresh milk and two golden eggs from his own chickens.
[Food Effect Activated]
+1 Strength, +1 Endurance (for 24 hours)
+1 Intelligence, +1 Luck (Temporary)
He lifted the glass and drank it in one go, then began eating the eggs while gazing at the world map hanging on the opposite wall. After finishing, he sat on the chair and closed his eyes for a moment.
"System... open status."
The transparent window appeared in front of him, larger than it had been before, with softly glowing blue borders.
[Alistair Alvaren's Status]
Name: Alistair Alvaren
Title: Baron
Class: Undefined
Rank: E
Level: 5
Experience Points: 72 / 500
[Stats]
Strength: 22 (+1 temporary)
Endurance: 21 (+1 temporary)
Agility: 20
Intelligence: 13 (+1 temporary)
Charisma: 17
Luck: 12 (+1 temporary)
Free Stat Points: 3
[Abilities]
System Eye(Passive): See quests, stats, and upgrades. Motivational Speech – Advanced(Active): Increases allies' morale and combat effectiveness by 15% for 10 minutes. Severing Strike – Rank F(Active): Deals a deep wound that weakens the enemy's defense by 20%. Progress Vision – Rank F(Passive): Shows mission progress and completion percentages. Advanced Swordsmanship Techniques – Rank E(Passive/Active): +15% attack accuracy, +10% strike execution speed, unlocks additional combat stances.
Alistair furrowed his brows in admiration.
"My rank is now E... in just one week."
He smiled faintly as he opened the skills tab, observing the new swordsmanship technique.
"The strikes have become more fluid... and the 'steady stance' skill allowed me to block attacks from two opponents at once. Not bad."
He stared at the screen's corner where a small system note was posted:
[System Tip: Weak villages attract death. Train your forces before your town grows.]
"Soldiers..." he muttered as he stood up.
He walked toward the window, watching the children playing with firewood, young men busy cleaning the roads, and women smiling for the first time in a long while.
"I won't build everything alone. A town without an army... is like a bite waiting to be devoured."
Then he looked at the morning sky and whispered confidently:
"I'll gather them. I'll train them. And I'll build Brickston's Guard."
He wore his leather shirt, strapped the sword to his waist, and headed down to the square. Before he took a step, a window appeared before him:
[Daily Mission – Physical Enhancement]
100 Push-ups 100 Sit-ups 10 Kilometers Run
Reward: +3 Stat Points
He chuckled lightly.
"Seems like the system doesn't want me to slack off."
He began his exercises without hesitation. His body responded quickly, as if it craved movement. There were no more pains in his knees, no trembling in his arms. Every movement was firm and calculated.
And when he started running, he wasn't alone.
A young boy joined him, then another, then three young men from the western district. They ran behind him without being asked, simply out of admiration or curiosity.
He returned to the castle about an hour later, panting but with glowing eyes. An immediate notification appeared:
[Mission Completed ✔️]
+3 Stat Points – Would you like to allocate now?
[+1 Strength] [+1 Endurance] [+1 Agility] ✔️
He allocated them immediately.
Then he headed to the small meeting room in the castle. It was a long room with wooden walls and an old board at the end.
He wrote in large letters on the board:
General Recruitment Announcement
To those who find in themselves the courage and motivation to serve the town of Brickston,
We now begin building the village's defensive force.
Training will be daily – tough – but rewards will come later.
Recruitment Site: Castle Square – Afternoon
Signed: Alistair Alvaren, The Baron
Then he sent a servant with multiple copies of the announcement to the market, taverns, and agricultural areas.
"I won't wait for fate to decide who will protect me... I'll forge my shield with my own hands."
Then he sat and waited to see who would come.
The sun had passed its zenith when villagers began arriving at the castle square.
At first, they came individually: a young man holding an old shovel, another with a scar on his face, and a third looking cautiously as if he didn't know why he had come at all. Then the people followed... ten, fifteen, then over thirty individuals—some young, some older than thirty, even some young women stood seriously.
Alistair stood before them, in simple clothes with his sword on his side. He wasn't wearing armor or standing behind guards, but among them, on the same ground.
He spoke in a strong voice, without shouting:
"If you thought I was looking for ready warriors... you were mistaken."
He paused, examining their expressions.
"I'm looking for men and women willing to endure, to change, and to carry a weapon not just for defense... but to build something worth protecting."
A moment of silence passed, then he raised his hand and pointed to the dusty ground:
"If you can't stand steady for five minutes... you won't endure the training. We'll start with the basics. Strength and endurance exercises before any sword."
Then he turned to the servant behind him:
"Bring the iron stones."
Within minutes, each trainee received a small cloth bag filled with solid stones, to carry during their training.
"Today, we start with 50 push-ups, 50 squats, and a half-kilometer run around the castle square... now!"
The trainees began moving slowly, some grumbling as they set down the bag, others trying to maintain their composure. It was clear from the start that most had never trained in their lives.
Alistair didn't just watch... he joined them.
He trained with them, did the same exercises, shouted with them when the heat intensified, and led them in the run so that some stopped just to watch.
By the end of the first hour, four collapsed from exhaustion, two withdrew, but the rest remained... sweating, breathing heavily, but still standing.
[Trainees: 31] [Endured: 25 – Withdrawn: 6]
New Mission: "Build the First Defense Unit" – Progress: 25%
They all sat on the ground, drinking from buckets of cold water, while Alistair stood silently watching them.
Then he said:
"This is only the first day. And tomorrow... will be harder."
One man, large-bodied and strong-armed, raised his hand and asked:
"Lord Baron... what will we gain? I mean, why put ourselves through this?"
Alistair didn't hesitate:
"Because this town won't stand without you. Because the first to defend it... won't be a stranger, but you."
Then he added, his gaze piercing their souls:
"And those who endure the training will receive an official title, a special weapon, and daily food rewards from the castle's farm."
The attendees exchanged looks. That was more than they expected.
Then a window appeared before him:
[Auto Update: Soldier Recruitment System Unlocked – Rank F]
New Feature:
You can now promote trainees to official soldiers through training and missions.
Soldiers have independent ranks, stats, and abilities.
The first training unit shall be called:
"Brickston's First Unit"
Alistair smiled to himself:
"The first unit? That means the system knows more are coming."
Then he heard commotion at the castle gate. He quickly moved toward it.
Three men were carrying the body of a bloodied young man. His face was stained, his chest pierced by a broken arrow.
"Bandits attacked us near the eastern forest!" one of them shouted.
"We were cutting wood... suddenly they came out from behind the trees. Five of them! They killed Julian and took the timber."
Alistair clenched his fist. Barely hours had passed since founding the defense force... and already the town was being targeted.
He looked at the trainees. Some appeared shocked, others terrified.
But Alistair wasn't among them.
He shouted louder than ever before:
"If you can't handle the sight of blood, leave now."
Then added, raising his sword slowly:
"And whoever seeks justice... follow me. Tonight... we'll show them Brickston no longer has no teeth."