Raylo looked at the ten Barbarian youths before him. Though disheveled, the spark had returned to their eyes. He nodded, satisfied.
"Very good."
He looked at Ed.
"Ed, take them away. Get them into some clean clothes and prepare plenty of food and water. From this day forward, they are warriors of Black Stone Territory."
"Yes, my Lord!"
Ed accepted the order and immediately arranged for his men to carry it out.
Raylo then turned to Thor and the others. "The ten of you will form a squad. From now on, you will be called 'Panshi.' I hope that in the future, you will be like a great stone—unbreakable, loyal, and dependable."
"Thor, you will be this squad's captain."
"Yes, my Lord!"
Including Thor, the ten Barbarian youths answered in unison. Their voices were still a bit weak, but full of Power.
"Ed, starting today, you will also serve as their instructor. You are responsible for teaching them Knightly Skills."
Black Stone Town.
A new morning.
On the wide, newly cleared training grounds on the west side of town, the atmosphere was bustling with activity. Nearly a hundred newly recruited youths, all dressed in uniform coarse linen training clothes, were following the commands of several veteran soldiers, conducting the most basic drills and physical training.
Shouts, the thud of marching feet, and the clash of wooden weapons wove together, injecting some long-absent vitality into a town that had just endured turmoil.
The town's residents, old and young alike, would occasionally pause their work to gaze curiously toward the training grounds.
The sight of those young figures drenched in sweat and the sound of those powerful, rhythmic chants were like a ray of sunshine piercing through the gloom. It gradually calmed their once-fearful hearts and rekindled the hope for the future in their eyes.
After a quick wash, a change into clean clothes, and a full meal, Thor and his nine companions were also brought here.
Their arrival was like tossing a few pebbles into a calm lake.
Though young, these Barbarian youths were all tall and sturdy. Having long fought against wild beasts in the mountain forests, they carried an untamed, wild air about them. Compared to the somewhat green Apprentices recruited from the town, they seemed completely out of place.
Following Raylo's orders, Ed also served as the instructor for the Panshi squad.
He didn't treat them any differently because of their Barbarian Race heritage.
On the training ground, rules were rules.
The basic training was not difficult for the members of the Panshi squad.
Their physical fitness far surpassed that of ordinary youths. The only things they needed to adapt to were the discipline and combat skills emphasized in Knight training.
When Ed began to teach basic Knight Swordsmanship, Thor's talent was immediately apparent.
"Thrust! It must be fast! Accurate! Vicious!"
Ed, holding a Wooden Sword, demonstrated personally. His movements were clean and efficient, carrying the Iron Blood aura of a soldier.
While the training ground was a scene of fiery intensity, the atmosphere in the stables and the open space behind the Lord's Castle was rather tense.
Raylo and several of his Knights were circling six newly captured Pegasi.
Owning a Pegasus cavalry unit had always been Raylo's dream.
Pegasi were not only fast but could also ignore terrain, allowing for aerial attacks and reconnaissance. Their strategic value was immense.
However, the dream was beautiful, but the reality was harsh.
These adult Pegasi, captured from the wild, were full of ferocity—proud and untamable.
The Knights tried various methods—feeding, soothing, and forced mounting—but with little success.
The morning passed, and the six Pegasi remained hostile to any Knight who approached. They would either kick out with their hooves or flap their wings to create powerful gusts of wind. Two Knights were even thrown off violently while attempting to mount them, leaving them completely dazed.
"My Lord, these beasts are too fierce. I'm afraid..."
A Knight wiped the sweat from his brow and said, discouraged.
Raylo frowned and said nothing.
He personally walked up to a pure white Pegasus, the strongest and most majestic of the six. He slowly reached out, wanting to stroke its neck.
"HUFF!"
The white horse violently reared up, let out a loud neigh, and instantly spread its massive wings, kicking up a gale that nearly knocked Raylo over.
Raylo's eyes hardened. A Knight's Fighting Spirit erupted from him in an instant, stabilizing his stance. At the same time, a powerful pressure enveloped the white horse.
The white horse sensed the threat and pawed the ground uneasily, but the defiance in its eyes did not diminish in the slightest.
Using his Fighting Spirit to suppress the Pegasus, Raylo forced himself onto its back.
The Pegasus bucked and leaped, swaying left and right, but Raylo remained glued to its back, completely unshakeable.
「Ten minutes later.」
Both man and horse were thoroughly exhausted, but neither had submitted or given up. They were still locked in a battle of wills.
In the distance, Moonlight appeared on the compound wall. It had just wiped out a whole nest of sand rats and was in a great mood.
Seeing this scene, it flickered, appearing above the white horse's head like a ghost, then unceremoniously raised its small, furry fists.
"BANG!"
"BANG!"
Two punches landed squarely on the white horse's forehead.
"WHIMPER..."
The white horse, which moments ago had been so defiant it had barely cared about Raylo's oppressive aura, let out an utterly aggrieved whine after taking those two hits. Its massive body gave a visible shudder.
And then...
Its proud head actually began to lower slowly. The fierce glint in its eyes vanished, replaced by an expression that was almost...
Fawningly docile?
A rumbling sound came from its throat, as if it were trying to curry favor.
The jaws of the surrounding Knights nearly hit the floor.
'This... It's tamed just like that?'
'Bang Bang Two Punches?'
'We worked our butts off all morning, feeding them, soothing them, even risking broken bones to force a ride, and it turns out none of it was as effective as two punches from the Lord's Magic Pet?'
The corner of Raylo's mouth twitched as well.
'Was it because those two punches were too heavy, or was it intimidated by the aura of a Giant Dragon?'
This incredibly wild Pegasus had chosen to submit.
'This method of breaking a horse... Isn't it a bit too simple and crude?'
'And it's ridiculously effective.'
Moonlight let out a soft snort and patted the white horse's large head as if scolding a disobedient puppy.
Only then did Moonlight turn to look at Raylo, lifting its chin. Its gaze seemed to say, 'See? It's that simple.'
Raylo gave a wry smile and pulled Moonlight into his arms.
"Ahem... Moonlight, could you... do me a favor?"
He pointed to the five remaining Pegasi, who were still watching everyone warily.
Moonlight glanced at the five Pegasi, then back at Raylo, and pointed to its little belly.
The meaning was clear: 'I'm hungry! No energy!'
Raylo got the hint.
"One roast goose to tame one Pegasus."
Moonlight held its little head high, not even sparing Raylo a glance.
"Two roast geese for one Pegasus?"
Moonlight's two small, furry ears twitched.
"Three! That's my final offer! Three roast geese!"
With a haughty turn of its head, Moonlight hopped out of Raylo's arms.
Then, under the awed and bewildered gazes of Raylo and his Knights, Moonlight walked toward the remaining five Pegasi one by one, like a queen inspecting her domain.
"BANG! BANG!"
"WHIMPER..."
"BANG! BANG!"
"WHIMPER..."
...
Accompanied by five crisp thuds and five aggrieved whimpers.
In less than a minute, the five remaining Pegasi had all obediently lowered their heads, as docile as domestic horses that had been tamed for years.
Watching this dramatic scene unfold, Raylo took a deep breath.
'Moonlight, this Little Silver Dragon, is still just a juvenile, but it's already showing how extraordinary it is.'
'Though the price... is a bit heavy on the roast goose budget.'