Siv was a bit nervous. Today was her first day working as the secretary of the Crimson Tide Domain lord.
She didn't have much goodwill toward Vaerik, and even harbored some vigilance.
In her eyes, this lord was just an imperial noble wearing a gentle facade, essentially no different from those ugly nobles of the Iron Blood Empire.
She arrived at the lord's room on time, and what met her eyes was a figure sitting cross-legged in meditation.
Vaerik was practicing the cultivation of battle energy by circulating the breathing technique.
This was her second time seeing this young lord, but compared to their first meeting in the infirmary, she looked more carefully this time.
His features were distinct, his figure tall, and between his brows was a calm temperament.
He wasn't like those nobles in fine clothes and bloated figures, but rather more like a scholar, even showing a cool and composed focus while cultivating.
Such temperament indeed made it difficult for Siv to equate him with the cunning imperial nobles in her impression.
But she quickly gathered her thoughts. This guy was probably just putting on a show; if he were truly this diligent, his strength shouldn't be so low.
When the cultivation ended, Vaerik opened his eyes and immediately saw her.
"You've come quite early," Vaerik revealed a relaxed smile.
Siv nodded without speaking.
Today she wore an ordinary leather coat produced from the craftsmen's workshop, making her appear neat and capable.
Vaerik casually glanced at her, thinking that if resources in the Northern Province weren't so tight, it wouldn't be bad to get her a maid outfit.
But then he thought, never mind, it's still quite cold now.
Besides, he wasn't used to being served, and the entire Crimson Tide Domain didn't have any young maids specifically serving him, only an older woman responsible for cleaning the room and washing clothes.
"I'm not blaming you, it's just that I still have sword training in a while, and formal work will only begin in an hour," Vaerik explained.
Siv still just nodded, saying nothing else.
Then Vaerik left the room and began his daily sword training with Lambert.
During training, Lambert held his sword steadily, attacking fiercely, each strike precise and powerful.
Vaerik focused more on technique, relying on agile footwork to dodge and seeking opportunities to counterattack.
"Your footwork needs to be more stable," Lambert reminded in a deep voice, then delivered a direct downward slash.
Vaerik quickly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding it, but Lambert changed his technique extremely fast, sweeping his sword horizontally.
This forced Vaerik to raise his sword to block, and the huge impact made him retreat several steps, his arm slightly numb.
Siv watched from the side, secretly evaluating: Lambert's strength was much stronger than her own.
And Vaerik's swordsmanship was decent, but only limited to "decent."
Sure enough, he's just for show, she thought.
But she also noticed that no matter how Lambert attacked, Vaerik never slacked off, always earnestly meeting the challenge.
"Again?" Lambert asked.
"Of course," Vaerik wiped away the sweat from his forehead and repositioned his sword stance.
Siv frowned slightly; this guy didn't seem to be just going through the motions, but was genuinely trying to improve.
Sword learning was Vaerik's daily required course. Since coming to the Crimson Tide Domain, he had asked Lambert to teach him an hour of swordsmanship every day.
Thus, the sword training passed in continuous exchanges and adjustments for an hour.
Vaerik sheathed his sword, exhaled a long breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, and revealed a cheerful smile.
Siv glanced sideways; this guy was indeed somewhat handsome.
"Let's go, time to start the day's lord duties," Vaerik looked at her, his tone relaxed. "Don't be so tense, a secretary's job is actually very simple."
He casually explained some key points, finally summarizing: "Your main task today is to accompany me on my rounds and record my work throughout the day."
Siv nodded and replied coolly: "Understood."
And Vaerik's first task as lord was to inspect the soldiers' training on the training ground.
...
One hundred and twenty soldiers formed a square formation, marching around the field in a grand manner.
Their footsteps were neat and uniform; although they were panting, no one complained of fatigue.
"Last five laps! Speed up!"
"Move! Quick! Quick! Haven't you eaten enough?"
"Come on! Keep running! Your abilities are far more than this!"
The knight instructor ran alongside, continuously shouting slogans.
This training method was drastically different from those in other noble domains of the Iron Blood Empire.
Other nobles at most trained in physical strength and individual cold weapon techniques.
This relied on traditional master-apprentice teaching, but the training was often scattered, and the soldiers' foundations were usually very unsteady.
This resulted in ordinary soldiers becoming mere cannon fodder for bloodline knights once on the battlefield.
But Vaerik understood that this was a low-magic world. Even the strongest legendary knight couldn't accomplish slashing through armor and taking down over two thousand six hundred enemies with one sword.
The most common knight apprentice facing well-trained soldiers could at most defeat ten opponents single-handedly, equivalent to two John Wicks.
However, training them was also a hundred times more difficult than training an ordinary male soldier.
Therefore, based on knowledge from his previous life, Vaerik designed a more systematic training system.
Pure standardized training focused more on soldiers' teamwork and quick response abilities, with special emphasis on battlefield adaptability.
Although these soldiers didn't have battle energy, he believed that through this kind of training, they could completely become a force with fighting capability.
"Attention!"
The soldiers abruptly halted, all turning to face forward.
Vaerik walked slowly, carrying an inherent pressure in his every move that made all the soldiers stand even straighter unconsciously.
"Good morning, Lord!" the soldiers shouted in unison, their voices deafening.
Vaerik nodded slightly, his tone calm: "Well done."
"We're not tired!" their response was strong and forceful.
These soldiers had to undergo a series of exercises every day, including physical training, formation practice, and simulated combat.
Although the training load had increased, no one complained.
Because they ate well, dressed warmly, and Lord Vaerik gave them unprecedented respect.
The lord's kindness was engraved in everyone's heart.
Vaerik scanned around, his gaze falling on several soldiers whose movements were not up to standard: "On the battlefield, such sluggishness would cost you and your comrades your heads."
Those few soldiers immediately broke into a cold sweat, hurriedly lowering their heads in acknowledgment.
"Run five more laps."
"Yes, sir!"
The soldiers turned without hesitation and continued running, their steps more powerful.
Siv stood to the side, watching the soldiers run in perfect unison, a complex feeling rising in her heart.
She didn't fully understand the significance of this kind of training.
But she could clearly feel that the soldiers' respect for Vaerik was genuine.
Although Vaerik didn't command loudly or make any exaggerated gestures, each of his words could make the soldiers obey without hesitation.
This young lord seemed truly different from ordinary nobles.