Being a knight is not easy

Chapter 192 Real Name! Fake Name

The moonlight streaming through the magical dome shone on Lady Aishar's silver mask, making the rubies at the corners of her eyes appear as vivid as dripping blood.

Leo stroked the Order Knight badge, the metal edge pressing deep red marks into his palm. Facing this "Poison Thorn" who controlled half of the magic workshops in the West, even he, who had seen many storms, had to be careful with his words.

"Are we really going to cooperate with them?" Leo's voice mingled with the soft clang of his sword as his gaze swept over the magic matrix floating in the secret chamber.

The runes, glowing with a deep blue light, were deducing the trajectory of the opening of the star gate, exactly matching the information he had about the Knights Guild.

Lady Aishar's laughter, like poisoned threads, seeped through the gaps in her mask: "I've already made contact with the Pavel Continent; Melinda will personally lead the team." She suddenly raised her hand, the tip of her wand lifting Leo's chin, the crystal-encrusted head almost touching his Adam's apple. "Do you think those dark wizards can safely enter the Pavel Continent?"

Leo's pupils contracted sharply.

Melinda's name is legendary in the Westerlands; she was once the strongest person in the Westerlands, a third-ring wizard.

Having been back on the continent of Bavel for so long, will she break through to the Morning Star Wizard level?

"However!" Lady Aishar abruptly withdrew her wand, a dangerous purple glint appearing in her eyes beneath her mask. "What does your Knights' Guild mean by this? Are you trying to steal my man?" Her fingertips traced the projected image of Robin in the air, the gilded patterns on the Dragon Slayer Spear twisting into thorns at her touch. "Arranging a marriage between Elina and the enemy? Isn't this trying to undermine me?"

The temperature in the sealed room plummeted, and Leo's cloak was covered in frost.

He recalled the elation in Alina's eyes when he made the decision in the council hall three days ago, but now it had transformed into a dark purple magical storm surging in Lady Aishar's palm.

“Such a young Order Knight.” He forced himself to look directly into those deep blue eyes. “Once he goes to the continent of Bavel, becoming a Morning Star Knight is not impossible.”

"Morning Star Knight?" Lady Aishar's shrill laughter made the magic crystals on the dome of the secret chamber rattle. Her silver mask slid half an inch off, and the spell tattoos writhed like live snakes at the corners of her mouth. "Leo, you and I both know that on the continent of Bavel, talent can't compare to connections."

She suddenly lunged forward, the bitter scent of rose perfume mixed with the magic potion hitting his face, the dark purple magic swirling around her fingertips almost pressing against Leo's throat, "Tell that girl Alina, if she doesn't want to die, she shouldn't come near my little man again."

Leo's pupils contracted sharply, and his boot heels staggered backward, crashing into the magic star map on the ground.

Crimson runes spread like blood vessels, and the projection of the continent of Bavel twisted and deformed in the bloody light. Countless black tentacles reached out from the cracks, scratching and making ear-piercing sounds in the void.

"That's not up to you!" He suddenly unleashed his Order Knight Force Field to clash with Lady Aishar. "Allen and Alina were both students at the Knight Academy, childhood sweethearts! If it weren't for the war in the Western Frontier, their marriage certificate would have been signed long ago."

"Childhood sweethearts?" Lady Aishar's wand suddenly pressed against his chest, the magic crystal embedded in the wand reflecting Leo's flushed face. "In my Void Caravan, there's enough secret medicine to make a genius boy kneel and beg for mercy to fill three carriages." Her eyes, hidden beneath her mask, gleamed with an eerie purple light. "Whoever wears my wedding ring is..."

"His real name is Alan Wilkwoft!" Leo suddenly roared, his voice causing ripples to spread across the barrier of the secret chamber.

A phantom knight wielding a shield loomed behind him, "The last bloodline of the Wilke family! You dare to lay a finger on him?"

Lady Aishar's wand suddenly burst forth with a blinding purple light, only to dissipate into stardust the instant it touched Leo. She stared at the fury in his eyes, a slow smile playing on her lips beneath her mask: "Then we'll see."

With a sharp magical hum, Lady Aishar's figure vanished into the purple mist.

Leo staggered and grabbed the wall for support, only then realizing that his palms were scorched by the star map imprint. The projection of the continent of Bavel on the ground was still writhing, and those black tentacles seemed to be crawling out of the void.

"That crazy woman," Leo cursed before turning and leaving.

The sun blazed high in the training grounds of Viscount Wilke's estate.

The more than two thousand militiamen, dressed in coarse linen clothes, initially whispered among themselves and swayed about, but gradually quieted down under Robin's watchful gaze.

"Attention!" Robin's voice boomed as he slammed the Dragon Slayer Spear heavily into the ground.

The militiamen hurriedly straightened their backs, but their postures varied. Some were hunched over, some had their heads tilted, and some didn't know how to position their hands and feet.

Robin walked to the front of the line, his gaze sweeping over everyone. He reached out and straightened the crooked shoulder of a militiaman. "Remember, feet together, toes pointing outwards at a 60-degree angle, stomach in, chest out, eyes looking straight ahead!"

"At ease!" Upon receiving the command, the militiamen immediately fell into chaos. Some took excessively large steps, while others even squatted down.

Robin frowned and patiently corrected each one: "Extend your left foot about two-thirds of its length in the direction of your toes, and keep your upper body upright!" After practicing many times, he finally got it looking somewhat right.

Next up is marching drills.

"Swing your arms, make sure the forward and backward swings are consistent. Listen to my command, one, two, one, one, two, one!" Robin shouted as he demonstrated the movements.

The militiamen were either moving their hands and feet in unison or their steps were disordered, and their ranks were crooked and shaky, like drunken crabs.

Robin was not discouraged at all. He asked everyone to stop and break down the movements for practice, first swinging their arms, then kicking their legs, refining each step repeatedly.

"Run—walk!" With the new command, the militiamen started running, but as they ran, the formation broke apart. Some ran fast, some slow, and some even tripped over their own feet.

Robin blew a sharp whistle to stop the group and then re-explained the running techniques: "Upon hearing the preparatory command, quickly clench both hands into fists and raise them to your waist, swinging your arms naturally back and forth; upon hearing the movement command, lean your upper body slightly forward and bend your knees slightly."

During training, Robin also introduced a reward and punishment system.

Militia members who perform well will receive extra rations; while those who make repeated mistakes or are not serious will be punished with extra training.

Initially, many people were dissatisfied with this, feeling that training these formation movements was useless for fighting.

Alina stood at the edge of the training ground, watching Robin patiently correct each militiaman's movements, her mind filled with doubt. She walked towards Robin and asked, "Allen, does training them to stand in formation really improve their combat effectiveness?"

Robin wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at Alina with unwavering eyes: "Believe me, drill training cultivates discipline and teamwork. A disciplined and coordinated team is far better than a rabble."

Alina nodded thoughtfully, but whenever she tried to ask Robin about his decision, Robin would deliberately find an excuse to avoid her.

(End of this chapter)