Although Aurelia was reluctant to see Howard leave, she had no reason to object, especially since Howard himself had agreed to it.
The night passed without incident.
The following day, Howard was awakened by a knock on the door before he could have breakfast.
Upon opening it, he was greeted by an elderly man he had seen the previous day.
The man bowed respectfully to Howard and said, “Respected Sir Howard, the lord of the manor has instructed me to escort you to the patrol team.”
Aware of Stano’s wish to limit his contact with Aurelia, Howard chuckled inwardly but did not refuse.
After quickly getting ready, he followed the elderly man out of the Lord’s Manor.
Walking along the silent streets, Howard couldn’t help but inquire, “Old sir, may I know your name and your role here?”
“You honor me too much. I am merely the lord’s steward. You can call me Old Harden,” Harden promptly responded, causing Howard to mentally take note.
A steward was among the highest-ranking servants, responsible for numerous duties.
Stano’s decision to have him guide Howard to the patrol team was clearly not an act of disdain.
After a moment of contemplation, Howard understood Stano’s intention.
“This crafty old fox, trying to woo me over without giving away too much… Ordinary gestures of goodwill won’t sway me,” Howard thought to himself, though he kept his face amiable and continued to chat with Harden.
Given Harden’s status, he would likely report everything back to Stano, so Howard knew he had to maintain his facade.
In no time, led by Harden, Howard arrived at the soldiers’ quarters near the city wall and entered.
Inside the courtyard, over a dozen soldiers were training, their weapons, crafted from jade, gleamed under the morning sun, radiating brilliance.
Moreover, each time they thrust their spears forward, the jade tips burst into a glow, releasing a burst of light along with a formidable force.
A clear whooshing sound could be heard with each strike, evidencing the power contained within.
“Spearflare? No, that can’t be right! Spearflare requires a higher level to manifest. These soldiers are around level 30, not nearly strong enough for that kind of power!”
Howard’s pupils contracted sharply as a thought emerged in his mind, “Could it be the jade itself that enables them to unleash an attack akin to Spearflare at such a level? If they were to clash with our Azure Sphere…”
With this realization, Howard’s expression turned grave.
He knew he must deeply understand the weaponry of this world.
Otherwise, if a conflict between the planes erupted, the Alliance would be at a significant disadvantage.
To know your enemy as well as yourself is to be invincible in every battle!
At this moment, the group of soldiers also noticed the arrival of Howard and Harden.
While they didn’t recognize Howard, they were well aware of Harden’s status as the steward of the lord of the manor.
They immediately set down their weapons and quickly formed a neat line in front of Harden.
“Soldiers, this is Sir Howard, your new captain. He has been personally appointed by the lord of the manor. Anyone who dares to disobey him, do not expect me to be lenient!”
“Even if he orders you to face death, you must follow his commands.”
Harden’s demeanor changed entirely when addressing the soldiers, his tone sharp and authoritative.
The soldiers, initially considering covert disobedience, straightened up immediately upon hearing that Howard was Stano’s personal appointment.
They stood rigidly, not even daring to breathe heavily.
Seeing this, Harden nodded in satisfaction and respectfully said to Howard, “Sir Howard, I hope you have a pleasant time leading them. I shall take my leave now.”
Though Harden showed him respect, Howard knew better than to underestimate him.
He smiled and saw Harden off. This gesture thoroughly astounded the soldiers.
In the hierarchy of the Lord’s Manor, Harden held a position second only to the family itself.
His respectful demeanor towards Howard spoke volumes – what did this signify?
Soldiers generally have a rebellious streak, but they’re not foolish enough to court death.
With Harden personally vouching for Howard, even though he was parachuted in as the captain, none harbored hostility towards him.
Instead, once Harden left, the soldiers crowded around Howard, eagerly saying, “Bro, you’re new here. How about we show you around?”
“Boss, from now on, I’m your right-hand man. Whatever you need, just say the word, and I’ll get it done perfectly for you!”
Hearing the soldiers’ words, Howard couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
Having joined the patrol team, Howard moved into their quarters.
After settling into his room, he stepped out into the courtyard.
At that moment, the soldiers weren’t training. Seeing Howard emerge, they gathered around him again.
“What are our usual duties?” Howard asked straightforwardly.
“Our main tasks aren’t many, just patrolling and ensuring the city’s safety,” one soldier began, then hesitated before cautiously adding, “And also collecting fees from merchants.”
The practice of patrol soldiers extracting fees from merchants was an unwritten rule, not officially sanctioned by higher authorities.
Their meager income made such actions a necessity for survival, which also explained the reluctance of many to join the military.
In any world, joining the army is often about earning a living, rather than patriotism, except in times of dire national crises.
Howard understood this reality and was aware that some higher-ups, long detached from the grassroots, might react harshly in such situations.
Seeing their cautious demeanor, he immediately smiled and said, “No worries, I understand you.”
In Azure Sphere, Howard might have advised them to collect less money, but in Obscured Celestial Realm, he almost wished they would extort more.
Ideally, this would incite the people to resist, weakening the realm’s capacity in the impending interplanar war.
The soldiers, unaware of Howard’s underlying thoughts, smiled upon hearing his reassurance and showed even greater obedience.
“Captain, we patrol for five hours daily. Each patrol team has its designated area. Since it’s your first time, we’ll take you around later!”
Howard waved his hand and asked, “What I want to know is, how often do you encounter combat situations?”
“It’s moderate,” one soldier replied. “Occasionally, we get attacked by fanatical religious zealots or rebels who assassinate civilians to create panic. Other than that, we rarely face combat.”
Hearing this, Howard’s eyebrows raised slightly.
If it weren’t for the stark differences in weaponry and the absence of innate abilities in this world, he might have doubted whether he was still in Azure Sphere.
Fanatical religious followers, rebels – how different was this from Azure Sphere?
Or is it that regardless of the plane, human nature remains largely the same?
“However, ever since our lord broke through to level 90, the number of rebels daring to cause trouble in Stormwind City has diminished. Now, it’s mostly those fanatical religious zealots who, unaware of their impending doom, still rant about divine punishment and occasionally ambush us.”
The soldiers sighed as they spoke, “Compared to the rebels, I’m actually more afraid of those zealots. They have no fear of death, and facing them in combat is perilous, even with our armor and weapons.” 𝑖.𝑐ℴ𝑚
“By the way, captain, you need to collect your weapon and armor from the military supply department. But there’s no time for that now. Perhaps you could make do with our former captain’s gear?”
Hearing this reminder, Howard realized his own gear and weapons were starkly different from those in Obscured Celestial Realm.
During the chaotic moment of rescuing Aurelia, he hadn’t worried about being noticed, but now he had to be cautious and couldn’t use his previous equipment anymore.
Fortunately, his skills didn’t differ much, and Howard could still use them for self-defense.
With several SS-level skills and one SSS-level skill, Howard was confident of escaping unscathed unless he faced an adversary above level 80.
Against an enemy around level 70, he even had the potential to turn the tables.
When Howard finally donned the jade-crafted armor, he felt awkward.
Not because it was heavy, but rather because it was too lightweight!
However, the defensive capabilities were astonishing.
By channeling his internal power into it, he could activate a light screen that enveloped him completely, offering protection without any blind spots.
This was far more useful compared to traditional armor.
After all, real armor couldn’t protect vulnerable areas like the throat and eyes, while the jade armor provided full-body coverage.
The jade weapons were also light, and upon activation, they produced different effects based on their type.
Or people could enchant them themselves, leading to the emergence of a new profession – the Enchanter.
Through casual conversations, Howard also gleaned more information, committing everything to memory.
He pondered whether he could become an Enchanter himself.
If successful, it would significantly increase his importance in Stano’s eyes.
With everything prepared and having learned how to activate the jade equipment, Howard began patrolling with the group of soldiers.
Each team had a fixed patrol area, and the enthusiastic team members introduced Howard to their routine.
Of course, as they passed each shop, they collected a fee, exhibiting a rather cold demeanor towards the merchants.
“This is our new captain, just appointed today. Don’t you think you should show some goodwill?”
.
