ALL NOVEL Chapter 150 The prelude
Chapter 150 The prelude
For a brief second, the sunlight managed to pierce a hole through the gray clouds, illuminating the capital of Stahl, Eisenburg. It shone upon the high towers of the royal castle, bringing an ephemeral comfort to everyone, from the commoners walking in the streets to a small room on top of the castle's north tower. "Summer is finally here" - Henry said from behind a pile of documents, noticing the warm glow piercing through the large windows of his office. He rubbed his eyes and got to his feet, forgetting about the piles of documents to be signed and leaving the room.
The castle was bustling with activity; maids carried plates of food toward the Great Hall, while others placed furred carpets at the entrance. Henry easily navigated through the people, who sometimes almost bumped into him.
In a narrow corridor, one of the maids almost bumped into Henry - "Sorry, your highness!"- she apologized, but didn't stop and continued on her way, holding the trail of food. The people around seemed much more familiar and at ease around the king, who couldn't have people stopping in front of him and bowing all the time. It would be bothersome and could bring the capital to a halt every time he stepped outside of his castle. He had ordered the people that they could only bow once a day, once they see his image.
Henry exited the castle's large gates and walked towards the Commanders Training Center, which had been incorporated within the castle's grounds and surrounded by its walls. The training of the soldiers was also being conducted inside the walls of the castle, near the Commanders Training Center. "Again!" - A deep shout echoed through the training center - "Again! Swing with more strength! What are you doing? Harder! The enemy will not be waiting for you to attack! They will aim for your necks and hearts! Don't hold back!"
The training grounds were packed with at least two thousand people, all of them holding weapons in their hands. In front of each one of them, there was a trunk of a tree, covered by slash marks. The old man Luther stood on a high platform, watching over this crowd and giving his commands, his voice unforgiving.
Upon seeing the king's figure, Luther bowed, welcoming the king onto the platform - "My liege!" - At his voice, all soldiers stopped swinging their swords and bowed to the king in unison, like a wave greeting the land - "We greet the king!" Henry took a moment to look at them and then waved his hand. At that signal, all of the soldiers took out their weapons again and began slashing at the trunks again, this time with much more fervor, thinking about the king overlooking them.
"You can also raise Luther" - Henry said to the still-bowed General as the loud shouts of the soldiers covered the whole place - "Are they ready?" - he asked.
Luther's eyes traveled across the training grounds - "Yes, although they could still have another half year of training to reach new realms, they can fight" - he said, nodding his head. "Is there any hidden gem amongst them?" - Henry asked, crossing his arms while analyzing the thousands of soldiers.
Luther took a moment before responding, his fingers pointing out towards a brown-haired young man - "That one is called Orion; it seems like he has quite the charisma and intelligence. In the first week, during the group training, he was the first one to take action and assembled a group. He is also quite good at combat, but he is not the best." The old man then pointed towards a young man who was quite tall, with a tattoo of a coiling snake on his arm. However, before he could say anything, Henry noted - "A barbarian and a Second Stage Warrior… Impressive. And, his face looks quite familiar" - the king said, rubbing his cheeks, trying to figure out where he knew him from.
"The soldiers calls him the Crazy Urff and he is one of the five hundred barbarians that came to integrate into the army" - Luther said, his eyes shining with interest.
"Crazy Urff?" - Henry asked, his interest piqued. The name was also familiar. He was sure that he knew the kid from somewhere.
"As you know, it has been difficult for the barbarians after they left Orsus and moved into the capital. It has been even more challenging for those barbarians within the army; they have been quite bullied" - Luther explained - "In the first week, twenty soldiers attacked that kid, but he singlehandedly took them down. He beat them so badly that they had to remain in bed for almost a month. I decided not to punish him, since he wasn't the one who began the incident, and I only told him to sit outside on a winter night, quite an easy punishment for a barbarian. They began calling him Crazy Urff soon after that because he is always shouting that he will kill all Winter Orcs."
At that, Henry's eyes finally shone. He remembered where he knew that kid from. It was a brief passage, but he could still recall that day when he rescued a small barbarian who fought bravely against a Winter Orc, even with both arms broken. It was the group that fought the Winter Orc found outside the Inner Layer of the Frozen Forest. The mother of the kid begged him to find him.
"Urff" - Henry repeated the name of the kid - "Do you think he can become a leader?"
Luther shook his head - "He moves alone and seems to have no desire to assume a leadership role, even with the other barbarians flocking towards him. However, while he can't become a leader, he can easily become a spearhead for the army. He is strong and courageous. If we train him well, he can become a man capable of fighting a platoon by himself. He also has the respect of the other barbarians, so we can also use him as a bridge for the barbarians."
Henry nodded - "Not everyone has the characteristics of a leader; we can't force a horse to climb a tree, can we?" - He asked with a smile - "So, after the war, send Orion to the Commanders Training Center. We need to develop him into a leader."
The king then patted the general's shoulder -"Keep up the good work. Today we will have a banquet to commemorate the beginning of summer. Then, prepare everything; we will be marching next week."
Henry wanted to burn their castles and destroy their thrones, Luak and Aritreia must fall.