A few days passed as Rion's squad leaders selected the trainees for their squad and finally completed his group.

At the moment, the squad members stood behind their squad leaders, and Rion paced before them.

His eyes scanned through everyone as he checked the old and the new.

A few moments later, he pointed at a brown-haired boy who was a squad member with a slender, scared body that looked similar to a cat, and his eyes had a curious sheen to them.

"What is your name?"

The boy stepped forward and knelt before he answered, "Mirak, my liege!"

Rion stepped over while rubbing his chin, "You... why did you join Karhun when you're more suited for Yuura's group?"

Mirak's eyes shone brightly as he answered with a wide grin, "I want to be your shield just like lord karhun."

His lips twitched in irritation, and he shifted his gaze towards Karhun, only to find him staring back with a prideful smile stretching across his face.

A vein throbbed at his forehead, and he thought, 'Why is everyone so suicidal? The mountains aren't even that bad...'

He heaved a sigh and turned his head back towards Mirak before asking the question that was on his mind, "Shield, huh... why are you calling Karhun lord?"

Mirak grinned and muttered, "Unlike other groups, we don't call you the group leader but our liege, so we also decided to call our squad leaders lords as well."

'I should've stopped them from calling me liege in the fast place,' Rion commented inwardly, and spoke, "We cannot do this — the Vice Lord and the Den Lord won't be happy—"

Before he could finish, Mirak cut him off.

"We already asked the Vice Lord about it." He trapped his chin with a thoughtful look before he added, "Ah! Yes. Vice Lord had said that 'Your liege is not a child, he can handle this by himself'."

'Of course, he said that...' Rion commented inwardly and gave Mirak a nod before commanding, "Go stand behind, Yuura."

Mirak's smile cracked, his eyes widened in disbelief, and he stammered, "W-What?! B-But my liege, I want to be your shield—"

"Mirak," Rion's icy tone cut through his words, and he added, "Stop acting like a child. Karhun's training is fit for those who rely on their strength, not on their speed. Do you want to be a shield that shatters on a single impact? Or..."

He stepped closer and stared into his dark green eyes.

"A dagger that will cut my enemies for me?"

Mirak's expression darkened, and he lowered his head in thought. A few moments later, he nodded and mumbled, "...I will do as you command, my liege."

Rion gripped his shoulder with a firm expression. "I won't allow you to waste your talent and obvious strength, even if you choose to do so."

Mirak nodded without a word, and seeing that, Rion frowned in thought, 'He is not convinced...'

He removed his hand from Mirak's shoulder. "But if you want to waste your potential, then you are free to do so..."

Colours rushed back into Mirak's face and vanished right after as Rion said, "However, remember one thing: doing so would make you a stupid person, and I do not trust stupid shields."

Mirak's lips trembled as he tried to rebuke his words, but he himself knew that his decision was whimsical, not sensible, yet he wanted to continue with it.

A few minutes passed in silence, and Rion said, "Go back to your position."

Mirak nodded and walked over to Yuura. Rion's lips arched up in a smile.

He pointed at one of Yuura's squad members and said, "You... what is your name? And why the hell did you join Yuura's group with those bull-like muscles?"

The boy walked forward and scratched the back of his head as he answered with an embarrassed expression, "Zaka. I wanted to be swift and agile so..."

'What is wrong with these people? Why can't they make use of their clear advantages...?' Rion shook his head both inwardly and outwardly as he said, "Go stand with Karhun."

Zaka nodded and walked over to Karhun with quick steps.

He scanned them one last time and commanded, "Dora, Karhun, Yuura, Tarun, Zukah, Balak, Moria, Armin, Cuba, and Waron.

Train them with everything you have. Don't treat this year similarly to how you treated the previous years."

His eyes sharpened, and his golden aura flamed as he added, "Teach them everything and make sure that none of them dies."

All of the squad leaders or lords placed a hand on their hearts and shouted, "As you command, my liege!"

Rion's lips arched up into a smile as he added with a nod, "Don't worry about yourself, I'll take care of your training."

Yuura, Tarun and Karhun trembled as the memory of their good training sessions resurfaced in their heads and seeing that, Rion's smile widened even further.

He clapped once and ordered, "Go train them, and after a month, we will start group training."

All of them nodded, and a gust swept through the cliff as Rion picked up his spear and made his way towards the vice lord's hut, or at least tried to before he disappeared from his spot.

***

Rion appeared on a familiar peak and looked at the person before him with a dumbfounded expression before he asked, "Father, why are you here? Shouldn't you be at the watch?"

"Look around yourself," Haden muttered and picked up his spear.

Following his words, Rion looked around, and his eyes widened in disbelief. His head snapped towards Haden, and he wondered, 'When did he even move me?'

Haden ignored his dumbstruck expression and asked, "Do you remember what I had promised to you?"

Rion's heartbeat fastened, and he answered, "I do..."

Haden smiled. "At that time, I didn't think that you would become a group leader so fast, let alone a squad leader... but a promise is a promise."

His smile vanished, and he ordered,

"Ready yourself, Group leader Rion Del Haden."

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