Before dawn, at the outskirt of the city, the ground is shaking, thousands of people are jogging in an orderly manner. They are the soldiers of Ironmarch city. Some of them are lean build, some of them are quite skinny, while some are bulging with muscles. Nonetheless, their topless body shown their well-built muscles. 'Hu, ha, hu, ha, hu'
"One more lap!" a young man with a handsome features shouted from the front of the lines. He is quite lean and his shirtless condition showed his refined muscles, especially his upper body. Hearing the prince' command, most of the soldiers complain as some of them are panting heavily because they have been running for seven laps circling the city walls. Some of them could barely stand, it could be seen from their pale facial expressions.
"Your Highness, they can't do one more lap." Borrin said to the prince, showing his concern to his soldiers. Hearing Borrin's advice, Luceran looked back and scanned the entire army. His silverly eyes glow brigther as golden hue covers his eyes. He used the common spell that was taught at the Academy, 'Eagle Eye' to enhance his vision so that he could see far.
"HALT! Take a 5 minutes rest before we return to the barrack." The prince commanded. All the soldiers immediately collapse to the ground, only the five lieutenants, commander Borrin, and Luceran remain standing. 'How utterly weak. No wonder Ironmarch can only act passive against the monster and bandits.' This physique is barely passable even as a trainee for the main army of the Empire.
'Most of the soldiers are in the early stage of Flesh Strengthening. The lieutenants are in the late stage or peak stage, only Borrin is in the Bone Tempering stage. To be able to function well as passable army, the majority of the soldiers must at least in the late stage of Flesh Strengthening.
'It looks like that I have to use the royal army physical strengthening method. I also have to use my personal resources to buy some medicine to fasten the progress.' He knows that to achieve his goals faster, he has to invest a little.
"Alright time is up! Let's jog a little to the barrack and have our breakfast!" The prince ordered.
The sound of people chewing and drinking could be heard. People here and there are talking in an open field while sitting on the ground, basking in the warm sunlight.
"Thank you for the hearty meal, Your Highness." Commander Borrin express his gratitude to the prince. "I did not expect that as breakfast, the kitchen could provide meat and milk. We usually only have bread or potato." The commander explained their past predicament.
"If I want to train my soldiers twice or even thrice as hard, their provision must also increase in quantity and quality. That is only fair." The prince stated flatly.
"Nevertheless, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Your Highness." The commander bowed deeply. Luceran only nodded lightly to the commander. After they finished their hearty meal, the commander ordered them to line up. Then they move in an orderly manner, just like they were taught during the drill. Looking at the time it took for them to line up the prince complained 'Tch, too slow.' It took more than twenty seconds for them to complete the formation.
"It takes you more than twenty seconds to finish the formation. GIVE ME 50 PUSH-UPS NOW!" The prince roared at the army. The soldiers are shocked by the remark. Seeing their reaction, the commander sigh and said "You heard His Highness, 50 push ups, NOW!" The commander and all the soldiers then do 50 push ups. By the time they finish, some of them showed a face of dissatisfaction and unwillingness. Looking at their expressions, the prince commented,
"I know that some of you are unwilling or even dissatisfied with my order. Just like what I said yesterday, I will train you with my method, and my method will make you suffer. If any of you are dissatisfied or unwilling, you may leave the army. I will not punish you. Let's cut down the weakling." The prince phrased his idea mockingly to all the soldiers. Hearing his insult, the soldiers and even some of the lieutenants feel offended, but they did not dare to complain or show it openly, after all, it is the prince of the Empire.
"Good! Looks like you are moldable. There is still hope for you."
Luceran's training began in the brutal before dawn. He started with the basics, insisting on perfect, synchronized movements from all five thousand soldiers. He taught them how to line up properly within fifteen seconds. Under his command, the soldiers practiced a basic sword technique like sword thrust: a single step forward, the blade's tip aimed precisely at a target, followed by a swift retraction. They repeated this thousands of times until their arms ached and their muscles burned. He insist on the basics, as without basic, complex technique means nothing. He drilled them on spear formations, a shield wall as solid as a mountain, and the swift, silent movements of archers. The lieutenants, initially skeptical, found themselves pushed to their limits, their pride forcing them to keep up with the prince's pace.
The drill ended at noon. The weary soldiers staggered back to the barracks, their bodies bruised and exhausted, while some crawled to take up their posts on the city wall. Luceran, still full of energy, returned to his room, showered, and changed into a clean fancy blue tunic. He then made his way to the city hall office, where he found Mayor Daaz already waiting, with a bundle of papers clutched nervously in his hands. Nelez, who had been waiting in the shadows, stepped forward.
"Mayor Daaz," Luceran said, his voice flat and businesslike, "I need you to allocate a significant portion of the city's funds to purchase new military equipment. We require steel swords, stronger shields, and better armor for the entire garrison."
The mayor's eyes widened in alarm. "But, Your Highness, the city's finances are not in a good condition to buy military equipment! We barely have enough to pay the current wages! Such a purchase would... well, it would bankrupt us."
"I am not asking for your opinion, Mayor. I am giving you an order," Luceran replied, his tone leave no argument. He looked at the mayor with a gaze that promised immense trouble if his command was not followed. Daaz, seeing the piercing eyes of the prince, swallowed hard and bowed deeply.
"Yes, Your Highness. It will be done," he bowed and left the room sluggishly.
Luceran then turned to Nelez. "Nelez, I need you to return to the Immortal Academy. Buy three hundred Beginner Strengthening Potions from the head alchemist, tutor Hellen. Use my personal funds for the purchase."
Nelez, hearing this, raised a single eyebrow. "Your Highness, are you certain? You wish to invest your own fortune in this army?"
Luceran met his gaze. "I have to. To finish the task my father set for me, I need a force that can hold its own, not a group of men who are barely more than a militia. These potions will cut their training time in half, and they will be well worth the investment. Now go. And be quick about it."
Nelez nodded, a rare hint of approval in his eyes. He bowed and disappeared as he silently disappeared.
Two weeks went by. On the open training field, the soldiers were in the middle of their daily drills. Their movements were now sharper, their formations tighter. Luceran watched from a stage with Commander Borrin at his side, observing his men from above. While the change was subtle, the soldiers now moved with a purpose, a quiet strength they hadn't possessed before. Luceran felt a sense of satisfaction.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over the field. A wyvern, a familiar shape in the distance, was flying toward them with incredible speed. As the creature drew closer, a wave of unease rippled through the ranks. Some of the newer recruits tensed, while a few older soldiers looked like they were about to panic.
"Stay put!" Luceran's voice roared, taking everyone's attention during the growing tension. "That is not an enemy. You will not run like a helpless chicken at the sight of a creature! A coward will never win battles!" He roared with an angry face.
His words were a firm slap to their faces. The soldiers, shocked by his fury, snapped back to attention, their fear momentarily forgotten. The wyvern landed with a powerful thud on the top of the barracks wall. A middle-aged man, with neat and fancy black attire, leaped down from its back and kneeled to the prince. It was Nelez.
Luceran smiled. "Good," he said to Borrin, his eyes gleaming with a smile on his face. "It's time to implement the next step of the plan." Nelez then brought down three big crates from the wyvern back and put the crates on the stage.
"Nelez and Borrin, I want you to split all of the Flesh Strengthening Potion in the crates into 5,000 bottles. It means one for each soldier. A crate should be enough. There should be a hundred bottles in each crate. Just dilute the potions, mix with normal water, and then before they return to the barracks, give it to them. When you distribute the diluted potion to them, tell them to not immediately finish the bottle. A bottle should be able to last for a week. If they ask why couldn't they finish the bottle, just tell them that their body will not be able to handle the potion. Well, if they want to die, they can finish it immediately if they want" Hearing the prince explanation, Nelez nodded and immediately go to work, while Borris was still stunned with Luceran words.
"Commander, did you hear my command?" Luceran ask Borris. "Uhh… ahh… yes? I mean yes! Your Highness." He answered stutteringly.
"Good. Then get to work." Luceran commanded! He knows that Borris reaction was because he was shocked with the development. After all, flesh strengthening potions are expensive.
The drill continued until the usual time. Just before they were dismissed, Borrin gathered all the soldiers on the barracks courtyard. His voice could be heard across the courtyard, announcing the good news about the potions. He explained in detail what the prince had instructed them to do, emphasizing the careful dosage and the strict orders. When the soldiers heard of the expensive gift, their fatigue immediately melted away, replaced by an ecstatic face and cheer.
"Long live the prince! Long live Prince Luceran!" they roared. The sound was of gratitude and found loyalty, hopefully. A few of the older soldiers murmured to each other, "The prince is actually investing in us." The younger ones, seeing the generosity, swore silent oaths of loyalty to the prince.
At noon, Luceran summoned the mayor to his office.
"Mayor Daaz," Luceran said, "I will be using my personal treasury to invest in some of Ironmarch's businesses. Which stores and inns would be the best investment?"
The mayor, still reeling from the previous conversation about the military budget, quickly pulled out a small ledger. "Well, Your Highness, there's the Iron Kettle Inn and the Rusty Sword Inn, both are popular with what few travelers we get. As for stores, the Blacksmith's Anvil and the Woven Goods Store have always been reliable. They are small, but well managed."
"Good," Luceran said, nodding. "I will invest five hundred gold coins in each of them."
The mayor was shocked, nearly dropping himself. "Five hundred gold? A total of two thousand and five hundred! Your Highness, that's nearly a tenth of Ironmarch's entire annual income!"
Luceran simply ignored the mayor's shock, his mind already moving to the next task.
The next day, after their morning routine, Luceran could already see a subtle improvement in his soldiers' stamina. He felt satisfied, knowing the potions were already showing progress in the army physique. As they arrived at the barracks, they saw a hundred large crates on the middle of the courtyard. Luceran walk slowly to the front of the army's formation. "These are your new uniforms, new armor, and new weapons," he announced. "Commander Borrin, have the lieutenants distribute them."
A wave of excitement swept through the army. Soldiers eagerly rushed forward to get their new equipment. The weight of the new swords and the solid feel of the polished shields gave them a sense of satisfaction they had never felt before. The armor, though standard armor, was miles ahead of their old, dented plates. They now looked like a real army.
As usual, the drill finished, and the army dispersed, either back to their patrol routine or watch. Luceran returned to his office to handle paperwork. A few hours later, the mayor rushed in, looking both nervous and eager.
"Your Highness, I have just received a message! The Golden Lotus Trade Organization has hired our garrison for an escort mission!"
Luceran's eyes glinted with interest. "The Golden Lotus, you say?"