It was the same road as yesterday, but Ronin's state of mind was completely different.
Yesterday, he had been leading nine traitors who harbored thoughts of betrayal. Today, his Guards were completely loyal to him.
The group was not moving slowly, thanks to the five extra carriages Earl Wiggin had gifted to Ronin.
With them, Ronin could have everyone ride in the carriages instead of walking, which would have slowed them down.
A convoy of more than thirty people, with the Wushan Clan's "Golden Mountain Range" crest on the carriages, meant that even if they encountered small bands of bandits on the wilderness road, they wouldn't dare to make a move.
As for the occasional merchant caravan they met traveling to or from Mountain Forest Town, there was even less to worry about.
The masters of those caravans would personally come over to offer Ronin their sincere greetings. One even enthusiastically gifted him ten catties of high-grade honey.
Ronin accepted with a smile and, in return, wished them a safe journey.
The carriages creaked forward, adding a bit of musicality to the tedious journey.
When the sun neared the western mountains, Ronin signaled for Macken to stop the convoy.
"Let's make camp here for the night. There's a stream to the south, so we can get water."
"Yes, my lord!"
Macken gave his warhorse a light kick and galloped to the front, bringing the lead carriages to a halt.
Once the convoy had come to a steady halt, Ronin stepped out of his carriage and into the middle of the road.
After everyone had settled the carriages, Ronin barked in a deep voice:
"Everyone, fall in over here!"
"Form up in six ranks of five, as per the rules I set at noon!"
Hearing this, the thirty Guards all hurried over at a run.
This was a training exercise the Baron had arranged after lunch. Though it was strange and something the Guards had never seen before, who could complain when the Baron was letting them eat until they were nearly full?
So, upon hearing the command, they remembered the admonishments from noon and didn't delay for a single moment.
Before long, the thirty Guards had finished assembling. Although the process was clumsy—with some getting into the wrong rank or file—they thankfully corrected each other in the end.
Ronin nodded to himself. Compared to their sloppiness yesterday and this morning, the troop was finally starting to look like a proper unit.
"Attention!" Ronin issued a short, sharp command.
The Guards reacted accordingly.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Ronin pointed at the short man in the third rank, fourth file, and demanded, "Attention! That means feet together and aligned, legs straight, stomach slightly tucked, chest naturally out! Who are you trying to impress by hunching over like that?"
The Guard must have been young. Being called out so directly, his face instantly flushed red, and he quickly corrected his posture.
Two men nearby who were on good terms with the Guard couldn't help but chuckle.
"What's so funny!"
Ronin imitated the attitude and expression of a drill instructor, his severity making the Guards afraid to even breathe too loudly.
"Anyone who laughs again doesn't get dinner!"
The combination of a noble's authority and the threat of no food forced the Guards to take things seriously. They stood at attention in the middle of the road with complete earnestness.
The scene looked somewhat comical.
"Macken, I've taught you the essentials of the posture. Go and correct anyone who isn't doing it right."
As the Baron's Guard Officer and the strongest Knight in the troop, this seemingly simple task placed unprecedented pressure on Macken.
In order to master the postures from noon, Macken had spent the entire afternoon, whenever the troop took a break, studying the key points. He had even consulted Ronin several times during that period.
Fortunately, hard work pays off, and he had more or less mastered them.
"As you command, my lord!"
Macken stepped out of the line and began to carefully inspect the thirty Guards.
Ronin stood to the side, observing. He was also wondering, 'Is this kind of training actually useful? After all, Extraordinary Power exists in this world.'
But he soon resolved his doubts.
'So what if Extraordinary Power exists? Even Transcendents start out as ordinary people.'
'This training regimen can forge a person's will, cultivate team spirit, and improve a unit's discipline. It's obviously useful.'
'Standing at attention is just one part of the training. I'll have to schedule military calisthenics and combat tournaments later on.'
As he was lost in thought, Macken finished his inspection and approached. "Reporting, my lord! Inspection and corrections are complete!"
Ronin nodded. "Return to your post."
Macken gave a symbolic salute before returning to Ronin's side, standing at attention.
"At ease."
At the new command, the Guards shifted their stance.
Ronin gave them a cursory glance and, seeing no major issues, didn't have Macken make any corrections.
"Today is the first day of your specialized training. I'll only be correcting mistakes, not punishing them. But starting tomorrow, if anyone is still careless, don't blame me for being harsh. Do you hear me?"
"We hear you..." the Guards responded timidly.
"Louder! Do you hear me!" Ronin roared.
His roar startled the Guards, and they quickly shouted back, "We hear you!"
"Good. Dismissed. Begin preparing dinner according to the duties assigned at noon."
Ronin said with a smile, "As long as you all train hard, I won't be stingy when it comes to your food and drink."
Hearing this, the Guards' taut nerves relaxed considerably.
In truth, they had heard many negative rumors about Ronin: that he was obsessed with banquets, prone to debauchery, had no interest in Cultivation, possessed a terrible temper, and so on and so forth.
But after spending a day with him, they discovered this Baron wasn't as awful as the rumors claimed.
They had originally agreed to follow him to Mountain Forest Town purely for the money, but now they suddenly felt that following Ronning Baron might be a good choice after all.
"Master, I've prepared your honey water!"
Chahar approached at just the right moment, holding a Crystal Cup.
"Thank you."
Sipping the sweet honey water, Ronin felt wonderfully refreshed.
"We're camping here for the night. Macken, remember to assign people to the night watch."
Ronin added, "Be sure to arrange two rotating shifts, so everyone gets a decent amount of rest."
Although this wasn't within the Wushan Mountain Range and there were no powerful Magical Beasts, weaker ones and other wild animals were still around.
Ronin had no desire to wake up and find himself, or his men, gone.
"Rest assured, my lord. Leave our defense to me. I absolutely will not let a single enemy get near our camp!"
"Good. I trust your abilities. After dinner, get the campfires lit. I have new techniques to teach you."
"Right, of course..."
Macken felt a little apprehensive, but he was also curious about what these new techniques might be.
Ronin handed the empty cup to Chahar. "Remember to tell everyone that drinking water must be boiled first."
'In any case, boiling the water is always a good idea.'
"Rest assured, Master. All the water in the waterskins has been boiled and then cooled."
Chahar said respectfully, "I've also informed the other Guards responsible for cooking. We won't have any problems with the water."
"I know I can trust you to be thorough."
Ronin laughed, took his Longsword from the carriage, and called out to Macken.
"Come on. It's your turn to teach me Swordsmanship."