In the Fifth Legion camp, Robson was fast asleep when he heard a commotion outside. His honed instincts, developed over several months, jolted him awake instantly.
'What's going on?'
Robson grabbed the Knight's Sword by his side and walked out of his tent.
Outside, dawn had not yet broken in the east, and a silver moon still hung in the sky.
He took a deep breath of the cold morning air, the chill piercing his lungs and clearing his head considerably.
He walked toward the source of the commotion and saw a few dozen Fourth-tier Frank Skilled Infantry pinning a young man in the center with their shields, the cold glinting tips of several iron spears pressed against his throat.
"Who are you?" Robson asked with a frown.
This was a military encampment. Any stranger who approached would be taken down in an instant. Of course, that was particularly true for Robson's camp.
When the man saw Robson, it was as if he had seen his savior.
"Bo Yang! Sir, Bo Yang Gaojiasuo, reporting for duty!" Bo Yang didn't dare to move, afraid to even speak too loudly.
He had received news from his father yesterday, telling him he had found him a valiant commander.
Long anticipating the battlefield, he was incredibly excited. Originally, he was supposed to come tomorrow with the supply convoy.
But Bo Yang, unable to wait, wanted to set out early to make a good impression on his new superior. So he departed at dawn, which led to the scene that followed.
'Good heavens! He couldn't believe what had just happened! He, a 2nd Rank Bronze Knight, had been taken down by a group of common soldiers!'
'Is this the Elite Army my father spoke of?'
'Bo Yang?' Robson remembered. 'Isn't this the young master from the Caucasus family?'
Robson waved his hand. This wasn't to tell the Infantry in front to stand down, but to signal the Archers hidden in the surrounding shadows.
"He's a friend. All of you, fall back," Robson commanded.
Bo Yang looked confused, because it was clear that when Robson had just spoken, he wasn't addressing him, nor the Soldiers in front of him.
His confusion was cleared up a moment later as dozens of Archers emerged from the shadows on all sides, every one of their hands resting on their bowstrings.
Bo Yang swallowed hard.
"You should count yourself lucky, sir. Trespassing in a military camp at night is not a wise choice," Robson said, walking up to admonish Bo Yang.
Bo Yang nodded grimly.
"Are you the eldest son of the Caucasus family? This will be the place you serve in the future." Robson looked the Knight over.
His hands were covered in calluses from practicing Swordsmanship, and his body was well-built. It was clear he wasn't a slacker like Knight Ed.
"Yes! Sir, Knight Bo Yang awaits your command!" Bo Yang suddenly bellowed, startling Robson.
"From now on, I'll teach you the first rule of this camp!" Robson looked at Bo Yang.
Bo Yang snapped to attention, like a Soldier awaiting inspection.
"Unless there's a good reason, do not disturb my rest!" Robson warned.
"Yes! I understand, it's to be better prepared for battle!" Bo Yang replied.
"No! It's because I'm sleepy and need to rest!"
...
After sending Bo Yang away, Robson found he couldn't get back to sleep. Just as he was about to start his morning training, he noticed a few changes on his warband panel.
"[Host: Robson Odogin (5th Rank Silver Knight 222/1000 (Knight))]"
"[Hero: Bo Yang Gaojiasuo (2nd Rank Bronze Knight)]"
"[Skills: Perfect Knight Eight Skills (1000/1000)
Skilled: Burning Blood (0/100)
Beginner. Deriman's Improved Knight Eight Skills (0/1000)
Beginner. Deriman's Inherited Bow Skill (0/1000)]"
"[Soldiers: Third-tier 61 Frank Infantry (910/1000)
Fourth-tier 160 Frank Skilled Infantry (140/2000)
Tier Four 179 Frank Skilled Shooter (130/2000)]"
"[Morale: 70/100]"
"[Unit Cap: 2000]"
Robson then discovered that Bo Yang's entry could be expanded.
"[Bo Yang Gaojiasuo (2nd Rank Bronze Knight): Talents: Advanced Knight, High-level Priest
Skills: Proficient. Knight Eight Skills (44/500)
Beginner. Caucasian Swordsmanship (29/100)]"
'Holy cow!' A single glance at the panel completely blew Robson's mind again with how ridiculously overpowered it was.
'I can't believe the warband system can directly detect the talents of my subordinates!'
This function wasn't exactly powerful, but it was highly practical.
Just as the old saying goes, a man's greatest fear is choosing the wrong career. This world lacked reliable methods for testing one's talents.
Generally, as long as you showed even a little promise during your apprenticeship in a profession, it was assumed you had a talent for it.
Of course, some families had strict requirements. Certain families did not accept Priests or Mages, especially in the Frank Kingdom, believing such professions would tarnish their family's valiant bloodline.
This all started because when the kingdom was first established, nobody had the money to support Mages, so they made up a story to save face.
Unexpectedly, as the story was told and retold, the noble lords ended up successfully deceiving themselves.
"Bo Yang? Still here?" As soon as Robson stepped out of his tent, he saw Bo Yang on the training ground, practicing the Knight Eight Skills.
"Good morning, Sir." Upon seeing Robson, Bo Yang snapped to attention and greeted him.
"Carry on with your practice."
Robson nodded, picked up his Knight's Sword, and began his own training in an empty spot next to Bo Yang.
He first went through a standard set of the Knight Eight Skills, then began to slowly feel out the improved version given to him by the Deriman Family.
After studying it for a while, Robson finally began to grasp the Deriman Family's version and get the hang of it.
After practicing this improved version, Robson felt a warm current rise from his abdomen, slowly ascending to his throat before falling back down on its own.
This Knight skill unexpectedly had the effect of a breathing technique, allowing him to use the Combat Aura from his Life Seed to temper his muscles and bones.
"Sir, could I ask you to demonstrate that last move again?"
Robson turned his head to see Bo Yang watching him with rapt attention, a Knight's Sword in hand, imitating his movements with exceptional earnestness.
When Bo Yang first arrived, he never would have imagined that his new superior would be such a master of the Knight Eight Skills.
In truth, everyone understood that the Knight Eight Skills were the most fundamental and promising martial art for a Knight. The most basic version was jointly established by the twelve greatest Knights during the Human Race's pioneering era; not a single move was superfluous.
A person's talent for being a Knight was judged by whether they could cultivate Combat Aura using the Knight Eight Skills. If one couldn't even cultivate Combat Aura with the most basic version, then they most likely had no destiny with the path of the Knight.
But despite that, many families only used the Knight Eight Skills as a primer.
The reason was that the basic version was simply too basic! Its practical combat effectiveness on a real battlefield was inferior to some family-specific martial arts. Only families who wanted to go a step further and develop their own version of the Knight Eight Skills would strongly encourage their disciples to study it in depth.
Bo Yang didn't think so. He himself was a proficient practitioner of the Knight Eight Skills, and he clearly felt that they had another purpose beyond all that.
That was, to help a Knight comprehend other martial arts more quickly. At present, practically all martial arts could not be separated from the framework of the Knight Eight Skills.
He had thought his own comprehension of the Knight Eight Skills was already profound enough, but he never expected that there was always a higher mountain to climb.
Although Robson's movements just now had seemed simple and mechanical...
...Bo Yang knew this was a sign of true mastery born from simplicity, a mark of sublime skill.
Robson's movements were simple, but every step was incredibly solid, and each move crackled with power.
"Of course. From today onward, I will be the one to teach you the Knight Eight Skills," Robson agreed with a nod.
In truth, even if Bo Yang hadn't asked, he would have offered. After all, Bo Yang was now his subordinate.
Part of the reason was also the exorbitant "tuition fee" paid by Viscount Fuman.
Of course, the main reason was that he, Robson, was a responsible noble lord.