Chapter 143 Lady Karol_1
Yan Xing rode a Chocobo to the militia training ground, where five Light Armored Werewolf Warriors were already waiting.
The entire militia training ground covered more than a hundred square meters, surrounded by a wire fence to isolate it from other areas of the domain.
In the middle of the training ground was a leveled compacted earth area with several wooden dummies erected for peasants to practice with weapons.
Around the training ground was a row of rain shelters. Underneath the shelters were some equipment for strength training and racks of weapons, holding wooden sticks, wooden swords, wooden shields, and some decorative axes, spears, knives, and forks.
Due to the emphasis on the development of the domain, there were no peasants training to advance to militia here.
The five Werewolf Warriors stood inside the training ground, unsure of what their lord had called them here for.
But each stood upright, waiting for their lord to speak.
Yan Xing, who had just jumped down from the Chocobo and walked into the militia training ground, checked his attributes first.
The increase in power had boosted his level to 15.
Yan Xing (Human) Level: 15
Occupation: Knight Lord
Attack: 18
Defense: 26
Intelligence: 18
Knowledge: 18
Hero specialization: Hearts and Minds (increases the appeal of human peasants, enhances administrative efficiency. Rally: boosts the morale of subjects and his allied troops.)
Hero special skills:
Junior Training
Junior Leadership
Junior Offense
Junior Air Magic
Junior Elementary Wisdom Spell
Skills/Magic:
Charge
Collide
Prayer
Hotblood
Contempt
Skyrend Slash
Shield Bash
Angelic Descent
Angelic Descent Support Magic
Eye of the Air
Railgun
Magic Lightning
Attack Speed
...
Equipment: Deep Space Whisperer Magic Tome
Achievements: None
Prestige: 54,000
The training skill in the hero's special skills was a unique ability of human Knight heroes. Its function was to train soldiers within the respective training grounds for the purpose of advancing lower-order soldiers to higher ranks.
Yan Xing had once trained First Order Peasants in the militia training ground but had never trained First Order Werewolves.
He wondered if there would be any changes to these Werewolves after his training.
Upon entering the militia training ground, the Knight hero's training capability was activated.
The hero could open the training options to view the four-dimensional attributes of the trainees:
Strength
Defense
Lethality
Stamina
By arranging training projects for these four attributes, one could improve the individual attribute values of the trainees.
Once the trainees' four-dimensional attributes reached the advancement standard, by paying God-given gold coins at the corresponding troop building, the troop advancement could be completed.
Yan Xing opened his training panel. He then joyously discovered that the four-dimensional attributes of these five First Order Werewolves were all shown as improvable!
He'd found the right method!
Yan Xing had the Werewolves begin strength training and observed the changes in their attributes.
The five Werewolves immediately obeyed, running to the strength training area, and started training with a barbell each.
In Yan Xing's training panel, their strength and stamina showed a slight increase.
Unfortunately, Yan Xing's training skill was only at the Junior level, so the training speed was somewhat slow. If his training skill were advanced, the effect would undoubtedly be very significant.
But in the entire Eternal Domain, there was only one Knight hero – himself, so he had to bear the brunt here alone.
A hero didn't have to stay here while training soldiers; he could simply arrange the Werewolves' training program and leave. He only needed to come back on time to check the progress of their attribute enhancement and then plan other training programs.
During the entire training period, it was necessary to ensure that the trainees had sufficient nutrition. Their food intake would increase twofold or even more.
Therefore, after confirming that Werewolf training in the militia training ground could enhance their four-dimensional attributes, Yan Xing left the five Werewolves to continue lifting barbells here and went on to prepare for the upgrade of Eternal Domain to a fourth-level domain.
He aimed to complete all the prerequisite buildings necessary for the upgrade by the next day.
For instance, the textile workshop and the watermill—buildings that hadn't been started yet—Yan Xing planned to purchase them all using God-given gold coins.
Early the next morning, he would directly upgrade the third-level town hall to a fourth-level city administration center.
Therefore, Yan Xing decided not to return to Nuta City tonight and would stay in his own domain to monitor the construction progress.
「...」
Night fell over Nuta City, enshrouding it in peaceful tranquility.
Atop a tower of a luxurious mansion, the evening breeze gently stirred the curtains, allowing the moon and stars in the night sky to shimmer through the gaps.
Lady Karol, who had just taken a bath, sat in front of her vanity table wrapped in a beige towel, on which rested an Ice Jade Porcelain plate.
Gazing at the moonlight reflected in the Ice Jade Porcelain, Lady Karol's eyes filled with a mesmerized gleam. She picked up the Ice Jade Porcelain plate, holding it against her own skin to compare.
Duke Silvermane loved to hold her and caress her skin, praising how delicate, smooth, and fair it was. He often declared he didn't even know how to describe the sensation of touching it.
Lady Karol believed that once Duke Silvermane saw the Ice Jade Porcelain, he would surely know what to compare her skin to.
At that moment, a dark shadow suddenly appeared outside the tower's window.
"Lady Karol... I'm sorry. We failed to kill Arlanda Jade. She... she broke through our encirclement and escaped the city..."
Lady Karol continued to admire the Ice Jade Porcelain in her hand, and her silence made the shadow outside the window very nervous.
The shadow added, "Arlanda Jade fled north... Without our guidance, she couldn't possibly pass through the fortress cluster around Riftfort. Her only option was to risk crossing the Thunderous Swamp.
No matter if she dies in the Thunderous Swamp or successfully returns to the northern Snowland... No, she will definitely die in the Thunderous Swamp!
She will never pose a threat to you.
Moreover, she does not know of our association with you."
After a while, Lady Karol replied, "I don't care where Arlanda Jade dies; what I know is that you let her escape.
You even allowed Yan Xing to track her sister, and he killed her..."
The shadow quickly defended himself, "Lady Karol, we had no idea that Yan Xing was under the Thunderous Swamp's protection and that anyone who attempted to assassinate him would be cursed. It was an accident; there are too many mysterious forces in this world that we know nothing about."
"The curse of the Thunderous Swamp?"
Lady Karol recalled Yan Xing's confidence at the Temple, how he'd claimed he could easily find the assassin. He must have anticipated the attempt on his life, planning all along to use the Thunderous Swamp's curse to expose the perpetrator!
Damn it!
The opportunity had been so hard to come by.
The Temple priest, despite having no background, had gained a special status simply by representing the Central Shrine on his visit to Nuta City.
His sudden death was sure to be exploited by High Priest Lancelot to take action against Count Theodore...
Regrettably, Yan Xing chose this moment to arrive in Nuta City.
Not only did he block High Priest Lancelot's moves against Count Theodore, but he also found the Elf assassin responsible for murdering the Temple priest.
Her identity as an Elf assassin, her attempt on Yan Xing's life, and her public confession—in front of the City Lord's Guard, the City Defense Force, and the citizens of Nuta City—to murdering the Temple priest...
In the eyes of Nuta City's elite, these pieces of evidence were sufficient for the matter of the Temple priest to be closed, and for the Central Shrine to be appeased.
If High Priest Lancelot continued to pursue this matter, he would only be causing trouble for himself.
Yan Xing, Yan Xing... To appear in Nuta City at such a time...
And bringing Ice Jade Porcelain with you...
What are you trying to do?
Lady Karol asked the shadow outside the window, "You just said... Arlanda Jade fled north?"
The shadow replied, "Yes, heading north and entering the Thunderous Swamp was her only chance at survival. My men are still in pursuit..."
Lady Karol knew that the shadow reporting to her meant the pursuit was hopeless.
She still needed these people; she shouldn't hold them overly responsible.
"Indeed, you can't be fully blamed for this. We don't know how Yan Xing managed to find the Jade sisters. Now that Arlanda has escaped... to prevent any unforeseen complications, everyone who had contact with the sisters must be eliminated."
"Yes, my lady. I won't disappoint you any further..."