The next morning, Rivelius made his way toward the training grounds with both hands clasped behind his back.
He slowed as he reached the edge of the yard, stopping beneath the shade of the stone overhang. He didn’t announce himself. Instead, he stood there and watched.
The morning’s training was already underway. Several of the soldiers had taken charge of the drills, calling out instructions as the men moved through formations, practiced strikes, and rotated between exercises. The rhythm was orderly, and from what Rivelius could see, they were doing reasonably well for men with no formal military training.
His attention eventually settled on Reyna.
She stood a short distance away, watching the exercises in silence, correcting the occasional mistake with a word or gesture. She hadn’t noticed him yet.
She turned slightly to gesture for one of the men to adjust his position, and Rivelius noticed something else.
The twin swords she’d carried yesterday were now both secured across her back, the two hilts rising over her shoulders in a crossed arrangement that left them within easy reach.
One of the soldiers at the front of the formation happened to glance toward the edge of the yard. His eyes widened slightly when he spotted Rivelius standing beneath the overhang.
"My lord!"
The call carried across the training grounds.
Reyna turned immediately. The moment she saw him, her expression straightened.
"Company, attention!"
The training yard snapped into order.
Weapons lowered. Conversations stopped. The soldiers straightened as best they could, the more experienced men immediately turning toward Rivelius and saluting. A few of the newer recruits followed a moment later, their movements noticeably less practiced, while several simply stood where they were, uncertain of what they were supposed to do.
Rivelius’s eyes moved across the formation. The difference between the men was obvious. The older soldiers knew the response without thinking. The newer ones were still learning what was expected of them.
Discipline, he thought, wasn’t something men were born with. It was something beaten into them.
His gaze lingered on the newer recruits for another moment. "Carry on."
"Yes, my lord!"
The soldiers returned to their positions and the training resumed almost immediately.
Reyna, however, didn’t return to her place. As usual, she crossed the yard and came to stand beside him, waiting to see if he had any instructions for her.
"My lord."
Rivelius kept his eyes on the training yard. "Of the men you had set aside yesterday, how many do you think can already fight?"
Reyna followed his gaze, studying the men for a moment before answering. "It’s difficult to say with certainty after barely a day, my lord. Perhaps ten or twelve have enough experience to hold their own in a fight. A few of the others show promise, but I haven’t seen enough from them yet to judge."
"Which ones?"
Reyna’s eyes moved across the training yard. "Darrow, for one."
She then pointed toward one of the men carrying a bow. "That one. His name is Nolan. I haven’t had the chance to properly test him yet, but I’ve watched him shoot. He’s exceptionally skilled with a bow. I’d put him well above the average soldier, perhaps even among the best archers I’ve seen."
Rivelius’s eyes remained on Nolan for a moment.
Reyna’s hand shifted toward another man. "And him. I haven’t learned his name yet, but he mentioned having formal certification in beast handling and management. From what I’ve seen, he understands their behavior unusually well."
She lowered her hand. "Those three are the ones I’d pay the most attention to. Individually, they’re dangerous. But they aren’t a unit yet. None of them have had enough time under command for me to know how they’ll perform alongside the others."
Rivelius nodded slowly, his eyes returning to the men.
After a moment, he asked, "Do you have a captain yet?"
Reyna looked at him. "My lord?"
"A captain. I assume you know what I mean."
"I..." Her eyes flicked briefly toward the men before returning to him. "I thought you would choose one, my lord. Or appoint someone yourself."
Rivelius turned his head and looked at her. "Perhaps you’ve misunderstood your position as General."
Reyna went still.
"I did not make you General of this group," he said. "I made you General of my army. Whatever size that army eventually becomes."
Her eyes widened slightly.
For a moment, she seemed unable to find a response. The weight of what he’d just said was plainly settling in, and Rivelius let her take it in without adding anything.
He turned his attention back toward the training yard. "Pick a captain. We’ll be leaving for the capital tomorrow, and someone needs to remain here to oversee the men while we’re gone." A brief pause. "Bring those three with us."
Reyna took a quiet breath, slowly regaining her composure. "Yes, my lord."
Rivelius watched the entire training beside Reyna, occasionally asking a question or making a brief observation whenever something caught his attention. Reyna remained with him for most of it, though every so often she would step into the yard herself to correct a stance or demonstrate a movement before returning to his side.
By the second hour, Rivelius had begun to regret his decision to remain standing.
His legs were beginning to ache, and the body’s stamina was proving considerably less impressive than his patience. He glanced once toward the nearby benches before dismissing the thought. When Reyna eventually noticed and offered him a seat, he refused with a quiet shake of his head.
He had spent enough years commanding armies from beast-backs, battlefields, and war rooms to know better than to complain about standing for a few hours.
Still, internally, he cursed the body’s vitality.
An hour later, the training finally came to an end.
Rivelius watched as the soldiers began putting away their weapons and equipment before turning toward the estate.
Reyna remained behind to give a few final instructions, and Rivelius left her to it. He had already said what needed to be said. The rest was her responsibility now.
By the time he returned inside, lunch had already been prepared.
He entered the dining room and found Cordelia and Mirielle already there, speaking quietly beside the table. The dishes had been set out, but they had not yet been served.
Cordelia looked up when he entered.
Rivelius walked to his usual seat and sat down across from Cordelia before speaking.
"Leave us. I’ll serve her myself."
Mirielle simply bowed. "Of course, my lord."
She turned and left the room, closing the door behind her as Rivelius reached across the table and began serving Cordelia’s plate.
"How did training go?" Cordelia asked.
"Well enough."
He placed the filled plate in front of her before reaching for his own. Once he’d served himself, he settled back into his seat.
[10 EXP received — Serving your wife lunch.]
[Marital Instinct — Lv. 5. EXP: 5,030/8,000 to Lv. 6.]
Rivelius glanced at it, acknowledged the increase without much thought, and let it fade from his attention.
They ate in silence for a while, the only sounds in the room coming from their utensils and the occasional clink of porcelain.
After a few minutes, Rivelius glanced at Cordelia. "How is the farm coming along?"
Cordelia looked up from her meal. "It’s coming along well. Mirielle already sent a few guards out this morning to put up notices in the surrounding villages and nearby settlements. We’re looking for workers now, particularly people with experience in farming."
Rivelius nodded. "I see Mirielle has been helping you a lot."
"She has." Cordelia smiled. "She’s actually very good at it. She picks things up quickly. Having someone who can understand what I’m trying to arrange without me having to explain every little detail makes things much easier."
Rivelius gave a small nod and took another bite. He chewed, swallowed, and reached for his cup. "Then I believe she can manage it without you for a week."
Cordelia paused. She lowered her cup slightly. "Manage it without me? I don’t understand."
"We’re leaving for the capital tomorrow morning."
Her eyes widened slightly. "So soon? But the banquet isn’t for another week."
"True." Rivelius took a sip of his drink before setting the cup down. "But arriving early gives us time to settle in before the banquet. We won’t have to arrive and immediately concern ourselves with appearances, introductions, and whatever else the imperial court decides to put in our path."
Cordelia remained quiet, her gaze lowering to the table as she absently moved her fork across her plate.
Rivelius watched her expression shift, the mention of the capital clearly affecting her.
The truth was, settling in was only part of the reason he wanted to leave early. He wanted time to observe the capital before the banquet forced him into the middle of it. He knew almost nothing about the political landscape he was walking into, and Rivelius had never liked making decisions without first understanding the board.
Cordelia finally looked up at him. "I’ll... tell Mirielle what needs to be done before we leave."
[Wife Mood: Uneasy.]
[60 EXP received — Meaningful Conversation.]
[Marital Instinct — Lv. 5. EXP: 5,090/8,000 to Lv. 6.]
Cordelia lowered her gaze and returned to her meal.
Rivelius watched her for another moment before quietly resuming his own.