22nd August.
The afternoon was a bit warm and windy, with some dark clouds floating in the sky. They carried the earthy smell of the incoming rain, alerting those below to the possibility of rain.
However, it seemed the humans below didn't care what the weather had in store for them today.
A hum of life coursed through the estate today.
That despair, the fear that the people had felt, seemed to have melted away with the arrival of constant development.
Workers–men and women–moved with a spring in their step.
Those carrying lumber, stone, and even cast iron rods all had smiles on their faces.
Why wouldn't they?
They've had adequate meals to eat, earned good wages every day, with a roof over their heads that didn't threaten to fall under the pressure of the wind.
With a full stomach and a purpose in life, why wouldn't they have smiles on their faces?
But that wasn't the main reason why.
Almost a month ago, after the young lord returned from Daze Mountain range, he gave a speech.
One that struck a chord in the hearts of every ear that listened, and disbelief in the minds of those who knew.
Marcus had told them about his plans to make everyone a scholarly warrior.
"When peace comes, you will study, you will learn, and build. But when war comes, you will fight." Marcus said.
This term sounded dreamy in their ears.
In Ulha and many places on the continent, to be a scholar is to be learned. To possess vast knowledge of different aspects of life and varieties of subjects.
It sought peace over violence, and negotiation over war.
And a warrior is one with the tenacity to fight: the bravery to defend, and the heart to kill. There's no peace where they are needed, and violence was their way of life.
These two terms didn't go together, and yet it caused a subtle shift in their hearts when they thought more deeply about it.
If they could become a scholarly warrior as the young lord said, then when there was peace, they could enjoy the benefits of the knowledge they possessed.
And when anything comes to threaten this peace, they would at least have the strength to defend what was theirs, or die trying.
It was a liberating and empowering thought to them.
And when Marcus assured them that he could raise their chances of awakening Blood Force, a lot of them decided to participate and awaken their Blood Force.
The total population of people crammed into Marcus's estate after carrying out a census was 69,410.
More than half of them were within the standard working age. The remaining were either too old, too young, or disabled.
Out of those who were of working age, eight thousand of them had attempted to awaken their Blood Force using the Blood Bane Arts.
And from that number, 4109 of them were successful. A massive growth compared to the force Marcus had underneath him just some weeks ago.
Though many of them had never fought a battle in their life, Marcus chose to supplement that deficit by having those newly awakened join his veteran knights in hunting more Beasts in the forest.
Also, there was a three-hour mandatory combat training, four times a week for everyone who had awakened.
And then another two hours of mandatory general knowledge lecture, three times a week.
They were to pick a suitable schedule so as not to affect their work and make sure that they didn't default on their attendance.
Because of all of this, their morale was high. They slowly came to understand that they were all cogs that needed to work together to get to their destination…
Thunder rumbled in the sky, and drops of rain began falling. It started as a drizzle and then soon became a heavy downpour.
The people below smiled and ran to look for shade.
…
Seated in his office, drawing up plans for the future, Marcus took a second to recollect himself.
He looked past the rain that was wetting his windows and down to the sections of his estate where construction had been taking place.
The first time he saw something similar to this in his previous life, Marcus was emotional and filled with pride.
But now, seeing it again, even an improved version, it did nothing but remind him that it could all be temporary.
Perhaps because it was raining and the weather had turned the area a bit dark, Marcus felt down.
"Why don't I just run away and hide for years? I can bid my time and wait till I'm powerful before seeking revenge…"
A second passed before Marcus chuckled mockingly, only for his expression to turn serious the next second.
Despite the improvement his people had achieved overall, especially the increase in men capable of fighting, Marcus still felt that they had a very bleak future.
Their numbers had increased, yes, but…
"Four thousand chickens are nothing to a wild tiger."
They had mouths, but no teeth, and no amount of training would help close this deficit in a short while.
Could they use their numbers to overwhelm Maney's men? Highly unlikely.
This would just lead to more deaths on their side.
Although there were a few who had been showing signs of genuine talent for battle. They too were still an uncertain variable.
They couldn't seek help from forces outside Agard, not because they didn't want to, but rather, no one would be willing to assist them.
Not even his siblings.
"Should I consider hiring mercenaries?"
This was easier said than done, as it would require a hefty budget.
Even though Marcus had started earning some coins, that was merely a drop in the bucket compared to what he wished to build.
It wasn't enough for his needs, and it wouldn't be enough if he decided to hire adequate mercenaries.
Moreover, most mercenaries were expensive and lacked loyalty. Their support went to the bigger coffer.
Without sufficient strength, it was no different from inviting a snake into your home to deal with a rat.
Well, in this case, the rat in particular was quite the big and powerful one.
Lightning flashed, and thunder clapped loudly, as if it were saying that it agreed with him.
Everything Marcus could think of led back to one place. He would have to deal with his problems on his own.
To make matters worse, over the weeks, Marcus had been practicing with the sword, trying to comprehend the first portion of the first move of the Seven Desolate Swords.
And despite all his efforts, he hadn't made any progress.
Even his [Unprecedented Oddity] title didn't show any signs of activating, no matter how hard he focused on comprehending the Seven Desolate Swords.
This had frustrated him for days without end.
On one side, it looked as if everything was going as planned, and on the other, it wasn't completely so.
Has he gotten stronger? Definitely.
After awakening his Blood Force, Marcus sensed that a lot of things about his body had changed.
The bloodline addition to his stats that he still hasn't been able to utilize or understand.
The reduction in his strength and dexterity stats didn't truly mean that he had gotten weaker; rather, his strength had increased and condensed, causing his control to drop.
And then there was other little progress that he made.
But, in the end, none of this made him feel safe or satisfied. He still felt weak when he compared himself to Maney and Cassir.
Marcus shook his head lightly, removing the negative thoughts from his mind. He then brought up his interface and stared at the information that was on it for a bit.
"Forbidden Grade-2 Formation Arrays."
That was the title of the section he was in.
Marcus had dug deeper, reaching the end of his options for knowledge he could purchase at this stage, and this was what he came across.
From the moment he saw this title, something within him was struck with fear, and he naturally avoided digging deeper.
However, as much time had passed and barely any progress to show for it, Marcus was tempted to seek this path.
…
[Forbidden Grade-2 Formation Arrays.
These are arrays that have surpassed the limits of their grades and touched upon the secrets of nature.
The secret of nature is not to be infringed upon, nor is it to be used by mortals. To touch it is to invite reckoning.
Using a forbidden formation array will lead to dire consequences. Death is the most common of them.]
…
Reading this detail, Marcus's mouth went dry.
This was indeed scary.
However, if it would increase his chances of defeating Maney, then Marcus didn't mind getting his hands on this knowledge.
He dug deeper, and the information on his interface changed.
Two lines of words appeared before him.
…
[*. Belonging To None Forbidden Array. 0/30,000.
*. Robbing Heaven Forbidden Array. 0/30,000.]
…
It looks affordable.
Right when Marcus was about to peer into the details about these forbidden formation arrays, a knock fell on his door.
The young lord paused for a second before dismissing his interface.
"Come in."
Bradley opened the door and greeted Marcus promptly before saying, "Milord, you have guests."