The Regression Of A Grand Mercenary - 53 - Training The Neighbors - Part 1

After we’d showered and dressed, Evelyn and I made our way downstairs to the dining room.

From the moment we stepped out of her chambers, I found it odd that not a single maid greeted us in the halls as they usually would. It was strangely quiet, with only the soft echo of our steps following us through the corridor.

When we reached the dining room, the table had already been prepared for breakfast, neatly set with silverware and steaming dishes. But there was no sign of the staff who normally stood by to serve Evelyn.

“…Isn’t there usually a servant waiting here?” I asked, glancing around.

“Yes,” Evelyn replied, her voice tinged with a hint of confusion. “There should have been.”

My eyes went to the table again — two plates, arranged opposite each other. Someone, clearly, had anticipated she wouldn’t be dining alone.

She offered me a small smile. “Well, since it’s already set for two, why don’t you sit down? Let’s eat together.”

I nodded, though unease prickled at the back of my mind. As I took my seat across from her, I sensed a familiar presence approaching.

The door to the dining hall opened, and there stood Desmond, calm as ever, pushing a cart bearing Evelyn’s usual tea service.

“D-Desmond…” Evelyn stammered, visibly surprised. It wasn’t his habit to appear before she finished eating, so his presence could only mean one thing.

“My lady. Sir.”

Desmond spoke formally, polite but distant, as he set about pouring Evelyn’s tea. When he turned to me, he poured a cup of black coffee with a pointed, almost accusatory precision.

“T-thank you, Desmond,” Evelyn managed.

He gave only a curt nod. But instead of retreating, he lingered at the side of the table, hands clasped, eyes fixed on us like a hawk.

Awkward silence settled over the meal. Evelyn attempted to focus on the food — eggs, crisp bacon, toast, a delicate mushroom soup — but it was hard to ignore the tension radiating from Desmond’s watchful stance.

Trying to break the mood, she gestured to the table. “Thill, please, eat something.”

Reluctantly, I reached for a piece of toast. But every bite felt stiff with Desmond’s piercing gaze on me.

Enough was enough. I set down my fork and addressed him directly, my tone firm.

“Desmond, if you have something to say, speak plainly.”

He stiffened, caught, then sighed. “Ah—no, Sir. I do not.”

I narrowed my eyes. “…Really?”

He paused, then relented. “Actually…yes, there is one thing.”

Evelyn froze mid-bite, eyes wide.

Desmond cleared his throat, carefully measuring his words. “Forgive my bluntness, my lady — Sir — but what you two have done last night…is something I may have to report to your father.”

“Pft!” Evelyn nearly choked, coughing violently and spraying crumbs across the table.

I reached for her hand, steadying her, and spoke quietly. “I suppose there’s no hiding it now.”

Desmond continued, stern as a scolding father. “In my humble opinion, my lady, you and Sir Thill are…young. Far too young to advance your relationship with such haste. Love is not something to be rushed. Years of trust and understanding should precede such intimacy — yet you two allowed your impulses to overrule your sense.”

Evelyn dropped her gaze, cheeks burning. “I-I’m sorry, Desmond.”

He let out a tired breath. “I cannot truly blame you — youth is ever drawn to passion, no matter how carefully one tries to guard it. But now that it has happened, the family will expect you both to honor it with respect.”

“Respect?” I repeated, wary.

Desmond met my eyes without flinching. “Because you have claimed Lady Evelyn’s heart — and her body and soul — you are now bound to give back something of equal worth. You must take responsibility.”

I drew in a breath, steadying myself. “…I understand. We both do. By what we chose, we’ve already made our promise.”

Desmond’s expression grew even more severe as he straightened his posture.

“I will speak plainly once more, to make sure you both understand the weight of your choices,” he declared, his voice like a hammer striking stone. “In the end, the only proper consequence for what has transpired is marriage.”

Though she had half-expected those words, Evelyn still stiffened, a flush creeping up her cheeks. She swallowed hard, struggling to find her voice, then finally nodded with quiet resolve.

“V-very well,” she answered, her tone steady despite the quiver in her breath.

Desmond gave a slow nod, as if acknowledging that Evelyn’s acceptance was the only path forward. He turned toward me, his eyes sharper than any blade.

“And you, Sir Thill,” Desmond continued, “if you are to stand beside Lady Evelyn from this day forth, then you must uphold the dignity of this house. Her father will expect nothing less than your word, sealed and unbroken.”

I took a steady breath, meeting Desmond’s gaze without flinching.

“I will stand by her,” I declared with a firm resolve. “I will take responsibility for what we’ve done, and I will give her the future she deserves.”

For a moment, Desmond seemed to soften, the lines of his stern face loosening. He sighed.

“Very well,” he murmured. “I will deliver your intentions to Lord Amber. It is not my place to question a lady’s heart, nor the man she chooses.”

Evelyn drew in a relieved breath, the tension that had gripped her shoulders slowly easing away. She reached across the table to grasp my hand, her fingers trembling ever so slightly.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her eyes shining with a mixture of anxiety and devotion.

At the sight of her worried expression, I squeezed her hand in return, wordless but full of promise.

Desmond inclined his head politely and stepped back from the table. “Then, if you will excuse me, I will see to preparing a formal message. Lady Evelyn, Sir Thill… please finish your breakfast.”

With that, Desmond turned on his heel and left the dining room, leaving the couple in a still, almost fragile silence.

The crackle of the fireplace seemed louder than before.

Evelyn lowered her gaze, cheeks still faintly pink.

“Thill,” she murmured, voice low, “are you…truly ready for this?”

He looked at her, eyes unwavering.

“I wouldn’t have touched you if I wasn’t prepared to make you mine,” I said with a quiet strength beneath my words.

Her lips parted in a small, relieved smile, though her eyes still glimmered with uncertainty.

“I’m glad,” she whispered. “Because I…don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t,” I promised her, reaching to brush a lock of hair away from her face.

We stayed there, our hands joined, drawing courage from one another as the morning sun spilled through the high windows.

***

After I finished having breakfast with Evelyn, I told her that I would go back home to prepare for what needed to be done in accordance to the idea of the Village Defense Company.

She then escorted me to the front of her home.

“You’re going to be a lot busier now, aren’t you?” she asked.

“With what we did…I need to make something of myself other than just my skills as a blacksmith.” I said.

“If you ever need anything, just come to me. I’ll help you as much as I can. My family has connections that most nobles aren’t even capable of reaching…if you say the word, I can make it happen.” she said.

“Thank you, I appreciate the thought. And even though I’m going to be a bit busy from now on, I’ll try to make time with you and my family.”

Once we kissed each other goodbye, I leaped over the walls and made my way home.

As I landed by the back of my house, I was immediately greeted by my sister Theresa who was angrily glaring at me like I commited a crime.

“Ah- What’s wrong? Did something happen? Did I do something wrong?” I asked.

“I don’t know…did you?” she asked sarcastically.

“Sigh…I’m sorry I wasn’t here this morning. I went by Evelyn’s home to talk about a certain issue.”

“Was this about the thing with the village?” she asked.

“Yeah…it was. Also, we named the project, the Village Defense Company.” I said.

“…I see. Although it’s quite strange though that you went so early in the morning…to be more accurate, you went as early as midnight, didn’t you?” she asked.

“i don’t know what you’re talking about.” I said as I tried to play dumb.

“Don’t lie to me. I saw that you weren’t in your room while I was helping out Tilly to go out in the bathroom. Where were you last night?” she asked.

“…I was out t-training.” I said.

“if that was the case, you would have been to the forest in your usual spot. But I went there and you weren’t there.”

“What? You went out to the forest on your own?!”

“Don’t be so surprised. It wasn’t dangerous. The animals and monsters learned to stay away from your territory from the moment you started training in that spot.”

“R-right…”

“So, where were you last night?” she asked.

“…Why are you asking me this? It’s not like I went out to do something dangerous.”

“Excuse me, but who do you think you are? Huh! As the eldest daughter of this family, it is my responsibility that you don’t go out to do something as crazy as slaying another dragon again! I’ve already told you once that we don’t want you going out to the world doing god knows what! The only instances that it does happen is when the village is at risk. Didn’t you promise us that you would be more careful?”

“I did…and I would have told you what I would do if it involved something dangerous. But like I said, I just went somewhere…I can’t say what it is because it’s personal.”

“Personal? The only time I’ve seen you do something personal is when you go on dates with Miss Evelyn, or when you go to the workshop to work on weapons and armor or at most, you would go to the forest to train. It’s only those three.”

“…Damn, when you say it like that, I don’t do a lot in my life do I?”

“No you don’t…but nonetheless, you work everyday, and we appreciate it.” she said in her honest words.

“…Fine, I’ll tell you. I just spent the night with Evelyn.”

“Does that mean-” she quickly blushed at the thought of it, but I cut her off immediately.

“N-no! I just went there and slept by her side. Nothing else.” I said in a calm tone. If I told her the truth, it will definitely ruin me both the inside and outside. Something that was as personal as what we both did last night are only shared between us and no one else. It was common sense to act this way. If someone else knew, like Desmond in the context that we were loud last night, it was Inevitable. But if I personally shared it myself, I might be the most stupidest person yet. So a lie was enough for my family.

“Hmm, I see. If that’s the case, then does that mean your relationship went further down the road? This is great news!” she said excitedly.

“We just cuddled, its nothing too serious.”

“But it is! After all, of all the people I know, my brother who was once a hopeless introvert is now in a growing relationship with someone like Miss Evelyn. This is nothing but great news for our family! We should really celebrate today.”

“Hmm, fine…but don’t start spreading this kind of information to the village. I don’t want the people to start talking behind my back.”

“Hmm, that’s not really my fault. Everything your doing right now is bringing in all eyes from the village. The people are just that curious about you. There were even a few women who came by wanting to see you.”

“…”

“Obviously I sent them away since you were already in a relationship, but I doubt it would be easy to push away the determination of a woman.”

“Hmm, I doubt they cling long enough to me. What I’m about to do will soon make half of the people look to me with doubtful expressions.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“You’ll see.”

After my conversation with Theresa, I started to prepare for the project that was aimed at the village.

First things first was the issue with preparing the materials I needed to train the men who will enlist in the company. Thankfully, because of the weapons and armor I got from the bandit camp I raided, the issue with materials were mostly settled. Although most of the armors from the bandit were trash, it was good enough to be used as a training attire for the company.

Now, as for the lot of land where I would use to train the men into becoming proper guards, the village council was kind enough to give me a set of land that was perfect for using as a course to train the men. Half of the plot of land was covered in a thick forest while the other half was simply flat.

Because it was winter, I will have enough time to start building the barracks I need to be used in training the men. In just a matter of days, with the help of a few people from the village, I can easily make a barrack big enough to accommodate around a hundred men. In time, I can slowly add in more details to the training ground. Like a running course that is set deep inside the forest. A weight lifting gym to accommodate for building their strength. And a duel ground to be used for facing off man against man.

In time, things will start to move…and to make sure that the village is protected, this was a necessary step.

I just hope the people won’t lose their motivation in participating in this event.

***

About a few days later, I started the project. Because I was making a training ground, there  wasn’t a lot of detailed planning like what Evelyn did to create a design for her domain. In the training ground, what we mostly needed was just a roof over our heads to rest and a few walls to block away the cold.

Being kept simple was a necessary part of this design because it would not distract people from thinking otherwise of what they are expecting of this place.

The only set of words I would want to hear from the people who would look at the training grounds was that it symbolized both Discipline and Hard Work.

By then, while building the training grounds, I was told by the council that over fifty men registered themselves into the company. And the men who joined were mostly young men who had the ambition to become Adventurers. They were honest to a fault when saying their reasons for joining this event…but honesty and reason wasn’t enough.

Not all of them will make it to the end in this training course…

If they want to succeed, if they want to join my company and be given the benefits…they need to have the grit that holds together a warrior.

The days blurred together as I worked, hammer in hand, sweat clinging to my skin despite the crisp bite of winter air. Each morning I rose before the sun, gathering timber, checking the salvaged armor and weapons, measuring out every beam and wall for the barracks.

There was a certain satisfaction in the rhythm of it — the steady thud of the hammer, the hiss of the saw, the smell of fresh-cut wood mixing with the faint iron tang of steel. I did not mind the labor; in truth, it reminded me of forging a blade, except this time I was forging something far larger — a future for this village.

Villagers occasionally came to watch, sometimes offering a helping hand, sometimes just gawking at what was taking shape. The children pointed in awe at the tall posts, the rough stone foundation, the gathered weapons stacked in neat rows like silent sentinels.

And slowly, piece by piece, the bones of the barracks rose.

By the fifth day, the walls stood, sturdy enough to weather both storms and the tempers of a hundred rough trainees. The roof would follow, along with straw bedding, basic cooking supplies, and lanterns to light the place at night. It was nothing fancy, but it was enough — and that was what mattered.

Word spread quickly, as it always did in small villages. The fifty who signed up began drifting by to sneak a look at what would soon be their training ground. Some of them wore shining faces full of naive excitement. Others, more cautious, studied every detail with the guarded air of men who had known hardship.

On the sixth day, I gathered them all, standing at the threshold of the unfinished barracks.

They were a motley crowd, faces drawn from every corner of the village — sons of farmers, sons of merchants, even one or two whose clothes suggested they had come from better means but longed for something more than a quiet, gentle life.

I let my gaze sweep over them, weighing their spirit.

“Listen closely,” I began, my voice hard as iron. “In a few days, when this place is finished, your training will begin in earnest. Until then, you’ll help finish the work. This isn’t any sort of test, but if you cannot put your back into building the place that will shield you, then you have no right to stand under its roof.”

A murmur rippled through them, but no one argued.

“From the moment you stand inside these walls,” I continued, “you are no longer village boys. You are trainees of the Village Defense Company. You will sweat, bleed, and break yourselves until you are men who can protect those who cannot protect themselves. If you cannot do that — leave now.”

No one stepped forward to leave.

I nodded, satisfied.

“Then tomorrow,” I declared, “we raise the roof.”

Their eyes burned with a mix of fear and excitement.

Good.

In those embers, I saw the first flickers of the resolve I would need to fan into true courage.

And as I turned to finish marking out the new training grounds — the forest running path, the duel circle, the rows of practice dummies still to be carved — I allowed myself a faint, determined smile.

If they were willing to break themselves down, then I would rebuild them — stronger than they had ever dreamed.

It only took around two weeks, but I was able to finish the training grounds. And this was mostly possible because of the fact that around fifty villagers who weren’t even enlisted came to help almost everyday.

I was a bit shocked by their determination, so when I asked, they simply said that it was the least they could do for me saving their families in those troubling times. A kind gesture was repayed with a kind gesture…looking at their honest faces when they were working, I couldn’t help but smile at the siight of such honest and likable men.

This village had an honest future…filled with Good people. So, I’ll be damned if I don’t make this project work.

***

The winter dawn was still gray when I called them together. Frost clung to the bare branches like a second skin, and their breath came in steaming clouds as they gathered in front of the new barracks, eyes half-open and uncertain.

I could tell some had barely slept, with their excitement tangled with fear.

“Form a line!” I barked, voice echoing through the cold air.

They shuffled into place, boots crunching the frozen earth, shoulders tense. Fifty of them — some boys hardly older than seventeen, others with the hardened expressions of those who had already seen the world’s harsh edge. In particular, almost half of the men who enlisted where the ones who once went away from the village to join the adventure guilds…but came back seeing as they were not strong enough.

They must be thinking that this company was a stepping stone for them to step back into their dreams of becoming adventurers.

I stepped in front of them, letting the silence hang, heavy as an anvil.

“This is day one,” I told them flatly. “From today on, you will call me Captain. Despite being younger than almost half of you lot, I’m confident to say that none of you can ever match my strength. So, I don’t want to hear another name from your lips. When you call to me, you must say it with respect. And if you think this is going to be easy, you can leave now. Am I clear?”

“No Captain!” they said…although not in unison like an army, they said it loud.

“Good,” I continued, sweeping my gaze across them. “Then let me be clear. You are not soldiers yet. You are not even guards. You are clay. I will break you apart, and mold you back into something worthy of carrying a sword in defense of this village.”

They shifted uneasily. One or two glanced at each other, uncertain.

“I’m pretty sure all of you know me because of my actions…and because of my actions, some of you are curious to know how I became so powerful. How I could slay a dragon on my own while you would run away in fear. How I could kill the leader of the bandits who took away your wives and sisters and mothers, while you fall on the dirt of your own home…the answer is simple. I was strong. Strong enough to bend the laws of nature…the laws of life itself.”

Many turned to me with furrowed eyes. They couldn’t help but think back to the days when they were so helpless to the dangers that came before them and only I was able to take action.

“Listen very well…all of you. In life, nothing is guaranteed…nothing except your own efforts. Effort will never betray a man, especially when it comes to the simple concept of strength. For thirty days, the only word I want to hear that comes out of your mouths is ‘Yes’ to every order I give you. You will not be paid. You will not be given any sort of compensation…you will only experience the pain that will consequently make you stronger than this very day. As I say now…if you perservere…your efforts will never betray you.”

In my harsh words, everyone looked uneasy…the promise of no pay made some doubt their decision. But it doesn’t matter. Only in time will tell for me to see who is truly worthy of training under my hands.

“You are free to give up…you are free to walk away…but those who remain, I will promise you strength that you never once had. Once you pass the thirty days, I will give you the title of Guard, A pay of a hundred silver a week, and a room to rest inside the barracks.”

“Your first lesson is simple. Discipline.”

I turned, pointing at the wide track that cut through the forest.

“That path is three kilometers. You will run it. Five laps. When you finish, you will report back here for further instruction. And if I see you walking even once…”

I let the threat dangle.

They understood.

“Go,” I commanded.

The line broke apart, a scramble of boots and ragged breathing as they launched themselves down the trail.

I watched them, arms folded, as the first cold wind of the morning bit through my coat.

This would be the making of them.

One by one, they would learn what it meant to push past fear and weakness, to put the village above themselves.

As the first group started to vanish into the forest, I walked over to the center of the yard. There, I began to set up practice dummies made from burlap and straw, tying them to wooden stakes with thick cord.

I could already hear the labored breathing of some of the men as they circled back on their first lap, faces red, chests heaving.

“Faster!” I barked, not even looking at them directly. “You think a bandit is going to wait while you catch your breath?”

Their pace quickened, driven by equal parts fear and determination.

By the time they finished their five laps, half of them collapsed to their knees, gasping for air, eyes glassy from exhaustion. The cold wasn’t making it easy for them.

But even still, I showed them no pity.

“On your feet!” I ordered. “No one said you could rest!”

They struggled upright, bodies shaking.

I pointed to the dummies.

“Next is sword drills,” I said coldly. “You will strike the dummies for two thousand times. Only then will you earn your breakfast.”

Some paled at that, but no one dared protest.

They picked up wooden training swords and stepped forward, shoulders squared, their eyes carrying a new resolve.

It was a beginning — rough, painful, and harsh — but it was a beginning.

And as I watched them swing those practice blades, again and again, with raw, clumsy strength, I allowed myself the faintest spark of pride.

They would learn.

I would make certain of it.