The months following Leon’s return to cultivation passed without any major disturbances. His training continued under Marcus’s supervision, and the techniques he had initially struggled with gradually became familiar.
He also fed the egg his essence each day, and gradually felt his link with the egg becoming stronger day by day.
By the time he turned seven, he no longer needed his father’s guidance through every movement, though there were still techniques that required further refinement.
One morning, after Leon completed a sequence of movements in the courtyard, Marcus watched him for a moment before speaking.
"Your control has improved, but most of your practice is still based on techniques you already know."
"Should I do something else instead?" Leon said, looking at his father.
"You need more practical experience," Marcus said, considering this matter more seriously. "I had already discussed this with your mother, and I will be taking you at the Hayes’s Knight training grounds, located near the border."
Leon looked curious. "Will I be practicing there regularly?"
"Yes, we’ll visit the grounds regularly, and I’ll oversee your training myself," Marcus said, smiling at Leon. "I will arrange for you to train there. You’ll have spar with more people, and you’ll get to see different approaches to combat."
Leon nodded, eager by the prospect of training somewhere new.
"We’ll leave tomorrow morning," Marcus added.
The following day, Marcus took Leon to the outer courtyard. Leon looked around, expecting a carriage to be waiting, but there was nothing of the sort.
Marcus placed a hand on his shoulder and gathered his essence. A controlled current lifted them from the ground, carrying them above the manor before moving toward the outer estate.
Leon held his father’s arm as the courtyard became smaller beneath them. The estate buildings grew smaller, followed by the walls and gardens that had marked the limits of his familiar surroundings.
Once they had gained some height, Leon looked down at the Viscountcy.
The estate stretched across the landscape below. Beyond the main city walls lay fields, settlements and long roads connecting different parts of the territory.
He had seen portions of the surrounding land from the upper floors of the manor, but the view from above revealed how much more there was.
"Are all those villages part of our territory?" Leon asked, pointing toward a group of buildings in the distance.
"Yes. That one belongs to a farming district. The road beside it connects several smaller settlements," Marcus said, glancing at him. "They fall under House Hayes’s administration. The people there have their own lives and local authorities, but the land is under our protection."
Leon followed the road as it disappeared between the hills. Many small carts were traveling on it, accompanied by occasional soldier’s patrols.
"Are those knights?"
"No, they are local soldiers. They are administered under the Wells and Zephyr. Remember the regional lords that came to your birthday party? It’s one of the administration which are under them."
As they traveled farther, the settlements were replaced by forests and hills.
Many watchtower stood on the ground, some overlooking roads and others positioned near narrow passes. Leon noticed that the military presence grew more frequent as they approached the border.
He pointed toward a fortified structure ahead. "Is that one of the border posts?"
"Yes. We’re approaching the outer defensive line."
The structure grew larger as they drew closer. Beyond it, Leon could see additional fortifications and a settlement built around a military compound.
He had heard his father speak about the border many times, but seeing the defenses with his own eyes gave him a clearer idea of their scale.
Marcus gradually lowered their flight toward the compound. There Garret was already waiting for them near the entrance. He approached as Marcus brought Leon down.
"My lord," Garret greeted, kneeling on one knee.
"Garret," Marcus said, acknowledging him. Garret stood up, turning toward Leon.
"Young master. Welcome to the border," Garret said, bowing his head. Leon returned the greeting respectfully.
"How have things been here?" Marcus asked.
"There is nothing worth noticing, and the patrol also only reports small beast hordes, mainly used for trainees," Garret said, sounding a bit disappointed.
"I still miss those days when some demon cultivators tried to invade with a beast horde, and if this goes on I will surely die of boredom,"
"You are going mad, I think its time to change commanders," Marcus said, teasing him.
At their side, Leon watched their exchange, smiling. He hadn’t expected his father to joke so casually with the commander.
"Now jokes aside, how is the trainee session going?"
"The morning sessions are already halfway. Rovan is overseeing them today," Garret said.
He led them through the entrance toward the training grounds. Leon followed, his attention drawn to the activity ahead.
Several groups of young knights were practicing in separate sections. The experienced knights strolled between them, correcting their stances and demonstrated techniques whenever someone made a mistake.
Leon watched two trainees exchange blows in one of the rings as their instructor occasionally calling out corrections.
Marcus’s gaze moved across the training grounds before settling on the groups practicing near the central ring.
"Rovan has kept the fundamentals as the core of their training," he remarked.
Garret followed his gaze. "He insists on correcting their weaknesses before they become habits. Even the older trainees aren’t exempt from his instructions."
"Good. There’s little use in rushing them."
While Marcus and Garret continued their conversation, Leon’s attention shifted toward a man standing near the central ring.
He was overseeing a group more closely than the others. He stopped a trainee midway through a movement, adjusted his footing and demonstrated the sequence himself.
After watching the young man repeat it correctly, he gave a brief instruction to another knight before handing over the training ledger to an officer.
The man noticed Garret approaching and walked over. "Commander Garret."
"Rovan," Garret greeted him.
Rovan approached them and saw Marcus at the side. He turned toward Marcus and offered a respectful bow. "My lord."
"Commander Rovan Hale," Marcus said, briefly introducing him to Leon. "He shares responsibility for this border sector and oversees the garrison’s training."
Rovan inclined his head toward Leon. "Young master. It’s good to see you here."
Leon returned his greeting, and his attention shifted back towards the trainees.
Marcus exchanged a few words with Rovan about the current state of their trainees. Their conversation remained brief, mostly concerning the trainees, and the latest movements along the border.
"I had another reason for coming today. I’ve decided Leon will begin practicing here regularly. He has spent most of his time training with me, and facing different opponents will give him the practical experience he needs." Marcus said, after knowing the state of border.
Rovan glanced at Leon, then back at Marcus. The request had caught him by surprise, but he quickly nodded. "Certainly, my lord. We can arrange suitable partners for him."
"He won’t be joining the official training program. I need his access to the grounds and suitable sparring partners, and I’ll supervise him time to time."
"Understood. That shouldn’t be difficult to arrange," Rovan said politely.
Garret looked toward Leon with renewed interest. "So this is what brought you here today."
Rovan gestured toward the training area. "Come. I’ll show you where we can arrange his practice."
They followed Rovan along the edge of the grounds. Leon watched the trainees as they practiced, noticing that most were considerably older than he was.
"How old are they?" he asked.
"The trainees are generally accepted from fifteen onward," Rovan explained. "They undergo instruction here before being assigned to active duties, and the knights supervising them are responsible for their development."
Leon looked at another group practicing with training weapons. Some moved confidently, while others struggled to maintain their footing under the instructor’s corrections.
Rovan eventually stopped beside an open section connecting to the main training area. It was separated from the main arena and larger groups, but close enough for the instructors to supervise the matches.
"This area should be suitable. We usually keep this section available for individual practice," he explained. "There are several trainees who can serve as partners, depending on what you wish to practice."
Marcus nodded, turning towards Leon. "For now, you’ll begin with the basics of sparring. Pay attention to your opponents rather than relying entirely on the techniques you already know."
Leon nodded, shifting his attention towards his training section. This area is mostly used by new batch of trainees, then they were separated into divisions of Knights, soldiers, or guards.
Rovan called over one of the senior knights and briefly discussed the arrangements with him.
After a brief discussion, he asked him to select a suitable trainee from the newer batch. They had already spent three months training at the grounds, and some had developed enough control to participate in supervised sparring.
A little later, a trainee was called over. The young man approached and bowed to Marcus before turning toward Leon. "Young master."
Leon nodded at his greeting, and stepped forward, each taking their positions.
Rovan, who had been supervising the preparations nearby, watched until both were ready.
"Begin," he said.