When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist

On the ruins of the small town, along the pothole-filled stone road, a dozen open-top carts are slowly advancing.

On each cart, there are ten or twenty new recruits, wearing burlap robes, enviously watching the black-clad cavalry escorting them.

They are all wearing beautiful wool coats.

As his body swayed with the cart, Brune leaned his back against the cart bed, and looked dismally at the gaps in the bottom planks.

Unlike the other new recruits who were excitedly discussing, his spirits were not high, even somewhat fearful.

He didn't originally want to join the army, but that day Merikso mocked him as a fool, and he couldn't hold back, arguing with him for a few sentences.

As a result, somehow, that Monk Monsieur registered him onto the troop roster.

This misunderstanding wasn't difficult to resolve, but unfortunately, once registered, Hundred Households Captain Mosang used the excuse of hindering recruitment to angrily rebuke Merikso, even forcing him to apologize.

If he were to say that he actually didn't want to join the army, it would offend not only Merikso but all three "big figures"—Merikso, Mosang, and Monk Jim.

In that case, wouldn't he be in for a great deal of trouble?

Brune was just timid and slow to react; he wasn't stupid. Once he understood the cause and effect, he felt numb.

Go to the new recruit camp, where he would really have to go to the battlefield and fight. But if he decided not to go, returning home in disgrace, he would surely be thwarted by the vengeful Merikso.

Ultimately, under Gashkour's persuasion, Brune decided to enlist first to get through the immediate disaster.

As for the future, he'll just have to take it one step at a time.

Brune lifted his head, only to catch the mocking glances of the other new recruits.

These new recruits came from the same hundred households, even ten households, and Brune was renowned for his timidity and weakness.

While they didn't say it out loud, they all knew the story behind it, subtly glancing at Brune with meaningful eyes amidst their chatting and laughing.

"Combesom, were you a mercenary before?"

"Oh, not long, just seven or eight years, fought in a few small battles, like the previous one with Great Monarch Papani, I was there, witnessing Corps Commander Jeska's wrath as he killed the fleeing soldiers."

"Then you absolutely have to guide us well."

Combesom patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, I'm known among the mercenaries for guiding new recruits as 'old captain.' I'll teach you one thing. Do you know what kind of new recruit is most favored by the old captain?"

"The strong ones?"

"The tall ones?"

"Wrong." Combesom smiled and said, "They are fierce, need to have that ferocity. Without ferocity, how can one kill on the battlefield?"

Brune shivered instinctively upon hearing the word 'kill'.

"… Like some people on our cart, I won't name names, they surely won't be liked by the instructor, too weak, no power, look big but scared like anything... Hey, Brune, do you think I'm right?"

Brune nodded awkwardly, "Right, right."

"Hahahahaha——"

The early winter wind brought dampness, soaking the roadside sagebrush and wood sorrel, and amidst Brune's melancholy, the military camp finally appeared beyond the hill.

Unlike the small town district, El Camp was refurbished by Horn, utilizing the beastman prisoners of war and Trinity Education Team laborers.

They spent almost twenty days to complete the basic renovations.

Even after the new recruits begin training, the camp must continue to be repaired to accommodate future recruits.

One big reason Horn recruits new soldiers in batches is that the camp wasn't fully completed; it couldn't accommodate too many people.

The fence gate slowly opened, Brune looked up, wooden arched framework slowly passing overhead.

The cart entered the semicircular plaza at the front of the camp, the solid ground layered with densely knit red and white stone tiles as floor bricks.

About ten instructors, all wearing Salvation Army uniforms, stood together, their neat and powerful uniforms and their bloody aura firmly captured everyone's attention.

If only I could wear that outfit too, Brune thought, enviously looking at those veterans.

"Get up, lazybones, lucky for you, you got to ride the carts." A black-clad cavalryman with a scar on his mouth shouted at them, "Move it, get off, quick!"

Before the driver had fully stopped the carts, these young men jumped off, looking around and touching everything.

One even went directly towards the gate guards, only to be struck down by a rifle butt, becoming the first casualty of the new recruit camp.

Once all the new recruits got off, the carts immediately turned around to pick up other recruits, and when the gate finally closed, a leading member from the Black Hat Army brigade came forward:

"Don't admire, this is the military camp."

"You dung heaps will spend twenty days in the new recruit camp, becoming stronger heaps of dung."

"While here, only remember three things—follow orders, follow orders, and follow orders!"

"If you don't understand what it means to follow orders, remember one thing—the brigade commander is always right!"

The new recruits in the front row scratched their itchy ears, clueless why this instructor spoke loudly.

"I'm Kolman, a veteran of the Little Mud Ditch Battle, the High Platform Mountains battle sequence and the Joan of Arc Castle blood battle, sent by His Majesty Saint Sun to discipline you.

We veterans are your best big brothers; you can ask us if you don't understand anything, we'll kindly guide you. Now, starting roll call, start with you!"

"Fugang Heinli!"

"Here!" The farmer named Fugang immediately waved his hand.

"In camp, you may only answer 'yes' and 'here,' again!"

A veteran stepped forward, harshly dragging Fugang out of the crowd: "Here… here."

"No strength, again!"

"Can't hear it, can't hear it at all!"

"Are you gutless? Do it again!"

The veterans immediately pointed at the farmer and shouted, forcing him to shout seven or eight times until his voice cracked before they were satisfied.

At this moment, a veteran stepped out, grabbed Fugang by the collar, and dragged him aside to begin teaching him how to stand one-on-one.

"Next, Taylor Tien!"

"Here!"

"Good, very spirited."

Taylor was also taken away by another veteran to learn the stance and rules.

Under Kolman's roll call, over a hundred new recruits were confirmed to have arrived and were successively taken away by veterans acting as instructors.

"Next, Brune Guillaume!"

"..."

"Brune! Brune!"

"Here!" Brune hurriedly pushed through the crowd and stepped forward, seeing Kolman with a face full of hostility.

"Mad, you're tall, but your voice is so small?"

"With such a small voice, you think you can fight? Do it again!"

"Here——"

After making Brune shout about ten times, Kolman finally let him go.

A young officer stepped forward, patting him on the back: "You're quite tall, you might even be a front-line soldier. I'm Ke Ruxiu, your Brigade Commander. Now, shut up and follow me, don't ask anything."

Looking at the back of the officer, who was just about seventeen or eighteen years old, Brune said nothing and obediently followed behind.

Although this officer named Ke Ruxiu was not old, his status was not low, and the other veterans all showed him respect.

Given his age, Brune thought he was likely from the Child Soldiers.

At the training ground, Ke Ruxiu took a long devotional infusion stick from the rack and pointed at the ground.

Brune looked at him blankly.

Ke Ruxiu did not hit directly, although Horn gave them the right to use the devotional infusion stick and a foot in the chest, it was only allowed after a real mistake.

If a soldier reported a veteran using corporal punishment in violation of the rules, that veteran would also be punished.

"Stand here, stand properly!"

"Oh oh oh." Brune immediately compliantly stood in the designated spot.

In front of him were already three new recruits, standing straight as a board, with a look of gritting their teeth.

Because of his tall stature, Ke Ruxiu arranged him at the back.

"Don't say oh oh oh, say yes!" Ke Ruxiu frowned at the big guy.

"Yes."

"Good, I'll teach you how to stand now. See the person in front of you? Stand like him: keep your back straight, hands at your sides, heels together, no swaying."

Under Ke Ruxiu's instruction, Brune stood as required, though his back was a bit hunched.

But Horn didn't have very high standards for them; close enough was good enough. How could they expect them to reach the post-training level?

"Good, keep standing, wait here until I come back." Ke Ruxiu shouted to the remaining new recruits, "Same goes for you, no slacking off."

The new recruits immediately straightened their bodies even more.

But as soon as Ke Ruxiu's figure disappeared behind the building, the other three new recruits immediately relaxed.

They moved their shoulders, sat down to knead their knees and calves, and gathered in a circle grumbling.

"What's the point of standing here?"

"It's not standing I'm afraid of; why can't we move? Getting hit for moving, what's the logic in that?"

"I'm a Blessed, shouldn't I at least get a holy rifle or a spear and sword? What does standing empty-handed mean?"

"Standing day and night, can standing kill the enemy?"

The few of them grumbled for a long time before realizing that Brune was still standing there.

"Hey, big guy, stop standing and come chat." The new recruit, who claimed to be a Blessed, called out to him.

Brune stiffly shook his head: "No, the instructor said to keep standing until he comes back."

"Just stand when he comes back."

"I can't remember the stance; I'll forget it when he comes back." Brune huffed and puffed his answer.

The Blessed shook his head: "Bootlicker, stand if you want."

As soon as he finished speaking, someone suddenly shouted from the neighboring new recruit group: "Hey, look over there, is that His Holiness the Pope?"

The ones sitting on the ground immediately stood up and looked toward the hill: "It really is, it's His Holiness the Pope."

"Look, look, His Holiness is waving at us."

"Your Holiness, I'm here——"

"Your Holiness, we adore you so much——"