A week later.
"What should we do with them?" Hure handed a washcloth to Thyra.
"I don't think they would succeed today either."
Thyra put down the weight bag and cleaned herself. Thyra looked at the sandglass before looking at the group still running around the field.
"How many have passed?"
"9 today. 94 in total." Hure reported, "Today is the last day of recruitment. I don't think anyone else will apply to join the army."
"What about them?"
"Although they are taking the trail repeatedly, they still failed to complete it. For a few of them, it is their fifth time trying."
"Running for five days?" Thyra smiled as she looked at the group running at a steady pace.
Steady wasn't the right word. They were the worst of the bunch. A few of them couldn't complete fifteen laps in time on their first try.
Thyra had never stopped anyone from taking the trial more than once. So, they would come every day, even before Thyra, and wait till the second trial started.
"Two of them are taking the trial from day one." Observing them in the group, Hure sighed. "I don't think they could complete it today either."
"Let those who have completed at least 19 laps within the time limit join. I have a list of all of them. There are nine names on the list."
"Do you remember the quality I seek in my soldiers?" Thyra asked with a smile.
Hure looked at Thyra, not understanding what she wanted to say. Still, she answered, "First is patience. The second is determination. And the third is…"
"Third is not important for now. Out of all of them, the most important quality is determination." Thyra smiled as she looked at Hure.
"Depending on the second criterion, who do you think is more suited to join my army? Those who tried and tried again, even though they knew they would never be successful, or those who gave up after falling short by even a millimeter."
Hure paused. She was staring at the group of runners, who were panting like dogs but still didn't give up. She was not sure what to say.
Although these guys failed the trial every day, they ran twenty laps daily. The reason they failed was that they never made it in time.
On the other hand, as soon as she announced that the time was over, those who had completed nineteen laps gave up, not even bothering to complete the last one.
"It is as I have said. What they don't know, I can teach them. You can teach them. Even an instructor can teach them. Those determined to learn would learn it even if you didn't teach them. But you can't teach those who would give up every time they fail."
Hure stared at her for a long time before saying, "My lady, you have changed."
Thyra smirked and didn't continue on the topic. "Prepare the magical contracts. They will cherish the opportunity if they are given it. Send them to the tent after they complete their run."
"Yes, my lady." Hure nodded before she put a bracelet in front of her. "The Viscount had ordered us to use the barracks east of the city. It has the facility to train recruits."
There were a total of seven barracks in the city of Hoax. Three were inside the city, while the rest were on the four sides of the wall.
"The Viscount had also sent a retired knight for your training and eight instructors for the training of the recruits."
"So this is the one?" Thyra was more interested in bracelets. Her first impression was that it was too heavy.
She soon realised it wasn't the case. It was like the bracelet was sucking all the energy from her body.
"That is an essence suppression bracelet. Wearing it would make one unable to use the ability of the essence monsters."
Even without Hure's explanation, Thyra could understand it. As she put it on, she felt her body become sluggish. Her leg muscles were throbbing, while the muscles around her belly and back were aching like crazy.
"Running twenty laps within an hour, for a week, is still a hard job for this young body." However, as soon as she removed it, she felt like her body had become brand new.
"What about the criminals? I will need them tomorrow."
"The Viscount said he had sent them to the barracks. He had increased the number of guards too."
"Good," Thyra nodded, before turning towards Hure, "I think it's about time you should start caring about what is inside you."
"Don't worry, my lady. I have hired a few special maids to work inside the mansion for the next few months. They have signed the contract, so they won't have any problem caring for your special needs."
"That is not what I am talking about." Thyra sighed. "What about Aria? I had never seen her in the last week."
Hure gave an all-knowing smile, saying, "She is your first concubine. So I have arranged a room beside yours for her. However…"
"However?"
"However, it is a critical time. You should avoid doing that for the first few weeks."
'Do I look like a sex-crazy beast?' Although she didn't say it out loud, Hure could read it from her eyes. Hure's smile said it all.
As they were talking, a soldier entered the tent. As soon as he entered the tent, he stared right at Thyra. He ordered, "Follow me."
Thyra wasn't surprised. After all, it wasn't the first time. After hearing the news that Viscount was gone for another week, Thyra expected it.
Over the last week, she has met a few soldiers. A few of them were respectful to her, while many ignored her. However, most didn't miss their chance to show their contempt.
And the one entering the tent wasn't an exception. The reason was the Viscountess. She had more control over the guard army than Thyra had expected.
It was only when Hure explained that the viscountess was the daughter of a ducal family that she realised how she dared to do such a thing. And these soldiers, with the support of the viscountess, blatantly started disrespecting her.
However, they didn't realise it wasn't the same Thyra they knew about.
Thyra looked at him momentarily before asking Hure to check whether the other recruits had completed their run.
Even after Hure left the tent, she could hear the raised voice of the soldier, "Can't you hear me? The Viscountess is looking for you. Follow me."
Hure clenched her fist as she waited right outside the tent. She was ready to jump in at a moment's notice.
*Slap*
As the soldiers slapped the table, Thyra looked at him.
"What if I don't want to go?"
"Didn't you hear it? The Viscountess is calling for you. How dare you disobey her order?"
Thyra didn't even look at him for the second time and started to read the records.
The soldier grabbed the record and threw it away. He didn't notice the curve at the edge of her lips as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the chair.
He dragged her out of the tent without much resistance. Only when the soldier dragged her into the middle of the field did the soldier feel the resistance for the first time.
When Thyra confirmed that many eyes were on them, she shouted, "How dare you put your hand on the young lady of the Viscount house?"
His inability to progress in dragging Thyra and her sudden outcry caught him off guard. He had never expected that the neglected young lady of the house would dare to do so.
However, looking back, he was shocked to see that Thyra had a sword in her hand. He checked to realise it was in his own sword.
Before he could fully grasp the situation, Thyra shouted at the top of her lungs, "How dare a mere commoner put his hand on a noble?"
Hearing her scream, onlookers rushed closer to see Thyra bring the sword down, severing his right hand off the shoulder.
Most were shocked by such a blatant display of cruelty. However, a few were shocked by the identity of the assaulter. Even Hure was too shocked to act within time.
"Ahhhhhhhhh…" The sharp scream filled the air. The soldier fell to his knees as he stared at the severed hand that Thyra was still holding onto.
"Disrespecting a noble is punishable by death. However, as it is your first offence, I will punish you lightly." Thyra smiled at him, saying, "Here, have your hand back."
And she threw the hand back to him before returning to the tent as if nothing happened.