With the leather ball finally completed, several servants nearby looked at Freyr with eyes that said "wasteful," but Freyr himself was unfazed. This ball was going to help him earn some pocket money.
"Andrew, look, this is my new game... I call it football."
...
"Each side has eleven players, one of whom is the goalkeeper. Except for the goalkeeper, no player is allowed to touch the ball with any part of their arms, or it will be considered a foul! The goal of the game is to work together with your teammates to kick the ball into the opponent's goal while strictly defending your own goal to prevent the opponent from scoring."
Freyr explained the basic rules of football. These rules weren't complicated, and the hundred or so soldiers quickly grasped them. It was simply about kicking a ball with their feet!
On the training field, they used two saddles to mark out the goalposts. Freyr personally took the field, selecting Knight Andrew and a few cavalrymen who had previously gone on missions with him to form one team. He then had a group of officers form another team, and the game began.
At first, it was naturally full of comedic moments. The Russell family officers, who had never played football, frequently committed fouls out of habit. Some, in an attempt to kick the ball further, ended up using their internal power, sending the ball flying and even bursting it.
Fortunately, Freyr had prepared for this. The maid skilled in needlework immediately patched it up on the spot... and the unfortunate knight had to contribute his horse's tail for the filling.
When a knight charged forward with the ball, the opponents often instinctively used illegal moves to block him... it was an eye-opener for Freyr!
Often, when someone just crossed midfield with the ball, the opposing team would rush to block them, kicking not at the ball but at the player! The two would abandon the ball and start a brawl, with internal power flashing and swift moves exchanged, enjoying the fight immensely!
It had to be said that these Russell family officers were highly skilled in martial arts, with excellent physical conditioning. On the contrary, after running a few laps, Freyr was exhausted and had to switch out, becoming the referee instead.
After issuing a few red cards to those who turned the game into a martial arts competition, the remaining players finally started playing more properly.
Freyr demonstrated some dribbling and juggling moves, and even attempted a long-range free kick. By the end of the afternoon, the soldiers had basically grasped the rules of football. They even played with some finesse, understanding concepts like "offside," "penalty kicks for fouls in the box," "direct free kicks," and "indirect free kicks."
In the evening, the most clever soldier had already learned to dive in the penalty area!
Though his performance was clumsy, Freyr awarded him a penalty kick out of respect, as his favorite player from his previous life was the infamous "Dive King," Inzaghi.
This penalty kick also earned the vehement protests of "black whistle" from the soldiers watching.
By the end of the afternoon, all the officers and soldiers in the barracks had fallen in love with this manly sport!
The "world's greatest sport" from Freyr's previous life indeed lived up to its reputation!
As evening approached, Freyr noticed that several senior officers had reluctantly handed over their leather jackets to the maid for conversion into footballs, along with a few horse tails.
Almost at sunset, the group reluctantly left the training ground. The winning soldiers cheered like they had won a battle, while the losing side gritted their teeth, vowing to have a rematch the next day.
Freyr was very satisfied with all of this!
...
That night, Freyr returned to his small building, where Ryan had already gone to rest. At night, this building belonged solely to Freyr.
He had a few guards posted outside, ensuring no one was allowed in.
Freyr climbed up to the third floor, standing on the balcony, looking up at the sky.
"What were you doing all day?" Natalie, sitting on the railing behind him, swung her pale legs, making Freyr's head spin.
Turning his head away with some effort, Freyr sighed, "Making money."
"Making money?" Natalie laughed heartily. She had been following Freyr all day, though only he could see her. Natalie laughed for a while, clearly skeptical. "You lost a leather jacket and cut off your horse's tail, spent the whole day sweating and dirtying two outfits, and only ended up covered in dust... is that making money?"
Freyr rolled his eyes, "What do you know? Just wait and see."
It was already midnight, the sky clear with a brilliant display of stars. Freyr checked the time, "Is it time to start?"
"Practicing star magic isn't difficult... but the hardest part is the beginning." Mentioning star magic, Natalie's demeanor turned serious, reminding Freyr of the great female astrologer she once was.
Following Natalie's instructions, Freyr sat down.
"Use your heart to feel."
"Feel what?" Freyr stared wide-eyed.
"The stars!" Natalie replied softly, "Feel the power of the stars." After a pause, she explained, "Of course, at first, you can't feel the entire night sky. I want you to choose one star. Once you sit down, use all your magical sensing abilities to feel... feel the response from that star... it's very difficult and won't happen in just one night."
Natalie then taught Freyr an incantation, instructing him to silently recite it while choosing a star as his target.
"Which one should I choose?"
"The biggest and brightest one," Natalie answered.