A few days after sending the crippled Aquila back to her father, Baron Tyre, Asher waited for a response but received none. He also waited to see if Aquila would neglect his threat and inform Baron Tyre about his territory, but it seemed she was too traumatized to speak.
At the moment, he sat in his sacred hall facing four individuals. Two stood at the front, while the other two stood behind, clearly more afraid of the giant beast lying in the corner.
"Do not fear; it will not attack unless I say so," Asher reassured the man and woman standing at the back. The man was well-built and muscular, resembling a blacksmith. His hair was tied into a ponytail, and his moustache could win an award. Despite his rough appearance, his countenance was softened in the presence of Sirius in the hall.
The woman beside him looked prettier than most women Asher had seen in his fortress, and her clothing looked much better than the commoners' but less refined than his. She was a tailor.
Both individuals were apprentices. Being an apprentice wasn't as casual as it sounded. Apprentice-grade professionals were not easily found, as they had to undergo extensive training from either journeymen-grade professionals or master-grade professionals before becoming an apprentice. Apprentices were bound by the tradition of leaving their masters to forge their own paths.
These two came to the wastelands from the Intis Kingdom, but their team was devoured by the beast tide last winter, leaving them stranded in the town since then. It had been almost a year since they were stuck here, and the duo had long adapted, especially Old West, the Forge Worker—a fancy name for a blacksmith.
His real name was Dan, but since he always talked about the west, where he came from, he was nicknamed Old West. He and Lois had opened up shops in the town, and nearly all the citizens knew about them.
Before the tailor and blacksmith stood Alex and Alec. According to the system, they were commander-grade material, meaning they could one day lead an army of several thousand strong!
"Mister Dan, I've heard of your fame," Asher said, flashing a smile.
Dan smiled widely.
"Miss Lois, I heard you helped my men with their armor before I became baron," Asher continued.
Lois smiled softly and bowed.
When Dan saw this, he spoke up, "But My Lord, I also forged spearheads for the soldiers for free, and I bought that steel!"
"I know, and you spoke before I could appreciate you," Asher replied.
"Humph!" Dan harrumphed and crossed his arms.
"I want to establish both of you. I want you to focus on improving military equipment while your trainees assist the people," Asher explained.
"Eh… My Lord, we're just apprentice-grade professionals; we can't train anyone yet," Lois replied.
"That's not a problem," Asher said. At that moment, a notification popped up in his retina.
[Would you like to upgrade the tailor and blacksmith from apprentice-grade professionals to journeyman-grade professionals? Yes or No.]
'Yes,' Asher thought.
Instantly, Dan and Lois were transformed by a blinding light, and their appearances changed. Dan was now wearing an apron, his muscles increased in size, his moustache became neat, and a heavy-looking hammer hung on his waist.
Lois also underwent a similar transformation. Not only did they change, but their shops were also transformed.
The newfound knowledge in their heads made them wander off for a moment. When they regained their composure, they went down on one knee and bowed.
"We greet Lord Asher!" they exclaimed.
"Rise," Asher said softly, watching their loyalty rise from the 45s to the 90s. Lois' loyalty stat stopped at 95, while Dan's reached 100!
After the town's upgrade, all the soldiers had a loyalty stat of 100, including the twins. This was because a fortress provided more perks to the military than to civilians.
Now, Asher had a loyal army that would give their lives for him, and a blacksmith who might break bones with his hammer should he hear his lord is in danger.
"I want a batch of apprentice-grade professionals before winter, so make sure you train them well. Dan, focus on studying their weapons and forging better ones using our unique iron ore. Your new shop should have a blast furnace for smelting fine steel."
"A blast furnace!" Dan's eyes widened. Previously, he had a bloomery, but a blast furnace was a hundred times better. He had heard that only master-grade professionals in the high plains could afford to build one, but now he suddenly had one!
"Lois, I also want more tailors. Make sure you focus on treating and making proper leather armor."
"Yes, My Lord," they both responded and were given permission to rush to their upgraded shops.
"Have you filled the positions of the dead?" Asher asked his commanders.
Alec nodded. "Three weeks ago."
"Good. What about the battle force art?"
"We use the basic null-elemental Crimson Wolf battle force. It should work for every soldier," Alex replied.
"I've asked Kelvin to give both of you the Blazing Battle Force Art. It's a powerful art given by my ancestors to the chief knights. I took it from Peter's room and wanted both of you to have it."
Alec nodded, while Alex couldn't hide his smile.
"Alex, you will take ten men and guard my castle. You shall also be my guardian knight until I find someone else."
"Yes, My Lord," Alex bowed his head.
"Alec, you will take care of the training and the overall state of the military. I'll need a weekly update on everything."
"Yes, My Lord."
"You can leave."
After the twins left, Asher exhaled and leaned back. "Pretty sure none of them knows I don't have talent. Without my golden finger, I might have been killed by Jeffrey and his mage, or fiancée, whatever she is."
Boom!
The double door swung open, and Kelvin walked in with hurried steps. "My Lord, Count William Tigris sent a letter to you!"
"What?!"