Chapter 368: Finding Another Benefactor (1/2)

Maerr-viki Continent, Verdant Breeze Town.

”Valstra, how many people have passed my entrance test?” With a relaxed expression still on his face, Argentum looked at one of the two men on the makeshift stage and asked with a light smile.

In response, Valstra hastily looked through the various pieces of parchment he had written names on before closing his eyes to do a bit of mental calculation. After that, he looked at Argentum with a calm yet confident expression as he responded, ”If my calculations are not wrong, out of a total of 1,352 people that participated in the entrance test, only 356 people had passed it, Sir Argentum.”

356 people, huh. Well, that's surprisingly better than I expected,” Argentum responded as he looked at the sky, noticing that it was already afternoon. At the moment, quite a lot of men were scattered across the area, either lying or sitting down on the ground as they caught their breaths, gasping for air from the great amounts of stamina they had use to defend against just one attack from Argentum.

As for Argentum, he wasn't affected at all. He wasn't drenched in sweat, nor did he look like he had a hard time while sending out a punch to over one thousand people in a row. If anything, that just made the men reassess Argentum yet one more time, making them wonder as to how long he would last in a fight. Hours maybe? Days? Maybe even over a week if he moved sparingly.

Seeing as to how Argentum seemed to be unaffected from doing a single punch monotonously for over a thousand times, Claude, the new instructor of the Tempest Regiment, looked at him with interest and asked, ”Say, Sir Argentum. Are you really not tired at all?”

”Not even one bit. Why do you ask?” Argentum replied, an expression of slight confusion on his face. In response, Claude's eyes slightly widened from the confidence in Argentum's voice, before lightly smiling as he waved his hands, saying, ”Oh, nothing, nothing. Just take it as an old man's nature to worry over someone.”

”Huh…” Since Claude did not bother explaining what was going on in his mind, then Argentum did not pursue the matter any further. After giving the men that had passed his entrance test sufficient rest, he then told them to stand in front of him in a grid-like formation, to which the men hastily followed, not wanting to lose their positions as Tempest Regiment members just as they were admitted.

Of course, Argentum did not mind them delaying for a bit as it was their first time to take part in something like this. Claude, on the other hand, could not help but click his tongue as he looked at how the men got into formation. ”Very sloppy.”

”I believe Sir Claude would able to teach them how they should properly act,” Argentum said in response to Claude's remark with a smile before looking at the men that took on formation in front of him. He made sure to remember each and every face making up the initial formation of the Tempest Regiment, as well as the extra members that had passed the entrance test.

After making sure that he had more or less memorized their faces, he then looked at the 50 or so extra members at the far back of the formation and told them, ”To the 50 at the back, separate from the main formation and head to the front.”

Although they were fearful as to what Argentum might do to them, they still had to follow his words, lest he changed his mind and decided to not make them members of the Tempest Regiment. Of course, to these 50, they noticed that their numbers were already above 300, but they were still accepted by Argentum to be members of the Tempest Regiment. With that in mind, all of them simultaneously could not help but think if he had other plans for them.

Fortunately, their thoughts were correct as he looked at them and said, ”As I think it is a waste for you guys to not be used wisely, you 50 shall now form a special division of the Tempest Regiment I shall be calling the Tempest Scouts. You guys shall be the ones in charge of reconnaissance and espionage, as well as other related tasks that fall under your scope. Understood?”

With gazes filled with gratitude and determination, the members that made up the newly formed Tempest Scouts responded with a tone of confidence and gratitude, ”Yes, Sir Argentum!”

Nodding in response to their words, Argentum lightly smiled before facing the 300 that made up the ranks of the Tempest Regiment. Taking a deep breath, he then told them, ”As for you guys, as I've said before, you guys shall make up the Tempest Regiment. You shall divide yourselves accordingly into groups of 100, making up three groups respectively.”

”After that, I want you to elect a person that would lead your group. That person would become one of the three captains of the Tempest Regiment,” he continued before looking at the Tempest Scouts and saying, ”The Tempest Scouts should also elect a leader as well. These four captains shall become my eyes and ears over the military.”

He then looked at Claude, who was now giving off a slightly stern aura, and said, ”All of you shall learn the basics once again under our instructor, Claude. Make sure to give him the respect he deserves. Am I clear?”

In unison, the men replied, ”Yes, Sir Argentum!”

”Great! You're all dismissed. All of you shall regroup here tomorrow at this same place just when sun is about to rise,” Argentum nodded as he reminded them before allowing them to disperse.

As the men headed back to their homes, happy to tell their families that they would be living better lives from now on, Argentum told Delmann, Valstra, and Claude to come closer to him as he told them, ”I'll be leaving Verdant Breeze Town to you guys for a few days.”

”Eh? What about the money required for the Livelihood Incentivization Law, Sir Argentum?” Delmann hastily asked while still being in shock from Argentum's announcement. In response, Argentum eased his worries as he told him with a light chuckle, ”Relax, Delmann. I'll ask the benefactors to have someone send the money to you.”

He then looked at Valstra and said, ”Work together with Delmann to create a policy that would make sure that the money from the Livelihood Incentivization Law doesn't go towards vices. I can leave it up to you, right?”

”Rest assured, Sir Argentum. I'll do my best for the greater prosperity of this town,” Valstra assured Argentum's worries, prompting Argentum to nod before looking at Claude.

”I may not be able to look over the progress of the Tempest Regiment, so I shall be relying on you to turn them into a ferocious force that would make foes tremble,” Argentum said before adding, ”Also, I'll have someone send you a Tempering and Ascension technique that only the members of the Tempest Regiment should train. Of course, if you want to train the technique as well, that's fine by me.”

”I'll do my best, Sir Argentum…though you'd have to increase my salary if you want me to work harder,” Claude said, making Argentum lightly chuckle as he said, ”Would a 10% increase be enough?”

”Of course, of course. That's more than enough,” Claude responded with a beaming smile, prompting both Delmann and Valstra to simultaneously think, 'What a money-grubber.'