In the office room.

Alex tapped on the armpit as he opened the letter and studied it.

His expression changed a little after studying it.

Keeping it away, he looked at Mordek and Riya and pondered for a moment before opening his mouth.

"Uncle Mordek, Count Hamilton reported about the recent rise of beasts and monsters. It seems that they are coming out of the forest in search of new land."

"Is it already the season of beast tides?" Alex asked.

Mordek rubbed his chin"I don't think so. It hadn't been five years since the last beast tides happened and generally, there is a gap of 10-15 years between each successive tide where beasts migrate outside the forest."

Alex thought about Mordek's words and said"Maybe it's about monster unrest, a season where monsters went frenzy and killed everyone."

"But My Lord, monsters' unrest rarely happens," Riya spoke and further explained, "Just like us monsters and beasts also cultivate to become stronger."

"But sometimes just like humans suffer mana rampage where one becomes madman, sometimes the monster also loses the ability to control their mana core."

"They become crazy, killing anyone they encounter and losing themselves in bloodthirst."

"Is it a mass occurrence?" Alex asked.

"We don't know much about it," Riya said, shaking her hands.

Alex laid back and thought about it.

When he was in Goddess sanctum, he came to know that like humans born with potential, each monster and beast is born with a certain grade of the core which shows the monster's potential.

Red, Orange, Blue, Violet and White.

With white showing the highest potential and red showing the least.

Fortunately, Leo had a violet mana core much to Alex's surprise.

Unlike humans, monsters are born with the ability to feel and sense mana. They accumulate it in their core to increase their ranks and the problem arising in the accumulation or storage can lead to the rampage of mana in them and turn them to go crazy losing their control.

Still, one or two monsters going on rampage may be a coincidence but this type of thing to the mass of monsters.

Was it a coincidence that happened by chance or there was something wrong inside the forest.

Or maybe there were chances of someone else manipulating the things.

But whatever may be the case, Alex had to make a trip to the West.

'Maybe I can get stronger during the trip and who knows I may awaken mana if I push myself a bit during the expedition.'Alex muttered as he pondered something while he tapped on the armpit losing himself in deep thoughts.

"Uncle Mordek, I want you to assemble all the soldiers tomorrow. I want to select a hundred people to follow me to the Western region."Alex spoke snapping out of his thoughts.

Mordek nodded and left.

"Riya, start preparing for my journey," Alex ordered.

........

600 soldiers stood on the huge fields in an orderly manner. These were all newly recruited soldiers who have joined recently.

Taking away the guard and nobles' knights, Alex's forces consist of around 400 soldiers and with this new addition, he would have around 1000 soldiers.

And if one took into account all the scattered forces and soldiers stationed on Western borders, Nevan had currently around 2500 soldiers which is still less compared to his neighbouring kingdom.

Slowly but steadily his forces are going to rise. Though he lacked quantity he was sure that their quality would soon overpower others.

Mordek looked at Alex and spoke with a worried tone"Do we have to do this, Highness?"

"Can't we just pick good and talented ones?"

Alex shook his head and said, "No, Uncle Mordek, we have to do this?"

"Let me ask you a question," Alex spoke and asked.

"Riya and Uncle Mordek, what do you see from here?"

Mordek and Riya squinted their eyes and looked at the orderly stationed soldiers.

"I see a group of young soldiers who are eager to go on a battle." Mordek and Riya gave quite similar answers.

Alex shook his head and spoke, "Do you know, what I see from here?"

Both Riya and Mordek's attention was drawn to Alex's words and both of them shook their heads.

"I see a colony of ants, a pack of dogs, a pack of wolves, a hoard of bulls and hiding among them many lions and beasts."

Both Mordek and Riya frowned on hearing Alex's words and weren't able to make sense.

If it was from another person's mouth they would have thought that the person was spouting bullshit.

Alex looked at their confused look and smiled a little, and started to explain.

" There are many types of people in this vast world."

"Some people are weak when they fight alone but are stronger when fighting in a number and can overwhelm others when united in mass. Some are just mad bull and who use strength to overpower while some use their brain to make their enemies surrender."

" There are people who are willing to lay down their lives but don't have the strength to do that. Some use cowardly moves and tactics to survive but are not cowards by any sense and some whose single presence is enough to change the battlefield and some who are born with the instinct of the beast."

After explaining, he stepped forward and spoke loudly, raising his voice.

"Different situations call for different kinds of people. In this adventure, I want to be accompanied by groups of lions and hunters who are ready to hunt and risk their lives at any instant but try their best to stay alive."

Alex's voice echoed and spread across the whole area.

"I will select 100 people among you who will accompany me on my journey to the West."

"For that, you have to pass my test," Alex spoke and waved his hand.

A man walked up and he held a whip in his hand.

"In my first test, you have to survive 50 strikes of this whip without losing your consciousness."

"You can scream and cry but if you can survive the 50 lashes of this while holding on, you will proceed to the next round."

Everyone frowned and started to murmur.

Alex looked at their expression and decided to set an example.

"This is a test not only for you but also for me."

"To show you that I am a capable Lord who will always stay ahead of his soldiers, the first one who will go through this test will be met," Alex shouted.

Mordek and Riya's eyeballs widened as they heard Alex's words.

Even Max and Ben were stupefied by this sudden revelation after all this wasn't mentioned in the script.

Riya clenched her hand trying hard to stop herself from running toward Alex and stopping him.

She just wanted to ask why?

'What was the need to do this?'

Alex smiled seeing Riya's expression and speaking with a serious expression "A King set's precedent. If a king is a coward, his soldier will be a coward while if a king is mighty and is full of bravery, his soldiers will be strong and brave."

"Since you are being tested to accompany me. I will also prove that I am strong enough to lead you."

"Come and hit me with all your guts. Don't try to go easy on me or you are going to be hit next and unlike others, I will take 100 lashes." Alex spoke as he kneeled.

The man took a deep and heavy breath and pulled the leash of the whip and strike at Alex

Lash!Lash!Lash!

The sound of the whip striking was heard and all the soldiers looked at Alex in astonishment.

Soon their expression distorted as they saw their king being hit as if he was a criminal and was being punished in front of all.

Even though there was a puddle of blood flowing through his back, there was no expression of pain or misery rather he was still laughing as if it wasn't enough to make him scream.

All the soldier's blood boiled as they looked at Alex with a newfound respect and admiration.

Since when was there a king who suffered as his soldiers? When was there a king who took the same test as his soldiers took? When was there a king who lowered himself to get beaten by whips in front of his people just to prove his resolve?

None, there was no king who would swallow his pride to prove himself and take the beating like their own king who just to saw his unwavering spirit took the same test which all of them were going to take.