After almost an hour of explaining what had transpired in the forest, Alaric stepped out of his father's study room. He was exhausted, but he had yet to complete today's daily mission so he headed straight to the training grounds.

Damn. I'm tired. Should I skip today's daily mission?

He immediately erased the thought from his mind. He would receive a penalty once he skipped his daily mission. Although the penalty wasn't heavy, he didn't want to lose even one of those stat points.

When he arrived at the training grounds still dressed in his bloodstained leather armor, the Knight Apprentices who were in the middle of their training were stunned.

"Is that Lord Alaric?"

"I almost didn't recognize him because of his appearance."

Among them, Rasmus was similarly surprised.

What happened in the Evergreen Forest?

Alaric ignored the shocked Knight Apprentices and started doing his routine. He had already done this for a few months so he was now proficient in performing the exercises.

100 pushups ☑️

100 sit-ups ☑️

100 pull-ups ☑️

10 km run ☑️

100 vertical slashes ☑️

100 diagonal slashes ☑️

100 horizontal slashes ☑️

100 stabs ☑️

[You received 10 Battle Points.]

[You received 1 EXP.]

[You received 1 Stat Point.]

Alaric immediately opened the cyan screen with a thought to check his progress.

Alaric Silversword [Knight] EXP: 283/500

Potential: B

Traits: Horseback Riding (C), Swordsmanship (SSS), Close Combat (D), Archery (F), Hunting (E), Tracking (F), Sixth Sense (F)

Strength: 100

Stamina: 34+

Agility: 43+

Vitality: 27+

Endurance: 42+

Mana: 13+

Battle Points: 2030

Stat Points: 11

(Requirements for next advancement: 500 EXP, 100 in all attributes, and 5000 Battle Points)

I'm almost halfway through my battle point requirement. Well… I still have a long way to go.

Alaric was quite satisfied with his progress. With more missions, he might advance faster than he had anticipated. The only problem was that they rarely appeared.

[Do you want to use your Equipment Upgrade Card?]

[Yes] [No]

Hm?

He had almost forgotten about this.

He looked around and noticed that the Knight Apprentices were watching his every move. Some were even copying his exercises.

Seeing this, Alaric waved at them and quickly left the training grounds. He then headed straight to his room before he clicked [Yes].

[Please choose an item that you want to upgrade.]

An item? How do I choose an item?

He was confused. It was then that he suddenly thought about something.

He grabbed the two swords tied to his waist and muttered. "Can I use this?"

[You can only upgrade one item.]

Another message appeared on the cyan screen.

I see. So that's what it was talking about. Should I try it on one of my swords?

Alaric thought deeply. He wasn't sure what this thing would do to his sword, but he knew that the cyan screen never did something ordinary.

After some hesitation, Alaric sheathed one of his swords, leaving him with one sword in his hand.

[Do you want to use your Equipment Upgrade Card on the selected item?]

[Yes] [No]

Alaric clicked [Yes].

[Congratulations! You have upgraded your Common Steel Sword to Uncommon Steel Sword!]

[Uncommon Steel Sword]

Sharpness: 10

Durability: 10

Alaric furrowed his eyebrows when he noticed the changes on the sword.

It's a bit heavier and the blade seems to be sharper than it was before. Is this because of that Equipment Upgrade Card?

Alaric wanted to put it to the test.

He swung the sword a couple of times.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Alaric realized immediately that the sword had truly improved. Although it was a bit heavier, every blow from his sword now carried more strength. He also found out that he could infuse it with mana to strengthen the blade and lighten its weight.

He knew that only weapons forged by skilled artisans could do something like this.

A normal steel sword became a powerful weapon after being upgraded by that card. Amazing!

Alaric's eyes flashed with joy. With this sword, his strength would significantly improve.

Too bad I only got one. If only I had one more, I could have upgraded both my swords.

Alaric lamented with a look of regret.

***

The next day.

It was the 20th of November in the Astanian Calendar.

Alaric just completed his daily mission.

After his training, he headed to the clinic to check the condition of Henry and Aldrin.

Upon his arrival, he was greeted by the doctor in charge, an old man who looked to be in his sixties.

"Greetings, my lord!" The old doctor bowed politely.

Alaric nodded to acknowledge his greeting.

"How are the patients, Doctor Loyd?" He asked the old man.

Doctor Loyd smiled faintly at his inquiry. "Everyone has been treated on time, my lord. With a little more time, they should fully recover and return to their normal lives."

Alaric was relieved to hear this. "That's good. Can I visit them? I'd like to speak with them."

The old doctor nodded without hesitation.

"Absolutely. I will take you inside."

Alaric shook his head and said.

"There's no need to trouble you, Doctor Loyd. I can go in by myself."

"Will that be alright?" The old doctor hesitated.

Alaric reassured the old man.

"Alright, but if you need anything, don't hesitate to call me." Doctor Loyd reminded him.

"Of course."

After getting the doctor's signal, Alaric entered the building where the patients were being monitored.

He first visited the Knight Apprentices. They were overwhelmed by his presence. They didn't expect that he would come to visit them and check their condition. This made them feel that they had chosen the right lord to follow.

Alaric knew the importance of building trust between his subordinates. It was just a small gesture from him, but this would make those warriors more loyal to him.

In this dog-eat-dog world, who wouldn't want to follow a caring lord?

Soon, he headed to the last room where Henry and Aldrin were staying.

"My lord?"

"Lord Alaric!"

Both Knights were startled when they saw him stepping inside the room.

"At ease you two. I came here to check on your situation." Alaric smiled at them.