A few months ago.
The kids were practicing in the barrack with Shale. Because most people had graduated, the barracks were empty most of the time.
So, Shale couldn't help but watch these kids here. He was impressed by the kids' talents.
He could say that they were as talented as their knights, but what piqued his interest was the twins that led the group.
Their talents were something else and they took care of the group while practicing. In other words, despite not having much time, they managed to reach that level.
If he allowed them to grow even stronger, he believed that their achievement would be extraordinary.
'Hmm… Those two kids have the potential to become either a Captain or a Vice Captain in the Demon Banner Army. As for the rest of the kids, I think they will be able to reach the Zero Squad after some time.
'It's truly surprising that these kids come from the slums… Though, I don't know if I should be more surprised about this or the fact that Noel managed to find them.'
Shale ended up giving some pieces of advice every now and then even though they weren't part of the Demon Banner Army. It was just a professional courtesy that didn't wish for these kids' talents to be buried away.
While watching the kids, he felt a presence coming to his back. He hurriedly stood up and turned around to see who it was.
"Huh? Commander?!" Shale was surprised to find the commander coming out personally. He had taken care of them and the commander didn't seem to mind about it.
After all, it was also a good promotion for their Demon Banner Army.
So, this was the first time the commander came out so that he could observe the kids personally.
"What brings you here?" Shale asked with a curious expression.
The commander narrowed his eyes as he took action before answering his question. He looked at the kids for a moment before shouting, "Stop!"
"!!!" Shale immediately used his Spiritual Energy to resist the sound wave, but the kids didn't know what was going on.
Their bodies suddenly refused to move as if they had become frozen. They were trying to see what was going on, but because of their body's position, only some of them managed to find out about what happened.
"The—"
Unfortunately, before they could say anything, the commander had told them. "Silent!"
At that moment, their mouths also released no sound, making the kids panic.
The commander walked toward them while Shale hurriedly asked, "Commander. What is going on here? I believe I have told you about them and we are free to bring them in since they sincerely wish to get stronger. And Noel has entrusted them to me. They are still kids, so if you don't like them, I'll chase them away."
The commander didn't answer him. Instead, he kept walking until he gave another order. "Fix your posture and line up in front of me."
The kids' bodies moved on their own, confusing them. They tried to resist but to no avail.
Shale gritted his teeth. This was the commander's power. His Spirit was related to Sound and he could simply order everything from other people to Spiritual Energy. It was a powerful ability that allowed him to reach this position.
Still, Shale couldn't bear to see the kids getting punished or killed for no reason, especially when the other party never minded them.
Before he could stand in his way, the commander said, "You kids have been staying here for a few months. I have to commend you for not wasting any resources of this army. You don't eat, use weapons, or even waste people's time here.
"You eat outside with your own money, use your own weapon, and ask or use the field when no one is there. So, I have to commend you for your effort.
"However, the time has come to an end. You can't come to this place anymore."
"What? Commander…" Shale wanted to explain, but the latter shook his head as if he understood his concern.
"I am giving you two choices. You can join my Demon Banner Army through the same route as anybody else if you still want to train here…"
This was the worst choice for the kids. After all, they had sworn that they would be building their own group to show the world about the sword dance, a unique path that came from both them and Noel. They wanted to help Noel's ambition with this new power.
So, joining the Demon Banner Army would be the last thing they wanted to do. In the first place, there was no way they could be together anymore if they joined the Demon Banner Army according to Noel's story.
All of them seemed to be resisting this power as if they didn't like the answer.
The commander obviously felt their resistance, but the gap in their strength was simply too big that his control wouldn't be disturbed.
Shale wanted to say something this whole time, but his order was also affecting him, so he had a hard time uttering the words.
So, the commander continued with the second choice.
"I give you two options because you all have a close relationship with Noel Ardagan. Unfortunately for you, Noel Ardagan has died."
"!!!" The kids were dumbstruck. They couldn't believe what they had heard.
"He was killed by his own teammate called Anna Stargaze. I believe you knew her."
This statement completely enraged the kids. They couldn't help but remember the first time they saw Anna. Noel had given up a lot for them to the point he had to obey Anna. And to think he would end up dying in Anna's hands. They were completely shocked.
Their eyes seemed to be telling him that they wanted to kill Anna Stargaze as soon as he released them from this.
And this was when the commander told them, "So, I give you this second choice. I have a small house for you that contains a small backyard where you can get stronger by yourself. His death involves the noble and the Demon Banner Army, so we can't train you to kill her.
"If you want to avenge him, you might want to take this option and get stronger by yourself. Wait until you are strong enough and do it."
