He examined the mask carefully for a while, then solemnly handed it to the person in front of him, indicating: "This is a token left by the former commander. Think it over before the southern expedition. Wear it when you understand how to face your comrades with the right aura and dignity."

At that moment, Alphonse understood—they were desperately waiting for a general who could lead them back into battle.

But over the course of five long years, no suitable person appeared.

Every knight of the Fierce Eagle possesses an indomitable heart.

As Finchley said, it is better to let them continue to wait as they are now than to let a cowardly and incompetent person lead the knights into battle and send them to their deaths.

“If you have the leadership skills of the former captain, I will be the first to follow you. I swear by my sword that I will keep my word. Not only me, but everyone in the Fierce Eagles shares this sentiment.”

"Even so, you... must face your new commander with the same bravery as always. You will not only face me, but also the ferocious enemy."

Alphonse said this to Finchley at the end.

-

Since then, the Fierce Eagles have gradually resumed their usual training. Elfons felt that it was not because the unruly Fierce Eagles had submitted to him, nor because the southern expedition was imminent, but perhaps more because something that had once existed within them was slowly awakening—whether it was the allure of the battlefield or the desire for victory, Elfons could not say.

If things continue as they are now, the trend is positive, and before the southern expedition, the morale and combat strength of the Fierce Eagles should be restored to what they were before.

The change began on the day the bishop of the Kingdom Church visited the Palace of the Falcon.

The bishop's visit brought with it a royal decree—a dismissal order that caught the Fierce Eagles completely off guard.

This was undoubtedly a bucket of cold water that extinguished the knights' growing ambition, and it also made Alphonse, the king, even more puzzled by his sudden order.

I've only been with Fierce Eagle for less than three months, and the king is already eager to dismiss Fierce Eagle, whose morale has not yet been restored.

The order stipulated that all soldiers of the Fierce Eagle Knights would "retire from the palace" and must leave the palace three days later.

The Knights' base—the Eagle Palace—will be reclaimed by the Royal Army, also known as the Royal Knights, and become public property. As for its future use, the base will be restored to a livestock farm.

For the past five years, none of them had accomplished anything of note. Therefore, at this moment of disbandment, they received neither a single penny of the king's reward nor any money or goods as severance pay.

After being dismissed, they were left to their own devices, either returning to their hometowns alone or remaining in the capital. The members of the Second Royal Knights were left to fend for themselves.

However, the mandatory conscription system of that time forced them to leave their homes and never return.

The soldiers hadn't been home in ages, and had nowhere else to go. After more than a decade, how many of their familiar relatives and friends remained?

Hearing the bishop deliver the king's decision firsthand, the Eagle Clan felt resentful. Yet, they had to admit that it was the ultimate consequence of their own decadence and depravity, and they could not refute it.

The burly man slammed the wine jug in his hand to the ground, then got up and left indignantly.

Among the crowd, pairs of bewildered and helpless eyes were exchanged. One person asked in a soft, weak voice, "What... should we do now?"

It seems they desperately need a resounding command to rally their troops and guide them onto the right path.

"Wait—continue training! Conserve your energy for the southern expedition in three days!"

As the captain, Alphonse commanded his warriors in an incredibly loud voice, his tone and imposing manner unprecedented and unparalleled, shocking everyone present.

Finch stood up abruptly, his face calm. He walked to a corner of the training ground and picked up his long-untouched sword.

"Fierce Eagle First Platoon, follow me! Assemble at the Second Training Ground in 15 minutes! Latecomers will be court-martialed!"

Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to obey Alphonse's orders and prepare for the southern expedition.

The Fierce Eagles are undergoing intensive training in preparation for their early campaign in the south.

They worked through the night to prepare ample provisions, repair damaged weapons, mend tattered armor, and plan the marching route.

More importantly, Alphonse revitalized the morale of his troops.

The final day was filled with trepidation. The bishop came to reclaim the Fierce Eagle Palace. On this day, the Fierce Eagles gathered outside the main hall.

To prevent the Fierce Eagles from causing a disturbance, the bishop specially led a detachment of the Royal Knights to intimidate and "suppress" them.

The Royal Knights, with their swords drawn and weapons at the ready, displayed a tough stance, declaring anyone who disobeyed the King's orders an enemy of the Royal Knights.

The bishop was enraged to see that the hooligans of the Fierce Eagles had not yet left and were still training day and night as usual. He threatened that if anyone lingered in the palace for even a moment longer, his royal knights would face them with swords.

Seeing that the Fierce Eagles remained unmoved, the Royal Knights were about to take action.

However, at that moment—

"Who dares to touch my people!"

Armed with a longsword, Alphonse emerged from the palace, shouting in a tone that disregarded orders and showed no fear.

A young man followed closely behind him; it was Oliver. Judging from the situation, Oliver must have informed Elfons of the Royal Knights' arrival.

The stern voice echoed throughout the palace, and the royal knights who had formed a circle around the palace were intimidated by its imposing presence, and they all took a few steps back.

He was wearing the same pure white armor he wore during the duel in the arena that day. At this moment, the captain, Elfons, was radiating an unprecedented aura of ice magic, which instilled fear in everyone, including the Fierce Eagles.

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