Chương 145: Chapter 142 - Shield Barrier

Next day, the first thing I did was make my way to the armory. Just like yesterday, today was also filled with multiple chores. I was going to the armory to see if I could get shields for Garran's team and chainmail armor for the whole squad. With Brakk and Oren close to a class upgrade, they needed heavier and sturdier shields. I planned to provide them metallic shields.

Once I learned the modified strengthening runes that are used on cannons, I could make those comparable to some of the toughest shields available in this fort. I added chainmail armor to the list of equipment for my squad because, against beasts, leather armor worked just fine, but if my missions were going to involve barbarians, chainmail armor would be necessary to stop their arrows. Entering the armory, I approached the supply private seated in the corner. Noticing my approach, he stood up and saluted me.

"At ease," I said.

"I would like to look at some heavy shields made of metal, as large as possible. Do we have any? And do we have chainmail armor?"

"Please give me a second, Sergeant. I can check," he said respectfully. As the private pulled out a ledger, my thoughts went to his respectful tone. I was still getting used to privates saluting me and showing this amount of respect. I had spent most of my time with my squad, and they were lagging far behind when it came to showing proper courtesy. The only one who saluted me properly was Peter, and it was partially my fault. I had never given much importance to teaching them proper army etiquette.

While I was not sure how the old members would take it, I was sure the new members would be more than happy to learn etiquette. Now that I think about it, I should take some time to teach them. If not for me, then for them. I might not care about outward shows of respect, but if I want them to be part of my permanent squad, they need to learn how to act in front of others.

Their killer instincts and abilities will not help me if they get executed just because they did not show proper respect or mouthed off to some noble.

"Umm…" the private started nervously, "Sergeant, according to the ledger, your squad should already have a few sets of shields and armor assigned, there are no metal shields or armor quotas assigned…" I frowned, mostly thinking about why the private was so nervous. I already knew the information he was providing me, so it was not like he was wrong. Misunderstanding my expression, the private hurriedly said, "But you could exchange for contribution points or mana crystals!"

I finally understood why the private was so nervous. As a supply private surrounded by sergeants who would throw around their connections, I could just assume the number of times he got berated just for doing his job.

"How many mana crystal for 6 shields and 11 chainmail armors?" I asked in a patient voice, trying not to appear rude and increase his anxiety. I wanted enough armor for each of us, while having 2 shields for each member of Garran's team. Listening to my question, the private eased up a little.

"4 mana crystals total—1 for the shields and 3 for the armor. You'll receive a partial refund based on their condition on return, or the full amount if any damage is approved as mission-related by the supply lieutenant."

"Can I look at them before depositing mana crystals?" I said. The private nodded.

"Please follow me, Sergeant," he said, making his way to the back room of the armory. Honestly, the exchange rate was too high, and I would only take these if they met my requirements. Thankfully, it was only a deposit, and that was the only reason I was willing to pay for those shields. Otherwise, financially it made no sense.

We were not allowed to purchase equipment from outside sources, but if we were, for the price of 2 mana crystals (~20 gold), I could equip two whole squads with good-quality gear in the city. The army required such high deposits for anything beyond standard quota so that sergeants would think carefully before making requests, while still allowing squads like mine, whose earnings depended on performance, to access better equipment when needed.

We could get approval from lieutenants, but Lieutenant Ceciro had already told me he would not pull any strings for me when it came to my squad members, and I was thankful for that. I was already dependent on him for my training. Any more of his involvement would start to undermine my achievements, both for me and for others.

Having someone to support me was good and something I was thankful for, but I would hate to become someone like Sergeant Fenward or some noble-born sergeants I knew, who, for every inconvenience, went to their family for support.

"Sergeant, these are the heavy shields that we have available," he said, pointing at a stack of 20–25 shields in the left corner of the room. But just above those, on the wall, were similar shields with a much better finish and slightly better quality, clearly placed there with far more care. I could even sense a little mana from them.

"What about those?" I asked curiously, pointing at the better-quality shields. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

"Sorry, Sergeant, those are reserved for elite units, and only a captain can approve those. They are rune equipment," he replied.

"Will it be alright to take them down to check them, just for observation?" I said, pointing at my 2-star rune badge. Looking at the badge, the private paused, thinking about a proper response. After a second, he replied, "Umm… I don't see a problem with this." Taking a shield from the wall, I activated [Rune Analysis (UC)] and [Operational Cognition (A)], hoping to take in as much information about the runes and analyze their function.

In times like these, I was thankful for my almost cheat-like skill [Operational Cognition (A)]. As long as I got the opportunity to observe, I could later recall that information and analyze it. What surprised me was that the shield had a few small holes filled with some sort of mana material, and each hole had strengthening runes on both sides. Committing every minute detail to memory, I placed the shield back on the wall. Then I turned my attention to the shields the private had pointed to first.

Structurally, they were almost just as strong, with more than 1 meter in height and half a meter in width, larger than the current shields Garran's team was using. Picking one up, I felt its weight. These shields were heavier than the rune shields. Reinforcing my arm with mana, I gave the shield a strong slap, surprising the private with the loud noise.

"Do you know what these shields are used for?" I asked. I had not seen anyone using these during the beast tide.

"From what I know, a few physically strong soldiers use these shields, but they are very useful against siege weapons and to protect archers on the wall. We keep these in stock as a precaution against barbarian invasions," the private explained.

"These are good. Do we have chainmail here?" I said, looking around the room as I did not see any chainmail.

"Yes." The private turned and went to another corner where two big trunks were kept. Opening the locks, he pulled out 10 chainmails one by one. This was the great thing about chainmail armor. Unlike our current leather armor that covered only the torso, chainmail covered up to the knees. We could also wear our existing leather armor over the chainmail with some adjustments for extra protection. Giving them a once-over and making sure they were not too damaged, I approved them.

Then, looking at all the armor and shields, I regretted not bringing a small cart with me. The private also noticed this and offered, "Sergeant, there are a few extra carts outside. You can use those."

"Thanks, I will send the cart back with one of my privates," I said. Nodding, the private and I started loading the cart. Before leaving, I deposited the mana crystals, signed my name, and used the imprint design on my badge on the melted wax in the ledger.

"Sergeant, here," the private said, passing the receipt, this one containing a wax seal of the Fort Darrow supply office. I could use this receipt to get my deposit amount back anywhere in the northern region of the Kingdom of Avalon. Making my way out, I pulled my cart toward the training ground where my squad was supposed to train today. I got a few looks from soldiers crossing nearby, most probably wondering why a sergeant was pushing a cart. And maybe I should not be doing that.

I should have called someone to help me transport these. Sometimes it is very hard for me to distinguish what things are part of the army's unspoken rules and what is something only nobles do. For example, never contradicting your superior in front of others was not a rule, but it was an unspoken rule we had learned in the first few days of training as recruits. The same goes for pushing carts. As a soldier, I was used to doing my own work, but all these looks made me wonder if I was doing something wrong.

While I had no intention of acting like a noble, I also did not want to break those unspoken rules. As I approached, I heard a lot of cheerful noise. Looking at my squad, I saw Brakk surrounded by everyone, animatedly telling some story while smiling ear to ear. I knew exactly what it meant—he had cleared his class trial. Noticing my approach, Peter, Rokan, and Brakk made their way to me. Rokan took off sprinting and shouted, "Sergeant! Brakk is [Shield Barrier] now," taking the cart from my hands.

I looked at Brakk, who nodded.

"Thank you, Sergeant. It was all because of you," happiness evident on his face. Then he bent, almost starting to bow to me.

"Hey! We are the army. We do not do that," I said, immediately stopping him.

"Congratulations! So how was your trial?" I asked. He had failed before, and we were afraid the difficulty of the trial would increase.

"This is what I was telling everyone about. It was—""Well, let me join the group so that all of us can listen to the story at the same time," I said, interrupting him. As we made our way to the squad, Peter walked with me and said, "Sorry, Sergeant, I did not start training yet, thinking Brakk deserved some celebration."

This was the first time training was delayed under Peter since I had punished him with ditch digging for not properly participating in training, and since then, Peter always made sure to start exercises even when I was late.

"No, you did the right thing," I replied. Once we joined the group, Brakk once again launched into storytelling.

"So as I was telling, when the trial started, I was shit scared because, unlike last time, this time I was facing two Tier-2s, and I had to protect one injured soldier," he said. Taking a dramatic pause, he continued.

"But then I remembered the sergeant's words, 'No matter what happens, give your hundred percent. Even fight until your last breath,'" he said, pointing at me, repeating my exact words from yesterday.

"And that is what I did. I stood my ground and fought only to protect that soldier until my last breath, without giving up. But even then, fighting two Tier-2s was harder than I expected. After a long fight, I started losing hope. I lost one hand in the trial and was covered in injuries, while those bastards were unharmed. So I thought, if I am going to fail, it will be by dying."

"Only then did the trial end. It turned out I only had to protect that soldier for five minutes to pass." Thumping his chest, he said, "Now I am the first person in my family to get a combat class." As he finished, all the new members cheered, giving him hugs. Once they were done, I stepped forward, clasped his hand, and congratulated him again, and the other members followed suit. Before they started talking again, I cleared my throat to grab everyone's attention.

"I hope Brakk's experience will help all of us and inspire us when we take our next class trials," I said, looking at everyone, then continued.

"I knew Brakk would be successful. To celebrate and to give everyone motivation, I have brought new shields for Garran's team and chainmail armor for all of us. Chainmail will increase the weight we carry by a significant amount, so while here at the fort we will train with them, but out in the wild only Tier-2 will be allowed to wear them. So work hard on tiering up," I encouraged the new members of my squad.

While I paid more attention to Tier-1, I also internally hoped that my support would inspire the Tier-2 members of my squad to focus on leveling and tiering up as well.