Entering the Keep

As for the other five men? He needed to set an example, if they performed well over the coming days, they would remain in his unit, if they failed, he would simply stick them back in this tower and forget about them.

"Make sure to bring your equipment, water, and a weapon, and be present around the same time you sat down for breakfast this morning."

"Yes, My Lord." Horace kelt sharply, jamming his fist against the walkway of the wall, which Carmen quickly mimicked. Horace, whose large extended family was able to expose him to more of the world, quickly understood the implications this could have. He knew that his rise would mean his family would rise with him if he succeeded in his role. Excelling meant fame and fortune. If Horace could earn Cassius's favour, it could lead to additional privileges or positions of trust. If Cassius excelled, then gaining the lord's favour early could result in more significant responsibilities and rewards that were extremely lucrative to a wealthy peasant's son.

He doubted Carmen had grasped the gravity of the situation, or what this meant for his family either… He may have to educate him when they are dismissed.

Cassius observed the two and watched their reactions, Horace was fired up and was already making a good impression on him, he was sure the boy would catch on fast with his program. Carmen however was sort of lost with the sudden change, glancing obviously between Horace's rapid change in demeanour, and Cassius's pleased expression at the pair.

'He's going to need some work' He gestured towards Carmen with his eyes, a message Horace saw and nodded solemnly.

After this short display, Cassius let Jacobs retreat and return to his duties while keeping the young men for a little while longer, passing on further instruction before turning his gaze off of the castle wall towards the sprawling landscape before him.

It was majestic. From this commanding vantage point he could see the far side of the valley, a twin peak mountain laid directly opposite the Ironridge mountain known as the "Twin Sisters" with a large gentle slope leading to the gap between them. Cassius could just barely make out the outline of a large fortification that stood in the gap between the two mountains, representing the only entrance to the valley from this side if you didn't include the port city to the far west of here. The Fort between them provided an early warning system for House Stenfall from any conqueror's attempting to reclaim the Cross Kingdoms territories; it had been captured, and recaptured several times in the past few decades.

The mountains themselves featured tall sharp craggy cliffs, which would have made it nearly impossible for any army to cross, providing a strong natural defence to the realm. Dotting the landscape across the valley, an excceedingly large coniferous forest spanned the gap, large pine tree's made up 90% of the local tree population, with large Oaks, thickets of spruce, and maples dotted throughout. Large swaths of forest had been cut down to make room for farmland and industry.

Directly below the slope where the castle was situated, Cassius observed the town that housed most of the region's population. The town was encircled by low, 3-4 meter walls, punctuated by small square towers, although much of the town extended beyond these defences.

He spotted a large central square with many large and small colorful tarps, likely denoting an open market. Adjacent to which was a grand cathedral-like structure, while at the far end of the rectangular plaza stood another prominent building, probably the town hall.

Cassius could honestly get used to these stunningly natural views. There were no concrete megastructures blocking the landscape, the air was still pure and untainted by mass-industry, he knew that if this fledgling civilization reached the stars that it was the likely future, but for now he would focus on what he had the ability to control while shoring up his short-comings.

"Right… Education." Recalling where his classes were held, Cassius led his two new recruits back into the tower before he realised he had yet to speak to the armourer or their direct supervisor… 'fuck it' he thought, the armory was a later problem and he was sure it would consume a great deal of his time anyway which would make him late for his studies if he decided to investigate now.

He caught Jacobs who had just left a few short minutes ago leaving a large wooden room that encompassed the entire back third of the floor of the tower. He figured it was likely where Horace and Carmen were supposed to have reported this morning.

Jacobs too saw Cassius, and before leaving onto the bulwarks again, gave Cassius a silent thumbs up and a nod after pointing at the two men behind him.

'He works fast' he thought to himself.

Descending the stairwell once again he exited the castle and made his way back to the keep, by this time the kitchen hall was closed until lunch so he had to enter through the main gate. He passed through the security checkpoint where he noticed the quality of the troops present went up drastically as he crossed the threshold into the keeps courtyard. These men were much more heavily armed and possessed a silent professionalism he expected from a Noble's army. 'These must be fathers' elites' and the elite they were.

The men possessed expensive well-crafted flexible armour, larger more developed builds, and were a part of the small professional army that the Margrave employed all year round. Unlike the knights in the Honor guard, these men were primarily dismounted infantry who specialised fighting in the heavy forest, or in the mountains where they could take advantage of the terrain to hold off multiple their own number.

According to his memory, there were about two-hundred or so professional soldiers present in the castle itself, with a similar number able to be called upon during a time of conflict. 'Ah' Cassius had just discovered why the normal guards were so whimsical and under-equipped.

'Money, Time, and Effort'