"BOSS!!!" A group of ten people outside the gates cried out for Lucian, "Are you alright? Are you alive?!" They stared at him as if he were a caged animal and they were the zoo visitors.
"What's all this?" Lucian asked and walked up to them.
"We came to make sure you are still alive!" they shouted from outside the fence, "We heard that Lady Rochefort dragged you away! Is everything okay? Do you need a rescue?"
"Excuse me," Lucian said to the guards, and they stepped aside to let him pass. They had no authority to hold him back, as he was not their prisoner.
He and his men stepped out of sight, moving deeper into the woods, where their horses were tied and waiting for them.
"You should be careful, Boss. You might end up in her basement, and no one will hear from you again," Jax whispered, and the others nodded in agreement. "She is no good. What if she kills you? Who's going to take care of us, then? We'll all become homeless."
AL tried to push Sir Claude forward, but the Knight refused to step forward, hitting him with the back of his fist. "Ouch! What was that for?"
"We are not friends," Sir Claude whispered under his breath, and AL pretended to cry from the pain, "A knight should not behave like that in front of his Lord," he said and looked at Lucian, "They are too old to go through the proper training to become knights. I suggest you look for orphans and raise them to become your own men. These guys are hopeless cases."
The others gasped, and Jax complained about how the Knight was supposed to teach them, not insult them. "Why do you have to be so cold and distant, Sir Claude? We are all on the same side here," he said, "The tournament will begin soon. How will we win if we don't work as a team?"
"You won't win, that's for sure," Sir Claude said, "Not only will you embarrass Lord Arclight, but you'll also ruin his reputation, which is already on the verge of being tarnished. You can't even bow properly. How are you planning to show yourself before the nobles? Your incompetence will reflect on your Lord's image of him."
The bunch scratched their heads and sighed, "Boss, we are not ready for this. I mean, we are ready to die for you, but not to embarrass you," the said as they practiced their awkward bows.
"Ouch, ugh! Hey! Stop, stop!"
Sir Claude hit their backs, then their chests, and then their backs again as they bowed, "Not like this," he said, and they stood straight, "Chin up. Chest out. Straighten your backs, and stand tall." He passed by each of them and adjusted their postures, "You are the faces of House Arclight. Act like it."
"Ugh, this is too much," one of them groaned, "How are we supposed to remember these details? What's wrong if our foot sticks out a bit when we bow? Or if our back isn't as straight as a ruler? Or if our chin is tilted too much down or up?"
"It's wrong. It's all wrong. Again, from the beginning."
The group complained and the training continued.
Lucian watched the training with interest, and then returned to the conversation with Sir Claude. "New uniforms are already in production," he said, and Sir Claude nodded in approval, "Arclight emblem will be displayed on their chest and arm. No matter where they go, it'll be clear who they represent."
"Very good. What about your personal guards?" Sir Claude asked.
"Personal guards?" Lucian asked, "I have no use for those."
"You should. It's a good idea to have a few trustworthy men by your side at all times. Even in your sleep and bath, they should never leave your side. Especially not in your sleep and bath. You have enemies, and you don't want to wake up with your throat slit," Sir Claude said, and motioned for the group to prepare for a sprint back to the inn.
They groaned in response, "Even during running?! How will posture help us with running?! Ouch!"
A branch hit the speaker's face, "It's not just about the posture," Sir Claude said, " It's about how you carry yourself. Even if you can't fight, if you look like you can, people won't dare to challenge you. Appearances are important, and so is the first impression. If you can't show off your skills, let your attitude do it for you."
They started the training from the beginning again. Lucian also needed to get into a good shape, and joined them in their exercises.
They were all surprised, "Where did you learn all of this?!" one of them asked. They never paid attention to their BOSS before. He was always dressed nicely and spoke well, and his manners were good, but today, they noticed the difference in the way they moved compared to him.
One was regal, the other was goofy. One had the air of a noble, the other of a ruffian. It was all about aura. Wars were not waged by the strongest but by the most influential. The winner was the one with the most people under his command.
Lucian didn't learn any etiquette; but it didn't mean he didn't learn the art of leadership. He had to learn how to have the upper hand over a certain person, and he had to learn how to keep that control. Celine didn't care if he was a gentleman or a street rat; what mattered to her was who had the power over the other. A leader was the one who could make people do what he wanted. If you couldn't, then you weren't a leader, just a puppet.
"I've picked up a thing or two while working in the nobles' gardens. Nothing special," Lucian said, wiping the sweat off his forehead. Most only knew the etiquette, rarely would he stumble upon a person who actually made him feel small. That's what he aimed to achieve. He wanted people to feel small in front of him, and not the other way around.