Walker knew what The Savage Shields were: a band of monsters.

No, that was not quite right.

More accurately, they were something even more terrifying than monsters.

Talom saw the change in Walker's expression and knew what the captain of the guard was thinking.

The Walton family had thrived for over two hundred years.

Their primary bedrock was The Savage Shields!

The Savage Shields were warriors cultivated by the Walton family.

These warriors were trained to the standards of the death soldiers.

The Walton family would select hundreds of boys around the ages of three or four from various places.

They were then castrated to remove all their male traits and regularly brainwashed to strip away their individuality, emotions, and sense of self.

After that, they were trained in various advanced combat skills, with some being weeded out in the process.

The only outcome for those who were eliminated was death.

Around the age of ten, there was another selection process that forced them to fight to the death, with only those who obtained the heads of their peers allowed to survive.

Generally, by this stage, out of hundreds, only about fifty remained.

Then came even more brutal training and modifications. The Walton family would use special magical potions to enhance their bodies, which, incidentally, removed their sensation of pain.

Next was the demonic transformation, a method of alteration obtained by the ancestors of the Walton family from somewhere.

This transformation would continue until they reached adulthood, at which point perhaps fewer than thirty would be left out of the original fifty.

Only those who could truly endure such inhumane training and enhancement would live!

They would be equipped with the finest armor and most powerful weapons for slaughter!

Thus, the most formidable pillar of the Walton family, The Savage Shields, came into existence!

Each Savage Shield could take on a hundred enemies, even if those hundred were elite troops.

The Savage Shields born in such conditions would obey the Walton family's commands absolutely.

They were disciplined, strong in battle, and would not engage in looting or rape.

Their only flaw was that The Savage Shields used up their own potential, so their lifespan was only around thirty years.

Meaning that once a Savage Shield was fully trained, they could serve the Walton family for only about a decade or so.

This was a secret known only to the core members of the Walton family, something even the most loyal captains of the guard like Walker were not privy to.

"Take this letter to the head of the family!" Talom commanded, handing Walker a letter he had written with a quill.

"By your command!"

Walker saluted and then left the room.

"The mithril mines! My Walton family must have them!" Talom's gaze swept toward the horizon.

...

Salon was unaware that his mine had already caught someone's attention.

He was currently examining a hide map, which, for him, couldn't have been smaller.

This map was a valuable asset to the half-orc tribe, and in this era, maps were crucial.

Salon located the Sunset Forest on it, which was, in fact, the region where he currently resided.

Bordering the Larcanan mountain range, the immense Larcanan stretched southward into the territory of the half-orc empire.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

It was from this area that Winnie and her companions had come.

To the north lay human settlements and towns, with nothing beyond them.

Salon pinpointed the position of the Bone-Eroding Marsh.

He remembered flying continuously northwards; could his sense of direction have been wrong?

Otherwise, how could he have ended up here?

To the east lay another powerful human kingdom—the Kingdom of Salarinia.

However, the place he was in wasn't too bad, situated in the middle of these nations.

It was suitable for short-term development, and Salon had an idea.

That was to leverage the mithril ore to maneuver among these great powers.

Thus, acquiring more of the ingredients he needed.

Salon hadn't forgotten his essence.

Whether it was his followers or the ore, everything was in service of the feast.

This was fundamental to how he would measure up against those who stayed up on their walls.

...

Meanwhile, outside the Rose Tribe, a tide of intrigue was already swelling.

Over three hundred warriors clad in black iron armor had gathered.

Among them were sword-and-shield fighters, crossbowmen, and pikemen.

The most prominent figures were the six towering warriors standing at the front, distinct from the rest. Each stood about three meters tall, encased in silver-white armor studded with spikes and etched with intricate patterns signifying enchantments. Their eyes were shielded with black crystal-like visors.

Each warrior carried a massive two-handed sword on their back along with a spear, exuding an aura of deadly seriousness.

They were the Walton family's most fearsome enforcers, The Savage Shields!

"Uncle Talom, this is all the reinforcement sent by the family!" spoke a young knight clad in silver-white armor.

His name was Argus, a scion and young knight of the Walton family!

The Walton family's rules dictated that The Savage Shields must always be accompanied by a direct member of the family on any mission.

This was to ensure that The Savage Shields remained firmly under the control of the Walton family.

"Argus, you've done well. With this force, even if those forest trolls were ten times stronger, they'd be no match for us!" Talom said with a laugh.

The Walton family's long-standing prominence was not just due to their formidable strength, but also their policy of never underestimating any opponent.

They would never give their adversaries any chance!

"Move out now!"

"At your command!"

At Talom's order, the army moved silently towards the outskirts of the Rose Tribe, like a venomous snake on the hunt.

"Argus, take a team and secure the mithril mine first. I will lead The Savage Shields and the rest of the fighters to eradicate those damned forest trolls," Talom instructed on the move.

"Don't worry, Uncle Talom!" Argus said, thumping his chest confidently.

"Walker, you're most familiar with the terrain. You take Argus to the mithril mine," Talom said, looking back at Walker.

"At your command, Lord Talom!" Walker saluted.

"Once we take control of that mine and bide our time a little longer, the Walton family will soon welcome its most glorious moment!" Talom exclaimed passionately.

Argus didn't respond; his mind was racing with excitement. Officially, the Walton family only ruled over Walton City, but in reality, their power had long since exceeded the limits set by the kingdom for a guard force...

All this was preparation for the time when they would no longer be subjects, but sovereigns!

And at that moment, Argus's heart surged with anticipation—but he would not just be any ordinary person; he would be Prince Argus!