A new day has started. A private ranch at the outside of the City of San Christobal is very lively with dozens of men jogging in the yard with specially crafted weight bearing suits. These suits contain metal ingots of nearly 60kg. It is already 7 o’clock and they have been running around the ranch for nearly an hour. Everyone is sweating heavily but still struggling to run. Each of them is holding a 2L bottle of water which is almost bottomed out to fill the lost water constantly. This is just a part of basic knight training for their stamina, muscle coordination, nerves control and blood flow. Of course, it is not just a simple running exercise. They have to control their breathing timing, every step they take and body movements. By carrying the weight bearing suit, their stamina is squeezed out. Muscles in some part are adjusting themselves slowly and it is very painful as they are also bearing weight. It is hard for many men who used to live their normal life before Abyss invasion took away everything from them. Fortunately, most of them used to be veterans and labourers. They have strong body unlike white-collar workers with weak and sub-healthy body. So, they have been able to persist tenaciously.
In front of the team, there are nearly twenty people still running in good shape. They are well trained elites headed by Chester and Peter. These two guys pouched away the good men they knew from city police department. For example, the newly established QRT – Quick Reaction Tactical team is almost entirely abolished as only Beer belly guy Luke and crazy believer of Bright Chruch Steven were left. Dale, Allen, Mark, Ronald, Ben and Glenn all chose to follow Peter into strange and mysterious hidden world. They are all guys who seek strong power and battle excitement. So, after having a chance to step into hidden world, they all chose to take the opportunity. Unfortunately, Luke has family and he doesn’t want to do risky things while Steven is just purely annoying guy who only worships Bright God and Jesus Christ as son of god. The other guys are just SWAT members who used to be subordinates of Chester and personally trained by him for years. So, they directly chose to follow Chester with no doubt. They want to avenge the brothers in arms who died in the hands of daemons and they want to chase the strong power. However, their collective retirement left Peter’s father in law Miguel the sheriff with headaches. It is really a heavy loss for their city to lose two teams of elites suddenly even if only one of them is well trained old veterans.
Peter glanced at Chester running beside him and asked, “How is your situation with Cathy? Did everything go well?”
Chester kept looking at the road ahead and said calmly, “Cathy, she is a good woman. It is really my blessing to meet her and liked by her.”
Peter said, “Lucky you. By the way, do you wanna know why they chose to chase us?”
Chester said, “No. I don’t need to know it. Peter, you are overthinking. Since Cathy became my woman, I shoulder a man’s responsibility. As for the purpose and reasons, I don’t need to know these. Listen Peter. Only women and children are loved unconditionally. Men are loved under a certain condition. I completely understand this. Besides, do you think we have something they should aim for? We are nothing in their magical world. All I know is I am getting support from her. That is enough for me to fulfill my responsibility as her man. I don’t need to know other things.”
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Peter smiled helplessly and said, “May be you’re right. We have nothing but just a little fame and a prophecy. Jenny told Tina and me the reason which made her chose to make me her man. I bet you haven’t read that book written by Sir. Lewis in their mouth nor Cathy told you. That mysterious author wrote that we would shoulder a heavy responsibility under the symbol of Light.”
Then, he asked, “Do you remember that lord who saved us that day? I doubted that he would have some connection with our prophecy. After all, he used the holy light to eliminate all evil things in the town. I asked Jenny and she said that cardinal rank were given to demi-gods. So, that lord cardinal is a living demi-god we know. Moreover, that lord is also recruiting people. Don’t you think it is a good thing for us to join the influence of that lord?”
Chester thought for a while before giving his answer, “I have no clue about your plans. But if we are joining the influence of that lord, I have no reason to refuse you. After all, he is a righteous lord of the Church and we also owe him a grace of saving our lives.”
Peter said, “Okay, since you agreed, I will join our mercenary group to the influence of that lord. I don’t know if we would succeed but I wanna give it a try.”
Chester turned their path towards the ranch house and shouted, “Head towards the house and we are going to have a rest and breakfast.”
In the small ranch house in the middle of the ranch, a group of ten women are preparing foods. Cathy and Tina are also among them. The other women are girlfriends found by men who are unwillingly to be lonely and chose to find new anchor to start a new family. Most men in the group have chosen that way instead of sinking in loss and nightmare. But not everyone could find a new girlfriend which fits their requirements. A few chose to just sink into the flame of endless vengeance. Cathy and Tina wanted to take a look at how their husbands were doing but Jenny went back to manage her pharmacy. Last night, Peter was able to have the ultimate dream of some men, embracing left and right because they only have one double bed in Peter’s bedroom. The other bedrooms in the house were converted into storage, workshop and study room. The basement was slightly refitted to serve as shooting ground. Moreover, the two women were in the stage of fighting for favor so they slept together in the bed. It was just a good sleep after chatting and nothing happened. In fact, his hands were sore and paralyzing when he woke up in the middle of the night to pee.
All women grew up in San Christobal and they are all familiar with Mexican cuisines so they simply made fajitas, beans burritos, fried chickens, and beef tacos. As for the drink, it is smoothie made from banana, avocado, coconut milk and concentrated milk. In fact, the work load to prepare foods for 65 men is still too heavy for these ten women. So, Cathy and Tina have already talked with other women about hiring some women or men for full time cooking.
The entire ranch house has only one hall full of tables and chairs and an open kitchen. The restroom is at the outside. But this also saved Peter from remodeling the house into the big hall because what they need is just a hall full of tables and chairs for them to rest and dine. It is basically just a proper restaurant which can serve as guild hall.
Soon, the men headed by Chester and Peter walked into the ranch house. Chester walked over to look at what they had prepared and gave a kiss to Cathy by the way. Peter walked towards his busy wife and said in a soft voice, “You can go to Jenny and study at there.”
Tina smiled slightly and said, “We have talked about hiring some people to cook full-time. But I don’t know where to find people and the source of fund for it.”
Peter patted the counter and promised, “Don’t worry. I will bring Chester and find some cooks in the city right now after having breakfast. As for funding, there is guild money pool contributed by everyone.”