Chapter 215: The Choice

Val’s words made George think a bit more about his future path. In Val’s story, the use of aura often comes from emotions, which is somewhat different from the battle style where the heart is as still as water.

However, the changes in George’s use of aura during this time were not because his path had changed; he had just learned some new tricks. But combined with the fact that his own strength had just broken through, it was indeed very easy to cause misunderstanding.

This was doing the wrong thing at the wrong time and in the wrong place. It would be strange if others did not start thinking wildly after noticing it! But the past way of learning, hitting here and there with a hammer and a stick, was indeed time to be organized.

Watching the silent George, Val kept “suppressing” the “rebellion” of the noble boys while paying attention to his expression.

Those guys had been trained hard by Val recently, so now they would absolutely not argue verbally. But raising a little dust in Val’s face on this field was still possible—although they dared not speak out, these trouble-making guys knew quite a few ways to save face indirectly.

For a moment, Val looked a bit embarrassed. Of course, this happened only with the help of Sir Chris. Otherwise, those few boys could not even touch Val’s hem.

Sir Chris’s interference was clearly revenge, since Val had made him lose face in front of many juniors just earlier. His current actions seemed to be trying to get some face back. Perhaps some people would find it hard to imagine, but these Knights are also humans, and in many parts of daily life, they are not much different from ordinary people.

And Hiren, Val’s heir, was hiding on the side at this moment, showing an expression of enjoying the show. This could truly be called being a bad son. With Val’s temper, the brighter Hiren smiled now, the more inhumane the punishment he would receive at home would be. However, this guy who never listens and always causes trouble seemed to be happily stuck in this vicious cycle.

‘Should I tell Val the truth?’ George was torn. In the end, he decided it was better to tell half the truth and keep half: “Thank you very much, Mr. Val, for your guidance. As you said, I think the path of absolute rationality and extinguishing desires suits me better. I will continue to walk this path in the future. And regarding the use of aura, it is just some small tricks I realized on the battlefield. I only thought about using them in negotiations and did not plan to develop this path.”

George saying it was his realization was not a complete lie. Although his complete system had records about this, George, who had not trained specifically for it, did indeed have a sudden realization during combat and then mastered these techniques based on those records.

Val, having gotten the answer from George, waved his hand, and the Squires in front of him all fell to the ground like rolling gourd. He turned to George and said, “I can say your choice is very correct, because this path can be traveled much further than the one about aura. However, if possible, try not to use those skills. This kind of ability, which is closely tied to emotions, may subtly affect you. Although this matter is not big or small, it might hinder the path you will take in the future.”

When Val said this, he no longer had the fine image of the “Son of the Sun” from before. Although he was not disheveled, he looked quite messy; attacked by dust and sand, he was not completely covered in dirt, but there was a smudge of earth on his nose.

However, this slightly comical appearance did not affect the weight of Val’s words. Over the years, his professional and authoritative image had built up great authority. George’s friends now dared not be reckless in front of him, but instead listened patiently to his teachings. Unfortunately, judging by their expressions, who knows what they could actually understand from it.

But at this moment, Sir Chris had no more playfulness. His unhappy expression was clearly shown. Anyone whose ability was criticized like this would not feel good at all.

Moreover, after this comparison, his own path turned out to be a clown! But he seemed to want to refute but had no way to speak. This was not only because Val’s strength was much stronger than his, but also because his broad knowledge made his words carry more weight.

Moreover, he knew his own situation well. Sir Chris also had a deep understanding of the path he walked—it really could not compare to the other path George had chosen!

If strength and realm were compared to two high mountains, then the direction Val had just performed could be counted as a peak with an altitude over 5000 meters. While the direction Sir Chris practiced mostly had an altitude of only about 2000 meters.

If one wanted to climb higher, one could only build a high tower on the mountain top. For example, gaining a higher status or commanding a larger army. The former, through changing one’s environment, could subtly change and enhance one’s aura. The latter, through long-term training, could merge one’s aura with the entire army; at that time, it would not be one person suppressing others with force, but a group of people suppressing others with force.

But in reality, the two easiest ways to think of above were not so easy to achieve. They were often like flowers in a mirror and the moon in water. Although there was a goal that seemed close, it was always visible but unattainable.

Of course, the path Sir Chris chose was not without advantages. At least, compared to the path George was walking now, it was much easier to practice. And the entry was not as difficult as absolute rationality, which was just right.

This was like when climbing a mountain, some people had reached the halfway point, while others were still wandering at the foot. Even if the mountain itself was high enough to touch the clouds, what truly mattered for comparison was the person climbing.

Like the path George was walking now, even Val could not imitate it perfectly with his strength. This could only explain one problem, which was that there were harsh prerequisites for the user.

However, such things were quite normal in this world. The more powerful the ability, the more restrictions it had; the better the effect, the slower the progress. Those who cultivated quickly and were powerful often had to pay other prices.

In short, there was nothing perfect in this world, and the path of cultivation was no different. You only needed to choose what fit you best. With a good mentor, you could avoid some detours. If you wanted to take all the benefits, the result might be a basket of water, all for nothing.

After a brief silence, George spoke first: “Aren’t you going to go back and wash? Feeling covered in dust must not be very comfortable, right!”

“George is right! I think we should go to the Manor and wash properly first! Do you want to let ordinary citizens laugh at us when we enter the city later? Also, there must be many things happening in the Territory recently? Although I live in the Manor, my eyes are not blind and my ears are not deaf. I know very well what has happened in the Territory recently.” Saying this, Sir Chris immediately started to act old and important. “You have worked hard, Lord. Although we old bones cannot stay in the Territory often, we have seen your performance over these years. Your excellent leadership…”

After someone’s interruption, everyone became a bit listless. After resting in the Manor, George and Hiren got on the carriage to return to the city. As for the other boys, Val’s training for them today seemed to be about survival in the wild.

“To the south of the city!” George told the coachman driving in front. Then he closed his eyes to rest in front of Hiren. Whether George was thinking about Val’s previous talk about the path or the political affairs waiting to be handled in the Territory, both were very important.

Hiren was no longer the fool he used to be. Knowing what was important, he also rested for a while like George. However, having grown up with a habit of liking movement over stillness, even with his eyes closed, he could not sit still and kept twisting and turning.

“Calm and composed” or “Mind and Will United” also had a more vulgar name: “Cold Mind.” This was a unique branch recorded in the Nine Swords about the use of aura.

The original sentence described it like this: “You can defeat your opponent with calmness. When your opponent looks into your eyes, they can only see calmness and their coming death.”

This was a combined use of aura and meditation. It could produce a special aura that was almost inhuman while maintaining one’s rationality and wearing down desires. It could make the person targeted by this aura feel a fear from the depths of their heart.

However, mastering it was not easy! In the System, this ability was classified as a Specialization. This meant it required long-term training to become a passive ability of instinct. If one really wanted to master it, the time spent would probably not be small!

‘The skills used for aura are very useful, especially for me now. Business is like a battlefield. When negotiating with those merchants, these times were much easier than before. I must learn this specialization as soon as possible. I do not want the current small benefits to affect my future development! If I cannot learn it in a short time, I can only give up this convenience and spend time grinding with those guys.’ George quickly made a choice and left himself a way out. Suddenly, he thought of a problem he had ignored for a long time. ‘Right, let me see which of these five schools I can still learn. Enhancing combat power is urgent!’

George reviewed the abilities he could learn. As an officer, he naturally chose the White Crow Style suitable for the battlefield first.

This included the five abilities of White Crow Style: Leading Charge, Inspire, Disrupt Attack, Leadership Attack, and Leadership Charge.

Among them, the attack skills:

Leading Charge — You stand at the front line and charge into the enemy formation, ensuring your companions can follow your steps. The White Crow School’s doctrine is that seizing the initiative means seizing victory. You know how to lead a powerful charge attack, better disrupt the enemy formation, inspire your companions on the battlefield, and cause huge damage to the enemy.

This was a unique charge acceleration technique, and it also had unique uses of Spirit Light. In terms of cost-effectiveness, it was much better than the charge techniques George currently mastered.

Disrupt Attack — You launch a heavy attack against your opponent to attract their attention. When they turn to you, you firmly attract their attention through a series of curses, challenges, and mockery.

As a disciple of the White Crow School, you are both a leader and a tactician. You know how to create opportunities for your companions to enhance the cooperation you have cultivated. You know that if a team wants to succeed, it must cooperate, and personal honor must be set aside to ensure everyone wins.

This seemed to be a supernatural mockery skill, making George think of the Leadership Attack he had played too much in WOW.

Leadership Attack — You attack your opponent bravely. When you attack, you shout to declare that victory is near. Your attack can inspire your companions around to join the battle and reinvigorate them.

When you attack, your companions watch your actions closely and reaffirm their determination to fight. By igniting the fire of combat in your companions’ hearts, you inspire them to accomplish heroic deeds.

This seemed a bit like combat guidance, allowing your companions to imitate how to deal with enemies.

Tactical Strike — Your flexible skills and powerful strength force your opponent to retreat at a critical moment. As they try to recover from your attack, your companions rush up to take over and complete the task you started.

You launch a powerful attack, forcing the opponent into a position that is hard to defend, giving your companions time to move to better positions. If your attack hits successfully, it can temporarily stun the opponent due to the impact.

This was less of a combat technique and more about how to use the surrounding environment in battle. Of course, it also included the use of many supernatural abilities.

Next were the stance skills:

Inspire — Your loud voice inspires your companions’ willpower. As long as you are on the battlefield, your companions are stronger when facing effects that try to make their wills yield.

The White Crow School emphasized that an army only has meaning when it has fighting spirit. When facing a powerful enemy or unexpected difficulties, even the most experienced warriors have no value if they lack willpower.

When you activate the Inspire stance, you encourage your companions, despise the enemy, and strongly boost your companions’ spirit and fighting spirit. Seeing the example you have set, even when the enemy wants to break your companions’ wills, they can remain very firm.

Recalling this, George could not help but curse: “What kind of stance skill is this! Isn’t it just like the magic voice of a Bard’s battle song? It feels like turning into a Soviet political commissar! But if this could be used when fighting a Dragon, it would not have been so difficult back then.”

Leadership Charge — You ignite your companions’ confidence and martial spirit, giving them the strength and courage to launch an overwhelming charge.

The White Crow School believed that tactics, leadership, and careful planning could overcome the enemy’s superior individual abilities. This stance embodied the spirit of the White Crow School, allowing you to inspire your companions to perform even better martial arts. It was like a stimulant that made allies more engaged in the battle.

In general, the abilities the White Crow Style currently displayed were mostly supernatural abilities that acted directly on the spirit. For this, George naturally had such a thought: ‘Am I now competing with Green the Bard for a job?’

But before he could think further, the carriage was almost at the destination.

The blue-green stone-paved road looked especially clean. On both sides of the street were old houses with some history. These houses built with blue bricks looked somewhat deep and dark, giving an old feeling at first glance. These houses were not only detailed but also well-maintained. They were definitely not like ordinary houses; they revealed a unique charm.

This street was not long, but not short either, and it had many intersections with other roads. This made each crossroads show two completely different styles. If other parts of the city seemed very noisy and lively, this place gave a feeling of a winding path leading to a secluded place. The doorplate numbers on the Copper Coins on both sides of the street were also products of George’s administration.

The place George was going to now was the city cemetery not far away. The cemetery was surrounded by a low wall to prevent wild cats, dogs, and other things from entering. The only iron gate was closed but not locked to facilitate the people who came to mourn.

Of course, this city cemetery was different from the one outside the city. Here, there were dedicated gravekeepers to protect the dead’s eternal sleep from disturbance.

The tombs in the Duchy of Nohan were semi-buried stone caves built with bricks or stones, lined with lime to prevent moisture. The urns were placed inside the stone caves, covered with a stone slab, and basically, a tombstone was erected. However, most tombs were not so detailed; they only engraved the identity and life story of the deceased on the tombstone, or carved an epitaph.

Currently, cremation was basically popular throughout the Western Continent. Whether Necromancers or priests of the Evil God, they often desecrated corpses in the past. To prevent the bodies of ancestors from being desecrated and to prevent the living from being threatened by the undead. Since the souls of the dead could return to heaven, the physical body naturally had little meaning. Of course, this also greatly reduced the demand for city cemeteries.