Lord: I can see loyalty.

After mastering the basics of the gravel breathing method, Vio's training entered a new phase.

Each rhythmic breath seemed to resonate subtly with the dormant magic within her body and with magic imperceptible to the outside world.

He could clearly feel that his muscles were more sore after each breath cycle, but at the same time, he recovered faster after each soreness, his mental fatigue was dispelled, and even his five senses seemed to become more acute.

The steady breathing technique and the all-around versatility of the dune swordsmanship complement each other.

In his excitement, Vio gradually came to understand the preciousness and uniqueness of breathing techniques by consulting limited materials and talking with Jimmy, Ansquie, and others.

"Breathing techniques? Your Excellency, are you referring to something that only the knights of the capital, the sons of high-ranking nobles, and the most elite paladins of the church can access?"

When Jimmy heard Vio's question, he shook his head with a wry smile. "We knights who climbed up the ranks through military merit and luck are lucky if we can learn basic knightly swordsmanship and save up enough money to buy a decent suit of armor... As for breathing techniques, let alone us, even those nobles might not be able to master them."

Ansquie, who seemed to have more experience, lowered his voice mysteriously: "Your Excellency, you may not know this, but in other places, or in private within the kingdom, some down-on-their-luck scholars and frustrated knights would mock our Kingdom of Rovia as the 'Windless Land'."

"It's not that there's really no wind, but rather it's a mockery of our land, where the Knight's Breathing Technique, the path to higher power, is almost monopolized and blocked by those upper-class nobles."

"Wind represents the flow and absorption of magic. Without wind, no matter how hard ordinary people train, how can they learn how to breathe and exhale?"

Vio understood immediately upon hearing this, and a chill ran through him.

Monopolizing knowledge is monopolizing power, and consequently monopolizing authority and upward mobility. This is undoubtedly one of the ways in which the upper echelons of a kingdom maintain their rule.

His smooth transition from the peak of advanced knight swordsmanship to the beginner level of knight breathing techniques was entirely due to the existence of the unknown system.

Of course, this also means that he will not be able to teach the Knight Breathing Technique to Gina and Jimmy this time.

Not to mention that he himself is only a beginner and far from being able to guide others, more importantly, the learning of breathing techniques is extremely difficult without a systematic approach. Relying solely on oral instruction and demonstration has a very low success rate and may even lead to serious physical damage due to misunderstandings, commonly known as going astray in qigong.

After all, learning and teaching are two completely different things.

Since Vio started learning breathing techniques, a significant change has been that his appetite has begun to increase dramatically.

As a lord, his diet was not extravagant; it was just enough to fill his stomach.

But now, his food intake has almost doubled, especially his craving for high-energy meats and fatty foods.

He understood perfectly well that this was a change in his physical condition.

Vio sometimes thought that if this had happened when he first arrived in Bordeaux Village and it was still struggling under the threat of bandits, just supporting himself, who was breaking through his current limitations, would probably have required the entire village to tighten their belts.

Of course, with its steady development, the Southern Territory now has the foundation to support its growing strength.

……

A small training ground beneath the Château de la Cité in Bordeaux.

As dawn broke, Vio had just finished his daily breathing exercises and basic physical training.

He stood in the center of the room, shirtless and wearing only a pair of aristocratic trousers for easy movement, slowly adjusting his breathing.

Compared to a few days ago, his physique has undergone a visible change.

The muscles that were originally lean but well-defined have now become fuller and rounder, as if every muscle is full of restrained power.

His 1.8-meter height, accentuated by this muscular build, made him appear even taller and more imposing, resembling a stone statue of a knight placed inside a castle.

The blood vessels beneath the skin rise and fall slightly with each breath, as if fine sand is slowly flowing inside.

The most obvious change was his demeanor. He had lost some of the naivety of a young lord and finally gained the appearance of a calm and composed count. Moreover, his eyes shone brightly, revealing a stronger spiritual power.

He could clearly feel himself becoming stronger.

It's not just a change in the text on the panel, but a change that permeates from the inside of the body to the depths of the soul, and even in every breath.

His strength was greater, his stamina more endurance, and his speed seemed to be faster as well.

He was now even confident that if he were to fight Ronan again, who had absorbed the giant tree and was in excellent condition, he wouldn't need such a dangerous struggle. With his current strength, speed, and greater endurance, he could end the battle at a much lower cost.

"I really want to spar with Gina..." Vio clenched his fist, feeling the power surging in his palm, eager to try.

Gina has an exceptionally high talent for swordsmanship and has honed her skills through numerous battles, making her the best and strongest sparring partner he can currently find.

"Your Excellency..." Captain Vincent's voice rang out at the edge of the training ground, a helpless smile on his face. "Have you forgotten? Today is the day we agreed to go to the Cooper tribe's territory in the Loba Mountains. Chief Jimmy, Captain Xavier, the selected Sky-Top Knights, and several elite militia squads have all assembled at the eastern camp and are checking their equipment and pack animals."

"Miss Gina should be waiting for you over there."

Vio was taken aback, then realized that he had been so immersed in the novel sensations and physical changes brought about by the breathing technique these past few days that he had almost forgotten to eat and sleep, and had even forgotten such an important schedule!

He patted his forehead and chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Looks like I got too absorbed in the training, Vincent. Have someone prepare hot water. I'll shower and change right away. Send a messenger to the camp. I'll be there in half an hour. Tell them to get ready."

"Yes, sir." Vincent accepted the order and left.

Vio took a deep breath, and his unique breathing rhythm naturally kicked in, quickly sweeping away the slight fatigue from the intense training he had just undergone.

He glanced in the direction of Mount Loba, his eyes sharpening and focusing once more.

The time for relaxation and reflection is almost over.

It will take some time before the sand breathing method is truly mastered, but clearly, time is running out.

The Haro tribe, the evil lurking deep within the sacred forest, the Cooper tribe's new ally, the Knights' new equipment... all of this awaits a great war.

He turned and walked into the fortress. After a while, he emerged again, wearing his signature light knight's armor, with the newly crafted "Southern Will" at his waist, followed by two bodyguards.