Lord of the Sky City

Three days later, just as he said, Rocky took a day off to visit the Guard Corps in the city for an inspection.

The Guard Camp of Thunderhawk City was adjacent to the urban district, but quite far from the City Lord's Mansion, mainly for safety considerations. So although Rocky had set out from the City Lord's Mansion early in the morning, by the time he arrived at the camp by carriage, it was already past ten in the morning.

Upon his arrival at the camp, Liliya immediately took him straight to the training ground. Since Monte became the new instructor of the Guard Corps, apart from those who must patrol within the city, the rest of the guards were kept on the training ground by him from morning till night.

As Rocky approached the training ground under Liliya's guidance, he hadn't yet seen anyone, but he could hear Monte's voice booming like thunder.

"Run faster! Haven't you eaten breakfast?"

"Hurry up! If anyone falls behind, everyone will have to run as punishment!"

Looking in the direction of the voice, Rocky quickly spotted Monte, the Beastman standing in the center of the training ground, shirtless and holding a Teaching Whip, shouting at the guards like an evil foreman.

As for the guards being constantly yelled at, they were running laps around the training ground in formation.

Rocky took a quick glance and noticed that there were over a hundred guards participating in the training—apparently, all of the guards except those patrolling the city were here. They were also shirtless just like Monte, soaked in sweat, their beads of perspiration glistening under the sunlight.

"Look, there, isn't that...?"

"It's the City Lord!"

"What? Where?"

"Let me see!"

When Rocky approached the training ground led by Liliya, the guards running around the ground immediately spotted him, which caused some commotion.

It was no wonder, for in the eyes of Thunderhawk City's residents, Rocky was the highest existence in Sky City, respected by everyone and rarely seen.

So, when they caught sight of him, many exclaimed in surprise, even coming to a standstill.

There weren't many guards who had actually seen Rocky—aside from a small number responsible for the Skyport, almost no one had truly met the City Lord. But the guards had heard many rumors about their City Lord.

Among the Guard Corps, there were quite a few rumors about Rocky, with the earliest even dating back to the times when Eyer was still the Captain.

Captain Eyer, the one who had discovered the Lost Research Institute through hard work, only to end up aiding Rocky's fortune, had spoken ill of Rocky back when he was the Captain of the Guard, even describing Rocky as a complete loser.

His words couldn't be said to be entirely negative, as Rocky indeed used to be quite inadequate. However, because of Eyer's gossip, the guards inevitably held the impression that their City Lord was ineffectual.

Yet soon, the situation in Thunderhawk City turned upside down; Captain Eyer and the administrative officer Perolo were exiled one after another, and Rocky had even donned his Void Magic Armor. This series of news astounded the guards.

Shortly thereafter, the news that the City Lord and Captain Liliya had gone to the land to hunt Demons shook the guards even more intensely. Suddenly no guard dared call their City Lord a loser anymore.

However, the guards may no longer consider Rocky a loser, but what kind of City Lord he truly was remained a mystery to them. They had seen too little of Rocky, and the rumors about him varied so greatly that it was impossible to form a coherent image of him in their minds.

So when Rocky personally came to the camp, the guards became exceptionally excited, eager to catch a glimpse of what the City Lord really looked like.

"What are you idiots doing? Who told you to stop!"

But just as the running troops stopped because of Rocky, Monte's roar filled the air again, "The City Lord has come to inspect your training, and you dare slack off! Are you trying to disgrace me on purpose!"

Monte stormed towards the troops while bellowing, and at the same time, he raised the Teaching Whip in his hand.

This scene sent the guards scurrying for cover, immediately swarming back onto the track to run, even faster than before.

"City Lord."

Having set the guards in motion again with his Teaching Whip, Monte smoothly made his way to Rocky's side.

"How's the hand?"

Glancing at Monte, Rocky asked about his injury while inwardly marveling, how did the Beastman sculpt such muscular build?

"My lord, it's already healed."

Flashing Rocky a grin, Monte shook his half-severed arm, which by now had no longer been bandaged, clearly healed, and it seemed Monte had already adapted to living with one arm.

This reassured Rocky quite a bit, so he then turned to look at the running guards, "How are these guys doing?"

"Not bad."

Turning his head towards the track as well, Monte commented, "These guards might have a weak foundation, but with proper training, they'll certainly be fit for battle. Moreover, a few of them are promising recruits. With focused development, they could achieve great things."

"That's good to hear."

Monte's words made Rocky nod in agreement, his expectations rising because he had high hopes for Thunderhawk City's Guard Corps.

Thunderhawk City would eventually grow and expand. In time, the city's Guard Corps would not only increase in size but would also have a true military force. By then, the role of the current Guard Corps would become exceptionally important.

Because by that time, these guards would have become seasoned veterans, serving as an essential cornerstone of Thunderhawk City's armed forces!

With this in mind, Rocky glanced at Monte:

"Train these guards well, but don't be too harsh. I'm afraid they won't be able to handle it."

Although it was only his first glimpse of Monte's training method, even so, Rocky could imagine how Monte trained the guards—it must be both straightforward and brutal.

Such rudimentary methods were fine, for steel isn't steel without being tempered, and jade isn't jade without being polished, but Rocky was afraid Monte might be too rough in his tempering and polishing.

"Don't worry, my lord, I know my limits."

With a hearty laugh, Monte thumped his chest, assuring Rocky, then continued to roar and wave his Teaching Whip, heading back towards the guards.