I lay quietly in bed. The crisp autumn morning air carried a refreshing chill, and breathing it in eased the gloom in my heart a little.

I’d always thought about helping people, but when the moment came, I shrank back. Just thinking about it made me feel cowardly. So, my pity for others was pure hypocrisy. Just like before, I hadn’t changed at all... An ordinary life. My mind buzzed with ideas—dissatisfaction with society, wanting to improve things around me, trying to save water for the environment yet wasting it carelessly, planning to study hard for some grand purpose, only to end up lazy.

Huh, I’d had all sorts of thoughts. But in the end, I talked a big game yet did nothing. No change in me. Everyone knows the big truths, but not everyone truly grasps them.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I slowly made my way downstairs with my crutch.

At the bottom, I found Alto chatting with a man. The man wore a dark red martial arts outfit, slicked-back black hair, and a Crescent Moon Blade strapped to his back. Seriously, an Eastern weapon like this felt out of place—I’d seen similar anachronisms before. But he seemed close to Alto; bringing weapons to a meeting was usually a major taboo.

"Oh, Sas! You’re down here. Let me introduce someone," Alto greeted me warmly upon spotting me.

"Good morning, Mr. Alto. Is this the gentleman you’d like to introduce?"

"Exactly. He’s the commander of our Baha Balm army, right, Chining?"

"Chining? From the Eastern Bas?"

"Indeed, I hail from the Eastern Bas."

"That far!?"

"Sir, a long journey is also a form of cultivation."

"Chining’s an incredibly strong warrior. The bandit gangs around Baha Balm were mostly crushed by his troops."

"So Baha Balm’s security is excellent—now I see why."

"Chining works tirelessly. The whole territory relies on him."

"It’s merely my duty."

"No need to be modest! Everyone’s grateful to you, Chining."

"No, without Lord Alto, I’d have starved to death in Baha Balm long ago."

Wow... Chining’s journey must have been grueling. Yet he looked refined, nothing like the fierce warrior I’d imagined. I wondered just how strong he was.

Warrior generals were ranked from C to S. A C-Rank General could take on a hundred men alone. A B-Rank could hold off a thousand. An A-Rank could stall an entire army. An S-Rank could tear down city walls. Of course, that assumed no opposing generals. Generals cultivated Inner Energy to boost their own strength. On battlefields, they spread it over their troops, massively enhancing the army. With an A-Rank General’s Inner Energy covering them, ordinary arrows couldn’t pierce their defenses. So if the enemy had generals too, even an A-Rank would struggle to hold off a thousand. But manpower was scarce. Baha Balm had only one general—and not a single civil official in the whole territory.

"Mr. Alto must be working hard with so few people under you."

"Yes," Alto replied, his brow furrowing briefly. But his gloom didn’t last.

"Hmm, Sas, Chining, let’s go on a patrol outside~"

"I’d be honored."

"Huh, a good idea."

Though the territory’s grain harvest wasn’t abundant, it was still harvest season. Seeing the crops gathered filled Alto’s heart with quiet joy.