After learning the main technique of the Vanguard Legion in a day, his achievements were bound to reach the ears of the other recruits in the other legions.
"A five-star at 18, now mastering Vanguard techniques in a day? That's gotta be you, the Silent Recruit." By dinner, the same talkative boy found him again.
"Haa…you're really not gonna talk, huh?" The boy sighed, taking his usual spot across the table. "They should've called you 'Iceblade.' instead." The boy chuckled at his joke, looking sideways for a reaction.
However,
Baines said nothing.
It was precisely due to this silence that he earned his name, Silent Recruit. The number of people who had heard him speak was no more than ten, and that was being generous.
That night, Baines retired to his quarters, took a shower, tended to his plants, and trained his aura before going to bed.
On the third day, Baines proved to be very proficient in his movement as a vanguard and the skills of his horse. At that point, he had completed the second stage of training on the second day.
Then orders came for him to move over to the third stage.
After learning and understanding the techniques of the vanguard unit, the next stage was to learn the basic signals, formations, and strategies used on the battlefield.
That was the aim of the flexible training schedule. If they had a talented person like him, they could as well train a general on the battlefield, and that was what they did.
And shockingly, that was when his intelligence shone more.
Over the night to the fourth day, Baines asked Eye to transfer records of every battle strategy, formation, and idea that had been used in the wars of the future to his brain.
By the fourth day, he woke up as an experienced strategist.
Not only had he memorized the formations, but he even made suggestions. His insights stunned the instructors to new heights.
On the fifth day of his arrival, the instructors decided to test the waters and decided to throw him in the 'Sunblade legion'.
Their thought was that, if possible, their upcoming genius should be able to learn everything possible.
And Baines didn't reject the change. He was assured he would remain in the pyre vanguard, and it was a chance to learn other techniques.
There, the talkative boy greeted him with a wide grin. Surprisingly, Baines returned his greeting with a nod.
The techniques of the Sunblade legion consisted of:
"Dawn Breaker": A blinding strike that disorients the enemy in the morning sunlight.
"Solar Flare Slash" A light-speed diagonal slash that leaves behind lingering searing wounds.
"Sunsteel Guard." It was a defensive formation that linked their shields together, creating a barrier of burning energy.
"Blazing Stride" is a movement technique that covers one's feet in solar energy, melting terrain, and allowing fast maneuvering over unstable ground.
Once again, he soaked up the techniques like a sponge. Within hours of learning, Baines perfectly displayed the Sunblade techniques and even suggested refinements that could enhance the vanguard's compatibility.
His name spread like a plague.
Well, maybe the worst part was, his name wasn't really known. However, if one were to ask; Do you know the 'Silent recruit' or the 'Sponge sword master' they would immediately direct them.
Soon, rumors flooded all three legions.
And as they say, too much fame led to suspicion.
Questions of his origin were raised, and almost suddenly, actions were taken.
Baines wasn't too surprised about the development till this point. It was his drive to achieve something significant that led him to this stage. However, his surprise came when someone came through for him.
"Vole Malakar," Baines whispered to himself when he heard the news.
The man had actually claimed to have trained him personally.
The name 'Malakar' threw everyone off guard.
How did such a massive family enter this equation? Was there actually a relationship between the two? What was it?
Unfortunately, the answers did little to quell the curiosity of those on the last front. Then there was Baines' silence during the development. It sincerely angered a lot of people. Baines' situation was one where answers couldn't be forced from him due to his level, and the commanding officers couldn't act due to the interference.
The whole investigation was cut off.
There was no other choice than to accept him on face value; besides, given Baines' behavior and talent—calm, disciplined, unproblematic—it wasn't hard to believe he was taught by a figure.
His identity was cleared without issue.
On the sixth day, he was taught Sunblade strategies, signals, and battlefield roles. Once again, he did nothing but impress.
At that point, the higher-ups of the recruits, who turned out to be the panel who recruited him, were present to witness the next thing Baines was going to change, and he didn't disappoint.
Naturally, no one loved to see so much attention on just a singular person, and as a result, the recruits began to improve, motivated by his presence.
From the beginning, they had known it was impossible to compete with him. Reaching the master level was a milestone none of them had achieved.
So while Baines took all the glory, they would settle for 'the man that reached after him'
In the end, the talkative recruit earned that title. He became the second to display the techniques perfectly and move on to the commanding role. No doubt he was talented, perhaps a rare talent. However, it was difficult to leave a shadow when faced with one, especially when it loomed around the recruits' training ground.
On the seventh day, the higher-ups, now thrilled, sent Baines to the Radiant Legion to learn long-ranged fighting and understand the work of the supporting figures.
This time, the Radiant recruits were terrified.
Their terror turned to horror when he picked up the bow and arrow and mimicked the techniques after only seeing it for the first time.
And he did something scarier.
He created his own technique.
This time, it couldn't go unnoticed.
He was summoned to explain its origins before a panel of instructors and left them speechless.
His analysis gave even the veterans new insights into the use of the techniques. They ordered him to continue developing techniques while allowing him to learn the Radiant Legion's formations and strategies.
That was when they all noticed something about Baines during his short stay.
Whenever his black scarf wasn't covering his face, no matter the situation,
Baines never smiled.