Marius, with his armor on and helmet on his arm, walked towards a field with a large number of soldiers gathered. There were multiple large tent erected in an order as the barracks and for storage. There, he saw the commander he met back at the castle.

"Sir Masked Hero." said the commander, "I hope the soldiers we brought here is up to your standards."

"Hardly... Gather all of them. I would like to inspect them first." said Marius.

The commander stepped forwards and commanded the soldiers to gather. They all ran towards the commander, some even stumbled upon each other.

"We have some recruits in the mix, if you don't mind."

The soldier have gathered infront of them. Marius looked at each and every soldier's face with cold stare.

"You." Marius pointed at one of the soldier, "Step forward."

The soldier took a few steps towards Marius before stopping.

"Do you know how to use your sword?"

"Yes sir." said the soldier.

"Then kill me."

Everyone was shocked by Marius's orders. The soldier looked left and right, wondering what to do.

"Well? Run the sword to my heart."

The soldier drew his sword and charged at Marius, but he smacked the soldier's face with his helmet and he fell to the ground. The soldier wiped the blood off his nose as he stood up. He pulled his sword back and swung it at Marius, but Marius grabbed the blade and headbutted the soldier to the ground.

Marius threw the sword back at the soldier as he laid down on the ground, "Pathetic. As brave as you all are, all of you are not ready for war! You will be slaughtered! And the monsters will feast on your flesh!"

That is why I will strip you of your armor so you will fight with your skin expose! I will take your weapons so you will fight with only your hands! You will earn your them back once you learn how to fight without them!"

I will not only prepare you for war! But I will make you accustomed to war! I make you as if you were born for war! War will be the end for all of you! War will be your final test! And war will be the one you will wait! But until then you are all but lowly plebs! Do I make myself clear!"

"Sir yes sir!" the soldiers roared.

"They're all yours now... Masked Hero." said the commander as he turned and walked away.

Marius looked at the commander before turning his head to the soldiers and nodded, "Welcome to the Shield Legion."

Without any armor and only their fist as their weapon, the loincloth wearing soldiers were paired up and spar with each other as their first training, with Marius overseeing their training. A soldier pinned one of his comrades and pummeled his face. Marius watches on until he realized the pinned one stopped struggling.

"Enough!" Marius shouted.

The soldier stopped his attack and stood up with his fist bloodied. The injured soldier face was covered with blood and was panting heavily.

"What are you doing?" said Marius.

"Fighing with our barehands. Like you ordered us to." said the soldier.

"Did I ordered that you may kill one your fellow soldier?"

"No."

"Then why did you?" Marius stepped closer to the soldier, "You want to kill him, didn't you?"

"No, sir. I didn't mean to."

"This training is not to fight without armor or weapon. It is to build a strong bond between soldiers, not to raise hostility."

"But you said to show no mercy to your enemies."

"Is he your enemy?"

"N-no."

"Then what is he?"

The soldier chocked on his words.

"He is your friend, your brother, your family! He will fought by side as you fight on his. But what will happen if both of you hated each other?"

"I... I don't know."

"You will be the weak link! And the weak link will destroy the very strength of this legion from within! And I will not have it! Do you understand that!"

"Y-yes sir."

"Now pick him up and tend to his wound."

"Yes sir." the soldier immediately picked his down comrade up and carried him into one of the tent.

"Your methods are unorthodox, Sir Masked Hero."

Marius turned his head to see a woman with long strawberry-blond hair, eyes as blue as Filo's and a face that could rival Raphtalia's beauty.

"It is, but that is how it is in the legion." said Marius, "Who are you?"

"My name is Eclair Seaetto, knight of Melromarc."

"A knight? Are you here to join the legion?"

"No..." Eclair looked at the half-naked soldiers figthing, "Is there a place we could talk privately?"

"Follow me."

Eclair followed Marius to his tent near the barracks.

"Now, what is it that you like to talk about?" Marius put his helmet on his desk.

"First. May I know your name, Masked Hero?"

"Marius Valerius Lupus."

"It is an honor to meet you..."

"Just Marius."

"Very well."

"What brings you here?"

"I've been sent here to act as an instructors for the Shield Hero's slave army. And I thought I could go check how the training went for the soldiers here. But I did not expected to see the knights of Melromarc to be fighting in the dirt without armor."

"It is the first step to become a legionnare. Recruits or not, they all must face the first trial."

"Is there proof that your legionary training beared its fruit?"

"You're looking at it."

Eclair looked at Marius from top to bottom, "I'm not fully convinced. Perhaps a test of strength will determine it."

"Are you serious?"

"I am. Will you take the challenge?"

The soldier rested and watched the two warriors preparing themselves for battle.

Eclair put on her helmet and unsheathed her sword, "Are you ready, Sir Marius?".

"Ready." said Marius with his helmet equipped and gladius on his hand.

"Very well then." Eclair braced herself and dashed at Marius.

Marius caught her sword between his vambrace and gladius. Marius directed her blade aside and shoulder bashed her away, "I'll give you a chance to stand down."

"I'll pass." Eclair swung her sword and Marius stepped aside and swatted her sword with his gladius.

The soldier watched the two sparred, and some of them even started betting. Eclair prepared herself and thrusted her sword. Marius dodged aside and caught the blade with his hand. Eclair tried to pulled her sword away but Marius held the blade with his strength.

"You lack strength." said Marius.

Eclair then thrusted her sword, which caught Marius off guard, and hit Marius's face with the pommel of her sword, "Relying on only strength? Not a very smart tactic."

"Impressive, but I'm still standing."

"Hey, what's going on here?" said Naofumi to the soldiers. He then saw Marius and Eclair engaged in a heated swordfight.

Eclair fell on her back and Marius kicked the sword off her hand then pointed his gladius against her cuirass.

"You're dead." Marius got up and extended his hands to Eclair.

"Alright. You win." Eclair grabbed Marius hand and he pulled her back up. "Sir Shield Hero. I didn't realized you were here."

"I was just passing by until I saw what's going on."

"I see. You've choosen the right man for this job. The knights are in good hands." Eclair walked to her sword and picked it up then sheathed it.

"Your skills are as just as impressive. You are indeed a strong warrior." Marius put his closed fist to his left chest.

"Thank you." Eclair took off her helmet. "Now, are the slaves ready for their training?"

"They're waiting at the training ground." said Naofumi.

"Well, I best be going then. I wish you luck, Masked Hero."

"You too." Marius turned to his soldiers, "Continue with your training."

They responded then walked away.

"So how goes their training?" said Naofumi, "And why are they half-naked?"

"In the legion, you must first fight without armor and fight only with your barehands. Only when the centurion deemed you are worthy that you may earned your steel." said Marius.

"Uh... That's not what I remembered from history."

"Perhaps it was different in your world."

"I guess."

"If it's not too much to ask, I would like to make a request."

"Go ahead, I'm all ears."

"I request new weapons for the soldier. I want them to have shields."

"Shields, uh? How fitting. I'll ask the queen then."

"And spears."

"Spears? Okay. Anything else?"

"... Could I borrow your slaves?"

"What for?"

One week later...

The soldiers gathered around a large carriage brought from the castle. Before them were their armors and swords.

"Just as I promised, you have earned back your armor. But I also have a gift for all of you." Marius moved aside and presented rectangular shields and spears, all arrange on the ground as knights helped bringing them out from the carriage. "Shield and spears. For your next training. From now on you are no longer knights. You are now legionnaires and you will fight like one. The legion main strength are their formation.

With these shields you will become a strong impenetrable wall, and with these spears you create another deadlier wall. Wall of pointed spearheads. Legionaries! Don your armor! Your training starts now!"

Filo stood far away from the soldiers infront of her, while Naofumi and Marius watched them from the side.

"Why do you need her again?" said Naofumi.

"I want to see how good they are with their shields. Legionaries! Form phalanx!" Marius ordered.

The soldiers quickly formed a line of shield walls and braced themselves.

"Marius! Is it my turn yet!" said Filo.

"Yes you may, my love."

"Okay!" Filo transformed into her large filolial form, which surprised the soldiers.

She scraped the ground with her talon like a bull and sprinted towards the soldiers, picking up speed as she gets closer.

"Hold the line! Do not break formation!"

The charging bird rammed through the phalanx, flinging the soldiers and their shields around the training ground.

"That was fun! Can I do that again!" said Filo.

"They break... Malaka..."

Keel and the slaves, now appeared as young adults after they leveled up, prepared themselves with stones on each of their hands. Far away from them were some of the soldiers holding their shields, and more watching from the side.

"Legionaries! Form testudo!" Marius ordered.

The soldiers formed a square formation. The soldiers on the front raised their shield on the front, and their comrades raised their shield on their head, forming a box-like formations.

"You guys ready!" Raphtalia said to the young slaves.

"Ready!" the slaves said in unison.

"Legionaries! March forward!" Marius commanded his legion.

The soldiers clumsily marched towards the slave as the slaves began throwing stones at the advancing soldiers. A gap formed between the shields due to one of the soldier's mistake and one stone got through and hit one of them. Flinched by the pain, the soldier accidently exposed himself and his comrades to the endless stones from the slaves. The formation was soon broken with the frontliners getting more stones hitting them.

"Stop!" Marius shouted, and the slaves stopped.

"Looks like they won." said Raphtalia.

"If they can tear them down easily, imagine what arrows could do to them... I swear, I thought Keel was a boy."

"Don't worry, you're not the only who's surprised. She has a different upbringing."

"I see."

The training for that day as finished. Tired, Marius walked back home from the legion barracks. As he made his way to the manor, Marius saw Naofumi, Keel and Filo on the ranch. He changed his mind and walked there instead.

Inside, Filo greeted Marius with a newborn filolial on her hands, "Marius, look."

"Pii!" the filolial chick made a sound.

"It's cute." said Marius.

"Wanna hold him?" said Filo.

"Okay." Marius took the little chick from Filo's hand, "Look at you, little one. Plenty of energy for something so small."

The chick flapped its wings happily.

"What should we name him?"

"Hey! No naming. We don't want to get too attach." said Naofumi as he tends to the other hatchlings.

"Well, he's right." Marius crouched down and whispered at Filo, "We'll name him Aquila."

"Okay." Filo whispered, "It's like we're actually married and you're holding our first child."

Marius smiled, "Hear that, little one? You're our first child."

"So, how's the training going?" said Naofumi.

"There are improvements, but they are still not full legionnaries yet." Marius gave the chick back to Filo.

"I hope you got them ready before the first wave. I'm counting on you."

"I will. Now, I must rest." Marius got up, "I must go back home."

"Don't forget dinner, okay?"

"Very well." Marius turned and exited the ranch.

"Hey, big brother." said Keel, "Are they married?"

"No... And why are you still calling me that?"

4 days later...

Under the watchful eye of the Masked Hero, the soldiers performed their spear training, building their strength by stabbing training dummies while holding their shields on one hand.

"Well, looks like you did a great job." said Naofumi as he walked towards Marius, "They starting to look like proper legionnaries."

"Yes, but not yet. They still got a long way to go." said Marius.

"Anyways, I've just recieve words of Motoyasu and his companion's whereabout."

"Well, I love to join. But I prefer to stay here with my legion."

"You know, Filo said you hardly have any time for her. If this keeps up, sooner or later she's gonna go with Motoyasu."

"That's funny, Naofumi. I'll go back to her once I've trained proper legionaries."

"Well, hurry up. I haven't had any peacetime since she started wanting my attention."

"Very well. If you found the Spearman, tell him how his women's quarters are doing."

"Alright. Later."

"Goodbye." Marius turned his attention back to his soldiers.

One week later...

"Centurion." said a soldier to Marius, "The men are ready."

"Good. Position yourself with the others,praefectus."

"Yes, centurion."

The soldier quickly ran back to formation, and Marius raised his gladius.

"Legionaries! Fordward!"

On his command, the legion marched forward with Marius on horseback on their side. They formed a checkered-like formation which can be seen by the audience from afar. Naofumi and the rest, including all of the slaves and the villagers watched in awe as the Shield Legion marches. They could hear the earth shattering footsteps coming closer.

"Halt!"

The legion stopped marching. Marius sheathed his gladius before getting off his horse and walked towards the Shield Hero. Amongs the crowds, he saw new faces Naofumi had brought to the village.

"My Lord." Marius put his fist on his left chest, "The legions are now properly trained and ready for war."

"Good... I still think the banners are a little too flashy."

"It's tradition, my friend. I've appointent five of my best legionnaires aspraefectus to watch over the legions and train new recruits while I'm gone."

"While you're gone? Does that mean you have lots of freetime now?"

"Pretty much."

"You mean?" said Filo with her eyes lighted up.

"Yes, my love. It's about time I joined you all again in your travels."

"Yay!" Filo jumped from excitement.

"It's been rather different without you. If you were with us when we tried to apprehend Motoyasu he would be punished by now." said Raphtalia.

"As long as you remember to check on them, you can come with us in our next journey." said Naofumi.

"Thank you." Marius turned and faced his legions, "Legionaries!" he raised his gladius to the sky, "Ad victoriam!"

"Ad victoriam!" the soldier's roars filled the air.