Colonial Marines, that's the new branch Alexander operated under.
The demon continent was a wild place full of resources that Ambur was already exploiting.
And Prince Fredrick wanted his turn at the pie.
However, the demon continent earned its name for a reason.
A reason Alexander knew all too well.
To prepare for this venture, Alexander was given two and a half months to train his first marine company.
The training ground had already been constructed and renamed to Fort Daname.
In addition, he already had his first fifty recruits.
The same men who helped him build Fort Daname.
But as for the remaining fifty, he had to pick through a recruit pool of 300.
Ever since he'd been greenlit by the Prince, the numbers skyrocketed.
— — —
Alexander and Hinata stood before the gathering crowd of desperate recruits.
They stood in loose formation.
The men ranged from gaunt farmers to pale city boys who never knew a full meal.
And scattered throughout were grizzled veterans from conflicts older than Alexander himself.
All of them shared a common hunger.
Not just for food.
But purpose.
Alexander crossed his arms, scanning the crowd.
"I can't sort through this many people fairly."
He whispered to Hinata.
Hinata smiled, leaning to whisper back.
"Then, sort by what you need. You already have fifty men. Now you need comprehension, willpower, and most importantly, experience."
Alexander shivered under her breath, hiding his flushed cheeks as he stepped away.
"Okay…"
He then cleared his throat.
"While I am honored that so many men have come here for the opportunity of earning their own, I have to be honest. I cannot afford it. As such, I will choose only the most qualified of you, starting with experience. Which of you has previously served in any combat role?"
A portion of the crowd, roughly 20 men, stepped forward.
The men were roughed up, scarred, and hardened.
Alexander glanced back at Hinata, who nodded encouragingly.
"Great, all of you are to stand to the side."
He gestured toward the end of his wooden platform.
The men obeyed wordlessly.
Alexander sighed, now was the hard part.
Choosing the remaining thirty.
He didn't have time to put them all through boot camp, but he also didn't want to throw away good recruits by accident.
"Next, are there any of you that can read, write, and understand complex orders?"
Silence.
Education was a luxury for the wealthy, and most of these men spent time in the fields.
A few hands were hesitantly raised, these men wore clothes better than the rest.
Not by much, though.
Alexander gestured for them to step forward, a group of 15.
Alexander knew these men could realistically find a better job in the cities.
But, he also knew these men must've lost something during the invasion.
Their family.
Their homes.
Maybe even their purpose.
"Stand with the veterans."
Alexander now had thirty-five out of fifty.
He had the experience.
He had the comprehension.
Now he needed the willpower.
"I have room for fifteen more of you," he began to pace, "and for this final selection, you all have an equal opportunity to join my ranks."
He stopped pacing, now standing at the edge of the platform.
"Because what I'm looking for is willpower. The strength to keep going when the world says give up. Drop down into the push-up position."
A collective groan rippled through the crowd.
Slowly, hundreds of men lowered themselves onto the ground.
"You will stop when there are 15 men left. And not a moment sooner, begin!"
The first few minutes were a symphony of grunts and strained breaths.
Alexander turned to Hinata, gesturing towards the crowd.
"Keep an eye out for anyone being a cheat, I want soldiers, not freeloaders."
Hinata nodded, before stepping to the edge of the platform like a sentry.
It didn't take long for men to start dropping.
Most of them hadn't had a proper meal in days, some in weeks.
Within minutes, more than half the group was out.
Alexander sighed, turning to his gathered group of veterans and scholars.
"Veterans, I want your name and rank. Your placement in the army will relate to your placement in this company."
He then frowned.
"And do not lie. I have access to his Highness, and I will check your records."
A grizzled man with a jagged scar across the cheek stepped forward.
"Sergeant Major Klaus, 2nd artillery brigade."
Alexander's eyes widened.
A sergeant major?
"Why were you discharged, sergeant?"
Klaus looked Alexander dead in his eyes, his jaw tight.
"Because I refused an order to retreat. We lost equipment command valued more than the lives of our kin."
Alexander breathed a sigh of relief internally, Klaus was a liability to equipment, not duty.
He understood why the kingdom did what it did, that equipment was legitimately priceless.
Especially against a foe like the empire.
But their loss was his gain.
"A leader who values life over his equipment, is a man I'd follow into battle. Not only are you hired, but from this moment forward, you're in charge of training this company. Understood?"
Klaus's weathered face remained impassive.
But his eyes, sharp and clear, flickered with surprise.
He snapped to a salute.
"Understood, sir."
Alexander nodded, turning his attention to the next man who stepped forward.
He was younger than Klaus, but not by too much.
Maybe five or so years.
"Second Lieutenant Hans, tenth infantry regiment."
He paused, "My unit was dissolved after being wiped out defending a village. I uhm… I left service after that."
Han's confession hung in the air.
Alexander felt a pang of sympathy, he saw firsthand how ruthless the empire was.
Whatever Hans saw, it must've scarred him deeply.
"I understand, Hans. But here we're aiming to make a difference, not just for our kingdom, but for the future. Stand with Klaus."
Hans quietly saluted, before stepping aside.
The remaining veterans were all servicemen who were honorably discharged.
None of them ranks higher than sergeant.
Alexander had a decent NCO corps, each squad and platoon would have some experience among them.
As for the scholars, they would be tested at a later date.
With that aside, Alexander turned back to Hinata.
The group of gathered men had shrunken significantly.
Just thirty men left, giving it their all.
"We might be here for an hour or two."
Hinata said, hands behind her back.
Alexander stood beside her.
"Let's see it through."
As time passed, sweat soaked the ground and arms trembled with exhaustion.
Each push-up was a monumental effort.
Hinata began walking the lines, her sharp eyes missing nothing.
One man held the up position for a second too long, and he was out.
Another had his knees graze the ground.
Little mistakes like that made the difference between a colonial marine, and a failure.
As each hour passed, more men fell.
Until finally, a boy no older than 17 collapsed face-first in the dirt with an anguished sob.
He slammed a fist into the dirt, cursing himself.
Hinata helped him to his feet and walked him towards the exit.
What remained were 15 men who displayed the willpower to outcompete hundreds.
"To your feet!"
Alexander called, "Let me see your faces."