Are You Ready?
The waves in the bath gradually subsided, leaving only the soft crackle of burning incense to fill the silence. I rose first and stepped out of the tub. The sound of water parting followed as Silvia wrapped herself in a towel once more and trailed behind me. Fresh from the bath, scalding droplets poured down her body like a waterfall. With precise, restrained movements she prepared to wash me, her touch even more careful than usual. Yet each time our skin met, the faint tremor at her fingertips carried an unmistakable pulse she could not hide.
Her gaze traveled over every inch of me—polite, thorough, yet unmistakably heated.
“Silvia. The instructors we’re sending to Arzen.”
The hand scrubbing my back paused for a brief second before resuming its smooth, elegant motion.
“Five combat slaves have been selected. Each is fully capable of performing the role of training instructor to perfection. Preparations are complete.”
Silvia’s answer was crisp, professional, and free of unnecessary words. After finishing the bath I slipped into a robe and returned to the bedroom. The moment I opened the door, I saw Lua curled into a small ball on the cushion beside the bed, fast asleep. True to her nature as Fenrir’s offspring, her ears remained alert even in sleep, twitching at my presence. When she sensed it was me, her tail gave a slow, relieved wag. I picked up the cotton puff and placed it on the cushion. She stretched once with a huge yawn, then immediately fell back asleep.
The next morning.
“Kyuu? Kyuu-uu—!”
A damp, tickling sensation on my cheek and those adorable sounds pulled me from sleep. Lua had climbed onto my chest and was licking my face, her tail wagging so hard it might have been powered by a motor. A short, happy bark—“Woof!”—rang with pure delight.
A polite knock sounded at the door.
“Master, it is Silvia.”
“Enter.”
When Silvia stepped inside, the atmosphere around her had subtly changed from the day before. Above her usual crisp steward-like demeanor lay an indescribable soft vitality. Every step she took unconsciously emphasized her feminine lines. The moment she set the tray down, Lua let out a delighted “Kyung!” and shot toward her like lightning, rubbing her face against Silvia’s skirt hem and clinging tightly. Silvia froze for a second in surprise, then skillfully scooped the little beast into her arms. Lua seemed to like Silvia’s scent; she kept sniffing and burrowing into her waist with stubborn insistence, whining “Kyiing, kyiii—” as if refusing to let go. It was rather cunning.
The scene was the complete opposite of the heated, dense atmosphere of the bath the night before—a peaceful, strangely charming morning.
Still holding Lua, Silvia looked at me and gave a quiet bow. Her eyes still held the clear, lingering relief of having been acknowledged as my “vessel” yesterday.
“Prepare breakfast. Afterward, have the combat slaves who will serve as Arzen’s training instructors wait in the training grounds.”
Silvia bowed deeply without a single wasted motion.
“Yes, Master.”
She adjusted the squirming Lua in her arms once more and quietly left the room.
A short while later I descended to the dining hall, sat down before the neatly arranged breakfast, and ate at a leisurely pace, savoring the warmth and flavor of every bite. Once my stomach was comfortably full, I headed to the training grounds with Silvia.
The moment we arrived at the annex training field, a heavy, oppressive aura cut through the refreshing morning air to greet me first. In the center of the grounds, five combat slaves destined for the Arzen family stood in perfect formation, utterly motionless. Their bodies were forged like steel, their energy refined and controlled. The instant I took a single step closer, all five pairs of eyes locked onto me at once.
I slowly fixed my gaze on the combat slave at the far left.
“First. If Arzen’s elite knights doubt your strength and provoke you, how will you respond as their instructor?”
The combat slave answered without hesitation.
“I will imprint the overwhelming difference in ability. To prove it is not emotional retaliation but efficient control, I will strike the most painful areas with precision and establish the hierarchy.”
I nodded and turned to the man beside him.
“Second. When a trainee hits the limit of their talent and loses their will to fight, what value must an instructor instill?”
“Not despair, but greed. I will make them crave the rewards beyond the limit and their Master’s recognition more than the pain of surpassing it, driving them to burn their own bodies willingly.”
It was a resolute answer, yet I shook my head and cut him off.
“Wrong. The ones you will teach are not bottom-tier slaves rolling in the dirt. They are proud knights from a noble house.”
The designated slave’s eyes wavered. I continued, piercing straight through him.
“What they need is camaraderie and rigorous supplementary training. For those who face their limits and try to give up, make them realize the bond with their comrades. Lift their shortcomings through relentlessly repetitive drills. Those who have never truly broken their own limits usually misjudge where their ceiling actually lies.”
The man bowed deeply.
“Understood.”
These were elites who possessed both the instincts of veterans and the cold judgment of trainers. I signaled to Silvia, who stood behind me.
“Silvia, call in the trainees on standby.”
Silvia adjusted Lua in her arms and bowed. At her signal, the combat slaves waiting at the edge of the training ground moved in perfect order to gather at the center.
“Go and show them. Prove why you were chosen as instructors for knights.”
The five combat slaves slipped among the gathered trainees. The combat slaves of the Victor estate had already reached mid-tier through brutally intense training, yet the moment the instructors stepped in, the quality of the session surged once again. They did not stop at pointing out movements. They caught the minute tremors of killing intent on the tips of blades, the imbalance of breathing that collapsed during fierce motion, and even the resistance generated when mana passed through the circuits—correcting everything with ghostly precision.
With a single touch from the departing instructors, the trainees’ postures were honed even sharper. The sight of mere minor details elevating the density of their strength proved that the five chosen men had reached the pinnacle not only in real combat but in the art of commanding others.
After watching the display, I called the five back together.
“You are products of the Victor Trading Company. Soon you will become this place’s reputation. Every action you take will be a moment that measures your own worth.”
A spark of competitive spirit lit their eyes.
“While you are in the Arzen family, make them understand at every moment why slaves like you were chosen as their training instructors. And remember this: if your treatment falls even slightly short, return to the estate without delay. You are not existences to be carelessly expended.”
I glanced at Silvia, signaling her to bring the gifts I had ordered prepared in advance. She quickly directed the attendant slaves to fetch dark navy uniforms.
“I had these instructor uniforms specially made for you—two sets each. Pack your equipment and personal items thoroughly. Your stay at Arzen will likely last several months.”
As the attendant slaves presented the deep navy uniforms, I added, “The moment you put these on, you become the instructors who will break Arzen’s pride.”
I turned to Silvia, who stood faithfully at my side.
“We will head to the Arzen family with Elina and Lua. Tell Elina to put on her combat gear immediately.”
Silvia gave a short reply and withdrew.
Soon after, carriages waited in front of the estate gates. Elina, fully armed, took her seat first. Lua leaped onto my lap with a happy “Kyung!” and wagged her tail vigorously. Just as the carriage wheels began to roll, Evelyn appeared outside the window wearing a mischievous smile.
“My, Master. You’re going to such an entertaining spectacle and leaving me behind? The estate has been so boring lately I can hardly breathe. Won’t you let me join you?”
Without waiting for an answer, Evelyn flung the carriage door open and naturally claimed the seat beside me. Her signature rich scent swirled through the narrow space. She studied Elina, who sat ramrod straight across from us, then narrowed her eyes with clear interest.
“We’ve crossed paths a few times, but this is the first time we’ve had the chance to speak. Lady Elina?”
Evelyn’s gaze slid from Elina’s face down along her curvaceous figure.
“You’re even more dazzling than yesterday. Those beautiful eyes, that silhouette that refuses to be hidden even by combat gear—it’s truly artistic. Enough to make even another woman jealous. Now I finally understand why Master keeps you close.”
Elina withdrew her gaze from the window and quietly met Evelyn’s eyes. Despite the sudden praise of her appearance, her expression remained perfectly composed. Instead, a faint, elegant smile graced her lips as she responded with the refined speech one might hear at the pinnacle of imperial high society.
“I, too, consider it meaningful to have the opportunity to sit and converse with you like this, Lady Evelyn. However…”
Elina gave me a quick sidelong glance before turning her soft gaze back to Evelyn.
“Master usually enjoys quiet contemplation. I fear that a noisy conversation between us might disturb his peace, which would be most discourteous. After all, quietly attending him is also part of our duty.”
It was a high-class check—respectful on the surface, yet subtly flaunting that she understood her Master’s preferences more deeply.
Evelyn’s eyes narrowed at the unexpected courteous defense, but she smiled brightly, clearly intrigued. At that moment, Lua, who had been on my lap, shattered the tension with a “Woof!” and gently tugged at Evelyn’s sleeve. The little Fenrir wagged her tail furiously, teasing Evelyn, who burst into bright laughter and tickled under Lua’s chin.
“Oh my, look at this cunning little thing. Are you happy to see me too?”
When Evelyn wiggled her fingers, Lua happily yipped “Kyung! Kyuu-uu!” and rubbed her face against Evelyn’s palm before flopping onto her back. The taut atmosphere inside the carriage began to melt into a strangely warm heat thanks to Lua’s innocent antics.
Even while stroking Lua, Evelyn’s eyes remained fixed on me. She naturally leaned her head lightly against my shoulder and whispered in a low, intimate voice.
“Master, you haven’t forgotten, have you? The time for us to share that sweet moment is approaching.”
Elina’s gaze shot toward us like an arrow. For the first time, a sharp spark of jealousy flared in her eyes, which she normally kept restrained by etiquette. I did not bother pushing Evelyn away and answered in an indifferent tone.
“I haven’t forgotten. Don’t forget the cycle yourself.”
At the confirmation, Elina bit her lip slightly and turned her head away again. Evelyn, having achieved her goal, sent a satisfied smile full of a victor’s leisure toward Elina’s profile. Sharp jealousy and taut tension crossed between the two women, yet Lua remained blissfully unaware, simply innocent. The little one seemed delighted that the people she liked were all gathered in one place; from my lap she kept looking back and forth between Elina and Evelyn, her tail never stopping its cheerful wagging.
“Kyung, kyuu-uu!”
While surrendering her body to Evelyn’s touch, Lua kept playfully pawing at the hem of Elina’s clothes as she stared out the window, demanding attention. In contrast to the chilly silence filling the narrow carriage, only the lively thumping of Lua’s tail against the seat echoed brightly. Thanks to her, the air remained oppressively heavy yet somehow maintained its shape—an utterly bizarre scene held together by the little Fenrir’s presence.
Before long the carriage passed through the gates of the Arzen family estate and came to a stop with the heavy rumble of wheels on stone.