"Oh my! The batch this time is truly gorgeous! Thank you, father." A young maiden expressed her gratitude, curtsying to an old, dignified man of an esteemed noble bloodline.
The edge of his lips curled up at his daughter's thankfulness, subconsciously forming a smile. Extending his hand, he drew the lady closer to him as he stroked her soft, lustrous brown locks.
"Haha! Of course, anything for my beloved daughter! If you ask for me to even bring you a god, I would be able to do it just for you, Isabella." He boasted, his pride and arrogance evident within his voice and demeanour.
"Oh, you jest, father. I wouldn't dare to ask for something beyond human reach. However, I'm indebted to all the things you have bestowed me ever since my birth. Surely I can repay your generosity, can't I?" The lady inquired, wishing she could relive the burden her father carried on his shoulders.
The man laughed out once more before putting his hand on his daughter's soldier. "Haha! Yes, you can. But not now. Once you've matured enough, make me proud, Isabella. Show them what our house is capable of. Why we are the most devoted and loyal house that has stood for years within the kingdom. I must go now. Farewell, Isabella."
Soon, the man exited his daughter's chamber—a guard accompanying the lord as he returned to his quarters. Once her father was out of her sight, she fixed her attention towards three peculiar individuals presented before her.
A giant, a feminine boy and a pink-haired, one-armed man. She gazed at them curiously, paying attention to even the smallest physical details they possessed. In her eyes, they were similar to that of unprocessed gemstones. Their value was at its highest peak, but could go even further. These gems were gifted by her father, and she would do everything in her power to polish these diamonds in the rough.
A sinister smile swept across her face in an instant, her mind conjuring the most devious yet fastest way for the gems' true potential to be exposed. She smiled devilishly at her guard, pointing at them and commanding them to do her biddings.
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"Take these three to General Wulfsige. Have him train these men, and bring them back to me once they're capable." She ordered. The guards bowed at her as they dragged the individuals to the General's place.
'Ah…I hope they're much more entertaining than the last batch…Struggle and survive, my precious jewels.'
…
"Commander! You have been given an order!" A guard shouted before two massive wooden doors, behind which awaited a slumbering beast devoid of sympathy and kindness. The doors were too thick and wide to be considered as a defense mechanism, and were more akin to that of a cage meant to trap a predator.
The large and thick doors were pried open from beyond, causing the pair of guards to tremble at the monster restrained beyond behind its cage. A humongous man standing at two meters tall stepped out of the building, holding a grand lance in his right arm. His dark hair was of shoulder-length and obscured his terrific, scarred face.
The guards and the individuals, apart from Jeongeun, felt as if their breath had been hitched. The presence emanated from the terrific figure brought out a sense of impending doom within themselves. One mistake meant immediate death, for the beast could hardly care for his subordinates' wellbeing.
"Fuck…for you two to have bothered my nap, you two better have a damn good reason for waking me up. I'm already pissed off at Rhodus…" He grumbled, flashing his sharp and exaggerated canines to the nuisances quivering in his path.
"G-general…w-we have come here…u-under th-the young l-lady's commands…" A guard stuttered, answering the monster's question. His eyes stared at the beast's enormous feet, unable to look straight into the beast's eyes out of fear for his own life.
"And what do you two and those slaves being here have to do with the orders?"
"T-the young lady…wi-wishes for them t-to be turned in-into c-capable warriors…" Despite the beads of sweat forming on his forehead and his body quivering with fear, the guard successfully conveyed the message—though he was on the verge of collapsing from fright.
"Fuck…!" The commander groaned, thrusting his lance deep into the ground. The shockwave created from his action caused the guard to be sent flying backwards, fainting immediately as his body descended to the ground.
The slaves went into full panic mode, attempting to escape but the commander's fearful gaze froze their bodies. That day, they faced the sense of an impending doom. Their lives depended on such a petrifying man.
Meanwhile, the other guard that handled the young lady's gemstones hurried to his partner, inspecting his condition to see whether he was scathed or not. But before he could fully examine his partner's body, the commander stomped his feet—catching the attention of everyone nearby.
"You two, piss off. And you three, follow me. Disobey, and die" He commanded, exuding a voice full of authority.
The guard instantaneously carried his fallen peer on his shoulders, heading back to their barracks. Meanwhile, the slaves promptly followed the commander as he brought them to the training grounds.
"From now on, I'll make you guys into capable soldiers. You're slaves specifically picked out by the House of Altifirma, so don't you dare disappoint. Should you fail to meet my expectations, I'll gladly cast you aside. Blame your lack of talent for your uselessness. So…struggle and survive, soldiers."
…