Cassian, grunting and drenched in sweat, swung his wooden sword down at his sparring partner, Nahir. Nahir met the strike with a grunt of his own, blocking the overhead slash and pushing Cassian back. The force of the block sent Cassian stumbling, his arms trembling slightly as he struggled to regain his footing.
With a pained voice, Nahir asked, "You fucker, what are you eating to get this strong so fast?"
Without waiting for an answer, Nahir launched a horizontal strike. Cassian managed to block it, but the power behind the blow still sent a sharp jolt through his side, making him wince. Nahir then spun 360 degrees, attacking from the other side, forcing Cassian to dodge by barely keeping his balance.
"Come on, be honest with me," Nahir growled, frustration clear in his voice. "Did you inherit some secret technique from your master Russel or something?"
They had been sparring together for quite some time, and each day Cassian seemed to improve by leaps and bounds. At first, he could barely manage to avoid a beating, only dodging one or two strikes. But now, he could block, dodge, and even find openings to strike back.
Nahir prided himself on becoming skilled with a sword through his own effort, learning by watching knights and warriors train. Cassian was similar in that regard, but he had the benefit of sparring with Nahir, which made his rapid progress sting even more. It hurt Nahir's pride to see Cassian learning at such an incredible pace.
But it wasn't as if Nahir was stagnant—he was growing stronger too, his movements more fluid and his strikes more precise. As he unleashed a barrage of powerful blows, he finally broke through Cassian's defense, landing a solid thrust to his stomach. Cassian doubled over in pain, nearly losing his lunch.
"You're years away from being able to beat me," Nahir said, helping Cassian back to his feet, his own breathing heavy and sweat pouring down his face.
Cassian grunted as he stood, still clutching his stomach with a pained expression. He only relaxed a little after stretching his back to ease the discomfort. "Did you really have to hit that hard asshole?" he asked, wincing.
Nahir gave him a smirk as he sat down in the shade of a tree, taking a swig of water. Cassian followed suit, placing his brand-new wooden sword next to his worn-out one. "Are you going to try out for the Bloodfire Legion?" Cassian asked.
Nahir raised an amused eyebrow at the mention. The Bloodfire Legion was the official name of the Ven Dyke family's military force, a dream destination for many nobles and commoners alike. For nobles, it offered a chance to elevate their status, while for commoners, it provided a path to knighthood or even nobility.
The tryouts Cassian mentioned weren't directly for the Legion itself but for a military training school that groomed future warriors. Anyone could apply—commoners, nobles, and even those of other races—since the Ven Dyke Duchy valued talent above all.
However, passing the tryout didn't guarantee a spot in the Legion, contrary to how Cassian seemed to frame it. "I am," Nahir replied, his expression thoughtful. "Aren't you? With your skills, you'd get in easily."
"I don't know..." Cassian replied, his voice uncertain. He was genuinely conflicted. If he passed the tryouts, he'd be free from his servant duties, which was tempting. But at the same time, he was reluctant to give up his position as a servant to the princess of the dukedom. He hadn't realized it before, but being a servant to royalty held significant power—more than some low-level nobles.
Securing such a position was incredibly difficult, and he had only gotten it thanks to Tyron. Without that connection, he would have ended up like Nahir, just a servant to some captain's wife.
"Well, figure it out then," Nahir said, getting to his feet and picking up his wooden sword. "At the very least, you'd learn some sword techniques if you got in. That could help you develop your domain...and if you're lucky, you might even get your hands on a mana-gathering technique, too."
This uncertainty was why he couldn't decide whether to join the school or remain a servant, hoping to eventually get his hands on either a sword technique or a mana-gathering technique. Fortunately, he still had two months to think it over, and since his servant duties had only just begun, he had no idea what the future might hold.
Smiling as he stood up, he said, "I'll think about it after I beat you."
"That might never happen..." Nahir replied with a smirk as they both headed off to take care of their afternoon duties.
Long-serving servants were sometimes rewarded with mana-gathering techniques, like Lucy and others had received. However, these techniques were usually geared toward extending their lifespan and making them stronger than the average human, which, in turn, made them more effective in their duties—and able to serve for a longer time.
Cassian didn't just want the bare minimum; he truly wanted to be strong, strong enough not to rely on anyone else for his safety. Being a servant meant he had to depend on his position, which only lasted as long as he was Lady Katherine's servant. The moment she dismissed him, all that authority would vanish.
"Let's just test the waters first," he muttered to himself as he went to clean up and get ready for his duties, which were the same as they had been every day before. But today, he felt a spark of excitement because he knew he would see Laureen. He had been eager to meet her again since she had helped him with what she called 'releasing his arousal.'
He had so many questions for her, but the past two days had offered no opportunities to speak with her. Hopefully, today would be different.
But unfortunately, all he managed was a brief greeting with her before Lady Katherine called him into her room. Unlike him, Laureen had an amused, teasing smile as she watched him walk away with a dejected expression, releasing a soft chuckle.
Lucy, who was walking alongside Laureen, noticed her chuckling and glanced in the same direction, but Cassian was already inside, so with a puzzled face. "Why are you laughing?" she asked, her tone full of confusion.