Back at the Duke's estate, the lords and commanders celebrated, blissfully unaware of the horror that had just been unleashed.
"Your Grace," the General of the Royal Army began, swirling wine in his goblet, "elaborate for me. You sent an urgent request to the King himself."
"Indeed, General," the Duke replied, his expression grave. "It is time to crush these demon worshippers once and for all. We have already struck a great blow against them."
"You did?" the General responded, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"But of course," the Duke said with a proud smile. "We destroyed one of their primary ritual sites. With your army's help, I believe we can end this threat for good!"
The General smiled, a slow, predatory expression that did not quite reach his eyes. "I have also heard that you are housing many refugee families within your castle walls."
"That is true," the Duke affirmed. "The families of my soldiers and estate workers. Their villages are no longer safe."
"Precisely," the General said, leaning back. "It is because of your great success that we find ourselves in a fortunate position. My men have fought many hard wars. Now that we hear you have the demon situation well in hand, perhaps we can afford a night of respite."
"What are you suggesting?" the Duke asked, his smile fading.
"We have been on the march for weeks. My men have not had a moment's rest, nor have they seen a woman in a long time," the General said, his tone turning oily. "And I have long heard that your region boasts the most beautiful women in the kingdom."
The Duke's face hardened. "What do you mean by that, General?"
"Let my men have a little... fun," the General suggested, his gaze sweeping across the serving staff. "Let them eat and drink their fill tonight. We can depart to crush the remaining cultists tomorrow, fully refreshed."
"General," the Duke said, his voice low and dangerous, "these are my loyal subjects you speak of."
The General's smile became a sneer. "In the end, Your Grace, we are all loyal subjects of His Majesty the King. My army is his direct representation in this land. Now, please... allow my men to amuse themselves."
"Most of these women are married!" Commander Lionex interjected, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his sword.
"Then their husbands should be honored to have their wives serve the King's own army," the General sneered, his eyes locking onto a young serving woman nearby. "In any way required."
He rose from his chair and sauntered over to the staff member, his movements like those of a stalking wolf. He reached out and stroked her cheek with his thumb. She flinched and turned her face away in disgust.
"Don't be shy, little thing," he purred, his voice dripping with menace. "I will let you feel what a real warrior is like."
"General!" the Duke's voice boomed like a thunderclap, his face a mask of cold fury. "Unhand her. Now."
The General shot the Duke a look of pure spite but reluctantly let the woman go, giving her a final, leering smile.
"Very well, Your Grace," he said, his voice dripping with false deference. "You have made your point. But since my men are now to be denied their... recreation, their recovery will naturally take longer. We will require a full day to rest."
"That will be acceptable," the Duke replied, his own voice tight with anger.
"Excellent," the General said with a curt, mocking bow. "Now, if you'll excuse me." He turned on his heel and strode from the dining hall.
The moment he was gone, Lionex slammed his fist on the table. "What an arrogant bastard!"
"He is," the Duke agreed, his gaze fixed on the doorway through which the General had departed. "But he commands five thousand royal soldiers, and we need them. For now, we hold our tempers and we endure."
***
Jin found himself in a predicament, forced to weave a lie on the spot.
"Well," he began, trying to sound matter-of-fact, "I can read because my mother was a teacher."
"A teacher?" Kelly's eyes went wide. "But I thought all the teachers were ordered to move to the Royal Capital years ago." She paused, her expression turning curious. "Where is she now?"
Jin lowered his gaze, feigning a sadness he did not feel. "She... she's dead."
"Oh," Kelly said, her own face falling. "I'm sorry."
"Yeah," Jin said, keeping his eyes on the ground. "My whole family is dead. I... I read to remember them. It was something we all liked to do together."
"Well then... I suppose I'll leave you alone," Kelly said, looking down at the ground with a hint of disappointment.
"Please," Jin affirmed, his tone softening slightly to maintain his cover.
"But if you ever need anything, just ask for me," she added, looking back up at him.
"I will," he replied.
Just as he was about to turn away, Kelly suddenly ran toward him. Before he could react, she stood on her tiptoes and planted a quick, soft kiss on his forehead, her own cheeks flushing bright red.
"My mother always says a kiss like that brings good luck," she whispered, and then she turned and ran off, disappearing around a corner of the castle wall.
Jin stood frozen for a moment, a hand slowly rising to touch his forehead. He felt... nothing. He had never known affection, so the gesture was completely foreign to him.
He could not comprehend why she had done it and simply dismissed it as a foolish superstition before turning back toward the training field.
On his way back to the training field, he saw that it was now occupied by hundreds of soldiers whose armor and banners were foreign to him.
"They must be the Royal Army," he deduced, observing them from a distance.
His analytical gaze swept across their ranks, gauging their strength.
"All of them seem decently trained... at least for this realm. Most are normal mortals, but a fair number have reached the early layers of the Bronze Stage."
A cold, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips.
"This should be fun."
He immediately changed his direction, heading back toward his room instead. The open field was no longer a viable place to cultivate.