When Gerhart opened the door, he saw Havre massaging Hope's raised behind, particularly between the legs.

"Well? How was it? To have that huge thing inside you?" Havre asked while moving her hand.

"I-It was— Oh~ Big. Stretching me to the limit." Hope moaned while answering.

"That big thing? Was it your first time? Didn't it hurt?" Havre asked.

"It did at first, but then it felt so good~" Hope replied, remembering her first experience.

"And how did it feel? To be rammed over and over by him? To be bred by such an alpha male?" Havre asked, smiling while looking up at the shocked Gerhart and winking at him.

"It was, oh~... Heaven..." Hope said, her voice melting in desire, too drowned in pleasure, unable to notice Gerhart was watching.

"Hehe~. Oh, my~. And did the thought of getting seeded turn you on?" Havre temptingly asked, her eyes locked on Gerhart while her hands kept moving.

"..."

"Oh, you clenched hard just now. Is that your kink? You dirty little mousey maid." Havre playfully said, staring at Gerhart with a hungry look. "Ah~, to be blessed by our lord like that~, I want that, too."

While Gerhart gapped, speechless, Havre silently mouthed something. "Wait for tonight~."

"Gulp..." Gerhart could only gulp his saliva and close the door.

"What did I see just now?" Gerhart asked himself, his heart pounding, his pants tight.

He has never seen girl-on-girl action before, especially not one directed at him as the object of desire. To say it was stimulating was an understatement. If Havre hadn't said what she did just now, he would have headed inside.

"I'll resist and wait for tonight." Gerhart thought.

After ten more minutes, the door opened, a rosy-faced Hope and a calm-looking Havre exiting the room.

"Had fun?" Gerhart playfully asked.

"... Yes..." Hope said, averting her eyes.

"Our girl-on-girl talk went well," Havre said, winking at Gerhart. 

"Right... Training, then?" Gerhart asked, changing the subject.

"You will continue physical training. I will teach Hope about Aura." Havre said.

"Okay." Gerhart nodded.

The trio then left, arriving at the training field.

Gerhart saw the training children in the field, and a stray thought crossed his mind. "They would make excellent soldiers in the future..."

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Gerhart shook his head. "Fucking stop getting into my head, you fucker!"

"Gerhart? Is something wrong?" Hope worriedly asked.

"It's nothing." Gerhart waved his hand.

"Then Hope and I will go train on the side. Talk to us if you need anything." Havre said and walked together with Hope to do a separate training.

Meanwhile, Gerhart continued doing laps, push-ups, and sword-swinging at a dummy.

Since Gerhart's level increased by about 20 levels, he needed heavier training gear. It was to the point that he wore the heaviest gear in the village, yet it was still light for him to wear. He had to compensate by using even more strength. Even still, he didn't feel too tired.

Eventually, Havre came over and stopped him.

"Okay, that is enough for today. Did you feel the flow of energy inside you?" Havre asked.

"I think I felt something. It is still vague, but I sense it." Gerhart earnestly replied.

Perhaps because of his elevated level, he could now sense his Aura.

"Good. Then I will have someone spar with you." Havre smiled.

"Wait, aren't you sparring with me?" Gerhart raised an eyebrow.

"Who, me? I am just a weak girl~. You will overpower me~." Havre playfully said while motioning with her eyes at the spectating villagers.

"Right... If I fight at full strength with Havre, they would find it suspicious she got so strong." Gerhart thought.

"Then who am I supposed to spar with?" Gerhart asked.

"You will spar with me." Gerhart heard a magnetic male voice.

When he looked to the side, he saw a battle-scared, bald, and muscular man in his mid-forties with an amputated right arm close to the shoulder. He was as tall as Gerhart, his body just as muscular, and his black eyes conveyed the confidence and experience of a veteran of many battles.

"Gerhart, meet Thomas, the strongest man in the village." Havre introduced. "He used to be a renowned mercenary before he retired."

"That's in the past. I am just a cripple now." Thomas shrugged and looked at Gerhart. "Judging from what you lifted, you are as physically strong as a B-rank."

"I suppose." Gerhart nodded.

"Then that makes things simpler," Thomas picked a sword from the training sword rack. He then turned to look at Gerhart. "Oh, and take off those weights. Or do you prefer facing me with a handicap?"

"You lack an arm, and you say I am giving you a handicap?" Gerhart thought but didn't voice it.

Listening to the veteran, Gerhart took off the weights, making his body lighter. "Okay, they are off. Let's do this."

"Come at me like you mean it. Although I lost my dominant arm, you will find me a tough opponent." Thomas entered a combat stance.

Gerhart didn't think Thomas was boasting and took him seriously, readying himself. "Then here I come," Gerhart said and swung at Thomas.

Tack* Tack* Tack* Tack*

The clashing of wood sounded, wooden chips flying at the force the swords collided. Whether Gerhart or Thomas, they were both comparable to B-rank warriors. Ordinary wooden swords would break from such force, but they were specially made from iron trees, making them durable and heavier. Yet, even then, the swords started breaking, showing Gerhart's and Thomas's strength.

"Excellent Strength! Amazing Endurance! Superb speed and flexibility! Although you lack experience and skill, your perception and instincts are also up to par! You even notice my feints!" Thomas commented while exchanging swings.

"Thanks! You're not bad yourself!" Gerhart replied, enjoying the exchange.

For the first time in a long time, he fought someone who could keep up with him. He felt his skill with the sword improving.

Gerhart widened his eyes as he dodged a sudden kick from Thomas. But before he could regain his stance, Thomas swung his again, forcing Gerhart to block. But what happened next shocked him.

Thomas's wooden sword flashed with a brown Aura, smashing Gerhart's sword before stopping in front of his stunned face. Thomas then retracted his sword and spoke.

"Remember, in a life-and-death battle, the opponent wouldn't care whether you can use Aura or play by the rules. They will use trickery to distract you and their Aura to destroy you and your weapon. When you run out of Aura, you can only rely on your wits, body, and speed, or they will cut you down. So next time you think I will use Aura, use Aura to counter it or dodge it. Don't even attempt blocking or deflecting. Roll on the ground if you have to, or you will end up like me, or worse, dead." Thomas explained.

"Thank you for your teachings." Gehrart earnestly said.

"Good." Thomas threw his training sword away and made a fist. "Now come at me barehanded."

"Okay." Gerhart nodded, got into position, and attacked Thomas.

Thud* Thud* Thud* Thud*

Flesh and bone collided, and Thomas dodged and deflected Gerhart's blows. Thomas soon seized an opening and struck a palm, hitting Gerhart in the chest.

"Oof..." The air escaped Gerhart's chest, staggering backward.

"I see hand-to-hand should be worked on. Your stance was awful, and you barely used your hips and back, failing to produce enough force. With how you fight, only mindless brutes weaker than you will lose." Thomas commented.

"Yeah, I was self-taught, so I never fought barehanded except against a few bullies," Gerhart said, rubbing his chest. "But I was wondering, why is someone strong like you not getting a magic prosthetic? It should be in your budget range."

"I am one of the unlucky with K-grade Magic. Even if I get a magic prosthetic, it would be a hindrance." Thomas shook his head. "I still yearn for the scent of battle, to the excitement. But without my dominant arm, I know it is a death wish."

"I see..." Gerhart muttered.

"Anyways, since you don't know how to fight in hand-to-hand combat, I will need to teach you the basics. But for now, we will continue stimulating you to draw out your Aura. You can try copying my stance and attacks for now." Thomas said, returning to a combat stance.

"Thank you, Thomas." Gerhart nodded, trying to mimic Thomas's stance, and attacked again.

After Gerhart had his ass handed to him for an hour, the two finally stopped sparing.

"This will be enough for today," Thomas said, sweat on his forehead.

"I can still keep going, though," Gerhart replied, wanting to continue.

"Maybe you can, but I can't! I see your stamina is also incredible." Thomas praised.

"It's so-so," Gerhart shrugged.

"Cheeky brat," Thomas smirked. "Go rest and grab lunch. I will see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." Gerhart smiled back and walked toward Havre and Hope.

While walking, he couldn't help but think, "He would be a good commander..."

The moment he thought that he wanted to punch himself. "STOP FUCKING WITH MY MIND!"

Unfortunately, his mental complaints were for naught. Shaking his head, he continued walking.

When he arrived where they were, he saw Hope punching sand in a barrel, her fists having hints of white energy.

Havre noticed him coming and spoke to Hope. "Okay, Hope. That is enough for today."

"I see you made progress," Gerhart commented.

"Hope is a fast learner. She is already faintly externalizing her Aura." Havre said.

"I still have a long way to go," Hope said, dusting awake her furry firsts.

"Then I have an even longer road," Gerhart smirked. "Let's have lunch."

.

.

.

Sometime later, after lunch, Asher privately met Thomas and Havre at his house.

"How is Gerhart?" Asher asked.

"Superb, a gem in the rough. He isn't conceited, and his capabilities are of an all-round elite. With proper training, he will surpass me in my heyday." Thomas didn't hold back his praise.

"Good. Train Gerhart well." Asher nodded and turned to Havre. "And how is the servant girl?"

"Very competent. Hope's intelligence is high, and her instincts and intuition are incredible." Havre said.

"How does she compare to Gerhart?" Asher asked.

"Superior in intelligence and instincts, inferior in everything else. But Hope is a top-tier talent." Havre gave an evaluation.

"Do you think she is a planted spy?" Thomas asked.

"Unlikely. Hope is a slave from the Osora Kingdom. And she seems incredibly loyal to Gerhart. From her words, she is a late bloomer who awakened shortly after meeting Gerhart." Havre said.

"That overlaps with the information I received from the Kingdom. It was also why we allowed Hope here in the first place." Asher said, reclining on his chair. "For generations, the royal family kept trying to abolish that racist rule that demi-humans cannot have citizenship and equal rights, but the hard-liner human-supremacist party is too hard to deal with without weakening us to enemy attacks. So many talents lost..."

"Speaking of Royalty... Gerhart resembles someone I met. Is it my imagination?" Thomas secretly thought but didn't voice it.

"In any case, keep track of their progress," Asher said.

"Yes." Thomas and Havre nodded.

.

.

.

In Irene's house, Hope and Gerhart sat cross-legged while being guided.

"Close your eyes and calmly breathe in and out. When your mind clears enough, you will gradually sense the magic particles in the air. Once you feel them, try interacting with them. Be friendly." Irene instructed.

Hope and Gerhart listened and entered a meditative state. Gradually, Gerhart felt the presence of particles, even sensing their color. There were red, blue, green, brown, yellow, purple, and other colors.

"Hah... So that's what magic looks like in the raw state. The next step is to interact with them." Gerhart thought and tried to communicate with the particles in a friendly way. "Hello! Would you like to be friends?"

However, they were not very responsive. Only a few responded, but they were small and sluggish. If before, Gerhart and most people would be happy with even this immediate result. But somehow, Gerhart felt a sense of indignity, as if the particles slighted him.

"I said... BE MY FRIENDS!" Gerhart commanded.

Under Gerhart's closed eyelids, his eyes flashed a silvery hue, but nobody noticed it.

The magic particles got jolted before hurriedly arriving near Gerhart. They acted like bootlicking servants trying to appease their master.

"Hah? That worked? Okay. Make lines and files according to color." Gerhart got taken aback, but he still tried things.

To his surprise, the particles obeyed him and assembled into military lines and files according to color.

"Now make cubes," Gerhart commanded.

The particles obeyed and became cube-shaped.

"Hm... Not bad. It should be enough, right?" Gerhart thought.

Opening his eyes, he saw several cubes of various elements floating around him. And Irene looked at him in horror.

"H-How did you do that?!" Irene said, shocked.

"I just commanded them?" Gerhart tilted his head, not understanding what she meant.

"It takes years of mastery to make them listen like this! Are you a Sage?!" Irene asked, grabbing Gerhart's shoulders.

"Whoops... Seems like I overdid it." Gerhart warily thought.