“Welcome home papa!”

In front of me was the source of the noise, two small cat girls. When I looked closer at them, I noticed that the two were around the age of 5 and possessed golden hair and eyes. The two girls bounded towards me and snagged each of my legs individually. 

“I’m back,” I said while rubbing both their heads. “Are you two hungry?”

The two vigorously nodded their heads in response. “Can you please cook today, papa? Mom’s food doesn’t taste as good as the stuff you make.”

“Alright I’ll make dinner today,” I replied with a wide smile. “But don’t tell your mom ok?”

“Oh, we already did,” one of the troublemakers muttered. 

I should have expected something like this from these two. Well, I don’t think anything bad will come from this. Or at least I think.

As I played around with the two girls, another person entered the living room. Said person was a leopard woman in her late 20s, a gentle smile resting on her face. 

“Welcome back dear,” the woman said warmly. “I was going to ask you to play with the kids, but you already got to it.”

“Mom, play with us too!” the two girls chimed as they frolicked with me. 

For a while, the four of us played around as a family before I snuck out to make dinner. That night the two girls ate dinner with a renewed vigor, much to the mother’s chagrin. To add insult to injury, they begged me to read them a story instead of asking their mother. 

“Sorry about that,” I said to my wife once we tucked the kids in. “I don’t know why they’re like that. I always make sure to spend time with them after work.”

“Maybe they just spend too much time with me,” she pouted. “But speaking of kids, I’ve been wondering how the girls will feel about a new family member.” 

“I think a son would be nice,” I remarked as I pulled her into the bedroom. “But I’ll be happy as long as you are.” 

In response, she just nuzzled her face against my arm. As the warmth from her face seeped into my arm, her tail began to slowly wrap around my waist. 

But my joy was soon cut short when I suddenly woke up. Immediately after my eyes opened, I turned my head to the side. Beside me, Sekh was still slumbering peacefully as she clung to me. Compared to my dream, Sekh lacked a certain air that her mature counterpart had. I wonder how many years it will take for me to see that sight again. Well hopefully I can rack up enough good boy points to receive my happy ending. 

As I looked out the window in our room, I realized that it was roughly around the usual time that I would wake up. But before I got to my daily routine, I decided to reward myself by giving Sekh a gentle hug. To an outside observer, I might have been obsessing over my previous dream. In truth, I really was in such a state. Even so, the day progressed normally until noon.

“Iblis, there’s a request for you,” Minerva informed me as we ate lunch. “And I mean that it’s for you specifically.”

“Can I have the details?” I asked Minerva. 

“One of the prominent regional nobles has requested that you instruct his son in martial arts,” Minerva told me. “It’ll just be for a week and the pay is 2 denarii per day. And before you ask, the boy isn’t going to become a sellsword to work at the Bureau.”

“Well that kid is on his way to live a long and happy life,” I remarked. “Anyways, I’ll take up this job. Just let me know where the designated location is. Oh, and can I bring Sekh along?” 

For a moment, Minerva paused as she considered my question. “I think it’ll be fine. Based on the information I got, it seems that the client holds you in high regard. He said that his son’s regular instructor recommended you after losing to you at the public sparring grounds.”

I was honestly not very surprised by such a revelation. Recently, I’ve been accumulating quite the reputation in the city, particularly among warriors. It’s gotten to the point that there’s every morning there’s a small line of people waiting to challenge me. What’s even funnier is that nobody has come close to finding out that I’m the hero of the spear. It seems that the royal guard candidate title is enough to convince them. 

“Sekh, we’re going,” I said once I got my belongings in order.

“I humbly request that you don’t use me as a practice dummy,” Sekh joked as she skipped alongside me. 

“Thanks for the suggestion,” I teased her while poking her cheek. “Maybe I’ll try shooting an apple off your head.”

Since the designated location was outside the city, the two of us rode our horses towards the destination. As we neared the place, I was greeted by the site of an elegant manor near the river. Around the gated mansion were wide tracts of land that were teeming with crops. Strewn amongst the stalks were a number of laborers who looked as content as a fieldworker could be. 

Before we could reach the gated mansion, a pair of private guardsmen came to greet us. Unlike the typically human guardsmen, one of the pair was an orc. 

“So you’re the kid that beat up the instructor?” the human asked me. 

“You want to get your ass handed to you too?” I lazily answered. 

“Ok calm down you two,” Sekh interjected. “Can you please take us to the destination so we can fulfill our request?”

“Right, we’ll get to that,” the orc answered. “There’s no doubt that your companion is the person mentioned by the instructor considering the armor he’s wearing.”

Well he probably can’t tell whether my armor is mythril or steel. But I don’t think that any mercenary in this city can field an equivalent panoply. Which is part of the reason that I can boss them around at the Bureau so easily.

Sekh and I were then escorted through the mansion’s interior. Said mansion was a fairly standard one. It was a two story building complete with large rooms, paintings, and maids. Although I thought that the paintings were chosen with poor taste, Sekh seemed to approve of the maid outfits that were selected. 

But we didn’t have time to dawdle around in the mansion’s interior. The guards continued to drag us along to the backyard of the building where there was a large open field built for physical activities. 

“Good to see you,” a middle aged man said when he saw me. “You might not remember me, but we had a good fight two weeks ago.”

“I’m going to be honest with you,” I started off apologetically. “I’ve been sparring with so many people recently, that I don't really remember you. Plus I’m awful when it comes to remembering faces or names.” 

“Putting my pride aside, I’ll introduce you to the heir of the household,” the instructor. “He’s the one you’ll be training for a week.”

“There’s no need for that,” a young man interjected. “It’s a honor to meet you, sir Iblis. My name is Antonius of house Virmanes.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said as I shook his hand. 

For someone looking to be trained as a warrior, this guy has some soft fucking hands. Even his general appearance was rather gentle. His floppy brown hair and warm green eyes looked anything but fearsome, but maybe it’s a facade. From what I could tell, he was probably a few years younger than me. Though he could very well be older than me. 

“And who might she be?” Antonius asked me while gesturing at Sekh. “Is she your servant?”

“That's Sekh and she's my girlfriend,” I corrected him. "Though I brought her here because she's a capable fighter."

“My sincerest apologies,” Antonius said as he faced Sekh and I. “I’m sorry if I offended you.”

“Oh it’s no problem,” Sekh responded with a bright smile. 

Well I guess Antonius grew up in a bit of a sheltered environment. For most of the human upper class, beast folk tend to not be viewed as anything more than servants. 

“Since this is the first day, I’d like to get an understanding of your goals and capabilities,” I informed Antonius. “What skills are you trying to develop in particular?”

“I would like to develop myself as a proper Aeolian noble,” Antonius told me. “I am already a capable rider, though I can’t say that my skills with the lance, javelin, or sword are quite up to par.”

“That’s fine,” I said to him. “I’ll evaluate your skills now to see where you’re at. We’ll start with some warmup exercises then we’ll move onto examining your equestrian skills.”

Thus we commenced Antonius’ evaluation. I say we since the evaluation committee was composed of me, Antonius’ instructor, and Sekh. For someone with really smooth hands, Antonius performed far better than my expectations. Then again, my expectations were really low. Now I’m curious about how he’s got such nice hands. Does he not use weapons frequently? If he does, then I’d like to know his skincare routine. 

True to his word, Antonius was certainly a competent rider. Although he was certainly not at my level, he was better than the average Aeolian noble. But the moment he put a lance into his hands, things began to plummet. 

“That’s unusual,” I remarked to his instructor. “How come he’s good at riding but sucks with a lance?”

“I honestly don’t know,” the instructor apologized. “No matter what I try, he just doesn’t seem to improve.”

Either the instructor is useless or Antonius is helpless. Well if Antonius’ father gets annoyed at me, I’ll just choose the latter. 

Things did not change when it came to his skill with the sword or javelin. However, I was at least informed that he was able to make gains in those areas. He simply started at such a low point that his progress brought him here. 

“Well your self evaluation was correct,” I told Antonius when he was done. “I’d like to see your daily routine now that we’re done.”

“Sure,” Antonius replied. “But it’s not actually a daily routine. “I only practice two times a week.”

“And I found the problem,” I sighed. “If you want to improve quickly I recommend practicing at least five times a week. Not everyday has to be a hard workout, you only need three of those in a week. The other days should be used for rest and developing technique.”

“Sorry, but I’m often preoccupied with other business throughout the week,” Antonius told me. “In fact, this week is special since I’m taking time off to train.”

“Then what do you spend your time on usually?” I asked him.

“I mainly study mathematics, literature, and etiquette,” Antonius informed me. “Honestly, my martial training is more for my image than career.”

“That’s how it is in Aeolia,” I observed. “Well I don’t intend to tell you how to live your life. Just know that you won’t be able to improve if you don't spend more time training.”

Antonius just apologized and shrugged before demonstrating his regular practice sessions. As far as I could tell, there was nothing necessarily wrong with what he was doing. However, the main issue was the lack of time spent. Without more time dedicated to training, he could only fit so much into his two days of practice. In fact, I have recently started to train during the afternoons at least twice a week. These sessions were dedicated towards more extreme exercises which allowed me to push my limit. Unfortunately, I have to go outside the city to avoid arousing suspicions on my identity. 

“I’ll be honest with you, I can’t help you with all your goals,” I informed Antonius. “Although I can definitely give you advice on riding and using the lance, I’m not as helpful when it comes to swords and javelins.”

“How come you’re wearing a sword then?” Antonius inquired of me while pointing at my belt. 

“That’s a good question,” Sekh added. “You’ve never even suggested changing it before.”

“There’s a few reasons,” I said to them. “First, it’s a convenient weapon for civilian use, so I can bring it around to stores without being suspected of being a robber. Secondly, it’s useful against monsters and lightly armored opponents, which is most of what I fight now.”

“What do you prefer using then?” Sekh asked me. 

“I’m much better with a mace,” I answered. “But I’m not half bad with an axe.”

“Then you really are a southerner,” Antonius remarked. “But I would appreciate your help regardless.”

“I recommend you ask your instructor about swordplay,” I suggested. “By the way Sekh, can you try to find out whether you or Antonius’ instructor is better with the javelin.”

“Got it,” Sekh responded. “Also, the instructor’s name is Talus for your information.”

“Thanks,” I replied. "I can always count on you."

Based on my experience, I probably won’t remember his name. Well I’ll make an attempt nonetheless.

“Alright, we’ll bust out the quintain for today,” I told Antonius. 

Once we set up the device, I had Antonius strike it repeatedly with his lance. Had he not been good at riding, I might have had to catch him from his horse. 

“Stay still for a bit,” I told Antonius as I adjusted the lance in his grasp. “You’re gripping it too tight. The ideal grip should be more relaxed, though still firm. If you can’t pull it off, then I advise that you work on your upper body strength.” 

After a few tries I was able to temporarily adjust his grip. However, the real issue is whether this will stick with him or not. 

“Once you get a hang of hitting a stationary target, I’ll move to live practice,” I told Antonius. “I’ll be your opponent in that case.”

“I’m honored,” Antonius said with a bow. 

Before I could form a smug smile, Sekh lightly jabbed her finger into my right cheek.

“Ahem,” Sekh said with a teasing smile. “I beat Talus so I’ll proceed to training Antonius with the javelin.”

“Oh, good job,” I told her. “Try to take it easy on Antonius, he’s obviously not that good.”

Once Sekh went off to train Antonius, I walked over to Talus. 

“You mind if we spar with swords?” I asked Talus.

“Sure,” Talus informed me. “Let me grab you some practice equipment.”

As I waited for Talus, I began to think about revising my equipment. At the very least, I should probably get myself a shield. Even though I mainly use my spears in both hands, I think it wouldn’t hurt to have a shield for certain situations.

“Let’s get started,” Talus said after handing me a shield and blunt sword from the rack. 

The two of us began to circle one another with our weapons raised. I was the first to make a move as I lunged towards Talus with a feint. Although the first half of my feint succeeded, Talus blocked my real attack with the lower half of his shield. 

Moments after that block, my own shield caught a hammerblow from his sword aimed at my shoulder. The two of us began to furiously trade blows with one another, each strike either being blocked or dodged. Although I was making headway in our exchange, I couldn't say that I was the superior swordsman. Talus was far better when it came to swordsmanship than me. While we were somewhat matched when it came to battlefield experience, I was only pushing him back with a combination of aggression and superior physical capabilities. 

“Well done,” Talus huffed when I finally won. “Seems like I can’t even beat you in my area of expertise.” 

“No, you beat me in expertise,” I told him. “You’re just getting old.”

“That hurts a bit,” Talus remarked. “Well, I always knew my age would catch up to me.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what did you do before serving as an instructor here?” I asked Talus. 

“I was a sergeant in the Iasor army,” Talus informed me. “I served during much of Emperor Alexio’s reign. I fought the northern orcs of Cerdan when I was young and I retired after the recent war against that evil god.”

“Then you must be more accustomed to fighting with a spear and shield?” I inquired of him. 

“I am,” Talus responded. “I mainly serve as a senior guardsmen and instructor for security, but my boss couldn’t find a specialized instructor for his son. So that’s how I ended up training a noble’s kid.”

“Is it working well for you?” I continued.

“It’s fine,” Talus replied. “Though I can’t help but feel helpless once in a while. Just now my pride took another blow when your girlfriend outperformed me with the javelin. Can you at least tell me that she was some sort of elite like you?”

“I hope you have a shove ready, since your pride is going to need a grave,” I said to Talus. “Sekh was just a soldier in a beastfolk scout company. So probably better than the average human soldier, but certainly not an elite.”

“I’ll have to take what I can get,” Talus joked. 

“Oh and thanks for recommending me to your boss,” I said to Talus.

“No problem,” Talus answered. “I really just want Antonius to improve, that’s all.”

“I’ll make sure to do what I can,” I replied with an easy grin. “I might even be able to continue teaching him after this week. I’ll make sure to charge a lower price to encourage your boss.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Talus said to me. “Maybe I’ll treat you to dinner sometime.”

“I have a better idea,” I joked. “I’ll just convince Antonius’ father to hold a dinner for all of us.”

Talus’ face began to light up with laughter when he heard my declaration. “Ha! That does sound good, just make sure to not get fired in the process.”

After a while, Sekh came back with Antonius, a serious look now occupying her face.

“This is gonna take a while,” Sekh informed me.

“I’ll ask my father to pay you as well,” Antonius said to Sekh. “I really appreciate your assistance.”

“Well it’s Talus’ turn now,” I told Antonius. “Take a short break then move onto training with him.” 

And so our week commenced. Three veterans trying their best to help a young man meet the demands of his family and society. But even if he doesn’t become a reasonably able warrior, I’m sure that he’ll do well in the world. Maybe he’ll even hire me when he has kids.