After Lurcal's punishment ended, Cnaeus gathered us and said, "Alright, kids. We will do some warm-ups and then wrestling. In the remaining time, we will do some boxing. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" - All the kids replied.

"Good. Go on and do the usual. Mog, you copy what they do."

"Yes, sir!" - The kids went and started jogging, and I followed.

Around 15 minutes later, we finished our warm-up and gathered in front of Cnaeus.

"Alright. Everyone except for Mog, I want you to get into pairs and spar in the sand arena in turns." - Cnaeus instructed.

"Yes, sir!" - The kids nodded and went into pairs around their age group.

"What about me?" - I asked while staring at the other kids.

"For today, your task is to observe and get to know your future comrades. Next time, I will teach you myself how to box and wrestle."

"Yes, sir. Understood."

Although I was a bit disappointed, it did make some sense. By observing the kids sparing, I could infer the general rules of wrestling and boxing. Also, I needed some time to get acquainted with my future comrades/subordinates. At the very least, I should remember their faces and names.

For the next four hours, I busied myself by observing the other kids while they spared.

Also, I managed to learn some things about all the kids.

The youngest kid is my age, called Tertius. He is a quick-witted kid with a bit of a sense of humor, but I could see that he was a bit reluctant to speak with me. I guess he is still wary of me, and for good measure. I hear that he is a good shot with the sling, able to hit a target accurately from over 100 feet away.¹https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sling_(weapon)

The second youngest was Lurcal, the kid that pointed at me and called me a dirt-blood. A natural-born blabbermouth that speaks whatever comes to mind. His honesty without a filter is both his virtue and flaw. He was more than willing to reveal all the secrets he knew about the others. As it turns out, he got a backdoor to become a part of the mistress's entourage. Also, Gav is his cousin. Other than that, he is an average 11-year old.

The third kid was a 12-year-old kid named Opiter. He was like the stark contrast with Lurcal, being as silent as can be. He didn't say more than the bare minimum, to the point where I suspected that he was dim. I later learned from Lurcal that he is just too serious, however. He is good at boxing, too.

The fourth kid was a 13-year-old kid named Pedlu. He is the epitome of averageness, lacking all ambition. I hear he has the best talent out of the eight. His talent, however, is still unearthed since he doesn't train as hard as the others. Lurcal told me Pedlu is the third son of his family, and his parents forced him to join the entourage because they worried about his future, much to his chagrin. He told me he wanted to be a bard, which I'm sure is why his parents sent him away in this manner. He likes to play the lute and sing, by the way.

The fifth kid was a 14-year-old kid named Canus. He is the largest and most physically strong of the children, second only to Gav in combat prowess. But he is also a muscle-head rivaling Borso in wits. I hear he has a rare physique-related talent that enhances strength and toughness growth, which was how he was even selected, despite being a dimwit, something unwanted in a soldier or bodyguard. Personality-wise, he is an honest and loveable idiot. At least, however, he can follow orders properly. Still, in my opinion, he should have gone and become an adventurer. His hobby is eating delicious food, so I think we can get along just fine.

The sixth kid was a 14-year-old named Jamal. Unlike the other kids, he wasn't a Lamarian citizen but a human slave adopted by the Fidelis family. When he was a baby, his parents abandoned him outside the city walls because they lacked the means to feed him.

As it turned out, last year, the Fidelis family found out that he has intermediate warrior talent, so they allowed him to join the entourage to make up the numbers. I had hoped to get along with him, but he was too nervous to have a proper conversation with me, probably from an inferiority complex from years of slavery. It looks like I will need to let time do its thing.

The seventh kid was another 14-year-old named Spurius. This guy was a bit tricky. He is the first-born son of one of the mistress' aunts married outside the family. He should have been a wealthy scion with high status, but he was discovered to be untalented in comparison to his younger siblings. Hence, his family made its calculations and sent him to be part of the entourage as a way to get rid of him. Other than that, though, he is a likable and learned guy, a bookworm. Why his parents didn't send him to become a scholar is beyond me.

The eighth kid was Gav, a 15-year-old young man. Due to his seniority and relatively good talent, he is both the strongest of the kids, as well as a leader figure to them. I hear from him that he originally wanted to become a seeded Centurian candidate but lacked the talent, so he picked the next best thing. He is also the one that pulled the strings to get Lurcal in. Overall, though, he shows some competence and consideration for the others, so I am glad that he is around with us.²I created eight distinct characters in one sitting. Fucking hard, man.

Tertius, Canus, Jamal, and Gav have intermediate talent as warriors. Pedlu likely has advanced talent like me but lacks the motivation to use it. The other three have a basic warrior talent.

In conclusion, I could summarize the entourage in a single sentence: A ragtag team of unwanted misfits and those seeking a better job opportunity, plus extra.

Yes, it is that bad. Even I can tell that her family members did it on purpose to harm her. The bodyguard entourage of a scion of a great family became a trash dumpster to dispose of young misfits and a job-seeking opportunity to desperate kids. It was transparent as can be.

I sighed internally, "I can't change the situation, so just make the best out of it."

I shook my head and went back to silently watching the boys wrestle and box until noon.

Cnaeus gathered us up and said, "Good work, kids. We will practice wrestling and boxing, as usual, in five days. Tomorrow, you will go to the training camp early in the morning to practice. That's all, dismissed. Oh, and enjoy your lunch."

"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" - All the kids, me included, saluted.

Without wasting another moment, they dressed up, and after saying goodbye, they returned to the mansion.

Unlike me, they are considered regular servants, and as such, they eat and sleep in the servant quarters.

I also went back to the mansion together with a now-sweating Cispia. Despite not doing any endurance training, she spent four hours swinging a weighted practice sword and holding a weighted shield. Even with the training draught, I can only imagine how hard it is.

On the way back, Cispia asked me, "So, what do you think about your future subordinates?"

"If I were to describe them, it would be "A ragtag team of unwanted misfits and those seeking a better job opportunity, plus extra.". They are all from different backgrounds and have unfavorable traits. Also, their talent is lacking for their position. I suspect she is being targeted by her family." - I told her my unfiltered thoughts.

Currently, I was oathbound to the mistress. Her safety was a top priority for me. Naturally, I would consider things more deeply.

Cispia didn't deny what I said and nodded, "You are not wrong. Those are indeed unwanted misfits and opportunity seekers, plus gap fillers - A ragtag team. The mistress should have received an entourage of loyal war veterans with at least five battles under their belts, all peak D-rank warriors and above, with a retired Centurian leading them. Instead, she received a bunch of untrained and relatively untalented children from various backgrounds. Currently, she is borrowing the mansion's soldiers until they are trained. It is her relatives' way to reduce the mistress's power and safety. Even Master Bultatus can't do anything about it due to family pressure. After all, she is a defamed woman, and he can't invest in a defamed woman, no matter how useful she is or how much he loves her as his daughter. Also, it gives a job to those misfits, so two birds with one stone. It is family politics at its finest."

At her words, I started to feel the pressure. I knew that the mistress's situation was bad, but seeing it with my own eyes made that fact sink deeper.

"Forget it. I am just an ignorant kid and slave. Let grown-ups handle grown-up stuff. I should focus on improving myself instead."

Shaking my head out of those thoughts, I followed Cispia to the dining room and ate lunch.

Today they served a big salad with cooked horned rabbit slices and bread, with fruit salad for dessert. Delicious.

While eating, I couldn't help but recall something, "Oh, right. Where are the mistress and young master Aulus? I didn't see them today."

"The mistress is busy in her alchemy room, concocting a potion. I never saw her so busy and focused before. She didn't even bother going down to eat and is instead using liquid nutrient potions. I didn't even get to do anything today. She just chased me out of her room." - Livia said as if complaining.

"Yeah, same with me. She is likely making a difficult potion. As for young master Aulus, he is out looking for a slave for his disgusting hobby." - Cispia added.

At their words, my heart pounded, "She is making the Paragon potion! She didn't renege our deal! Although I can't help, I should try my best to improve, too!"

After calming down, I returned to eating my delicious food.

While I was relishing in my food, Erno approached me.

"Mog, once you finish your food, wash up and get dressed, and then go to the study with Cispia and Livia. Today you start your lessons with me."

Not confirming whether I heard him or not, Erno strode out of the dining room.

After a small while, I couldn't help but ask Cispia, "Is he always like that?"

"Pretty much, yeah." - She replied while putting down her spoon.

"His time is precious, after all." - Said Livia, who was already washed and dressed, while eating her fruit salad.

"I see. Oh well. I'm going to get ready now. See you soon." - I said while standing up from my seat.

"I will go with you. I also need to wash up." - Cispia said, also standing up. Unlike the half-naked me, she still wore her tunic, but she was still sweaty, with salt sticking on her skin. She also needed a bath.

"Alright, I will meet you guys in the study room." - Livia waved and said.

Cispia and I walked up to the first floor together before splitting up and walking in opposite directions. The women's rooms were on the other side, including the women's bathroom.

After taking a relaxing bath and dressing up, I went to the study room. Inside the study room sat three chairs in front of three small writing desks. On the desks were wax tablets for writing³Roman notebooks. Legit.. Livia was already sitting down on the chair to the right while Erno was reading on the side. Cispia still wasn't here yet.

"Mog, come and sit next to me!" - Livia waved to me and pointed at the desk in the middle.

"Sh! No yelling in the study." - Erno chastised while reading.

"Sorry..." - She apologized in a low voice.

I didn't say anything and sat at the middle desk.

I then asked her, "What are we going to learn today?"

It's the first time I've had a real scholar teach me a lesson. I was very excited to learn.

"Dunno. It is usually up to the whims of sir Erno. He teaches us for two hours, after which we study on our own until dinner. Yesterday he didn't even teach us because of some urgent matters he needed to attend to. The day before yesterday, however, he taught us about the Sa'anite desert and the dangers there."

"Well, that sounds interesting."

"Yeah. Apparently, there is a giant worm thing called a Sandworm. Its size can reach gigantic proportions, some even larger than ten times that of the main temple of the gods. Its strength can range from C-rank to even above S-rank, rivaling adult dragons. Luckily, they have a small population, and they take a fixed territory, or else the desert would be uninhabitable."

"Wow, that sounds crazy." - I said in awe.

"I know, right? You should self-study about it in your free time or ask sir Erno to teach about it again."

As I made a mental note to learn about it, Cispia finally arrived, all prim and proper. Without saying a word, she went and sat next to me. Finally, Erno stopped reading and turned to us.

"Ah, I see you are all here now. Well then, let us begin. Today, we will talk about Aura and Mana."