Shortly after Lorem gave out the assessment scores, the lesson ended, and only those who wished to train for a little longer were still in the arena—most of the nobles and people had rushed towards the dorms to contact their families or celebrate.
Lorem was still observing as Asura and Mu Xue did basic training drills in close combat. The maid seemed reluctant to harm him before they started, but the moment the training began, her eyes and attitude changed as she attacked him with everything.
Her long legs assaulted him with a barrage of well-timed kicks, alternating between his midriff and face, which forced the handsome earl on the back foot.
"Interesting, although she is crazily in love with the boy when they train, she attacks even more ferocity than fighting the others today..."
She watched as Asura's strength seemed to be slightly higher, but his time as a warrior and skill as a fighter was a little lower as Mu Xue's speed and magic manipulation were far superior, using her versatile ice magic to empower her rapid kicks.
Mu Xue's ⟪Ice Magic⟫ was unique, and it was not something seen often—normally, ice would become brittle or more fragile the longer it was used unless you gathered and stacked it into a chunk or large piece however, Mu Xue's was thin like a butterfly wing yet still caused heavy damage when it cracked and sliced apart with each kick.
"Fufu, master... you have taken twenty-two kicks!! That means you have to kiss me twenty-two times wherever I ask!"
If only Lorem knew the truth, for Asura to get Mu Xue to train him thoroughly without worry, he made a simple bet that each would kiss the other anywhere the person asked for each hit made.
"Oh? But I have hit you six times so far. Do you not realise I am slowly growing used to your speed, my lovely little wife."
Her face showed a blank look before she blushed and smiled, "I would love to kiss you anywhere you ask. Why would I care?"
"..."
"I almost forgot you were becoming a little pervert."
Mu Xue laughed as she kicked forwards again—however, this time, Asura caught her leg, and she was surprised at first before feeling a tingle down her leg as his flames evaporated her ice when she tried to attack him with an ice shard formed in her hand, he blocked it by lifting her off the ground and slamming her down, with a heavy slam, landing on her chest.
"Ha... master~ are you going to force Xue'er here... make her submit both as a woman and knight!?"
Mu Xue licked her lips as Asura looked down at her with a grin, "Do you want me to?"
"Hmm, if the master wants it~ but that burning, thick pole is pressing against my crotch... Master seems to enjoy the idea of poor little Xue'er submitting."
"Let's not go further. I don't want to have all these eyes seeing my little maid's cute sight and sounds."
"Hehe, okay... I can't wait to collect my reward."
The pair separated, with Lorem watching them with a slightly irritated look before she walked over to the remaining ten people—Vela had been fighting against Xavida as they constantly came to equal blows, and Vela was on the losing end due to her lack of regeneration.
"You lot, line up. Before you return, I want to ask a few of you regarding your future for the assignment."
Lorem's voice was more commanding and serious than normal, so they all rushed towards her and stood in a neat line—even the girl with her right arm bleeding stood with a solid salute before almost collapsing.
"Don't be so serious; it's not a punishment."
'I wonder what she wants...'
"I have been watching you who stayed for the extra training period and felt you all deserved a little private coaching and training from a certain high-level knight."
Her golden eyes flickered as she looked at Asura and Mu Xue before tracing them over Vela and Xavida and a male named Cedric, who was quite talented but below the names before, but he looked arrogant and seemed to feel superior to the rest.
"So, which of you would like to train with me for the next few weeks? I can promise your power, strength, resilience and combat power will skyrocket in a way that makes surviving the assessment more than double."
A loud bang sounded as the door was kicked open by a long, sensual leg with lean muscles tightly contracted to form a more captivating shape, nothing like a brutal and muscular leg built for pure power.
No one would believe this lovely thigh and soft calf could have kicked open the stone doors more than a metre thick with one hit.
Lucretia's steps, her slight bounce and the way her hips flicked when swaying to each side caused Cedric and Asura to be momentarily dazed—this instructor was deadly as she seemed to shine magically.
"Oh my, Lorem, you red-haired flying ret. Are you trying to steal the best chance of recruiting such an amazing hunk as your little student?"
"Hmmm?"
Lorem just clicked her tongue and hummed with a smirk as Cedric began to flex his muscles and stepped forward to appeal to Lucretia, who looked rather different from her previous look on the stage to Asura.
The lovely woman was short... barely above his abdomen, but her body was even deadlier than before, a restricted honeybee shape waist, the size of her buttocks and breasts didn't match her cute and youthful face that seemed almost demonic with short pointed ears as she looked at him with an adorable wink.
"You want to take him away from me? A mere dream slut like you who has never even touched a real man despite claiming to be a master of seduction?"
"Problem? Old woman with a shrivelled womb? Ever waiting for her fabled lover boy to be born, even though it will never happen?"
"Tsk... You cannot have him. He needs a brutal and harsh training regime to give him the skills to survive and utilise his power completely!"
"Fufu, can your harsh, nasty voice motivate him enough?"
"With one gentle word from me, I would have him giving his entire effort to destroy me, make a mess of me until I can no longer walk~ fufu, do you think your ugly face could do that?"
"..."
Asura watched the two women exchanging words that seemed like threats, but instead, he felt they were slowly agreeing, sharing keywords and hiding the truth of their conversation from the students...
'I am sure... These women will join hands if the words of Lucretia and her devilish figure are mixed with the training regime of Lorem...'
'The person they want to train is fucked!'
[Why do you not use your pretty and smart head to go further? Realise WHO they are talking about, dear; it's you they want, not any of these cute girls or the fool who is about to get slapped.]
The said fool stepped forward, causing Asura to almost stumble at how Brian was always so wise and seemed to know the future sometimes.
"Ladies..."
"I am extremely delighted you wish to fight together over teaching the future Duke of Mardok. I must say it's an honour to have such beautiful women fight over--"
"Who?"
"What is this idiot saying?"
Both Lorem and Lucretia interrupted Cedric before Lucretia kicked his face, and Lorem back-fisted him as if the response to the disgusting words spoken from his mouth caused them to become extremely annoyed.
"Asura, we have a proposition for you."
"Fenix boy, would you like to have a lovely time with this big sister? I am very moist~ and flexible fufu."
Lorem gave a dirty look to Lucretia, who made a warm, sultry voice and flashed her lean, muscular thighs with a lewd bulge of her plump thigh showing, wrapped in a tight pair of black chainmail stockings.
"Will it make me stronger and allow me to improve beyond what training alone would do?"
Asura didn't waste time. He knew his greatest weakness was that he lacked experience and real training, compared to Mu Xue's life as a knight and warrior and even Vela the princess having a life of training with a sword master.
'I lack too much and need something beyond normal.'
'Otherwise, I will never catch up and only spend time flinging around my superior mana density.'
"I like your eyes, Asura Fenix," Lorem spoke with a powerful tone.
Her fiery orbs seemed locked with his as he remembered that strange vision and looked away from his fiery instructor.
"You lack finesse, tactics are fine, your power is fine, but how you use it and manage it is inferior and caused your loss to Vela in the assessment battle."
Mu Xue pouted as she watched the two tutors seeming to give him the most attention, wondering if the two old women might be trying to put their hands on her beloved master, but when Lorem spoke about the issues, she felt he suffered, and she couldn't fix them alone her wariness and resistance faded.
"Master, you should accept. Both Instructors are the most powerful and talented in their fields..."
When he heard Mu Xue's words, Asura felt completely convinced, although he planned to do so anyway.
"I will train with you as long as you train Mu Xue, Xavida and the princess with me."
"Oh, my~ are you asking us to train your harem with you?"
"No problem, we were planning to select some of them, but since you requested, in return, your training menu will be increased by the number you asked to bring. Understood? That's four times what I originally planned for you."
"Handsome boy, be prepared for hell. You might just die before you get to the assessment in a month."