"You can go now," I gestured toward Rhea.

However, I noticed she hadn't moved from her seat. Her eyes remained fixed on me.

"Do you have anything to say?" I asked.

She hesitated, fingers twisting together. Then she took a breath and looked up at me again—really looked this time.

"…You're unfair," she mumbled softly, a nervous smile tugging at her lips.

I raised a brow. "What do you mean? I'm pretty sure I've been giving all of you equal attention during training."

Rhea shook her head. "That's not what I mean."

"Then, what do you mean?"

She took a breath and forced herself to speak.

"You're unfair—not because of the training, but because you lead us on and then stop short in the end," Rhea continued, her voice steady but tinged with frustration.

"I'm sure you know the kind of strange sensations your training puts us through. And… I'm a woman, so it was only natural for some of us to start thinking… well, about weird things."

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and it almost made me break character.

Good thing I always had the "Francis Card" ready when dealing with people—it made keeping up appearances far easier.

"My training?" I raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. "If you're talking about the sensations, that's completely normal. I can't really do anything about the way you feel."

"I…" she paused, her words faltering as she change her approach.

"You scare everyone. You push us until we think we'll break." She paused, cheeks warming. "But you never cross the line. You stop right before that."

She stepped a little closer, close enough that I could feel the heat from her fire affinity stirring.

Even the AC couldn't keep up.

"I trust you," she said, quieter now. "More than I should, probably."

Her lips quivered, just for a moment, before she forced more words out.

"And… I like you. Not just as a master. I've liked you for a while."

The words rushed out after that, as if she was afraid she would lose the courage if she slowed down.

"When you watch us train, when you correct us, when you look disappointed—I hate that feeling. And when you approve…" She swallowed. "It means more to me than I want to admit."

The room was silent.

"I know it's selfish. And I know this isn't the time. But I didn't want to leave without saying it."

She bowed slightly, respectful despite everything.

"That's all, Master Ace."

Before she could take a step, I shot out a hand and grabbed hers. Her skin was still warm from the exertion, damp with a sheen of sweat.

I didn't hesitate. I pulled, hard, and she stumbled back into me with a soft gasp of surprise.

My arm wrapped around her waist, crushing her against my chest. I didn't care that she had just finished training, that she was exhausted, that this broke every rule of conduct I had drilled into them.

All I cared about was the scent of her, the feel of her body molding to mine.

I tilted my head down and captured her lips. It wasn't gentle. It was a claiming, a hungry, demanding kiss that stole the breath right out of her lungs.

For a second, she was frozen, but then her hands came up to clutch at my shoulders and she was kissing me back.

I broke the kiss, leaving her panting, her lips swollen and glistening.

Then, I held her chin, my thumb stroking the soft skin there, forcing her to meet my gaze.

"Rhea… I'm happy you like me. You're really pretty, and… honestly, I like you too."

"But you must know that I'm a polygamous kind of man. You will have to share me with many women now and in the future."

The joy in her eyes didn't vanish, but it was tempered, reshaped into something more complex. She understood this was the price, the ultimate test of her devotion.

She was no longer just a student seeking approval; she was a woman claiming her place, and she would have to learn to share it. +

She leaned in, pressing her forehead against my chest in a gesture of absolute, unconditional acceptance.

Honestly, I was kind of happy that she confessed her feelings to me without my influence.

It meant that not everything around me was manufactured. Not every bond was forged through pressure, technique, or carefully planted thoughts.

Some things still happened naturally—and that mattered more than I wanted to admit.

We shared a passionate and intimate time, and our little meeting ended up lasting longer than planned.

Still, it was worth it. Now I had one out of the ten as part of my harem.

At this rate, I could complete the whole set within a week.

To think I came up with such a genius plan to get girls… Sometimes I'm amazed by my brainpower when it comes to this kind of stuff.

Back in the open training room, I saw the others back at their drills.

They were sparring with each other now, their movements far more fluid and efficient than before.

Normally, they wont be able to recover this fast.

But this training area had its advantage: full-body capsules designed for hyper-cell rejuvenation, using the most advanced medicine available.

They were insanely expensive to buy and maintain—so much so that not even top-tier guilds had this many.

I had twenty.

It wasn't wasteful. I planned to mass-produce S-Ranks, and in that context, the investment was more than worth it.

The faster they adapted, the stronger the guild would become—and the closer I got to my goal.

Currently, the closest to reaching S-Rank were Alexa and Rhea.

Their power had jumped in leaps thanks to my help, and their fighting styles had become far more flexible and refined.

If Alexa really broke through, she would be just a step below Hai-Yen—a remarkable feat, considering the Checkered Sword Maiden was very strong.

The fight I had with her could have ended very differently if I hadn't been in my werewolf form, which allowed me to regenerate at an incredible speed.

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