Chapter 9: Soldier Taming -2

So…

A vein bulged on Sitri’s forehead.

She slammed the table hard, looking unmistakably furious.

“I can’t give you a lesson.”

“Yes.”

Nahin acted as if that was only natural, arrogantly seating Seere on his lap.

Seere, oblivious, played with a whale doll and a white bear that Nahin had recently bought for her.

“…Why a whale, of all things?”

Sitri shuddered slightly as she recalled her first meeting with Nahin, then shook her head to clear her thoughts, shouting at him.

“Are you really picking a fight with me?”

“However, we are in the middle of incorporating the forces of Her Majesty Sitri into our faction, so there is no time right now. It’s not that I don’t want to do it.”

At Nahin’s words, Sitri frowned deeply.

His intention was obvious, but she sighed and nodded.

After all, she was the one in a hurry.

“Fine… I just need to persuade them, right? That way, you’ll have time to teach me.”

“Oh, really? If Her Majesty steps in, it would be ideal.”

He had planned all of this.

Sitri clicked her tongue inwardly. She vowed to get back at this sly man someday.

“You must be thinking that,” Nahin said, reading her mind easily.

Having played this game dozens of times, he knew Sitri’s character better than anyone.

Perhaps even better than Sitri herself.

“Well, if that helps strengthen your resolve, I don’t mind.”

If Sitri’s grudge against him became the driving force for her determination, that was fine with him.

Nahin gently placed Seere, who had been playing on his lap, on the ground and stood up.

“Then, let’s go.”

Today, Nahin and Seere visited the training ground again.

The only difference this time was that Sitri was with them.

As they arrived, Lin came out of her office to greet them.

“Your Majesties, Seere and Sitri, what brings you here?”

Sitri glanced at Lin’s cat ears and recognized her.

“Are you Lin El Razain?”

“I’m surprised you recognized me.”

Sitri laughed, as if it were absurd.

“Lin El Razain has been a commander since the time of the previous generation. Who wouldn’t know one of the Four Swords of Seir?”

“I abandoned that name long ago.”

“Is that so…”

Sitri gave a brief comment on Lin’s reply.

“Is it guilt for failing to protect the previous generation?”

Seeing Lin’s stiff expression, Sitri chuckled softly and patted her shoulder a couple of times.

“It was a bad joke. My apologies.”

“…No need.”

Nahin sighed while looking at Sitri, then spoke to Lin.

“We’ll be visiting the third training ground for a while. Is that alright?”

“Go ahead.”

Lin, with a sour expression, said nothing more.

Nahin knew that offering clumsy comfort would only make things worse, so he stayed silent.

“I’ll need to talk to Sitri later.”

It wouldn’t be good to cause friction with this faction.

Nahin led Sitri and Seere toward the third training ground.

“Hey.”

A soldier spotted them and paused, but Epsilon yelled at him.

“Focus on your training!”

“Her Majesty Sitri?”

“What?”

Hearing the soldier mutter, Epsilon turned his head.

There really was Sitri, accompanied by Nahin.

The soldiers, including Epsilon, immediately knelt down.

“Your Majesty Sitri…”

“It’s been a while, Epsilon.”

Though they had joined Seere’s ranks, their loyalty to their former master, Sitri, remained strong.

The soldiers, including Epsilon, lit up with joy at the sight of Sitri.

“You look like dogs reunited with their master,” Nahin muttered, his expression slightly displeased.

Sensing this, Sitri quickly spoke up.

“You.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I hear you’re not listening.”

“…What do you mean?”

Epsilon, looking flustered, asked back.

Sitri replied curtly.

“You don’t listen to Seere’s orders or anyone else’s. Why is that?”

“Your Majesty Sitri, what are you saying? We are loyal only to you…”

“That’s why you didn’t listen and forced me to come all the way here.”

Sitri furrowed her brow and informed Epsilon of a fact.

“Seere and I are allies. You know that, right?”

“Yes, I know.”

They knew that as part of the alliance, they were incorporated into Seere’s faction.

But to them, it seemed like a nominal alliance.

They knew well how Sitri often used their support as an excuse to extort large rewards.

“It’s not a joke; it’s a genuine alliance.”

“Yes.”

Now she’s claiming it’s a genuine alliance? Since when?

“We formed it recently. That’s why you’re part of Seere’s army.”

“…”

Epsilon was confused.

Seeing this, Sitri added,

“You’re now part of a united force symbolizing the solid alliance between the 71st and 72nd floors.”

“A symbol of the alliance…”

Sitri averted her eyes, slightly embarrassed by her lie.

However, Epsilon and the others, too respectful to make eye contact, didn’t notice.

“Your loyalty to Seere will strengthen our alliance. But what happens if you don’t obey?”

“W-We…”

“I want this alliance to continue.”

Sitri narrowed her eyes as she spoke.

“Especially with the upcoming war. This alliance is crucial.”

Epsilon was perplexed, but he was deeply loyal to Sitri.

After a moment of thought, he bowed his head deeply, understanding her point.

“…I understand, Your Majesty. We have wronged you.”

“I’m no longer your Majesty. Who do you serve?”

“We are…”

Epsilon and the soldiers stood and saluted in unison.

“The army of Her Majesty Seere!”

Sitri smiled lightly at their salute and glanced over at Nahin. His expression said, “See?”

Indeed, very useful.

Ruling through fear always leads to eventual rebellion.

While Nahin had intimidated them in the training ground yesterday, that was only a temporary measure.

Suppressing discontent with force wouldn’t quell the dissatisfaction they harbored inside.

That’s why Nahin had brought Sitri into this situation.

He was sure they would accept her words, as their loyalty to Sitri was immense.

By speaking of alliances and convincing them they were essential support forces, rather than merely being absorbed, Sitri had handled it excellently.

It would be easier to control them from now on.

Nahin gave Sitri a thumbs-up, satisfied with the outcome.

Seere, watching him, raised her thumb in return, imitating him.

The rebellious Epsilon’s unit was successfully integrated thanks to Sitri’s clever intervention.

Nahin smiled contentedly at the outcome.

“As expected of Her Majesty Sitri. Solved the problem in one go.”

“Stop being sly. You planned all this.”

Sitri then made an expected demand.

“So, you’ll give me the lesson now, right?”

They had just arrived at an empty training ground, not the one used by the soldiers.

Nahin had been planning to give the lesson without needing a reminder, but it seemed Sitri was becoming impatient.

“Of course, a promise is a promise.”

Nahin gently let go of Seere’s hand, preparing for the lesson.

Tap.

“Mm.”

But Seere grabbed his hand again, tightly, refusing to let go.

She clung to him just like she did with her favorite white bear.

“Seere, could you let go for a little while? I need to start the lesson…”

“No.”

Nahin and Sitri were both taken aback by Seere’s firm refusal.

Puffing out her cheeks in defiance, Seere held onto Nahin’s hand tightly once again, her voice confident.

“I don’t want to.”

“…Hmm.”

Nahin sighed, realizing he couldn’t win against the stubbornness of a child.

Rather than trying to convince her, he decided a different approach might work.

“Alright then, come here.”

With one arm still holding Seere’s hand, Nahin easily lifted her up. Seeing this, Sitri questioned him with a frown.

“Nahin, didn’t you say you’d teach me now?”

“I can still do it like this.”

“What?”

“After all, this is today’s lesson.”

Sitri’s body stiffened for a moment as Nahin’s demeanor shifted.

His aura suddenly spread throughout the training ground, and even Sitri, a Demon Lord, could feel the immense pressure.

“Hit me once.”

Nahin’s confident smile unnerved Sitri.

“Are you joking?”

She growled.

“I told you before, I need to regain my full strength for this. If I were at my old power level, this wouldn’t even be worth my time.”

“I don’t think that’s the case.”

“What?”

The overwhelming presence intensified, making the previous pressure feel like a mere jest by comparison.

“Gah!”

“Let me make one thing clear.”

Nahin protected Seere from the oppressive energy, making sure she didn’t feel any of it.

Unaware of the atmosphere, Seere continued to smile contentedly in his arms.

Sitri was frozen, much like the time she first saw the monstrous beast that resembled the great whale.

Her body stiffened again, just like back then.

“I am stronger than you were in the past. So, this will certainly help.”

Nahin reminded Sitri of the training task: escape from his magical pressure and strike him once.

For Nahin, Sitri’s growth was of the utmost importance.

In fact, her growth might be as critical as Seere’s.

The reason was simple.

She was to become Seere’s most reliable ally in the future.

In order for Seere to reach the top, Sitri’s presence was necessary.

When it came to a Demon Lord’s rise in rank, individual combat strength mattered, but the influence and power of their faction were even more significant.

And one of the most efficient ways to expand influence was through alliances.

As Sitri grew stronger, her power would become Seere’s power.

Thus, Sitri’s growth was essential for Seere’s future.

That’s why this training was necessary.

Sitri needed to regain her sealed power to remain helpful.

Her power was sealed in a region controlled by mid-tier Demon Lords ranked 31st or higher.

To defeat the higher-tier Demon Lords, Sitri had to be able to move freely even under immense magical pressure.

The Demon Lord guarding her sealed power would undoubtedly be more powerful than Sitri in her current state, and this type of scenario would play out often in the future.

This training was designed for that. By continuously releasing her magic and pushing against Nahin’s oppressive aura, Sitri would be able to expand her personal space.

Through this process, she would not only adapt to such pressure but also increase the number of circuits through which she could channel her magic.

“Just hit me once.”

“Ugh… This is… ridiculous… How… can I…”

Sitri was struggling immensely under the crushing pressure.

It felt as though she had thousands of pounds weighing her down.

Watching her struggle, Nahin deliberately prodded her in a vulnerable spot.

“Is this really how you plan to regain your sealed power?”

“You…”

“It seems to me that it’s impossible. Maybe you should give up on recovering your power?”

“You… said… everything you… wanted to say…?”

Sitri trembled as she tried to rise, but it wasn’t easy.

If it were, Nahin wouldn’t have proposed this type of training.

Neutralizing the dense magical power he’d scattered and creating a space to move was no simple task for Sitri, given her current power level.

“Grrr…”

While Sitri struggled, Seere stared at Nahin, looking at him curiously as if nothing was wrong.

“Teacher.”

“Hm?”

“Lady Sitri looks like she’s having a hard time.”

“That’s the point of this training.”

Seere tilted her head in confusion, not fully grasping the concept. Nahin, patting her head gently, explained.

“Just watch carefully.”

“Okay.”

Nahin almost said something aloud but swallowed his words.

He didn’t want to scare Seere with the truth—one day, she would have to undergo the same training.