Alana left Lou lounging in the bath and hastily dressed before exiting the house. She headed for Kierra’s garden, stopping before the tall trees that marked its boundary. She rubbed her rapidly chilling hands together as she shouted, “I’m here!”

Moments later, a dark figure came bounding over the higher branches. Kierra landed in front of her, posing without a care for her lack of clothing or the cold. She smiled, flashing two unusually sharp canines as she brushed her silver hair out of her face. “You called?”

Alana crossed her arms. “I need to talk to you.”

“Mm. I thought you might.”

“Tonight was a mess. Lou is young and inexperienced. It’d be unfair to expect much better from her but you’re different. Why did you let things get so out of control?”

“Out of control?” The elf tilted her head like a curious animal. “I think our ‘rampage’ was quite tame. Lou wanted little casualties and we abided her desires. I killed one caster. I even let prey escape.”

“You let her kill dozens of hunters.”

“Let her? Was I meant to stop her?”

“Yes!” Alana shouted. She took a deep breath to calm her surging emotions. Everyone in Lou’s house had incredible hearing. “You may not care about people dropping like flies but, despite her callous exterior, Lou does. You knew she didn’t want casualties so, as the more experienced fighter, you should have taken the lead rather than let her fumble about.”

“Fumbling about is how hunters learn. The cat slams its nose into the ground a hundred times before it sinks its claws into prey.” Kierra chuckled. “You should be happy I did not take the lead. None would have survived.”

“None…” Alana shook her head. “You are a terrible influence.”

“Oh? It is because of my influence that Lou accepted her desires. So maybe not so terrible, hm?” Her smile widened as Alana flushed. “Though, Lou is no elf. There will be things we do not agree on. I cannot understand her guilt for killing those hunters. That is why I left her to you. Her star, who shares her softer desires.”

Alana’s mouth opened, ready to deny being called soft, but she paused. Kierra’s eyes didn’t hold disdain or mockery. She wasn’t using that word as an insult, as it would have been in Victory. Besides, Lou liked how… sweet she was when they were together.

“I won’t be the soft one,” she said with much less heat than she originally intended. “I should have been there to stop her.”

Alana’s fists balled at her sides. “Lou isn’t a bad person but she is flippant and petty. That fool could start a fist fight and end up burning the kingdom to the ground.”

She couldn’t stop herself from chuckling as Kierra laughed. “No, don’t laugh. You and those succubi only encourage her. She needs someone to pull on her ear when she gets out of hand. But I was left behind…because I’m too weak.”

“What happened tonight would be a joke compared to what would happen if you came to harm.”

“I know. So, I have to be stronger. Strong enough that I’ll be there next time to help her think of a better way. Saints, strong enough that I can handle these idiots while Lou plays with her summoning.” The summoner had whined the entire time she was in the bath that the recent debacle would take away more time from her projects.

“You will not be able to stop my conqueror from fighting,” Kierra warned. “She is powerful. The powerful are destined for conflict.”

“If I’m stronger than her, I can fight those battles for her.”

Kierra’s eyes widened, lips parting as she stared at Alana’s determined features. They held each other’s gaze for several moments, the elf gauging her determination. Then Kierra covered her eyes with a hand, shoulders shaking with repressed laughter.

“You mean to, hah, make a flower, ha ha, out of my conqueror?” she squeezed out.

“A flower?”

After a few deep breaths to calm herself, Kierra lowered her hand. Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the future knight. “You want to keep her safely tucked away in your bed, her only worries how best to please you when you return from glorious battle.”

“Wha-wa-wa-wa-what are you saying?!” Alana screeched and stuttered. “I don’t, I—”

“No need to be shy.” Kierra stalked toward her with swaying hips. “You have sampled her, hm? Having her tied to your bed and at your whims is an attractive offer.”

“I, uh, er, I—” Alana squeaked like a startled mouse as Kierra wrapped her arms around her neck. She almost tripped as she was pulled forward, nose buried in the elf’s soft chest. Her whole body flushed with embarrassment but she didn’t find herself eager to escape.

“What about me?” the elf whispered into a red ear. “Will you make a flower of me too? Perhaps you will take all Lou’s women for your own, hm? Would you like that, Alana? Do you have the strength?”

She couldn’t take one more moment of the hot breath tickling her ear without doing something stupid. Alana squirmed in Kierra’s arms until the elf released her, clearing her throat twice before she could speak properly. “That’s not the point.”

“Hm~ You can hide your motivations if you want. I care only what you can do. If your goal is to become strong, then I will help you reach the greatest heights possible. Starting tonight.”

“Tonight?”

“Mm. Strip.”

Alana froze. She stared at the elf in disbelief but with each passing moment the woman’s smile stayed in place, she became more certain of her seriousness. “…it’s cold.”

“I promise you will not feel the chill for long.”

“Ah, Lou wouldn’t, um. What I’m trying to say is—”

“I will keep my hands respectful. Otherwise, she will take them.” Kierra dropped onto the grass, cross-legged. She waved at the future knight and patted her lap.

Alana shuffled in place but, eventually, she moved closer. Eyes squeezed shut, she settled onto the elf’s lap. She stifled a yelp as two strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer. She bit her lip to hold in her reaction as nimble fingers stripped her. As promised, she didn’t feel the chill for long, her body quickly warming. “Are you going to change me like Lou?”

“Is that what you want?”

“I won’t say no to more strength and…the other stuff.” She reflexively lashed out with a fist as the elf’s chuckles sounded too close to Lou’s. She opened her mouth to apologize but a hiss came out instead as sharp teeth nipped the back of her neck. “Ow! Did you bite me?!”

“I always bite.”

“That…” She trailed off as she felt the discomfort of Kierra’s mana entering her body. “Wait, that’s it? Is that…are we already starting?”

“Yes, but it will take time. You will grow stronger. Then we will fight so you may learn your new strength. Again and again, until you are wrestling wyverns.”

“How long?”

“Depends. Through my efforts alone, years.”

“Years?” Alana would have leapt from her seat if Kierra’s didn’t hold her still. “Lou changed in months!”

“Do you see the enormity of your task? Lou is special. Unrivaled. A pure affinity breaks many of the expectations of this kingdom. Lou spits on those expectations’ shattered remains with utter disdain. Mm, she also had help from the pet. Things would go faster with them.”

“…I think I should talk to Lou about that. Those creatures…I don’t trust them.”

“As is right. Now, relax and let me do my work.”

Alana shivered as soft lips kissed her neck. “T-that doesn’t have anything to do with this, does it?”

“Mm, but I must entertain myself somehow.”

“You…ahh~”