Grace abruptly pushed her chair back, her face pale. As she dashed out of the house, the early morning chill barely registered before she bent over, heaving just outside the door. Her husband followed close behind, finding her by the corner as the small meal she’d just eaten spilled onto the ground.

  "Are you okay?" he asked, standing by the door, looking at her, concerns in his eyes.

  She didn't face him, her eyes glued to the ground. "I'm fine," she replied, her voice trembling. "Just a stomachache."

  But it wasn't just belly ache and she knows it. She's pregnant, and it isn't her husband's.

  "Are you sure?" Her husband's persistence lingered in the air, his eyes filled with doubt.

  Grace met his gaze, attempting a reassuring smile. "Yes," she said softly, her voice ced with uncertainty. "Don't worry about it, it's nothing."

  Her husband continued to study her, his skepticism evident, but he chose not to push further. Instead, he mustered a thin smile and nodded. "Okay then," he conceded. "I'm off. The king is offering 20 bronze coins today as well, might as well get it."

  He moved closer, gently grab her by the back of the head and pulled her close to a kiss to the forehead, his beards pressed against her skin.

  As her husband's departing figure faded into the distance, a pang of sorrow gripped her heart. He was a good man, and the thought of leaving him tore at her soul but she has served the nobles long enough to know what becomes of a commoner that gets pregnant from a king's seed.

  It has to be the king, she thought. No one else had been in her life recently, and even her husband had been a while ago. Just the king. That one time.

  With a regretful sigh, she re-entered the room, the weight of her situation pressing upon her. She was too old to be having children; her second had just married a few months ago, and her youngest was old enough to be a soldier of the kingdom.

  She went to the tool closet, retrieving a shovel, and returned outside. Her lifetime savings, coupled with the money the king owed them that he had just paid was enough to start anew. Perhaps in Estonia, where her sister resides. She could venture into the fabric business, like her sister. It might not bring in as much as her current position, but she knew she could make a life for herself and survive.

  She bent down and started softening the area around her vomit, gathering the bits around it, and just when she was about to collect the waste in one forceful scoop, she saw, out of the corner her eyes, shadows slowly taking shape.

  ┌─────── ? ───────┐

  The grand pace courtyard stretched out before us, a magnificent expanse of cobblestone and marble, bathed in the soft golden glow of the setting sun. Lush ivy-cd trellises adorned the pace walls, while intricate, towering statues of kings and storied heroes of old stood guard at the corners. The air was filled with the fragrance of blooming roses that lined the walkways, their petals a vibrant mix of reds, pinks, and whites.

  On one side, I stood with Mustapha and mother, and on the other, the demi-humans.

  There were 63 of them that made it back with Mustapha. 48 females, 15 males, but they weren't as promising as I first thought. Only 11 were awakened. Though most of the unawakened ones have higher stats than an average human, it wasn't enough to make a difference.

  "I was expecting a more useful group" I said to the elf called Nadia. "Only eleven of them are useful"

  18, if you count the salvageable females amongst them, especially the four with massive breasts. The biggest I've ever seen. They are probably cows but they are very pretty and their mostly exposed breasts make my penis throb anytime I look at them. The rest are just too average and closer to animals for my liking.

  "They might not all be warriors, Your Majesty," Nadia expined, her voice carrying a hint of conviction. "But they are a resourceful group, capable of a variety of skills."

  I shifted my gaze to the gathered demi-humans, searching for any redeeming qualities within them. Amidst the crowd, my attention was captivated by the twin cat sisters who stood at the forefront. They clung to each other, their feline grace evident in every movement.

  They are cute, and now that I'm paying more attention, there's beauty there. A distinct blend of human and cat-like features. Their rge eyes, though adorned with vertical slits for pupils, shimmered with a hint of fear and uncertainty. Soft tufts of fur that once lent them an air of confidence now trembled atop their ears, and their cat-like tails, typically graceful, twitched nervously behind them.

  Their clothing, like many of the others, was torn and tattered, clinging to their lithe bodies in an almost primal fashion. The fabric, revealing glimpses of their supple skin, had seen better days. The shorts they wore were impossibly short, offering tantalizing glimpses of their slender thighs.

  They started becoming uncomfortable with my prolonged gaze.

  "Come" I said, and their eyes widened in fear, searching for confirmation that I was indeed addressing them. When they realized my attention was solely on them, they hesitantly began to advance, moving forward with cautious steps.

  They stood before me, trembling with anxiety, their vulnerability pin to see. Up close, their beauty and delicacy shone through, highlighted by the fear that had surfaced.

  "Closer" I told them and they did.

  Now very close to me I reached down, sliding my hand into the short of the blonde. She was squirming throughout. A grunt escaped her lips when my finger slid upwards into her pussy.

  20 then, I thought, as I removed my finger from the incredibly tight pussy.

  I pointed at the 11 awakened in the group, plus the 7 females that stood out.

  "Separate yourselves and move to the right." I instructed firmly.

  Their movements were a mixture of compliance and empathy. As they shifted to the right, I observed some of them casting sympathetic gnces towards their fellow demi-humans left behind, their expressions a silent acknowledgment of the divide.

  Turning my attention to the twin cat sisters and Nadia, I gestured for them to join those who had moved to the right. Then, with a composed demeanor, I faced the remaining individuals on the left.

  "What are you mostly good at?" I inquired, directing my question to the individual before me.

  "They say I'm good with the bow...Your Majesty," came the response, tinged with a touch of uncertainty.

  [Name : Aricen Lóthar]

  [Css : N/A]

  [Level : N/A]

  [Attack : 42]

  [Defense : 38]

  [Agility : 24]

  [Stamina : 30]

  [Skills : N/A]

  I scanned the group, searching for any signs of a bow, but it was clear that none of them possessed such a weapon.

  "I can vouch for him, Your Majesty" Nadia spoke up.

  I turned to her and she continued,

  "His father was our tribe's head hunter and he taught him well. Even though he doesn't have the 'gift', he is gifted"

  I looked back at the male elf. He has defiance in his eyes and a deep healed scar across his nose but other than that he looks pretty average.

  I waved for the male elf to join the group on the right. He is better than the average human, and if his bow is as good as Nadia make it seem then there will be use for him.

  "Anyone else?" I called out, sweeping my gaze across the group. Silence hung heavy in the courtyard. Most of them had their heads bowed, their unease palpable.

  "Take them away," I instructed Mustapha with a note of finality. "If you can't find a significant use for them then throw them out of the capital."

  It caused a little bit of commotion but no resistance. I watched Mustapha lead them away as they kept casting pitiful gnces at their selected brethren.

  I ignored the pleading eyes of Nadia as I turned and walk back to the pace.

  "You do know it is against the ws of the continent to use the Outsiders for military purposes?" Mother asked when we were back into the pace castle.

  "Good thing I never intended to use them for such" I replied, my tone carrying a subtle message that I hoped she would grasp. If not, perhaps it was for the best that she remained unaware.

  We continued in silence through the grand hallway, the stoic knights standing sentinel along the walls. The air was heavy with unspoken thoughts until my mother abruptly came to a halt.

  "How did you know who was awakened and who wasn't?" she asked, looking at me.

  "What do you mean?" I asked. "You can't tell?"

  "Who can?" she said. "I could only tell who might be a threat but it is not something convincing. But in your case..." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "It seemed like you were certain. Like you could see through them. How?"

  So [Appraisal] is unique?

  "It's a gift" I said with a smile.

  She studied me for a lingering moment, her gaze probing the depths of my eyes before resuming her walk. I fell in step beside her as she spoke, her words carrying a weight of their own.

  "The court witch speaks highly of one of your discovered talents. " she said. "She said I should convince you to make her a knight...before it's too te."

  Vojnka.