*
"How was it?"
A woman's casual voice echoed through the silent room.
Sitting elegantly in a plush, high-backed armchair, she twirled a sleek pen between her fingers, as if expecting the very air to answer her.
The tall bookshelves lining the walls remained unmoved, the heavy tapestry drapes shrouding the windows equally indifferent.
But a shadow stirred.
A figure materialized behind her, silent as a whisper.
Sabrina, clad as always in her pristine maid uniform, answered her mistress with practiced composure.
"...It appears to be true that they killed a Gorefiend. Mr. Hart's body condition wasn't something a mere wild beast could have inflicted—though, most of his injuries were self-inflicted by pushing his body beyond its limits."
She paused before concluding, "I believe Mr. Hart was the one who single-handedly did it. His two companions seem relatively unharmed."
Cornelia's gaze didn't waver from the neat stack of papers on the polished mahogany desk. She continued twirling the pen absentmindedly, though its sluggish movements betrayed the drift of her thoughts.
Even she had been caught off guard when she sensed a Gorefiend's lingering presence entering her domain. Curious, she had sent Sabrina to investigate.
Only for her to return with something far more interesting.
A group of trainees, mere fledglings, had slain a Hircus in its second stage of evolution. And not only had they survived, but they had also brought back its meat.
At first, she had dismissed it as an exaggeration and sent Sabrina back for further proof.
Now that the confirmation was here, she had a decision to make.
Feeling whimsical, she threw the unspoken question to her right-hand woman.
"So, Sabrina, what do you think we should do with this?"
Sabrina didn't take the bait.
"...Mistress, please don't involve me in this." Her tone was flat. She added, unimpressed. "As the director of this semester's trainee selection, isn't it your job to either recruit or watch over promising rookies?"
Cornelia's lips curled into a smirk as she finally glanced up from her paperwork.
"So, you want me to either recruit him… or watch him?"
Sabrina, ever composed, replied without missing a beat.
"Isn't that what we usually do?"
Cornelia chuckled, tapping her pen against her chin.
"Yes, that's usually the case. But only for promising rookies." Her smirk widened. "Does that look just promising to you?"
Not waiting for an answer, she continued, "Not even a week after awakening, and he's already killing Gorefiends. And that's with a half-crippled body."
Sabrina remained silent.
Cornelia leaned back in her chair, eyes glinting.
"He must have something—some secret that allows him to fight above his rank. Even with half his circuits fried."
Twirling the pen once more, she mused aloud, "Wouldn't it be better to see what this secret is before deciding what to do? He's still crippled, after all."
Her voice turned almost playful.
"Some methods for extracting information can be a bit… violent. So I hope he cooperates." She sighed dramatically, placing a hand on her cheek.
"..."
Silence settled between them.
Then Cornelia raised both hands in mock surrender, winking mischievously at her maid.
"Or so any other director would do if they were in my place."
Sabrina's expression remained unchanged.
"…Mistress, there's no need to remind me of the other faction's methods." She deadpanned. "I've seen plenty myself."
Cornelia chuckled but said nothing.
Sabrina, meanwhile, returned to her paperwork, adding a final note.
"Well, your little man is lucky to have me as his director. Now, no one will dare approach him before the six-month period is over." She flipped a page, voice level. "I can't say the same for after that, though…"
"What do you mean, 'my little man,' Mistress? Mr. Hart and I are only casual acquaintances at best."
Sabrina's voice was as even as ever, betraying no emotion.
Cornelia raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering across her face.
"Really? But I can see you have a soft spot for him, no matter how much you hide behind that prim and proper act of yours."
Sabrina's pristine demeanor didn't waver.
"Mr. Hart was one of the few people who didn't lash out when pressured. Instead, he observed and tried to understand his situation."
"Above all, he is hardworking, tenacious, and refuses to give up, even after learning of his condition. Isn't it normal to have a favorable impression of such a man?"
She added pointedly, "And as your Head Maid and right-hand woman, I must always remain dignified. This is not an act."
Cornelia, of course, ignored that last part entirely.
"Uh-huh… So that's your type of man. Nice taste!"
"...It's not that."
Realizing her protests would fall on deaf ears, Sabrina simply let the topic die.
Cornelia, satisfied, leaned back and waved a hand dismissively.
"Well, don't worry. With my Domain constantly active, keeping an eye on him won't be a problem. If he wanders beyond the outskirts of the training forest, though, he's on his own."
When a person reached the third step of their Pathway, becoming a transcendent, they naturally awakened a Domain tied to their sin.
Every Domain was unique in its manifestation, but they all shared a few fundamental traits, one of which was the ability to perceive everything within their range, provided they focused.
Cornelia's Wrath Domain stretched all the way to the outskirts of the training forest, covering more than three kilometers. She could extend it further, but she never saw the need.
If not for the need to watch over the occasional Gorefiend slipping past the inner areas and butchering trainees, she would've only covered the tutorial city.
"Oh, and I won't be able to monitor him inside the general training grounds," she added. "That's Edward's Pride Domain, after all."
At that, Sabrina's usually composed expression shifted, just slightly.
"...Mistress, is it really wise to invite an outsider into our selections?" Her tone held a rare trace of concern. "What if he interferes with our recruits? He's even unfolding his Domain alongside yours…"
Cornelia gave her a bemused look.
"It seems you don't know much about Edward James."
"I know that he operates independently of any factions," Sabrina said cautiously. "But you never know what goes on behind the scenes."
Cornelia shook her head, cutting her off.
"Have you ever heard of the Kingmaker?"
Sabrina's skeptical gaze hardened.
"...Yes. He's a legend—said to be capable of turning even an untalented waste into a powerhouse. But he disappeared decades ago, so his feats are little more than unverified rumors."
Cornelia let out a soft sigh.
"Well, sometimes I forget how young you actually are with that serious attitude of yours." A teasing glint entered her eyes. "Anyway, everything you've heard about him is true. I should know, since I was one of his students."
She paused, savoring the rare look of genuine shock on her ever-composed maid.
Then, with a smirk, she added, "Edward is one of the few who still adheres to his principles and acts fairly in all things. Not to mention, he's a man of his word…"
"So instead, we should be the ones grateful that he even bothered to come at my request. Letting him spread his Domain is nothing compared to the training he's giving those clueless kids…"
"...I see. I'm sorry, Mistress. I spoke out of ignorance."
Sabrina bowed slightly, her remorse evident.
Cornelia let out an exasperated sigh. Anyone watching might assume she was some tyrant who punished subordinates for the slightest mistake.
But in truth, it was almost the opposite.
She saw this overly serious woman as something close to a little sister.
When will she ever loosen up? Cornelia wondered, resting her cheek on her palm.
Then a thought struck her.
'Maybe I should play matchmaker for her? A man might do the trick.'
Internally, she smirked.
Externally, she remained as composed as ever.
Shifting the conversation, she said, "Back to Ashen Hart… I don't think we need to recruit him; at least, not yet. He's already signed a contract with one of ours."
She turned her attention to a photograph on her desk—a pink-haired woman with confident, almost glowing blue eyes and a natural smile.
To the untrained eye, she exuded charm.
To Cornelia's trained eye, everything about that smile screamed fake.
But Cornelia didn't judge from a picture alone.
Her file spoke volumes.
"To have recruited over fifty trainees in less than a year…" Cornelia murmured, her slender fingers tracing over the name beneath the photo.
LUCIA EVERNIGHT.
A record-breaker, indeed.
"Mistress, that contract is temporary. Should we establish additional contact with him now?"
Cornelia shook her head.
"No. That might scare him off. Let this Lucia woman handle it. I want to see if she's the real deal or just another con artist."
Sabrina didn't seem convinced.
"And if she fails?"
Cornelia simply shrugged.
"Then we give up. Simple as that."
Sabrina blinked. "...Just like that?"
"He's not the only talented individual out there," Cornelia said matter-of-factly. "There have been stronger, and there will be stronger after him. And forcing people into the Atlas Citadel? That's not my style."
"If he doesn't want to come, then let him go. The Citadel is on the frontline, after all. Not everyone can handle it."
Sabrina remained silent at that.
Her Mistress had made her stance clear.
And as a maid, her duty was to obey.