Thora’s fingers paused for a heartbeat, then resumed their slow path through his hair.
"You always say that like it’s simple."
"It isn’t simple. It’s just non-negotiable."
Misha shifted closer, pressing another soft kiss against the center of his chest.
"The ranking starts tomorrow," she murmured.
"Those women will fight harder once they know the top three get a night with you. Some of them will hate you for it. Some of them will want you more because of it."
Kane’s arm tightened around her.
"Let them. As long as they can hold a line when the sky breaks, I don’t care what they feel about me."
Thora’s voice came quieter, almost thoughtful.
"And if the ranking shows the best three are already yours?"
Kane turned his head just enough to press a brief kiss to her temple.
"Then the night still happens. And the ones who ranked high enough get to learn exactly why the rest of you stay."
He pulled both women closer, felt the solid heat of Thora on one side and the quieter warmth of Misha on the other, and finally let his own eyes close.
[Harem Status Update]
[New Emotional Bond Strengthened]
[Thora – Rank: Origin / Core]
[Misha – Rank: Political Claim / Core]
[Current Bound Women: Thora, Misha, Sira, Emilia, Seraphine, Kessa]
[Passive Active: Shared Bed – Host recovery rate +20% when sleeping between two or more bound women]
The night passed.
Kane woke to the weight of two bodies against him.
Thora’s arm was thrown across his chest, heavy and possessive even in sleep.
Misha lay curled against his other side, golden hair spilled over his shoulder, one hand resting low on his stomach.
The study still smelled of last night. Firelight had long since died. Only the pale grey of early dawn filtered through the high window.
He stayed still for a moment, feeling the solid heat of both of them. Then he carefully extracted himself. Thora stirred, dark eyes opening just enough to track him. Misha made a soft sound of protest but did not fully wake.
"Training starts early," Kane said quietly.
Thora’s mouth curved.
"Go. I’ll bring her when she’s ready."
He dressed, took Mjolnir from where it leaned against the wall, and left them in the tangled sheets.
The training yard was already alive.
[Milfheim Temporary Alliance Established]
[Duration: 7 Days Remaining]
[New Passive Unlocked: Empress’s Temporary Favor]
[Effect: +15% Authority when issuing commands to female warriors of Milfheim]
[Quest Update]
[Ranking the Warriors of Milfheim]
[Progress: Day 1 of 3]
[Current Top Contenders: Jenna, Vessa, Rina]
[Reward for Completion: Top 3 warriors may request a private night with the Host]
[Bonus Condition: If a previously claimed woman ranks in the top 3, Host gains permanent loyalty boost]
Kessa stood at the edge of the packed dirt with a wooden board and a stick of charcoal.
Tiger stripes ran bold across her bare shoulders and down the sides of her breasts where the short training leather left them exposed.
She did not look up when Kane approached. Her attention stayed on the women moving through the first drills of the morning.
"You’re late," she said without turning.
"I was busy."
Kessa’s sharp canines flashed in something that might have been a smile.
"I noticed. Half the yard can still smell it on you."
She finally glanced at him, then jerked her chin toward the ranks.
"Watch the blonde. Jenna. She’s been first or second in every set since the sun came up. She wants the ranking more than she wants to breathe."
Kane followed her gaze.
Jenna moved through the high-low pairs with clean, aggressive form. Sweat already darkened the leather across her chest.
Every time she took a woman down, she held the pin a second longer than necessary, blue eyes cutting toward the platform where Kane now stood.
The message was obvious.
Seraphine trained three ranks over.
The Milfheim warrior kept her own pace, efficient, controlled, never wasting motion. Her silver hair was bound high. She did not look at Jenna. She watched the newer women instead, tracking how their eyes kept flicking toward Kane even while they fought.
When one of the younger warriors stumbled because she was staring too long, Seraphine’s voice cut across the gap, quiet but sharp enough to carry.
"Eyes on your opponent. The warlord’s not going to fuck you if you fall on your face."
The younger woman flushed and reset.
Kane stepped onto the platform.
"Kessa. Current order."
The beastwoman held up the board.
"Jenna. Then a southern captain named Vessa. Then one of the keep’s own, Rina. After that it gets messy. Seraphine is sitting sixth on purpose. She’s holding back."
Kane’s gaze found Seraphine again.
She met it once, calm, then returned to correcting a woman’s footwork.
"Keep ranking," he told Kessa.
"No mercy. If they want the night, they earn it in the dirt."
Kessa’s grin widened.
"Already planned on it."
The morning drills stretched. Kane moved among the pairs, correcting without softness.
When Jenna’s group rotated to him, he stepped into the open space himself.
"High line," he told her.
Jenna’s blue eyes narrowed, but she took the position. Kane came in low and fast.
She adjusted, met him cleanly, and for three full exchanges she held her own.
On the fourth, he changed the angle, caught her wrist, and put her on her back hard enough that the air left her lungs.
He pinned her with a knee between her thighs and one hand at her throat, controlled, not crushing.
"Better," he said. "Still not enough."
Jenna’s chest rose and fell against the leather. She did not look away.
"I’ll be first by sundown."
Kane released her and stood.
"Then keep moving."
He spent the next hour the same way, testing the top names, forcing them to adapt, never letting any of them settle.
Seraphine remained a quiet constant on the edge of the formation.
Every time a woman let her attention drift toward Kane’s body or the heavy outline still visible in his trousers, Seraphine’s voice or a sharp correction pulled them back.
She never approached him. She made sure the ranking stayed honest.
By the time the sun stood high, Kessa’s board had solidified.
"Jenna. Vessa. Rina," she reported.
"Those three are clear. Everyone else is fighting for fourth."
Kane nodded once.
"Post it. Let them see the order."
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