"I believe you all must have at least gained a basic understanding of your spirit abilities by now, and should have handpicked a specific martial art from the book given to you yesterday that fits that ability," Cyprus said. He quickly noted the sheepish expressions on the faces of Luna, Blake, and Aaron; it was evident they hadn't gone through the book or at least not thoroughly enough. He didn't truly mind, as he hadn't expected them to skim the entire book in a single night.
"Regardless of whether you did or not, two days a week, starting from this very day, will be dedicated to combat exercises." He turned his gaze toward the younger generation of servants in the distance being taught basic martial arts. "Do not expect it to be as lenient as it once was. You are spirit masters now, and nothing about being a spirit master requires leniency. Your duty to the clan requires none."
He calmly took in their expressions and was pleased to find no naivety regarding the weight and effort required to carry out the clan's duties. This would make what he was about to say more acceptable to them though, truthfully, whether they accepted it or not, they didn't have a choice.
"By this time tomorrow, you will all report to the administrative district, where you shall be given your uniforms and your hunter badges." Cyprus glared at the faces that seemed shocked and slightly reluctant by his last words.but his stare was enough to stop Aaron and Luna from uttering a single word.
"Each badge you are given will automatically specify which hunting party you shall join and their hunting schedule. There shall be no protest of any kind. This is the duty,your duty to the clan and I believe you all know the penalty for defiance," Cyprus continued. He was quite pleased with the calm expressions on the faces of both Leon and Corvus, which helped soften his glare.
Except Corvus was anything but calm within; in fact, he was utterly vexed.
'Why? I thought we were meant to be given a choice,' he thought. He knew that whether he protested or not, his reluctance mattered little to the clan; in fact, it might just get him severely punished anyway. He could only accept the fact that he was now practically a hunter for the clan.
This led him to think of different ways to gather enough money to at least buy some supplementary tonics to help sustain his grandmother during his inevitable absence, for he knew hunting trips were never completed in a single day.
Yet, while Corvus was resigned to his fate and already thinking of ways to gather money for his grandmother, Leon could not hold himself back.
"I thought we were meant to choose, sir," Leon asked respectfully, though he could do little to hide the anxiety seeping into his voice.
Cyprus's gaze fell on Leon, bringing a slight pressure with it. He scrutinized the boy calmly, easily seeing that it wasn't fear of the dangers of hunting that caused him to speak, but something else ,something Cyprus already knew from the reports delivered to him the day before. He knew both Corvus and Leon had every reason to protest.
And the fact that Corvus hadn't baffled him, though he attributed it to a fear of being punished. Regardless, the clan had never cared about the personal matters of spirit servants; their opinions or protests didn't matter, not even his.
"The rules have changed. Besides, there is a shortage of hunters for the clan, leaving that as the only duty that needs recruits," Cyprus responded in a matter-of-fact tone before turning his head toward three newcomers who had just arrived.
The newcomers were spirit servants themselves, though they were younger than the group Corvus was used to. Their age was slightly above his own, leading him to conclude they were from the generation before his. Unlike the usual servants, they wore uniform black robes cinched with blue belts.
They bowed low, their fists cupped in front of them in a formal salute.
"Chief, you sent for us?" said the young man in front, who had short, tied-up hair and slightly darker skin.
"Yes, I did, Jordan. Today your other duties are suspended because I am tasking you with the guidance of your juniors here. Since I have other important matters to attend to, you will do well to teach them their required martial arts alongside the new instructor who will be assigned," Cyprus said.
Jordan slightly raised his head to stare at the newly advanced spirit masters. He felt honoured to be granted such a role by the Chief Servant himself.
"My team and I will do our best, sir," he responded.
"Good," Cyprus nodded, his eyes indicating for Jordan to take the lead.
On cue, Jordan straightened his back and stepped forward with a smile, seeing this as a chance to showcase his charisma to the Chief Servant.
"My name is Jordan. I am a 14th-generation spirit servant who was fortunate enough to awaken a solid core, just like you. I'll gladly guide you all in your combat lessons. These are my colleagues: Theresa"he gestured to a young lady with a long ponytail and a plain but cute appearance"and Brandon," he finished, pointing to a chubby, bald young man.
Then he continued, "Please, if you all would be so kind as to share your names as well," Jordan said with a polite smile. This prompted Aaron, who already seemed to know Jordan, to be the first to bow and state his name in the same fashion.
"Senior, my name is Aaron, and I am a 15th-generation spirit servant of the clan. I am honoured to be under your guidance." This caused the other four, including Corvus, to do the same, which greatly pleased Jordan.
Cyprus nodded at the display before chiming in. "Being their first day, what do you think is best to broaden their horizons?" he asked with a half-smile.
"A demonstration, sir. I believe a spar could show them how spirit masters are truly meant to fight," Jordan replied with a smile of his own, feeling emboldened by the Chief's suggestion.