The morning sun beat down on the training grounds of Greenhaven. Kane stood bare-chested in the center of the yard, hoisting a large, trimmed tree trunk over his broad shoulders.

He used the wood for squats while watching his mixed squads of barbarians and village guards practice their spear thrusts.

They were tired and sweating, but they were actually listening to his commands.

"You call that a fucking thrust?" Kane barked, his voice booming across the yard like thunder.

"Last night was pure luck, you sorry bastards! The monsters were slow, and the traps did most of the work. If I wasn’t there to save your worthless asses, you’d all be worm shit right now!"

A few of the younger guards slowed down to catch their breath. Kane dropped the log onto the ground with a loud thud and pointed a finger at them.

"Don’t you dare stop moving! You train until your fucking bones snap! When bigger monsters than those worms come crawling out of the dark, they won’t give you time to catch your breath. Pick up your weapons and do it again, or I’ll beat the weakness out of you myself!"

The men grunted and immediately resumed their drills. Brak shouted encouragement from the front line, pushing his fellow barbarians to swing their iron axes faster.

They were finally acting like a cohesive unit instead of a disorganized mob.

Kane grabbed a linen towel from a nearby fence and wiped the sweat from his neck. He turned around and found Greta watching him from the shade of a wooden porch.

She wore a tight green dress that showed off her generous curves, and her red hair was tied back in a loose braid. She handed him a clay cup of cold water as he walked over.

"You’re a real hardass, aren’t you?" Greta said with a sly smile on her lips.

"My people just helped you kill a monster, and here you are working them like dogs in heat."

Kane took the cup and downed the water in one go, water spilling down his chin onto his chest.

"I’m keeping them alive, Greta," he growled, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Complacency gets cunts killed in this world. We need to talk about extending our deal. My men need a permanent base here, not some temporary shit."

"I’m open to it," she said softly, her voice carrying a teasing edge.

"You proved your worth last night. I want your savages to stay for at least another month. We can talk about giving you a bigger cut of the trade taxes... and better housing for your men."

Before Kane could negotiate his terms, the loud creak of wooden wagon wheels interrupted their conversation.

The main gates of Greenhaven opened wide to admit a traveling merchant caravan. Dust kicked up from the road as three large wagons pulled into the village square.

The lead merchant sat comfortably on the first wagon. He looked like a half-noble man wearing flashy silk clothes and an arrogant sneer.

Several hired guards walked alongside the carts, gripping cheap steel swords. The merchant looked around the village square and scoffed when he saw the barbarians laughing and drinking water right next to the local guards.

"Look at this place," the merchant complained loudly to his lead guard.

"They let the hired muscle run wild. Keep an eye on those savage slaves before they try to steal our goods."

Kane ignored the insult; his attention was completely caught by the cage sitting in the back of the second wagon.

Inside sat a young woman with long violet-silver hair that shimmered strangely under the sunlight; her skin was unnaturally pale, almost porcelain-like.

But what truly caught Kane’s attention were her eyes, which seemed devoid of emotion.

And then there were her breasts.

’Holy fuck... those tits are ridiculous,’ Kane thought, his cock twitching hard. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

’Way too big for her slender frame. Heavy, round, and perfectly shaped. I want to bury my face in them right now.’

Even in her broken, emotionless state, her body was pure temptation.

’What’s someone with that design doing in a random trade caravan,’ Kane thought to himself, stepping away from the porch.

His high perception stat picked up something else entirely.

Beneath the noise of the clanking armor and the shouting men, he could hear a rhythmic sound coming from the cage.

Thump... Thump...

It was her heartbeat. It sounded steady, strong, and fundamentally different from a normal human pulse.

His Harem Conqueror subclass reacted instantly. A sudden pull tugged at his chest, drawing him toward her like a magnet. There was a hidden strength buried beneath that blank stare, a perfect calmness that intrigued him more than any treasure chest.

Kane set his water cup down on the porch railing. He stood up mid-conversation and walked straight past Greta without saying another word.

As the wagon got closer, Kane’s eyes were glued to her chest. Her massive breasts strained violently against the gray dress, the fabric stretched so tight he could see the outline of her nipples.

Every bump of the wagon made those huge, soft-looking orbs jiggle heavily.

"Ah, the barbarian chief," the merchant sneered, looking down from his wagon.

"Looking to buy some warm meat for your dogs? This one’s expensive, but she’s very obedient. Doesn’t talk back, doesn’t cry. Perfect for a savage like you."

Kane ignored the man’s marketing speech. He was in front of the iron bars and rested his hands on the metal, looking directly at the pale girl sitting on the floor.

"What’s your name?" Kane asked, his deep voice unexpectedly gentle.

The girl did not react right away.

She slowly raised her head, and her eyes met his gaze for the very first time.

"Grieselda," she answered, her voice was soft and carried an almost hypnotic monotone quality.

’Grieselda,’ Kane repeated in his mind.

’She does not act like a broken slave. She acts like someone who is just waiting for the right moment to wake up.’

The merchant grew visibly irritated by the blatant disrespect. He climbed down from his wagon and marched over to the cage, pointing a scrawny finger at Kane’s chest.

"Hey, you filthy barbarian! Don’t touch my merchandise unless you have coin. Step away before my guards teach you some manners."

The atmosphere in the village square changed in a fraction of a second.

Brak dropped his training shield and stepped forward, leveling his iron spear directly at the merchant’s throat.

Two village guards immediately stepped up beside Brak, drawing their steel swords. Across the yard, forty barbarians stopped their drills and turned their intense, unified focus onto the caravan.

The local villagers picked up their pitchforks and hammers, forming a protective circle around their new warlord.

Nobody shouted or made a wild threat.

The silence was far more terrifying.

They were ready to bleed for Kane, and they showed their growing loyalty without a moment of hesitation. The merchant’s hired guards took a nervous step backward, realizing they were horribly outnumbered by killers.

Kane didn’t even look at the trembling merchant or the drawn weapons.

He kept his eyes locked firmly on Grieselda, analyzing the hidden potential resting just behind her blank stare.

[Rare Harem Candidate Detected]

After what felt like hours, he finally spoke, his deep voice calm but commanding.

"I would like to buy her."