A hand slams down on a wooden desk in anger. A loud crack reverberates across the small room and the table breaks apart.

“Goddamnit! This is the second desk today.” Ralc’s anger explodes again and he kicks at the debris, sending them to splinter across the wall.

Some of the pieces ricochet and fly at a woman in a red robe but she just lifts her palm in a nonchalant manner making a shimmering light blue barrier to appear and block them. Other pieces fly at Ralc but he ignores them and they just splinter across his naked upper body.

“Those damn brats better be worth what the priest say they are!”

“They will be. Eventually,” Gardami says with a sigh, “But until they can fend for themselves their protection falls on us. Now that we know they were spotted near the outer walls we need to act accordingly.”

“My men are already spread thin. Do you think replacing the royal guard didn’t leave holes in the patrols and watch? Only thing I can do right now is order the highest leveled individuals to start sleeping in the new recruits barracks and move the heroes in with them.”

“I see. The council requests you prioritize the inner walls even if it means leaving some of the outer ones completely unmanned.”

Ralc’s anger sparks off again and with no table to be found his fist connects with the wall with enough force to shake the whole room. Unlike the table however, being a part of the inner walls that surround the main palace building means that the wall was magically reinforced and it was Ralc’s skin that cracked causing his knuckles to start bleeding.

He considered calling in the designated watch healer but decided against it as the pain felt right and the sting would pass soon thanks to his skills and stats.

Using water barrels and wet cloth as poor replacement for a shower we scrub away the sweat and blood that accumulated from our first day of combat training. I tried to peek at my fairer companions but Tabika seemed on high alert and never took her eyes of me.

Before leaving the arena a cleric, a cute girl in an off-white dress named Raina, tells us to be careful with our weapons as the safety charms will start to degrade soon and that she’ll recast them tomorrow morning.

For dinner we were taken to a small dining hall, about ten minutes walk from the arena. Apparently the dark stone tower that loomed over the dining hall was a mage tower.

-One of four actually. They set themselves up quite nicely in terms of defence.-

As such the earthlings chosen to be mages were already busy eating by the time the six of us arrived.

After a few quick greetings we attacked the food on the table. Unfortunately, the kitchen underestimated how much people from earth can eat and before any of the adults were full the food ran out. Earthlings were apparently a couple of sizes bigger than the average person in this world.

-Even more so in mammary size…-

While we waited for more food to be cooked everyone was talking and sharing information. One of the new mages was also going around and taking notes of people's stats, garden and skills, as well as advice on how to get them. He was writing it all down on a scroll and the rest of the mages were surprised he managed to get his hands on it.

-Which is the craziest thing out of everything I heard today actually…-

Apparently the majority of this world's population is completely illiterate.

-And to make things worse… it’s by their own choice…-

This actually sparked quite a heated discussion amongst us. As apparently this also meant that not only were books rare but paper and writing tools were very expensive.

-He’s using a ballpoint pen but I wonder where he got the scroll from?-

My conclusion from the conversation was similar to the group's consensus. Since survival in this world depended on trees and skills, the majority of the population didn’t want the literacy skills to impede their growth. And out of those who did want to learn how to read and write only a few could afford the cost associated with that. And those who could needed to find a book to read first.

-Which means what it always means. The strong get stronger while the weak stay the same.- Only nobles had access to any form of education, with a tradition forming where the first child would focus his garden around household management to handle the family’s wealth, the second child would choose a combat class with a focus on leadership trees to protect the family’s wealth, while the third child would become a mage, making himself a valuable asset for the family.

-As apparently mages are somewhat rare. Although I wouldn't have thought that from looking at our group.-

Two of the earthlings chosen to be mages could already cast simple spells. Their impossible speed raised more than a few eyebrows amongst the mage leadership apparently. Enough to cause the archmage to teleport to the tower and witness it himself.

The archmage teleported away with both of the earthlings after learning that this achievement wasn’t due to any blessing or skills but simple knowledge of programming and applying it to spellcasting.

-Lucky schmucks… no chance they’ll be sent to the front now. They’ll be treated like royalty until they share everything they know about programming…-

Once the second round of dishes arrived and we ate our fill we were told to wait until someone comes for us.

With our stomachs full and our bodies tired, small groups formed as people mingled and conversed.

By keeping quiet and listening in to the conversations around me I learned that the seven chosen to be priests won’t be joining us during this month, that most mages are female, that healing magic isn’t able to remove any injury or scars we received before arriving in this world, that there are magical contraceptives and no known sexually transmitted diseases.

-Which isn’t much to go on considering they have no knowledge of microorganisms. However, magical contraceptives sound interesting.-

Also mentioned was the fact that while all natives in this world use the word ‘grow’ when getting a new tree, all the earthlings get the word ’unlocked’ in their notifications.

-We’re supposed to learn more about these things once our lessons with the priests start in a couple of days.-

As more and more time passed with no one coming for us I had no choice but to engage in conversation. And after ascertaining that Mary was more than willing to join me for the night I found Elsa and started to brainwash her to the best of my rhetorical ability.

Luckily I had almost two hours according to Elsa’s watch before Ralc came to take us to our sleeping arrangements.

A few of the mages chose to sleep at the tower, however such rooms were limited and only eight people decided to share the three small rooms that were offered.

The rest of us were led by Ralc towards one of the four main roads that cut through the walled inner city and made its way into the palace. A huge gate could be visible, blocking the main road, with buildings situated on both its sides serving as a wall.

Narrow alleyways ran through the buildings but less and less as we walked further away from the dining hall and the mage tower looming over it, and got closer to the gate. We passed pairs of patrolling soldiers, one in full plate armour while the other in a mail and a breast plate. Each pair greeted Ralc as we passed by them and when I asked he explained that this was the royal guard.

-Which is different from the soldiers we saw in the arena… the royal guards are supposedly much higher level.-

However, apparently most of the royal guards died on the day the king was killed so the new vacancies were filled with regular soldiers, most of whom were low level, and all knew Ralc, who turns out was in charge of the training of all recruits.

-The guy who couldn’t stop talking about battle hares said he was level 18. Ralc says the minimum for royal guards is 15, but now there are even a few who are only level 9. So the knights that guy mentioned are not part of the royal guards, are they?-

In the corridor of the second floor of one of the new recruits barracks, the nineteen of us divided ourselves amongst the many rooms. The corridor was long and on both sides of it were stairs leading down to the first floor where the newly recruited city guards slept.

-For extra protection I guess. But again… from who?-

Inga chose a larger room right next to the stairs and grabbed four of the younger brats with her. Three men chose the larger room on the other side of the corridor. Two teenagers claimed a large room in front of Inga’s. Mary joined two men in the last large room while I, Elsa and the four left chose a private room each.

There wasn’t much in my room except a bed, a table with a chair and a large wooden box placed on the floor under the window.

I put my leather bag into the box and locked it with a large key that was left on top of the table. After glancing at the view from the second-floor window I went to try and gain entrance to Elsa’s room with the pretense of checking out if all the rooms are the same.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to visit any of the other rooms as I and Elsa decided to test the bed and the box in her room. And while not very comfortable, they were very sturdy and more importantly not at all squeaky.

-Which is something I can’t say about the beds in Mary’s room…- I grin wildly as I increase my pace.

Our panting drowns out the sound of screeching and squeaking coming from Mary's room.

Elsa’s legs are bent over my shoulders and I lean in to grab her hair and pin it to the slim mattress. With my other hand I restrain her palms over her head.

I lean in further, causing her thighs to bend and her hip to rise. I start thrusting with more strength and a moan escapes Elsa’s lips.

Using the chance I release her hair and put my hand over her mouth, pretending to silence her when in fact I’m just aiming to obstruct her breathing.

After a few moments she tries to shake my hand away so I lean in even further. Now with her knees almost behind her head and her hip completely in the air, I lift a leg to transition into an awkward one leg piston position.This allows me to pound her hard and she protests that it hurts.

So that she can’t complain again I grab her throat and squeeze her carotid arteries with my fingers while applying just enough pressure to her adam’s apple to cause discomfort.

Soon she’s gasping for air and I release my hold and slow down my thrusts to let her breath. A moment later I take her breath away again, all the while thrusting fast and hard.

-Shit...- disappointed at her performance after all the big talk about experience I twist my hips to penetrate at a deeper angle.

I choke her for a few more repetitions after which I lift her torso up, and after making sure my foot is in the correct position, fall to my back with Elsa on top of me. There’s no need to say anything as she immediately puts her hands on my chest and starts moving her hips back and forth.

-She’s terrible…-

I pretend to enjoy her twitchy grinding motion by grabbing her thighs and behind tightly and making weak grunting noises from time to time.

-Might as well finish this fast…-

Mana Stimulation activates the moment I think of doing so. It happens so suddenly that more mana than I intended flows into the skill sending Elsa into orgasam. Her nails dig into my chest leaving a trail that will be red and swollen in the morning. Her whole body tremors slightly as a wave of pleasure passes through her. I deactivate my skill out of consideration and wait for a few seconds for her to recover.

Once she resumes her grinding I pull her down into a bear hug, bend my knees and begin to drill her as fast as I can. I reactivate the skill and feel Elsa begin to pant hard into my ear. I squeez her tighter, preventing her chest from expanding properly and causing her breathing to become effortful.

I feel my mana draining so I increase my tempo as far as I feel comfortable doing, cautious of the sound of flesh slapping flesh being heard in the room opposite Elsa’s where the brats are sleeping.

Noticing Elsa getting closer to another climax I deactivate the skill to preserve mana and continue the fast pace for a few minutes, letting Elsa’s stimulation and my mana pool to build up.

Trusting my intuition I activate Mana Stimulation again while at the same time lowering my pace slightly so that I’m able to put more force behind each thrust of my hips.

Closing my eyes for better focus I try to manipulate the mana coursing through my skin towards my loin. With some difficulty I manage to concentrate it around my lower abdomen and between my legs.

-Better than nothing…-

Squeezing Elsa until all the air is expelled from her lungs I wait a few seconds for her to start struggling against my hold. Her struggling causes her perineal muscles to contract and I feel myself ready to finish.

I will as much mana as I have left into the skill and feel Elsa’s muscle tense as she reaches her peak. Releasing my hold on her, she inhales loudly. Not waiting for her to recover I grab her ass and squeeze the cheeks inwards to increase the pressure and my pleasure until I too reach my peak and my body goes limp.

Sex branch unlocked.

Charisma +1

Endurance +1

Twosome twig unlocked.

Charisma +1

Mana Stimulation (Toggled) Leveled up (+1)

Cleaned up and cuddled in bed I use one hand to caress her back and behind while her head is on my chest, moving up and down to the rhythm of my breath.

"I know Sweden is the rape capital of the western world, but for condoms to be part of the police uniform... I don't know if to laugh or to cry."

"Asshole!" She slaps my chest, "Why make me regret sleeping with you already?!"

"Ouch... it's a joke. Where was this energy a moment ago?" I squeeze her butt, "I get carrying protection while in the field but why do you walk around with condoms?"

“I have my reasons…” she removes my hand away from her behind, “And Sweden is not the rape capital of the world.”

“Well… the numbers tell a different story.”

With the intimacy barrier broken we talk for hours about Earth's geopolitical and social issues. It becomes clear almost immediately that we have opposite opinions so I try my best to downplay my annoyance and sidestep topics I know I can’t spin myself to sound less antagonizing to her identity and beliefs.

Interspersed amongst the anecdotal examples she uses to make her points are a plethora of personal experiences. About her family, friends and cheating boyfriend mainly but mentions of her numerous exes and social circle are brought up as well.

By the time I’m tired of listening to her talk the wristwatch lying on her scattered clothes shows that it’s almost three in the morning.

“Goodnight, princess.” I give her a kiss and close my eyes.

Enjoying the feeling of her naked body and the comfortable weight of her head and arm, there’s only enough time for one thought before I succumb to sleep.

-How can someone so intelligent be so stupid?-