Our first task as a unit (Day 3), Part 6

Senshinzako

While it was just Sowanarccistvir and me there, we spent some time training in combat, as well as practicing together to figure out each other's pacing and form better. When switching between his main styles there was an aggressive discrepancy in his rhythm, yet as I was familiar with both, the task was less a matter of understanding how to assist either and more to grow accustomed to shifting my stance swiftly. He in turn appeared to adapt easily to my ways as well, even if his styles weren't as flexible. I assumed he had experience fighting alongside those of similar skills to mine already, a comforting discovery. Like with sparring, his choices always seemed thoughtful when he held a blade. "He is patient and collected. Wasn't sure what to expect of knights but this one will be helpful." We wouldn't be positioned together the next day, yet it still gave me comfort that we were learning to fight together quickly. That period of training was mostly silent as well. 

When Fasnilthar arrived, things naturally got less quiet, but I figured at that point that she also could shut up at times, especially if given something to do. Hence part of the reason why we took up training as a group. Other than putting to test our defensive abilities, part of the goal was to attempt to cover for each other during her attacks. For the most part, those remained somewhat laid back, though it appeared that whenever either of us would relax too much Fasnilthar would respond more aggressively, a factor that made it so the training remained eventful for the minutes it had before the other three arrived. That said, as soon as we spotted Finarkzir landing in that yard, we agreed it would be best to get a break, so that Chiaisei and Nalfimiria could properly communicate everything they had found during scouting. 

They showed us the map with the encampment properly marked first. It wasn't that big, with only a small wooden wall between it and the forest and a few common huts in which the Daokinyev slept. Based on what Chiaisei's notes told us, the only ones who got a personal hut were the leader and the caster helping him. No traps meant for people were found around this base. Considering what we saw then of the state of that post, it wasn't hard to guess why. The creatures were clearly still busy trying to settle themselves there, and barely were getting enough wood to properly house each other and sleep safely. The movements Chiaisei spotted also indicated the establishment of that community was still in process, a factor that lined up well with our information regarding the timing of their arrival. Organizing their position took precedent, considering the nature of their mission. 

Of course, there were also some indications the group had been preparing itself for an attack, be it by magic kin or social kin. Other than makeshift spears, it seemed they had been creating small javelins, slings and gathering stones, likely for the intent of launching. Based on the equipment of the guards for this base, it looked like there was a rough division of a front line and back line unit among them as well, and that all of the Daokinyev there were preparing themselves for a fight. 

This was also the point where Nalfimiria pointed out a spot near the tent where the caster of the group resided. According to her, the caster likely would be residing there at the time of our challenge to this group, and the spot she marked was what she found to be the ideal place for me to pick off this mage before it could join the rest of their forces. While passing along a kind of poison - one she described as just potent enough to knock out that opponent without threatening any lasting effects - she turned to me as if to ask a question. 

—This shot. Can you do it? — After saying it, she pointed out both the spot where I would be hiding, the distance between me and the likely target, as well as having Chiaisei describe the treelines on that part of the forest and the height of the walls. 

—Easily. 

—And if the ones guarding her set out to chase you, can you get back to us? — She then pointed out the distance that would be between me and the main group. 

—Sure. Doubt they can keep up with my running, even with no magic usage. A handful of those hardly seem like an issue as well. Still, this begs a question. 

—And that is? — Nalfimiria looked at me directly while asking. I had managed it finely up to that point, though something about seeing her talking so seriously as of then made her seem more attractive. That ended up making her glance affect me more than I hoped it would. 

—If the target isn't in her tent, where to next? 

—See the clearing through which we will be approaching? This is the position Fasnilthar and Chiaisei will be hidden around. Head towards them, and find a tree that should lead to a stable highground. From there, wait until the caster appears within the frontlines to disable her. Just be sure not to lure any aggressors towards Chiaisei if you're spotted, regardless of the outcome. Revealing her might prolong this battle, if it even gets to develop into one. 

—Got it. 

—Also, if the initial plan goes on without issues, I suggest you try to lure away some of the mage's guards towards you. If you succeed in distracting them this should make finishing the fight faster for the others. 

—Sure thing. — After saying that, I started looking around that yard of the place we had been lended. It seemed the others noticed that gesture clearly enough. 

—Is something else worrying you? — Fasnilthar ended up asking before the others. 

—I want to practice this shot today, if possible. Think there is anywhere around us with sufficient distance? 

—If we warn the people living in the region, there shouldn't be an issue with using the road around the fields. Most of them already know why we are here, either way. Just give me a second so that I can prepare a target as well, okay? — Nalfimiria suggested, before heading to the cart. 

Taking that lead, Chiaisei offered herself to warn our current neighbors that I would be practicing archery in the area, and they seemed content with helping with this. Seeing as their homes were the closest to the field, which in turn led to the woods where our opponents resided, it looked like they were particularly hopeful in regards to our task tomorrow. If things got any worse, they would be the most likely to suffer, or at least they might have assumed as much. Hence, it also didn't surprise us too much that some of them had taken interest in the training we had been doing earlier, and that some were near to observe my training. Seeing this after placing down my target, Nalfimiria walked to my side, after I decided on the spot I would be shooting from. 

—Try to make your shots seem impressive to them. They likely didn't understand your defensive training that well earlier, seeing as how little each likely knows about magic, but archery is something far more tangible to them. This will likely help out in relieving them for tomorrow's task. — Hearing her say this made me feel more motivated. In parts due to the expectations placed on me, in parts because it strangely felt comforting to hear her of all people saying this kind of thing to me. I felt stupid when noticing this, but it looked like having her watch me closely made me want to work at my best. 

"How should I impress them, either way? Maybe splitting an arrow would work?" Thinking such, I decided it would have been best to use conjured arrows for my training, as wasting real ones like that always felt unnecessary to me. Mages generally didn't carry that many real ones to begin with, and they were usually specialized to deal with tougher targets. Skipping on the necessity of collecting them also made conjured arrows convenient over practice. With that in mind, I focused myself on the target Nalfimiria had prepared. I imagined what my target the following morning would look like, based on size mainly, and decided on the spot I would aim for. 

"One." As I started counting, I loosened my first arrow. It landed in the center of the target, where I imagined the caster's shoulders would be. As the arrow was a construct, that one in particular had some shine to it, to make it easier to spot the placement for my next shot. "Two." I loosened a different arrow, aimed at the exact same spot as the first one. As the shaft of the first clashed with this second one, it lost its shape, from the start to the head. Seeing as both constructs had been created by me, I felt both had striked on the exact same point. I counted to five, while hitting the exact same spot with each shot. Between the sixth and the tenth, I altered my aim, to try to fire at a different angle, and repeated this same pattern every five arrows, until I reached my twenty fifth bolt. It took me around 1 second to fire each arrow, though I was hardly shooting as quickly as I could manage. That would likely tire a normal human, but seeing as my archery is supported by a spirit veil, it hardly felt like my arms were putting any effort into that directly. 

—This should be enough. Thanks for the help. — The terrain in a forest likely wouldn't help too much, but at least I could say with confidence that my aim was sharp enough for the task. 

The town folk that were watching seemed amazed by the display. My coworkers, not so much. Not that I thought they looked disappointed, it's just that this level of accuracy is expected out of any mage making use of archery. The bow has some issues when contending against ranged magic. Being that the main advantage was that as a weapon, picking up skill with it required far less time than training magical forms for the same purpose, and that the bow could easily reach past long ranged magic in earlier levels of practice. That didn't necessarily help with the main issue of archery, though. 

Namely, the fact that arrows have a very poor match up against barriers, due to their reliance on pressure and being locked to kinetic energy as weaponry in early levels. It didn't take long before the reflexes of sorcerers could grow enough to dodge or block a single bolt as well, making barrage firing a necessity. It still couldn't output missiles at the same speed as something like Thalgignir or some specialized forms of earth or water casting, though, since the amount of shots per second would be limited by restricting them to a single vehicle. As a result, both in cases where surprise shots were needed or in situations where we needed to provide a barrage, precise and swift aiming were essential. 

That, and the cognitive enhancements within our minds made it much easier for us to learn to be accurate. Measuring things like the effects of the wind, distance, the speed of an arrow or differences in height between the archer and target were far simpler for a mind trained in magic, seeing as those calculations are relatively simple compared to some of the ones involved with projectile-like spells, like for example Fasnilthar's usage of electromagnetism. Not to mention, memorizing the limits of a bow was far easier when you could make usage of those. As a result, compared to the crowd, the others were far more critical in regards to my shooting. I expected that to apply to Fasnilthar especially well, seeing as she was the long ranged expert among us, but surprisingly, Sowanarccistvir looked the most surprised when seeing the way I aimed. I wasn't confident I could say what issue he found with it, though I suspected it had to do with the speed at which I fired, not accuracy itself. 

—Were there any problems? — I asked him, curious as to what feedback he might offer. To that point, his advice always appeared objective and on point to me, hence why I was curious about the cause for that reaction. 

—It's nothing really, just… I sometimes forget what normal archery looks like. 

—Come now, comparing the two of them is unfair. That girl has two levels on him, and the bow is her main arm, not a side one. The young fool has been dividing his time into more fields, or at least so in terms of combat practice. — Nalfimiria said, to my defense. I didn't get it well enough, but listening to that had been enough to satisfy my curiosity. It was hardly surprising that they might know someone better than me at that. 

—Excuse me, but who are you referring to exactly? 

—This knight's princess, you could say. I've heard from some contacts that her archery is prodigious, and I'm guessing she must enjoy entertaining her knight with demonstrations occasionally. — Nalfimiria answered Chiaisei's question, who apparently was far more curious about this topic than I was. 

—You mean the one who titled him, right? This reminds me, between you, Chiaisei and the real one, it's like Sowanar is a magnet for figurative princesses! — Fasnilthar joked back then, though ironically two of those were very literal. 

—Quiet now, Fasnilthar. The master is also a trained combatant as well? She must have a connection to the knight orders then, I presume. 

—Sort of. The people in her role aren't expected to fight, but knowing it is mandatory, from what I heard. 

—How intriguing. She must be quite a distinguished person, then. I can't help but feel curious in regards to her. 

—Who knows, it might be mutual. The two of you likely would get along well. — Chiaisei and Nalfimiria had a brief back and forth concerning the topic, started by the human girl. It seemed that this type of topic made Chiaisei more active during talks. 

—Lord Nalfimiria might be right, but proceeding with this talk might be too tangential at this point. Before anything else, are any of you still interested in training for the day? 

—Maybe a bit of physical. Other than the walk, I haven't really given my body that much attention today. — I said. We didn't really have the materials to do anything involving weights, but so long as there was anything to support a bar with, I could simply conjure a staff and use it for pull ups. Push ups, sit ups and squats only really needed the ground, and getting a few sessions in was always helpful. Besides, in the need of weights, my learned kinds of conjurations covered for me most of the time. I preferred to avoid relying on that, though, as constructs shaped by a mage are easier to move by their originator than their mass might suggest. 

—Actually, I could say the same myself. Though I'm guessing none of the girls need too much of a workout by this point? Unless you would join us, my lord? 

—There's no need. My muscles don't need daily uptake to keep their shape. 

—Three or four days a week is enough for my targeted shape. Chiaisei has the same routine as well, right? 

—Indeed. Perhaps now would be a good point for a shower for us, then? This stay's bathroom couldn't hold all of us even if it were not for the currently agreed upon turns. 

—Alright! We'll take the first turn. By the time you're both tired, we'll probably be out. See you in a bit. — Fasnilthar said. Personally, I wasn't planning on stopping as soon as they returned, but seeing as her part in this training mostly consisted of launching spells in our direction, I doubted she would have any need to get cleaner after that. For my part, I preferred to bathe near my time for sleep so that I could always return to training before that point, since I preferred to have at most two baths over the course of a day. 

While the two of them prepared their things and headed to the shower, Sowanar and I did a few rounds of exercises, mainly the ones I have previously described. Nalfimiria sat nearby, as by her own words, she wasn't welcomed on the girl's collective bathing. Instead, she focused on doing a round of guidance during that period, hence she took out a Guiding Eye and a book at that point. I had no idea she was carrying either on her, though I imagined that must have meant the bag she carried nearby must have lodged both. Some time passed, and soon Sowanar and I were already on our first break. It seemed the shower was already underway for some time, yet it also appeared so far that neither of our human women were too hasty during those, spending most of their time chatting during the process. 

—Say, Sowanar. Which of those two strike your preferences harder? — Seemingly not entertained enough by the book and the act of guidance, Nalfimiria tossed out that question at random. 

—It's hard to say. Personally, I've never been one to elaborate too much on exact preferences and such. 

—Is that so… I imagine you're more fond of women so far, at least. Still, elaborate for us in more detail, sir knight. 

—How do I put this… When it comes to the beauty of an individual, I believe it best not to judge them by predetermined standards, and more simply appreciate that which they excel at. I find such an angle more fulfilling in matters regarding partners, as a means of enjoying each to the fullest. 

—Really now. Well, you have a point, even if that answer is about as boring as I could hope for. I figured your preferences were likely made up by your princess, by now. She seems like the kind who enjoys taking up other people's headspace — Hearing Nalfimiria, for a second it looked like Sowanarccistvir was focused on my reaction to her sentence at some point. 

—Do you need to call her that…? 

—If you act like that, you'll be the one giving it away. Besides, look at Senshin right now. Does he seem to care about this talk in your eyes? — Sowanar once again checked for my reaction. Seeing as I was trying to ignore them, he appeared to agree to Nalfimiria. Unfortunately, she kept her tone high enough to where it was difficult to do so, especially since her proximity to us made her presence more striking to me. 

—You may have a point, but the others could hear you. 

—Oh, come now. Fasnilthar likely will brush the topic aside, even if it becomes public knowledge, mister Sun Knight. And Chiaisei is way smarter than you. She's already giving attention to this matter, and I doubt it will take two weeks before she has figured it out. Not to mention, knowing what I do about your boss, she likely placed hints for the young girl along the way on purpose. You've known her for almost a decade now, haven't you? I'm sure you know by now she doesn't want to stay hidden for long. 

—Yes, but I absolutely shouldn't be the one to reveal her in this instance. What if Finarkzir were to hear us? Her companion likely would love the idea of asking the eagle to hear in on us for her. 

—And you think she would comply? Everytime Chiaisei tries to engage in some sort of deception among us and Finarkzir is nearby, I can practically hear her sighing in frustration. Finarkzir wouldn't try to spy on us, even if Chiaisei asked for it, and knowing for how long they know each other, I doubt Chiaisei would even go through the motions of suggesting it. Besides, their sound casting is far from subtle, at this point. I could pick it up pretty easily. — She took a pause to have a drink from a canteen near her. 

—Not to mention, little Almenar said nothing about me keeping your secrets, right? As a sacrifice, I would have respected her wishes if she asked such of me. But the fact that she didn't suggests she might be hearing in on us right now while carrying a practiced grin on her face, brimming with enjoyment for each and every second of your reaction when I just called her by name. — Sowanar had indeed shown a great deal of expressions the moment the name "Almenar'' had been brought up. I had never seen him react to anything like that up to this point. 

"Though… A sacrifice? Mother has used this term similarly before, hasn't she? Nalfimiria did mention she was connected to the order, so that might be it." Seeing as the term had also been used by different sisters and brothers before, I imagined I likely didn't have the context behind it by that point. "Though Almenar… Why does that name seem so strangely familiar? I hadn't heard many of their local names before this point, yet I am quite confident I've heard that one before." As much as that impression bothered me, I decided to turn my focus away from the subject.

—But hey, you've been avoiding the original question. Little Almenar is really domineering from what I heard. Seeing as you've been her preferred bedroom toy for some time, I figured it wouldn't be that strange for her to awaken some kind of kink in you. Come on, spill it. I'll have to entertain our lovely freak in the coming days as well, you know? 

—There is much about that sentence I would like to contest, especially your categorization of my lady as a freak, but personally, I would say my greatest biases towards her comes from her person. Her attentiveness, her kindness, her dedication, her care. If anything about her marked me, it is how I find a person's qualities additives to my view of them. 

—Got it. You're into being given orders while fucking, aren't you? That's some bottom champion material there. And knowing that girl, she has likely taken a liking to teasing to the extremes by this point. "Since he won't do anything until ordered, let's test how effective I can be at trying his limits." It's no wonder you show so much control with these matters. That girl would have driven you crazy by now if it weren't for your trained discipline. 

—...I have no idea how you arrived at either of those conclusions by my statements. 

—Come now, she isn't the only one that was expecting to meet me. And seeing as her biggest source of information on me is one of us, the spying between us is effectively mutual. This has only been a matter of interpreting through your words factors I already knew about that girl. Either way, we've gone a little off topic from my original idea as well. — She said, before turning towards me. 

—Hey, Senshin. Which of those strike your type the hardest? — Hearing her, it took me some seconds to decide whether or not it was worth answering the question. Ultimately, I figured Nalfimiria would potentially not stop there if I tried simply brushing this topic aside. 

—What are you on about? I don't think about this enough to determine a specific preference or anything. — I tried ending the conversation there, reaching to return to my training. Something about discussing that with her in particular made it especially hard. 

—Not even personality wise? I got the impression you have a hard time keeping up with Fasy at the moment, at least. I'm sure you'll learn to enjoy her presence eventually though. 

—Again, I don't think about these things a lot. I'm not even sure what a "type" is, exactly. — I could only guess the context based on what those two had been discussing earlier on. 

—Really? What about me, then? Is it my body that got you interested or was it my face? Or maybe it was the combination of both? There are a ton of tells there, regardless. Unless my theory about the robes was even more accurate than I initially figured. This isn't the first time you've started liking a sister, is it? — At first, I didn't think it was a big deal that she was bringing this up, yet as she continued to talk, I felt an increasing sense of discomfort at her words. 

I personally never spent too much time focusing on feelings like this, even when others brought it up, though strangely the way she did it made it hard to move on from her at that point. Her words seemed so natural, yet I was growing so nervous and frustrated with hearing her declare it so casually. I didn't disagree with her per say, however, my hope was that those annoying feelings would shut up as quickly as possible. And yet, looking at her saying this, not only did I feel slightly flustered, something that rarely ever affects me at all, but I also had a feeling this problem would be far harder to bury. "If she knows, I wish she would just help me get over it and stay away." 

—What are you on about?! Whatever it is, quit it. — When answering her, I noticed I sounded far more agitated than I normally did. 

—Liking is the term humans usually use, right? Or are you secretly a romantic? I really doubt that, but still- — She continued talking as casually as she started, before Sowanarccistvir grabbed her arm softly in an attempt to interrupt her. 

—My lord, aren't you being a little too hard on him? I doubt many people would enjoy having their feelings pointed out so indifferently. Especially since it's you. — He spoke quietly, and despite doing so in my defense, I still felt a little annoyed that he framed it as such a given fact. 

—Oh, come on, if his family is part of the liberties, he should be able to stand this kind of teasing. Besides, I'm giving him a chance to experiment.

—Experiment? With what, exactly? — Sowanar sounded conflicted by this point, and I felt little to no need to step into that talk again. 

—I'm really into older women, especially those who are really aggressive. Since he is currently lining up with one of my main kinks, I figured it might be good to let him experience the second point of this as soon as possible. See, this is just my way of sympathizing. — To my annoyance, I felt a little bitter at the fact her "type" had so little in common with me. But most importantly, a question passed through my mind. 

"What is she on about?!" 

—What a sudden confession. Why are you telling us that? — Sowanar, it seemed, was going through the same doubts that I was. 

—I posed the question, better be able to answer it, right? I may not look like it, but I'm a bit of a masochist. My exact tastes are on the nicher side, though. It's less about the scenery and actual pain but if the partner is someone who makes me want to be obedient. The things with playful pain or getting tied can be fun, but that isn't the goal either. They don't have to be sadists either. Just someone whose whole personality screams "I should listen to her", right? — She spoke like someone who had already tried all of those things. As she said so, I heard movement within the room in front of us. It seemed like the two other girls were leaving their shower, already clothed yet still drying her hair with a towel. 

—Ideally, it would be a woman who just sort of comes to this kind of role naturally. Like, she would always be confident around others, regardless of the situation. And instead of going out of her way to take the lead in any given situation, it should just naturally feel like they're the one who should be taking the lead, and any attempts to pull them off in front of her would just be foolish. Like the natural way of things is for her to command. 

—Oh! Speaking off, she must adore the word "fool" as well. As if to make it as explicit as possible, your every effort would never eliminate the gap between you, preferably by pointing out your every weakness without any hesitation. Not out of any malice, either. To her you are a pupil, and unfiltered criticism is the best method of teaching! Preferably, my type should also be at least ten times my age. Something about the attitude of ageless women makes them so appealing. — As she finished her explanation, Chiaisei and Fasnilthar were walking into the yard. She had noticed this, but didn't interrupt herself over their arrival. 

—How did her fetishes become the topic again? — Fasnilthar said, after observing the conversation for a second. The question felt extremely genuine, based on her posture. 

—And ten times your age? If we follow the math literally, that would restrict them to mythical beings, and hopefully ones capable of taking social shapes. What a restrictive type, let alone your other requirements. It must be a difficult goal to pursue. — Chiaisei's analisis also came as surprising, with how quickly an objective answer came to her, despite the peculiar information Nalfimiria had fed us. 

—Finding them throughout the sisterhood isn't that difficult. The Watchers spend most of their time in the same posts, and I've developed a great deal of tactics to attract their attention by now. — Definitely wasn't expecting Watchers to be brought up in this context. I wasn't sure if all the others were familiar with the concept either, but none seemed to voice doubts concerning its meaning, at least. 

—I somewhat doubt that tactic is reliable, but hey, good luck. I wouldn't bet on the ageless being very susceptible to seduction, so it can't be that simple. — Fasnilthar said, after sitting down. She and Nalfimiria were the main speakers for the following few lines as well. 

—If it were simple, it wouldn't be as much fun. Since the default for them is disinterest, that means being passive has no effect either, so there is little to do without putting in effort. I heard you like a similar type of older as well. Don't you want to pick up some tech for that matter as well? 

—Sort of…? My type of older tends not to be as disinterested, and it's not like I had many experiments with it. Not sure if I would say it's just about age either. 

—I see. So the requirements aren't age, they just become more likely with it. In some ways, we remain like minded, yet the distinction could surely be of interest to some. I suppose this isn't about matters of attraction, but affection mostly? 

—Probably, yeah. Not sure if I even know many trends before the former, either, just that it reacts whenever affection takes effect. I think that's pretty normal, isn't it? 

—For humans, it seems so, yes. Your minds appear to have some difficulty separating the feelings in question for sexual matters, yet that particular trend appears to be far more common among socials. If anything, the ease with which we can categorize these things is likely the actual outlier. But since you've already answered this much, care to tell us more of your tastes, little starry? You girls haven't heard it, though it's practically impossible for your reply to be any more boring than our shining knight's, and you're the last one here who has much to speak off. 

—… So that's how the topic began. I don't think there is anything that tops that admission for me to say, though. For the deeper stuff, it's only been with girls so far, but in terms of attraction I don't differentiate a whole lot. If anything, a "physical type" probably doesn't exist in my mind either. Elf or dwarf, giant or smallfolk. If someone puts me in a mood and is up to it as well, I'll be bent over naked in less than a minute. If anything odd immediately comes to mind, it's the fact that both turning me on or off is extremely easy. Just whisper the right words and touch the right places and I'll be ready, but if the preparation takes 30 seconds longer than I'm used to I'll lose interest. Not that getting it back is particularly difficult. As for the act itself, there isn't much to say either. — Fasnilthar explained, seemingly thoughtful. She was probably judging the topic based on her past experiences. 

—For the act itself… For girls, I don't have any strong preference on being active or passive. If I'm asked to stick to just one, it probably would be active, but I would complain about it. I prefer poses that allow for mutual contact. I don't mind oral, in either direction, though I don't particularly yearn for it either. And since that topic is kind of on the border already, I'm into anal, be it in small scale or anything below and orcish cock. Biggest I've ever tried was a dwarf. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't like getting a little hurt, though. As I'm already on topic, for guys, I would say the only real need is that they know how to move at a faster pace. The difference in movement is the main point in which I distinguish these options. So long as the guy can cover both of those requirements, I prefer to be the bottom, but I'll put my hips to work if required or requested. A bit contradictory considering I just said I prefer it rough, though moving at my preferred pace is a lot of work. — I was unsure if this amount of detail was above the norm or not, but the others didn't appear to mind. She certainly spoke a lot more than the other two, at least. 

"I do recall similar conversations at times happening at the temples, but usually with fewer details. Was this even what Nalfimiria had been questioning myself and Sowanar about?" Whatever the definition of the question about "types" were, Fasnilthar clearly had already gone beyond it. 

—So Missy Fasny is already growing lazy. Let me guess, are your favorite positions also based on convenience? 

—You guessed it, sister. I typically pick the one that requires the least effort per the environment. Tell me a better metric, oh ancient of mine. — The tone of Fasnilthar's voice seemed slightly altered in parts of that sentence, but I failed to understand her motivation. 

—Perhaps few would match it for reliability. Going on for hours straight does require some mindfulness. But to think you would already start growing lazy at 19. What a fast aging soul! 

—Ha, ha, ha. Shut your trap, please. For group stuff, I never been to a full blown orgy hall, so nothing beyond the scale of the tens. I think the largest I've been in only had 14 people in it. I don't like the idea of trying a larger one by myself, and I haven't found the fitting company for them yet. Sex without empathy feels far more dull to me, and I'm not so caring as to develop it for people I just met. 

—That's hardly surprising. Excessive empathy frequently turns into a negative, and it has a particularly bad pairing with a warrior's lifestyle. As for the company, I think there just might be someone perfect for that nearby. — Strangely, Nalfimiria could at times be so blatant even I understood things she tried suggesting. 

—… You're way too experienced at this for me to try to play tag team with you. Too attractive as well. I would probably end up losing track of how many people we fucked over the night. — After stating as much, Fasnilthar briefly glanced around the circle. 

—Just to check, was the direct information between the things you two discussed before I got here? 

—Nope. They barely said anything other than about appearance and character. Sowanar also gave about the most evasive answer possible when talking about looks. The spiel I offered has some kinky implications but it was mostly in reaction to the talk of character. Not that there is much for me to say about the creamy parts. Once you experiment enough, the concept of preferences slowly starts melting away. — Hearing the sister, for a moment it seemed like Fasnilthar was distracted by her own thoughts. 

—Ah, whatever. Rookies, since this part of life is also included in our seniority, keep these questions in mind when you're experimenting things yourselves. Just keep it in mind they tend to vary a lot, okay? — Hearing her made me unsure of how to think about being addressed for this matter. 

—I will! I might keep some of that advice as reference, though. — Chiaisei spoke, seeming slightly enthusiastic. 

"She did seem to be focused over that conversation. I suppose the experiences being told did come from other women. They're likely closer to her own reality than mine." I thought while pondering over my colleague's reaction. Frankly, however the topic might have ended up developing, simply having the questions stop heading my way was enough to make it somewhat relieving. 

As the evening progressed, the conversation kept going, having developed into different topics shortly after this point. There were brief interruptions as well, mainly dinner and bathing, for myself and the two who had yet to do it as well. For most of it, I observed them from the sidelines while often training. Yet, if there was any particular point that called my attention again was once our pair of musicians took up singing and playing again. In parts because the music helped me relax during meditation, in parts because they mostly sang songs from my region, meaning I was familiar with their style and somewhat used to listening to songs like those in the temple in which I trained. But a part of it simply came as a result of the fact that I liked hearing Nalfimiria's singing voice, despite still being bothered while around her, as a result of that earlier talk. Either way, this is where I'll end this section of mine. Until the next one.