"How dare you insult us like that earlier, you dirty blooded slave borns?"
One boy snapped angrily while glaring toward the sisters.
"My friend who managed to sense Aether today, now thinks I’m worse than some slave trash because I still couldn’t do it, while you could.
And it’s all your fault!"
He complained bitterly while tightening his grip around the stick in his hand.
Then finally, Lydia herself slowly stepped forward from behind the group.
Unlike the others, she wore noticeably cleaner clothes and carried herself with the confidence of somebody who had grown up comfortably within one of the better households inside Ashfang Village.
"Just because my father acknowledged you two as his daughters doesn’t make you a member of the Ashfang Tribe."
Lydia spat coldly while glaring directly toward Mary.
"Your mother was a whore captured after our tribe destroyed your village.
She was brought back and kept in our household like a trophy.
You should’ve remained grateful for even being allowed to live under the same roof as us."
Her expression gradually twisted further while anger visibly built inside her eyes.
"And yet somehow today you dared to upstage me in front of everyone."
Mary immediately shook her head desperately.
"We didn’t do anything intentionally...."
She explained hurriedly while taking a small step backward.
"We were only following the instructor’s directions.
We never wanted to make the lady look bad."
She clarified, however, unlike her older sister, Stacy showed absolutely no intention of lowering her head submissively.
"It’s not our fault you couldn’t sense Aether."
She snapped back, as Mary’s expression instantly turned aghast.
"If you have a problem with our progress, then complain to the instructor instead.
We never even wanted to attend the stupid training in the first place.
It’s your father who forced us into it."
She argued, as the moment those words left her mouth, Lydia’s entire expression darkened completely.
"You dare talk back to me? Your mistress?"
She asked slowly while staring toward Stacy with growing fury, as after a moment, she pointed directly toward the sisters with a cold expression in her eyes.
"This slave has spoken out of turn.
As her mistress, I’ve decided both of them need discipline.
Beat them and remind them of their place in this village."
She ordered, as in the very next instant, the boys behind her immediately surged forward together.
Meanwhile, standing several steps away from the confrontation, Riven felt a terrible feeling slowly develop inside his stomach while watching everything unfold before his eyes.
Because although a part of him desperately wanted to help the sisters somehow, another part understood the reality of the situation painfully clearly.
There were seven boys.
Most looked older than twelve.
Several already possessed far sturdier and healthier bodies compared to his own thin frame.
And Riven knew with certainty that he stood absolutely no chance against them in a direct fight.
Still, before he could properly decide what to do, the fight had already begun.
*BAM!*
The very first boy who rushed toward Stacy suddenly stumbled backward violently while clutching his face after Stacy drove an Aether reinforced punch directly into his jaw.
A horrible cracking sound echoed across the dirt road.
"My mouth!"
The boy screamed while blood immediately began pouring between his broken teeth.
For one brief moment, the entire group froze in shock.
Then immediately afterward, all restraint disappeared entirely.
"You bitch!"
The boys exploded into rage before rushing toward the sisters together.
And from that point onward, the beating became completely merciless.
Sticks.