The Lord: Raising a Maiden in the World of Torment

Ashina's condition had improved from malnourished to borderline healthy, but the real change was in her status. Her "Unawakened" state had shifted to "Pending Awakening." This meant that with the help of the Awakening Crystal, Field could immediately gain a Chosen One!

"My lord, is something the matter?" Ashina asked nervously, fidgeting with her hands.

After ten days of steak dinners, Ashina's attitude toward Field had become increasingly positive. Before her capture, life had been nothing but hardship—surviving on wild herbs and scraps. Now, this strange noble had her eating lavish meals every day.

Maybe this is just how life goes for a wolf, she mused. Full of surprises.

"This?"

"It's an Awakening Crystal," Field replied, holding up the radiant orb. His tone carried a hint of pain. "It cost me sixty gold coins. Do you know what that means? I only have five hundred coins in total."

He sighed deeply. "Every year on Awakening Day, the Empire uses these to identify Chosen Ones. Just one of these crystals can test nearly a thousand people."

"Huh? You seriously think I'm a Chosen One?" Ashina's jaw dropped. "That's... surely you're joking, right?"

"Close your eyes and focus. I've received guidance from the gods—you don't need to worry," Field said, weaving a lie with practiced ease. He placed the crystal orb in front of Ashina.

Ashina didn't believe for a second that she could be a Chosen One, but she didn't want to disappoint Field. Over the past days, she had come to see him as a very different kind of noble—someone who treated her far better than she had ever expected.

The moment her hands touched the crystal orb, a cascade of blue starlight erupted from it, coalescing into the ethereal image of a graceful and icy goddess.

"The Winter Goddess, ruler of ice and snow!" the demi-human slaves exclaimed, instantly recognizing their deity. "By the heavens! Ashina is the Winter Goddess's Chosen One!"

"Thud, thud!"

One by one, the slaves fell to their knees, trembling with awe and reverence. They looked ready to offer up their very hearts in devotion.

Field, too, was seeing something like this for the first time. Sweat poured down his back as he struggled to contain his excitement. This was a genuine miracle.

The blue starlight condensed into intricate runes. Ashina instinctively reached out to touch them, and the light gradually faded, leaving the markings engraved on the back of her hand.

Simultaneously, her body underwent a transformation. She grew taller and more striking. Her long legs became flawlessly sculpted, and her skin turned impossibly fair, like freshly fallen snow. Her features sharpened, her crimson eyes radiating a frosty aura. Her beauty now possessed an undeniable allure—cold yet seductive, commanding yet magnetic.

Dominance. Disdain. Alluring charm.

It was a transformation so natural, so seamless, it felt almost divine.

"I actually became a Chosen One," Ashina murmured, stunned. Then she turned to Field, her voice filled with wonder and respect. "My lord, how did you make this happen?"

Ashina's small mouth hung open in a perfect circle, her expression one of pure disbelief. At that moment, her eyes brimmed with reverence for Field.

Becoming a Chosen One was an event without any predictable signs. Even the Empress of the Holy Gryphon Empire could not guarantee that her daughter would become one—it was entirely up to divine will.

The other slaves were equally stunned. How? They were all slaves, yet somehow, after just a few days under Field's care, Ashina had transformed into a Chosen One. They had assumed her special treatment was simply Field indulging in a plaything. No one had expected him to actually produce a Chosen One.

A Chosen One represented the will of the gods.

The slaves began to speculate. Could it be that Field himself was favored by the divine? Awe quickly replaced their doubt, and they gazed at Field with newfound admiration.

"Just a little effort," Field said, waving his hand nonchalantly, though he couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. Keeping his tone casual, he strode confidently toward the group and declared,

"Now, does anyone still doubt our journey to the Northern Frontier—or my plans for developing Nightfall Territory?"

The slaves exchanged glances, but no one dared to speak.

"Trust me," Field continued, his voice rising. "If you do your jobs and complete the tasks I assign you, I promise not only to grant you your freedom but also to provide you with lives free of want."

His proclamation echoed with authority and promise.

"Please, allow me to sign a contract with you," Ashina said suddenly, stepping forward.

Field raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"Before, you told me I could help develop Nightfall Territory as a Chosen One. I wish to fulfil that promise," she said, her voice steady, her crimson eyes meeting his with unwavering resolve.

"Of course. It's destiny," Field said, leaning into his role as a mystical prophet.

Forming the contract was straightforward. Ashina activated the power of the runic markings on her hand, creating a link with Field. Once the connection was established, the contract took effect.

After completing the Chosen One contract, Field brought out the slave contract. Though the slave brand had already been cleansed by Ashina's newfound purifying abilities, Field went through the formality anyway. In front of everyone, he ceremoniously tore up the slave contract and declared Ashina a free citizen of Nightfall Territory.

Ashina beamed with delight. Raising her hand, the runes on her skin transformed into a massive black dragonwolf that leapt from the void. Its jagged armor plates gleamed with a chilling light, and its fearsome presence sent shivers down the spines of everyone present.

"What... is that?" Field asked, momentarily at a loss.

"It's a dragonwolf," Ashina replied, casually smoothing her hair as though summoning such a creature were an everyday occurrence. "I assume it's a mount granted by the goddess."

Her movements exuded a newfound elegance and confidence. "Additionally, I've gained mastery over several combat techniques."

It wasn't unusual for Chosen Ones to receive strange and powerful gifts upon awakening. Even if a Chosen One perished, their artifacts often endured.

The Ross family, for instance, possessed a legendary Tier-6 artifact—a divine lance left behind by the late Chosen One known as the "Crimson Rose." The family's surname, Ross, had been adopted in honor of her legacy.

"Assisting local lords in eliminating corruption is a duty every noble of the Empire must fulfill."

Field opened Ashina's updated status panel.

Name: Ashina

Level: Tier 1 Chosen One

Class: Wolf Cavalry

Divine Skill: Spear of Piercing Frost

Legion Skill: Howling Charge (Increases charge impact of allied cavalry by 100%)

Ashina's combat strength had skyrocketed. Her dragonwolf mount alone was powerful enough to face a Tier-3 Dou Qi Knight head-on.

With this newfound power on his side, Field's confidence soared. That stepmother, that obnoxious brother—they're nothing now! One day, I'll grind them into the dirt.

Field's lips curled into a smile. "Now, let's go take a look at the barracks and the armory."

As they approached the fortress walls, Field noticed faint skull icons moving on his map.

"There are some corrupted creatures here," Field said as he unsheathed his sword with a sharp shing.

He lit one of the Miasma Lanterns he'd purchased from the church, and its holy light instantly dispelled a large swath of gray mist. This ensured that the slaves wouldn't succumb to the Death Miasma poisoning.

"I can feel the power of a Chosen One," Ashina said, gesturing toward the golden glow of the lamp in Field's hand.

Field blinked a few times and muttered, "Only thirty days of use, huh."

Upon entering the fortress passage, Field ensured that the ragtag group of slaves didn't scatter. He kept them tightly grouped together. These were untrained laborers, not soldiers, and sticking together was their best chance of survival.

Ashina cautiously nudged open the barracks door, revealing two armored soldier-corpses inside. Neither carried weapons, likely because they hadn't had time to arm themselves before being overtaken by the gray mist.

"Take them out!" Field growled, his eyes fixating on the well-made chainmail on the corpses. "And don't damage the armor!"

"Understood!"

Ashina kicked the wooden door wide open and dashed inside with swift, confident strides.

As a Chosen One, her physical capabilities had been greatly enhanced, and she now possessed mastery over advanced combat techniques.

With a single fluid motion, she drew her weapon and decapitated the first soldier-corpse, her blade slicing through the chainmail without resistance. The second undead barely had time to turn before Ashina's blade pierced its heart, putting it down instantly.

"Efficient as ever," Field remarked, stepping over the fallen corpses to inspect the armor. "Not bad—intact and sturdy. This will come in handy."

As the group worked to strip the armor from the corpses, Field lit one of the Miasma Lanterns. The holy glow illuminated the room, dispelling the lingering gray mist and ensuring the group's safety.

"No doubt about it," Field muttered, examining the lamp's craftsmanship. "I wish I knew how the church makes these things. It's pure profit—25 gold coins per lantern. An absolute money-spinner."