Demonic Dragon: Harem System-Chapter 833: Agnes is suggesting something...

The morning in Asgard began quietly, the sky still tinged with soft shades of blue and gold as the sun slowly rose on the horizon. The main residence remained tranquil at that hour, most of the inhabitants still sleeping after long nights or activities that stretched late into the night.

The front door opened gently and Strax stepped out into the fresh morning air, inhaling deeply as the first rays of light touched the stone courtyard in front of the house. The weather was pleasant, with a light breeze carrying the scent of grass and damp earth from the nearby gardens.

He slowly stretched his arms above his head, lengthening the muscles in his shoulders and back before beginning his morning routine. For someone like him, sleeping little had never been a problem, but keeping his body active had always been part of his nature.

Strax walked to the open area of ​​the courtyard and began to exercise unhurriedly. Push-ups, controlled breathing movements, a few quick sets of exercises that would seem absurdly strenuous to anyone else. For him, it was just a warm-up. The stone floor creaked slightly under the controlled impact of his movements. With each repetition, his muscles moved with almost mechanical precision, the result of years of combat, training, and survival in far more hostile environments.

Some guards on their morning patrol passed through the courtyard during training and immediately straightened up upon seeing him there. Strax merely raised his hand in a casual greeting as he continued his movements, without interrupting his rhythm.

After a few minutes, he finished warming up and rotated his neck from side to side, relaxing his muscles before beginning to walk towards Asgard’s main training field.

The path there led through an open corridor between military buildings, weapons depots, and barracks. As he approached, the sound of metal clashing against metal began to echo through the air.

And there were shouts.

Firm, short, and extremely disciplined orders.

Strax smiled slightly as he recognized the voice even before reaching the field.

As he passed through the reinforced wooden gate, the training field opened before him like a small fortress of military discipline.

Dozens of soldiers were scattered across the dirt arena, divided into groups performing different exercises. Some practiced hand-to-hand combat, others trained in formations with spears and shields, while another group faced moving targets with heavy weapons.

At the center of it all was Agnes.

She walked between the ranks with firm steps, her hands behind her back, her attentive eyes analyzing every detail of the training. Her gaze was as sharp as that of a veteran commander.

"Faster!"

Her voice cut through the air like a whip.

A group of soldiers immediately adjusted their pace as they repeated a formation attack exercise. Dust rose from the ground with each coordinated movement.

Agnes stopped before one of the combatants and observed his movement for a few seconds.

"Your arm is slow."

The soldier immediately corrected his posture.

"Again." He repeated the strike.

"Again."

Another repetition.

Only then did she nod slightly and continue walking across the field.

It was at that moment that she noticed Strax standing near the entrance, observing the training with a calm expression.

She showed no surprise.

She simply walked over to him, crossing her arms while her eyes still followed the soldiers’ movements.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked casually, as if it were just a common conversation between two commanders.

Strax shrugged naturally as he watched a group practicing sword fighting.

"Sleeping has never been a problem."

He tilted his head slightly towards the field.

"And them?"

Agnes followed his gaze for a few seconds before answering.

"They’re improving."

She made a discreet gesture indicating the different groups scattered across the terrain.

"Some of these came from the Beast Monarch’s old army."

A particularly brutal group of fighters clashed near the edge of the field, battling with almost animalistic ferocity.

"They’ve always been good fighters," Agnes continued. "But discipline has never been their strong suit."

Strax watched one of the men take down his opponent with a quick arm lock.

"And the others?"

Agnes let out a small sigh before answering.

"Those of the White Flame Monarch."

She discreetly pointed to another, more organized group practicing spear formations.

"These didn’t exactly come of their own accord." 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Strax let out a small sound of understanding.

The memory of that monarch’s destruction was still fresh in the minds of many kingdoms.

"I imagine."

Agnes continued observing the training with an analytical expression.

"After you... annihilated their leader, the rest didn’t have much of a choice."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"Some came out of fear."

Another group of soldiers executed a sequence of synchronized attacks.

"Others came because they realized that surviving on the winning side is often the smartest decision."

Strax crossed his arms as he observed the field.

"Are they behaving?"

Agnes finally looked away from the training and looked directly at him.

"More than I expected."

She uncrossed her arms and rested one hand on her hip as she continued.

"After seeing the benefits of working for Asgard, most quickly adjusted their attitude."

In the background, one of the instructors corrected the posture of two new recruits.

"Good food."

"Better equipment."

"Real training."

Agnes raised an eyebrow slightly.

"And no commanders trying to kill them for fun."

Strax chuckled softly.

"Low standards help."

Agnes shook her head slightly, but there was a small smile on her lips.

"Now they listen to orders."

She looked around the field again.

"And they work."

Strax analyzed the soldiers’ coordinated movements for a few moments.

"You seem satisfied."

Agnes was silent for a moment before answering.

When she spoke, her voice was a little softer. "My daughter is better."

Strax looked at her more closely.

"Frieren has spent the last few days examining her condition."

Agnes continued looking at the field as she spoke.

"She said the recovery is going very well."

There was a small glint of relief in her eyes.

"Soon my daughter will be able to use magic again without risk."

Strax nodded slowly.

"That’s good."

He truly seemed pleased to say that.

"I’m happy for you."

Agnes was silent for a few seconds, as if organizing her thoughts.

Then she turned her face to him.

"I wanted to thank you."

Strax raised his hand immediately, interrupting before she could continue.

"No."

She frowned slightly.

"You helped."

He shook his head.

"Frieren saved your daughter."

Strax shrugged naturally.

"If anyone deserves thanks, it’s her."

Agnes watched him for a few seconds.

Then she sighed lightly.

"You always do this."

"Do what?"

"Act like you didn’t do anything."

Strax opened his mouth to reply, but Agnes stepped forward before he could speak.

She grasped the collar of his shirt and pulled it down slightly.

Before Strax could react, she kissed his lips quickly.

It wasn’t a long kiss.

But it was firm.

And completely unexpected for anyone watching.

When she pulled away, Agnes maintained a perfectly calm expression, as if it were just another routine detail of the morning.

Strax blinked a few times.

"What was that?"

Agnes crossed her arms again, returning to observing the training field as if nothing had happened.

"A thank you."

Strax chuckled softly.

"Frieren would be confused by this kind of credit."

Agnes shrugged.

"Frieren already knows I’m grateful."

She then looked at him again, this time with a slight, teasing glint in her eye.

"But there’s still another way to thank you."

Strax raised an eyebrow.

"Is there?"

Agnes tilted her head slightly.

"When you get back."

She discreetly pointed toward the residential fortress behind them.

"It would be interesting if you stopped by my room."

Strax crossed his arms.

"Interesting?"

Agnes finally smiled genuinely.

"I can thank you better."

Strax chuckled softly at that, the sound carrying a mixture of amusement and surprise as he crossed his arms again and watched Agnes with a clearly amused expression. The morning light illuminated the training field behind them, soldiers still repeating movements under the occasional shouts of the instructors, but in that small space between the two there seemed to exist a pause isolated from the rest of the world.

"You’re quite suggestive," he commented with a lazy smile.

Agnes didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed by the remark. She continued looking at the field for a moment, following a group of recruits repeating a sequence of spear attacks, before replying with the same calm with which she gave orders during training.

"I know how to choose a man when I want to."

Strax chuckled again at that, tilting his head slightly as if analyzing her response. Agnes didn’t seem to be joking. There was a direct confidence in her words, almost the same firmness she displayed when commanding soldiers in the field.

She continued speaking without changing her tone much.

"Besides," she said, crossing her arms again as she watched two soldiers correct a formation, "my daughter will need a father in the future."

Strax was silent for a second.

Then he laughed.

It wasn’t a short laugh. It was a genuine laugh, from the heart, as if that statement had been unexpectedly bold even by the standards of the women who knew him.

"You’re expecting too much of me," he replied.

Agnes finally turned to look him directly in the eye. Her eyes had that calm glint of someone who wasn’t really pressuring, but also wasn’t completely joking.

"I’m not expecting anything now."

She rested one hand on her hip as she watched him.

"But thinking about the future doesn’t hurt."

Strax shook his head slightly, still with that smile on his lips.

"That kind of planning usually ends in chaos when it involves my life."

Agnes let out a small, amused sigh.

"I already noticed."

In the background, a soldier missed an attack movement and almost lost his balance. Agnes immediately looked away.

"Posture!" she shouted.

The man corrected his position instantly, returning to the sequence of movements more carefully. Only then did Agnes pay attention to Strax again.

"Anyway," she continued naturally, "I’m not asking for marriage."

Strax raised an eyebrow.

"What a relief."

She ignored the provocation.

"I’m just saying that a strong man around is never a problem."

Strax looked back at the training field. The soldiers’ discipline really seemed to have improved considerably over the past few weeks. Formations were more organized, strikes more precise, and there was less confusion in their movements.

"You’re doing a good job here," he commented.

Agnes shrugged, as if it were just part of the routine.

"They just needed someone to yell louder than them."

Strax watched a group of fighters from the old Beast army clashing with training swords. Their natural brutality was still there, but now there was structure.

"At least now they’re fighting in the right direction."

Agnes nodded.

"And getting paid for it."

She paused briefly before adding,

"Men obey better when they know there’s a reward."

Strax smiled slightly.

"You speak like someone who has studied human behavior extensively."

Agnes looked at him again.

"I was a mercenary for years."

She tilted her head slightly. "I learned quickly how it works."

Strax didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he observed the field once more, analyzing the overall progress of the troops.

After a few seconds he spoke again.

"Keep it up."

Agnes nodded calmly.

"I intend to."

The silence between them lasted only a few moments before she added, almost casually.

"And don’t forget what I said."

Strax turned his face to her again.

"The room?"

Agnes confirmed with a slight nod.

"When you get back."

Her gaze again had that provocative glint.

"My offer still stands."

Strax let out another small laugh as he began to take a few steps back, preparing to leave the training field.

"You really don’t waste any time."

Agnes replied immediately.

"Time is a strategic resource."

He shook his head, clearly amused.

"I’ll remember that."

She crossed her arms again, resuming her commanding posture as her eyes returned to the soldiers.

"Do it."

Strax took a few more steps toward the camp exit, but before crossing the gate he glanced over his shoulder.

"And Agnes."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

He smiled.

"If you keep training them like this, maybe I really will need to reward you."

Agnes didn’t smile.

But the slight, satisfied glint in her eyes told her she hadn’t missed a word.