It is your first day as a knight in training! You are lined up alongside five beautiful ladies, all sporting shining armor: Alice, Joan, Cecilia, Margaret, and Beatrice. They cast you odd glances, confused as to why there is a man amongst their ranks. Master Knight Elizabeth stands tall before you. Elizabeth: "Listen up! From now on, I will whip you knights into shape and mold you into soldiers worthy of our country. I am your leader, Elizabeth, but you all shall address me as Master Knight." As Elizabeth speaks, whispers are shared amongst the rest of the group. Alice: "Is that really a guy?" Joan: Scoffs. "No way. It's just a girl with short hair... right?" Cecilia: "Shh! You girls!" Margaret: "Everyone knows men don't become knights." Beatrice: "A man is with us? That's kind of exciting, isn't it?" Giggles. Their whispers are soon halted by a whistle from Elizabeth. Elizabeth: "Silence! I see some of you have already noticed our male addition, {{user}}. {{user}}, will you please step forward and introduce yourself?"

Elizabeth turns toward you expectantly. "And what do you have to say for yourself, Kurgan?" The other knights lean in curiously as well. You take a deep breath and speak up. "My name is Kurgan, Master Knight Elizabeth. I am honored to be able to serve alongside such strong and capable women."

Elizabeth crosses her arms, studying you intently. "Hmm... Well, Kurgan, today we shall begin with some basic training." Without another word, she leads the group to a clearing in the woods nearby. Alice, Joan, Cecilia, Margaret, and Beatrice cluster around you expectantly as you stand next to them in a loose circle. Elizabeth brandishes her sword with a flourish and addresses the group. "Alright, everyone! We are going to start with some sword-fighting exercises." She gestures for each of you to take your position, facing away from one another. "When I say 'go', you will strike out at the person behind you as fast and hard as you can!"

Elizabeth shouts "Go!" and instantly, your fellow knights lunge forward with their swords. Each strike is quick and precise; you feel the wind whistle past your ears as they aim for your back. You try to follow suit but quickly realize that none of them are attacking you!

The others seem to forget about you entirely, continuing to focus on their drills while Elizabeth paces around the clearing shouting instructions. "Faster!" "Stronger!" "Less wasted motion!" Eventually, she comes up behind you and pokes you in the back with her sword.

"Kurgan! Pay attention! Your turn." She gives you a mock-serious glare before returning to her spot in front of the group. Clearly, you will have to prove yourself if you want to earn their respect.

Elizabeth narrows her eyes and nods at you. "Very well. Remember your training, Kurgan. Be strong. Be precise." She gestures for the group to resume their positions. "Go!"

As before, everyone attacks except for you. But this time, you are ready. You focus on Master Knight Elizabeth's movements and mimic her stance as best you can. When she strikes out at you, your sword is already there to parry the blow. Your opponents seem to notice, and their attacks become less wild and more calculated in an effort to find a way past your defense.

The exercise continues, and your newfound focus on balance and reaction speed serves you well. The other knights begin to trade blows at a furious pace, their movements growing more fluid with each passing moment. Margaret, who was previously dismissive of your abilities, can't help but watch in amazement as you effortlessly block her attacks. Even Beatrice, who had been so eager to touch your crotch earlier, seems to lose interest as she becomes wrapped up in the training.

Eventually, Master Knight Elizabeth blows a whistle, signaling the end of the exercise. The group gathers around her as she addresses them. "I see you have all been working hard today. Kurgan," she says with a nod, "you seem to be adapting quite well." The other knights glance at each other uncomfortably. "Good work. Now, remember that this is only the beginning. There is much more training ahead of us if we are going to turn you all into true knights."

Elizabeth glances at the others and folds her arms. "Now, as for you girls..." She turns back to the group with a stern expression. "I want each of you to work on your weaknesses today. Margaret, you're too cocky and it's getting in the way of your training. Joan," she says pointedly, "you need to learn some self-control." Cecilia shrugs nonchalantly; Elizabeth eyes her coolly. "You think everything is fine just because you are, well... you?" The other knights look at each other nervously as Master Knight Elizabeth continues to criticize them. They nod sheepishly and begin to disperse, each going their separate ways to focus on the tasks assigned to them for the day. Except for Beatrice, who lingers behind.

"Um... Master Knight?" she says uncertainly. "You wanted me to work on my weaknesses... but what if..." She trails off, blushing furiously.

Elizabeth arches an eyebrow at Beatrice. "Yes?" she says coolly, already knowing what the young knight is about to say.

Beatrice glances over at you nervously before continuing. "Well... what if my weakness is that I like stronger men? Like the way they feel... and..." She trails off again, her blush deepening.

Elizabeth folds her arms and looks at Beatrice thoughtfully. Finally, she sighs. "Very well, Beatrice," she says with a nod. "I suppose there's nothing wrong with admitting that. However, if you want to truly become a strong knight, you need to learn to control these feelings."

Beatrice looks relieved but still anxious. "Y-Yes, Master Knight." She turns toward you, mustering up her courage, and takes a step closer. "Um... do you think... I could maybe practice with you later?"

Beatrice blushes even deeper at your whispered words, her eyes widening in surprise. She glances nervously between you and Master Knight Elizabeth before nodding shyly. "T-Thanks... I think."

Elizabeth clears her throat, bringing their attention back to her. "Very well then. You are dismissed, Beatrice. Remember your task for the day." With one final hesitant look at you, Beatrice scampers off, leaving only you and Master Knight Elizabeth alone in the clearing.

"Kurgan," she says with a sigh, "I know what they all think about you being here... but just because you are male doesn't mean you can't be strong. You have the potential to become an excellent knight, if only you can prove it." She pauses for a moment before continuing, her expression becoming more serious. "And if anyone gives you any trouble about being in this platoon... just come to me, understand?"

Elizabeth nods curtly in reply before turning back to address the rest of the group. "You all heard me! Get to work!" The other knights scramble off, disappearing into the woods to focus on their tasks for the day. As they leave, Elizabeth turns back to you once more.

"Well then... I suppose that's all for now. Don't forget what we discussed earlier about focusing on your balance and reaction time." She glances at her watch before continuing. "You are dismissed as well, Kurgan."

You hesitate for a moment, unsure if there is anything else you should say or do. Finally, you nod respectfully to Master Knight Elizabeth and make your way back to the barracks to begin preparations for the day's training.

You arrive at the barracks to find Cecilia already there, supervising some of the younger trainees as they clean and organize their belongings. She glances up at you and narrows her eyes suspiciously. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in training."

"Yes, Master Knight," you reply with a nod. "I was just taking a break, but I'm on my way now." As you step past her, Cecilia grunts in what might have been acknowledgement before returning her attention to the trainees.

You head into the mess hall and help yourself to some food from the serving tables. There is a commotion at one of the tables in the corner; it seems that Beatrice and Joan are arguing over something. You consider going over to see what's wrong, but decide against it for now, knowing that you should focus on your own training.

"Well," Joan says through gritted teeth as she shoos away one of the younger trainees who was trying to interrupt their argument, "there's always water in those big jugs over there." She gestures vaguely toward a table along the far wall. "Or you could make do with what we have here," she continues, jerking her chin at her own mug of ale.

"Thanks, Joan," Beatrice whispers gratefully. Looking in your direction, she flushes again and ducks her head, embarrassed by the attention. "There's some water in those jugs over there too."

"Well," Cecilia says from across the hall as she steps up beside you, "as Master Knight Elizabeth has pointed out, this is a matriarchal society. Men don't hold much sway around here, so why should we follow their rules about what's acceptable to drink?" She takes a long swig from her own mug of ale before continuing. "Besides, it's not like any of you are women enough to understand how we need to keep our strength up."

You look around the mess hall, considering this. It seems that Cecilia is right; in this society, men aren't really considered equals. Maybe if you want to prove yourself as a knight among them, you should learn to accept their ways... at least for now. With a shrug, you grab a mug of ale from the serving table and take a hearty swig.

As you finish your ale and slam the mug down on the table, some of the trainees nearby glance in your direction, surprise evident on their faces. But before anyone can comment further, Master Knight Elizabeth appears at the entrance to the mess hall, her eyes narrowing as she surveys the room.

"Alright, girls," she says, her voice like a whip, "it's time for you all to get back to work." She pauses before continuing, her gaze fixed on you. "Including you, Kurgan." Her tone is even sharper than usual when she addresses you by name.

You nod and push the rest of your food away, forcing yourself to stand tall despite her intense scrutiny. As you prepare to follow Master Knight Elizabeth's lead out of the mess hall, you can't help but wonder what sort of training she has in store for today...

You follow Master Knight Elizabeth out of the mess hall, not daring to dawdle or lag behind as she leads you and the rest of your fellow knights-in-training toward a clearing in the woods. It's hard not to notice how everyone seems to be watching you with a mix of curiosity and skepticism, especially Cecilia and Margaret.

As you walk, the need to relieve yourself grows more insistent. You debate for a moment whether or not it would be acceptable to take care of your business while you're out on training, but ultimately decide against it. The last thing you want is to give the other knights another reason to question your ability to handle yourself in their ranks.

Finally, Master Knight Elizabeth comes to a halt at the edge of the clearing and turns to face her charges. "Alright, everyone," she says with a sigh, "I have something special planned for today's training." She glances over at you again, an unreadable expression crossing her features before she continues. "But first... we need to work on our agility and reflexes."

The other knights exchange puzzled looks amongst themselves as they wonder what Master Knight Elizabeth could possibly mean by that. You try not to appear too interested in the matter; your main concern right now is finding a private spot where you can relieve yourself without anyone noticing...