Satoru Gojo

Satoru's behavior toward you was...strange...from the very beginning. He did not treat you as his slave, but he treated you as a person, a human being. The first day you were dirty with dirt and dust, Satoru let you use his bathtub and gave you new clothes. The tunic came just above your knees and the Sagum, a typical cloak of those who were, like you, from a low social background. Yet you still remember it, the softness of that cloth.

As you returned to your master's room, he immediately squared you from head to toe. Satoru's eyes were studying you, and before you could do anything he spoke.

“In a little while I must go to the lower floor of the domus, to the triclinium to dine with the guests of the day. You may rest here as my...” he paused briefly before resuming "...personal slave...You will also sleep here in my chambers, not with the other slaves" as he said those words, she pointed to a triclinium prepared especially for you.

“I apologize, but an extra bed wasn't available you'll have to make do with that” he left you stunned, you were expecting to sleep on the floor in a dirty place...instead you were sleeping on a ‘bed’ in Satoru's room.

The weeks passed quickly and you did your duties, kept Satoru's room clean, washed his clothes and sheets, and even had his weapons cleaned for you. You were still a little afraid to retort some of the jokes Satoru threw at you; after all, he decided your life.

One morning you followed him toward the courtyard, his steps were long and fast so you almost trotted to keep up with him. When you finally arrived at the courtyard Satoru went and arranged himself in a line with another dozen boys, most were older than him, in front of a man who handed out wooden swords to them.

“they are boys chosen from the training schools of Rome, taken so that they could be taught privately in a senator's house and thus be trained to the best of their ability,” replied another slave seeing your confused look.

“well get ready because we should keep towels and fill amphorae with water so that they can quench their thirst” continued the girl, despite being a slave herself, her attitude seemed so carefree.

“My name is Miwa,” she said, smiling at you. You and she sat on one side of the courtyard watching the boys train, while a gentle breeze came in through the opening in the center of the atrium. The muggy period of summer was now over.

Satoru was indescribable. The naturalness with which he moved his sword, the pinpoint accuracy of his blows, the power of his lunges, and the speed with which he adjusted his shot the few times it was parried did not seem to belong in the normal world. Even his face was completely different in the field. The soft features of a boy not even in his twenties hardened, his eyes squinted in concentration, and everything about his figure suggested seriousness and charisma.

“Outstanding...” murmured Miwa, looking at the young nobleman with wide-open eyes. Satoru danced with death as lightly and confidently as one does with a longtime lover. She watched him at every single practice, and Satoru was getting better and better at it than at previous times.

After about two hours, the officer raised his hand to decree the start of the break, causing the boys to breathe a sigh of relief. Some slumped to the ground from exhaustion, others just did muscle-stretching exercises and caught their breath.

“It's our turn,” Miwa said as she quickly stood up and approached the boys with towels and water amphorae ready.

Satoru quickly approached you, took the towel you were handing him and wiped his forehead...later he took the amphora and drank almost all the contents

“damn I'm too slow today,” he muttered to himself , but even before you could open your mouth to say anything, the officer spoke up.

“here we go again!” Satoru nodded and handed the amphora back to you, your fingers brushed and, pleasantly interjected by that contact and not at all annoyed, Satoru prolonged it for a few seconds.

“thank you,” he thanked you in a whisper before returning to the center of the training field. for the boys it was another hour of intense training and by the end of it they were exhausted and the sun was now high in the sky, marking that it was roughly half day. The others left and Miwa said goodbye with a light pat on the back.

Satoru conversed with the officer for about ten minutes and then started walking toward the exit, but just as he was about to leave he stopped and turned to you, signaling for you to follow him.

“Then midget hurry up we're going to eat,” he told you with a smirk on his face.