Chapter 15 : Butler Burton’s Two Sons
Chapter 15: Butler Burton’s Two Sons
On the other side, Hogg had been watching from nearbay the entire time. He had not expected that in such a short period, Leo’s strength would grow to such a level.
He felt that Arthur had not gained any advantage throughout the fight—rather, he had been constantly suppressed by Leo.
Even he could tell that in the latter half, Leo was basically toying with Arthur.
He had once watched the squires under Clarsen train.
The strongest among them was someone named Rog, yet the swordsmanship Leo had just displayed seemed no weaker than Rog’s.
But Leo had only been a Knight’s Squire for one month—just like him.
Looking at Leo, a flame ignited within Hogg’s heart.
Among the four squires originally, Leo had the worst talent, followed by himself.
Since Leo could improve so much in such a short time, then perhaps he could as well.
Everything had only just begun.
Today was only his first Basic Sword Techniques lesson under Clarsen, and now he seemed to have found a goal.
The three squires who had entered together stood in this small Training Room, each with their own thoughts, yet all seemed to have found their direction.
……
Meanwhile, in a corner of the stable.
Eddie—the only one among the four squires who had failed the Horsemanship assessment—was kneeling on both knees before Butler Burton.
The large stable doors were tightly shut. Only Burton and Eddie were present, along with the eight horses in the stalls.
“What a piece of trash. With your ability, you still want to compete for a recommendation spot in the Golden Knight Order? Just keep feeding horses and shoveling manure!”
“I’m sorry… Father.” Eddie lowered his head, his fists cracking.
Slap!
A crisp slap landed directly on Eddie’s face. “How many times have I told you—don’t call me father! Not even when no one is around!”
Eddie lowered his head, lips tightly pressed. His face burned, the skin twitching faintly.
In truth, he had long mastered the knowledge of raising and riding horses. When he first arrived at Blackstone City, he had secretly tried it.
Back then, everything had gone smoothly—riding, feeding, grooming—the horses had all been obedient.
But for some reason, today, he couldn’t even perform the most basic act of mounting a horse.
There were six horses in total, and each one seemed to have a grudge against him.
As Burton’s secret illegitimate son, he had been fostered since childhood under the Baron of Wheat Ear City. His foundational swordsmanship and Horsemanship were already highly proficient.
Burton had made a deal with the baron, allowing this illegitimate son to assume the identity of the baron’s son and come to Blackstone City for training.
Zoro was Burton’s eldest son with his lawful wife. Due to his birth, he could only remain at the level of a Knight Attendant.
Even that was already thanks to Laforin’s consideration for their master-servant relationship.
But this illegitimate son, Eddie, could reach a higher position.
Because of his mother, Burton even favored Eddie over Zoro.
Thus, he had invested so much effort to make Eddie a Knight’s Squire, all so that he could become a true knight.
Perhaps even join the Golden Knight Order and step into an entirely new class—the noble class.
That was why he had Eddie stay by Arthur’s side, to build connections for the future.
Yet unexpectedly, the two had already fallen out.
In this Horsemanship assessment, even that simple-minded Hogg had completed the required actions.
But Eddie had made a fool of himself in public.
Burton suppressed his anger.
“I know—it must be that country bumpkin Leo messing with me!” Eddie suddenly raised his head, then glanced at the innocent-looking horses nearby. “It must be him. Everything was fine before, but after he kept hanging around the stable every day, interacting with these horses—they must have been influenced by him.”
Slap!
Another crisp slap rang out.
“You mean these horses are smarter than you, you idiot?” Burton’s face was filled with anger at his failure. “Let me tell you—Leo has already become the swordsmanship student of Laforin’s daughter.
I don’t know why Laforin has taken a liking to him, but I’m telling you—don’t provoke him.
Starting tomorrow, get along well with Arthur and Leo. Your identity is special—you must endure if you want a chance to rise!”
As Burton spoke, he realized he had become agitated and gradually regained his composure.
He slowly walked up to Eddie and lowered his voice.
“Remember—a tiger may spend one or even several months tracking a herd of cattle. Then it will patiently lurk in the grass, slowly approaching its prey.
And the kill… happens in an instant. Do you understand?”
“I understand, Mr. Burton.” Eddie clenched his fists, deep in thought.
“Let’s go. As for the Horsemanship assessment…” A trace of long-hidden pride flashed in Burton’s eyes. “In this castle, such matters are nothing.”
The two left the stable one after the other, but from afar, they saw a figure approaching.
Burton’s eyelids twitched slightly as he revealed a kind smile. “Young Master Leo, what brings you to the stable at this hour?”
“Sir Burton.” Leo responded politely. He glanced at Eddie behind him and answered honestly, “I came to feed the horses some night grass.”
“Oh~ no wonder these horses are becoming more and more robust—it’s all thanks to you. Hahaha, I will report your diligence to Sir Laforin.” Burton said, patting Leo on the shoulder before leaving.
Leo looked at Eddie in the distance. He had intended to enter the stable directly, but Eddie stopped him.
“Sir Leo, I previously offended you. I hope you won’t take it to heart.” Eddie spoke sincerely, his eyes flickering.
It was the first time Leo had seen Eddie behave like this.
A faint smile curved on Leo’s lips. “We all came here together. Let’s look out for each other.”
“Yes, look out for each other.” Eddie wiped the corner of his eye and smiled as well.
After speaking, the two passed by each other.
But almost at the same time, the smiles on both their faces disappeared.
Leo entered the stable, his brows furrowed.
He had just noticed that Eddie’s face seemed slightly swollen—as if he had been struck.
And Eddie’s behavior was far too abnormal.
Could it have been Burton?
Thinking this, Leo walked deeper into the stable.
He suddenly froze.
There were two additional horses in the stable today.
He had never seen these two before.
Judging by their appearance, their bloodlines were even more noble than Laforin’s six horses. Their coats gleamed as if polished with oil.
Moreover, Leo could faintly smell a strange fragrance coming from them.
Looking into the eyes of one of the horses, understanding gradually appeared in Leo’s gaze.
“So… an illegitimate son. Interesting.”
……
Inside the banquet hall of Blackstone City, young officers and Knight’s Squires invited their partners, dancing gracefully in the center of the hall.
The elegant harp stirred the hearts of young men and women. Under the influence of fine wine, emotions were quietly exchanged.
As Knight’s Squires, dance and etiquette were also part of their training.
Meanwhile, the solitary Zoro, as always, sat alone on a dining chair.
He did not invite a partner, nor did he drink wine. He simply chewed on the half-raw red meat on his plate.
He always remained clear-headed, waiting for Laforin’s next command.
In the eyes of others, he was talented, inheriting his father Burton’s fine qualities, and had long since become a loyal Knight Attendant.
But he knew—
His life had already reached its end.