By Zephyria 
Benjamin Claudian was a large, manfully built fellow. His skin was tanned and rough, making him look ten years older than his actual age, but his eyes were unusually bright, resembling a Black Tiger or a black panther when met in the dark.
He was also exceptionally talented in martial arts, reaching the level of a First-rate martial artist at the age of fifteen. His physical strength was as great as his martial arts skill, making him excellent at moving hay bales. However, anything beyond moving heavy objects was disappointingly poor.
During the first lesson, Biban Otif deemed it sufficient to have the students get acquainted with the horses by providing them with hay and carrots. The students each took their preferred spots, saying, “I’ll take care of this area,” or “I’ll look after these ones.” Shayden, Benjamin, and I naturally walked in the same direction. Since there were slightly more horses than children, the three of us were assigned to care for a total of five.
Instead of immediately placing the hay bales we carried into the feeding troughs, the first step was to take a handful of hay, hold it before the horses’ mouths, and let them get used to the scent on our hands.
“⋯Here.”
Every time Benjamin held out hay to a horse, it would flinch and back away. One horse even buried its head in a corner, as if it were a snake, and tucked its head away. Even when Benjamin softened his fierce gaze as much as possible and acted with utmost caution, it was completely useless. I heightened my Qi sense, wondering if he was unintentionally emitting Murderous Intent, but it was not the case at all.
Given that the Claudian family was a Marquessate, purchasing a horse or two wouldn’t be a problem, so I understood why the boy couldn’t ride. It was certainly a serious concern if animals feared and avoided him to this extent.
In contrast, the horses I was assigned eagerly accepted whatever I offered, munching on hay and carrots as if they were treats. Some even affectionately nudged their heads against my shoulder or cheek, rubbing against me. I wondered if the horses Benjamin was assigned were particularly timid, so we switched places, but the ones that had been licking my hand like puppies moments before now looked towards me with longing, whinnying and snorting in distress.
It was absurd. I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh, wondering what on earth was happening.
“Did you eat a horse here while I wasn’t looking?”
“⋯No.”
“Young Master Claudian isn’t that scary. Here, watch.”
Shayden playfully mimed tapping Benjamin on the shoulder. Benjamin, bewildered by Shayden’s actions, stood there blankly. When prompted to pretend he was hurt, he clutched his shoulder and took a few steps back. As the horses watched with wide, rolling eyes, Shayden escalated from tapping his arm to patting his back, then grabbing his collar and shaking him… The more he repeated these silly actions, the more attention they drew, making me feel embarrassed. I finally stopped Shayden.
“Do you think they’ll understand if you do that?”
“My family’s horses all understand. They even cheer me on to hit them more.”
“No… Let’s try a different method.”
This time, I took a handful of hay and fed it to the horse in front of me. It was a sturdy stallion with a white spot on its forehead. While it ate readily, it kept glancing towards Benjamin. Then, as soon as I overlapped my hand with Benjamin’s and held out the hay, it stopped eating. I couldn’t understand why.
Realizing this was beyond our capabilities, I called for Professor Otif. Biban Otif seemed to think we were playing around. He waved his hand, saying the stable horses were already accustomed to people and it couldn’t be the case. But after experimenting with Benjamin a few times, the Professor finally believed that the horses were afraid of the boy.
Meanwhile, Benjamin’s face grew increasingly dark, having been repeatedly ignored while holding out carrots not only to the horses he was initially assigned but to all the horses in the stable. Seeing his gloomy expression, I suddenly had a thought and asked if perhaps he was the Dragon, not me. Upon hearing this, Benjamin became quite sulky, and I spent a lot of effort trying to appease him.
Thus, the first class ended with no significant progress. Biban Otif assigned dates for students to give hay or water to the horses. At the end, he called Benjamin aside and advised him that it would be best to visit the stable whenever he had free time and get to know the horses better. He explained that a martial artist at the level of a Sword Expert, at least, wouldn’t be in immediate danger even if they wrestled with a horse, and since the horses seemed scared rather than aggressive towards Claudian, the priority was to make them recognize he wasn’t a threat.
“Just be careful not to get kicked by their hind legs. For now, let’s just avoid going inside the stable stalls. And it would be better if some friends could accompany you when you come to the stable, rather than coming alone…”
“We will come together.”
“Yes, that’s reassuring. It would be terrible if the horses couldn’t eat because they were scared.”
“…”
Shayden quickly chimed in with his reply, and Biban nodded. Seeing Benjamin’s face grow even darker, I patted his back a few times to comfort him. After class, as we ate together, Benjamin Claudian explained that from a very young age, he had inexplicably drawn the animosity of animals and young children. The members of the Claudian Marquessate were all known for their quiet and upright nature, which, to strangers, might give an impression of sternness. But surely, animals, unlike people, wouldn’t be so concerned with appearances. Even tigers have cute cubs. The young Benjamin Claudian, in my eyes, was simply an adorable, undeveloped beast. Beneath his coarse, thick hair was a face with bold, clear lines, a high nose bridge, and a strong jaw, giving him an appearance of righteousness. Though I couldn’t read fortunes, a boy with a sturdy build and a resolute expression would have been quite popular in the Central Plains. Especially in places that practiced robust martial arts like Shaolin or Jongnam, or those that relied on solid strength and the Way like the Peng family, they would have vied to recruit him.
Therefore, unlike Shayden, who readily agreed, I thought there must be another reason.
“Do all members of the Claudian Marquessate look very similar?”
“Yes. They do.”
“Then, can’t your parents and siblings ride horses either?”
“⋯Hmm, no. I’ve heard my father enjoyed riding horses frequently when he was younger.”
“Excuse me, but do you resemble your father in appearance?”
“⋯Huh?”
Benjamin’s eyes widened. His golden pupils, slightly smaller than average, clearly showed surprise. Benjamin stammered that he had a face that looked just like his father’s. “I see, that makes sense,” I nodded.
“It seems appearance isn’t the issue, so let’s slowly look for another reason.”
Benjamin looked genuinely touched and suddenly grabbed my hand. As I nodded, agreeing to help, Shayden, who had been sitting idly nearby, placed his hand over ours and added playfully, “I’ll help too.”
❖ ❖ ❖
During advanced swordsmanship class on Thursday, we had to pay attention not only to the children to our left and right, as before, but also to those in front and behind. I wondered against whom we would need to move so closely together, but I found it fun and moved my body energetically.
The season had not yet fully relinquished summer. Even in the morning, the sun was hot. Furthermore, because we kept both feet firmly on the ground and only used our upper bodies, I often had to bend my back and shoulders excessively to avoid the sword paths of other children, quickly drenching my entire body in sweat.
Initially, everyone unfolded their moves at a slow pace, allowing ample room to evade. Even after changing positions, they seemed to have become accustomed to each other’s sword paths. Then, we were immediately instructed to increase the speed of our sword form. The clanging of swords striking each other became loud again. Fortunately, we weren’t using aura. As time went on, the sword paths became more complex, and the situation became more chaotic, leading some children to accidentally cut the cheeks or arms of others while trying to dodge an opponent’s sword.
At first, I was startled by such sights, but I was relieved when I saw Maelo Sanson helping the children avoid injury in the same way that had stopped the sparring. I felt a sense of awe, wondering what realm one had to reach to use Qi in such a manner.
As we concentrated on our movements, the children, including myself, grew tired more quickly than before, so we decided to take a break today. Out of the total three hours of class, forty minutes were spent practicing and twenty minutes were for rest. The regular and clear breaks during class were also something I learned after enrolling in the academy. The clear beginning and end to what we learned and practiced were good for calming the mind.
As I sat in seiza on the floor, my companions sat in a circle facing me. It looked like a setup that would be perfect with a round table in the center. Everyone was out of breath, panting, and silent, but then Lucilla suddenly stretched her legs out in front of her and folded her body in half, surprising me.
“⋯What are you doing?”
“Stretching.”
“Stretch…?”
I was the only one startled. Lucilla was so flexible that when she bent her waist, her wrists touched her toes. After bending her body like that and giving a few bounces to press down, she raised both arms and pushed her elbows behind her head. While I had tried stretching my arms and legs by extending them, I had never seen anyone fold their body in half and then unfold it up close, so it was fascinating. Unable to contain my curiosity, I stretched my legs out in front of me and bent my waist, just as Lucilla had done. I could easily reach my knees, but when I tried to grasp my ankles, it didn’t work well. Seeing my attempt, Benjamin pressed down on my back with his large, pot-lid-like hand to help me bend further.
“Ugh.”
“You need to tuck your chin, Mikael.”
As if she had found an interesting toy, Lucilla jumped up and approached me.