Thud-thud-thud.
The one-eyed knight walked down the corridor of the mansion lost in thought.
Passersby quickly lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact with Zayar's stern expression.
He wasn't someone known for creating a relaxed atmosphere, but these days, it seemed even more so.
'I wish someone could lend me a hand or two.'
Zayar was having particularly busy days lately.
In addition to his usual duties of guarding Josef, he had to oversee Vlad's swordsmanship and various training sessions. Occasionally, he was summoned by Oksana to report on Josef and Vlad's conditions.
It was inevitable since one of the five knights under Josef's command, Rodrick, had died in the recent subjugation battle, and the other two had been injured while protecting Josef.
With only Vordan remaining, it was Zayar's responsibility to train Vlad. It wasn't an easy task, especially considering Vlad's difficult temperament and the need to nurture him carefully.
'Raising someone isn't an easy task.'
Zayar sighed inwardly as he thought about Vlad.
The new blond boy he was now in charge of wasn't easy to handle from the start, and he needed a lot of attention.
'I should have raised a squire at least once.'
Walking down the corridor, Zayar loosened his stiff neck, regretting not having raised a successor sooner.
But Zayar didn't complain. It wasn't in his nature, and besides, his lord, Josef, was the busiest of them all.
Anyone who wanted to rise above the surface had to struggle.
Although Zayar walked briskly due to his busy schedule, he heard a voice calling him from afar.
"Sir Zayar, where are you rushing off to?"
"....this."
Zayar recognized the man waving at him from the end of the corridor and frowned.
"Aren't you showing too much disdain on your face?"
"To be honest, I'm in quite a hurry."
"Alright, alright."
"Of course, if you're taking care of Lord Josef's affairs, you must be quite busy."
Zayar tried to end the conversation quickly by mentioning his busy schedule, but Gregory, the knight blocking his path, seemed unwilling to let him go so easily.
"Is there something you want to say?"
"Well, you do look good, despite being busy."
"I said I am busy."
Zayar felt boiling frustration seeing Gregory blocking his path in the midst of his busy schedule, but he didn't confront him recklessly. Gregory was one of the neutral knights.
All knights of the Bayezid family prioritized Lord Peter's orders, but their political allegiances diverged between two main paths: the eldest son, Rutger, or the second son, Josef.
Deciding who would be the next head and who to stand behind was a significant issue.
To be properly utilized as a knight, it was crucial not only to have skill but also to choose one's lord wisely.
"A knight of Sir Zayar's caliber should have received and nurtured a squire. Frankly, it feels a bit late even now. That's what I think."
"..."
However, the knight Gregory before him wasn't someone standing in the middle to choose between them.
It was just that he was so free-spirited that even among the knights he was called an eccentric, so no one chose him.
"You should raise your squire well."
"Our Potree has grown up already, too much in fact. He needs to lose some weight."
"What are you trying to say?"
Seeing Zayar's gaze sharpening, Gregory quickly interjected to prevent Zayar's annoyance from escalating.
"Did you say Vlad? That guy looks pretty useful."
"He was chosen by Lord Josef himself."
"He has a manly personality and strong spirit."
"What do you want to say?"
Gregory quickly gets to the point.
"As you know, meddling in squire affairs is somewhat inappropriate for knights. It's just a matter of avoiding unnecessary conflicts."
"Indeed."
Understanding now what he wanted to say, Zayar stroked his chin and looked at Gregory.
"Vlad seems to be getting along well with our Potree these days..."
"That guy doesn't have any friends. He's a guy who lives for his own good taste."
"Just let them hang out together..."
Even the most dignified knight sometimes had to make a request to someone.
"But still, he's my cousin's son. I can't just let him be mistreated here. And asking other guys didn't yield anything."
"For free?"
Understanding Zayar's question to some extent, Gregory laughed and extended his hand.
"If things work out well, you owe me a favor later. Nothing too risky or difficult, though."
"Hmm..."
Anyway, what Gregory was asking for wasn't something Zayar had to do himself. And one of the reasons he was so busy was because of that boy.
"Well, I will give it a try."
Zayar, who had been short-handed for quite some time, shook Gregory's hand lightly without much hesitation.
"But he doesn't listen to me."
"Oh, he's gonna be a big shot."
It was Gregory who was laughing with an exaggerated expression at Zayar's words.
"He really doesn't listen."
"Uh huh. This guy is going to be really big."
Gregory, who had been laughing with an exaggerated expression at Zayar's words, now looked slightly surprised.
"Well, if he's gonna be a great knight, he needs to have his own strong convictions."
"He's just stubborn."
The knights, who shared their concerns with the hands they had just held, passed each other with light hearts.
'But he'll pretend to listen, right?'
After parting ways with Gregory, Zayar thought to himself.
'If he doesn't listen, I'll make him listen.'
He'd give him a good whack if he didn't. After all, the boy had to dedicate himself to Josef for seven years.
※※※※
"Heh!"
Vlad, who had just grabbed the reins and was about to mount, let out a strange scream and tumbled to the dirt floor.
Puhahaha-
The horse that had knocked Vlad to the ground shook its head and began to prance around wildly.
Whoa!
Calm down! Calm down, you rascal!
The stable keepers summoned for this class tried to calm him down, but the horse was so startled by something that it started shaking its body and running wild.
"Oh, damn it!"
Avoiding the horse that was threateningly lifting its front hooves, Vlad quickly rolled away.
It was a mess, but better than being kicked by a hoof.
Heeiiing-
As soon as Vlad fell nearby, the horse seemed to regain its calm as if nothing had happened.
'This bastard?'
Vlad's temper flared as he watched the horse, usually well-behaved until he grabbed the reins, now seemingly agitated.
"Vlad! Get out!"
"Instructor, just one more chance..."
"No. The horse got spooked. Besides, you've never ridden before. It's too risky now."
Watching the instructor keep him away from the horse, Vlad muttered curses under his breath in frustration.
'Darn it! I should've been up there by now!'
Vlad felt pathetic and regretful. Though those around him might not understand, he knew how precious every minute of this training session was.
The lessons held for the squires of the Bayezid family were all about advanced techniques, ones that wouldn't be easily taught elsewhere.
To miss out on such a valuable opportunity, and repeatedly, day after day, left Vlad seething with frustration.
'Darn it!'
Horses, like most animals, simply didn't listen to Vlad, and some of his peers couldn't resist poking fun at him.
"Thinking he can become a knight when he can't even ride a horse?"
"He should have learned basic horseback riding a long time ago."
There were a few peers who enjoyed taunting Vlad, sticking close to Sobanin. They were so grouped together that he couldn't handle them yet.
"..."
Though he was tempted to retaliate immediately, Vlad decided to hold back for now. It was true that he hadn't properly handled the horse, and rushing in could cause trouble for Josef.
He couldn't burden Josef, the only one who looked out for him.
'I need to get my act together.'
Instead, he planned to seize an opportunity to take them by surprise and beat them up where nobody else would know.
A clenched fist could convey intentions without a word spoken, making the point clear without needing to ask.
Just like the squires who are looking the other way and trying not to look at him.
'But why can't I do it?'
Vlad ran his hand through his hair roughly, then plopped down near where the squires were gathered.
"Sobanin!"
"As expected!"
As soon as he sat down, he watched Sobanin gracefully mount a horse and leap over obstacles.
Though he didn't want to admit it, seeing Sobanin, who had been riding since childhood, made Vlad's frustration boil inside.
'Damn, he's been riding since he was a kid, of course he's good at it…'
Vlad had talent and was confident enough to lead a squad of mercenaries, but unlike the others here, he hadn't been prepared from a young age.
All these squires lacked was experience in real combat. Once they had that, they could easily handle mediocre mercenaries.
Except for a few like Potree.
"Are you okay, Vlad?"
"Don't talk to me. I want to be alone."
"Uh, okay."
Though Potree tried to comfort Vlad, his sharp response left him embarrassed, and he had no choice but to return to his spot.
'I'll definitely ride you.'
Vlad glared at the horse that had thrown him off, his eyes burning with frustration.
Heeeying—
Not knowing that such an appearance actually makes the horse more scared.
※※※※
"The problem isn't the horse."
"What?"
After the horseback riding class, the squires dispersed to do their own things.
"I mean, it's not really the horse's fault. You couldn't even mount it."
"Yeah, that's true."
Vlad was following the stablekeepers as they drove the horses, wondering if he could get one more ride.
"I'm not a professional horse handler, but generally, people can at least get on a horse."
"You're not arguing, are you?"
"No. listen."
Gott picked up the bucket he was holding and continued speaking.
"The horses of the Bayezid family are well-trained. They're not afraid of people."
"But?"
"But when you approached him, he freaked out and bolted. That's weird, regardless of riding proficiency. Other people found it odd too."
"...Damn."
Vlad recalled scenes in his head.
'Because everything that walks on four legs hates me.'
It had been like that for a while.
Dogs, cats, birds.
Without exception, most animals would panic whenever Vlad approached. It was to the extent that even Zemina mocked him, saying he must have done something terribly wrong in a past life.
In the first place, if you were to touch something like a cat, you had to set up a trap, catch it, and then approach it, so there was no way to refute it.
"...Seems like horses are the same."
Vlad felt stifled, wondering if horses also avoided him.
This wasn't a matter of liking or disliking; it was something that had to be done.
"But wasn't I able to ride the horse of Sir Zayar?"
On the night they fled from the dead, Vlad distinctly remembered riding Zayar's horse, even though Gott was the one handling it.
"Sir Zayar rides an expensive horse, you know."
When Gott said that he would not have been easily scared because he had such a good pedigree, Vlad bowed his head again.
'I can't just say, 'I can only ride expensive horses.''
Lamenting over what couldn't be achieved wouldn't solve anything.
Regardless, today was wasted.
"Go."
"Not riding today?"
"I've lost interest."
Rather than riding a horse unnecessarily, Vlad decided it was better to prepare for a spar with Zayar and headed back to the training ground.
As he contemplated returning, Vlad's ears caught the familiar voice of someone.
"Hmm."
He could have ignored it and moved on, but Vlad decided to follow the sound, remembering Jorge's emphasis on paying attention to peculiar trends.
Danger and threats always seemed to lurk nearby.
Following the sound, Vlad made his way through the dim corridors of the mansion.
Thud!
Splutter!
And there, unfolding before him, was a scene that Vlad had seen countless times back when he lived in the alleys.
"I've been leaving you alone these days, pig!"
"Must be happy to have a new friend."
"Anyway, you dirty bastards play together. Sticking together like that."
There, surrounded by Sobanin and his followers, was Potree, sobbing miserably.
'That's what he gets for being a pushover.'
Vlad had a bitter taste in his mouth as he saw Potree being beaten and crying without being able to speak properly.
"...People everywhere are the same."
The ones who live well and the ones who don't.
In the end, they were just people who survived by preying on those weaker than themselves.
Vlad leaned against the mansion wall and closed his eyes.
"..."
Should he intervene or not?
Back in the alleys, it was easy to make a quick judgment.
If someone like the Zemina, Harven, or Jorge family was being beaten up, Vlad would have acted without hesitation, whether they were bound by personal or organizational ties. That was the alley's code.
But the one getting beaten up over there wasn't someone he was bound to.
They were just acquaintances, at best.
"······But I feel like shit."
Normally, Vlad would have left without a second thought, but now he stood still, deep in thought.
Should he step up for others?
Where was the line between others and himself?
And was he someone who should step up for others?
"...It's complicated."
The boy hadn't yet realized that as his world expanded, he could embrace more.
As Potree's sorrowful cries echoed around him, Vlad's contemplation deepened.