Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System-Chapter 40: A Sumptuous Dinner

This sudden turn of events left Murphy somewhat dazed.

He waited until Kelvin and his men had vanished into the snowstorm before slowly exhaling a white plume of breath.

He was secretly relieved.

’If I hadn’t sensed Kelvin approaching just in time, I probably would’ve been forced to reveal my true strength.’

’With my skills, I probably could have escaped the Baron’s Castle, but that would’ve completely ruined my plan to stay here as a Groom. The mission for option two would have certainly failed as well.’

’The Lord Baron’s decision was certainly swift and decisive...’

Murphy rubbed the arm he’d scraped on the ground, thinking to himself.

He knew all too well the dangers that came with a shift in power.

The Old Baron’s ability to make such a decision in so little time—sending Sylvan to the South and letting Kelvin take over the domain—was a startling display of resolve.

For Murphy, however, such decisiveness wasn’t entirely a bad thing. At least he no longer had to live in constant fear of being dragged into the nobles’ open and secret struggles.

Just as he was lost in thought, several doors to the main stable dormitories creaked open one after another. A few Grooms, who had been hiding inside to watch, cautiously poked their heads out.

"Three years..." a white-haired old Groom mumbled, his voice so soft it was almost drowned out by the wind and snow. "It took me a full eight years to get the title of Upper-class Groom."

A middle-aged Groom nearby shook his head with a bitter smile. "Old John, what’s the point of saying that now? The title of Upper-class Groom isn’t worth what it used to be. I tended to Silvermane in the inner section for six years, and I still ended up being sent out here to the outer section."

Murphy recognized these two men.

The older one had once tended to the late Glanen Knight’s warhorse, Thunder, while the younger one had cared for the Roton Knight’s mount, Silvermane.

While Murphy had been at the public stables, a total of ten Upper-class Grooms had been sent down to the main stables of the outer section.

They were two of them.

Another four Upper-class Grooms were forced to retire because they were too old.

Old John sighed. "Now there are only fifteen Upper-class Grooms left in the inner section. Three years ago, there were twenty-nine. Each Official Knight’s warhorse was assigned five Grooms, but now..."

The middle-aged Groom chimed in, "The Knights fell in battle, their warhorses perished, and as for us who tend to them... well, naturally..."

He didn’t finish his sentence, but everyone understood his meaning.

Old John looked Murphy up and down, his tone complex. "Young man, you’ve certainly come at a good time. We’ve worked ourselves to the bone for so many years, and in the end, we’re still no match for a newcomer of three years like you."

The middle-aged Groom laughed self-deprecatingly. "These days, being an Upper-class Groom in the outer section is just an empty title. What do you get, besides earning one more copper plate a day than the grooms for the ordinary warhorses?"

Murphy listened quietly, understanding how the old Grooms felt.

They had spent five, eight, or even more years to earn the title of Upper-class Groom.

Even though the title had lost much of its value, the fact that he had achieved their status in just three years was bound to leave a sour taste in their mouths.

Murphy listened quietly before speaking with a measure of respect, "You masters are right. I’m only here today because of luck. I hope you’ll all continue to guide me in the art of horse-rearing."

Old John stared at Murphy for a long while, then finally showed a smile of relief. "So be it. This is all Oriane’s arrangement. At least you earned your title of Upper-class Groom with real skill. Making Red Leaf recognize only you—that’s not something just anyone can do."

The other Grooms nodded in agreement.

In these turbulent times, having a stable job was better than anything.

Even if the title of Upper-class Groom wasn’t as prestigious as it once was, the alternative wasn’t just being sent to the outer section’s main stables—it was being sent directly to the public stables.

And the extra copper plate earned each day, when accumulated, was not a small sum.

...

Night slowly fell. Murphy was busy in his dormitory next to the main stables.

The charcoal in the fire pit was burning brightly. A small iron pot was set over it, with a fragrant, thick soup stewing inside.

Murphy had deliberately added more oats and dried beans to the soup, and even sliced a few pieces of precious smoked meat.

A loaf of black bread lay on the table board. Although it was still coarse, it was much better than what the servants usually ate.

Familiar footsteps sounded from outside the door. Bart and Hank stood at the entrance, rubbing their hands together a little nervously.

"Please, come in." Murphy quickly got up to greet them. "It’s freezing outside. Come sit by the fire pit."

As he spoke, he spread two old pieces of burlap on the piles of hay by the fire pit, motioning for them to sit.

Bart and Hank exchanged a glance before stepping into the room, cautiously sitting down on the simple seats.

Hank looked around the room. "This... this is too extravagant."

"What are you talking about?" Murphy placed a wooden bowl in front of each of them. "We’re old friends. Go on, try the soup."

Bart sat cross-legged on the burlap, his gaze involuntarily drifting to the slices of smoked meat.

Murphy noticed his expression and pushed the plate of smoked meat toward him. "Try some. I saved it specially."

Hank took the wooden bowl. The thick soup inside gave off a tempting aroma.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I heard... I heard you were officially appointed as an Upper-class Groom today?"

Murphy nodded, refilling their soup as he spoke, "Yeah. From now on, I’ll be taking care of Red Leaf exclusively."

Bart finally relaxed a bit, his crossed legs looking more natural. "This is great! Four copper plates a day—that’s a first among us. Even though I’m still looking after the warhorses, I wouldn’t even dare to dream of becoming an Upper-class Groom one day."

Hank gently stirred the soup in his bowl. "Murphy, if Lord Yor were still here, he would be happy for you from the bottom of his heart to see you get this opportunity. To become an Upper-class Groom in three years... that’s a first in the Baron’s Castle."

The three of them sat around the hay piles by the fire pit, and the atmosphere gradually warmed up.

Murphy periodically refilled their bowls with soup and sawed off pieces of black bread to share with them.

At first, Hank sat bolt upright, but under Murphy’s warm hospitality, he gradually relaxed his posture, copying Bart and crossing his legs.

Bart said while chewing on smoked meat, "If you ask me, you completely deserve this. Who doesn’t know that Red Leaf only listens to you?" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Hank nodded in agreement, his wooden bowl already empty. "Things in the Baron’s Castle have finally stabilized. Your position should be very secure."

Bart finished the last piece of soup-soaked black bread and sighed in satisfaction. "These past few days have been so nerve-wracking. We can finally live in peace now."

The night deepened, and the charcoal in the fire pit gradually dimmed.

When Bart and Hank got up to leave, Murphy pressed a small handful of copper plates into each of their hands.

"This..." Hank tried to refuse.

Bart also waved his hand hastily. "Yeah, even though you’ve been promoted to Upper-class Groom, you should still save some money for a rainy day."

Murphy said with a smile, "Take it. My situation is a little better now. It’s only right that I help out."

After seeing the two of them off, Murphy sat alone by the dying fire pit. He closed his eyes and began to silently practice Breathing and Guiding. A warm current of Qi slowly flowed through his body.

Outside the window, the snowstorm continued, but it was serene both indoors and out.