Chapter 12: [12]
"Why are you suddenly looking for Hugo?"
"I have my reasons. Where is he now?"
"...Hugo hasn't been working here long. I believe he's currently learning the ropes in the stables."
"Good. Lead the way."
Ethan began walking without waiting for a response.
"Did you know Hugo before?" Naid asked.
"No. This will be my first time meeting him."
"Then why all of a sudden...?"
"There are things like that. Just show me the way without questions."
'The first piece is in place.'
Hugo was originally meant to join the protagonist's party, but Ethan intended to take him first.
'Wild Hugo.'
Although he was a male character with little prominence in the original story, his skills were undeniable.
Hugo would be more than capable of making his presence felt in the upcoming subjugation operation.
***
The stables of the Blante family were massive. Not only were there many stables, but each one was also quite large. Each stable housed many horses, and all of them were worthy of being called fine steeds.
As a result, the Blante stables were always bustling.
However, the stable where Hugo was working was unusually quiet. There was an oddly eerie atmosphere.
'Hmm, strange.'
Upon entering the stable, the horses paid no attention to Ethan.
'They seem well-fed.'
Judging by their glossy coats, their nutrition appeared adequate. However, Ethan wasn't an expert; it was hard for him to accurately assess their condition.
"How do the horses look to you?" Ethan asked Naid, who was walking behind him.
"They seem to be in excellent condition. They appear well taken care of. However, there is something strange... The horses seem scared."
"I thought so too."
After finishing his words, Ethan once again looked around at the horses.
'Is it because of his nature?'
Wild Hugo. Hugo wasn't entirely human. He had another kind of blood flowing within him.
'Could it be that the horses are scared because of that?'
Animals are more sensitive than humans. Their instinctive senses are more acute than those of humans.
At that moment, a man busy organizing the stable in the distance came into view.
Due to the robe covering his face, it was hard to tell, but judging by how the nearby horses were particularly scared, it seemed to be Hugo.
"Is that him?"
"It appears so."
'He doesn't have a sturdy build.'
At a glance, his physique even looked a bit frail.
Ethan made sure his footsteps were audible as he approached the man.
"Wh-who...?"
The hooded man turned and looked at Ethan.
Upon recognizing the formal attire, he hurriedly bowed his head.
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't realize..."
"No need to apologize. I came unannounced. You're Hugo, right?"
"...Y-yes, that's correct. Is there a problem...?"
Ethan scanned the surroundings.
It was quiet.
Despite the large size of the stable, Hugo seemed to be the only one working there.
"Naid."
Ethan called Naid, who answered with his head bowed in shame.
"Yes, Young Master."
"Is it always like this here?"
"No, it is not."
"Aren't you in charge of overseeing the staff here?"
"...Yes, I am."
"Do your job properly."
"I will take note of it."
After a brief exchange, Ethan looked at Hugo.
Hugo still seemed unsure of how to act.
"Take off your hood."
At Ethan's words, Hugo hesitated for a moment before reluctantly removing his hood.
'That's quite a scar.'
Hugo, a young man with silver hair and yellow eyes, came into view, his left cheek marked by a large diagonal scar. For someone as young as Hugo, it appeared to be a significant trauma.
But Ethan wasn't concerned. Having lived as Ryu, he was long past the age where scars would bother him.
Moreover, it wasn't uncommon for martial artists to tattoo over their scars to express their individuality.
'A scar like that is nothing.'
In fact, scars could become a trademark.
"Do you usually work here alone?" Ethan asked.
"...Yes," Hugo replied, his head hanging low.
Ethan clicked his tongue. "Since when?"
"Not long."
"Do you know why?"
"...They say the horses calm down when I'm here..."
"Naid."
"Yes, Young Master."
"Fire all the servants assigned to this stable."
"Understood."
"There's no shortage of manpower, right? I can't tolerate wasting the family's resources."
Having said that, Ethan quietly observed Hugo.
'It's hard to tell right now.'
Ethan, who prided himself on his keen senses, couldn't discern anything from Hugo at the moment.
"Well, I can't summon you right away. Come to my annex tomorrow."
"Y-yes?!"
Hugo asked in confusion, but Ethan had already turned away.
Waving his hand dismissively, Ethan walked out of the stable.
***
The next day, Hugo arrived at Ethan's annex.
"You found your way here without getting lost," Ethan remarked.
"T-thank you…." Hugo replied.
"Alright, let's head to the training grounds."
Ethan led Hugo toward the training grounds, leaving Hugo to follow with a puzzled expression.
'Why am I going to the training grounds? Did I do something wrong?'
A sense of unease grew within him. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't find a reason why someone like him, just a lowly servant, would be needed there.
However, he didn't dare ask Ethan for an explanation.
Despite his reluctance, Hugo anxiously trailed behind Ethan.
When they arrived at the training grounds, Ethan silently looked at Hugo before throwing some clothes at him.
"Change into these first."
"These are…."
Seeing Hugo staring blankly at the clothes, Ethan clarified.
"They're training clothes."
"Training… clothes, sir?"
"Yes. First, I need to assess your physical condition."
Ethan needed to evaluate Hugo's basic physical state before proceeding with anything else.
Following Ethan's instructions, Hugo changed his clothes.
His body, exposed while changing, was covered with old scars. Even Ethan, who was already aware of this, couldn't help but frown.
'It's not from injuries. Must be abuse.'
There was no mention of this in the original story. In the original work, aside from the protagonist, most of the highlighted characters were female.
Despite being a companion of the protagonist, Hugo wasn't given much focus.
After changing into the training clothes, Hugo looked at Ethan with a worried expression.
'He's skinny.'
Hugo's body was emaciated, likely due to prolonged malnutrition.
Ethan frowned.
"What, do they discriminate against you even with food?"
"..."
When Hugo remained silent, struggling to answer, Ethan called for Naid.
"Naid."
"Yes, Young Master."
"Can't you see this?"
Ethan pointed at Hugo's frail body.
Naid's brow furrowed slightly at the sight of Hugo's gaunt frame.
"I will look into it."
"Make sure you do. Do you want rumors spreading that the great Blante family can't even feed its servants properly?"
Naid bowed his head and left the training grounds, his expression cold.
"Well, you can still move your body, right?" Ethan asked.
Hugo nodded.
"Run to that wall and back. Full speed."
Ethan pointed to a wall roughly 200 meters away.
Given the distance, anything around 20 seconds would be impressive.
"What are you waiting for? Run!"
Startled by Ethan's stern tone, Hugo started running.
Thud, thud, thud.
'What's with that awkward form?'
It was a disappointing start. Hugo ran with a clumsy posture as if he were running for the first time.
Ethan felt a pang of disappointment.
But that disappointment was short-lived.
Hugo's pace began to pick up. Despite his awkward form, his strides grew longer, and his airtime increased.
Seeing this, Ethan smirked.
"It'll be tough if you're late!"
At Ethan's shout, Hugo pushed himself even harder.
Tap!
Hugo's hand touched the wall.
At that moment, Ethan's eyes widened.
Hugo's shift in center of gravity was beyond human capability.
When Hugo pushed off the wall, he sprang forward like a beast.
'Even the most agile athletes aren't this good.'
Athletes known for their agility, especially football players considered the best on the planet, couldn't match this level of explosiveness. This was an innate ability, a talent.
Hugo sprinted back to Ethan in no time.
'Less than 20 seconds, I think.'
An unbelievable record given his awkward stance.
Furthermore, Hugo didn't even seem out of breath.
His breathing, which had quickened slightly, stabilized almost instantly.
'I overlooked him because he was described as a wild character.'
His fundamental physical abilities were exceptional.
Ethan's smile widened.
"Hey, stop being a servant."
"What?"
Hugo's face turned pale, and he dropped to his knees.
"Did I do something wrong? Please, forgive me."
Seeing Hugo beg with a tearful expression, Ethan frowned.
"What are you talking about? I want you to stop being a servant and become my direct subordinate. Why, you don't want to? At least I'll make sure you're well-fed."
Hugo blinked at Ethan in disbelief.
"Is that… really true?"
"Yes. I'll make sure you eat until you're full. Just follow my orders."
After a moment of contemplation, Hugo nodded, as if he had made a decision.
"If I'm good enough, then… please take care of me."
"Good."
Ethan extended his hand, and Hugo shook it.
'His hands are like those of a beast.'
Ethan instinctively sensed the the raw power in Hugo's hands.
"Alright, let's finish what we need to do before we eat."
"…What?"
"First, let's start with some push-ups."
Ethan flashed a devilish smile.
***
"He took a stable boy? Why?" Morun asked with a frown.
The servant shook his head.
"I don't know the reason. I just know that all the other stable hands were dismissed by the family."
"Huh, Ethan dismissed them? Who does he think he is?"
Morun considered confronting Ethan out of sheer irritation but quickly changed his mind.
'Is he so short on men that he has to use a servant? Who in their right mind would want to work under him in this situation?'
Given that he was the most powerful of the siblings and had been closely monitoring Ethan, it was obvious.
Morun pondered for a moment before smiling satisfactorily.
"Leave him be."
"Excuse me? But…."
"He's just a servant, after all. It's not even worth nitpicking. If we prepare properly for this subjugation, we won't have to worry about Ethan causing any more trouble."
Despite his wariness from the previous incident, seeing Ethan resort to taking a mere servant reassured Morun that there was no further need for concern.
'Let him struggle.'
There were already subtle rumors spreading. Any knight or soldier with common sense would never join Ethan's ranks.
'Once this mission is over, you're finished.'
Thinking of his insolent younger brother, Morun laughed.
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