|| Chapter 14 || A Shocking Meal

Anger sparked inside her chest as the red-headed maid glared at the young master in front of him. She could not pass the blame on him since everyone quite saw that she had stumbled on her own. Clenching her fists she could only tremble in spite "You..."

Moulin feigned distress as he asked if she was injured or anything but the girl only lowered her head and ignored him.

Emlen scowled at the reckless maid. How hard was it to carry a bowl of soup! The head maid should do a better job at disciplining. Now the food was wasted dripping all over her and the floor. His brother was also quite surprising, taking the initiative to care about the irresponsible maid. Yet, seeing the maid ignoring his brother's concern his eyes darken.

"Is she mute?" Emlen rasped at the head butler, Fabian.

"She isn't, Young master" The butler lowered his head and replied, glancing at the servant on the floor refusing to stand up.

"If she isn't then won't she listen if you tell her to get off the floor?" Maxille's deep voice reminded Fabian as he beckoned Moulin to sit beside him.

The Lady and the Lord gave a doting smile at Moulin once the youth turned back to face them. The third young master glanced at Fabian, taking a seat beside Maxille and greeting the rest of his family. Moulin placed Snow on the chair by his right, mentally giving Viana a warning.

The family butler bowed slightly and straightened his posture as he proceeded towards the maid. Any reckless servant wasn't allowed to serve the food of a noble family and this one even dared to not apologize to the third young master. A prideful servant like her was lucky she wasn't working in the stables instead!

The servants took her away and cleaned the mess she made.

A few moments after, the uncomfortable atmosphere recovered as the family of five enjoyed their meal. The dinner was harmonious and the food was incredibly delicious. Moulin chuckled at the bratty fox, eating beside him. His beady silver eyes shined as he gobbled up the food served especially for him. Moulin had to wipe his snout clean only to be messy again after a few mouthfuls.

"Moulin, what have you been doing today?" His mother asked him with bright smiling eyes. Her slender fingers wrapped around the platinum knife and fork as she sliced a piece of meat with grace.

Swallowing down the food in his mouth, Moulin's lips parted to reply "I was--".

"He was reading. Like how he frequently spends his time these days" Emlen interrupted glancing at Moulin with a teasing look. His grey eyes darted towards his mother. "I caught him reading a whole bookshelf in the gardens. Two, in particular, was the Corahn History of Gods and the fourth book of the Hundred Thousand Art of Internal Cultivation. Little brother is pretty interesting nowadays".

The Lord of the House paused momentarily. With a hint of confusion in his deep grey eyes, he took a glimpse at his youngest son. He wondered why Moulin would be so eager to read those kinds of books. Obviously, it wasn't something that could help his son, perhaps, Moulin was possibly curious about the knowledge relating to mana wielding.

The eldest brother lightly raised his eyebrows in surprise as he placed down his glass after taking a little sip. "Are you, perhaps, interested in ability wielding cultivation?". Hearing his elder brother's words, Emlen shifted his curious eyes back on Moulin.

"It 𝑖𝑠 quite fascinating" Moulin gave out an intriguing smile at Maxille. "But I was merely reading it out of curiosity and I don't believe I can ever perform it with this body of mine. And I also lack the very thing every maeruthan wielder would have ". Lowering his head after he spoke, he failed to see the looks of distress from the people around the table. Especially Maxille, who felt regretful of opening the subject of conversation.

Silver eyes focused on dividing the piece of meat on the platter. A smile never left his face as Moulin once again spoke "...Which is why I prefer to learn martial arts".

...

...

...

A ten-second silence swallowed the whole dining table, even the servants had paused for a moment at the unbelievable statement. Lady Maxiel nearly dropped her knife out of disbelief. Three pairs of grey eyes deeply stared at Moulin's calmed countenance. Only the latter acted as if what he said wasn't such a great deal and patted Moulin's snout with a table napkin.

Emlen was the first to break the silence. "...Martial Arts?".

"Yes, martial arts" The white-headed youth nodded at his second elder brother without even looking at him. Moulin planned to practice his wielding abilities somewhere more private. He decided to pause his mana cultivation and focused on strengthening his body. This way he would not need to rely on his abilities all the time.

"Moulin, Are you hearing yourself? You want to learn how to fight when you clearly said you aren't even capable " Emlen spoke with a hint of disbelief.

Letting out a long exasperated sigh that seemed to make the family members braced themselves, Moulin eyed everyone sitting with him at the dining table. His momentous gaze somewhat surprised his family once again. "I want to learn how to fight and to defend myself. You may have already noticed that I am not the same person as I was before. I have changed ever since I have lived in the northern mountains alone and isolated. It may be hard to believe it but if you give me a chance, I can prove to you that I can do better".

After those words had sunk into their minds, silence once again engulfed the table. Of course, Emlen would refuse it. Learning their family's Martial arts isn't as easy as writing! Even he, who had been training the method ever since he was five years old, hadn't fully mastered it to this day. Meanwhile, both Maxille and his father had rare complicated looks, contemplating.

"I say we give him the chance" A soft calm voice suddenly broke the other's thoughts.

"Mother!" Emlen was alarmed, his eyes dilating.

"Don't you also think Moulin should do something other than reading all day? I'm afraid he would leave for the city library once he finishes all the books here" Lady Maxiel smiled at her second son. Her dark eyes looked warm and loving yet a vague warning could be heard from her tone as she fixed her gaze on him until Emlen shrunken.

"Dear?" Lady Maxiel shifted her gaze at her husband who all too quiet.

With a rarely troubled expression etching his face, the Lord surrender under his wife's intense gaze afraid of being prohibited to sleep in their bed tonight. Clearing his throat he glanced at his eldest son who nodded in agreement.

"I will have Sarto to coach you tomorrow. If you can carry on after a week, then I will officially permit you to master martial arts. Let us hope that your words do not become insignificant" The Lord pitifully received a dazzling smile from his wife as he focused on his platter, expression unreadable. Emlen gawked at his father and brother.

"Thank you, Father and Mother" Moulin couldn't help but give out a broad grin. He chuckled, catching sight of his mother winking at him.

The family continued to dine unaware of the time passing by.

An hour later, Moulin let himself sink on the soft enormous bed after locking the door of his bedroom in case those fussy servants ever enter. As usual, his reminisce his life back in the northern mountains when he would walk under the starry sea-like sky, his bare feet planted on the cool surface of the frozen lake. The life of a young aristocrat is quite good and satisfying but it feels too empty to be doing nothing all day other than reading. He was glad he had suggested training earlier. He should really be sleeping early for the fatiguing activity tomorrow.

In a flash, he darted towards his bathroom with the startled little Fox in his arms. Washing up and changing into his nightclothes, he settled Snow beside him as the two of them cuddled to sleep. The light of the moon peeking through the large windows covered them like a blanket.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The bright glare of the sun almost scorched

the jagged floor of the Estate's training grounds. The area was located a few kilometers behind the manor. The clashing of metal and abilities was wild and the scent of sweat was heavy in the air. The knights all trained in groups, those who were wielders trained separately and sorted according to their abilities. The majority of the knights, particularly, the ones without abilities nevertheless have the same training procedure as the knight wielders.

The training grounds stretched a couple of kilometers and wider by a kilometer but it looked small considering the many side buildings and the roofed-walkways. Underneath the open grounds on the surface, an alternative training area also existed frequently used by ability wielders. The structure was complicated but very stable.

Standing under a roofed stoned path, a white-haired young man stood clad in training uniform embroidered with the Fraunces Crest on his chest. Pola fidgeted nervously, watching the strong physiques of the men with clenching weapons, brimming with absolute strength. She wondered how her young master would be able to best these creatures.

Like a lamb surrounded by lions and tigers, Moulin's small frame was pretty eye-catching. The rumors of the third young master joining the tough physical regime had spread throughout the estate. It was quite unbelievable.

"Third young master" A tall lean man with thick Blondie beige hair, hawkish cubic face, bearded jaw, and light orange eyes. His brawny body hovered over the small frame of Moulin. "My name is Sarto Vidola, I was assigned to instruct you" Behind him was a familiar freckled young lad sneaking glances at Moulin. It was the lad who accompanied Maxille during his rescue.

"Good morning, Captain" Moulin greeted with a smile.

"Good morning...." The captain greeted, briefly nodding his head.

He could clearly discern the judging gaze of the brawn man before him but Moulin did not care. He simply behaved like a newly recruited knight as Sir Sarto led the way towards a desolated area far from the rest of the knights.

Jonac's hands fumbled with the hilt of his sword as he walked behind his captain. His thoughts we're increasingly directed at the frail-looking young master behind them. Though the rumors he heard were really unfavorable towards the young master he knew that this small person had survived with unyielding resolve in the freezing mountains of the North. He had a faint belief that young master Moulin was definitely capable in his own way.

Arriving in a small empty enclosed training yard, the captain stopped at the center of the rough grounds and faced Moulin. The child in front of him doesn't seem to be the type to perform any heavy exercises but the strange glint of his tenacious silver pupils threw every bit of weakness away from him. He was truly different than he was before. At first, he had a lot of doubts about the young master's eagerness to learn how to fight, however, it seems he had to see for himself if Moulin was truthfully determined.

Pola, stood with the informant knight, Jonac. The little fox appeared to be too calm to worry over his master. She was really worried if her master would be given any severe injuries during his lesson. It wouldn't be surprising if he did but it would be pitiful to see him in pain and his skin covered with wounds.

With a respectful salute, Muolin spoke with a determined voice "Please teach me, Captain Vidola".

Surprised by the committed gesture, the bulky man grinned, lifting his chin. "Don't come running back home like a wronged sissy if work gets too hard for you, boy". His eyes were smiling with amusement.

Let's see how he fares after a week...