Mount

Recap

I got up and walk toward that direction barefooted discovering him.

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Fan clench his sword tightly before slicing the air around him. It seems as if he was dancing with his sword. His slices are all firm and strong.

I stay hidden in the bushes watching his performance silently while admiring his skills. Berry suddenly creeps out behind me out of nowhere, wanting my attention.

His sudden appearance caused me to panic and accidentally step on a thin twig nearby.

Crack

His ears twitch towards my direction, "Who is there!" Fan stops and pointed his sword towards my direction where the sound came from.

Fan open his eyes to which met mine. His golden green orbs stare straight into my soul. "Young master?" he called out.

The past few hours, the head butler of Clades and the captain of the knights, came together after their master ordered them to mould Fan into a knight.

The head butler both taught him about the value of the Clades and etiquette while Hilda taught him about the duties and honour of being a knight. Even though he wasn't knighted yet, he progresses so much in just a few hours.

He lowered his sword and put his sword back into his sheath. I look at his stoic face and his straight posture.

Berry neigh as he paws the ground then nudges me. " Bored! Very bored! Run!"

I laugh at his childish actions, "Just run with the wind nearby alright?" He was going to trot off however he smells something interesting as he lifts his head high. Berry walks up to Fan and sniffed him cautiously.

Fan tried to back away until he realises what Berry sniffing him for, Fan pats his thigh in search for his pouch as he digs for the fruit he was snacking on earlier.

He took it out and offered it to a fruit which was roughly 2 cm in size, I was in utter shock as I have never seen Fan so gentle with someone else, though his facial expression remains stoic.

Since the fruit they are eating is very foreign to me, I decided to use my skill 'Appraisal'.

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Name: Vangou Flame Fruit

Item: Fruit

Rank: D

It is a fruit from the Flame fruit species, it is commonly found in regions on warmer seasons. If eaten properly it causes small explosions in the mouth, after the harmless explosions there will be a cooling feeling after.

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"So it is an exploding peppermint..." I mumble out.

I stood there silently watching the scene appear before me. I gather my courage to walk closer to Fan. " Can I try it?"

He nodded as I tried to pick up the fruit from Fan's hand.

Tried.

Berry is consistently 1 second faster than me as he continues snatching the fruit when it is presented to me.

"B-berry!" Feeling even more flustered by every passing second.

Berry ignore my cries and continue his actions as he neighs in satisfaction. However, this time I'm the one who snatched his fruit.

He neighs angrily as he raises his leg and shoves me, the force is more powerful than his normal push. I shut my eyes in panic when I got pushed by Berry, I fell without a doubt, yet I didn't feel any impact from the ground.

When I open my eyes I saw Fan below me. It was as if he was a perfect human mattress cushioning me. He remains flawlessly calm and still while I was on top of him.

I remain in a daze as I got up which was a bad idea. I use his stomach for support but I end up straddling him instead.

I could feel my face heat up.

" Are you alright young master?" he spoke in a monotonous voice. Shouldn't he be worried about himself instead!?

I coughed, " Yes I am."

Berry at the back snorting at us. " Haha, young master, you're too weak!" he sublimely flips his mane and gallops away.

Argh, that damn horse! I lie down on him to regain my balance and roll to one side.

I got up groggily while Fan got up at a faster pace. He came closer and wipe the dust off my back. I silently walk towards the river where I left my boots. Fan silently follows me.

" Fan, you can continue your training you know? You don't have to follow me..." I trail off thinking about why he did train by himself. How did he find this place? Is he being mistreated? Thinking about his personality he would silently put up with the nonsense they throw at him. I want to watch his training once again, it is so peaceful when I observe him.

"You can watch me train, young master." as if reading my mind he spoke out loud. The sky slowly darkens, as it occurs the forest gradually light up in the darkness. It was as if there were fireflies nearby but it was just not though it seems as if the forest decided to illume by itself.

It was dead silent in the forest, I can only hear my own breathing and Berry's clip-clops.

"Alright, I want to from the start anyway..." I whispered the last part.

"Pardon me, " he said as the unsheath his sword and went to his stance. Fan elegantly slice through the air as his whole body cooperated as if it was a performance. It seems as if he was expressing what he wanted from the show, Freedom.

All I could do was watch silently and admire his abilities once again.

A roar sounded out.

The ground shakes as I fell to the ground. A huge shadow about 3 metres high walking towards us from deep inside the forest as if a strong beast has woken up from its slumber.

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