Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, a year had passed.
Murphy stood in the stable as usual, carefully grooming Red Leaf's mane.
Over the past year, he had persisted in his cultivation of [Breathing and Guiding]. The Qi inside his body had grown from its initial, hair-thin strand to the thickness of a baby's little finger.
This stream of Qi seemed to be of constant temperature as it flowed through his meridians. It felt cool during the hot summer days and exuded warmth in the cold of winter.
The Duval Baron's Domain was located in the Northern Territory of the Kingdom. Every winter, a cold current from the north would bring vast, swirling snows, dyeing the entire domain a silvery white.
However, this harsh, cold environment didn't affect Murphy. The Qi circulating within him constantly maintained a comfortable body temperature. No matter how the wind and snow howled outside, he could calmly tend to the warhorses even in just a single layer of clothing.
Of course, that was only in theory. Murphy had never been so brazen.
The most obvious changes were physical.
The seventeen-year-old Murphy had shot up to 1.78 meters tall. His shoulders had broadened considerably, and the muscles on his arms were well-defined. He no longer looked thin and weak.
What delighted him even more was that, nourished by his Qi, his strength had grown far beyond that of an ordinary person.
He could now lift one and a half large sacks full of oats—weighing roughly seventy to eighty kilograms—with a single hand and hoist them over his shoulder with ease.
To put that in perspective, right after his transformation from achieving [Horse Trainer: Slightly Accomplished], he had only been able to lift one large, full sack of oats, which weighed about fifty kilograms.
Now, only a year later, his strength had increased by fifty percent.
In comparison, however, Lawson's changes were even more striking.
The once-gawky teenager had now grown into a tall figure of over 1.8 meters, with broad shoulders. His every move carried the unique authority of a follower.
His original rough linen clothes had been replaced by the chain armor he often wore, and his strength had reached the point where he could lift a hundred-kilogram stone lock to his shoulder with one hand.
But in terms of the enhancement of his five senses, Murphy's improvement was more significant than that of the followers.
Murphy clearly remembered one morning last month when Lawson was on the training grounds, looking around as if searching for something.
From halfway across the training grounds, Murphy had smelled the distinctive greasy scent of Lawson's lost leather glove and quickly located it in the grass.
Similarly, he hadn't said a word, instead pretending to be just passing by as he left.
At the time, the other followers present, including Kelvin, who was known for his sharp senses, had noticed nothing.
Of course, it was also possible that Kelvin hadn't bothered to help look at all.
This incident made Murphy realize that while [Breathing and Guiding] might not match the pure power growth from the Life Energy cultivated by Knights, it was superior in terms of overall physical enhancement.
He had once been passing the training grounds and, thanks to his keen senses, overheard the Knights discussing the cultivation of "Life Energy." It seemed to be a method that focused more on explosive force and destructive power.
But aside from the changes in his strength, the changes in Lawson's personality were also obvious.
Just yesterday, when Lawson returned from training, he had shot Murphy a look of displeasure for the first time because Red Leaf's mane had a small speck of dried grass on it.
Although Lawson quickly reverted to his usual tone, the shift in his eyes at that moment made Murphy understand that the young follower was gradually changing.
"Murphy, bring Red Leaf out."
Lawson's voice came from outside the stable, his tone carrying an unquestionable command.
"Yes, milord."
Murphy skillfully saddled Red Leaf and led him to Lawson.
Lawson swung himself onto the horse with a clean, fluid motion.
After a year of training, his horsemanship was already quite exquisite, and his coordination with Red Leaf had become increasingly seamless.
Perched atop Red Leaf, Lawson looked down and said, "I'm going to New Wood Town on patrol with Leo and the others today. I'll be back before dusk. Remember to give the stable a thorough cleaning. I want to see it spotless when I return."
"Understood, milord."
Watching Lawson's retreating back as he rode away, Murphy gently shook his head.
After the recruitment drive a few days ago, four new warhorses had been added to the previously empty main stable. They belonged to the four followers recruited this year.
Naturally, these four warhorses were also brand new, recently acquired by Baron Duval.
It was worth noting that these four new followers were all sons of nobility: the nephew of the domain's chief advisor, the descendant of a hereditary Knight from a neighboring county, a cousin of the Lady Baron, and the son of a Steward from a major merchant guild.
That evening, Hank and Bart came to Murphy's quarters again.
Ever since the disaster in the Twilight Mountain Range, the three of them had forged a bond of shared hardship and would often gather like this.
"It's still so spacious here." Hank looked around his former room with envy. "Living alone is so much better."
Bart plopped down on a low stool and sighed. "The public stables are so crowded it's hard to even turn around. I got up to feed the horses their night fodder last night and nearly tripped over some tack on the ground."
Murphy poured them some water. "It's only temporary. Once Lord Lawson arranges for another groom, I doubt things will be this good anymore."
Hank waved his hand dismissively. "I doubt it. You do the work of two grooms by yourself. The higher-ups probably won't bother assigning anyone else."
Hearing this, Murphy smiled to himself.
'This was exactly the result he wanted.'
For the past year, he had deliberately displayed a work efficiency far beyond that of an ordinary person. He not only kept Red Leaf's coat glossy and sleek but also managed the entire stable with impeccable order.
He had no desire for someone to come and share the fine feed he'd been "skimming." That nutritious feed of oats and dried fish was a vital resource supporting his cultivation.
Murphy chose his words carefully. "Actually, you guys could come back to care for Lawson's warhorse. After all, I'm only one person. There are times I can't handle everything."
Bart shook his head with a bitter smile. "It's not that simple. The grooms for the other nine new followers' warhorses are all their own trusted retainers."
Murphy fell silent for a moment. 'Trusted retainers?'
'He hadn't forgotten that Lawson had met Yor.'
Bart continued, "Besides, do you know why they made an exception this year and recruited the son of a Steward from a major merchant guild as a follower?"
Murphy shook his head. "No."
Bart lowered his voice. "I heard the domain was hit by a rare cold snap last winter that froze a lot of livestock to death. After spring began, a flash flood washed away the domain's lower reaches and part of the farmland. They need to cut expenses, so they can't hire more grooms."
"Even if a follower is short a groom or one needs a day off, they just temporarily borrow one from another follower to help. Recruiting that guild Steward's son was all about securing financial support from their merchant guild."
Murphy said, "Then what about the Northern Trade Route..."
The room fell silent. No one answered.
Hank broke the silence. "Speaking of which, things in the public stables are getting tougher and tougher. They never replaced the grooms we lost last time. There are over a hundred horses for just a dozen of us to look after. We work from dawn till dusk and can never get it all done."
Bart chimed in with his own complaint. "The worst part is how they treat the draft horses. They do the hardest work but don't even get a mouthful of fine feed. I really don't know what the higher-ups are thinking."
Murphy listened quietly, nodding in agreement from time to time.
He didn't say much, just listened in silence for a long, long time.