Moreover, he noticed that Lord Raymond and the butler were unusually friendly towards this commoner, even inviting him to be a guest at the manor.
He had served Lord Raymond for so many years and had never seen him act so out of character.
His eyes flickered as he once again scrutinized Karl's black hair and the face that bore a slight resemblance to Lord Raymond's features, a guess forming in his heart.
Immediately, he thought that since Lord Raymond and the butler hadn't made their attitudes clear, why was he worrying about it?
He turned his head to his companion and said, "Hey, keep training."
However, his companion across from him paid no attention to his words, his eyes wide, sword in hand, and mouth agape as he stared behind him.
Seeing this, he raised an eyebrow and looked curiously at his other companions, seeing that both of them had the same expression.
"Why are you all making those faces? Is there something behind me..." he mumbled softly, slowly turning around.
Immediately after, he too instantly widened his eyes, staring blankly and dumbfounded at Karl.
He saw Karl nearby, single-handedly lifting a three-hundred-pound stone lock and raising it above his head.
This thing was too heavy; they needed four people to barely lift it, yet now someone had lifted it with one hand.
"My god, guys, am I seeing things?"
"Is that really three hundred pounds, not a fifty-pound stone lock?"
"Brother, you're not the only one seeing things; perhaps we all are."
Dalton gradually came back to his senses, his eyes filled with astonishment, seeing Karl hold the stone lock with one hand for several seconds without changing his expression.
Immediately, his mouth twitched, and his wrist again felt a faint ache.
It seemed that this person had definitely held back against him before, otherwise, with just the strength to lift that stone lock...
Let alone a mere one-handed over-the-shoulder throw, he feared that with a slight twist, his wrist would snap.
At this moment, the corner of his eye caught sight of the butler in the distance, leading two horses.
He reined in his surprised expression, immediately became serious, and nudged his other companions, who were still in shock, with his elbow.
"Stop gawking, Lord Hans is coming!"
"Oh... huh? Understood!"
At the same time, with a soft thud, Karl slowly placed the heavy stone lock on the ground.
This effortless, controlled movement, with power still in reserve, made Dalton and the others gasp in low whispers.
"Lord Hans."
Hans, pulling the reins and leading the two horses, soon arrived before everyone.
He looked at Dalton and the others, the lingering surprise on their faces.
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He thought to himself, "Something seems to have happened before I arrived..."
"However, as long as there was no conflict, the important business Lord Raymond assigned is what matters now."
So, Hans cleared his throat, calmly faced everyone, and gestured towards Karl, introducing him.
"This esteemed guest, his name is Karl, and he has an agreement with the master."
"Soon, he will represent the Erl Family in the Martial Arts Tournament in Vizima."
"Regarding the honor of the Erl Family, the master requests that he be treated as a member of the Erl Family, and that you dedicate all your efforts to diligently and seriously teaching him horsemanship."
"Dalton... do you understand?"
Hans used two or three terms in a row, emphasizing them, clearly reminding them that this matter required high importance and no negligence.
Dalton and the others stepped forward, bowed slightly, and saluted with their hands on their chests.
"Yes, we humbly obey Lord Raymond's command."
"At your command, Lord Hans."
...A short while later, Hans stood with his hands behind his back, silently observing everyone.
He was both supervising Dalton and the others, and also paying attention to the master's only offspring, observing Karl's talent.
After all, whether it was horsemanship or swordsmanship, it required years of continuous learning to master.
As for how profound the mastery was, that depended on the talent of the learner.
But with the Martial Arts Tournament approaching, there wasn't much time left, which was clearly not optimistic.
In just two months, in the master's and his estimation, if Karl could learn to ride a horse normally, that would already be considered exceptionally talented.
As for giving commands and having the horse obediently listen to instructions to turn, accelerate, etc., that was extremely difficult.
Such actions required a long period of rapport and building trust with the horse.
The horses they were currently using were just ordinary draft horses, typically used for farm work, and could not replace the role of warhorses.
There were no warhorses in the manor, and even if they were purchased, it would take some time for them to arrive.
This meant that once the young master finally got used to the draft horses, he would have to re-establish rapport with new warhorses.
And warhorses were not like draft horses; their temper was usually not good, their strength was greater, and they were more prone to causing injury.
"Come, Karl, put on your helmet and change into your long boots."
Karl nodded, taking the helmet and long boots from Dalton's hand.
"This is your first time encountering a horse, so I'll first tell you about the preparations you need to make," Dalton said slowly as he watched Karl put on his long boots.
"Simply put, you need to respect the horse, and secondly, be patient."
"A horse is not a means of transport, but a partner with emotions and personality; learning to ride is learning how to cooperate with it in harmony."
...Several hours later, as noon approached, the sun grew hotter.
Karl sat astride the draft horse, holding the reins, calmly guiding the horse to walk slowly, turn, and stop, already looking quite skilled.
The few people watching from the side had expressions of disbelief.
"Lord Hans, is this truly Karl's first time with a horse? How does it feel like he's more skilled...?"
"If not for his awkward mounting actions and the non-standard riding posture during the process, I would even doubt if he had ever learned horsemanship."
"He doesn't even show a hint of fear when facing the horse."
"Ordinary people, when facing a tall horse, always fear that the horse will harm them, thus appearing hesitant and timid," Dalton said to Hans, turning his head while sitting on his horse.
At this moment, Hans had personally witnessed Karl's transformation from a beginner's awkwardness to his current proficiency, all in just a few hours.
Such astonishing talent, even with his usually stern and unsmiling nature, made him nod and show an appreciative smile.
"Young... Karl, his talent is exceptional, isn't that a good thing, Dalton?"
"This means he can defend the honor of the Erl Family and make the Erl Family's name resound throughout Vizima."
Due to his excitement, Hans almost let slip Karl's identity for a moment.
Even though he reacted in time, he still let slip one word, which Dalton caught.
He glanced sideways at Hans, whose expression had now returned to calm, and did not inquire about anything related.
At this moment, Dalton showed no outward reaction, but a tumultuous storm had already erupted in his heart.
"Young? Lord Hans just tried to say 'Young Master'... I knew his identity wasn't simple!"
"A commoner repeatedly offended the master, yet Lord Hans not only didn't mind but greeted him with a smile, and now even invited them to be guests at the manor."
"Those who participate in the Martial Arts Tournament are all knights under great nobles; for him, a commoner who isn't even a squire, to have such qualifications..."
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