Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System-Chapter 63: Lawson’s Death

Murphy had long since sensed the commotion within the outpost, but he didn’t learn the specific details until Arthur and his group returned.

Given the urgency of the situation, the followers prepared to race back to the Baron’s Castle, each man riding one horse while leading a spare to maintain a high speed.

Murphy and Allen, however, were left behind at the outpost.

"Murphy," Arthur said, leaning down from his horse, "you are to wait here and help look after the outpost’s horses. Once we’ve reported this urgent matter, we will send someone to come get you."

Murphy replied respectfully, "As you command, Sir. I will do my part."

Arthur nodded, took Red Leaf’s reins, and prepared to set off.

Lawson, standing to the side, took in the whole scene, a smug sneer playing on his lips. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

He’d long heard that Arthur held Murphy in high regard, but now, at this critical moment, Arthur was choosing to take him and leave Murphy behind. He couldn’t help but gloat inwardly.

He deliberately spurred his mount, making the horse brush rudely past Murphy’s side.

Murphy quickly dodged, but as he stepped back, he accidentally brushed against Lawson’s horses.

"Watch it!" Lawson barked.

Arthur frowned. "Lawson, don’t start trouble. Murphy is my Groom."

Lawson snorted, ignoring Murphy, and turned to Arthur with a nod. "I was out of line, Arthur. Let’s get going."

Arthur nodded.

’In his eyes, Lawson was now an ally. Murphy was his future son-in-law, so letting Lawson vent a bit to ease the tension was acceptable.’

’Surely Murphy would understand such a personal sacrifice, made for the future of the family.’

’Besides, he had already spoken up for Murphy. Even if Murphy didn’t understand now, they could talk it over later.’

’As for leaving Murphy at the outpost, that too was a decision made for the greater good.’

’If the Knight’s Attendants made a hasty retreat and took their personal Grooms with them, it would undoubtedly cause a panic throughout the entire outpost.’

’The soldiers who knew of Bishop Alberto’s death had been dealt with. Best not to ask how. They were dealt with. That’s all that mattered.’

’And most of the men remaining at the outpost were still in the dark.’

’Leaving Murphy and Allen behind was essential to maintaining a façade of calm and preventing the soldiers’ morale from collapsing.’

’If everything turned out to be fine in the end, but there was trouble at the outpost, they would be held responsible for leaving without authorization, even if they were praised for their actions.’

’And this ordeal was an opportunity for Murphy. If he could get through this crisis safely, his promotion to Stable Master would go much more smoothly in the future.’

So Arthur said no more, not wanting Murphy’s mind to run wild.

The three men immediately spurred their horses, each leading a spare, and galloped away down the Path to the Baron’s Castle, leaving only a cloud of dust and Murphy standing in place, watching them go.

After the Knight’s Attendants rode off, Allen sidled up to Murphy, gazed at the distant dust cloud, and muttered, "Looks like something big has happened."

Murphy calmly brushed the dust from his sleeve and replied, "I suppose something urgent came up at the castle."

’In his heart, however, his thoughts were elsewhere. Bishop Alberto was really dead.’

’With his exceptional hearing, Murphy had secretly overheard the truth when Arthur’s group returned.’

’He also understood why Arthur hadn’t brought a Groom.’

’He could understand.’

’But understanding was not the same as acceptance.’

"Allen," Murphy said suddenly, "I’m going to the latrine."

"Go ahead," Allen waved casually.

He was a little uneasy himself, but seeing that Murphy was still there and hadn’t been taken by Arthur, he felt much more at ease.

Murphy weaved through the camp, taking a detour to climb into the armory. He grabbed two short swords, scaled the wall again, and quickly slipped out of the encampment.

Without the slightest hesitation, he began trekking over the hills and ridges, putting this troubled place behind him as quickly as possible.

’The reason was simple. With Bishop Alberto dead, this no longer had anything to do with the "Court" he was thinking of.’

’Option Two didn’t require him to stay put, either.’

’As for how to complete the objective, it would come down to the choices he made, just like in the Twilight Mountain Range.’

’The idea that he couldn’t die was just his own speculation. If he hadn’t moved back in the Twilight Mountain Range, those Activated Armors would have killed him long ago.’

’In other words, his survival wasn’t guaranteed; it was the result of making the right choices.’

’It wasn’t like he could just lie there and do nothing and survive even if the world exploded around him.’

’Even if Option Two was the safer path, every decision he made still came with its own risks.’

’And now, his choice was clear: get out.’

...

Less than two hours later, the horse Lawson was riding suddenly let out a distressed whinny, its stomach gurgling loudly.

"What’s wrong with this beast!" Lawson quickly reined it in. He saw its hind legs trembling uncontrollably as watery droppings splattered onto the ground.

Arthur and Luca heard the sound and turned back. Luca frowned, dismounted to check, and said, "It’s diarrhea. Looks pretty serious."

The horse swished its tail in pain, its belly visibly bloated, and it continued to pass watery stool.

Clearly, it couldn’t travel any further in this condition.

"Switch to your spare," Arthur said decisively. "But this will slow you down. We’ll have to split up."

Lawson understood the urgency. "You two go on ahead. I’ll follow on the other horse."

"Agreed," Arthur and Luca said in unison, then whipped their horses and galloped away.

Watching their figures recede into the distance, Lawson abandoned the sick animal, mounted his spare horse, and continued on.

Strangely, now that he was riding alone, he felt somewhat relieved.

’Thinking back calmly, Lawson started to piece things together. Roger and Bishop Alberto had most likely killed each other.’

’And he had a vague sense that Roger had been acting alone.’

’If that was the case, then the outpost wasn’t actually dangerous. The real trouble would be the coming investigation from the Church Court.’

’When he was with Arthur and Luca, he’d felt awkward, constantly reminded that he had once been under... control. Riding alone, he felt much more comfortable.’

Lawson relaxed his grip on the reins, letting his horse amble along.

The early summer mountain forest was exceptionally pleasant. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows, and a gentle breeze carried the sweet scent of wildflowers.

’He imagined returning to the Baron’s Castle and having his status restored. He might even be rewarded for his "display of loyalty" this time.’

’Although the thought of the Church Court’s investigation still worried him, right now, he preferred to believe that his future was looking up.’

Just as he was sinking into this rare feeling of ease, his mount gave another distressed whinny, and he heard that familiar gurgling from its belly.

Lawson scrambled off his horse. Sure enough, watery droppings were starting to stain the ground.

"Damn it! Diarrhea again?!" Lawson slammed his fist against a tree trunk in frustration. ’Am I really going to have to walk all the way back to the Baron’s Castle?’

He kicked viciously at a rock on the roadside, cursing through clenched teeth, "Those damn Grooms! How the hell do they take care of the horses! It has to be Murphy! Everything was fine before he showed up! That bastard corrupted them all! Ever since I was thrown out of the castle, everything has been Murphy’s fault! That worthless Groom, that—"

"You called?"

Lawson froze. A moment later, he heard the sharp whistle of a short sword slicing through the air.