For the next three days, Murphy rested and recovered in his room.
Hank diligently took care of him, changing his bandages and bringing him food.
With the [Breathing and Guiding] technique, Murphy could control the speed of his recovery. However, he deliberately slowed the healing of his external wounds to make it seem like they were still mending slowly.
Inwardly, however, he was accelerating the recovery of his internal injuries.
During this time, the Groom Bart came to visit.
"Heard you barely made it back alive, kid?"
Bart said in his gruff voice, holding a small bag of apples. "Here. To get your strength back."
In truth, the apples were small and sour, nothing like the big, sweet ones Murphy remembered from his old world.
Still, Murphy propped himself up, a look of gratitude on his face. "Bart, thank you for thinking of me."
Bart examined the wounds on Murphy's body and clicked his tongue in amazement. "Making it back alive from a place like that... you're one tough kid. Yor wanted to come see you..."
Murphy asked with urgent concern, "How is Yor...?"
Bart sighed. "Yor injured his legs. He's going home to recover. But don't you worry, there's still a job for you. Once you're healed up, the public stables happen to be short-staffed."
At this, Bart gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Don't worry, I'll be there with you. Hank, too."
Hank hadn't mentioned this, but now Bart had.
Hank had probably been afraid that hearing the news would upset Murphy, making him overthink things and slow his recovery.
Upon hearing this, Murphy did feel a pang of disappointment.
A job at the public stables was a far cry from tending to the followers' warhorses. Not only were there fewer perks, but the status was lower as well.
But then he thought, 'I have the [Breathing and Guiding Technique "Initial Glimpse"] and [Horse Trainer: Slightly Accomplished]. Why should I care about a temporary setback?'
'Five years is a long time. My fortunes are bound to turn around.'
'The most important thing now is to discreetly practice the [Breathing and Guiding] technique and build up my strength.'
As the two were talking, the sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.
Bart hastily stood up and saw Baron Duval's steward, Olov, walk in with a young follower.
Steward Olov was about fifty, his gray hair impeccably combed. He wore a dark uniform, and on his chest was the Duval Clan's emblem of mountains and rivers.
The follower behind him was in his early twenties, with a stern expression and a sword at his waist. It was none other than Kelvin, known as Hawkeye.
"St-Steward, sir! Sir Kelvin!"
Bart hurriedly bowed. Murphy also struggled to get up and bow, the movement looking extremely difficult for him.
Steward Olov waited quietly until Murphy had completed every part of his bow before speaking slowly, "It seems you're recovering well."
His tone was calm, as if he felt entitled to the wait.
Kelvin remained silent, his sharp, falcon-like gaze sweeping over Murphy's body as if assessing something.
Olov sat down in a chair Hank had brought over, folding his hands in his lap. "Murphy, I know you've just been through a nightmare. But to uncover the truth, I must ask you some questions."
"Yes, Steward, sir."
Murphy replied in a low voice, secretly activating his [Breathing and Guiding] technique to make his breathing slightly uneven and his heart beat a little faster, just like someone flustered in the presence of important figures.
"Tell me everything you experienced in the mountains. In detail."
Olov's voice was steady, yet it carried an undeniable authority.
Murphy lowered his gaze and began to recite his prepared story. "That night, the other grooms and I got up to feed the horses. While we were feeding them, Sir Walter and Sir Jimmy suddenly called me over for a chat. Sir Walter said that since we had joined the castle in the same batch of recruits, he wanted to talk to me..."
At this point, a look of intense fear appeared on his face. "And then... an arrow pierced right through Sir Jimmy's head... Blood splashed on my face... I was so scared... I ran and hid behind a flatbed cart..."
As he spoke, Murphy grew even more terrified, and his breathing became rapid. "After that, arrows rained down from all directions... killing all the warhorses... Then I saw Sir Glen and the other followers charge into the forest... I heard Sir Glen shout, 'Green! What are you doing?!'..."
"Sir Green... he's a Knight! I was terrified, so I ran back with a few of the other grooms... The woods were too dense, and the night was too dark... We quickly got separated..."
Kelvin suddenly spoke, his voice icy. "Who were the attackers? How many were there?"
Murphy shook his head blankly. "I don't know... It was too chaotic, and the night was too dark. I couldn't see well... I only saw a lot of shadows..."
He deliberately feigned the symptoms of night blindness common among the poor of this era, though in reality, he didn't have this problem, thanks to supplementing his diet by secretly eating the warhorses' feed.
Kelvin pressed on, his gaze locked onto Murphy's eyes. "Did you see a woman with silver hair?"
"A silver-haired woman?"
Murphy showed genuine confusion. "No... Why would a woman be deep in the mountains? I only know of Miss Douglas... but... a Witch..."
As he said this, Murphy displayed even deeper fear.
While recovering, he had already heard the rumors from Hank about Miss Douglas being the Witch.
With trembling hands, he made the gesture of a crescent moon embracing a star over his chest and prayed in a low voice, "May Oriane's starlight protect us and dispel the darkness..."
In this devout moment, the room fell silent.
Steward Olov lowered his head slightly, and Kelvin also momentarily retracted his sharp gaze.
In this land that worshipped the God of Stars and Truth, no one would rashly interrupt a believer's prayer unless it was absolutely necessary.
Only after Murphy slowly lowered his hands did Steward Olov continue, "Did you encounter any other survivors while you were escaping?"
"No..." Murphy's voice trailed off. "I hid in the forest for a whole day... I was thirsty and hungry... terrified and afraid... Later, I found a small creek and followed it downstream..."
He described the details of his survival in the forest—how he foraged for wild fruits to sate his hunger, how he avoided wild animals, and how he huddled in a tree hollow at night for warmth.
These details were a mix of truth and lies, interwoven with his real experiences in the mountains, making his account seem especially believable.
Kelvin suddenly cut in, his gaze like a torch. "So you know nothing about the Witch, Othilia?"
Murphy shook his head blankly. "I only heard from Hank that Miss Douglas is the Witch and that she caused all of this..."
Olov and Kelvin exchanged a look.
"Then," Kelvin took a step forward, fixing Murphy with an imposing gaze, "do you know the whereabouts of Tommy Han?"
"I don't know..." Murphy lowered his head. "The last time I saw Sir Tommy Han, he was with Sir Glen, heading into the forest to engage the enemy... I never saw him again after that..."
A brief silence fell over the room.
Murphy could feel Kelvin's sharp gaze still scanning him. He maintained a sorrowful expression while secretly circulating the Qi in his body to ensure all his physical reactions appeared perfectly natural.
Finally, Steward Olov slowly rose to his feet. "Very good. The information you've provided is valuable. Rest well. The castle does not mistreat its loyal servants."
"Thank you, Steward, sir."
Steward Olov paid him no mind and walked toward the door with Kelvin. Seeing this, Bart and Murphy said respectfully, "Farewell, Steward, sir, Sir Kelvin."
However, just before leaving, Kelvin suddenly turned back and gave Murphy a deep, long look, a gaze that seemed to want to pierce right through his skin.
But under the control of his [Breathing and Guiding] technique, Murphy's breathing, heartbeat, and even the tremors in his muscles revealed no flaws.
He perfectly portrayed a groom who was afraid of the followers and terrified of his experience in the Twilight Mountain Range, but who showed none of the fear that comes from telling a lie.
Only after the two had left did Murphy slowly let out a sigh of relief.
'So Miss Douglas is actually a Witch.'
He recalled the information Hank had brought him: the Activated Armor, the Witch's curse on the Baron's Eldest Son Sylvan, the Witch stealing Oriane's Holy Artifact.
Thinking back on the inhuman power the Knights had displayed, Murphy was once again certain that these so-called Witches and the Church Court weren't just empty talk. Supernatural Power truly existed in this world.
It wasn't as simple as the horror stories he had heard back when he was a farmer's son.
'But what does any of this have to do with me?'
He gazed out the window at the fluttering flag of the Duval Clan, his heart calm.
'I'm going to become a Cultivator, after all.'
'Now that I have the [Breathing and Guiding Technique "Initial Glimpse"] and have learned to Refine Essence and Qi, the next step is to focus on my Cultivation during these five years of tending horses.'
'I wonder what I can ultimately achieve on this path of Cultivation in another world.'
'I hope it won't let me down.'