CLEAVER OF SIN
Chapter 98: Racist Horse

Chapter 98: Racist Horse

Asher stood silently by the window, momentarily lost in thought. After a few seconds of contemplation, he finally decided to try horseback riding. There was no harm in learning something new, afterward, he would simply return to his training.

No harm, no foul.

With that decision made, he turned and spoke, "Hey, Lyra, let’s do that horse riding thing you suggested earlier."

"As you wish, Young Master," Lyra responded with a graceful nod.

"Do you know how to ride a horse?" Asher asked with genuine curiosity.

"Yes, Young Master. I’ve been riding horses since I was twenty years old," Lyra replied, her tone carrying a matter of fact assurance.

"Then let’s go. You’ll teach me, then," Asher said with a small smile as he stepped forward. Lyra simply nodded and followed closely behind him.

Over the past six months, Asher had explored the entirety of the Wargrave estate. The corridors and shortcuts had become familiar to him. After navigating through a few winding hallways and cutting across some less-traveled paths, they exited the castle-like building through a rear door, eventually arriving at the estate’s stables, an expansive area where the horses were housed.

Asher took in the sight of various horses. Some were the normal breed similar to those from his former world, while others were distinctly different, the unique steeds they had used during their journey to the Empire’s capital. These were the ones that seemed to possess boundless stamina.

The difference between the two types was glaringly obvious. The normal horses appeared relatively small, with less pronounced muscle definition and rougher, less pristine coats. On the other hand, the unique horses were the exact opposite. They had a bulky build, muscles bulging beneath their skin, and their manes shimmered with a healthy, well-groomed luster.

’Does this horse hit the gym or something?’ Asher couldn’t help but wonder silently, mildly amused by the creature’s imposing appearance.

"It seems Young Master is curious about that horse," Lyra said with a soft smile, noticing the direction of his gaze, toward a strikingly black, muscular stallion.

"I am," Asher responded flatly. Then he added, "On our journey to the capital, these horses ran for almost an entire day, and they barely looked tired. Isn’t that kind of stamina supposed to be impossible?" he asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

He recalled how his stamina had burned out after two hours of battle during the True Awakening, and yet these horses had lasted nearly twenty-four hours. And that was while only being classified as Whisper-class beasts.

Lyra smiled as she began explaining, "Young Master, unlike the ordinary horses over there, those that can barely last four hours, these ones are called Enduron Horses."

Asher nodded slightly, indicating for her to continue.

"They are somewhat like a subspecies of horses, or rather, a superior species," she elaborated. "They were affected by Astra, and this led to their enhancement. Their bodies passively absorb Astra from the air and convert it into stamina. They also have enhanced speed as a secondary trait."

Asher fell into thought again. The ability to passively absorb Astra and convert it into stamina was exceptionally valuable, especially in a world like Crymora, where Astra existed in abundance. These horses could essentially run across the land with minimal fatigue. Of course, they would still require occasional rest due to biological needs, but even that seemed like a minor limitation.

"I thought Whisper-class monsters don’t possess abilities," Asher questioned, recalling what he knew of the creature classification system. According to that knowledge, Whisper-class beasts were not supposed to have any kind of ability.

Lyra nodded thoughtfully before answering. "Yes, you are correct. Typically, they don’t. But there are exceptions. A few specific Whisper-class beasts do possess abilities, although their abilities, and their physical forms, are so underdeveloped that they remain within the Whisper-class despite it."

She paused, giving Asher a moment to digest her words, and then continued. "There’s a small, adorable creature known as the Red-Eyed Rabbit. They’re essentially normal rabbits that have been touched by Astra. As a result, they gained the ability to leap to heights that would be considered impossible for their species. However, despite this enhancement, they do not evolve into Echo-class creatures simply because of that singular ability."

Hearing her explanation, Asher raised an eyebrow and countered, "Isn’t that just like the enhancement all beasts and monsters receive to their racial traits during evolution? Just like how wolves gain sharper senses of smell and sight? Yet they’re not immediately classified as Echo-class either."

Lyra smiled knowingly, as though she had anticipated the question. "No, Young Master. The Red-Eyed Rabbit’s case is the same as the Enduron Horse. They both have abilities, not just enhancements to existing traits. It’s a subtle difference, but a critical one."

At this point, Asher simply nodded. He had no interest in expending more mental energy analyzing creatures he could kill before they even blinked.

"Should we begin with a normal horse or an Enduron horse?" Lyra asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Hmmm... Let’s start with a normal horse first, since I know next to nothing about how to ride," Asher replied decisively.

With a nod, Lyra moved toward a brown, average-sized horse and opened the gate holding it in place.

"Why are there so few normal horses?" Asher asked, noticing there were fewer than twenty regular horses in contrast to the over hundred Enduron horses.

"No one really rides the normal horses anymore, Young Master. We only keep them around for those who have failed to awaken," Lyra replied calmly as she steadied the animal.

"So, you’re saying unawakened individuals can’t ride Enduron horses, even if the horses are tamed?" Asher asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Yes, Young Master. No one knows exactly why, but Enduron horses will not allow unawakened people to mount them. Even if someone manages to climb on, the horse either goes berserk or refuses to move entirely. Some people have even killed Enduron horses out of frustration, but eventually, the phenomenon was accepted as a racial limitation. Even unawakened individuals who raise an Enduron from birth cannot bypass this restriction. Hence, we maintain normal horses for the unawakened servants in the Wargrave estate," Lyra explained in a single breath as she finished preparing the horse.

’I never thought I’d encounter a racist horse one day,’ Asher mused inwardly, almost wanting to laugh.

With that thought lingering in his mind, Lyra began educating him on the fundamentals of horseback riding, starting with the most basic principle, which, to his surprise, was understanding the horse itself.

Asher had expected her to immediately show him how to mount and ride, but Lyra was quick to clarify that a horse was not a machine. It was a living creature governed by instinct, emotion, and memory. If a rider was fearful, the horse would sense it. If the rider was angry or tense, the horse would know.

Given this information, Asher had no choice but to start by gently stroking the horse’s neck and shoulder. He spoke to it in a calm, soothing tone, allowing the horse to sniff him and become familiar with his presence.

And so began Asher’s first lesson in horsemanship, not with reins and saddles, but with understanding and connection.