Frey was up early practicing his swordsmanship. His father was part of the town guard and would teach him the 4 basic stances in his spare time.

[Slash] - Frey swung the sword in a sideways arc onto a wooden dummy. There were multiple variations of the stance such as overhead slash and diagonal slash. This was the bread and butter offensive tool of any swordsman.

[Stab] - Frey struck the tip of the blade perpendicular to his body. This was a more technical stance that required great precision and was useful in very specific situations.

[Parry] - It was very difficult to polish this stance without a sparring partner. The arc, power and angle of the opponent’s blade would warrant a slight adjustment to the user’s footwork and sword stance.

[Block] - This was a brute force version of the parry. There was less chance of mishap as long as the user was of similar or greater strength than the opponent. Frey was abnormally strong for his age, it wouldn’t be a problem for him to fight some 14 or 15 year olds.

Similar to how the village girls would play hopscotch using squares drawn from chalk, Frey had numbered the squares to practice his footwork. His family was too ordinary to have access to any sword or movement techniques.

His father’s words resonated in his mind, ‘The basics are everything.’

After an hour of swinging the sword, Frey went for a run through the town. Frey did this exercise daily and was greeted by the same old faces.

“Mornin’ boy.”

“Frey’s at it again.”

“Does he have nothing better to do?”

Some were pleased to see a familiar face, others mocked his dedication. Running didn’t put food on the table.

When Frey got back to the stables, there was a strange carriage stationed outside his home. It was adorned by golden accessories and even the horses were taller than the average. This was a rich man’s carriage.

Frey sneakily climbed the rear of the carriage and peeped through the small window. There was no one inside and the driver wasn’t present either.

He saw the stable door gates were open and could hear soft mumblings come from the interior. He tentatively approached the stable and eavesdropped on the conversation.

“Miss Star, the Young Miss can offer 200 gold coins for the stallion. That’s more than enough to enroll your son in a good school in the city”.

“S-sir Knight, my son couldn’t bear to part with Thor. They’re best friends!” Ella pleaded.

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“300 gold.” This voice came from the 15 year old standing behind the knight. She was the prettiest girl Frey had seen in his 10 years. Her hair golden, the color of the yellow Sun and her eyes a calming blue. Her smooth skin and noble demeanor gave her an otherworldly charm.

“This, this…” Ella’s eyes moistened. The 300 gold would ensure her son’s future and they could hire some local hands to help in the farmwork. It was an offer she couldn’t refuse and from an esteemed Holy Knight at that. But she knew it would destroy Frey.

“Ma’am, I can have a talk with your son.” The Knight was eager to negotiate. They had stopped at the town to rest for the night and had heard rumors of the stallion owned by the widow that ran the stables. The young lady was adamant on owning the horse. And if she wanted something, she would get it.

“Hi Sir Knight, I just came back from my morning run and heard that you wanted to talk with me. My name is Frey, Frey Star.” Frey locked eyes with the knight but maintained a respectful and polite tone. This was a Holy Knight afterall. A defender of the faith and a man of justice.

“I am Sir Tristan and this is my Lady Rachel.” Sir Tristan was impressed by Frey’s confidence. He also had a sturdy physique. The boy could be a suitable warrior.

“Boy, the young lady would like to purchase your stallion from you. He’ll have a better life at the Institute.”

“Institute?”

“Hmm… it would make sense that you know not of it. The God Institute is one of the top 3 monasteries in the Holy Empire. The young lady has enrolled.”

“If it’s in the top 3, wouldn’t it be famous? How come I’ve never heard of it? Is it better than the Heaven Institute?” Surely he would have heard of this God Institute.

Rachel scrunched her cute face briefly, “Sir Tristan.”

“Frey, this is not a negotiation. The stallion will be coming with us.”

Frey frowned. This guy did not meet his expectations of a Holy Knight. He was no different than the village bully.

Frey looked to his mother and back to Thor. Betraying his expectations, the usually uptight stallion was grinning ear to ear. He was tapping his hooves in excitement. It seemed Thor was smitten by the young lady. Perhaps it was better to be the mount of a beautiful noble than a stud in Flores.

Frey approached Thor and ruffled his mane. He whispered a few parting words and sighed deeply.

“Will you be alright Thor?” The horse nodded.

Frey looked up to the Knight and asked, “I assume no harm will come to him at this God Institute?”

Sir Tristan scoffed. “Harm? No… the Institute is like salvation for slaves let alone a noble’s steed. He will grow into a fine stallion.”

Frey nodded and pretended to count with his fingers.

“Sir Tristan, instead of the 300 gold, could I receive a referral to the Holy Knight Academy.” Although Thor was like a brother to Frey, this was an opportunity the both of them couldn’t miss. He could even visit him at the Institute if he had the time.

“Have you once held a sword in your hand boy!” The Academy was an elite institution. A hillbilly from a backwater town shouldn’t even speak his name in the same breath.

Frey was slightly startled at the Knight’s aggression. “Yes, Sir Knight.”

“Hmph.” Sir Tristan unsheathed his blade from its scabbard.

“Sir Knight, please he is just a boy!” Ella begged the Knight. She dropped to her knees. Her simple yet clean dress sullied by the muddy floor. She bowed her head as low as it could go.

Wary, Frey took a few steps back until it was rubbing against the stable wall.

“If you can survive a single strike, the referral is yours.”