245th Episode: I Will Start a New Business. (3)
“Telepathy… ability? Is that the one our ancestors had?”
Ascon’s question made Ghislaine nod.
“Yeah. If the Dwarves received the Blessing of Production, the true blessing the Elves got was the ability to communicate with nature and animals. That’s how they could become superior Spirit Mages.”
Ghislaine’s serious words caused the Elves to burst into laughter.
“Pffhahaha!”
“Wow, Lord! You’re still such a boy!”
“Telepathy! That’s something out of a storybook!”
“If we could do stuff like that, we wouldn’t get beaten up by you, Lord! Where is that even possible!”
Without saying anything, Ghislaine rolled up his sleeves. The Elves immediately stopped laughing and straightened up.
In an instant, they sensed the other’s emotions. The Retainers accompanying Ghislaine thought that this might be real ‘telepathy.’
Ghislaine slowly lowered his fist and looked around at the Elves.
“You just read my mind, right? You can do this?”
“Ugh!”
Hearing the boisterous response from the Elves, Ghislaine nodded.
“Good, since you can do it, don’t worry. Hey, bring the prepared horses over.”
After a while, the soldiers brought over horses that matched the number of Elves. But something felt off.
Neigh!
“Whoa, stay still!”
“What kind of power is this!”
“Please, listen to us!”
The horses were kicking and raging, trying to attack the soldiers. The soldiers looked like they had gone through hell while bringing them over.
These were horses that had lived constantly battling in the rough northern environment. Naturally, their temperament was fierce.
Ghislaine stroked his chin while watching them.
“Hm, we need to break them quickly. They’re getting more aggressive by the minute.”
It wasn’t easy to bring them here. Thankfully, there were hundreds of knights who could handle mana, which allowed them to forcefully lead the horses.
The sudden change in their living environment made the horses increasingly stressed, causing them to go wild.
The Elves gulped as they watched the horses radiating hostility.
“You want us to tame those things?”
“It feels like we’re the ones who will get tamed.”
“Woah, look at those muscles on that horse. Bet it has been running every day.”
How to tame such wild horses was beyond the Elves’ comprehension.
They had seen pets a few times while living in noble households, but that was the extent of it. They had no particular interest and had never felt anything special even after trying to get close.
They had heard about their ancestors having such abilities, but they thought of it as an exaggerated legend.
Seeing the worried expressions on the Elves’ faces, Ghislaine said,
“Alright, now each of you grab a horse and try to tame it.”
“How… do we do that?”
“You just sincerely ask. You can say you want to be friends or ask for help. Then the horses will read those feelings and respond as you wish. That’s the blessing the Elves are born with. It’s no different from Spirit Affinity.”
“Feel free to ask for help or just say you want it. Then the horses will read your mind and grant your wishes. That’s the blessing the elves are born with. It’s no different from spirit affinity.”
“……”
The elves sincerely approached Ghislaine with a heartfelt and pitiful expression, asking him.
“Do we have to do this?”
“Just start already.”
Ghislaine casually ignored their request.
This was a method already validated in my past life. The elves just hadn’t caught on yet, but the elf companions who fought alongside during tribulations had all been capable of it.
In my previous life, thanks to them, I could quickly train cavalry if there were horses. After a few conversations with the elves, the horses would listen to commands and move on their own.
However, unlike Ghislaine, the elves who lacked confidence approached the horses looking dreadfully uneasy.
And soon, the battle between the elves and the horses began.
Hee-haw!
“Argh!”
Following Ghislaine’s advice to treat it seriously, the elves genuinely began to struggle against the horses.
“Stay still! You! Be my friend!”
The elves, whose upper body muscles were disproportionately developed, mounted the horses and attempted to choke them with their biceps. They relied on the muscles they had trained until now to dominate through strength.
But these horses had survived by killing both humans and monsters in the north. Their vigor and ferocity were incomparable to ordinary horses.
Brrr!
With eyes reddened and in a frenzy, a few elves couldn’t withstand the force and fell to the ground.
Puh-uh!
“Neigh!”
The fallen elves were mercilessly kicked or trampled by the horses. Thankfully, due to their trained muscles, none of the elves died.
“How dare you, you horse!”
“Do you think we’re a joke?”
“We are the rulers of nature and animals!”
Puh-uh! Puh-uh! Puh-uh!
The riled-up elves also started attacking their animal friends with their fists, and soon the training grounds turned into chaos.
Amidst the commotion, one horse stood out distinctly. It was a black horse, much sturdier and with a magnificent mane compared to the others.
Hee-haw!
“Whoa! What’s up with this horse?”
“Why is it so strong?”
“It’s so freakin’ cool looking!”
The furious black horse kicked out several times in rage. Its fierce momentum kept the elves and soldiers at bay.
But the horse wasn’t satisfied with just that and began to charge indiscriminately at the people around it.
It was clearly a horse with a terrible temper.
“Ahhhh! Get away! It’s coming for me!”
“That horse is just insane!”
“Damn it! Like a lord!”
As people scattered cursing, the black horse started looking for something to vent its anger on.
Dududududu!
With a glint in its eyes and ferocity, it charged straight toward Ghislaine.
It was a charge like a storm, ready to sweep everything away.
The retainers standing nearby shouted in surprise.
“Lord!”
“Get back!”
As Gillian and some knights stepped forward, Ghislaine reached out to stop them and boldly stepped forward instead.
Hee-haw!
It seemed like the black horse was going to take the hit head-on as it rushed fiercely without slowing down.
Just as the horse was about to collide with Ghislaine, he slowly pulled his fist back, timing it perfectly.
The moment the horse and Ghislaine were about to clash.
Pow!
The horse got smacked in the face by Ghislaine’s punch and immediately turned its head and collapsed.
Looking down at the horse that was foaming at the mouth and trembling, Ghislaine quietly said, “Sit down. If you’re slow, I’ll kill you.”
Suddenly!
As if it had never fainted, the horse jumped back up, bending its legs and sitting down. It was in the perfect posture for someone to ride.
As soon as Ghislaine mounted its back, the horse straightened its legs and lifted its head.
The proud horse looked just like the proud Ghislaine.
A resemblance to an arrogant horse.
The horse’s cheek was a bit swollen, but thanks to its sturdy body and magnificent mane, the ugly scar didn’t stand out much.
Ghislaine spoke with an arrogant gaze as he surveyed the surroundings.
“See? If you show your true self, the other party will accept it too.”
“……”
A heavy silence descended over the training grounds.
The onlookers and elves stared at Ghislaine in disbelief. Even the horses that had been causing a ruckus stopped to look at him.
“Why? What? This is my true self, so what? By the way, this guy, he’s strong and has some spirit. I think I’ll ride him. What should I name him? How about Black Bean since he’s black? Isn’t that cute?”
The more temperamental and robust a horse, the greater its power on the battlefield. Ghislaine smiled with satisfaction having acquired a good horse.
And his retainers once again facepalmed at his bizarre naming sense.
Claude cautiously approached Ghislaine and said, “Can’t we just have the lord hit them once? Then it would be over quickly, I think.”
“No way. Only I can ride him. Everyone should be able to ride easily to quickly train the cavalry. What are you doing! Convince those horses sincerely!”
The battle between the elves and the horses started again. Some elves, hoping to convey their sincerity, were punching the horses’ faces, just like Ghislaine.
Of course, that elf was promptly sent flying after getting kicked in the chest by a horse’s hind legs.
No one could figure out how to communicate with the horses. In the end, all they could do was grab a horse’s neck and curse.
“Please listen to me, you monstrous bastards!”
“I think it’s better to just work out those muscles!”
“How are we supposed to communicate while this is happening!”
Elf Lumina was in the same boat. She was tightly hugging a horse’s neck, sweating profusely.
‘What on earth are we supposed to do?’
They say to communicate sincerely, but it’s easy to say. Which animal understands human speech?
Even now, the horse was bucking with her on its back. All she could do was hold on for dear life.
‘Please….’
She gave up trying to overpower it and just closed her eyes, pleading.
‘Please just stay calm!’
‘I’m really exhausted and tired of this cursed territory!’
‘Can’t you just let me ride you easily?’
At first, it was annoyance and resentment. She had been living comfortably in the noble house, but everything had gone to hell since coming here.
Crazy lord, crazy retainers, now even crazy horses. She felt like she might go insane herself.
That resentment gradually turned into a desperate longing.
There was no certainty whether it would work or not. No, honestly, she thought this absurd thing was impossible. She was just doing it because the lord forced her to.
That mad lord was sure that he had to succeed to end this madness.
All Lumina could do was keep pleading with the horse.
‘Please stay calm….’
‘Whether a friend or whatever is fine, just listen to me.’
‘I’m begging you like this.’
Even while being severely shaken, she tried to calm it down by stroking its mane.
She kept trying to convey her true feelings to the horse.
At some point, Lumina realized she wasn’t afraid of the horse’s bucking anymore. She began to perceive the movement itself as a natural phenomenon.
‘It’s okay….’
Zing—!
Lumina suddenly felt something sweep from her crown down her spine, and her eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh….”
She felt something.
The rustling wind, the trees that had always stood firm, the swaying grass whispering.
The birds were speaking. The insects were speaking too.
Though she couldn’t understand exactly, everyone was saying something to her continuously.
“Aah…”
“Ah…”
Whoosh!
The world shook. Everything blended together like paint before separating and finding its place again.
Right after that, she felt something she had never felt before. The emotions pouring out from all the animals and plants around her.
Though she couldn’t fully understand the meaning, she could vaguely sense what they wanted to say.
“Don’t hurt us, love us, be with us.”
They were all saying that.
“Ah…”
Only then did she finally realize.
Why the Elves were called the Guardians of Nature.
She had no choice but to protect it. She had to keep it safe.
Once she realized the beauty of nature, heard the whispers of life, and understood their emotions, there was no turning back.
All of it dug deep into her heart and became one with her.
“Ah, so that’s why…”
So the Elves must have chosen to live a life intertwined with nature.
“It’s okay…”
Lumina spoke again as she patted the horse’s mane.
The horse was still restless. Yet astonishingly, she didn’t fall off its back without applying any strength at all.
It was as if it was natural, as Lumina moved in sync with the horse.
“I won’t hurt you.”
“I will protect you.”
“We will always be together.”
Each time she spoke softly, the horse’s movements slowed.
Lumina could vividly feel what the horse wanted.
“I’ll be able to roam the battlefield again. I’ll run non-stop. I don’t want to… but that Lord over there will definitely make me do it.”
Her sincerity was conveyed to the horse. The horse gradually stopped moving, tossing its head a few times before finally settling down.
Lumina came down to the ground and gently stroked the horse’s cheek.
“Will you be with us?”
Whoosh.
The horse nuzzled her cheek in response to her words. Then it let out a loud neigh, as if to say it would help her.
Neighhh!
At that sound, all the horses stopped moving and looked at Lumina.
The other Elves, too, either collapsed on the ground or clung to their horses, all gazing at her.
“Seriously?”
“A crazy horse calms down that quickly?”
“Is this even possible?”
It wasn’t just the Elves. The retainers watching beside Ghislaine had their mouths agape.
They thought the Lord had done something crazy again, but nobody believed it could actually happen.
Turning wild northern horses into calm puppies!
Only Ghislaine watched the scene with a satisfied smile.
“See? When you speak sincerely, it works!”
Even Ghislaine’s words left the Elves with looks of disbelief.
Could it be that Lumina faced the least wild of the horses? That suspicion didn’t want to go away.
But if that were the case, it still didn’t explain why all the horses suddenly calmed down.
Ascon looked at the horse in front of him with distrust.
The horse stared back at Ascon. Thus began a staring contest.
Whoosh.
The horse’s gaze started to become fierce again. Ascon glared at it, thinking.
‘Sincerity, sincerity… I was told to speak with sincerity, right?’
He had tried to dominate the horse with strength alone, but hadn’t conveyed his true feelings.
Ascon cautiously approached and took the horse’s face in his hands. Unlike before, the horse accepted his touch calmly.
Feeling more confident, Ascon expressed his sincere heart.
“Shit.”
At that moment, Ascon felt his true feelings reach the horse. The horse responded by conveying its true feelings.
Neighhh!
Thud!
The horse’s hind leg struck Ascon’s chest with a kick.
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