The horseback riding lesson was surprisingly enjoyable.
Maybe it was because the horse was quite well-trained, or perhaps it just behaved calmly the whole time.
*Heeheehee…!*
“Ugh! Why is this bastard acting up again?!”
“……”
On the other hand, Aintz seemed to still be struggling.
Aintz was being taught by Trie, while I had Pelaine to instruct me, but problems kept occurring over there, so I couldn’t help but think the issue must be with the teaching side.
Maybe it’s because Pelaine is a subhuman; it might make communication with the horse a bit easier.
If not that, perhaps she emits some kind of aura that only animals can see.
That meant if Pelaine were to disappear, I might quickly end up rodeoing like Aintz.
“You’re learning really quickly, Schlus. I think you can speed up to a trot soon.”
“Pelaine.”
“Yes, Schlus.”
“Could you step back for a moment? I want to try going around by myself.”
“Understood.”
“Don’t look over here.”
“Ye-…?”
“Just do as I say.”
“Okay… uh… sure….”
Despite tilting her head in confusion, Pelaine obediently followed my request.
Even from a distance, the horse might get spooked just by Pelaine’s gaze.
“Let’s go!”
Soon, I felt the ground of the training area beneath me as the horse set off with vigor.
I started off slow, taking gentle steps.
I had heard this horse was trained to accelerate when you pressed down on its neck.
I pressed down firmly on its neck.
“Whoa.”
As I did that, it gradually picked up speed and went into a canter.
It seemed to be going about 15km/h…
It wasn’t incredibly fast, but imagining being hit by such massive weight made me shudder.
I thought that unless someone had a pretty strong internal circuit, they wouldn’t be able to take a cavalry charge head-on and remain unscathed.
‘Looks like I can manage without Pelaine.’
As I gently tugged on the reins, the horse smoothly navigated the turns.
At least my horseback riding skills weren’t as hopeless as Aintz’s.
Now, should I practice swinging my sword while mounted?
Since there were only trustworthy people around, I thought I could take it out.
‘Let’s give it a shot.’
I quickly activated my internal circuits.
With that, I concentrated a significant amount of mana energy into my outstretched right hand.
*Zing…!*
A blue flash burst forth.
Just as I was about to shape it into a sword…
*Heeheehee!*
“What?!”
Suddenly, the horse kicked up its hind legs and started freaking out.
As it spun around, I was thrown into the air.
“Kruhk!”
I tumbled half a turn, landing hard on my back.
Ah shit…
It hurt like hell.
If I hadn’t instinctively taken the falling technique taught by Trie, I might have gotten seriously hurt.
Though, I suppose I’d just get healed by Iris anyway…
“Guh… are you okay?”
*Heeheehee?!*
As I approached the fallen horse and reached out my hand, it freaked out and galloped off to the stable.
What’s going on here?
I stared in disbelief at the spot, and before I knew it, Pelaine had come up behind me.
“I think it got scared.”
“Scared? Why’s that?”
“I think it’s afraid of that flash. It’s probably the kind of thing animals shy away from.”
Animals are afraid of Vafe?
Did I put that setting in?
I couldn’t quite remember.
“Then, Pelaine, are you scared of it too?”
“I’m not… scared, but I do feel a bit uneasy…”
“……”
As I brought Vafe a little closer, Pelaine flinched and trembled.
She said it wasn’t scary, but her ears were twitching down; it seemed she was trying to suppress her fear.
Indeed, it seemed there was something instinctively off-putting about Vafe.
“This is problematic. Does this mean I can’t use this in horseback riding?”
“Still, won’t there be some horses that are less scared? Let’s try looking for them.”
“Sure.”
I didn’t want to be the knight who couldn’t ride.
I willingly followed Pelaine into the stable.
It was a place where the ownerless horses were kept.
Inside, about twenty horses were lined up.
“Stablekeeper. Forget everything you see from now on.”
“Excuse me? My lord, what do you mean…”
*Zing!*
With that sound, Vafe shot out from my right hand.
The eerie blue glow brightened the dark stable in an instant.
As Vafe took the shape of a greatsword and I held it in my right hand, the stablekeeper stared wide-eyed, unable to say a word.
If a person was like that, how do you think the horses would react?
*Hiiiiiing!*
*Heeheehee!*
The sound echoed so loud it could burst eardrums.
I thrust Vafe toward them one by one, checking their reactions.
One by one, they all lost control and, without exception, bolted, slamming their heads into the wall.
Even Pelaine was trembling and gripping my left hand tightly, so that said it all.
Just then, I spotted a black horse at the far end.
I decided to try and present Vafe to it.
“I found one.”
Despite Vafe being so close it could practically brush against its fur, it didn’t move an inch.
It just stood there like it was dead, staring at me.
The moment I met its gaze, I had a strong feeling.
This horse was going to be mine.
“That one… it looks solid, but it’s definitely a troublesome one.”
“……”
“Hey! Don’t reach out! That one bites!”
“……”
Ignoring the stablekeeper’s warning, I reached out.
For some reason, I felt a strange conviction.
I felt like things would be okay.
*Hruuuh…*
My hand touched its cheek.
It huffed softly as if a bit annoyed, but it didn’t try to bite or shake me off.
I slowly moved my hand up and began to stroke its head.
It lowered its head slightly and closed its eyes, enjoying the petting.
It let out a few *purring* sounds, feeling good.
“Huh. I’ve never seen this horse do this. I was just about to send it to the butcher for jerky, but I never expected a master to appear out of nowhere.”
“Isn’t it a little early to say that? We still need to see how it performs.”
“Haha! Its skills and speed are top-notch! It should be a sight to see!”
The stablekeeper clapped his hands in congratulations.
I see. It seemed I had found a horse that resonated with my heart.
I was moved by the stablekeeper’s accolades and immediately led it out to the riding area.
It felt like it would understand my feelings perfectly and run with me—
“Ugh!”
“Ah!”
“Uwaaah!”
The damn thing threw me off ten times in a row.
*
In the Southern 4th Castle, within the army barracks.
One by one, commanders entered the meeting room and took their seats.
As all the seats were filled, the timely chime of the bell rang out.
At that moment, the Commander in Chief, Pelaine, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke.
“It seems everyone is here. Let us start the military meeting.”
“……”
The commanders were tense, focusing on every word from Pelaine.
This was a stark contrast to the atmosphere of the first military meeting after she became the Commander in Chief.
No one would dare disrespect Pelaine as a woman or a subhuman.
She was the hero who revived the suppression army that was on the brink of annihilation.
That was the common recognition among all the commanders towards Pelaine.
While there were still those who disliked her, there was no one left who wouldn’t acknowledge her abilities.
“First, I’d like to receive the latest analysis on the enemy’s strength.”
“Yes. I’ll report on the enemy’s movements.”
The report on the enemy’s strength followed.
From direct observation, the enemy’s infantry was about 8,000 and their cavalry about 2,000.
Considering enemy mobilization ability, the total force was expected to be double that.
“They’re still holding strong…”
Though we had achieved several major victories, the edge had not yet shifted to the suppression army.
The only advantages we had were the magical strength and quality of cavalry.
Even the powerful magic unit would have to return to the Imperial University in a few days.
“The enemy is fortifying positions in the plains, far from the 4th Castle, dispersing their forces. They are probably conscious of our magical firepower.”
“……”
After suffering a serious blow, the enemy was now moving cautiously, even considering magic.
They had set up fortifications far away to make it difficult for our magicians to safely project their firepower.
It seemed unlikely we would see another jackpot that could wipe hundreds of cavalry in one go.
“The enemy is gradually tightening the noose again. While the last hasty attempt ended in failure, they will slowly besiege the 4th Castle. It will be too late once the supply lines are cut. Do we have any strategies to break this?”
“……”
A suffocating silence filled the meeting room.
Of course, there were thoughts that crossed everyone’s minds.
Just like last time, they thought of including magicians with cavalry formations to crush the enemy lines.
But now the enemy was being defensive; they would induce our magic consumption, and the moment we wasted magic on a small fort, cavalry units would swarm out from other positions, leading to chaos.
It was a fighting style that would lead to losses on our side.
And if we happened to lose a magician?
That would truly be the worst case scenario.
The commanders could not voice strategies that would put university students in such danger.
“It seems no one has any opinions, so may I speak first?”
“Please, go ahead, Schlus.”
Just then, Schlus Hainkel, who had been watching from the back, uncrossed his arms and stood up.
He wasn’t just any knight; he wielded tremendous influence, far beyond that of an ordinary knight, given that he was someone who had the magicians on his side and also belonged to the Holy Knights.
He was speaking with authority that was several steps above the others.
“How much military support do we have from the Great Forest for the rebel army?”
“Well, it seems that at least a thousand cavalry and six thousand infantry are affiliated with the Great Forest based on our estimates.”
“……”
About half of the total rebel forces were from the Great Forest’s military.
After reconfirming this fact, Schlus tapped the desk with his finger thoughtfully before speaking.
“Since the rebellion began, have we contacted the Great Forest at all?”
“We sent a few messengers, but they all returned without meeting the council. Aside from the Emperor’s letters, we have had no communications with the Great Forest.”
“In that case, I’ll go directly to the Great Forest on behalf of the Emperor.”
“……!”
All the commanders were taken aback, gasping in shock.
The Great Forest was currently treated as a hostile nation to the Empire.
No matter what was done, there was no foreign relations left to destroy further than this.
Even if he risked everything to arrive at the Great Forest, it would be a different matter whether the council would even meet with him.
“What do you plan to do there?”
“I’ll negotiate and cut all support for the rebel army. I will ensure that all troops deployed by the Great Forest are withdrawn and complete the blockade against the rebel army.”
“……”
The meeting room fell into a prolonged silence.
Everyone hoped Schlus was making a joke, but he maintained a serious expression.
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