Raising the Princess to Overcome Death-Chapter 234: Childhood Friends - Mount
233. Childhood Friends - Mount
“Are you going to stay like this?”
A massive crusader asked while sweeping back his windblown hair.
The dry autumn wind blowing from the Kingdom of Astin in the north often caused the people of the Jerome Holy Kingdom to hurry to complete the year’s work.
Before the northern cold wave arrived, they rushed to harvest crops and prepare clothes for the winter.
They also needed to stack up plenty of fodder for the livestock, so Sir Javad, who grew up on a farm in the Holy Kingdom, was naturally inclined to become busier with the autumn wind.
Unfortunately, the person being questioned was not someone raised in the Holy Kingdom.
Cardinal Mihael leisurely sat on the coachman’s seat. He gazed at the distant plains and asked back, “What are you talking about?”
“Are you going to keep pretending to be a captive? If you weren’t caught off guard... And by now, we could consider this a situation beyond his control.”
Cardinal Mihael scratched his head.
Despite having been together for quite some time, there was a cultural gap between him and Sir Javad that they couldn’t quite bridge.
“Well... don't be too hasty. Just running away with the carriage would look ridiculous. More than that, do you think they’ll succeed in the hunt?”
The cardinal’s gaze remained fixed on the plains. Sir Javad thought the cardinal was a man difficult to understand as he turned his head to follow his gaze.
The ruffians who had captured them were preparing for a hunt on the plains.
Ten young men on horseback formed a wide encirclement. They surrounded the enormous beast called a Doheukpoma in a broad circle and repositioned themselves at the command of the person who seemed to be their leader.
The blue-eyed young man with brown hair, whose swordsmanship was exceptional, gestured here and there, making preparations, but to Sir Javad, their efforts looked inadequate.
“It will be difficult. That beast is known to be impossible to catChapter Every knight interested in horses knows it.”
“Is that so? Why is that?”
“I’ve only heard rumors, but that beast is said to be intelligent and skittish. Traps are useless, and it remembers those who antagonized it. If they are spotted, it simply runs away. It’s said to be so fast that pursuit is impossible.”
“Then can’t it be ambushed at night?”
“I’m not sure. I heard that Simon Count once mobilized soldiers on a large scale to capture it, but eventually, they gave up, so it must not have been easy.”
“Hm…”
Cardinal Mihael rubbed his chin, where a short, bristly beard had grown. He recalled the stories he had heard in the Uena tribal village and asked another question.
“What do you think those people are up to?”
“I think they might be warriors searching for magical beasts. I’ve heard there are such people in the north.”
“I thought so too. But they’re indigenous warriors, and they don’t seem to be from the north.”
“Really? Now that I think about it, the Kingdom of Astin has been at war since spring, so it’s unlikely that northern warriors would come down here.”
“That too, but…”
Cardinal Mihael concluded briefly.
“Their accent is from the south. Ah, they’re starting now.”
Rev urged his horse toward the Doheukpoma.
The Doheukpoma, with its sleek, shiny black coat, surveyed Rev and the young men surrounding it with wary eyes and expressed its discomfort with a rough snort,
phruuur!
Rev didn’t approach recklessly. He stopped and just gazed at it quietly.
- *
Hihihing!
*
There was a momentary staring contest.
As the Doheukpoma observed the human behaving strangely in front of it, it stomped its foot. It charged forward like the wind, flaunting its intimidating muscles and size, which seemed to be twice that of a regular horse.
With a snort of white breath, the ground was overturned by its massive body.
The chilling rush was enough to make one’s mind go blank. The Doheukpoma’s black mane fluttered like a lion’s, obscuring the vision of Rev and his horse.
He could use his horse as a sacrifice, leap, and cut the beast’s neck. He could use an Aura Blade the moment his horse was trampled under its hooves.
However, Rev stroked his frightened horse. He tapped its neck, reassuring it to trust its master, and gently pulled the reins.
- *
Hiiiing!
*
Rev leaned back heavily.
With its weight shifted to its hindquarters, the horse lifted its front legs high and turned, following the reins.
[Achievement: First Ride - Leo’s Riding Skill Slightly Increased.]
It was a magnificent display of horsemanship.
Rev’s skill in handling horses had advanced beyond the “First Ride” achievement he had received a long time ago. Learning horsemanship from Sir Gallen in the previous Beggar Siblings scenario had been invaluable.
“Everyone, run!”
Rev shouted, leaving the bewildered Doheukpoma behind.
The young men forming a wide circle dashed forward. However, they didn’t charge at the beast but instead began running as if chasing each other’s tails. Rev raced toward the Doheukpoma, blending into their formation.
- Phururuk?
The Doheukpoma was baffled by the sudden retreat and the sight of them running in circles. It slowed its pace, perplexed.
Running slowly (at least for it) inside the large, spinning circle, it assessed the situation, but the sound of hooves from the horse running beside it was enjoyable. A young man with hair resembling appetizing hay matched its pace alongside it.
- *
Clop-clop-clop, clop-clop-clop.
*
Rev rode at twice the Doheukpoma’s pace. Every time it took a step, he urged his horse to take two steps. He matched its rhythm and speed, never leaving its side.
“Close in now!”
After about two laps, Rev broke away from the circle.
The Doheukpoma naturally followed Rev’s horse, which matched its pace, and the ten young men eagerly drove their horses to catch up with Rev and the Doheukpoma. They became a herd, galloping freely across the vast plain.
- *
Hihihing! Hiiing!
*
The Doheukpoma felt elated.
The enormous creature, which had always roamed the plains alone, relished running with other horses.
It had grazed in solitude and, having no companions to keep watch, slept standing up at night. Such was the fate of an animal that had suddenly become a magical beast one day. It might have accidentally swallowed a butterfly while grazing.
“Haha! Is it good?”
As he rode, Rev reached out and stroked Doheukpoma's side. His hand and the wind brushed against its sleek, slightly furred coat.
Rev had never intended to hunt it in the first place.
There was a time when he sought to capture it and got into trouble, but that wasn’t his doing (it was Leo Dexter’s). The one who caused trouble for Leo was Count Simon, not the Doheukpoma.
Moreover, having learned about horses’ nature from Sir Gallen, Rev had grown fonder of them.
In fact, Rev had a unique tendency to cherish the horses he rode, unlike the other Leos.
Woody, Vante, and Kus.
All names given by Rev.
Although influenced by Minseo in naming them, neither Leo Dexter nor Lean de Yeriel had ever named their horses. Only Rev named his horses and cared for them diligently.
Could it be because of this? Rev decided to capture the Doheukpoma.
Rev was a bit disappointed that he couldn't increase his "Magical Beast Hunt" achievement count, but he also thought it would be a pity to kill the creature. Moreover, capturing and bringing it along would likely leave a deeper impression on Count Umberto Simon.
The Doheukpoma ran without holding back.
Though its speed left something to be desired, it revealed in the joy of running alongside other horses for the first time in ages, nodding its head back and forth in delight.
It would occasionally leap exuberantly, but for the horses following it, this was exhausting.
As the young men with lesser horsemanship skills gradually fell behind, and sweat poured down Rev's horse like rain, Rev stood on the saddle. He leapt gracefully, just like Sir Gallen had taught him, landing on the high back of the Doheukpoma. The Doheukpoma didn’t resist.
"Good, good. Just stay still..."
Rev settled himself on the massive beast's back, where he could have easily laid down. As he sat near its neck, soothing it with gentle pats, a message appeared before him.
For a moment, Rev was at a loss for words, and the Doheukpoma let out a joyful whinny.
[Achievement: Mount – Leo can now summon a mount.]
---
Rev’s party drew an incredible amount of attention.
The Doheukpoma, as tall as a carriage but more than twice its length, ambled along behind them. Every now and then, it would slurp Rev’s head, leaving his hair never at peace in the wind.
In the plains ruled by Simon Count, tenant farmers stopped and stared at the bizarre spectacle. Children from the farms gathered to chase the back of the carriage, and the adults were no different.
“Did you catch that thing?”
“Isn’t it dangerous? Shouldn’t you at least put a bridle on it…?”
Rev had to repeatedly assure the swarming farmers, “It’s alright. It’s very gentle.” Despite the divine mark on his head, they were captivated by the Doheukpoma as if under some kind of hypnosis.
“Oh, thank you! Please take that thing far away!”
And it was no wonder; the Doheukpoma was a notorious nuisance in these plains.
It often wandered into the tenant farmers' fields to munch on crops, though the eating itself was manageable. Despite its large size, how much could a single horse really consume?
It was an annoyance that could be shrugged off with a, “Well, that’s unlucky,” and forgotten.
However, the real issue was that it would trample the farmland with hooves as large as cart wheels. The farmers tried to chase it off with pitchforks, but the Doheukpoma wasn’t easily scared. It would leave only to return shortly, causing endless trouble.
The local tenant farmers even formed a cooperative fund to help those who suffered losses due to it.
Count Umberto Simon was aware of this cooperative’s existence and occasionally contributed funds to it.
And now, the troublesome creature was finally being taken away.
The farmers dropped their work and followed Rev's group as if a festival had started.
They expected the townsfolk and Count Simon to be surprised when Rev and his group passed through the castle gates.
However, the gates didn’t open immediately. The guard captain had recognized the divine mark on Rev and the young men’s heads.
“Halt! Are you not criminals? Dismount at once, or we will attack!”
“Criminals?”
“Why is the guard captain acting like this?”
“I don’t know.”
The farmers muttered in confusion. Why was the guard captain behaving like this on such a good day? ─ they wondered. But as the soldiers on the wall aimed their bows, they realized the gravity of the situation and fell silent.
Rev spoke up.
“I have a token issued by the Marquis Guidan of the Right Kingdom. While I am not a noble, I am under his protection. Even so, do you insist on disarming me?”
“…I’m sorry, but I don’t know who Marquis Guidan is. Such matters are for the Count to judge, so kindly discard your weapons and dismount. I don’t know what crime you committed in a foreign country, but if you comply, your sentence may be mitigated.”
The guard captain spoke in a somewhat softened tone. However, Rev neither dismounted nor discarded his weapons.
The crusaders who had been sitting on the carriage got down with a
thud
and showed ominous movements. As Cardinal Mihael also seemed about to disembark, Rev drew his sword and held it high.
[Achievement: Magical Beast Hunt - ‘2’, mana is weakly imbued in your body.]
The sword emitted a stronger flash than before. Although not as bright as when he caught Oriax, it shone clearly even in broad daylight.
The soldiers aiming their bows from the wall lost their aim. The guard captain, the soldiers guarding the gate, and the farmers who didn’t know what the divine mark was were all dumbstruck.
Even if they didn’t know what the divine mark was, they knew what it meant when a sword emitted light. A Sword Master, the stuff of legends, stood before them.
Rev sheathed his sword and looked back. He conveyed with a glance to the cardinal, who was about to step out of the carriage, that the situation was still under control, then turned back. He spoke to the bewildered guard captain.
“I’ve come to meet Count Simon. If you don’t mind, could you guide me?”
“That… Are the people behind you also knights?”
The guard captain asked, trying to remain calm. Rev smiled gently and nodded.
“They are my disciples. They have not been knighted.”
“Your disciples…”
Rev let him misunderstand. By revealing that the young men were his disciples and making it clear they were not knights, he allowed the captain to remain confused.
From the guard captain’s perspective, letting potentially dangerous knights into the castle could be problematic. It was a matter of regulations. There might not be any rule against letting a Sword Master in, though.
At the same time, he didn’t want to be underestimated by the Count.
Of course, a great Sword Master, but numbers can be overwhelming.
The Aura Blade wasn’t limitless, and even the greatest noble of a kingdom, determined to kill a single human who barged into his domain, would have the means to do so.
However, having ten disciples would make the situation look different.
The Count would assume, like the guard captain, that all his disciples were knight-level. After all, with a Sword Master’s disciples, there was no way he wouldn’t make such an assumption.
The firmly closed castle gates creaked open. Rev’s disciples proudly rode in on their horses, followed by the silent Cardinal Mihael and the subdued crusaders in their carriage. Rev waited for the Doheukpoma to enter last.
Then, just as the elated Doheukpoma was being led through the gates with a cheerful whinny, Rev turned back and saw a familiar face among the crowd gathered at the gate.
A man clad in a shabby robe, observing them. As the gates closed, Rev was engulfed in a sense of unease.
The man was supposed to be serving the Baron and Baroness Agata at Castle Bidorinin near the northern border of the Kingdom of Astin:
Sir Brian.
.
!
Chapter 234: Childhood Friends - Mount
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