My Villains Chapter 319
56. To the Frontier (12)
The height of a pony or riding horse commonly used in this world is about 1.4 meters from the back to the back.
Swift hunters are about 1.5 meters tall, and powerful pack horses, war horses, and war horses ridden by knights are about 10 centimeters taller than that.
When you ride such a large horse, your eye level rises sharply, and you see the world differently with a little bit of exaggeration. When you look down at others from a high place, you may fall into the illusion that you have become a superior being.
Right now, I was soaked in such delusion or bliss.
It was thanks to Bicon.
On a vast plain in Antrum, I grabbed the reins and ran with all my might.
Wedge love!
The cold wind of mid-January clawed at my ears fiercely. The wind is so loud that you can’t even hear the bicorn’s hooves.
“ha.”
I took a deep breath, and the icy air filled my lungs. It feels like my inflated lungs are pushing my body up like a balloon filled with helium. It seems as if it will soar above the cloudless sky at any moment.
The bicorn, which ran like folding the ground, climbed up the hill in an instant on a gentle slope.
“Whoah whoah.”
As I tightened my thighs and pulled the reins, the bicorn was fughong! and stopped with a brief thrashing.
I tapped the hot scruff of my neck to soothe my bicorn and took in the scenery with my eyes. I feel like I’m floating in the air when I look around while riding on a bicorn that’s as tall as me.
Looking north from the hill, it seems that the world is split in two.
One side was an open wheat field with sparse bales of straw, and the other side was a forest covered with bare branches. I cast my gaze along the road that ran along the border between the wheat field and the forest.
In the distance, you can see a huge city with many spiers rising. Lianwell is the capital of the Antrum region and the palace of the Marquis of Eavon is located. When I looked back at the cheerful sound of horses
‘
hooves, the white horse ‘Brightmere’ carrying Princess Theodora was running up the hill with all its might.
“I won again.”
As we talked with a smile, the princess stopped next to me and pursed her lips to soothe Bright Mere, who was purring.
“…I guess this is unfair.”
“Isn’t that unfair?”
“That is a beast that cannot be called a horse. You cannot compete in horsemanship with someone who is not on a horse.”
I shrugged my shoulders playfully at the princess’s words, which seemed to have a heartache.
“Wasn’t it the princess who insisted that the most important thing in horseback riding was the breathing between the rider and the horse and asked for a match?”
“That’s true… but anyway, just because it’s fast doesn’t mean it’s good horseback riding. It is important to have a deep connection with the horse.”
“okay. But isn’t there a way to compete to see which one has a deeper connection?”
“No, why not? There are many more high-level competitions than simply ignorant running.”
“Which one?”
“…hmm. Like jumping over obstacles, for example.”
“You mean overcoming obstacles? That would be fun. Then, next time you have a chance, would you like to compete in that event as well?” When I asked with a smile, the princess inadvertently tried to nod, but narrowed her eyes again.
“No, no. As I have already said, you cannot compete in horsemanship with a non-riding opponent.”
After saying that, Theodora pulled the reins and drove the horse into the sun, and I followed her with a small giggling.
Princess Theodora was not only good at horseback riding, befitting a holy knight of noble origin, but also liked horses themselves. Excluding the 5-6 years he was imprisoned in a convent due to political strife, it is said that there was not a single day when he did not ride a horse.
It was similar to Heila, but different.
Heila, the golden jade of the Baluin family, also liked horses. However, rather than running with the reins on, he preferred to be immersed in contemplation at the horse harness.
It seemed that he hated walking more than he enjoyed riding horses.
On the other hand, Theodora, the niece of Elector Count Topal and granddaughter of Lionel III, liked to run fast enough to make her light blonde hair fly.
She usually shows only a serious and caring side, but only when riding a horse does she reveal a bit of her honest side.
In short, Theodora was a good riding partner. So, whenever I had free time for the four days I left Piol and headed for Lianwell, I would ride with her side by side.
“It’s still January, but it’s pretty warm.”
When he spoke naturally, Theodora, who caught her breath and restrained her childlike appearance, nodded with her usual gentle expression.
“It is a land blessed by the Lord. When the snow melts soon, countless farmers will come out and plow the land.”
The princess looked over the empty wheat field before continuing.
“You know what?”
“What do you mean?”
“The amount of grain produced in the entire northern part of the Milanol Kingdom is less than half of what is produced here in Antrum.”
“…This is the first time I’ve heard of it.”
“Then you don’t know that Antrum’s food production is only 3/3 of that of the King’s territory.”
Whether Phoenix or Kim Seung-soo, I had never been interested in the kingdom’s food situation, so I just shrugged my shoulders in silence.
“My hometown, Topal, is also quite fertile. Although sometimes flooded, it is a good place to live because the winter is short and the summer is long.”
“okay.”
“So I thought everyone in this world lived in such a blessed land. Until I was fifteen, Topal of Mitterge Land was my whole world.
He waited for her next words, but Theodora opened her mouth to say something and then gave a wry smile that didn’t make sense.
…Why don’t you talk?
The princess swept the blade of her wind-blown hair and glanced at the bicorn.
“You’ve calmed down quite a bit now. Except for the appearance, it’s really meaningless.”
“Ah, are you happy? I would have been embarrassing if I had continued to be rough.”
Even though Brightmere and Theodora were close by, Bicon tensed his muscles a little but didn’t show it.
The guy who was frothing like a mad dog when he first ran with the princess, but after accepting Utequai’s advice and exercising his skills, he somehow suppresses his malevolence.
They seem to have some intelligence, so after being hit a few times, they quickly lowered their tails.
It’s an instinct that I can’t help but stiffen up when a stranger approaches, so I was satisfied with not trying to hurt the people or words around me.
“Still, you shouldn’t let your guard down.”
Theodora scanned the bicorn’s two horns and the disparately shaped head with her light green eyes dyed with vigilance.
“Even though he seems to be docile, he is a demon in the end. I don’t know what kind of disaster it will bring to you.” “Isn’t that what I do? If you take good care of it and take care of it, it will be fine.”
“…Contrary to appearances, Sir, he is quite optimistic.”
I filled my lungs with cold air again, exhaled, and smiled.
“Still, it’s something you don’t know about, so if you feel something’s wrong, the princess will help you.”
“Me?”
“You’re a good Holy Knight, aren’t you? It seems like he will blow away even the slightest catastrophe with a single prayer.” “blether. And how long have you known me?” “Aren’t you the one who shared a sacred revelation?”
“Another nonsense.”
Contrary to her reprimanding tone, Theodora followed me with a slight smile.
“Don’t just keep saying nonsense and give a clear answer, huh?”
Then a group of people appeared on a road winding through the woods. It was a group of three or four riders and a little under twenty walkers.
“That’s it, princess.”
“I’m looking too… I think they’re priests.”
As she said, it looked like a group of priests.
It was not difficult to guess from the fact that some of the leaders were wearing loose white robes, or that they were holding a flag with a sun symbol and an iron ringed cross aloft.
“Hmm.”
What kind of priests are they? I think it’s coming from Lianwell’s side.
“I’m curious, why don’t you go and see it?”
“…are you serious?”
“yes. What’s wrong?”
Theodora looked at me with eyes asking if she really didn’t know and asked, then sighed slightly.
“Sir is riding a beast with an ominous tradition, and I am a paladin belonging to the Calandari Order. At first glance, they look like the priests of the Church of El Ganore, so you might get into a fight if you run into them.”
“What does it matter? We are the guests of the Marquis of Ea Bon.”
“But”
“I don’t know how the princesses are, but the priests here are secretly weak against those in power, so don’t worry too much.”
Theodora made a mysterious expression. I’m glad I found her different face again.
“And they came out in the name of reconnaissance, so we can’t just ignore them. Let’s go.”
“O uh” —
instead of waiting for an answer, he hit the reins and ran forward, Theodore reluctantly following.
A bicorn is also a bicorn, but Theodora’s horse was a considerable course.
Unlike most white horses, which have changed with age, Brightmere was a rare case of white hair from birth. It is a lively horse that is only eight years old this year.
Thanks to this, me and Theodora closed the distance in an instant and approached the group of priests.
“That one!”
“It’s a monster!”
When a demonic beast with two horns, significantly larger than a fair amount of war horses, rushed in, the unidentified group panicked and panicked. I swallowed a laugh inwardly, approaching them closely and hastily tugging at the reins.
Kreheung!
The bicorn lifted its front paws with a booming growl and growl.
“Ughhh-”
“Lord!”
The servants and cart-drivers were at once frightened and put their heads to the ground;
hee hee hee!
Two of the four clergymen fell from the frightened horse and landed on the butt, while one managed to cling to his horse.
“Protect with light!”
At least one of them got his head together and memorized a prayer! It poured white sunlight.
Kheung!
As the auspicious light illuminated my body, Vicorn nodded annoyedly. The two horns were stirred and scattered a ray of divine power.
“This kind of mischief…
“Whoa whoa.”
When the young priest poured out his holy power and turned his face pale, I stopped playing and took a step back with the bicorn.
“…for a moment! That’s a person.”
A soldier pointed at me with a puzzled expression. The other party also noticed me then and opened their eyes in confusion and amazement.
“After seeing the priests, I came running in a month. How come I committed the rites?”
As I greeted them with a smiley tone, the fat priest who was crawling on the snow-covered, mud-covered floor grinned.
“Who are you?”
“Knight Phoenix. The seventh knight of His Highness, Prince Ulkar.”
At my kind introduction, the priest and the others opened their mouths. He looked more terrified than when the bicorn attacked.
