Chapter 18 : Horse Riding Training

-Everyone, wake up!

The long, yet short dawn passed with the bustle that announced the morning.

With the start of another day, I lifted my heavy body.

In a way, it could be seen as a day I had hoped would not come, but it wasn’t something I could avoid just by wanting to.

“Of the total of four, no one is missing.”

“Alright. Assemble at the training grounds after breakfast.”

After the usual light roll call was over, I headed to the distribution area, which was too ambiguous to be called a dining hall.

This morning’s menu was a strangely colored stew with a few pieces of meat from an unknown animal and all sorts of vegetables.

“……Hm?”

Surprisingly, it tasted good.

Come to think of it, I had heard that medieval inns had a dish called the so-called perpetual stew.

They said it was boiled continuously 24/7, 365 days a year, and different ingredients were added each time the amount decreased.

Because of that, even if it didn’t look very good, the savory flavors of all sorts of ingredients seeped out, making it unexpectedly delicious, they said.

The stew being distributed in Winter Castle now was probably a similar dish.

In fact, since coming to Winter Castle, stew has been on the menu quite often.

‘Well, in this kind of weather, a dish like stew is perfect.’

It was warm, making it perfect to eat in this harsh, cold environment, and the nature of stew itself made it suitable for mass cooking, a characteristic of the army, so it was bound to appear often.

It was while I was having a surprisingly satisfying breakfast.

“Is that the mage over there who joined the newly formed special task force?”

“Yeah, I heard he’s quite skilled. They say he possesses incredible magic.”

“Even so, he’s a criminal.”

I could hear the Winter Castle soldiers talking as they glanced in my direction.

No, it was as good as them saying it loud enough for me to hear.

Seeing them spout such nonsense so casually in Winter Castle, where the proportion of criminals is endlessly high, they didn’t seem to have enlisted that long ago.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’

Regardless, I silently continued my meal.

If they were that thoughtless, they probably wouldn’t survive long anyway, even if I did nothing.

At that moment.

“Hmph.”

A huge shadow suddenly approached from the side.

“The vermin are good at chattering behind someone’s back. Why don’t you try saying it to their face?”

When Conlan, who had an intimidating appearance at a glance, growled, the soldiers who had been chattering excitedly just a moment ago shut their mouths tight.

“If you’re done eating, let’s go.”

“Let’s.”

“Pah.”

Seeing that scene, a certain saying suddenly came to mind.

A madman is endlessly annoying when he’s an enemy, but once he becomes an ally, he’s more reassuring than anyone.

Conlan was like that right now.

“Should I say thank you?”

“For what? I know those guys wouldn’t even last a single punch against you anyway. If you’re done eating, let’s go. It’s time to assemble.”

“Already?”

“It’s strange that you’re still eating. You should have slurped that down and gotten up long ago. When are you going to finish picking at your food like that?”

It seemed my eating habits as a modern person still remained.

For the people of this era, a meal was probably more about intake for survival than dining.

“Alright. Just let me finish this.”

“The commander is waiting, you know?”

“I said I got it.”

And so, after finishing the rest of my meal, I leisurely got up from my seat.

Should I say that, for some reason, I couldn’t stand having my mealtime interrupted?

“We’re going to get an earful from the commander.”

Conlan grumbled that we were going to be late for assembly because of me.

“This is supposed to be an army, they should at least guarantee meal times.”

“Still saying such complacent things? I thought you weren’t like a mage, but you are strange in a mage-like way.”

When we arrived at the training grounds, having hurried in our own way, Edric spoke.

“Everyone’s here. Did you all enjoy your meals?”

“Yes.”

“You took one day off and your voices are already weak again. Alright, today we will conduct basic physical training.”

“No, sir!”

“What do you mean, no. Seeing the lack of energy in your voices, it seems some physical training is needed. Yes…… first, a race. One person.”

Son of a bitch.

***

With Edric’s simple declaration, the members of the 4th Special Task Force hurriedly started running.

Albino was the same.

‘Hmph.’

As Albino, he wasn’t exactly thrilled about the tedious footrace, but since his superior ordered it, he had no choice.

Having become a soldier of Winter Castle against his will, it was wise not to cause any trouble until an opportunity to escape presented itself.

Of course, there was no need to worry.

Because, as always, the one who would come in last in Edric’s ridiculously ignorant footrace competition would be Vell Blackwood.

It was a known fact that Vell Blackwood was a mage who possessed very powerful magic, but in contrast, he had a pathetic body.

Therefore, Albino secretly looked down on Vell Blackwood.

‘It seems he got lucky and obtained good magic, but that won’t last long either.’

Powerful magic demands a price worthy of it.

That was a fair contract made of the unavoidable Golden Rule on the Lagna Continent, and no being could escape it.

This meant that Vell Blackwood, believing in his magic and acting so arrogantly, wouldn’t last much longer.

“Don’t overdo it and just quietly follow behind…… huh?”

The moment Albino was about to spit out words of ridicule towards Vell Blackwood as always.

“Pant, pant……!”

An anomaly occurred.

Vell Blackwood, who should have been far behind chasing after him, began to overtake him.

‘What?’

Just a short while ago, Vell Blackwood couldn’t even keep up with him.

That’s why Albino had planned to approach the training leisurely this time as well, but he couldn’t help but be flustered when Vell Blackwood suddenly surged forward.

‘Was he hiding his strength until now? No…… there’s no reason to.’

Albino felt his head becoming complicated, but he didn’t stop his legs.

He didn’t know what was going on, but if he fell behind now, he would be the one sacrificed to Edric’s footrace.

“Damn it! To a guy like that……!”

Albino also moved his legs desperately, but for some reason, the distance with Vell Blackwood just wouldn’t close.

As if he could never catch up to him now.

‘No, way……!’

Amidst Albino’s astonishment, Vell Blackwood’s back gradually grew distant.

On and on, and on.

***

My stomach is churning.

Amidst the torture disguised as basic physical training, same as the first day, I felt like I was going to throw up what I had eaten heartily for breakfast.

But there were results.

I had finally completely overtaken Albino, one of the members of the 4th Special Task Force, in the footrace.

However, despite that, I was still no match for those with overwhelming physical abilities like Conlan and Alicia.

“Even if you’ve passed that white-haired guy, it won’t be easy! Take your time! Haha!”

I felt the urge to aim the muzzle of my gun at the back of Conlan’s head as he patted my back lightly and ran ahead, but I didn’t.

It wasn’t because my patience was deep, but because I didn’t even have the strength to pull out my gun.

I ran, ran, and ran again.

As I was lying collapsed from exhaustion after running like that, Edric spoke.

“Seems the training is paying off. Your movements are much better than before.”

Edric laughed heartily.

“Well, this seems like enough of a warm-up, so let’s officially begin today’s training.”

“……Haven’t we already done it?”

I tried a weak protest, but of course, it was completely ignored.

“What a joke. Wasn’t what we’ve done so far just the usual basic exercises?”

Edric laughed heartily.

However, none of the special task force members, including myself, could laugh.

“The Special Task Force will have many external missions in the future, including to the Demonic Realm. We can’t ride a carriage every time, so you should at least be able to ride a horse. Is there anyone among the members who doesn’t know how to ride?”

No one raised their hand.

Except for me.

“Good, what you lack can be learned now. Let’s start right away.”

With Edric’s words, the horse riding training, which could be called the real training for today, officially began.

***

“Giddy-up!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.”

“……”

Perhaps it was true that everyone except me had ridden a horse before; not only Conlan and Alicia, but even Albino was quite skilled at riding.

I guess in this world, riding a horse is similar to basic car driving, isn’t it?

“Giddy-up!”

-Neigh!

Riding a horse wasn’t easy, but fortunately, I gradually got used to it, perhaps because I had some talent for it.

“……Hmph.”

Seeing Albino’s gaze on me was a little strange, it seemed that being overtaken by me in the footrace earlier was quite a shock.

Edric said.

“Good, you’re doing well for a beginner. Just keep riding like that.”

“Can’t you explain in more detail?”

“Just do it like you’re doing now. The feeling is important, the feeling.”

Edric’s horse riding training seemed far from systematic education, but it was still quite effective.

Edric’s main training philosophy was that riding once is better than a hundred words.

-Neigh!

Because it was such ignorant training, no matter how talented I was at horse riding, I couldn’t help but fall off sometimes.

Each time, I felt my life was in danger, but fortunately, the impact of the fall wasn’t that great, perhaps because the Orb of Water was implicitly protecting me.

‘……I almost died.’

Anyway, as I received horse riding training by physically experiencing it like that, I quickly became skilled at riding.

While not to the extent of performing various tricks on horseback like skilled cavalrymen, I think I reached a point where I could at least hold the reins and not fall off.

Considering that my original self didn’t even know how to ride a donkey, let alone a horse, this was nothing short of a huge leap in progress.

“That’s all for today’s training. Everyone, go inside, take care of your personal maintenance, and then rest.”

Finally, the exhausting training for today was over.

On the way back to the barracks, Albino approached me.

“You, what trick did you pull?”

“What?”

“Your physical abilities suddenly improved. Did you perhaps use magic?”

Indeed, the sudden increase in physical abilities due to the Orb of Water could have looked like magic.

Strictly speaking, it was due to the item’s power, so it wasn’t exactly wrong.

“It’s thanks to my diligent participation in training.”

“Don’t make me laugh. No matter how much you train, it’s impossible for physical abilities to increase so suddenly.”

“What can I do about the fact that I did it?”

“You have no intention of telling me obediently……. Yes, I suppose so.”

Albino said, looking at me.

“It won’t be easy next time.”

With those words, Albino strode back to the barracks.

“What’s with him?”

At that, Conlan, who was nearby, quietly approached me.

“His pride is hurt.”

“Hmm. Just because he was overtaken in a race? He’s as timid as he looks.”

“I’ll be overtaking you soon too, so just wait.”

“Haha! I’ll accept your challenge anytime.”

Conlan laughed heartily.

It seemed he believed there was absolutely no way I could overtake him.

“Just you wait and see.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

At that moment.

─Bwoooooooooo…!

The sound of a great horn coming from somewhere.

I knew this sound.

No, there was no way I couldn’t know it.

-It’s a demonic beast!

-To your positions!

The soldiers’ urgent shouts mixed with the sound of the horn.

What this meant was clear.

Winter Castle is under attack.

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