"Assuming it allows you to ride it, little lord."
Ashveil looked back at the Grey-maned Horned Horse.
Judging by the way it was glaring at him, Ria had a point.
The creature was considerably larger than an ordinary horse, with a muscular body covered in short gray fur and a curved horn protruding from its forehead. Its former owner had apparently been confident enough to ride it into battle, but that didn’t mean it would accept a new master so easily.
Ashveil opened its information panel again.
[Grey-maned Horned Horse]
[Tier: 2 Magical Beast]
[Loyalty: 0/100]
[Evaluation: A powerful mount with exceptional speed and endurance. Difficult to control without establishing trust.]
"Zero loyalty. Wonderful."
He cautiously approached, holding out his hand. The horse immediately lowered its horn and stamped a hoof against the dirt, forcing him to retreat.
"Alright, alright. No need to get violent."
Ria laughed behind him. "You’re approaching it like a merchant inspecting merchandise. Of course it doesn’t like you."
"Then what am I supposed to do? Introduce myself?"
"That would be a start."
Ashveil gave her an unimpressed look.
Before he could respond, Seraphina approached with a piece of dried fruit taken from their supplies.
"Perhaps you should try feeding it first."
Ashveil accepted the suggestion. He held out the fruit from a safe distance, and after several moments of hesitation, the horse stretched its neck forward and snatched it from his palm.
For a brief moment, Ashveil thought they had made progress.
Then the horse turned its head away.
"Eh?"
"It doesn’t seem particularly impressed," Seraphina remarked.
"I suppose not..."
Ria finally stepped forward. "May I?"
"Please."
The succubus placed a hand against the creature’s neck. A faint crimson glow appeared around her fingers, and the horse’s tense muscles gradually relaxed. Its ears stopped twitching, and it lowered its head until Ria could stroke its mane.
[Loyalty increased: 0 → 15]
Ashveil stared at the notification.
"Hoho."
"It’s only a little encouragement," Ria replied. "You’ll still have to earn its trust yourself."
"Couldn’t you just make it completely obedient?"
"I could try, but I’d rather not waste my remaining strength on a horse."
That was fair.
Ashveil approached again. This time, the creature allowed him to touch its neck without threatening to impale him.
"Well, that’s an improvement."
With Ria’s assistance, he managed to climb onto its back. The height was somewhat intimidating, especially considering how easily the animal could throw him off if it decided to change its mind.
Fortunately, it remained calm.
Ashveil gently urged it forward.
The horse began walking, then accelerated into a trot with surprising ease. Even at that pace, it covered ground considerably faster than the supply carts.
After making a short circuit along the road, Ashveil returned to the others.
"I think I understand why that guy wanted one of these."
A mounted soldier could travel farther, scout more efficiently, and retreat from unfavorable encounters without abandoning his equipment. Against ordinary infantry, the mobility alone would provide an enormous advantage.
Of course, obtaining enough magical horses to form a cavalry unit was another matter entirely.
He didn’t even know where the dead Lord had acquired this one.
Still, it was something worth considering once Ashen Hollow had sufficient resources.
"Alright, let’s get moving. I don’t want to spend the night out here."
The soldiers finished loading the captured weapons onto the carts, while Seraphina checked their injuries one last time.
Ashveil noticed that she looked more tired than before. Although her healing magic had been effective, using it repeatedly during the battle had clearly taken a toll.
"Seraphina, are you alright?"
"I’m fine."
"You don’t look fine."
"I said I’m fine."
Ashveil glanced at the horse. "Then ride for a while. You can rest until we reach the territory."
Seraphina looked at him, then at the enormous animal.
"With you?"
"Unless you know how to ride one of these things by yourself."
"..."
Ria, who had been listening nearby, smiled.
"What a thoughtful offer, little lord."
"Don’t start."
"I haven’t said anything."
"You’re smiling."
"Am I not allowed to smile?"
Seraphina sighed. "If it means we can return sooner, I’ll accept."
Ashveil helped her onto the horse, though the process was more awkward than either of them expected. She had difficulty finding her footing, and he had to steady her before she could settle into the saddle.
Once she was seated behind him, she carefully held the edge of his coat.
"Are you comfortable?"
"Enough."
"Good. Try not to fall."
"I wasn’t planning to."
Ria watched the exchange with obvious amusement.
"I’ll scout ahead and make sure the road is clear. You two enjoy yourselves."
"We’re going home, Ria."
"Of course, little lord."
Before Ashveil could say anything else, the succubus disappeared into the forest.
He shook his head and urged the horse forward.
The soldiers followed with the carts, maintaining a steady pace as the last sunlight faded behind the mountains.
For some time, neither Ashveil nor Seraphina spoke.
Eventually, Seraphina broke the silence.
"I’ve already lost one Lord," Seraphina said quietly. "I know what happens when a territory falls."
Ashveil glanced over his shoulder.
"Then you understand why I couldn’t let that man go."
"I understand your reasoning, my Lord. But he had already surrendered."
"And if I released him, what would stop him from returning with more soldiers?"
Seraphina fell silent.
"Lord Adrian wasn’t always able to show mercy either," she eventually admitted. "But I still believe there should be a difference between defeating an enemy and executing one."
Ashveil considered her words.
"Maybe. But I’m not willing to gamble everyone’s lives on the possibility that he’ll leave us alone."
"...I understand, my Lord."
"You don’t have to agree with me."
Seraphina looked at him in surprise.
"You would still allow me to question your decisions, my Lord?"
"Of course. Being contracted to me doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything I do."
She remained silent for a moment.
"...I understand."
He wasn’t particularly happy about killing another person either. But after witnessing the destroyed territories scattered across Eryndor, he had begun to understand that mercy without the strength to protect himself could easily become a death sentence.
For now, keeping his people alive mattered more than anything else.
The horse continued along the road.
A few minutes later, Ashveil felt Seraphina’s grip tighten around his coat.
"Something wrong?"
"Could you slow down a little?"
"Are you afraid of falling?"
"No. I just don’t think this saddle was designed for two people."
Ashveil glanced back and noticed how awkwardly she was sitting.
"Right. Sorry."
He slowed the horse to match the carts.
"Better?"
"Much better."
They continued in silence, although Seraphina no longer seemed quite as tense.
Meanwhile, far above the road, Ria stood among the branches of an enormous tree overlooking the valley.
From there, she could see the small procession moving between the hills. The two carts rolled slowly along the road, accompanied by four spearmen and a single magical horse.
It was hardly an impressive army.
And yet, she found herself smiling.
Not long ago, she had awakened in a world she barely recognized, with most of her former power gone and much of her past hidden behind fragments of memory.
She remembered battles, ruined kingdoms, and names that no longer meant anything to her. Sometimes she could almost recall the faces of those who had once stood beside her, only for the memories to disappear whenever she tried to grasp them.
It was an irritating feeling.
But strangely enough, she wasn’t in any particular hurry to recover everything.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, she had no grand ambitions to fulfill and no ancient enemies demanding her attention.
There was only a young Lord struggling to build a territory, a stubborn Divine Hero who still distrusted her, and a handful of ordinary people trying to survive.
How amusing.
Ria looked toward the distant lights.
"Well, little lord. Let’s see how far you can go."
With that, she leaped down from the tree and vanished into the darkening forest, making her way back toward the others.