Chapter 25. Albanya’s Gift

“Have you made a decision?”

As soon as the horse came to a complete stop, Claude got straight to the point.

Well.

It seemed Johann had also come to announce his decision about my deployment.

In fact, I was already mentally prepared.

This was obvious without even hearing it.

The situation was like that.

That’s why Claude must have come to see me last night, and why he’s teaching me my weak points now.

I was just waiting for the Emperor’s final notification.

But now that we’re here, Johann didn’t open his mouth. He just glared at Claude and me sitting side by side on the horse with a cold gaze.

He looks like he wants to stab someone to death with his eyes.

Why is he looking at me like that when I haven’t done anything wrong? He can’t be glaring at me for trying hard to improve my weaknesses. He must be glaring at Claude behind me, right?

“Uh, oof!”

I clumsily dismounted from the horse, trying to avoid Johann’s frosty gaze even a little.

At that, Johann’s gaze seemed to soften slightly.

His blue eyes followed me as I slowly moved away from the black warhorse, then turned back to Claude.

Claude stared down at Johann for a moment before skillfully setting foot on the ground.

“It shouldn’t have been a difficult decision.”

“It was a difficult decision.”

Johann, with his hands behind his back, continued in a slow, emphatic voice.

“Marseus absolutely doesn’t want to lose a resource like Seraphina.”

I, who had become merely a ‘resource’, quietly kept my mouth shut.

A gentle breeze blew across the wide grassland of the riding ground.

What will become of my fate?

“Seraphina’s purification ability is excellent, but if there’s even a moment of failure in protection, it’s over.”

At Johann’s continued words, Claude wore an expression of boredom. As if to say he already knew this story.

“Initially, I was going to send her to Sir Andantino because he has the protection ability that I, Marseus, can trust.”

“If you’re satisfied with that level of protection ability, wouldn’t I be better?”

It was a conversation where the heroes who saved the world were reduced to mere bodyguards, but no one objected.

A moment of silence fell between the two heroes.

It felt like heavy emotions were being carried by the wind.

Honestly, I felt a bit, no, very strange.

Who am I to them?

I know it’s a conversation stemming from not being able to lose the valuable resource that is the purifier. Still, it felt strange.

Somehow, it felt like there was more to it…

How should I put it?

As if I’m being treated like someone precious to the two heroes…

I don’t know.

I’m not sure what this feeling is exactly.

“Seeing you at the riding ground, it seems you had the same thought as I, Marseus.”

That’s when Johann broke the silence.

He glanced at Claude’s well-trained warhorse and gave a nod to the stable manager. The manager then quickly disappeared somewhere.

“I heard that purifier Seraphina is unskilled in horseback riding.”

Last night.

After hearing his firm promise to protect me from dying, I anxiously confessed another weakness to Claude.

That I actually can’t ride horses.

That I’m likely to fall off if I ride alone.

Claude then said, as if it wasn’t a big deal, that he would teach me. He said that if I spend all day with a horse, even someone without sense would get somewhat used to it.

So as soon as I opened my eyes, we were at the riding ground.

Whether I could safely reach the north with this level of skill was still uncertain.

“There’s no way she could improve in just a day.”

Johann clicked his tongue as he spoke. Then he looked at me, seemingly seeking agreement that his judgment was correct.

“Isn’t that right, Seraphina?”

“Yes…”

I answered dejectedly.

Yeah, you bastard.

It seems impossible with just one day.

I really wasn’t particularly confident if I could safely reach the northern territory with the treacherous Grodes Mountains, let alone just going for a short ride nearby.

That’s when Johann’s gaze shifted behind me. As I naturally turned my body following his gaze, I gaped in awe.

The stable manager who had disappeared somewhere after receiving the Emperor’s nod was returning. In his hand was the reins of a white horse with a fluttering white mane.

My goodness.

Were horses originally such elegant animals?

It had a different aura from ordinary horses. If there were royal bloodlines for horses, it would probably be like this…

“It’s said to have unicorn blood mixed in.”

“……?!”

Such a precious thing?

I looked at Johann with a mix of surprise and bewilderment. I heard Jesuf softly chiding, “Are you crazy?” from the side.

Exactly.

Isn’t this really crazy?

Pure unicorns, said to have existed in ancient times, are no longer in this world, but their blood is still faintly continuing.

Like this one in front of my eyes…

Now that I look closer, it’s not a white horse… should I call it a silver horse?

There are occasional silver-like shimmering hairs mixed in with the white fur.

“Isn’t this something only royalty rides?”

I finally managed to ask after opening and closing my mouth like a fish.

I had never actually seen one before, so I couldn’t recognize it as a horse with unicorn blood until I was told, but I vaguely heard stories. That the royalty of the far-off Albanya Kingdom ride precious horses.

It was a hazy knowledge that I couldn’t even remember where I had heard it from.

“I am royalty.”

“……”

That’s not what I meant.

As I slightly narrowed my eyes, Johann nonchalantly closed and opened his eyelids. As if to say it’s fine, just accept it.

“You should at least give it a name.”

“If it has unicorn blood mixed in, isn’t it incredibly fast?”

“That’s what they say.”

He spoke as if he had never ridden it himself.

Johann took the reins directly from the manager and brought this elegant horse closer to me.

“Riding it shouldn’t make you feel uncomfortable.”

“But…”

I trailed off, feeling perplexed.

I couldn’t accept it.

“This is too precious. If you want to give me a gift, please give me something ordinary. This is too much.”

“How long do you plan to be modest? I, Marseus…”

“You’re saying I should have confidence because I’m the purifier you personally appointed?”

“That’s right.”

Although I had interrupted him, which could be seen as disrespectful, Johann just smiled gently. Beside him, Jesuf was furrowing his brow at me like I was being disrespectful, but.

I had no time to pay attention to that.

A shallow scream escaped my mouth at Johann’s sudden action.

“Ah!”

“Here.”

“What are you doing…”

“It’ll be much better than that guy’s useless teachings.”

“……?!”

Slap!

Before anyone could say anything, Johann grabbed my waist with both hands, sat me on the saddle, and then slapped the horse’s rear with his palm.

With that, the white horse with unicorn lineage started to run forward.

“Huh?”

I’m going to fall off at this rate…

“Wow.”

I stopped my futile efforts to balance myself in panic and let out an exclamation of admiration.

It was amazing.

Even though I was sitting sideways in a rough position, this horse ran as smoothly as if it’s cutting through water. I don’t know how to express it, but it really had an incredibly stable feel.

“What’s this horse’s name?”

I shouted excitedly.

From far away, Johann laughed out loud with an ‘Ahaha’ and raised his voice to answer.

“You have to name it!”

“…It doesn’t even have a name yet?”

“We’ve been calling it Albanya’s Gift!”

“……”

To think such an excellent horse has been living without even a name.

I stroked the white mane mixed with silver hair, looking at the horse carrying me with pitying eyes.

After making one big lap around the riding ground, I returned to the original spot.

Johann looked at me with satisfied eyes, and Jesuf muttered, “Such a precious thing…” with a gaze full of regret.

And Claude, who had given me ‘useless teachings’ all morning, had an expression of annoyance but nothing to say.

“Sylphid.”

As I dismounted, I stroked the horse’s face with both hands and said. As if understanding that it was its name, Sylphid neighed happily.

“That’s a good name.”

Johann approached my side and said.

“Because it runs as smoothly as the wind. It seems to suit such an elegant horse well.”

“Sylphid, it seems your owner already cherishes you very much.”

Apparently intelligent, Sylphid responded to Johann’s words as well.

Huff.

A soft neighing sound spread through the calm air.

That’s when Claude’s voice from behind split the air between us two.

“That’s great. It will be a huge help in traveling between the north and east.”

At those words that hit the mark, I belatedly realized my mistake.

I had forgotten for a moment, caught up in the pleasant riding feel Sylphid provided…

This horse will quickly transport me to the battlefield!

Damn it!

Claude drove the point home as he watched me slowly turn my head with a dumbfounded face.

“We’ll leave today.”

The reality of those words made my mood plummet.

Of course Johann wouldn’t just be nice to me for no reason!

All of his decisions were for the deployment!

Feeling embarrassed and unsettled for foolishly being happy like a child even though I knew better, I glanced at Johann with a slight glare.

…Huh?

But why is he making that expression?