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Five Peletta Knights, five Cavalry. And one Kishiar…’
The Peletta Knights were disciplined as if they had gathered their elite members, but their strength didn’t seem to be that great. Well, of course, that was the case.
‘I guess it’s not about force, it’s about experienced people.’
It didn’t matter if the Peletta Knights were a little weak. The other members alone didn’t even feel threatened.
‘If anything happens, they won’t have to draw their swords for Kishiar.’
They must have gone with this number of people in the past, too. And the combat power of Cavalry members selected at that time wouldn’t be so low. Then why did Kishiar have to pull out the Divine Sword?
What the hell did the small accident happen back then? Would there be the same problem this time?
It was still unknown, but Yuder decided to prioritize the safety of Kishiar and the Red Stone as much as possible.
‘If either of them gets hurt, there could be a big problem in the future.’
There was one more goal. Changing the fate of the Red Stone being sent to the Pearl Tower after recovery.
This time, Yuder intended to prevent the Red Stone from going to the Pearl Tower.
‘First, focus on the retrieval and then face Kishiar.’
He didn’t like Kishiar, but at least he was on the same wavelength. Before Yuder’s death, no one would understand or listen to him, but he wanted to believe that Kishiar would be different.
Even if he didn’t have to say everything, wouldn’t it be possible to prevent the same future as before if he let them know that ‘refinement’ in the Pearl Tower was not a real refinement?
‘If Kishiar doesn’t understand what I say, I’ll just sneak a peek.’
If he couldn’t prevent the stone from being refined, he had to check first what form and properties the stone had. And he wouldn’t mind stealing it if he had to.
They climbed the horses guided by the Pearl Tower mages. Previously it was doubtful how the wind could be ridden because the shape wasn’t precise. But if you actually touched the Mist horses, there was a tactile sensation on your hand even though it was unexpectedly invisible. It was over when you measured it well and sat on the horse kneeling.
“Be careful not to let go of the reins. If you feel like you’re going to fall off the horse, it’s okay as long as you hold the reins.
“It feels weird.”
“Same. I feel like I’m sitting on an invisible lumpy slime.”
Hinn and Finn siblings pressed their hips with frowns. The invisible horse’s body repeatedly sank under the palm and returned.
“What if we use our power on this horse?”
“That’s quite profane to say because this horse is more expensive than a cart full of gold.”
At that time, Kishiar, mounting the biggest horse, said a word from behind the twins. His voice sounded like laughing, but it was enough to surprise the siblings.
“Commander-nim!”
“Did you hear that?”
“I really didn’t mean to-“
“Curiosity is a good virtue. The answer is, when you use your power more than the tolerable limit, the Mist horses would be destroyed and scattered.”
It was a joke, but Kishiar’s voice strangely felt clear as if it were real.
The Eldore siblings were looking at each other’s faces, hesitated for a moment, then began to speak.
“Have you tried it?”
“Have you seen it yourself?”
“Of course, it was when I was 11 years old. My father the previous emperor had to pay for the horse because the Tower Master was angered. I was punished with transcribing scriptures a hundred times.”
“…”
Everyone shut up at the casual title. It was an outspoken attitude, but everyone realized that the person in front of them was from the imperial family who continued the blood of the Sun God, and he was also a prince until a few years ago.
Yuder was a little surprised in a different sense.
‘It’s a childhood story… Come to think of it, I’ve never asked or heard of it myself.”
Yuder was one of the people who had been with Kishiar the most before his death.
He recalled that he had to meet Kishiar voluntarily or unintentionally, but he’d never talked to him like this before.
He thought so, back then, but it really was a stark relationship.
So stark that he didn’t even know that his face would remain on his mind for so long after everything.
“Who’s in the front most among those who are leaving?”
The mage of the Pearl Tower, who confirmed that everyone was on the horse, asked who would ride the horse at the front.
“These Mist horses have been trained to run along the path when the one holding the particular seat got ahead. Usually, it’s not necessary for our mages who are used to using them, but I prepared it because many people said it was their first time riding it. I’ll give this stone to the person standing at the front.”
The stone they took out was a black mana crystal the size of a finger. One of Peletta’s knights raised his hand and drove his horse closer as he held high the crystal woven into a bracelet so that it wouldn’t easily be dropped.
“It’s me. I’ll be the guide at the front.”
“Alright. Take this, and don’t take it off when you’re on the horse.”
The Peletta knight wore the bracelet from the mage and raised his hand a few times. He looked down and judged whether it was uncomfortable or not.
As he nodded as if he’d decided it would be okay, Nathan, who was watching everything from not far away, came close to Kishiar’s horse.
“Please have a safe trip, Duke-nim.”
“What’s with that stiff face? As if I wouldn’t make it back safely.”
“…”
Nathan had a blank expression. There was no such thing as a laugh, but Kishiar smiled with his red eyes. Yuder watched as Kishiar bent down with the reins of his horse and tapped his aide on the shoulder.
“I know. I’ll leave it to you until I get back.”
“…Yes”
‘What does he know?’
As soon as a short question crossed Yuder’s mind, Kishiar straightened his body and turned his head. His gaze stopped on Yuder’s face as he looked through the group of ten people riding on Mist horses.
“Then let’s go.”
“Yes, sir!”
Two Peletta knights stood at the forefront of the guiding role, with Kishiar and the Cavalry in the middle. The rear was also three Peletta knights.
‘Actually, it is the knights that should be protected…’
Yuder pulled the reins with a quaint irony. With a short whistle, the Mist horse that Yuder rode slowly began to shake and move.
If they escaped to the west of the Imperial Knights’ site, they could pass directly out of the unauthorized wall. The party headed toward it, took a full-fledged direction, and ran southward.
The golden sun cast a long shadow over the plains where eleven Mist horses ran to their heart’s content. The journey to the Airic Mountains to retrieve the Red Stone began.
***
The Mists were able to run more than three times faster than ordinary horses, characterized by less burden on the body even if it ran for a long time due to its unique touch.
The Cavalry members riding the Mists for the first time were all surprised by the fact ad talked about the time they decided to take a break for dinner.
“It’s so weird. Why doesn’t my butt hurt when I’m on a horse?”
“My back doesn’t hurt either.”
Gakane stepped in between the Eldore siblings and patted their backs as they talked.
“Because the ones who usually use them are mages. Mages are infamous for being weak in physical strength and in transportation. So, when they made Mists, they improved it as much as they could to make up for the shortcomings.”
“How did you know that?”
“When I first rode the horse, I asked the Pearl Tower mage who came to help me. Actually, I really wanted to ride this horse before.”
Listening to that, Yuder recalled the faces of mages who were slowly avoiding him rather than coming to help him when he was about to mount the horse.
But in a short time, Gakane had a detailed conversation with a mage from the famous Pearl Tower, which, if true, was unusual.
Yuder, who thought that Gakane’s talent might be in the speaking field, also thought it was a waste that such a person would easily disappear into death from an accident a few months later.
‘As expected, he needs to be saved.’
“Everyone here? The meal is ready.”
The Peletta knights had taken out a pot from afar and cooked skillfully, waving at the Cavalry members. Unlike the members who didn’t bring anything but a few clothes, the Peletta knights had enough luggage to have two bags each, divided on each side of the horse.
He wondered what it was all about and it was all necessary to make ends meet.
The knights skillfully made a fire in the field without the Cavalry members’ help and boiled soup by hanging a pot on a portable pot rack made by breaking branches.
Whenever there was a constant stream of condiments, dried beef jerky, and dried bread in their luggage, Yuder admired their viability.
“By the way, the Duke said he’d go to the nearby stream for a while, but he hasn’t returned. Would anyone mind bringing him back?”