Chapter 23
23
After a day or two, worry began to creep in on the third day. It was then that Nina returned with a triumphant look on her face.
Compared to her, the leader Unicorn looked utterly exhausted, a far cry from its initial appearance.
Saliva dripped from its mouth, and its black body was covered in sweat-induced foam.
Despite this, the Unicorn retained its dignity.
The horn rising above its head shone with a beautiful, Black Pearl-like luster, and its elegant appearance surpassed that of any horse.
And then there was its massive size.
Jin whistled involuntarily.
Nina hopped off the Unicorn, swaying from side to side as she spoke.
"I'm completely exhausted. My whole body is drenched in sweat. It's so sticky."
"Well, you were on horseback the whole time. Your stamina is amazing."
The Unicorn's stamina to run for three days was impressive, but Nina's ability to endure it was also extraordinary.
"I'm so hungry, sleepy, and I want to wash up. Bath, bath."
"Let's eat and sleep first. You won't be able to sleep on an empty stomach."
While Jin prepared the meal, Nina washed the Unicorn in a nearby stream.
Jin, surprised to find Nina returning alone, asked,
"Where's the Unicorn?"
"Huh? I think it went to rest with its companions?"
"Did it run away?"
"No, it lost once. It won't do that."
Nina shook her head, slurping down the Dried provisions porridge that Jin had prepared. However, Jin felt uneasy.
'What if it ran away and never comes back?'
Whether Nina knew his worries or not, she fell asleep as soon as she finished eating. Jin covered Nina, who was snoring away, with a blanket and watered the collected plants to keep them from drying out.
The next morning, Nina slowly woke up when the sun was high in the sky. She ate the meat and tree fruits that Jin had hunted and finally came to her senses.
"I want to wash up. But I wonder if it's safe to wash with the water here."
With years of accumulated experience, they could distinguish some edible fruits and animal meat from the Violet Forest.
The same went for springs.
But they had never been this far, so they couldn't secure a safe water source.
"Don't wash here, go somewhere else. It's dangerous."
Jin shook his head, saying, "No way." Nina had to agree.
"The Unicorn was fine though..."
"Are we the same as them?"
"That's true."
Nina nodded.
After packing their belongings, she made a circle with her thumb and index finger and whistled.
Peeep-!
A sharp sound echoed for a long time, and soon the sound of hooves could be heard.
"It really comes when you call it."
Jin was amazed, but his eyes widened more and more. It wasn't just one or two sets of hooves.
The leader Unicorn led its herd, and Jin's mouth dropped open. Nina smacked Jin on the back and said,
"Let's go back then."
Because they had to lead the Unicorn herd, they detoured around the village, but the speed was so great that it didn't make much of a difference.
The horses following without luggage were falling behind.
Jin also chose a Unicorn to ride but was thrown off several times. Still, perhaps because he had subdued the leader, he was able to put on a saddle and bridle and barely manage to climb back on.
"Wow, this is really amazing."
Jin repeatedly exclaimed in admiration, making the Unicorn go forward and then walk sideways.
The Unicorn followed the movements after being taught two or three times, movements that would normally require training from the time they were foals.
Jin chuckled and moved closer to Nina.
"Everyone in the castle will be surprised. Do they even have a stable big enough for these things?"
"We'll have to find a paddock. I'm going to find a suitable person to entrust them to."
"The Unicorns?"
"Yeah, we need to breed them with horses to create a new bloodline."
"Ah, I see. It's hard to handle them as they are. I can ride it, but who knows what will happen if I'm out of your sight."
It was only obedient because Nina, who had subdued the leader, was nearby; if Nina disappeared, it might throw off whoever was riding it.
Jin stared at the horn of the Unicorn he was riding and muttered,
"So, will they become Louvaigne Breed?"
If a foal was born from a Unicorn crossbreed, he couldn't even guess how much it would cost.
He could only guess that it would be an eye-poppingly expensive price.
"That's right. It's just the beginning, though. We need to have enough supply within the territory before we can move on to the next stage."
Jin nodded at Nina's words.
"That's true."
'Five years from now.'
Five years until the appearance of the Saintess, the female lead.
In the meantime, the horses would probably be supplied somehow.
'Now, what's important are the plants I've been cultivating so diligently.'
Nina smiled and looked at the collection pouch.
'Come to think of it, if I want to sell these, I need to get a merchant guild. Should we just start our own instead?'
Why bother paying fees to a merchant guild?
'I should talk to Adrian about it.'
Nina made up her mind and increased her speed. Thanks to that, the return trip took only half the time it had taken to get there.
Jin felt physically exhausted but was also impressed again.
'There's less shaking.'
Breathing is important when riding a horse. You have to keep your balance and match the horse's movements.
But the Unicorn had less shaking, so it could conserve the rider's energy as much as possible.
'Even a decent cavalryman wouldn't be able to keep up with this.'
Still, riding for so long made him feel like he was going to die.
Arriving in front of the castle gate, Jin shook his head as he got off the Unicorn.
"Wow, I'm going to die. Crazy. Riding a horse all day. Ugh, my back! My thighs! My butt!"
Nina chuckled as Jin grumbled with trembling legs.
"Don't worry, don't worry. Once you get training, you'll think this is nothing."
"What training?"
"You said you'd learn swordsmanship from me."
Nina said with wide golden eyes, and Jin asked, "Ah, that training. What does that have to do with riding?" But Nina only gave a sly smile.
Everyone in the castle came out to see the Unicorn herd and buzzed with excitement.
The stableman turned pale when he saw the giant Unicorn and didn't know what to do.
"Just put them in the stable and give them plenty of beans. We won't keep them for long. Just make a temporary enclosure with ropes."
"Yes, yes."
Nina handed the leader Unicorn's reins to the stableman and spoke softly.
The leader snorted and shook its head, pulling the reins out of the stableman's hand.
Nina chuckled and said to the stableman,
"I think you can just go. It'll follow you."
"Yes? Y-yes..."
As he awkwardly started walking, the leader proudly raised its head and followed behind him with a light step.
"It's really following him?"
The startled stableman muttered and quickened his pace. As the leader set off, the rest of the Unicorns followed in orderly fashion.
The spectators' exclamations followed.
"Goodness, Unicorns."
"I thought they were creatures only found in legends."
"And not just one, but a whole herd."
"Amazing."
"They're incredibly big. One of those could pull three carts."
"I know, unbelievable."
The spectators clicked their tongues and followed the Unicorns. Nina, who had loaded Jin with luggage, headed into the castle, making him shrug his shoulders for no reason.
