Arisu and Riku arrived in the Arzotoc village's western section. However, a new incident unfolded as the horse became more aggressive.
"Watch out!" she yelled as the horse bolted from the carriage and charged towards him.
Of course, Riku was aware of the situation. However, he chose to remain in his position and stared at the horse with his black eyes.
Boom!
The carriage was blown away by the horse's incredible strength.
He widened his eyes but took a step to the left as he assumed the horse would stop if he just stared at it, but it continued to charge towards him.
Swoosh!
Bam!
As he stumbled and lost his footing, his buttocks made contact with the ground. He realized that, despite the horse's fear of him, it was still intent on attacking him.
Tsk!
He clicked his tongue, then immediately regained his footing. 'It's charging straight forward, I think I can dodge it,' he thought to himself as he readied himself for the horse's swift attack.
On the other hand, Arisu spotted a farmer not too far away from them. "Hey, please, come over here! Help this man! I just need to help my—" She stopped her words abruptly as Riku was already engaged in the battle.
It was too late; even if she tried to move right now, she couldn't make it. "Just run, Riku! Don't fight that horse, they're bred for battle!"
It was a difficult decision for her, though a Worn level mutant like Riku had no chance of winning against this horse.
'I don't care how you see me, Lady Arisu, but I'm a level one mutant, which means I have the strength to subdue this animal,' he smirked as he stood fearlessly on the ground, waiting for the horse to approach.
Clasp!
He managed to grab its neck, aware that the horse was much stronger than him. He spun his body and mounted it.
As the horse tried to pull away, his vision became hazy. 'Sh*t! This is frustrating...' He raised his hand and struck the horse's head with all his might.
Thud! Thud!
There was no change. It seemed that his punch was insufficient to harm the horse. "Hey, Junard! Calm down, I won't kill you." This was the only thing he could do right now because he couldn't take the risk of killing the horse, even by borrowing Arisu's sword.
Arisu was approaching them with her sword; if she used it, he knew the horse would die quickly. 'Come on, listen to me. I have no intention of killing you, but that woman will kill you if you don't stop,' he said, unsure if the horse understood him.
And then the horse collapsed to the ground, its body calming, and the trembling stopped.
Eh?
For real?
Can I really communicate with animals?
No. The horse had simply sensed that this man had no intention of harming it. Beyond that, the horse understood that no matter how hard it tried, it could never defeat the creature that resided within this human body.
The horse started rubbing its head against Riku's face just as Arisu arrived. "Step back, Riku. I'm going to put down this horse," she said, but this was risky as it endangered the horse's rider.
"Don't kill this horse, Lady Arisu. I think it's just agitated because of the heat." He pointed his hand at the horse. "Look at him, he's fine now. Also, I think the rider just received a small cut, and the blood is due to the heat." He explained, then he rubbed the horse's fur.
Arisu sighed deeply, unable to shake off her thoughts, as it was the first time a horse had gone berserk in the Arzotoc village.
\[Do you want to tame this horse? Yes/No\]
The system unexpectedly sent out a new notification. Then he realized it was one of the system functions in the XR online.
However, he couldn't accept the system's suggestion as there is a risk of conflict arising, since this horse has an owner. So he clicked the "no" sign on the screen in front of them and pushed himself up.
"Let's go, Lady Arisu. I need to see the farmer's location, but first and foremost, we need to get the rider to a safe place," he suggested, taking a rope and leading the horse to the western section of the village.
Something was bothering her mind for some reason. "However, if this horse goes berserk again, I will not hesitate to put it down."
"Don't worry, it won't happen again," he said with a nod.
When some of the farmers arrived at the scene, they assisted them in carrying the rider.
__
Inside, there were several wooden houses. The old, skinny farmers and malnourished children piqued his interest the most. Despite the rapid development of the Arzotoc village, there were still areas that received little attention.
"What happened to them, Lady Arisu? Are you sure they can still work in their current condition?" he politely inquired.
"I know you're going to ask me about it, but I don't think you need a detailed explanation. Just look at them, and you'll know the right answer," she replied, her face showing irritation.
In simple terms, some of the farmers' crops had died due to a lack of water. This must have been an unfamiliar sight for them, as farming was their primary source of food.
The farmers and some villagers stared at them with lifeless eyes and couldn't help but plead with Lady Arisu.
"Please, help us, Lady Arisu!"
"Our children will starve to death if this continues!"
"We know you're the only one who can assist us in this crisis!"
Now, Riku could understand why Arisu looked irritated. It seemed that she felt guilty whenever she saw the villagers suffering.
"."
One thought occurred to him. The term "magic" seemed appropriate for resolving the issue on this farm. In his mind, if someone knew how to manipulate the water element, everything would be simpler.
Based on the novels and manga he had read, as well as his observations in this world, it was apparent that individuals here should be capable of wielding strong magical power.
He asked her the question that had been on his mind. "Lady Arisu, if the problem is water, why don't you ask the guards to use their water magic?"
She slowly shook her head. "We already tried that, but nothing happens. The guards' mana isn't sufficient to provide for these extensive crops."
She was entirely correct. Why? Because the guards expended their magical abilities on this farm. If invaders were to attack, they would be depleted, leaving the village with reduced manpower.
Riku and Arisu arrived at the farm after a few moments. It surprised him as the size of this farm could supply the entire country, and 90% of the crops were already dried.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! What are you doing in this place? The crops obviously won't grow if you continue to occupy space like this." Riku was taken aback by this location and could easily identify the farm's problem.
Arisu stepped back, looking puzzled and wearing a perplexed expression, as Riku's behavior seemed strange to her. "What are you doing, R-Riku?"
He was still moving closer to her and kept opening his mouth. "You shouldn't take up so much space, or the crops here surely won't grow—"
They stumbled when Arisu slipped on a small stone, and both of them fell to the ground. His face turned red when he realized he had accidentally kissed her directly on the lips, and the villagers were looking at them.
Sh*t!
I f*cked up!