Although momentarily startled, Dante didn't bother questioning John about the seemingly senseless approach he had taken. By now, Dante had grown accustomed to John's unique way of thinking.
"Hah, I don't even have words for you anymore. Let's go, boy. I'm eager to see the beasts you've chosen as the steeds for your unit," Dante said, sighing lightly before a hint of anticipation crept into his smile.
"Hehe, let's head in then. I'll explain as we go through each type of beast," John replied with a laugh, leading the way with Dante following closely behind.
"Before I begin introducing my little legion of beasts, I want to explain how my unit is organized, if you're okay with that," John said, his face brimming with excitement.
"Sure, go ahead. If it helps me better understand your reasoning behind choosing these beasts, then I have no objections," Dante replied, nodding lightly.
"Great! I've divided my 100-man unit into 5 attaches, with 20 troops in each. Each attaché will have a separate role: one for light cavalry led by myself, one for heavy cavalry led by Friedrich. As for the flying cavalry, mounted archer, and mounted mage divisions, we haven't selected their leaders yet. None of the candidates have shown much competence when it comes to riding beasts. Unfortunately, I couldn't form an infantry battalion because I ran out of available troops," John explained, casting a gaze at Dante, who wore a pensive expression.
"An entirely mobile unit, you say? Will that even work?" Dante asked, skepticism evident in his eyes.
"I assure you, by the time the war arrives, my unit will be made up of monsters... if I can get my troops to properly utilize their beasts," John said, a sinister smile playing on his lips.
"I-I see. Well, let's see these 'beasts' of yours, shall we?" Dante stuttered for a moment before regaining his composure.
"Yes, sir," John acknowledged as he opened the steel gate, leading them into the zoo-like complex known as the shed.
Upon entering, their eyes were greeted by majestic creatures resembling a mix of dragons and deer. These magnificent beings possessed bright silver scales and sported horns made of blue crystals. They peacefully grazed on the grassy area. John pointed at them and began to explain, "First up are the Kirin, which will be part of my light cavalry division. And over there, you'll find my mount." He directed Dante's attention to a distinctive black Kirin with purple horns, standing a foot taller than the others.
"Why Kirin? Aren't they fairly rare to find?" Dante inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"I had two primary reasons for choosing Kirin. Firstly, they're incredibly fast. I mean, capturing them was a real pain in the ass because of their speed. Secondly, they possess incredibly durable armor, eliminating the need for extra protection and reducing weight and speed loss. Plus, they look really cool. And yes, bringing them here was a monumental task. These guys are quite proud. They're a special breed called Snow Kirin, different from the Lightning Kirin found in the Ashen Woods," John explained, his face beaming with pride.
"I-I see. Let's move on then," Dante said, rubbing his forehead. The Grand Duke now had a sense of why his troops struggled with these beasts, even after forming contracts.
"Next up are the steeds for the heavy cavalry: the Nightmares," John announced as they moved toward a hotter section of the shed. Flickers of fire occasionally emerged from within. Inside, they encountered coal-black horses with fiery manes, red eyes, and hooves that emitted sparks upon contact with the ground. Although generally feisty, they appeared docile in John's presence, thanks to his constant release of dragon fear-laced mana.
"Just one question, and after that, I'll remain silent for the rest of the tour… How and why do I have a feeling that all your beasts are either super rare creatures, bordering on legendary ones? And again, why?" Dante inquired, rubbing his forehead. Internally, the Grand Duke was shocked beyond measure. "They're Kirin, for fuck's sake—borderline mythical creatures, let alone legendary! If that weren't enough, you have Nightmares now. What the fuck does this kid plan on doing with such creatures? Please don't tell me there are unicorns or pegasi here," Dante silently screamed to himself.
After a brief moment of silence, John looked at Dante with a surprised expression and said, "How'd you know?" Before Dante could respond, his fist struck John's head.
*BAM*
"That's the fucking problem, you idiot! Do you think everyone is a monster like you? Of course, your troops are having issues managing these proud creatures. Do you really believe they can control them just because they formed beast contracts?" Dante shouted at John, his fist leaving a bump on John's head. "Fuck, even my knights struggled to tame the wyverns, and they're seasoned warriors! Your troops are barely over the age of 20… You think they can keep these bastards under control?" Dante said, his words followed by a neigh from the Nightmares, seemingly in agreement.
"See, even the fucking horses agree," Dante pointed out, gesturing toward the Nightmares, who instinctively stepped back as John turned his surprised gaze toward them.
"Doesn't matter. Are you going to help me teach my unit or not?" John retorted, his expression defiant.
"Fine, it's not like we have much of a choice now anyway. Hah, I should have paid more attention to what you were up to," Dante sighed, resigned to the situation, as they continued their tour through the rest of the facility.
Next on their list were the mounts for the aerial cavalry: Hippogriffs. These majestic creatures boasted the body of a lion, the head, and front legs of an eagle, and a magnificent pair of brown wings.
Then came the mounts for the mounted archer division: Wargs. These wolf-like creatures possessed sturdy bodies, sharp fangs, and a fearsome black fur coat.
Lastly, they encountered the Rocs for the mage division, formidable birds of prey that would attack from the sky. These massive creatures had golden-brown feathers covering most of their bodies, while their heads were adorned with striking platinum-blue plumage.
After the tour concluded, Dante walked out of the facility and stared blankly at John for a moment. Then, without warning, he delivered another blow to John's head, calling him a massive idiot for pulling such a reckless stunt—one that could have endangered the lives of all his soldiers.
"Now let's see what we can do to make to make this shit show work," Dante said as he walked to the main training area with John while the beast keepers brought the beasts to the field.