Chapter 63: Mounted Battle - Part 1
As I pursued on Nerotheora, it seemed that the Camelback Riders had also noticed our presence.
When one of the Camelback Riders separated from their formation, they slackened their pace and began running alongside us.
"I won't let you chase after Lord Spelviard!"
With those words, I parried the spear thrust towards me with my magic sword. The reason I couldn't simply cut off the spearhead with my sword was because Nerotheora's movements were intense, and without casting sacred arts throughout my entire body, I felt like I'd be shaken off. To channel magic power into my magic sword, I had to momentarily deactivate the sacred arts on one hand, which would likely result in me falling off my horse.
"Could you run a bit more quietly, please?"
"Blurr."
I complained, and Nerotheora clearly disagreed. The nuance in her whinny seemed to imply that I should adjust to her movements.
Perhaps due to the similarities between owner and steed, this reckless behavior reminded me of Familis. In other words, complaining to her would be futile.
"Alright, Nerotheora, move as you like. I'll do my best not to get in your way."
I lifted my seated position, securing myself in the saddle by gripping it with my thighs, mimicking the posture of jockeys I'd seen on television in my previous life. This response seemed to work well as Nerotheora's movements became more agile.
"Heeeyah!"
With a whinny, Nerotheora shifted diagonally, heading towards the soldiers of the Ambitose nation and their Camelbacks. Given the mass difference between the giant horse and the Camelbacks, both the riders and their mounts were sent flying as if in a motorcycle accident, kicking up a dramatic cloud of dust.
From the looks of it, neither the soldiers nor the Camelbacks were likely to be alive after that. Nerotheora turned her gaze toward me, her owner, with a triumphant expression as if to say, "How was that?"
"Wow, Nerotheora, you're amazing. You're really reliable."
I praised Nerotheora while still in shock from the shocking spectacle, lightly patting her on the neck with my hand.
In response, Nerotheora became enthusiastic, fixing her gaze on the Camelback unit ahead. It seemed like she was the type of horse that got carried away when praised, much like Familis.
"But being this motivated... could it be—"
"Wiiiiiin!"
My unpleasant premonition came true as Nerotheora started racing toward the Camelback unit at full speed.
The heavy, pounding sound, like stakes being driven into the ground, closed the gap between us and the Camelback unit as we ran. It seemed Spelviard had heard this thunderous sound as well, for he turned his attention toward us while riding his Camelback, giving orders to the soldiers around him.
"One knight won't do. Three knights—no, four, surround and stop them!"
"Understood!"
Riders on Camelbacks separated from the unit, attempting to encircle us, with one ahead and one on each side. They all held spears.
Seeing spears pointed at me from three directions simultaneously, I couldn't help but think that even a knight's loyal steed like Nerotheora would be overwhelmed.
"Nerotheora—"
I was about to call her name and instruct her to evade, but Nerotheora seemed to interpret it differently.
Aiming at a Camelback that was in our path, she leaped.
"Heeeyah!"
With a whinny, she jumped like an equestrian hurdle jump, retracting her front legs lightly. Due to her original height, it felt like she leaped over five meters from my perspective.
As I looked down, I saw the Camelback rider looking back with an astonished expression.
Nerotheora's front hooves came down on the rider's face and skull with a sickening crunch. Then, the sound of Camelback flesh and bones being crushed followed.
In an instant, Nerotheora had turned both the rider and the Camelback into a bloody pulp. With a clear path ahead, she resumed her charge with ease.
"Nerotheora, that was reckless, but are your legs okay!?"
"Blurr."
This was child's play for her. I felt relieved as I sensed her whinny, mixed with a sense of accomplishment, along with her energetic gait.
Thinking about it, a horse from the Knight's Nation might be too sturdy for its own good if it can perform such a reckless stomp attack without any issues. Could it be that the horse itself can use sacred arts independently?
With these questions in mind, I turned my gaze to the rear left and right.
The two Camelbacks that had tried to flank us were now desperately chasing after us. Despite the difference in speed, they were using an all-out approach to catch up, regardless of their Camelbacks' stamina.
However, they couldn't catch up with Nerotheora's explosive charge, and the distance between us gradually increased.
Perhaps because they were no longer within spear-throwing range, the two Camelbacks threw their spears.
These were thrown with intense movements, and their aim was slightly off-target from me and Nerotheora, so I didn't feel in immediate danger.
But I had an idea at this moment.
"Nerotheora, shift a step to the right, just a bit."
"Blurr."
After what seemed like a resigned whinny, Nerotheora actually shifted to the right by a step.
"Thanks—here we go!"
I caught the falling spear in mid-air using my magic-enhanced strength. Since becoming a marshal, I had trained my body, and as a lord, I had spent time in combat training with Familis. These experiences had made my thirteen-year-old body strong and resilient. Furthermore, I had enhanced my body with sacred arts, so catching a falling spear was no big deal.
I caught the spear, spun it in my hand, and prepared to throw it. It seemed the spears were designed with throwing in mind, as it was well-balanced for throwing.
The trajectory of the thrown spear was sharp, almost like an arrow shot from a bow, flying horizontally toward the Camelback unit ahead.
Spelviard was surprised by its speed and trajectory. If things continued this way, the spear would impale him, and I would finally hit him with it.
"But it can't be that easy, can it?"
Just as I muttered my disappointment, right before the spear hit Spelviard, one of the Camelback riders inserted himself as a human shield.
The spear pierced through the rider's body, causing him to fall off the Camelback. While he floated in the air, it seemed the spear had missed any vital areas, as he still seemed to be breathing.
But the moment he hit the ground, Nerotheora caught up and crushed the rider's head under her hooves, ending his life.
"Relentless, aren't you?"
"Blurr."
Nerotheora's whinny was full of confidence, as if saying, "I fulfilled my duty." In human terms, it might have been something like "I executed him" or "killing him is an act of mercy."
I couldn't help but think how unrelenting she was. Despite being in a piggyback-like position, we had already caught up to the point where Spelviard could reach out and touch us.