It was a riding lesson because of Sylas's fondness for horses, but there was nothing to teach him. He was already riding skillfully from the start. However, Sylas shook his head. He thought it was just a clumsy imitation and that he needed to learn more.
"Sir, you can stop now."
"No, I'm just starting to get the hang of it."
"It's more than enough for anyone to see; let's stop with my horse…"
"I'll ride more because I still have much to learn. Giddy up!"
Every time Gaiden tried to ask for his horse back, Sylas came up with excuses to keep riding. As a result, Gaiden truly became a knight without a horse.
Of course, there was no need to ride around the village. But at least he should get his horse back when it arrived.
"Lord Roderick, could you please ask the young master on my behalf?"
"Now that he's taken a liking to riding, why do you want to ruin his fun? Let him enjoy it."
"..."
Even when he asked Roderick, the response was always the same. Consequently, Gaiden could only beat his chest in frustration. Then, a few days later, when everything that could be taken from the village was running out, the mercenary he sent returned.
A flush of excitement appeared on Gaiden's face as he rushed over to the mercenary.
"Sir Knight, i brought the pony as you said…"
"What is this! I told you to buy a riding horse, not a pony!"
"Excuse me? No, you said to…"
"No matter how quiet the horse is, this is unacceptable! But since I see you've put in the effort, I won't press you further!"
Gaiden scolded the mercenary until he was dazed and swiftly grabbed the pony's reins. Roderick, who had been listening to the conversation, frowned at the sight of the pony.
"A pony? Are you really suggesting we give a pony to the young master?"
"I'm frustrated too. But I can't wait any longer, so what can I do?"
Even under Roderick's questioning, Gaiden feigned innocence. Although he had lost his horse, that wasn't originally his horse anyway. Moreover, it was a horse he had only borrowed for the purpose of teaching riding. There was no way he could ignore the goodwill he had shown and just ride someone else's horse.
'There was some noise in between, but I can push through like this.'
He would likely incur Roderick's displeasure, but he could accept that. It was much better than walking around without a horse. Just then, Gaiden shouted towards Sylas, who was coming back from a lap on horseback.
"Sir, the mercenary doesn't have a carriage...!"
"This is truly an unremarkable pony. I'd rather bite my tongue and die than ride that thing."
Gaiden's mouth snapped shut at Sylas's words. With such a blunt comment, he found it impossible to encourage him. Regardless, Sylas continued to ride on.
"The more I look at it, the more pathetic it seems. Just by dragging it around, everyone in the world will laugh at you. Don't you think so too, Sir Gaiden?"
"Uh, no... but still..."
"I've never seen such an ugly pony before. It must have wandered in from somewhere else. It's absolutely unrideable, but it might fetch a decent price if sold."
"..."
Now, suggesting that Gaiden ride the pony would surely be seen as treasonous. After a moment of opening and closing his mouth, Gaiden hung his head low. Sylas, seeing Gaiden completely defeated, couldn't help but smirk.
'What kind of shallow tricks does he think he can play against me?'
No matter how confident he was in his scheming, he was still just a young knight. He was no match for Sylas, who had experienced all sorts of trials before his regression. Sylas urged his horse forward and disappeared into the distance. Roderick scoffed and followed behind him.
Once the two had left, the mercenary scratched his head and approached Gaiden.
"Uh, my lord? What should we do about this pony?"
"…Why would I care, you brat! Do whatever you want—eat it or sell it back!"
***
Shortly after the pony's arrival, Sylas and his party left the village. With Roderick fully recovered and no carriage available, there was no reason to stay any longer. The mercenaries had taken everything worth taking and followed without any lingering regrets.
All that remained were the villagers, who had lost all hope and sat in despair.
'They'll probably leave since there's nothing to eat right now.'
They had scraped together every bit of wealth that would last them until next year's harvest. To survive, they had no choice but to leave the village and scatter in different directions.
They could either go to the city and live as beggars or seek refuge in another village as outsiders. That was the only way to survive.
And if they became outsiders, they would, like Sylas's family had, be treated poorly for many years to come.
'What goes around comes around.'
This village could have been wiped out by the knight's wrath. Considering that, this was a relatively mild outcome, so there was no reason to feel sorry. Sylas turned his back on the village he would never visit again and left.
***
Gaiden ultimately could not retrieve the horse. With no option to recommend the pony, only two choices remained: either Gaiden would have to walk after losing the horse, or Sylas would concede and walk instead.
If the latter happened, it was clear that Roderick would explode with anger. With no other choice, Gaiden found himself trapped by his own scheme and had to walk.
'Damn that half-breed bastard and the village idiot who's infatuated with knighthood…!'
Gaiden gritted his teeth. Who would have thought he'd have to walk like a mercenary after being knighted? A mix of shame and rage flushed his face red as he walked.