"Communication... ability? That thing our ancestors supposedly had?"
At Ascon's question, Ghislain nodded.
"That's right. If the dwarves were blessed with the gift of craftsmanship, the true blessing the elves received was the ability to communicate with nature and animals. It's what allowed them to become exceptional spirit summoners."
Ghislain's rather serious explanation had the elves clutching their stomachs in laughter.
"Ahaha!"
"Wow, Lord, what are you even saying? You sound like a kid!"
"Communication ability? That's straight out of a storybook!"
"If we could do something like that, we wouldn't be getting beaten up by you! That stuff doesn't exist!"
Without saying much, Ghislain rolled up his sleeves. The elves immediately stopped laughing and straightened up.
In an instant, Ghislain communicated with them on a deeper level. Those accompanying Ghislain began to suspect that this so-called "communication ability" might actually exist, given the elves' quick response.
Lowering his fist slowly, Ghislain looked around at the elves and asked, "You read my intentions just now, didn't you? You can do it, right?"
"Ugh!"
The elves replied with a resounding shout, prompting Ghislain to nod.
"Good. If you can do it, then there's no need to worry. Hey, bring in the prepared horses."
A short while later, soldiers brought in horses, matching the number of elves. However, the horses were anything but ordinary.
Neigh!
"Whoa, calm down!"
"Why are they so strong?"
"Please, just cooperate!"
The horses were bucking wildly, showing their aggression by attacking the soldiers. The soldiers, visibly disheveled, had clearly endured a rough time bringing them in.
These horses had lived in the harsh northern wilderness, constantly fighting for survival. Naturally, their temperament was ferocious.
Observing this, Ghislain stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm, we'll have to tame them quickly. Their tempers are getting worse."
Even transporting them here hadn't been easy. It had taken hundreds of knights with mana manipulation skills to forcibly subdue and lead them.
Now, due to the sudden change in environment, the horses were growing increasingly stressed and unruly.
The elves gulped as they watched the wild horses radiate raw aggression.
'They want us to tame those?'
'Looks more like they'll end up taming us.'
'Wow, look at those muscles. They must have been running every day.'
The elves had no idea how to go about taming such fierce animals. They had seen pets in noble households, but that was the extent of their experience. They had never been particularly interested, nor had they ever felt a special connection to animals.
While they'd heard legends about their ancestors having such abilities, they had always dismissed them as exaggerated myths.
Seeing the concern on their faces, Ghislain said, "Now, each of you grab a horse and start taming it."
"How... exactly?"
"Just sincerely ask them. You can tell them you want to be friends or ask for their help. The horses will understand your intentions and corporate. That's the blessing you elves were born with—no different from your affinity with spirits."
"....."
The elves stared at Ghislain with pleading expressions, but all they got in return was a dismissive wave.
"Get to it, quickly."
This was a method Ghislain had already proven in his past life.
While the elves might not grasp it yet, his elven comrades from his previous life had all used this ability. Thanks to them, they had been able to quickly train cavalry units as long as they had horses. After a few conversations, the horses would obediently follow instructions and work efficiently.
However, unlike Ghislain, the elves now had no confidence. With resigned expressions, they approached the horses.
And thus began a battle between the elves and the horses.
Neigh!
"Argh!"
Following Ghislain's advice to be sincere, the elves engaged in a literal struggle.
"Stay still! You! Be my friend!"
With their overly developed upper-body muscles, the elves climbed onto the horses' backs and tried to choke them with their biceps. They were relying on brute force, believing they could overpower the animals.
But these horses had lived their lives fighting humans and monsters in the north. Their ferocity and strength were incomparable to ordinary horses.
Snort!
Their bloodshot eyes bulged as they reared up in fury, throwing several elves to the ground.
Thud!
"Urgh!"
The fallen elves were promptly kicked or stomped on by the horses. Fortunately, their trained muscles saved them from fatal injuries.
"How dare you, you arrogant beast!"
"You think we're a joke?!"
"We are the masters of nature and animals!"
Wham! Wham! Wham!
Frustrated, the elves began punching their supposed "animal companions," turning the training grounds into chaos.
Amidst the pandemonium, one horse stood out. A black stallion, far sturdier and with a more majestic mane than the others.
Neigh!
"Wow! What is this horse?"
"Why is it so strong?!"
"Looking this cool and acting this wild!"
The black stallion lashed out furiously, kicking and bucking. Its ferocity was so intense that neither the elves nor the soldiers dared to approach it.
But that wasn't enough for the horse; it began charging at anyone nearby indiscriminately.
"Ahh! Watch out! It's loose!"
"That thing's insane!"
"Shit! It's just like the Lord!"
As people scattered, cursing, the black stallion searched for a new target.
Thud, thud, thud!
Its blazing eyes locked onto Ghislain, standing in its path.
Charging like a storm, the horse seemed ready to trample everything in its way.
Startled, the surrounding vassals shouted, "Lord!"
"Move out of the way!"
As Gillian and the knights rushed forward, Ghislain raised a hand to stop them and stepped forward.
Neigh!
The black stallion barreled toward him, showing no signs of slowing. Just as it seemed they would collide, Ghislain calmly pulled back his fist.
The moment horse and man were about to meet—
Smack!
Ghislain's fist connected with the stallion's face, snapping its head to the side and knocking it to the ground.
The horse collapsed, foaming at the mouth and trembling. Ghislain stood over it and spoke quietly.
"Sit. If you're slow, you die."
Thump!
The horse immediately sprang to its feet, kneeling submissively in a posture perfect for mounting.
As Ghislain climbed onto its back, the horse straightened its legs and raised its head proudly.
The arrogant lord and his equally arrogant horse.
Despite a slightly swollen cheek, the horse's strong body and beautiful mane overshadowed the injury.
Surveying the surroundings with his usual haughty gaze, Ghislain said, "See? Show your true intentions, and they'll accept it."
"....."
The training grounds fell silent.
Onlookers, including the elves, stared at Ghislain in disbelief. Even the unruly horses stopped to watch him.
"What? This is my sincerity. Anyway, this guy's strong and spirited—he's perfect. I'll keep him. What should I name him? He's black, so how about 'Black Bean'? Isn't that cute?"
Strong, temperamental horses were the most reliable on the battlefield. Pleased with his new acquisition, Ghislain smiled.
Meanwhile, his vassals sighed, exasperated by his bizarre naming sense.
Claude cautiously approached Ghislain and suggested, "How about... you just punch all of them, Lord? It seems like that'd settle things quickly."
"No. If I do that, only I'll be able to ride them. Everyone needs to be able to ride easily so we can train cavalry units quickly. What are you waiting for? Start persuading the horses sincerely!"
And so the elves resumed their struggle with the horses. Some tried to emulate Ghislain, punching the horses in the face.
Of course, those elves ended up being kicked in the chest and sent flying.
None of them could figure out how to bond with the horses. In the end, all they could do was cling to the horses' necks, hurling insults.
"Just listen to me, you monstrous bastard!"
"I'd rather be lifting weights!"
"How are we supposed to bond when they're like this?!"
Even Lumina, one of the elves, was no exception. She clung desperately to a horse's neck, sweating profusely.
'What am I even supposed to do?'
Sincerely connect with it? Easier said than done. How could an animal possibly understand human speech?
The horse she clung to was bucking wildly, trying to throw her off. All she could do was hold on.
'Please, just...'
Giving up on overpowering it, Lumina closed her eyes and pleaded.
'Please calm down!'
'This wretched estate is exhausting enough as it is!'
'Can't you just let me ride you without all this hassle?'
At first, her thoughts were filled with annoyance and resentment. She had lived a comfortable life as a noble, but everything had fallen apart since coming here.
A crazy lord, insane vassals, and now these mad horses. She felt like she was losing her mind.
Gradually, her frustration turned into genuine desperation.
She had no idea if this would work. In fact, she was convinced it was impossible. She was only doing this because the insane lord demanded it. She knew he wouldn't stop until it worked.
So all she could do was continue pleading with the horse.
'Please, just calm down…'
'Be my friend, or whatever, just please listen to me,' she pleaded.
Even as the horse bucked violently, Lumina tried to soothe it, stroking its mane. She poured all her sincerity into her words, again and again, trying to convey her true feelings to the horse.
At some point, Lumina stopped feeling afraid of the horse's wild movements. She began to perceive them as natural, a part of the creature's essence.
'It's alright…'
A faint vibration hummed from the crown of her head down her spine. Startled, Lumina opened her eyes wide.
"Oh..."
She felt something.
The whisper of the wind, the steady presence of the trees that had stood tall for ages, the gentle rustling of the grass.
The birds were speaking. Even the insects were speaking.
She couldn't fully understand them, but she could sense that they were all saying something to her, something meaningful.
"Ah..."
The world seemed to shift. Everything blurred and blended like swirling paint, only to settle back into its proper place.
And then, she felt it—something she had never experienced before. The emotions emanating from every animal and plant around her.
While she couldn't perfectly decipher their meanings, she could sense what they wanted to convey:
Don't hurt us. Love us. Be with us.
That was the message.
"Ah..."
At last, she understood.
She finally realized why elves were called the guardians of nature.
They had no choice but to protect it. They could only safeguard it.
Once you experienced the beauty of nature, once you heard the whispers of life, once you felt their emotions, you could no longer turn away.
All of it seeped into her heart and became one with her.
"Ah, so that's how it is..."
That was why elves chose to live in harmony with nature.
"It's alright..." Lumina said again, stroking the horse's mane.
The horse was still bucking, but astonishingly, she didn't fall. Without exerting any force, she moved as one with the horse, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I won't hurt you," she said softly.
"I'll protect you."
"We'll always be together."
With each word, the horse's movements slowed.
Lumina could feel, as clearly as if it had spoken, what the horse wanted.
"You'll roam the battlefield again. You'll run endlessly. I don't want that, but... that crazy lord will make sure it happens."
Her sincerity reached the horse. It gradually stopped thrashing, snorted a few times, and finally stood still.
Lumina dismounted slowly, stroking the horse's cheek.
"You'll stay with us, won't you?"
Snort.
The horse responded by rubbing its head against her cheek, as if to say it would help. Then, it neighed loudly, as if proclaiming its decision.
Neigh!
At the sound, all the other horses froze, turning to look at Lumina.
The other elves, whether sprawled on the ground or clinging desperately to their own horses, all stared at her.
"Wait, is that for real?"
"A wild horse calmed down that fast?"
"How is this even possible?"
It wasn't just the elves. Even Ghislain's vassals, who had been watching from the sidelines, were left speechless.
They had thought their lord was attempting yet another ridiculous scheme. None of them had believed it could actually work.
To think that one of these wild northern horses could be tamed so quickly, almost like a docile puppy!
Only Ghislain was smiling proudly, pleased with what he saw.
"See? I told you—if you speak sincerely, they'll understand."
Despite Ghislain's confidence, the elves remained skeptical.
Could it be that Lumina had just gotten lucky with a particularly tame horse? The doubt lingered in their minds.
However, if that were the case, the fact that all the horses suddenly calmed down still didn't make sense.
Ascon, half in doubt, stared at the horse in front of him.
The horse stared back at Ascon. Before he knew it, they were locked in a staring contest.
Snort.
The horse's gaze grew wild again. Ascon glared at it and thought to himself:
'Sincerity, sincerity, huh…? He said to speak with sincerity.'
Until now, he had only tried to overpower the horse with brute force, never attempting to convey his true intentions.
Cautiously, Ascon stepped closer, placing his hands on either side of the horse's face. Unlike before, the horse quietly accepted his touch.
Gaining a bit of confidence, Ascon decided to speak from the heart.
"You bastard."
At that moment, Ascon felt his sincerity reach the horse. In turn, the horse conveyed its own sincerity.
Neigh!
Thud!
The horse's hind leg struck Ascon square in the chest with a deafening blow.
[T/L: Please support me and read 295 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]
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