"This is Windchaser, a purebred Shal horse," Jack began, gesturing to the majestic steed before them.
"Its parents were imported from the Shal region of the Emerald Kingdom, and its lineage can be traced back to the mid-tier magical beast known as the Sawtooth Horned Horse, which once roamed the central Shal plains."
The Sawtooth Horned Horse, a mid-tier magical creature with metallic attributes, was a herd-dwelling beast as strong as a human Grand Knight. Known for their aggressive and combative nature, these creatures had been wiped out long ago. Today, only warhorses carrying fragments of their bloodline remained in Shal.
Windchaser stood tall and sleek, its graceful form a perfect blend of power and speed. Its glossy coat shimmered like silk under the light, exuding health and vitality. Every contour of its body spoke of strength, elegance, and unmatched agility.
The horse's long neck arched proudly, a display of its noble and refined bearing—a hallmark of the Shal warhorses, known for their elongated frames and legs.
"Windchaser is the fastest horse in the stables. Its legs are longer than those of the duchy's native breeds, making it a favorite among the knights of the Dragonbreath Order," Jack explained with enthusiasm, his voice brimming with pride.
Jack knew Windchaser's immense potential and hoped to find it a worthy rider who could unleash its full capabilities on the battlefield.
Clobber listened intently to Jack's introduction, his eyes carefully examining Windchaser. He had to admit, the horse was exceptional. Its build, coat, and aura all set it apart.
In comparison, the red-blooded colt he had purchased from Frank—named Radiance—was significantly inferior. Radiance carried only traces of low-tier magical beast blood, whereas Windchaser had inherited a significant portion of the Sawtooth Horned Horse's lineage.
Still, Radiance had once been his hope, a horse he had named with the expectation that it would bring him glory on the battlefield.
Radiance's shoulder height was about 1.3 meters, while Windchaser's nearly reached 1.5 meters. The term "high-steed" fit Windchaser perfectly. Its towering, robust frame radiated strength and dominance, making it an awe-inspiring presence.
Despite how compelling Windchaser was, Clobber hesitated.
Choosing a warhorse wasn't a decision to be made lightly. This wasn't just about personal honor—it was a matter of survival. A knight's mount was a partner in life-or-death situations, and Clobber wouldn't make this choice without careful consideration.
Jack, with decades of experience at Saint Gold Castle, was skilled at reading people. Seeing Clobber's intrigue yet reluctance, he immediately understood that the young knight wanted to see more options.
Without hesitation, Jack led Clobber to view other unclaimed warhorses in the stables.
After examining several steeds, Clobber found himself returning to Windchaser. No other horse matched its combination of speed, strength, and elegance. Resolving not to overthink it, he made his decision.
"I'll take Windchaser," Clobber declared.
With the paperwork completed, Windchaser, a horse carrying the bloodline of a mid-tier magical beast, was officially assigned to Clobber. For now, he held the right to use the horse, but its ownership remained with Grand Duchess Veronica. If Clobber served in the Dragonbreath Order for a full year, the ownership of Windchaser would transfer to him.
Jack carefully handed Clobber two sets of finely crafted saddles and ornate horse capes. These were among the perks of being a Dragonbreath knight—custom gear for their mounts.
Technically, as a member of the Dragonbreath Order, a heavy cavalry unit, Clobber's warhorse should have been outfitted with not only a ceremonial cape but also reinforced barding made from iron or steel to enhance its defense and combat utility.
However, the Dragonbreath Order rarely engaged in actual combat, making the heavy and costly barding impractical.
To maintain appearances, Grand Duchess Veronica had opted to outfit the horses with ceremonial capes only. From the outside, they looked just as imposing as fully armored warhorses.
Even if the barding had been available, Clobber knew he would never burden Windchaser with such heavy armor. The steed's agility and speed were its greatest assets—ones he intended to preserve.
The reasoning was simple: Clobber's own full plate armor was already incredibly heavy. Adding a layer of barding on top of Windchaser would severely hinder the horse's ability to sustain a prolonged charge or engage in a fast-paced battle.
This was a common dilemma for most heavy cavalry units. While they boasted explosive power capable of unleashing devastating attacks in short bursts, their endurance often fell short. They were best utilized as the spearhead for a single powerful charge, after which their effectiveness diminished rapidly.
The saying "Clothes make the man; saddles make the horse" couldn't have been more accurate.
Even without the ornate gear, Windchaser was already a strikingly majestic steed. But once the saddle was fitted, it elevated the horse to another level entirely.
Still, Clobber chose not to drape the ceremonial cape over Windchaser at that moment. There was no mission at hand, and equipping it would only add unnecessary weight. He decided it would be better to save the ceremonial attire for official duties the following day.
As Clobber gazed at Windchaser, standing tall and full of life, his eyes gleamed with admiration.
No knight could resist the allure of such an extraordinary mount, and Clobber was no exception. He knew that having a steed like Windchaser wasn't just about battlefield prowess—it was also a symbol of prestige and honor.
In the entire duchy, only someone as resourceful and affluent as Grand Duchess Veronica could afford to provide her knights with warhorses carrying the bloodline of mid-tier magical beasts.
Clobber had never met a marquis, but based on his dealings with two count-level families, the warhorses allocated to their knights were barely on par. Most had traces of low-tier magical beast blood, and even then, the concentration was abysmally low—often no more than three percent.
The infamous "Redblood Colts" of the Moonlight Mushroom family were a prime example.
In contrast, Windchaser's bloodline concentration of the Sawtooth Horned Horse was around forty-five percent. Jack had subtly suggested that feeding Windchaser magical beast meat might improve its chances of evolving into a low-tier magical beast.
Within the Dragonbreath Order, approximately sixty percent of mounts were already low-tier magical beasts. Most knights willingly invested resources to help their steeds evolve, knowing that a low-tier magical beast could rival the strength of a formal knight—a substantial advantage in combat.
When a regular beast evolved into a low-tier magical beast, it experienced a transformation akin to a human awakening their combat aura. This granted them a mysterious form of magical energy, enabling them to perform powerful, technique-like skills.
For Windchaser, as a descendant of the Sawtooth Horned Horse, evolving into a low-tier magical beast could mean developing a unique horn formed entirely of condensed gold-element energy. This horn was the hallmark of the Sawtooth Horned Horse's legendary abilities.
The technique involved channeling its refined golden combat aura into the horn and charging at its opponent with lightning speed. The devastating impact of this attack, combined with the razor-sharp horn, would pierce through the enemy's defenses while simultaneously injecting waves of destructive golden energy into their body.
However, the odds of a beast successfully evolving into a low-tier magical beast were far slimmer than a human breaking through to become a formal knight. Humans could rely on alchemical potions, while beasts had to rely on luck. Feeding them magical beast meat only slightly increased their chances.
There was a tale from the duchy's early days of a marquis who attempted to use family resources to feed potions to his warhorses, hoping to accelerate their evolution. After wasting countless potions, he discovered that this method had negligible effects. Simple magical beast meat was far more effective.
Scholars later theorized that the difference lay in how humans and beasts absorbed energy. Humans processed energy with precision, while beasts absorbed it in a cruder, less efficient manner.
Taking Jack's advice to heart, Clobber decided to leave Windchaser in the stables for now. There was another task awaiting him—meeting the steward of the outer keep, someone he would undoubtedly interact with frequently in the future.