MTO C110
by berryChapter 110
The horse the knight brought over was a dark bay mare with a white stripe running down the center of her face.
She had clearly been meticulously cared for by the stablemaster.
Her coat gleamed beautifully in the sunlight.
As Michel stepped closer, he caught the mingled scent of dry hay and well-oiled leather.
He carefully judged the horse’s size.
It wasn’t his first time seeing a living horse.
But knowing he was actually supposed to ride this one made it seem several times larger than usual.
In reality, though…
It was smaller than the warhorses the knights normally rode.
Don’t chicken out.
You’ve cleared vaulting horses twice this height.
He deliberately chose to ignore the obvious fact that vaulting over gym equipment and riding a horse were completely different things.
Carefully avoiding anything that might upset the animal, Michel gently stroked its neck.
Warm, powerful muscles shifted beneath his palm.
“Be careful.”
“Horses are far more dangerous than they look.”
“I know.”
Michel pouted at Kaidan’s warning.
Kaidan obviously thought he knew absolutely nothing about horses.
Which happened to be true.
But he certainly couldn’t let it show.
“Please take care of me.”
Feeling guilty for dragging the innocent horse into his reckless wager, Michel continued stroking it.
He remembered hearing a coachman once say that horses were incredibly sensitive animals.
They could sense their rider’s emotions.
Michel silently hoped the horse would somehow understand how desperately he wanted its help.
“That’s enough—”
Although Kaidan had been the one to propose the challenge, his frown deepened every time Michel drew closer to the horse.
The way it pawed the ground made it look as though it might kick Michel at any moment.
Unable to suppress his anxiety any longer, Kaidan stepped forward, intending to pull Michel away.
Then—
The horse suddenly turned its head.
With the gentlest of nudges, it bumped Michel’s forehead with its muzzle.
Michel blinked in surprise.
Neigh!
The horse didn’t stop there.
It rubbed its nose affectionately against Michel.
Then…
It even licked his forehead.
Michel’s messy gray hair was swept backward by the rough tongue.
“Hahaha!”
“That tickles!”
Michel burst into laughter.
Kaidan immediately seized the reins and pulled the horse away.
The mare snorted in clear dissatisfaction.
Then…
To everyone’s astonishment…
She folded her legs beneath herself and knelt before Michel.
Michel froze.
So did Kaidan.
“W-What?”
“Did that horse just kneel before the Saint?”
“No way.”
“Maybe it’s just tired?”
“Out of nowhere?”
“And right in front of the Saint?”
A lively debate immediately broke out among the spectators.
Meanwhile, Kaidan tried pulling on the reins to make the horse stand.
It refused to budge.
Its dark eyes remained fixed squarely on Michel.
For a fleeting instant…
Michel felt as though his soul resonated with the horse’s.
It wasn’t something words could describe.
Only…
A strange sensation.
He slowly stepped closer.
“Your Holiness!”
“If you climb on now—!”
Kaidan hurriedly tried to stop him.
Too late.
Michel was already in the saddle.
With the horse still kneeling, mounting wasn’t difficult.
The moment Michel placed both feet in the stirrups and steadied himself with his thighs…
The horse calmly rose to its feet.
“Whoa!”
Gasps erupted from every direction.
Ordinarily, horses could even sleep while standing.
When one lay down completely…
It meant the animal was utterly relaxed.
Trying to mount a horse in that position was extraordinarily reckless.
If it became startled while standing…
Both horse and rider could easily lose their balance and suffer a serious accident.
Yet…
When the horse stood fully upright…
Michel remained seated perfectly.
The mare didn’t rear.
She didn’t buck.
She didn’t try to throw him off.
Instead…
Michel sat proudly upon her back, posture perfectly straight.
He looked…
Remarkably dignified.
“My goodness…”
“So the Saint really is…”
The knights who had been joking among themselves suddenly fell silent.
Every one of them stared at Michel in amazement.
The troublemaker who normally ran all over the castle wrestling with children…
For the first time…
Truly looked like the Saint.
Kaidan was no less shocked.
Unable to hide his confusion, he couldn’t take his eyes off Michel.
Only Michel remained calm.
He lightly tugged on the reins.
“You can let go now.”
“…What?”
“You told me to ride one lap.”
Only then did Kaidan realize he was still holding the reins.
He released them.
The horse immediately began walking.
Michel hadn’t given any instructions.
Yet the mare moved as though she already knew exactly where she was supposed to go.
She calmly followed the edge of the training grounds.
Because she walked so slowly…
Keeping his balance wasn’t difficult.
Michel simply relaxed…
And breathed together with the horse.
Even so…
He knew something extraordinary was happening.
No matter how athletic he was…
He certainly hadn’t learned to control horses through telepathy.
Some unknown force was helping him.
Helping him reach the dragon safely.
Which only reinforced his conviction…
That he was meant to go to the Dragon’s Waist himself.
Amid everyone’s gaze…
Michel successfully completed one full circuit of the training grounds.
When it came time to dismount, he didn’t need the horse’s help.
He simply swung himself down.
As a gesture of thanks, Michel stroked the mare’s forehead.
Immediately, she rubbed her nose against his forehead again.
Absentmindedly touching the spot…
Michel found sticky horse saliva clinging to his fingertips.
“So…”
“That means I’m coming too, right?”
He turned toward Kaidan with a radiant smile.
Yet while Michel had been riding around the training grounds…
A heavy shadow had settled across Kaidan’s face.
Arms folded across his chest, he silently regarded Michel for a long time.
Michel patiently waited.
The outcome had already been decided.
“No.”
“Huh?”
“You promised!”
“I said I’d consider taking you.”
“I never promised you would come.”
Michel stared at him in disbelief.
That shameless answer meant Kaidan had deliberately chosen his words carefully from the very beginning.
“So unfair!”
“You’re a Duke!”
“And the lord of this territory!”
“Can a lord really just say whatever suits him?”
“Everything I’m doing…”
“Is for your sake, Your Holiness.”
“I’ll handle everything you asked.”
“So please don’t worry.”
“No!”
“I have to go myself!”
“I need to see the lake with my own—”
“It’s too dangerous!”
Kaidan suddenly roared.
The knights, who had been watching the exchange in stunned confusion, collectively sucked in a breath.
Even Michel instinctively took half a step back beneath the overwhelming pressure radiating from the man before him.
“With that paper-thin body of yours…”
“Where exactly do you keep trying to go?”
“Do you have a death wish?”
“Are you planning to die again?”
“And repeat the miracle of resurrection?”
Pointing directly at Michel’s face, Kaidan’s veins bulged beneath his neck.
He wasn’t shouting as loudly as before.
Yet the quiet fury in his voice was far more frightening.
Instead of fear…
Michel felt anger rising.
A paper-thin body?
Who exactly are you calling paper-thin?
Did Kaidan have any idea how much effort Michel had put into strengthening this scarecrow-like body?
He might have been smaller than the knights.
But there was plenty of muscle underneath.
“You called me strong.”
Instead of raising his voice…
Michel answered calmly.
Whenever he became truly angry…
His mind always grew strangely clear.
It was a habit left over from his days as a taekwondo athlete.
The moment he lost control during a match…
He’d already lost.
“You’re the one who said I was strong.”
“Don’t you remember?”
For a split second…
All the color drained from Kaidan’s face.
Michel wondered whether he’d forgotten because he’d been drunk.
But no.
Kaidan clearly remembered every word from that night.
“How can you be so strong?”
“Huh?”
“Is it because you’re the chosen one?”
“Are all Saints like you?”
“I can’t understand it.”
“Wait…”
“You’re so strong…”
“And that’s why I keep…”
Kaidan abruptly looked away.
His face, which had just turned pale, now flushed a vivid red.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Then what did you mean?”
“Enough.”
“We’re done discussing this.”
“I have nothing more to say to you.”
He turned sharply and started walking away.
The negotiation wasn’t even over.
He was running away.
For the first time…
Michel didn’t chase after him.
He was tired of constantly begging Kaidan to listen.
“Fine!”
“I get it!”
“I’ll go to the Dragon’s Waist by myself!”
The words rang out toward Kaidan’s retreating back.
As though struck by magic…
He stopped dead in his tracks.
After a long pause…
He slowly turned around.
His expression clearly said he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.
“What did you just say?”
“Whether you approve or not…”
“I have to go.”
“I only suggested coming with the Knights of House Eglance because you were heading there anyway.”
“But if you don’t want me…”
“Fine!”
“I’ll go separately!”
“Let’s not even take the same route!”
“Better yet…”
“Why don’t we make it a competition?”
“Let’s see who finds the lake first!”
The longer Michel spoke…
The darker Kaidan’s gaze became.
In an instant…
He crossed the distance between them.
Michel instinctively stepped backward.
Too late.
Kaidan was already standing directly before him.
Up close…
His expression looked positively terrifying.
As though he wanted to crush the person standing in front of him.
For one brief moment…
Michel regretted opening his mouth.
But if he backed down now…
He would lose.
So he glared right back.
Granted…
With his round eyes, it wasn’t particularly intimidating.
A slow, heated breath escaped between Kaidan’s teeth.
“You think I’d let that happen?”
“Then what are you going to do?”
“Lock me up?”
“I’m the Saint, remember?”
Michel deliberately raised his voice and turned toward the surrounding knights.
“Everyone!”
“Did you hear that?”
“The Duke of House Eglance is planning to imprison the only Saint in Valois!”
The knights, who had been secretly enjoying the argument moments before…
Immediately pretended to be interested in absolutely anything else.
No one wanted to get caught in the crossfire.
Among everyone present…
Only Michel remained completely fearless in front of Kaidan.