Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Picking Our Horses
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“Today… I’ll definitely… serve you well…….”
Luna brought over three horses with a resolute expression, her hands clenched confidently at her sides.
Today was the evaluation for the task I’d assigned her: selecting horses.
Luna hadn’t just been enjoying a laid-back life in the stables. Part of her duty was to pick out mounts suitable for our party to ride.
We could go out and buy new ones, but the horses here at the Krueger estate were top-grade, so it made more sense to choose a few from their stock.
The truly exceptional ones—the legendary steeds—had gone to the knight commander or Mark and such, but I’d heard the reserves were solid too.
Time to appraise the ones Luna had picked from all those reserves.
“Hmm… Nice. Go ahead and explain.”
And so today, I wasn’t my usual pushover boss getting steamrolled by Luna.
I stood there with my arms crossed, tilting my chin up imperiously and fixing her with a sharp glare.
“Number one… is Arishnel. She’s got a bit of a rough temperament, but she’s got great stamina, can accelerate and stop on a dime, and she’s smart.”
She snorted strongly through flared nostrils, her fierce eyes giving off a feisty vibe.
I’d heard that horses look down on easy riders and do whatever they want….
“Wouldn’t a milder horse suit a beginner like me?”
Luna bit her lower lip slightly at my cool-headed question, then pointed to the next horse with her palm.
“Number two… is Besra. She’s super gentle and full of affection…. She does get distracted by butterflies or small animals sometimes and veer off or bump into things, but she responds best to people…….”
Even as Luna spoke, Besra’s big eyes followed a flying insect zipping past her nose, and she started pawing the ground in place to chase it.
Luna gently tugged the reins with practiced ease, straightening Besra out, then looked up at me expectantly.
“Wouldn’t she be risky for someone who hasn’t bonded with her enough to control her right away? It’s not like we’re just riding around the grounds.”
Luna looked up at me with hopeful eyes, and yeah, she was adorable.
But business is business.
No matter how much I adored Luna, work was work and personal was personal.
Her ears drooped even more at my razor-sharp judgment.
“W-Well then… last one… Number three… is Toma. He’s blunt and not very approachable, but… he’s fearless, so he doesn’t bolt at loud noises or rear up…….”
Luna brushed Toma’s coat with a currycomb and gave him a light swat, but he stood stock-still without flinching. I nodded.
“In situations like this… if he doesn’t see it as a threat… he’s pretty steady……. But his bondability seems low…….”
That would be a big drawback for knights who need that horse-rider unity.
But it didn’t seem like much of an issue for me.
A blunt personality might even reduce unexpected variables in sudden situations.
“Great. I like him.”
I uncrossed my arms, clapped lightly, shook Luna’s hand, and waved it as I praised her.
“You’ve worked hard running around the stables, learning and picking these out yourself, Luna.”
“Y-Young master…….”
Luna’s round eyes welled up at the praise, and I grinned, giving her a thumbs-up.
Truth be told, I trusted her, so I’d planned to approve all three anyway.
“With that in mind, let’s take all three you recommended. Give Number One to Cain, and you ride Number Two—think you can handle her?”
While Luna and I talked, Besra was already distracted by a mantis in the corner of the garden, just wagging her tail idly.
‘That one… she gonna be okay? She’s awfully scatterbrained.’
Still, if Luna picked her specially, they’d probably get along fine.
“Leave Besra’s handling… to me……!”
She’s promising to take good care of her so she doesn’t cause trouble—why does that sound like she’s the one who causes trouble…….
But seeing her so happy made it all worthwhile.
I waved goodbye to Luna as she headed off to stable the horses and give them treats. But moments later—
I turned at the sound of footsteps behind me to find a servant standing right there.
“Whoa, you startled me… Say something when you approach.”
“I just arrived, young master. You’ve got a letter.”
I clutched my chest in surprise, then took the letter he offered, flipping it over to inspect it before speaking.
“Let’s see. The seal on the wax is the Krueger family crest, so it’s one of two people.”
And when I shook the envelope, a faint fragrance wafted out.
Kaiman? Or Gadia.
I dismissed the servant with a wave, as if telling him to get back to work, and slowly made my way to my room, picking up a letter knife.
“Man, doing this used to be a fantasy of mine.”
It always looked so cool in movies and stuff. Who’d have thought I’d get to live it out.
Pretty fun. I slid the knife neatly between the hardened wax and envelope, separating them cleanly, then pulled out the letter. The subtle gold osmanthus scent grew just a touch stronger.
* * *
Though she had no proof, Gadia couldn’t shake her reasonable doubts about Adelian’s trait—the one she knew to be worthless.
‘He’s got no real talent, yet he struts around like he owns the place, utterly arrogant. But he’s never once held his head that high with me.’
That hierarchy had been set since Adelian could walk.
Gadia, born with talent. Adelian, without a single standout gift.
From the moment Adelian started toddling around, Kaiman had hired tutor after tutor.
Swordsmanship, archery, magic, spirit arts—even painting and music.
Adelian never excelled at any of it. Whenever he saw Gadia, his eyes burned with jealousy, and eventually, he couldn’t even look her in the face.
The most he’d do was get drunk and slur, “You’ve got everything,” in a trembling voice before storming off.
‘So what was that I saw today?’
That wasn’t the Adelian she knew.
If not for the blood magic proven by the family ring, she’d have thought it was someone else wearing his skin.
‘So the conclusion is simple.’
Adelian’s trait wasn’t useless.
And if it was something impressive, with Kaiman backing him— even acting as temporary family head to lend weight—?
Then it wouldn’t be an overstatement for Adelian, the eldest son, to leapfrog her and inherit the family head position properly.
‘How amazing must it be for him to talk down to me?’
Classes were in full swing, so she normally couldn’t leave the academy, but Gadia had used the Krueger influence to get out.
Even a powerhouse like the Krugers couldn’t fool the eyes of the continent’s royalty and nobility gathered at the academy forever.
‘I just need to confirm this and head back.’
If the letter sent to Gadia had been a one-off mistake, a second was possible too.
She needed to see for herself to ease her mind, so Gadia quickened her pace into the temple.
“Who might you be? The temple doors are already closed for the day.”
Clack—
A kindly-faced male priest, sweeping the empty central hall, looked up and spoke. Gadia, cloaked in a white robe, extended only her hand to show the Krueger seal.
“You’re from the city’s ruling house, I see. But what brings you here……”
“Adelian Krueger.”
She wrapped the pendant-shaped seal around her wrist and pocketed it, her tone laced with contempt.
“I want to check his trait again.”
“You know the rule: only the individual themselves can view it.”
“And?”
Was there anything in this city the Krueger name couldn’t do?
Gadia added arrogantly, and the priest’s head bowed lower.
“Of course… With power enough to take the life of one who serves the gods within these very walls, unbridled…….”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
The priest straightened at her words, a flicker of anger in his eyes.
“No one who knows Adelian Krueger’s trait remains here.”
“Nonsense. Surely it was checked right here?”
“Adelian. The day after he came of age and had his trait confirmed. The priest who did it was murdered.”
The priest recited in a subdued voice, then bowed his head again as if nothing had happened.
“Is there anything the Krueger name can’t do in this city?”
If there was, it’d be bringing the dead back to answer.
Gadia let out a low groan at the spreading murmur.
* * *
“So, in short, the conclusion is.”
He killed the priest too—guy’s insane. Head back to the academy when term ends, and wash your neck and wait?
“Jeez.”
I smirked.
“Does she think I’m an idiot?”
I needed to bolt before Gadia showed up.
And hold out until Cain and Luna got stronger than her. If I could snag the artifact I’d planned for beforehand, it’d be perfect.
“By the way, the priest got killed?”
For silencing purposes…….
‘Rumors of Adelian’s trait being trash had spread far and wide.’
Plus, if Kaiman wanted to suppress Adelian’s scandals, he’d have done it already.
My guess? It wasn’t silencing—it was punishment for loose lips.
Kids are kids, even if he wasn’t his favorite. Separate from Adelian’s usual wastrel antics.
‘It probably irked him more that an incompetent was his son. Or maybe it was a quiet move to tarnish Adelian’s rep even further.’
Not for Adelian’s sake—Kaiman did it for his own ends, whatever they were.
Gadia had apparently read it completely wrong.
Asking Alkaido would confirm it.
“Works out perfectly. I had some things I wanted to probe him about anyway.”
Now I had an excuse.
I summoned a servant to call Alkaido, then deliberately lounged with my legs crossed crookedly, propping my chin and striking an arrogant pose.
‘Tilt the angle up a bit more?’
What’d look the most punchable.
I twisted my body slightly to perfect it when a knock sounded.
“Come in.”
“I heard you called for me, young master.”
I let Alkaido’s polite greeting slide past as I pretended to admire my perfectly manicured nails and spoke.
“I read the letter Gadia got…. Apparently the priest who checked my trait was murdered. That true?”
I paused for effect. Curled my lip.
“Dad’s doing?”
“Yes.”
“Man. Dad’s so overprotective it’s a problem. Right? Anyway… did you look into it?”
I channeled the spoiled wastrel Adelian, hogging all of Kaiman’s love and attention, brazen and obnoxious, flicking my eyes slyly toward Alkaido.
“I’m not sure what you mean, young master.”
“Come on, between us. You would’ve checked it out, Alkaido. The continent’s situation.”
Alkaido paused unusually long before responding.
“It’s true the continental situation lately differs markedly from the last century. But I don’t think the variance is that great.”
“What’re you talking about? Even one wrong number means losses for our family’s trade. Not something for a Krueger man like you to say.”
Knew he’d looked into it. Alkaemong. Hand over the data.
Hiding my real intent, I exhaled softly and stood.
“So, compared to your predictions… how was it? Probability of war.”
“…Higher than my estimates.”
I cocked my head, sweeping Alkaido with a sidelong glance and a sly grin.
“By how much?”
“If these figures hold steady, there’s a 54 percent chance of war breaking out somewhere in the next 30 years. And for a continent-spanning great war…”
“The probability?”
“75 percent.”
Alkaido was wrong.
The numbers would fluctuate. Wildly.
Not 30 years—3 years tops before something blew up somewhere, and no more than 5 before continental war.
‘That’s part of why Cain’s grinding so hard.’
“Interesting. Good. You’ve probably got it all neatly compiled, right, Alkaido? Bring it—I wanna read it.”
“If it’s headed the way you predicted, young master… Is there a way to stop it?”
I was turning to wave him out when his words followed me. I glanced back over my shoulder.
“Curious?”
Alkaido’s eyes gleamed.
“Yes.”
“Secret.”
I was certain. This smile I flashed was pure mastermind.
Because Alkaido’s eyes staring at me said it all.
Adelian’s got something.