Chapter 105
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 105
Thalia glared at them, her expression set like stone.
“What are you staring at? They weren’t hung there for your amusement.”
At her venomous snap, the men—who had been blinking blankly while clutching their porridge bowls—awkwardly averted their gaze.
With a pointed snort, Thalia shoved Barkas’s arm aside and limped toward the carriage.
Barkas caught up and gripped her elbow. Thalia stared back at him, her face tight with tension.
A typical noblewoman would have fainted from the shock or primly looked away from the corpses. She expected him to reprimand her for behavior unbecoming of a Grand Duchess. But as she sent him a wary look, Barkas gently turned her around.
“From here on, we must travel by horse.”
While she stood frozen at the unexpected words, he led her toward the line of horses.
Thalia spoke up urgently. “I can’t ride!”
“Do not worry. Your Highness will ride with me.”
He gave a short whistle, and Torque, who had been grazing in the meadow, approached with his black mane fluttering.
Thalia stared at the gray warhorse. It looked as if it were forged from twisted steel—a horrific monster in her eyes.
Torque was a beast on an entirely different level from the Akhal-Teke from Mount Nornek that Gareth paraded around for show. He was more massive than an average steed, possessed a violent temperament bordering on wild, and held an arrogance that looked down on every living thing except Barkas.
Thalia loathed this fierce horse that Barkas doted on. The feeling was mutual; Torque snorted at the mere sight of her. She tried to turn away in a hurry to avoid the stallion, but Barkas immediately caught her by the arm.
“Let go! I’m taking the carriage!”
“The path becomes rugged from here. If you take the carriage, you won’t last half a day before collapsing.”
“I’d rather collapse than ride that filthy, stinking beast!”
A few Easterners saddling their horses nearby shot her looks of disbelief. Their expressions suggested they couldn’t fathom that someone who hated horses actually existed.
They really are a people obsessed with horses, Thalia thought, gritting her teeth.
“Let go of me this instant!”
Barkas let out a short breath and hoisted her up, placing her onto the saddle.
Thalia let out a scream and clung desperately to Torque’s neck.
Barkas climbed up behind her and pulled her stiff body against his chest. Forgetting her shame, Thalia wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. Her knees felt weak with the terrifying sensation that Torque might hurl her to the ground at any moment.
“L-let me down.”
“Lean back and relax. I will not let you fall.”
Thalia tilted her head back and shot him a venomous look. She wanted nothing more than to slap him, but she didn’t dare move, fearing Torque might bolt.
She squeezed each word out through clenched teeth. “I said, let me down!”
Barkas ignored her and snapped the reins. Thalia clamped her mouth shut, fearing she might bite her tongue.
Her vision swayed unsteadily with the horse’s movement. Feeling a wave of dizziness, she squeezed her eyes shut, only to hear a familiar voice close by.
“Everything is ready. Shall we depart immediately?”
It was the vassal named Daren.
Barkas nodded toward him. “Split the unit in two. Half will follow me, and the other half will follow behind with the supply wagons.”
At Barkas’s command, the cavalry moved in perfect unison.
Thalia, peeking through her eyelids to watch the scene, spotted several more corpses hanging on one side of the village square and recoiled. Noticing this, Barkas shielded her eyes.
“Don’t look.”
His stern voice brushed against her ear. He added as he turned the horse’s head: “They raided this village multiple times. They are displayed to appease the villagers’ resentment and to serve as a warning to other looters, not as a spectacle for entertainment.”
Thalia didn’t offer a response. Barkas looked down at her silent form for a moment before urging the horse up the hill.
A wind scented with grass swept past. Faintly mixed within it was the howling of beasts she had heard throughout the night.
A sudden, idle thought crossed her mind.
Will those criminals be reborn as beasts too, singing songs for someone else?
Perhaps, one day, I will as well...
Staring at the lush, vibrant green forest, Thalia soon shook off the hollow thoughts with a bitter smile.
*
The inspection tour of the territory was nearing its end.
After visiting all the large and small villages in the eastern and western regions, the cavalry turned north. Following the river, they finally arrived at their last destination: Tarlin.
The cavalrymen let out a loud cheer as they spotted the magnificent, sand-colored walls over the horizon.
“We’ll be able to spend tonight in comfort!” Daren shouted brightly, pulling his reins to slow down.
Barkas didn’t respond, instead turning his horse to check the group following behind. Among the long line of supply wagons, the luxurious traveling carriage caught his eye.
He had forced her to sit on his saddle when passing through rugged terrain, but she was physically weak and easily frightened; she couldn’t endure even two hours of riding.
In the end, he had no choice but to put his wife back in the carriage as soon as they cleared the rough areas. It seemed better for her to endure the swaying carriage while under the influence of sleep herb.
She’s likely enduring the motion sickness while drugged even now.
Barkas watched the curtained carriage window for a moment before moving back to the front. He felt the need to reach their destination quickly so she could get proper rest.
He spurred his horse, increasing his speed. Soon, the city walls were within reach. When he raised an arm, the following cavalry hoisted flags embroidered with the Black Horse Crest. The iron-reinforced gates swung wide, revealing the bustling cityscape.
“You have worked hard on your long journey!”
As they moved along the main road, the city’s security guard greeted them. Barkas acknowledged their welcome with a slight nod.
“Who is in charge of this city?”
“It is Lord Temuran. He is the administrator appointed personally by Your Excellency’s father.”
A middle-aged man, appearing to be the Guard Captain, answered in a calm tone.
“The Lord is currently in poor health and is recuperating at Tarlin Castle. He asked me to convey his apologies for not being able to greet you in person.”
Barkas looked up at the citadel towering in the center of the city. It looked grand enough, but it seemed a bit small to house hundreds of knights.
He gave instructions to Daren. “It seems we should leave only a minimum number of personnel here and find separate accommodations for the rest. See if you can rent out an entire inn.”
“Understood.”
Daren headed toward the outskirts of the city, leaving behind about a dozen elite knights and Lucas Raedgo Sieorkan.
Barkas gestured to his brother, who had grown noticeably gaunt over the past few weeks. “Don’t stand in the back. Come to my side.”
“Can’t I stay at the inn with Daren...?”
“Don’t make me say it twice.”
Lucas approached slowly with a miserable expression. Barkas watched him with a cold gaze before turning back to the Guard Captain.
“Lead the way.”
“Ah... this way, please.”
The Guard Captain hurried his steps. Following him into the heart of the city, a wide plaza and the massive citadel came into view.
Barkas hopped down from his horse and approached the carriage that had stopped in the open space. When he carefully opened the door, he saw the woman slumped over the seat.
He climbed into the carriage and supported her back. Waking from her light slumber, the woman rubbed her eyes and let out a soft, melodic voice tinged with sleep.
“...Are we there?”
“Yes, we just arrived. I will carry you, so Your Highness should rest a while longer.”
Sliding his other arm under her knees, Barkas lifted her impossibly light body.
Normally, she would have thrown a fit, insisting on walking herself, but for once, she quietly wrapped her arms around his neck.