Chapter 10 : Hunting Competition (5)

The feeling of my legs kicking off the ground was new.

It felt like steam was rising from the muscles all over my body, which were heating up.

-Phrrrng.

I snorted and kicked the ground with my limbs.

It's not that I was so desperate that I lost my reason and ran on all fours like a dog.

It just...… means that I had become a horse.

Haha, my goodness.

I looked down at the black legs that were running powerfully.

They were unmistakably the hooves and legs of a black horse.

Then again, when I thought about it, it wasn't all that strange.

It would be strange to say I could become an avian, but not a mammal.

I was flustered at first, but more important than ‘my ability is actually to turn into animals, not a crow’ and ‘it took me about 2 months to realize that fact’ was the fact that I could now stop the Duke.

I pawed the ground as hard as I could.

The more I inhaled, the more my lungs expanded, generating energy as if an engine was running.

It seems this is what it feels like for a horse to run.

Even though I was running by myself, I could see the surrounding scenery changing rapidly out of the corner of my eye, as if I were in a carriage.

If I were human, I would have been injured by bumping into and getting scratched by trees and small thornbushes here and there, but having turned into a horse, I just bumped into things here and there.

But given who my opponent was, even though it was a horse carrying a person, the distance didn't narrow easily.

I became anxious at the thought that if I went further, I might reach the large animal zone where there were many people.

In a situation that had changed so much from the original plan, I quietly muttered, damn it.

Heeheeheeng!!

Instead of my voice, the sound of a horse's cry echoed through the forest.

I thought I had already gotten used to it when I turned into a crow, but the sound coming from my vocal cords becoming the cry of another beast made me keenly realize that I had truly become an animal.

Perhaps as compensation for me losing my last shred of human dignity, the Duke, who was ahead, seemed to be slowly reducing his speed.

“Whoa, whoa.”

Fortunately, he stopped his horse completely and soothed his snorting brown horse.

I also reduced my speed and approached his horse.

I hoped that I wasn't drooling or foaming at the mouth from running so hard, like that brown horse.

The imposing, vigorous old man with silver hair, flecked here and there with white, looked this way with a straight posture from atop his saddle.

His sharp gray eyes scanned me.

Agoni Piteos.

He was a character who played an important role in this story, and normally, a scene where he directly encounters me isn't even described.

Because I had seen the character of the Duke as quite impressive, I had imagined a few times after first possessing the 7th Prince in the world inside the book whether I would get a chance to meet him.

Although I never dreamed we would meet not as person to person, but as person to beast.

In any case, if I transformed like last time, he would have noticed that I was the 7th Prince's horse.

In the first place, everyone tended to avoid riding a horse of the same color as the Imperial Family, so among the nobles participating in the hunting competition, there was no one who rode the same horse as us.

As proof of that, among the hunting competition participants, you couldn't see a single person who wasn't of the Imperial Family riding a white horse with a golden mane.

Well, the reason there was no one riding a black horse like the one I rode was a bit different.

Because there were no nobles who wanted to participate in the hunting competition riding a horse with the same coat color as the one the 4th Prince presented to mock me.

Duke Piteos looked at me, then slowly approached and jumped down from the brown horse he had been riding.

“Why is the 7th Prince's horse here...….”

He muttered and examined me with a slightly displeased face.

Finding it strange that I was just wearing a bag around my neck without a saddle, stirrups, or even reins, the Duke circled me, sighed, and rummaged through the bag tied next to his horse's saddle.

I was relieved.

As expected, he didn't seem to be thinking of just abandoning me.

Now the problem was getting him to the lakeside where Tollin was unconscious—wait, what is he doing?

The Duke was making knots here and there with a long, sturdy rope he took out from his baggage and was approaching me.

Seeing that appearance, it seemed he was trying to hastily make makeshift reins with the rope and put them on me.

As expected of a battle-hardened veteran, he was also deft with his hands.

Phrrng!

I shook my head and backed away.

Well, if he really tried to put it on me, I might not be able to avoid it in the end, but I didn't think I'd be able to deal with it when I turned back into a human.

To strongly express my refusal, I tossed my head a few more times and then abruptly bit the end of the rope he was holding.

“Shh...… I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm just trying to take you back where you're supposed to be.”

He seemed to think I was agitated, so he tried to soothe me instead of forcibly taking the rope away.

But he wasn't a man who wasted mercy beyond a certain level, so if it seemed I really wasn't listening, he would probably grab my face and forcibly tie the knot.

To directly express what I wanted, I looked at the Duke once and then gently pulled the rope with my teeth.

At the weak force, the Duke moved his feet, though with a slightly puzzled expression.

Having confirmed his willingness to follow me, I paused for a moment, turned my head slightly, and pointed to the horse he had ridden with the end of my muzzle.

The Duke's eyes widened slightly, but he surprisingly obediently took the brown horse's reins in his hand and followed me.

I, who had been resolved to maybe let him put the reins on if he was really insistent, felt relieved and led the two of them.

A bizarre procession of a black horse leading one person and one brown horse was formed, but well, I was relieved because it seemed that after all this, the situation was finally being resolved.

***

Duke Piteos looked at the back of the black horse's head, which was leading him back the way he had come, and wondered what he himself was doing.

That is...… he was being led by a horse.

And in a rather proactive manner, at that.

The hunt was completely ruined thanks to this creature that suddenly appeared from behind while he was chasing the golden fox, but he couldn't just leave the Prince's horse.

Seeing it wandering around like this without a saddle, it was possible something had happened to the 7th Prince.

The Duke thought of the 7th Prince.

The black-haired Prince, whose face he had only seen a few times.

At first, the nobles hadn't known what to do with the appearance of the black-haired Prince, but they soon solidified their stance after seeing the Imperial Family's attitude toward him.

In the Imperial Family, he was like air.

Even though he clearly existed, they treated him as if he didn't.

No matter what he did.

Even if he screamed, or threw things.

Even if he threatened and hit people.

...…Even if he killed people.

He was not punished.

All his actions were simply buried quietly.

It is a frightening thing when the other party pays no price, no matter what they do to you.

Because of this, even if they didn't respect him, there was no one who would go out of their way to cause trouble.

The Duke, too, had seen him beating his servants to death several times.

Each time, he couldn't dare to stop the actions of the Imperial Family, so he just passed by.

Duke Piteos was loyal to the Imperial Family, so he tried to fulfill his duty as a vassal to the 7th Prince as well, but he soon had to admit it.

He lacked the divinity one felt when looking at the Emperor or the 7th Prince's other siblings.

There was no wonder that made one bow one's head, nor any overwhelming charisma that made one kneel.

There was only a violence that made one frown.

So, he found himself, who was now moving mechanically to help the 7th Prince, a bit ridiculous.

He was someone who had taken pride in his loyalty to the Imperial Family.

Now, without even confidence in that, he was unknowingly stepping up like this just because it was a matter of the Imperial Family, even if it was the matter of the 7th Prince, whom he had pretended not to know.

While worrying that even the horse the 7th Prince raised might get hurt.

The Duke thought this current situation of being led by a horse seemed to represent his life up to now, and he let out a short laugh.

He looked at the black horse, which was walking with its tail held stiffly down, for a horse.

“It seems you are similar to me.”

Duke Piteos muttered.

It didn't seem likely that the violent 7th Prince would treat it kindly or care for it just because it was an animal he was raising.

Judging from his usual behavior, he might have treated the black horse sent by the 4th Prince harshly, finding it shameful.

And yet, this horse was now returning to the place it had come from.

It must be doing as it was trained.

To find its master even if separated, or to find its proper place.

Therefore, at the end of this guidance, the 7th Prince would probably be there, or the place it was taught to return to when lost would be waiting.

It's returning like that.

That's all it knows, and if it eats and sleeps, yesterday's violence will fade.

Although he couldn't understand why it was trying to take him along.

Then again, what many thoughts would a horse live with?

Thinking that, the Duke spoke to the 7th Prince's black horse again.

“Yes, you too just live as commanded, without any thoughts, without any worries. Because there is nothing as happy as ignorance and oblivion. Then you won't starve to death.”

Originally, the Duke was not such a talkative man, but the forest was quiet and there was no one to listen.

There were only two horses, matching strides in front and behind.

The Duke vaguely thought that the reason he was being a little more honest than usual was because the black horse's gaze, of the two, looked strangely upright.

No matter how much of a veteran he was, an over-60 former knight commander, he couldn't have even imagined that the 7th Prince, transformed into a horse, was listening to his self-deprecating monologue from up close, without missing a single word.

***

Not everyone enjoys hunting.

That is to say, there are also those who enjoy the cool autumn breeze more than cutting through the wind, chasing beasts, and choking the life out of them.

Of course, that meant one needed the appropriate status and power to dare to afford such leisure at a hunting competition hosted by the Imperial Family.

Like someone with wheaten-blond hair hanging down, strolling leisurely through the bushes with an attendant behind them instead of a bow.

The leisurely slacking of that someone, who was enjoying the leisure given to them with their wheat-blond hair hanging down, was interrupted by the appearance of a certain black beast that had likewise forgotten its duty.

-Phwrr…...!

A single black horse, snorting and pawing the ground, came into their view.

“...…It's a black horse. Not a common one.”

At the imperial's monologue, the attendant hurriedly bowed his head.

“The only one who brought a black horse is the 7th Prince.”

At that answer, the corners of the imperial's mouth lifted.

“The 7th Prince, is it……. This is good. I had business with him, as it happens.”

It was the moment another storm was added to Ran Abalan's already tight destiny.

***

Kraaak!!

The 1st Prince Rasia, who had been staring with a bored expression at the carriage-sized bear that was collapsing with a painful scream as its heart was pierced, flicked his hand to signal the servants and hunters he had brought to take care of the corpse.

“Older brother, that was truly amazing.”

The 3rd Prince, who had stopped his horse by his side, offered words of praise with a slight smile, but the 1st Prince didn't even glance his way.

The 3rd Prince observed the 1st Prince and hovered around his side.

Cautiously watching his expression and moving his lips, it was clear he wanted to say that he had nothing to do with the rumor that the 3rd Prince would seize imperial power, having confirmed that his abilities in this hunting ritual were the same as before.

For being the source of the rumor, he had little nerve.

He should have just acted a little more boldly.

It would have been better if he had started a childish quarrel right in front of me, openly saying that his older brother's era was over.

If he had, the one collapsing with a pierced heart right now wouldn't be that insignificant bear, but this detestable fellow.

“As expected, the only one to bear the future of Abalan is you, older brother.”

“I think so too.”

Seeing the 3rd Prince's face brighten at the first positive answer he received, Rasia continued, a sneer on his face.

“And my younger brother must protect the Empire from his proper place.”

The 3rd Prince's face stiffened at once.

When the Crown Prince is decided and the Crown Prince becomes the Emperor, the remaining siblings may either stay in the capital or be exiled far away.

Under the pretext of protecting Abalan in the name of God.

The 1st Prince had just confirmed the 3rd Prince's future exile.

Rasia left the 3rd Prince, who was trying to stammer out a reply, and rode his horse on.

He had no intention of leaving his siblings in the capital in the first place.

He planned to either kill them all, or make them live miserably far away, ruminating on the glory of their youth for their entire lives.

With the exception of just one person.

“Did you catch anything?”

Rasia playfully spoke to the 2nd Prince, who was nearby, searing the eyes of a gray wolf.

“Of course. I might have caught something bigger than you, older brother.”

At his younger brother, who retorted with a similarly mischievous expression, Rasia laughed loudly and tapped the crown of his head.

The 2nd Prince, Dito Abalan.

He was his one and only cherished younger brother among all his siblings.

His smart and cheerful younger brother was very useful, and because he wasn't always trying to read his expression, he could treat him comfortably.

He was a younger brother he trusted more than anyone.

When he became Emperor, he planned to make him remain by his side and assist him.

Although every time he said that, this fellow would complain that he was good at dressing up his words about lifetime labor exploitation.

“Please don't laugh. I'm serious this time.”

Seeing his younger brother pouting again, as if annoyed at his older brother who was only laughing, Rasia said teasingly.

“Well, I've been in strangely good condition lately. I think I'm going to win the hunting competition this time too, you know?”

Rasia, in a cheerful mood, clapped his younger brother's shoulder and rode off to start hunting again.

Because of that, he did not hear.

“I know, right. It is strange.”

The 2nd Prince's voice, as he muttered with the corners of his mouth lifted in a playful smile.

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