CH 49

I looked ahead again and grabbed the reins, clenching my teeth and trying to keep up with Zephyr.

“Ugh. Whoa.” 

But it wasn’t easy. It’s as fast as a car, but the ride comfort is not good.

I felt sick to my stomach at the sight of my body bouncing up and down.

“Z, Zephyr… I, ugh, I’m dying….” 

I only spoke with a voice the size of an ant, but somehow Zephyr seemed to understand.

As if putting on the brakes, it suddenly slowed down.

‘Huh, no way, are we really communicating?”

I almost cried again. I finally sighed and opened my eyes wide.

“I’m sorry, Zephyr. I didn’t know you wanted to run so fast. I should have practiced, practiced more….”

I can’t believe it’s hard for me to keep hold of the reins.

Doesn’t it make me a very bad owner that I ride on the famous horse Zephyr?

“I’m sorry….” 

I was sorry that I could feel he was controlling his speed because of me, even though he could definitely run faster.

As I ran on the straight course for a long time, another horse swiped past me.

It was Walter and Cheshire!

Cheshire glanced at me with worried eyes and then moved away.

“Good job, Walter! Win, Cheshire! You can do it!”

As soon as I cheered on, Course B started.

A red hurdle and two judges could be seen up ahead.

“Wow! Whoa!”

Zephyr began to cross the hurdles neatly.

The rules said that you would lose points if you were running and tripped over or knocked down a hurdle.

‘Well, it’s me who didn’t practice, because Zephyr must be familiar with the course.’

If I won a prize, I would be very embarrassed. Because I really didn’t do anything.

Zephyr is the one who runs, and the magic saddle is what keeps me safe on his back. 

“You are really good!”

There was no hesitation in Zephyr’s movement as he alternately passed left and right through the lined-up obstacles.

How hard must his training have been for all his courses to be deeply ingrained in his body?

‘Somehow I feel sad….’

As soon as I thought the obstacle was over.

Next was the longest course, a curved course that required a slight climb up the hill and then down again.

As the altitude went up, a hidden lake on the ridge came into view. The water surface was glistening in the morning sunlight.

“Wow.”

I was amazed.

However, it’s only for a while to enjoy the scenery.

When I looked back at the sound of the horse’s hoofs overlapping, I saw Damon following closely.

“Run fast! Speed up!”

Damon yelled at his horse.

Looking at it, it seemed to be running with as much power as if it were sucking on something, but it was slower than Zephyr, who seemed to be running unsteadily.

“You idiot! Are you going to lose to that leg fool? What are you supposed to do with this speed on a course without obstacles!”

“What?”

Look at that punk.

I look around. 

With no one watching, it was a good moment to commit the perfect crime.

“Greaat! Well, he said something about the dignity of a nobleman, and when he rushed, only garbage came out of his mouth?”

“….” 

Damon, who was running alongside, widened his eyes.

Then he looked at me with a questioning expression.

“Haa! What are you looking at? You punk!” 

“W, what are you saying…?” 

“The horse-riding geniuses were all bubbles, right? You don’t have as much skill as ant poop, but you won last year with Zephyr, right? You’re not talented without Zephyr, right? The winner is already out of the question, right?”

I shook my chin viciously and teased Damon. His face turned red. 

“You, do you want to die?! You little thing!” 

“Ung, you can’t kill me~? Will you lose even to me, who is riding a horse for the first time?”

“Shut up! Shut up!”

“Ung, I won’t shut up~?” 

Seeing Damon’s flushed face made me feel refreshed.

Even though we ran side by side for a while, the gap between us quickly widened. 

“Arggh!” 

I could hear Damon’s roar from behind.

“Run! You idiot! Run! Run!”

Hiiing—! 

There was a slapping sound and a horse’s cry. The horse, forced to speed up, followed me again.

“I’m behind you, really!”

What is this? Damon’s eyes were engulfed in madness.

He stretched out his hand a few times, floundering in the air, and then grabbed my thigh tightly.

That moment.

Tak, I felt something unnatural.

‘Oh my.’

I immediately realized

Damon had broken the anti-fall magic on my saddle.

At the same time, my buttocks, which were firmly attached to the saddle, slipped and moved up and down, and the lamp tied to my feet became loose.

“Kyaaa!” 

No matter what I did, I was relieved to fall and entrusted my body to Zephyr, but I shouted in surprise.

Zephyr was also surprised and quickly slowed down. But the sudden braking was more counterproductive. My body leaned forward, and my feet fell out of the stirrups.

“W, whoa!”

Losing the reins, my body trembled and flew up into the air.

‘I, is this for real….’

For a moment, the vision slowed down like slow motion.

Dazzling sky.

Shining lake.

The green foreground of the ridge.

“Ugh.”

I fell off my right arm and rolled over. Some sharp stones hit me, and my cheeks ached slightly.

“Ack.”

My whole body screamed in pain, but it wasn’t to the extent that I lost my mind.

I immediately tried moving my limbs. It didn’t look like any bones were broken.

“W, whoa. A real bad-tempered guy….” 

I grabbed the most painful right arm and stared blankly at Damon’s horse and Zephyr, who was moving away.

No matter how bad he was, to openly commit foul play. 

No. What are all the fouls?

It was an act that would lead to a fight between families due to the obvious reason for disqualification.

“You punk… The championship is gone, now….” 

I staggered to my feet.

I had to go back the way I came and tell the judge about this. 

Hngg—.

Then, I suddenly heard the sound of horses’ hooves and turned around—.

“Zephyr?”

—Zephyr is back.

‘No, can this be?’

Is it possible for a racehorse that runs only forward to stop alone without an owner and then return back the way it came?

The world of horse riding—.

“Zephyr, how did you come back? Phew, that’s praiseworthy.” 

I said while stroking Zephyr.

“Let’s go back and inform the judge that Damon cheated. He’s a complete idiot. Why would you do something that is obvious?”

I really didn’t understand.

“The only ones who entered course C at the same time were him and me, and the magic was released on my saddle, but I can’t use magic yet. I can’t release it with my own hands. So even if no one has seen it….” 

I was chattering around, and I grabbed my back.

“Ung?”

Zephyr was biting my collar.

He seemed to be speaking with his eyes.

[Let’s keep running.]

—like that. 

“A, are you serious? I can’t….” 

A situation where the anti-fall magic cannot be applied again.

I had to hold out on my own to keep running.

“No, I’m scared. I can’t….” 

As I shook my head, Zephyr’s blue eyes met mine. 

I can read his eyes for a brief moment. 

The desire to run. 

Willingness to win.

Tired of the hard training and abuse, I thought he didn’t want to run anymore—.

‘No. So you want to run.’

It was different from me, who had no desire to compete.

“…Y, yeah.” 

Let’s do it. No matter how it goes. 

I took a deep breath and climbed back onto Zephyr’s back, which lowered its body.

“I’ll never miss it. You… Will you be careful when you run so I don’t fall off?”

Hnggg.

[Trust me]

The crying sound seemed to be saying just that.

“Let’s go!”

Zephyr started running again.

The loose saddle was dangerous, and unlike before, I had to use the strength in my thighs.

‘Wow, is this a real horseback riding?’

Rather, I realized.

A feeling of awakening

It was as if I had succeeded in riding a bicycle for the first time.

‘If I had continued to use magic while riding, my skills wouldn’t have improved at all!’

So I learned while running.

How to harmonize with the horse. 

How to leave my body naturally without straining as much as possible.

“…Why the hell are you doing this argggh!” 

I entered Course D where the obstacles started again, and I saw Damon. 

Damon’s horse stopped in front of the hurdles for some reason, and it seemed excited.

‘Yes, if the owner is like that, and I would want to go on strike, too.’

I clicked my tongue.

“Huh?” 

At that time, Zephyr, who was going well, stopped in an elegant pose next to Damon without crossing the obstacle.

‘Why does it stop?’

As I was thinking, I realized.

‘Aha, do you want to tease him again?’

I smiled and stuck my chin out at Damon. 

“Horse-riding geniuses are all dead, right? You can’t win even if you cheat, right?” 

“Hnggg!” 

Then Zephyr started to cross the obstacle again as if he had waited.

Oh, this is communication. 

I’m touched. 

“Kyahahaha! Zephyr, you are the best!”

We passed the obstacle course and entered the final straight course.

This moment of running fast.

Cool air goes deep into the lungs.

‘Am I a horseback riding genius?!’

I didn’t even feel the pain in my body as I fell.

In the distance, the finish line was visible with people filling the awards ceremony hall.

The finish line…

‘Huh? The finish line?’

Obviously, Cheshire was ahead by an overwhelming gap, but for some reason, the red finish line was still intact.

‘Where is Cheshire? Oh, over there!’

Soon they were seen.

Walter stopped for some reason and was circling around, and Cheshire smiled as our eyes met.

In the midst of bewilderment.

Zephyr continued to run vigorously.

“Whoaa!”

As we just crossed the finish line, shouts like thunder poured out.