Ch.532Virgin Road

I carefully placed the saddle on the unicorn’s back and attached the bridle and reins.

The beast seemed bothered by the equipment on its body, but it didn’t bite or shake them off, as if willing to tolerate what its master had placed on it.

…It’s more obedient than I expected. I should try putting armor on it later. If it gets sent back, only the armor will remain, which might be inconvenient to maintain.

I didn’t put a bit in its mouth. Judging by its teeth, any bit would likely be bitten through, and since it was supposedly quite intelligent, I figured I could handle it without one.

“Prrrr…”

“Yes, yes. Just stay still like that.”

I stroked the unicorn’s mane and whispered softly.

“Don’t worry. If you just obey, I won’t cut you into pieces. See this fur? Your horn might end up as decoration on it.”

When handling beasts, establishing dominance is important. Even though I was in a weakened state, I couldn’t let it look down on me.

“Ohhh…”

I could hear the guard paladins’ admiring voices from here. Yes, from a distance, it probably looked like a pitiful beauty mystically communing with a unicorn.

In reality, it was more like a butcher threatening livestock.

“Grrrk.”

The unicorn snorted with a smirk and turned its head, gesturing toward its back. As if saying, stop talking nonsense and just get on.

…This bastard, why does a horse have such expressive features? Is it because it’s a mystical creature?

Though its response wasn’t particularly pleasing, I couldn’t refuse to ride the unicorn I had summoned.

I lightly mounted the unicorn as it lay with its belly on the ground, placing my feet in the stirrups. As I got on, it seemed suddenly pleased, shaking itself lightly before standing up, raising its head high and letting out a loud neigh.

“…Magnificent.”

Nigel, who had been keeping his hand on his sword hilt in case the unicorn went wild, looked at me with admiring eyes.

True to his obsession with “knightliness,” he seemed strongly drawn to this dreamlike steed. Though not quite to the level of Hersella, who was practically a horse enthusiast.

Maybe I’ll let him ride it later. He’d probably love it.

“Indeed. A perverted horse that lusts after virgins, and a savage lady who prefers slicing cultists to attending social gatherings—yet together they look so majestic and beautiful they could be featured in a cathedral mural.”

Leonore shrugged and muttered jokingly.

“Savage lady? That’s rather harsh talk from a knight to her master, isn’t it?”

“But it’s true, isn’t it?”

“……”

I had no rebuttal because it was true.

How cowardly to use truth against me—where has the chivalric code gone?!

—-

Riding the unicorn was more comfortable than I expected.

I thought it would be rather stiff since its entire body was like a mass of steel muscles, but its hooves and leg muscles seemed to perfectly absorb the impact, making it even more comfortable than other horses.

At this rate, I could probably even sleep on horseback.

The only problem was that while my body was comfortable, my mind was growing increasingly tired.

“L-look over there! A horse with a horn! A horse with a horn!”

“What nonsense are you suddenly spouting? A horse with a horn? That’s not a monster, such things don’t exist… wait, what is that?!”

“A unicorn! That’s a unicorn! My grandmother told me about them! I heard they went extinct long ago…!”

As I rode the horned horse down the main street, everyone’s attention turned toward me. They all stared blankly, unable to take their eyes off the horned horse. Yes, I suppose it is quite a sight.

“That armor… it’s changed a bit, but isn’t that Baron Median’s armor?”

“The Sword of the Starry Sky…!”

My identity was revealed instantly.

Actually, it wasn’t so much revealed as never hidden in the first place. Though I was wearing a thin veil over my face according to Alhebron tradition, my outfit was Rurik’s fur with only the scale parts removed.

With its sturdy exterior and warm, soft lining, there were few better outfits for cold weather.

“So the Imperial First Sword has tamed an ego beast to ride! As expected…!”

“So beautiful…”

Judging by the reactions, rumors of me riding a mystical creature would spread throughout the holy city in less than a day.

Well, it was a bit embarrassing but not a bad thing. This could be considered a form of prestige in its own way. In today’s world, what knight could ride such a mount?

Come to think of it, it was similar to cruising around the city in a top-tier supercar, so there was no reason to feel ashamed.

Or so it seemed.

“Huh? Wait, that’s strange. My grandmother definitely said… unicorns can only be ridden by pure virgins…?”

“That’s right! I’ve read about that too! Supposedly, they gore any unchaste woman who approaches with their horn…!”

Uh. Wait a minute.

“Is that true…? Then could it be…?”

“Baron Median is…?”

The gazes directed at me began to shift from simple admiration to something more… nuanced.

“……”

My cheeks suddenly felt hot.

It was something I hadn’t considered, but riding a unicorn was essentially advertising to the whole world that I was pure!

I unconsciously hunched my shoulders slightly. It was like walking around with a hymen stuck to my forehead. While not exactly humiliating, it certainly felt that way mentally.

…I should have just taken a carriage.

I returned to Ellunel Cathedral amid countless curious and admiring gazes. Thank goodness for the veil—otherwise, my face, red to the tips of my ears, would have been completely exposed.

—-

[By the way, now that you have such a fine steed, shouldn’t you give it a name?]

‘A name?’

I was in the middle of unsummoning the unicorn—which had transformed from a mystical creature to a liability in just thirty minutes—and collecting the saddle and reins when Hersella suddenly said this.

A name…

‘Well… I suppose I should think about it.’

Since it wasn’t a disposable item but rather a mount I could resummon as long as the ring remained intact, giving it a name like a pet didn’t seem like a bad idea.

[If you wish, I could name it for you.]

‘I’ll pass.’

With your naming sense, you’d probably call it Invincible or Rising Phoenix or something. Or maybe Horse of the Heavenly Horse? Whatever it would be, I doubt I’d like it.

[Hmm… well, it’s your horse, so it’s only right that you name it. So, what name are you thinking of?]

‘Well, what would be good…?’

I fanned my heated cheeks with my hand while considering a suitable name for the unicorn.

‘Cascador or Recyclage…? Aegide would be nice too.’

[…A playboy, recycling, and a shield? I can clearly see what you think of horses. If you get impaled on its horn, don’t feel wronged—just consider it deserved retribution.]

Is it that bad…? I thought those were quite intuitive names.

‘What were you thinking of, then?’

[Baekchu. It means “white thorn.”]

…I was surprised by how sensible the name was, coming from Hersella.

White thorn—a name perfectly suited for a unicorn, and even with a simple elegance to it. It seemed impossible to find a better name.

And that’s why I don’t like it.

‘I’ll just go with Cascador. It’s too good a name for a stallion that lusts after virgins.’

[…Do as you please. It’s not me who will feel embarrassed, but you.]

Hersella surprisingly backed down without a fight, though she did leave one last grumbling remark.

…As if I’d be embarrassed about giving a horse a silly name. From the moment I started riding around on a four-legged virginity certificate, embarrassment had already gone beyond its limits.

—-

They say rumors travel faster than horses.

That old saying proved true—within an hour of my riding the unicorn around, the news had spread throughout the holy city.

While I was resting in bed back in my hospital room, Leonore came to visit with a grinning face and shared the stories circulating around the city.

I don’t know where she picked up all these rumors, including ones I’d never heard of, but she knew everything.

To think she would thoroughly investigate the city’s gossip just to tease me—perhaps I chose the wrong person as my guard knight…

The public rumors were mostly complimentary—people feeling awe and holiness, famous painters planning to immortalize the scene in paintings for the cathedral, and such praises.

However, the gossip from taverns and dark alleys was more explicit.

That I should be called the “Sword of the Holy Virgin” rather than the “Sword of Heaven,” that Ceylon’s greatsword was too massive to find a fitting sheath, that people felt kinship with fish trapped in a pond…

There were even rumors that the Imperial First Sword’s pressure had surely broken the prince’s sword.

Given Leonore’s character—maintaining certain boundaries despite her casual manner—she had likely sanitized what she told me, and the actual vocabulary used was probably much more explicit.

“I want to lock them all up…”

I sighed heavily, puffing out clouds of cigarette smoke.

…How dare they gossip like this behind my back. It was my own doing, in a way, but not something I could laugh off pleasantly.

“Some of them are probably in the basement here. I caught the ones who went too far.”

Leonore pointed at the floor with a smirk.

“Wait, you really arrested them?”

“Even though my lady is tolerant about such things, some lines shouldn’t be crossed.”

From what she was saying, it seemed she had personally tracked down and arrested those who spread the more vulgar rumors.

I hadn’t seen her since returning to the cathedral and thought she might have gone training, but she’d been out in the city doing this.

I was more dumbfounded than impressed. Both the men who made jokes worthy of the cathedral dungeon and Leonore who actually went and arrested them.

And why tell me these jokes if they were crossing the line enough to warrant arrest? Does she think only she has the right to tease me?

Between Frider and her, my acquaintances all seemed to have strange personalities, making me sigh.

—-

Fortunately, the rumors about the unicorn died down after just two days.

In a way, Lacy had helped me out. She caused a major incident that completely overshadowed any concerns about my chastity.

The night after I returned riding the unicorn, Lacy led her faction’s church members and paladins in a raid on the Church of Ceres’ cathedral.

It was a bold surprise attack that no one except those involved had anticipated.