episode_0013

The story of Emma, who spoke to me first, was not that long.

It’s not that Emma didn’t experience much, but that she could already guess most of it.

Still, to tell the story, while she was waiting in the stable for us to return, one of the humans who had targeted her attempted to ambush her from behind.

However, just before she was about to stab Emma with the knife coated in paralyzing poison, her sensitive ears caught the abnormality, and she reflexively transformed into a half-human, half-horse figure and kicked the guy away.

I was embarrassed because it was an unintentional transformation, but thanks to this, I was able to stop the surprise attack and beat the rest of the guys who rushed at me and escaped out of the city.

After that, she said, she fought the adventurers who had been tracking her in the forest, exactly as we had seen.

“It’s a shame that I can’t fully handle the blessing that Epona gave me… but thanks to that, I was able to escape safely. Owner.”

“Okay. It was fortunate.”

“…Of course, we will take complete control as soon as possible.”

As she quickly added as if remembering something, I also smiled awkwardly, recalling the ‘accident’ in bed that had happened when she was less skilled at transformation than she is now.

I had to quickly change the topic of conversation to get out of the awkwardness.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to intentionally step forward.

“Wouldn’t the people Emma knocked down in the stable or the people who died here be a problem?”

Thanks to the worried voice of the red-haired centaur who drove us here.

“For now, there won’t be any major problems.

They were the ones who did something illegal, and they probably knew that they were involved in a case too big for them to handle.

There is a high possibility that they will figure it out on their own.”

However, there were some parts I missed.

“…Owner? What happened to that archer?”

“An archer? Who else was there?”

Emma’s face hardened at the answer and the explanation continued.

Of course, we raised our guard again and looked around, but he was no longer anywhere.

“Once we rushed in to free Emma from the net, we could no longer find him.”

I said with a look of discomfort that could not be erased.

Even after being beaten by Emma, who had taken on the form of a half-human, half-horse, he was able to pull himself together and escape in that short period of time, showing that he had considerable skills.

There was a high possibility that the archer was sent directly by one of my half-brothers and sisters from the Catenis family, whom I had been wary of.

Even so, there was nothing I could do since it was already gone.

“I can’t help it. You never know when another arrow will fly, so you have to remain on guard, but right now it seems like they’ve already run away.

And the archer whistled for that centaur?”

“That’s right. Owner.”

‘That centaur was converted into a battle slave… It must have been sent with that archer.’

Looking at the nets and other preparations, it appears that the goal was probably to capture Emma.

‘Then the suspect knows that Emma can transform into a half-human, half-horse form…’

While I continued to worry, Emma looked at the blonde centaur, who had managed to fall asleep thanks to Rubia’s hypnosis, with a confused expression on her face.

Knowing what her mother went through and the hurt it caused Emma, I quietly placed a hand on her shoulder and comforted her.

“…Don’t worry too much.”

Luvia, who was looking at me and Emma, opened her mouth again.

“I can’t help it about the arm, but… From what I understood while applying hypnosis, the brainwashing, including the forehead branding, was done in a short period of time to achieve the goal.

Although it may take some time, it will be possible. I guess I’ll have to use some strength for a while.”

Everyone could breathe a sigh of relief at her explanation.

“Thank you. Rubia.”

“What? Cleaning up after things is always my responsibility.”

“Thank you very much. Rubia.”

Rubia, who playfully grumbled that she was pushing herself too hard, paused and smiled when she received the thanks of Ema, who she often bickered with.

Because I knew very well how much it meant to Emma to save her people.

“Now that I think about it, what happened to the owner? She brought her owner with her…”

Emma, who had become more at ease, turned around and looked at me riding behind her and then at the red centaur and asked.

She looked with envy at Emma, who revealed what was said to be Epona’s blessing, and politely answered Emma’s question.

“Nice to meet you. Blessed daughter of Epona. My name is Linia from the Red Mane Tribe.”

“Ah! Are you a compatriot who was trapped with me back then?! I’m sorry for leaving you behind at that time. But…”

Linia shook her head and responded to Emma’s apology when she recognized her.

“No. Emma had more important oaths to make, so she should have done so.

Moreover, if I had followed along at that time, it would have taken much longer for him to join here, so it was the right thing to do and in the end, it was a good thing.”

Rather, the apology… I owe it to you both.”

And she bowed her head to me and said:

“Not only did I dare to misunderstand my benefactor as an enemy and treat him rudely, but I almost caused him great trouble, so I cannot help but feel sorry.”

When I actually received the apology, I tried to stop her.

“No. As I said before, it was a situation that could easily have been misunderstood, wasn’t it? It’s okay if you don’t have to do this.”

Even so, Emma came forward and spoke to her who still couldn’t raise her head.

“I don’t know exactly what happened, but if the owner says that, I think he’s right.

I don’t think there’s any reason to be angry, so why don’t you just tell me how you came here with the owner?

After listening to it, it actually makes me wonder how the owner was able to persuade you.”

“Ah, it was thanks to this. Emma.”

When I took something out of my arms and showed it to her, Emma’s eyes opened wide like Linia before.

“…This is…”

“…Yes, thanks to that, I was able to resolve the misunderstanding.”

And in line with Linia’s answer, I began to tell about what had happened earlier.

——

I found an unexpected way, took a moment to catch my breath, and approached her, who was still standing there as if telling me to stab her at any moment.

Then he took it out from his pocket and showed it to me.

Her face, which was laughing as if she thought I was going to take out a dagger, soon changed to doubt and then surprise.

“You… how do you have something like that?”

“On the day we reunited, on the day she swore allegiance to me, she gave me something she had treasured for so long.”

What I held in my hand was a black ornament made of thread and fur.

It was not a treasure with incredibly fancy decorations or a high level of craftsmanship.

On the contrary, the manufacturing quality shows a bit of clumsy workmanship, so if you only consider the market value, it may not be an item that is considered very valuable.

However, it was clear how much care was put into the soft black thread and fur that were carefully made into numerous knots, one by one.

At least to the extent that it is thought to have significant meaning among those who exchanged it and received it.

And for the race of centaurs, it was not just a guess, it was the truth.

It was a gift given to other people with whom they had built long-term trust and relationships for the first time in the past, before the centaurs were willing to give them a ride.

Their tail hair and hair are cut and offered to Epona and prayed for, along with thread of the same color.

The token, which was created by slowly weaving the two materials together over a long period of time, symbolizes their relationship that has been woven together for a long time until now.

Nowadays, when empires have been established naturally and the history of blood and chains has been repeated for a long time, it is something that is rarely seen.

Of course, most relationships with humans are the worst, but they were too busy trying to survive to form such relationships with other races.

In most cases, it was just a story that something like this existed in the past, or people who hated humans no longer told the story of its existence to the young children of the tribe.

Therefore, the nameless centaur that had been captured by humans was looking at me in surprise as if he could not believe the existence of the object in my hand.

For a split second, there was doubt in those eyes.

There are suspicions that it may be an imitation to deceive other centaurs, or that it may have actually been made by Emma, but that something that originally belonged to someone else was robbed or forced to be made.

However, she soon seemed to have sensed the contradictions in those assumptions as well, and instead of voicing those doubts out loud, she quietly let them fade away in her eyes.

Even though it seems like a long time has passed since it was made, it still looks as soft and shiny as new because it was clearly made from materials given by Epona to congratulate her daughter on finding a new friend, colleague, and lover.

Besides, it’s not like a license to ask other centaurs for their backs and loins.

It is simply a token that the centaur who gave it trusts the person who received it, and if he were to ask other centaurs to ride it with it, he would not be able to receive the token in the first place.

Therefore, it is an item of no value to those who do not know the story of the two, especially to those who are greedy.

On the other hand, for those two, especially the centaur, it is worth risking one’s life to protect.

Even if she had tried to rob such a treasure, it would have been taken unless she took her life, and she would have asked herself whether Epona would have given her the thread to make the treasure even if she had forced her to do so.

She already knew the answer and what it meant.

“…My name is Linia. Linia of the Red Mane tribe.”

“It is said that he is Liber, who received an undeserved gift from Epona’s daughter.”

Linia finally gave a clear statement and slightly bowed her head towards us, and I also bowed my head in response.

When I raised my head again and met her, the doubt in her eyes was not completely erased.

The centaurs in front of us, and the centaurs who have lived so far, have experienced too many tragedies to do that with just one promise and one token.

However, I was able to overcome that doubt and give him the resolve to believe.

“…What do you want from me?”

“I would like to ask you a favor at the risk of being rude. To help Emma, who gave me this gift.

Could you please drive me there just once?”

Before Linia could respond, I swung my spear and cut off the harnesses that were binding her.

Because the choice was only hers.

In a short but long moment of silence, Linia, who had been staring at her free body for a moment with startled eyes, made eye contact with me again.

And he nodded.

“Good. I will trust you. May Epona likewise bless those who will ride on the backs of His daughters.”

After saying a short prayer, she turned her back to me, knelt slightly, and bowed.

“…Master?”

“…Thank you very much.”

“If your actions match the words, that is enough.”

For a moment, when Luvia urged me to stay still and not get on, I thanked Linia and climbed on top of her.

but…

I can’t say these things to Linia, who made such a big decision, so I ride her calmly, but it might only feel strange to me as I’m not originally from this world…

In mythology, only a few centaurs, like Emma, can change into the half-man, half-horse form, so riding her in the form of a woman with horse ears and a tail…

Since I was just half-riding her, I was honestly quite embarrassed by myself.

To hide it, I clear my throat and put my arm on her shoulder as confidently as possible and press my body against her back.

Rubia, half transformed into a shadow, climbs on top of me.

Although my body felt almost weightless, my chest, which I could feel pressing even through the armor, seemed to have been left untouched, either by mistake or on purpose, and I had to hold back my face from turning even redder.

” Departing. It may not be as good as him, but the form is different, so hold on tight.”

At Linia’s words, I remembered the importance of the current situation and tried to suppress my embarrassment.

“Please help me return the gift I received.”

And Linia’s legs hit the ground-

——

-It has arrived now.

I run until I can put back in Emma’s hands the gift she gave me.