episode_0026

Neither Amelia nor Prince Evan said anything.

In the end, the two agreed to ride on the wolf’s back. In fact, there was no other way, so it would be more correct to say that they had no choice but to comply rather than agree.

To be honest, I don’t know why you’re so scared. No matter how big the dog is, if you knew it was gentle, wouldn’t you just go and pet it? Especially since Amelia even touched the pup last time.

The wolves did not show much resistance even after carrying two people they normally did not ride on their backs.

I heard that a dog’s back is very weak compared to the horse or cow that humans usually ride. So, no matter how big the northern wolf looks on the outside, the moment a Delkish person rides on its back, it will put a lot of strain on its back. I usually ride on the back of a wolf. If you look at it, that’s probably why other people in Delki city don’t bother asking to ride on their backs.

I don’t know what will happen when I grow up to be over 2 meters tall, but at least until then, I won’t have any problems riding it all the time, and I might even feel it if I ride Amelia, who is much shorter than me, or Prince Evan, who is of similar height.

“Ha, ha… … .”

Amelia, who had clung to the wolf’s back until she arrived in the middle of the forest, seemed very happy to be able to step on the ground again.

“Didn’t you say you learned horseback riding?”

Of course, since he was only seven years old, he probably wasn’t into full-scale horseback riding. He must have been riding on a small pony, with someone pulling him in front. He must have chosen a particularly smart and kind horse.

However, there is still a big difference between having a memory of riding on the back of an animal and not having a memory of riding on the back of an animal. If you remember the feeling of the horse’s back bobbing up and down every time the horse moves, wouldn’t it be okay to ride on the back of a wolf?

“Generally, before riding a horse, you put something called a ‘saddle’ on its back. And that saddle also has something called a ‘stirrup’. Don’t you know the difference?”

Umm… … Well then, yes.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t make a saddle for a wolf. Unlike a horse, a wolf isn’t a creature whose most important thing is to ride. What’s more important is that they can walk next to me, protect and help each other.

It wasn’t a good idea to put something bulky on the back of a wolf that might have to rush in and bite off the enemy’s neck.

furthermore-

“The people of Delkisi ride deer without saddles or stirrups?”

“… … Ah.”

“Huh?”

The prince, who had gotten off the wolf a little later than Amelia, looked at me from a distance when he heard my words.

“Delkisi always distributes food to people first. It is a waste to separate food for animals, so we do not usually raise that many animals. In particular, we do not feel the need to raise animals just for riding. So, whenever I need to, I catch a deer in the forest and ride it, but that doesn’t mean I can carry a saddle on my shoulder while going to kill a deer.”

It’s so big and heavy that a person needs to sit on it, so carrying it on your back or shoulder will interfere with hunting. However, it’s also a bit difficult to fight with it on the ground. Anyway, in order to hunt, you have to go all over the forest.

So, if you just learn ‘how to ride without it’ in the first place, you won’t have to go through the hassle of carrying a saddle.

“That’s right… … It was like that.”

“Was it like that?”

It is said that Prince Evan did not know much about our territory, but Amelia must have learned it anyway. From the Archduke’s perspective, we were an important military force protecting the front lines.

However, there is a difference between simply learning through knowledge and experiencing it directly.

“Horse without saddle or stirrups… … No, what if you fall while riding a deer? Wouldn’t it be a big loss if someone dies or gets injured from a fall? I heard there aren’t that many people in the Delki city territory.”

“?Why do people get hurt by falling from a horse?”

Even if you roll with a deer, you’ll be fine?

I, too, have fallen a few times while on Gray Light. It’s not that it doesn’t hurt, but it’s not so bad that it kills me.

“… … Huh?”

In response to my question, the prince made a strange sound with a confused expression.

“Lady Elsie, unless you are from Delki City, if you fall from a horse, you will be seriously injured. It is not just that you will get hurt, you could even die.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Surely, Southerners are not that strong, so they might die. Just as a playful wolf’s teeth can tear your flesh to pieces.

I thought that because it was a fantasy world, the scale of human strength was different. I had no idea that even the people of Ridelkisi would be at a completely different level from the southerners.

“You… … Did you really think that even if we fell off the back of a wolf, we wouldn’t get hurt?”

The prince asked, forgetting to maintain his tone for a moment.

“… … .”

I was silent for a moment and then signed up.

“The place where the deer are is not far from here. Let’s walk from here. Please make as little noise as possible.”

“Hey, answer me!”

*

“Large… … .”

“Is that so?”

I asked as the prince mumbled.

All the beasts of the North are large, so I am not sure how big the small deer the prince is talking about is. Is it as big as the elk I saw in my past life?

“If you get close, they will definitely headbutt you in this direction. When herbivores decide that they can’t escape, they rather aim to hunt the opponent in reverse.”

“Is that the reaction of a normal herbivore?”

Is this the first time the prince has gone hunting?

Or maybe it’s something like that. I heard that the hunting that the king enjoyed in the olden days was all he had to do was follow the people around him to hunt down their prey and shoot with an arrow, but the prince was still a child, so if he enjoyed that kind of hunting, he wouldn’t have known the reactions of real animals. Maybe.

“That’s right. Even if you start from a close place, the chances of getting lost are low. If you’re a typical Delkish hunter, it doesn’t really matter. Even if you try to headbutt a deer, if you avoid the horns, you can avoid fatal injuries, so you can take as many raw grapes as you want. ”

“… … Is that that much? What about the people of Delki City?”

These are people who can strangle a deer and hit its head with their fists.

“But that would be difficult for us. I don’t know, but Prince Amelia will suffer fatal injuries the moment she steps on the deer’s foot.”

“… … Are you okay too?”

“As I said before, if you just avoid the horns, you can end up with a little pain.”

Amelia was speechless after hearing my answer.

“Did you bring a bow and arrows?”

“Okay.”

“I brought it too.”

Both the Prince and Amelia answered my question.

Delkisi’s bow is too strong for southerners to use. Although it is powerful, the bow made from cypress from the northern forest is so hard that southerners feel it is closer to a club than a bow. Not only does it feel that way, but the people of Delki City also undergo many years of training to use the bow properly.

It seems that you have to practice hard for at least a year to be able to use a bow, and it takes two years to be able to use a bow for one person.

It has been a little over two years since I received my training.

Moreover, the rope made of deer sinew is also too hard for a southern woman to use. Of course, even if it is borrowed, it cannot be used, so each person has no choice but to bring their own.

I don’t know if the bows these young kids shoot can really pierce the deer’s skin or not.

That’s why I also took out my bow.

It’s smaller than the one my father used, but it’s made from northern cypress, so it’s just as hard. It should be enough to catch a deer at this distance.

“ Approach slowly, paying attention to the direction of the wind so that the wind does not pick up your scent. Meanwhile, the wolves will also spread out and form a large circle as they approach the deer, and by the time the deer smells the wolf, they will already be there. It will be after we are completely surrounded.”

“There are so many wolves, but do they directly participate in hunting?”

“The prince doesn’t know anything about wolves.”

When I said this while glancing at the prince, he looked a little embarrassed.

“No matter how much you are the leader, it is unacceptable not to participate in hunting at all. If you are in that community, you must do your part as a member to share in the food.”

The wolves recognize me as their leader.

In that case, you have to show leader-like behavior.

“Is that so?”

“That’s right.”

The prince answered with a slightly blank expression, so I nodded.

“Then, shall we try to approach it? From now on, refrain from talking as much as possible. The sound of branches breaking or leaves rubbing against each other is a sound that can always be heard in the forest, but it is not the sound of human speech.”

Both the prince and Amelia remained silent at my words.

The nervous faces of both of them looked so childlike that I held back from laughing for a moment.