Of course, I wasn't going to spend the entire two days here just looking for a horse.

‘I should repay the hero somehow.’

Since he was taking the time to help me, doing nothing wouldn’t be right.

‘Let's make it a reward-based system.’

The better the horse he helps me choose, the more I'll reward him.
That seemed like the fairest way.

"Hero."

"Hm?"

"Have you ridden any other horses besides the one you're using now?"

"Horses? Oh, are you talking about Tempest?"

"Yes."

So that white horse’s name was Tempest.
It made sense, considering the way it ran like a storm. Since I’d been riding on it so often without formally introducing myself, I never had a chance to know its name.

"Other than Tempest, who was a gift from the Emperor, I once rode a wandering knight’s horse when I was younger. That one was quite clever too."

"I see."

Hmm.

So I had Tempest and one other horse as reference points.
It wasn't much, but I wasn’t going to send him back just yet.

Even with only two examples, it could still help a lot.

Before long, we arrived at the stables on the outskirts of Tras.
Judging by the storage for various wagons and the nearby merchant guild building, it seemed like a street full of related businesses.

"Welcome!"

"We're looking for a horse."

"Oh, I see. And who will be riding it...?"

"Me."

"Ah, are you choosing a horse for the young lady?"

Young lady?
I wondered what he meant by calling me that.

Did I look small? Or did I seem noble?
I sincerely hoped it was the latter.

"Well then, please follow me this way."

The stable master glanced me up and down for a moment before leading the hero and me somewhere.
The stables were large, and it seemed like the horses were sorted by breed or size.

And the place he led me to was…

"…Foals?"

"...Pfft."

It was an area with relatively small horses.
Indeed, they looked like foals.

"Did you just laugh?"

"No, no. I just had a little cough."

I saw the hero hurriedly turn his head away.
But I decided to let it go, thinking it wasn’t intentional.

"These horses are naturally smaller, but they’re all fully grown."

"…."

"So the young lady can ride them without overexerting herself…."

"Show me a proper horse, now."

I glared at the stable master, clenching my fist.
The hero quickly shook his head, and the stable master, laughing awkwardly, led us to another area.

‘If I had stayed there 10 more seconds, I would’ve caused a scene.’

Who in the world wants to be small on purpose?

Thankfully, the next place we went was full of horses of normal size.
Most had brown coats, though some were in shades of gray.

"Hero, hurry and check them out. Help me find a good one."

I tugged at his sleeve, looking up at him.
He had to at least narrow them down first, right?

"...I’ll do my best."

Off you go, Hero-mon.

The hero started looking around the horses with a clumsy posture.
He didn't exactly exude the air of a professional, and my trust in him was fading quickly.

‘...Guess I'll have to look myself.’

It’s a horse I will be riding, after all.
I couldn’t just stand by and let someone else choose for me.

I started examining the horses one by one, beginning with the closest.

The first was a brown one with white spots.

Snort.

"Sorry, I won’t bother you."

As soon as it saw me, it got feisty, as if it found me easy to boss around.
I quickly moved on to the next section—not because I was scared, of course.

After checking about thirty horses, two hours had passed.

"Louis, did you find one you like?"

"Hmm…"

To answer the hero’s question, no, I hadn’t.
There were plenty of fine horses, but none that seemed like a suitable partner for the journey ahead.

‘Given the kind of battles the hero’s party faces, ordinary horses won’t do.’

The four horses the Emperor gave to the hero’s party had undergone extensive training as warhorses.
So it might’ve been a mistake to think I could find a suitable horse at a regular city stable from the start.

"It seems like you didn’t find one."

The stable master also seemed to have picked up on that.

"What about you, hero?"

I whispered, making sure the stable master couldn’t hear.

"Hmm… none of them gave me the same feeling as Tempest."

"I see."

I approached the stable master and asked, "Can we check another section?"

"Of course. Would you like me to take you there now?"

I glanced outside.
The sun was already beginning to set. Keeping the hero here for more than two hours wasn’t ideal.

"I’ll come back tomorrow."

"Sure! Just let any of our staff know when you return."

"Got it."

After leaving the stables, I headed toward a nearby food stall.
The aroma of roasted bean-paste dumplings wafted through the air.

"Two, please."

I handed over some imperial currency and brought the dumpling skewers back to the hero, handing him one.

"Here you go."

"Oh, thanks…"

There’s no need to thank me.

If he had found me a proper horse, I would’ve given him something much better.
Of course, I don’t plan to settle with just this. Perhaps I could enchant his shoes with the gravity-reduction spell I recently finished researching.

"This is good."

"If you sprinkle some peanut powder on top, it tastes even better."

"I’ll try that next time. Thanks."

"No problem. Also, I’ll come alone tomorrow."

"Huh?"

"To the stables. I know you're busy, and I need to make the final choice myself anyway."

The hero seemed to look a bit disappointed.
But neither of us fully understood what that feeling was, and the conversation ended there.

The smell of kin.
The smell that kin loved and followed obediently.

A black horse with a flowing mane stood on a hill, looking down at the city.
Two dark wings folded against its back.

The winged horse turned its body toward the city with an intrigued expression.
In the midst of its tedious life, it sensed that something interesting was about to happen.

Although it wasn’t as interested as it had been in the horned kin, this one had enough mana to pique its curiosity.
And it had a faint trace of kin’s blood mixed in.

Snort.

With a powerful flap, its massive wings spread out, and the black figure soared into the sky.
The large black dot in the crimson sunset sky was a strange sight, though no one noticed.

After all, there was a myth that only the chosen could see them, so it made sense that ordinary people couldn’t.
The horse flew over the city walls, built to protect against outside threats, with a single leap.

And then, it followed her scent into a stable.
The stable master and staff were unaware of the new arrival, but the horses were different.

Neigh~!

They bowed their heads in submission to this superior being.
Some of the weaker-spirited horses even collapsed, trembling before the winged black horse's overwhelming presence.

The black horse folded its wings, hiding them with a mysterious power.
Now it looked like just another, albeit exceptionally handsome, horse.

And instead of lying down in a dewy flower field, it found a damp corner of the straw and settled there.

Now, all it had to do was wait for her to arrive tomorrow.

The next day, as planned, I headed to the stables alone.
The hero had asked if I wanted him to come with me again, but I sent him off to spend time with the heroines instead.

"Oh, Aswell! I’m planning to buy some equipment to reinforce my bow. Would you…?"

Good job, Raphaelia.
That’s the spirit. It’s important to make your move while the other two aren’t taking action.

The other two heroines watched Raphaelia leave with disappointed expressions.

I told them I was going to the stables and left the inn.

"What if I don’t find a horse today?"

If that happened, I’d be stuck riding Tempest until we reached the next city.

"...That’s not an option."

Even if I’m only going to be with them until the next city, it’s better to have my own horse.
That way, the hero’s party can progress as it should.

And besides, before we reach the next city—or when we get there—my goal is to help another person.
Once that happens, I’ll need to become more independent.

"Let's try to find one today."

I would lower my standards slightly and pick a decent horse.
Any shortcomings compared to the hero’s horses could be compensated for with my equipment.

"I’m here to look at horses again."

"Ah, I was told. Please come this way."

The stable master seemed to be busy, so one of the staff members led me around.
Today, the horses seemed to be more varied in size.

"Hmm… hello there."

I greeted a nearby horse, and it approached with a soft snort, allowing me to stroke its neck.
It seemed like a gentle one.

I scratched its neck and underbelly, places it would like, while examining its condition.
It seemed pretty good, even compared to the horses I saw yesterday.

If there were no major issues, I thought I might take this one.

Neigh?!
Suddenly, the horse let out a startled cry and bolted away from me.
I froze, my hand still outstretched, shocked by the abrupt turn of events.

"W-What…?"

Had I been rejected? Me, of all people?
I tried to suppress the growing sense of disappointment as I withdrew my hand.

And then, something else brushed against it.
It felt different from the coarse hair I’d touched a moment ago—softer, like the fur of a well-groomed animal.

When I turned around, I found myself facing a black horse.
Its pitch-black eyes, long mane, and body size were comparable to Tempest.

The horse pushed its face into my hand, then sat down in front of me, looking up at me expectantly.

"Are you telling me to ride you?"

The unspoken gaze. I took it as a yes and carefully approached the horse's side.
Horses are supposed to be wary of strangers, but something about this one felt different.

Still, to be safe, I gently stroked the black horse, making sure it wouldn’t be startled. Then I placed my foot in the stirrup and climbed onto its back.

"Whoa."

Once I was up, my view rose dramatically as the horse stood up.
The black horse carried me smoothly around the stable.

"You’re really smart, aren’t you?"

It didn’t need any commands—it just moved on its own.
I was already completely charmed by this black horse.

There was no need to look at any other horses.
It would be hard to find one better than this.

I put on the reins I had quickly prepared yesterday and approached the staff member.

"Excuse me, how much is this horse?"

"Um… huh? Was this horse here before…?"

"Pardon?"

"One moment. As far as I know, we didn’t have this horse…."

The staff member’s words became increasingly slurred, and even his gaze grew unfocused.

"T-That horse… it’s one we were planning to get rid of, so… you can just take it with you…."

"Really? Are you sure?"

They were going to get rid of such a great horse?
I asked again, but the staff member nodded.

Snort.
The black horse quietly snorted.
Its eyes sparkled, as if tears of joy had filled them after hearing the staff member’s words.

"Then I’ll take it. Let’s go."

"P-Please visit us again~."

I left the stable with the black horse’s reins in hand.
Perhaps this horse had sensed its unfortunate fate and was reaching out to me for rescue.

Thinking about it made my heart twinge with sympathy.

‘I'll take good care of you.’

Snort.

I petted the horse, which rubbed its face against mine, as I silently promised myself that.