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C133: SOAR THE SKIES
“Veil?”
If it isn’t Veil, the dragon residing on our farm.
Currently, she’s in her human form.
But why did she come from the stage wing?
Today is Zoth Syra’s spotlight to showcase her prized creations.
“As the master of me, Grinzel Dragon Veil, it’s only natural that you deserve the best riding animal! Like so!!!”
I hope she’s not going to revert to her dragon form just to tell me to ride on her back.
Didn’t we reject your proposal because of your own capriciousness?
“You look nervous, Saint. But you don’t have to worry.”
Nope. That’s all the reason for me to be worried.
“I thought it was the end for me when this dragon showed up in my research lab deep within the sea. I wish she first told me that she’s related to you. It was really bad for my heart.”
Dragons can even reach the bottom of the sea without a hitch? Wow.
“As the strongest creature in this world, the idea of fusing two creatures together to create an even stronger creature is so pathetic that it makes me cry. But if it’s for my master’s sake, I’m willing to pitch in and help!”
What’s that supposed to mean?
“I accepted Miss Veil’s offer to help me with my research. Do you know what happened?”
What?
“We were able to create a dragon homunculus horse with the help of her genes!”
“HUH?!”
After that shocking revelation, the horse in question finally appeared.
This is the homunculus horse that was crossed with genes from a dragon, the strongest creature?
That sounds pretty strong to me already.
At first glance, it looks no different from a normal horse. There’s nothing bizarre about it, unlike the armored horse and the tricky horse.
…Except that it has an invisible aura about it. A pretty dense one, too.
Its eye color is also different, and you can feel something different from the vibe it gives off, almost like a soldier.
[The strong do not adorn themselves…]
Huh? What was that voice just now?!
It’s like it spoke directly to my mind…
Ah, was it just me?!
Just when I was confused about what was going on, the dragon-horse quietly approached me.
He already has a saddle and a bit and nuzzled his snout against me affably.
“Are you telling me to get on?”
I’ve never had any experience riding, so I nervously placed my legs on the stirrups and got on the horse.
The horse then started galloping at full speed!
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!“
Fast! Too fast!!!
Don’t just dash without prior notice to your owner!
You’ll knock me off!
…Or so I thought, but it didn’t happen.
The horse was being considerate of me, and just by grabbing onto its reins, I was all right.
We went round and round the farm at great speed.
And as a grand finale, it flew.
“It flew!”
The horse flew towards the sky.
With me on its back, it kicked its legs against the air and galloped its way through.
“Oh, wow. Look at them go!”
“I never would’ve thought that incorporating dragon genes would produce such versatility! As expected of dragons!”
I can hear everyone’s voices from the ground!
Actually, I’ve had enough! You can put me down now! I’m scared of heights!!!
I finally felt the usual comfort of having my feet on the ground.
Zoth Syra then asked for my opinion.
“How was the trip?
“Wasn’t that too much?!”
I repeat, all I want is a horse as a means of transportation that can get me around the farm, to the mountains, sea, or cave, fast!
Who asked for the strongest creature to rule the skies?!
Too much is too much!
“An amazing creature such as this is too much for me! Maybe we really should just purchase an ordinary horse from the Demon Kingdom…”
“Huh? What will happen to these guys, then?”
The dragon-horse, tricky horse, and the armored horse all stared intently at me with pitiful eyes that resembled that of a calf being sold on a cart.
“Neigh…”
Stop looking at me with eyes that wonder if you’re unwanted or will be cast aside!
Come on, it’s not my fault that the supply and demand don’t match up!
Then again, it would be nothing short of a tragedy if they, who were created for my convenience, would be branded as unwanted…
Stop! You’re all horses, don’t look at me teary-eyed like that!!!
Is it really my fault?
Am I really in the wrong here?!
“Fine! I’ll take responsibility and take care of them all!”
“YAY!!!”
Not only Zoth Syra, Platy, and Veil, but all the homunculus horses rejoiced together.
What a clever bunch.
“Master! This dragon-horse is only for you to ride! It’s specially made with my genes, so you better not let anyone else ride it!!!”
“All right, all right.”
And so, our farm welcomed these horses as new residents.
Well, they’re homunculus horses, to be more precise.
Aside from my personal dragon-horse, we also have the armored horse, and the tricky horse introduced earlier.
Orkubo and Gobukichi, heads of the monster army, will be riding them, respectively.
Orkubo has a muscular build, so when he straddles an armored horse that looks like a heavy tank, they make up a formidable combination that packs a punch.
With a mana metal ax in his right hand and the reins in his left, he looks as dignified as a legatus (general), which garnered an ovation from his subordinates.
Zoth Syra was also staring with an entranced expression.
The tricky horse is as tiny as a pony as if it had been intentionally made that way during the synthesis process, perfect for someone small like Gobukichi.
Moreover, the tricky horse’s quirky jumps can only be ridden by someone as dexterous Gobkuichi, so their compatibility is excellent.
In areas with many obstacles, such as forests or intricate mountains, moving with a three-dimensional trajectory would expand an observer’s senses.
“…By the way, Lord Saint,” timidly asks the avid horse-lover Demon King.
“Now that you’ve experienced what it’s like to ride a horse, would you like me to teach you and help you practice? No ordinary person is qualified to teach the basics to you, Lord Saint! I, as the demon king, shall take responsibility!”
He’s probably hoping that he’s found a kindred spirit in me.
Lastly, I decided to give my beloved horse a name of his own.
Orkubo and Gobukichi also came up with names for their own horses, but since I have a dragon-horse…
Hm, a name that would suit a dragon-horse…
Dragon-horse.
Dragon-horse.
Dragon-horse…
All right, I’ve decided.
“I’m naming you…
Sakamoto.”
A story sometime later on.
The elves working at the studio are riding ordinary horses.
“Um, where did you get your horses?”
I was somewhat shocked when I saw them.
The elven maidens answer frankly:
“After seeing Lord Saint ride a horse around, we thought we’d want to do the same thing for old time’s sake.”
“We caught wild horses from deep within the forest and trained them ourselves. Since we elves are people of the forest, I’d say it’s also one of our fortes.”
After hearing their replies, I suddenly thought to myself:
I should’ve just asked them in the first place!
Had I done so, I wouldn’t have gone through something so troublesome!
The homunculus horses made by Zoth Syra and the wild horses caught by the elves are cohabiting in peace in the newly built stable.