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Chapter 585
Chapter 585
Chapter 585
The Absurd Theory of a Certain Chief Spreads like Wildfire
After parting ways with Xiaolei, Mia single-mindedly focused on her goal. She never looked back, her eyes fixed resolutely ahead.
The rain continued to pour. It was no longer rain but had turned into something like half-frozen sleet. However, that level of cold was no match for the winter-proof outfit Mia wore.
Meanwhile, at the resting area, the riders changing shifts were also dressed in similar winter gear. Among them was Moku Gouma, the leader of the guards from the other day.
“I can’t believe it. Was she wearing those clothes as preparation for this?”
Muttering with deep emotion, Gouma recalled the question that had been bothering him since earlier.
‘Why did she wear those heavy winter clothes? The answer was clear now. Wearing those clothes would allow her to move forward without difficulty, even in the cold rain. However, the problem was that no one had expected the weather to turn out like this as of yesterday. Who could have predicted that the weather would suddenly become so severe and cold at this time of year?’
“I see. It seems that Princess Mia is quite skilled at surmising the mood of Pegasus.”
A member of another clan riding alongside made a joke, but Gouma quietly shook his head in response.
‘The current situation certainly made it seem like Mia had perfectly predicted the weather change and taken advantage of it. But was that really the case? In the midst of a match-up that she had no chance of winning, the weather coincidentally took a turn for the worse. Just by chance, did she predict the situation and take advantage of it? Was it possible for such a series of coincidences to occur simultaneously? Rather, this was…’
“It’s almost as if she persuaded Pegasus to cause the bad weather.”
Giving orders to the heavenly Pegasus, who controlled all celestial phenomena, was an absurd theory voiced by the Chief of the Wood Clan.
However, the ridiculous theory quickly spread among the surrounding riders of the Equestrian Kingdom, and surprisingly, it caught on!
Amongst them, this conjecture suddenly made sense.
“The princess who commands the Pegasus…”
Muttering such strange things, they turned their gazes to Mia as if they were in a trance.
Mia was drawing awe-filled gazes. However, she remained completely unaware and concentrated solely on matching the rhythmic “tatta tatta” of Tofu’s hoofbeats.
“Hmm. Well, I guess it’s not a bad pace. Yeah…”
While muttering to herself, Mia single-mindedly focussed ahead with no distractions.
To be fair, that was only until halfway.
“Hey, Tofu, if we win, I’ll prepare some delicious vegetable cake and other treats for you. What do you think…?”
Mia tried to cajole Tofu, but she eventually gave up.
Incidentally, when the riders of the Equestrian Kingdom saw her talking to her horse, they were very impressed and admired her effort to show appreciation to the horse during the most difficult time of match-up! But, well, that did not matter.
Mia knew that what was impossible remained impossible. It was a lesson she had thoroughly learned from her experiences. Something that didn’t exist, simply didn’t exist, no matter how strongly she commanded.
With the authority vested in her as the Princess of the Empire, even if she issued strongly worded orders or acted selfishly, impossible things remained impossible—whether it was food, money, or anything else. What did not exist simply did not exist. The same applied to running speed. Even if told to run faster, if it was impossible, it remained impossible.
“To begin with, I am a novice when it comes to racing, so all I can do is place my trust in Tofu.”
Thus, Mia entrusted herself to Tofu. All she could do was ride with a calm heart, like a jellyfish drifting in the sea.
“Moreover, if you suddenly try doing something you’re not used to, you’ll just end up failing. There’s no need to rush.”
‘If a revolution were to break out, it would be impossible to suddenly ride a horse just because I wished to escape quickly. That’s why I learned to ride in advance and why I’m undertaking this long ride as a form of training. In an emergency, the only things you can rely on are those that you have repeatedly practised and ingrained into your body.’
“This is the same. Just because I think victory is in sight doesn’t mean I can let down my guard or become impatient. I need to leave it to Tofu, just like I have until now.”
And so, taking breaks at a few water sources, Mia continued on. As she grew bored, she counted Tofu’s steps and kept on going, over and over again. Mia wondered how much time had passed. Sensing the sunlight above, she looked up at the sky. At some point, the rain had stopped, the dark clouds had parted, revealing patches of blue sky from which warm sunlight streamed. Then, she saw a hill standing tall, illuminated by the sunlight.
“That hill… Could it be?”
“Yes. The rock at the top of that hill is the goal,” a rider beside her explained.
“Ah, I finally made it. It’s been a long journey.”
“Princess Mia!”
At that moment, a sharp voice echoed from far behind and reached Mia’s ears.
“You’ve come, Xiaolei-san.”
Mia turned to look back and saw Xiaolei and Rakuro catching up, charging towards her. With her face dirty from splashed mud, Xiaolei wore a defiant grin. Seeing the now-determined Xiaolei, free from doubt and worry, Mia’s fighting spirit was ignited.
“I won’t lose either!”
With that declaration, Mia quickly shed her fluffy suit, now heavy from absorbing water.
Feeling lighter, Mia gallantly called out, “Let’s go, Tofu!”
She struck a cool pose as she urged Tofu forward.
‘But, to be honest, I didn’t expect much. As usual, Tofu maintained his leisurely pace. I thought we couldn’t possibly outrun them if Rakuro galloped at full speed… But then, Tofu neighed and suddenly accelerated!’
“…Huh?”
Having freed herself from the weight, Mia was almost blown backward. But she quickly steadied herself, bracing her feet and maintaining her posture.
“W-What, why are you suddenly so fast?”
Despite her words, she leaned forward.
The final battle over the hill had begun!