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Chapter 588
Chapter 588
Chapter 588
Soaring on the Wings of Delusion!
“Ahh… Thank goodness. I was worried for a moment.”
San Fuuma breathed a deep sigh of relief as Aima helped his beloved daughter, Xiaolei, to her feet.
“Well, well, it turned out to be quite the horse match-up, Lord Fuuma.”
The one who spoke to Fuuma in a casual tone was none other than Kouma, the eldest of all Clan Chiefs, who had been watching the outcome of the horse match-up.
“Honestly, who could have predicted this? Rain, cold winds… There were so many unexpected things during the match-up.”
“Yes, indeed…”
It was Gouma who responded instead of Fuuma, who appeared to be lost in deep thought.
“If it hadn’t rained, Princess Mia wouldn’t have won. Rakuro is an exceptional horse, but this was the outcome.”
As one of the accompanying riders who had witnessed the race up close, Gouma shared his delusional conjectures, all the while wearing a know-it-all expression on his face.
“This victory is the result of Princess Mia’s meticulous calculations. It all began on the first day, starting with guiding the race to the unfamiliar riverbank.”
If it had been a normal race on the flat plains, Mia would have been at an overwhelming disadvantage. However, on a riverbed, while skilled riding was necessary, Tofu would have had an advantage over the sheltered Rakuro.
“Xiaolei thought she had the advantage over the terrain, but she was mistaken. At that moment, Princess Mia appeared to be thoroughly enjoying herself, with the joyful, innocent expression of a child whose plan had succeeded.”
Horse races were all about strategy—suppressing the opponent’s strengths and utilising the skills of your own horse. It also involved gauging and anticipating each other’s moves. There was no one in the Equestrian Kingdom who did not know the joy of successfully executing their strategy.
“Due to the setback at the riverbank, Xiaolei lost her composure and misjudged the strengths of the Empire’s horse, falling for the provocation. Although it wasn’t a swift horse, it was definitely strong. It could probably survive even if its own herd were attacked. Tough and tenacious, it could endure even if it wasn’t the fastest. Horses like that could run anywhere.”
After giving his analysis of Tofu with a know-it-all air, Gouma spoke with a serious expression.
“But even so, the gap between the two horses wouldn’t have closed if it hadn’t rained on the second day…”
The rain had chilled Xiaolei to the point where she was unable to continue riding, while Mia, on the other hand, was well prepared.
Perhaps the characteristics of the horse also played a part. Tofu moved well, remaining unaffected even in the cold.
“Princess Mia’s riding style was also consistent, never reckless. She understood the horse’s traits well and conserved its strength until the final hill.”
Was that the case?
“Climbing the rain-soaked hill would consume a lot of energy. Anticipating this, she encouraged the horse to progress steadily.”
Was that really the case?
“On the other hand, Rakuro strained to close the gap. Exhausted from overextending itself, it lost momentum and began to falter in the final stretch. If Rakuro had been in optimal condition, things might have turned out differently.”
Perhaps, if the final hill hadn’t been muddy but had been a normal, easy path…
Alternatively, if Xiaolei had not been reckless on the first day and had conserved Rakuro’s strength…
Or if she hadn’t gotten wet and had not needed to warm herself by the fire…
Among these many hypothetical scenarios, even if just one had been realised, the outcome might have been different.
A two-day match-up with a series of unfavourable elements ended up depleting Rakuro’s running power.
In contrast, Tofu had maintained its own pace throughout the two-day period, conserving its stamina to handle any situation, right up to the final stretch. This directly influenced the outcome of the match-up.
“I see. So Princess Mia anticipated everything, including the weather, and chose her horse accordingly. The rumour that she could converse with the heavenly Pegasus might not be entirely false after all.”
Mayun seemed impressed.
“Perhaps she can convince Pegasus to change the weather.”
Gouma said something quite outlandish with a serious expression.
“The Pegasus Princess from a foreign land bringing us harmony…”
Wind Clan Chief Kouma, the eldest of all the chiefs and supposed to be the most sensible, also ended up falling for the preposterous theory.
Surprised by this plausible-sounding statement, Mayun asked a question.
“Is there such a legend?”
“No, not in the past. But perhaps in a hundred years, such a legend might exist.”
Kouma said with a serene smile on his face, looking genuinely amused.
“Well, in any case, even the unexpected rain might be part of what Princess Mia wanted to convey.”
“Huh? What do you mean, Elder Kouma?”
As Gouma tilted his head in confusion, Kouma explained with a calm expression.
“Don’t you see? The Princess was reproaching us, the people of the Equestrian Kingdom, for the arrogance we’ve fallen into. There are no social rankings for horses. The outcome of the match-up proved the Princess’s point, don’t you think?”
Kouma squinted as if he were looking at something dazzling, gazing into the distance at Mia’s horse.
“We consider the swift Moonhares to be precious. However, in reality, all horses are treasures bestowed upon us by the heavens. Isn’t it presumptuous to rank them in terms of superiority?”
“Horses have no social ranks–high or low… huh?”
Fuuma muttered in confusion with a serious expression, and Kouma spoke to him.
“Moonhares have their own strengths, and so do the Empire’s horses. Each has different traits, and neither is superior or inferior to the other. I believe Princess Mia wanted to convey that, in certain situations, the Empire’s horse might yield better results. She seems to be telling us that it is arrogant to evaluate the worth of horses based on our own value standards.”
And then he gently closed his eyes.
“Also… I think she wanted to point out our prejudice and bias in refusing to acknowledge and accept the Fire Clan that uses wolves.”
He let out a deep sigh.
“Elder Kouma, that’s…”
“‘We cannot walk the same path as those who use wolves’ — is that really absolute? Does our value system firmly insist that we abide by this rule, even at the cost of discarding our blood ties and abandoning our own brothers?”
Elder Kouma’s self-questioning was quiet yet incisive.
“Are you saying that Princess Mia wasn’t trying to convince us using only the result of the match-up?”
Upon hearing Mayun’s question, Gouma, who had observed Mia’s riding up close more than anyone else, nodded.
“Indeed. That’s certainly true. After all, we’re talking about Princess Mia, who is very knowledgeable about horses. If her only goal had been victory, she wouldn’t have needed to go through so much trouble. She deliberately chose a strong and sturdy horse from the Empire capable of handling difficult terrain and rode in a way that showcased its abilities.”
Gouma, who had seen Mia’s riding up close more than anyone else, attested to it.
“It was, without a doubt, exceptional riding by someone who is both wise and possesses a thorough knowledge of horses.”
Gouma, despite having seen Mia’s riding up close more than anyone else, declared it without doubt!
“However, if it had not rained, her plan would have failed, right?”
Even when Mayun raised a very reasonable objection, Gouma shook his head confidently.
“That’s why I said the Princess asked Pegasus to make it rain.”
“Asked Pegasus?”
The rumour that Mia was the Pegasus Princess was unexpectedly becoming more and more plausible to them! It was quite absurd!
“The princess who commands the heavenly Pegasus… the Pegasus Princess?”
What came to everyone’s mind was that final battle up the hill: the image of Mia and her horse steadily climbing the steep slope, almost as if her horse had sprouted wings—as if she was riding the heavenly Pegasus.
“The Princess from a foreign land who commands the heavenly Pegasus… I see, you might be right.”
Thus, even the supposedly level-headed Mayun was carried away by the delusional yet delightful fantasy.
And so, the renowned Clan Chiefs of the Equestrian Kingdom, simple-mindedly soared on the wings of their delusional fantasy.