How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 177

Living as the Third Son of a Failed Novel – Chapter 178

* * *

After calling Ruth and Ilia, and summoning Rahelna, I followed Alphons outside the Sky Fortress.

“Why are we going outside? I thought the nest was inside the fortress last time.”

Alphons smiled at my question.

“It was then. But you’ll understand why when you see it.”

How long had I walked, pondering those cryptic words?

A vast structure stood in a wide basin not far from the Sky Fortress.

“That’s…?”

“It’s a stable. Well, it’s used as a stable.”

Could I even call it a stable?

First of all, the size was enormous, comparable to the royal palace stable in the capital.

Of course, that’s only if you consider the area it covered. The materials used and the overall structure were more on par with an ordinary stable.

“But is it safe to keep it outside the fortress like that? Monsters might appear.”

“We didn’t have a choice. We couldn’t find enough land inside the fortress. But don’t worry too much. We’ve deployed security forces, and most monsters around here avoid the Sky Fortress. They know they’ll die if they wander too close.”

“That’s reassuring. Is the griffon I treated back then staying there too?”

“No. That one flies out to the Blue Mountains and returns to the fortress periodically. Even if I give him a place to stay, he prefers to live like that. Strange, isn’t it?”

Well, with his size, the fortress or that stable would feel cramped. I was looking forward to seeing him after so long, but the timing wasn’t right.

As I headed to the entrance of the stable with a tinge of regret, a man greeted us as if he’d been waiting.

“Welcome, Lord. I’m Ord.”

Alphons nodded at the man, who introduced himself as Ord.

“Ord was born on a horse farm and knows a lot about horses. Ask him if you have any questions.”

I started asking Ord, who accompanied us, about what I was curious about.

“I’d like you to explain the overall training process.”

“Is that so? Hmm, where should I start? Can I explain it in comparison to warhorses raised for battle?”

“Whatever works for you.”

“Generally, it takes about 18 months for a foal to grow close to an adult. At that point, you can say it’s fully grown in terms of appearance. Of course, it takes more time to complete the skeleton and muscle strength and train for actual combat. Usually, that’s complete around 3 or 4 years old.”

“That’s the case with warhorses?”

“Yes, usually. But the ones I’m in charge of raising aren’t warhorses.”

“How are they different?”

“Their growth rate is incredibly fast. You can say they’re fully grown in a year.”

“A year?”

“Yes. At first, I thought only some individuals were like that, but seeing that the ones born after that have the same growth rate, I think it’s safe to say it’s the norm.”

After that, Ord, who was walking ahead, unlocked and opened the tightly secured door, revealing the inside of the vast, roofed stable.

And in the middle of that stable, a creature I hadn’t seen in half a year stood proudly.

A being with the upper body of a griffon, resembling its father, and the lower body of its mother, a warhorse, complete with huge wings.

It was a hippogriff.

The creature was running around the wide stable, looking like a playful foal in spring.

“…….”

Ilia and Ruth stared, mouths agape.

“L, L, Lord?”

“What.”

“W, What is that?”

“It’s a mount created by crossbreeding a griffon and a warhorse. I named it Hippogriff.”

“Was that what you were going to show us?”

“Yes.”

“Amazing! I never thought such a being existed! Now I understand why your knights are different from the usual.”

I nodded at Ruth’s admiration and looked at Rahelna.

What was she thinking? Strictly speaking, the hippogriff is a creature created by humans through artificial breeding, so maybe it would make a druid uncomfortable.

But contrary to expectations, Rahelna slightly raised the corners of her lips and whispered to me.

“It looks happy.”

“It looks happy?”

“Yes. There are many things I want to say, but seeing that child happy makes me want to take it all back.”

A happy appearance. I guess I could believe the words of a druid who can communicate with animals.

It was the moment I realized how the people here, including Ord, treated the hippogriff.

After giving us enough time to admire it, Ord continued to speak.

“That one is the oldest here.”

After that, Ord led us to a separate, isolated area.

As we headed there, we saw younger foals that were a little smaller than the first hippogriff but looked exactly the same.

“And these ones were born after you left this place.”

“They’re not even half a year old?”

“They’re very big for that, aren’t they? I couldn’t believe it even after seeing it.”

I’m not very knowledgeable about warhorses, but one thing was certain: as Ord said, the growth rate was incredibly fast.

“That’s amazing.”

“It’s too early to be surprised.”

When Ord snapped his fingers, the hippogriff that was running around the stable a while ago spread its wings and leaped.

Of course, even though it flew high, the roof stopped it, so the flight ended quickly, and the hippogriff landed gracefully in front of us.

“Ari, say hello.”

Ari?

Surprisingly, at Ord’s words, the hippogriff neighed and bowed its head.

“Well, that might change later when the owner is decided, but for now, I named it Ari.”

“Does it understand people’s words?”

“Not exactly communicate, but it’s the result of training. But it’s definitely more intelligent than a normal warhorse.”

When Ord took out a carrot from a wooden barrel and held it out, the hippogriff called Ari took it and started chewing.

“Normal warhorses have been bred for a long time and are smart, but hippogriffs are far superior to them. How should I put it? When I look at them, they seem almost like people.”

“Is it that much?”

“Yes! To use them on the battlefield, harmony with people is the most important thing, and they are much superior to warhorses in that aspect, so they are really admirable.”

Certainly, they have the blood of the griffon, which is considered a spirit beast, so that could be the reason.

I stroked Ari’s head as it chewed on the carrot and looked at Ord.

“But isn’t it a problem if their affinity with people is too high? They’ll have to fight against people on the battlefield.”

“Their loyalty is just as great. When their owner is in danger, they act like berserkers.”

“Is that so?”

“I even tested it once. I had a soldier who didn’t know me pretend to attack me.”

“And then?”

“That friend is still in bed. He broke about six ribs.”

I let out a hollow laugh at Ord’s smiling face.

They are intelligent, follow humans well, and have unwavering loyalty. It’s the perfect model of a flawless mount, right?

“Are there any disadvantages?”

“They are excellent, but if I had to find one…”

Ord hesitated and smiled awkwardly.

“Should I say their loyalty is too strong? It seems like they don’t follow anyone other than the owner they’ve chosen.”

“Is that so?”

“In Ari’s case, I’ve been taking care of him since he was a baby, so… it seems like he doesn’t want to let anyone else ride him except me.”

Loyalty is strong. This is definitely more of a disadvantage than an advantage. A well-trained warhorse should be able to perform its duties no matter who rides it.

“Does that mean you shouldn’t let them get close to people recklessly before they become fully grown?”

“I think so. I found out about it after seeing Ari, so I’m keeping the ones born after that as isolated as possible.”

If Ord’s words are true, does that mean I have to recruit knights and pair them up as soon as possible?

“Well, I understand that, but what about their athletic ability?”

“Their stamina is also far superior to that of a normal warhorse. Of course, if they fly with people on board, the consumption will be faster.”

“How far can they fly?”

“I haven’t tested that properly yet. It’s hard to consider this one a complete adult yet.”

“Is that something we have to find out gradually?”

“Yes. We need a little more time. There are many things to discover.”

At Ord’s words, I patted him on the shoulder.

“Anyway, it’s certain that you’re the first handler of the hippogriff. Your name is Ord, right?”

“Yes. Ord Gale.”

“Okay. Ord, I appoint you as the riding instructor for the Knights.”

“Yes?”

“You’ll have to teach the knights who will become the owners of the hippogriffs a lot.”

“B, But I’m just an ordinary soldier who’s good at handling horses. How can I teach knights?”

“At least when it comes to hippogriffs, you’re far superior to them, so what does it matter? But if you’re still worried, I’ll make sure to give you my full authority as the lord of the Sky Fortress, so you don’t have to worry.”

At my words, Ord looked at Alphons next to him, and when Alphons nodded, he finally bowed his head deeply.

“I’ll risk my life! I’ll do my best!”

* * *

After roughly finishing the work and having a meal, I called Ruth, Ilia, and Rahelna and arranged a small, private drinking party.

There were many stories I wanted to tell, but I had been holding back because we were in public. As soon as we sat down, Ruth opened her mouth with an excited face.

“Amazing, Lord!”

“What’s so amazing?”

“What do you mean, what’s amazing? Isn’t it incredible? A flying knight order! If that’s properly achieved, it will change the landscape of all future battlefields!”

“It’s just the beginning. I don’t know what will happen in the future.”

“It will be fine. I guarantee it!”

“What are you saying?”

After laughing and toasting, Rahelna spoke.

“It’s certainly a great idea, to create a flying warhorse.”

“I hope you don’t feel bad.”

“Even if I do feel unpleasant, what right do I have to tell you what’s right or wrong? You humans have your own ways.”

“Is that so?”

Rahelna smiled wryly and raised her glass filled with wine.

“Well, anyway, what are your plans for the future?”

Plans for the future. At Rahelna’s words, Ruth and Ilia, who were sipping wine, looked at me.

“For now, I’m going to stay in the Blue Mountains until Redran moves in the east.”

“How long will that be?”

“I can’t guarantee exactly when Redran will move, but if I had to guess, it would probably be in three months.”

Ruth, who had been listening quietly, narrowed her eyes.

“Wait a minute, Lord. Isn’t that winter?”

“That’s right.”

“Starting a war in winter… Would Redran really do such a reckless thing?”

Ruth’s words made sense to some extent, but I had a slightly different idea.

Summer is out. The hot weather and the alternating monsoon climate consume a lot of energy and rust weapons easily.

Autumn is the harvest season, and the last harvested grains must be converted into military rations for the war, so it’s out.

After explaining that, I nodded.

“Then the only options left are spring or winter, but I think Redran will probably start moving in winter.”

“Why are you skipping spring?”

“Don’t you know Redran too well?”

“Yes?”

“Maybe Redran only has one thought in his head right now: to end the war in those six months from early winter to spring.”

“Why is that?”

“Because in the spring, he’ll want to plant seeds in the newly occupied land. Don’t underestimate Redran’s ambition.”

“…Well, Redran was someone who was so confident that he was reckless.”

Ruth nodded in agreement.

“Of course, there will be some difficulties, including the cold, but that’s not a problem for Redran, who has been preparing for this. He’ll be properly equipped.”

“If we have solid supply and winterization measures, winter will be easier to move in because the ground is frozen solid.”

“That’s right. So Redran will definitely move.”

“Then we know what to aim for.”

“I like that you understand quickly, Ruth.”

Ruth was right. The thing Redran is most confident in can conversely be his most vulnerable point, his Achilles’ heel.

“But aren’t you still affiliated with Lindaier? Since we have an armistice, how are you going to stop Redran…?”

“I’ll tell you the detailed plan later. Anyway, know that there are about three months left.”

“That’s not much time.”

“So we have to prepare thoroughly and carefully in the remaining time.”

I nodded and glanced at Rahelna before speaking again.

“Ruth, you, Ilia, and I are the same. We must never experience the same danger as we did in the Capital again.”

Was it because I remembered the power of the black-haired man I had faced in the Capital? Ruth and Ilia nodded as if they agreed with my words.