Rebirth in a Ruined Nation! The Life of a New Strategist Starting From Now - Chapter 29
A Day Off (1)
“Roa, you’ve got the day off tomorrow, right?”
It was about a month after we lived in Lieze Fortress. Frein abruptly asked me as we were eating dinner.
“Yeah. Why?”
“Empty your schedule tomorrow. I’ll take you to a great place.”
“You’re planning to visit that place?”
Luzel, who was enjoying the salty bacon and potato stirfry, joined us in our conversation.
“Yeah. It’s about time for him to have his own.”
“I’m coming too.”
“But you have a shift tomorrow, Luzel.”
“I’ll just swap shifts with someone else. I haven’t been there in a long time, so I’d want to go too.”
Luzel and Frein bumped their fist after saying that.
“Wait, don’t just make a decision on your own! Tell me where we’re going first!”
They looked at each other.
“Telling it now won’t be fun. Just look forward for tomorrow.”
They both said in sync and laughed.
?
When I went outside the fortress the next day, Frein, Luzel, and Vickhirt-san were waiting for me with their horses.
“Roa, you’re late.”
“No, I was on time; you three are just too early. But horses? How far are we going? I didn’t bring my horse.”
“You don’t need to. We’re here today to find your horse anyway.”
What?
They proceed to explain to me that west of Lieze Fortress, there was a stud farm famous for producing the finest horses in Rudek. That stud farm was nearby…well, a round trip would take an entire day, though.
(T/N: stud farm is what you call a place that breed horse)
Horses trained at stud farms were transferred to town stables. The knights would then select their horses from that stable.
Stables were the most convenient and cost-effective method to obtain a horse, but there was a disadvantage to doing so. The quality of horses available was determined by the stable’s owner’s judgment. If the stable owner has good judgment, the horses in his stable would be of high quality; if the stable owner has bad judgment, well, you were out of luck.
A good stable generally has a partnership with a certain division, so if the post of that division changed, that stable would follow them and move somewhere else.
“But if we go directly to the stud farm, we get to pick a good horse without being affected by the stable owner’s judgment. Roa, you’ve improved your horsemanship, so there’s no way we can pass up this perfect opportunity to find you a good horse,” Frein explained.
“Riding your own horse will feel different than riding a random horse. Even though the horse can’t understand human language, he will occasionally move as you command. You’ve realized the advantages of having your own horse after the battle in Hakusha Plain, right?” Luzel added.
I agreed with Luzel. It wasn’t that the horse I borrowed the last time was awful; it was just that riding comfort varies depending on the horse. During General Wickharlt’s rescue operation, I discovered that a good horse on the battlefield could mean the difference between life and death.
“How will we know which horse is a good horse without the help of a specialist like a stable owner?”
“What are you saying? You’ve got me! Look at Stanley, the horse I chose. His gorgeous black mane and toned hindquarter! It’s not an exaggeration to say that my Stanley is the ideal warhorse! Ah, a bay is really the best. I will also select an excellent bay for you, so don’t worry.”
(T/N: Bay is a type of horse that have reddish-brown or brown body color with a black point coloration on the mane, tail, ear edges, and lower legs. Hindquarter is the area of the horse’s body from buttock to leg.
Luzel’s horse looked muscular, beautiful, and strong. But at the same time, he looked intimidating. He…wouldn’t eat me or anything, right?
“Luzel, I admit your Stanley is a great horse, but to call him the ideal warhorse is a bit of an exaggeration when compared to my Grien. We are knights, so our horses must look graceful. Look at my Grien’s gorgeous body, elegant face, and glossy chestnut coat! Even his star and strip marking are stunning. THIS is what you call an ideal warhorse.”
(T/N: star and stripe is a type of marking in a horse face. 
Frein’s horse was smaller than Luzel’s horse, but he has an elegance that Luzel’s horse lacked. But…Was it my imagination, or was this horse staring down at me as if I were an ant?
“You say your horse is an ideal warhorse? What a funny joke.”
“Not nearly as funny as your joke.”
There seemed to be a spark of electricity between them. Vickhirt-san spoke calmly in the midst of all of this.
“They’re both good horses. How about we get going now? Our time in the stud farm will be reduced if we spend more time here, right?”
Vickhirt-san’s words prompted quick responses from both of them.
“Right! We can’t afford to waste any more time here. You ride with Vickhirt, Roa. I’ll go first!”
“I’m also going first. I’ll probably be the first to arrive, so I’ll get a cup of tea while waiting for all of you.”
“You? Hah! I’ll be the one that will enjoy a cup of tea while waiting for you, Luzel.”
“Don’t dream with your eyes open, Frein.”
While bickering like so, the two vanished from my sight.
“What just happened??”
“Don’t worry, that’s just how they both are most of the time. Let’s go too. Even if we don’t rush as they do, we’ll have more than enough time to look for a horse for you,” Vickirt-san replied with a smile.
I then rode Vickhirt-san’s horse toward the farm while listening to Vickhirt-san’s story of how the two of them became good friends.
Their shared passion for horses was the driving force for their friendship. Luzel was such a horse fanatic that he was appointed as the captain of the cavalry unit. I also remembered Frein giggling like a lunatic while teaching me how to ride a horse. I finally understood the reason today.
Just like earlier, they frequently engage in verbal fights over whose horse was the greatest.
They both acknowledged that the other side’s horse was a good horse, so their debate never really escalated into a fight.
“I expected them to argue again when I heard they were taking you to the farm.”
Vickhirt-san suspected they would spend the entire day debating over which horse I should ride to the farm, so he immediately cleared his schedule for today to accompany us.
Vickhirt-san was a good person.
“By the way, you seem to be wary of our surroundings. Will there be an assassin after us?”
I quickly denied Vickhirt-san’s words
“No, I was just looking at the road. I believed it would be better if we could rebuild the road…”
“Rebuilding the road, you say?”
While keeping the problem with canned food transportation a secret, I explained to Vickhirt-san that rebuilding the road would make the army travel became more efficient.
“I see. You have a valid point. As expected from a strategist candidate. You have even considered doing something like that.”
“Um…Luzel also called me the strategist in Hakusha plain, but I don’t think I deserve that title…”
“Huh? You didn’t know that Rays-sama introduced you to us as a ‘strategist candidate’ before you joined the 10th Division?”
…What?
“I believe that for now, you’re meeting our expectations. Ah, we’re almost there. Look, that’s the Howarth stud farm.”
T/N: I never thought there will come the day I will research stuff about a horse’s body.
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