Chapter 245

Chapter 245: Starting a New Venture (3)

“Empathy... ability? Are you talking about that thing our ancestors supposedly had?”

Ascon’s question was met with a nod from Ghislain.

“That’s right. If dwarves were blessed with the art of crafting, then the true blessing granted to elves was the ability to communicate with nature and animals. It’s what allowed them to become unparalleled spirit mages.”

Despite Ghislain’s serious tone, the elves all burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs.

“Pwahaha!”

“Wow, my lord! You’re still like a little boy!”

“Empathy ability? That’s the kind of thing you hear about in storybooks!”

“If we could do something like that, we wouldn’t have gotten beaten up by you so much! As if that kind of thing exists!”

Without saying much, Ghislain rolled up his sleeves. The elves immediately stopped laughing and straightened up.

In that moment, Ghislain seemed to communicate directly with their hearts. The retainers who accompanied him couldn’t help but wonder if the ability to ‘empathize’ was real, given the elves’ swift reaction.

Ghislain slowly lowered his fist, looking at the elves.

“You just read my mind, didn’t you? You can do this, right?”

“Argh!”

The elves responded with a resounding shout, and Ghislain nodded.

“Good. Since you can, don’t worry. Alright, bring out the prepared horses.”

A moment later, soldiers brought out enough horses to match the number of elves. But the sight of the horses was anything but ordinary.

Hiiiiinnng!

“Whoa, whoa! Calm down!”

“Why are they so strong?”

“Please, just listen to me!”

The horses snorted and kicked wildly, even attacking the soldiers handling them. It was clear that the soldiers had gone through hell bringing them here, judging by their disheveled state.

These were warhorses hardened by the brutal northern environment, constantly battling for survival. Naturally, their temperaments were savage.

Ghislain stroked his chin as he watched the scene unfold.

“Hmm, we’ll have to tame them quickly. Their temper is getting worse.”

Even bringing them to this location had been no easy feat. It was only thanks to hundreds of knights capable of wielding mana that they were able to forcefully control the horses and bring them here.

The sudden change in their environment had only added to the horses’ stress, making them more unruly by the day.

The elves gulped nervously as they eyed the fierce horses.

‘He expects us to tame those things?’

‘More like they’re going to tame us.’

‘Wow, look at those muscles. Even a horse shouldn’t look like that. Must’ve been running nonstop every day.’

The elves had no idea how to even begin taming such wild creatures. Having lived in noble households, the most they’d interacted with were a few pets, and even then, it wasn’t anything special.

While they’d heard tales about their ancestors’ abilities, they dismissed them as exaggerated legends.

Seeing their anxious faces, Ghislain spoke.

“Alright, each of you grab a horse and start taming it.”

“How... exactly?”

“Just ask sincerely. Tell them you want to be friends or ask for their help. They’ll sense your intentions and respond accordingly. That’s the blessing elves are born with—it’s no different from your affinity with spirits.”

“......”

The elves looked pitiful as they tried to plead with Ghislain.

“Can’t we just skip this?”

“Start now.”

Ghislain brushed off their protests without much concern.

This method had already been tested and proven in his previous life. The elves just hadn’t tapped into it yet. Back then, his elven comrades, who fought alongside him during the calamity, all possessed this ability.

Thanks to them, cavalry units could be quickly raised whenever they had horses. With just a few conversations, the elves could make the horses obedient and cooperative.

Unlike Ghislain, however, the current elves, who lacked confidence, approached the horses with expressions as if they were marching to their deaths.

What followed was a fierce battle between elves and horses.

Hiiiiinnng!

“Aaaargh!”

Following Ghislain’s advice to be genuine, the elves threw themselves into a battle of wills.

“Stay still! You! Be my friend!”

With their disproportionately developed upper bodies, the elves clambered onto the horses and attempted to subdue them by sheer force. They wrapped their biceps around the horses’ necks, trying to wrestle them into submission.

Their solution? Trust in the muscles they had trained so diligently.

However, these horses had survived in the North by killing both humans and monsters. Their ferocity and wild energy were incomparable to that of ordinary horses.

Snort!

With their bloodshot eyes, they bucked and raged. Several elves, unable to withstand their strength, were thrown to the ground.

Thud!

“Gaaah!”

The horses didn’t hesitate to kick or stomp on the fallen elves. Fortunately, the elves had trained their bodies well, so none of them were killed.

“How dare a horse act so arrogant!”

“You think we’re a joke?”

“We are the rulers of nature and animals!”

Whack! Thud! Bam!

Angered, the elves began punching their so-called animal friends, turning the training ground into utter chaos.

Amid the bedlam, one horse stood out. A black stallion, its body more muscular and its mane more majestic than any of the others, was unmistakable.

Hiiiiinnng!

‘It’s okay....’

Ziiing—!

Suddenly, Lumina felt something ripple through her, starting from the crown of her head and running down her spine. Her eyes snapped open wide.

“Ah....”

Something was there.

The whisper of the wind, the steadfastness of ancient trees, the murmurs of swaying grass.

The birds were speaking. The insects were speaking.

She couldn’t understand them precisely, but it was clear that everything was trying to communicate with her.

“Ah....”

Whummm!

The world seemed to blur and blend like a watercolor painting before reassembling itself with clarity.

And then, Lumina felt it—something she had never experienced before. She could sense the emotions emanating from every plant and animal around her.

She couldn’t understand their words completely, but she could grasp their essence:

Don’t harm us. Love us. Be with us.

That’s what everything around her was saying.

“Ah....”

Finally, Lumina understood.

This was why elves were called the guardians of nature.

They had no choice but to protect it.

Once you experienced its beauty, once you heard the whispers of life, once you felt their emotions—you couldn’t ignore it anymore.

All of it sank deep into her heart, becoming one with her.

“Ah, so that’s how it is....”

This must have been why elves chose to live alongside nature.

“It’s alright....”

Lumina gently stroked the horse’s mane again.

The horse was still thrashing, but remarkably, she remained steady on its back without exerting any force.

As if it were natural, Lumina moved in harmony with the horse.

“I won’t hurt you.”

“I’ll protect you.”

“We’ll always be together.”

With each soft-spoken word, the horse’s movements began to slow.

Lumina could now sense clearly what the horse wanted.

“You’ll roam the battlefield again. You’ll run endlessly. I don’t want that, but... that lord will make sure it happens.”

Her sincerity reached the horse. The animal gradually stopped its bucking, snorted a few times, and finally calmed down.

Lumina dismounted slowly, then gently stroked the horse’s cheek.

“You’ll stay with us, won’t you?”

Snort.

In response, the horse nuzzled its head against her cheek, as if to say it agreed. Then it neighed loudly, as if declaring its intention to help.

Hiiiiinnng!

The horse’s call brought the entire training ground to a halt. Every other horse froze, their eyes turning toward Lumina.

Even the elves—those on the ground or still clinging to their horses—stared at her in disbelief.

“Is this... real?”

“How did that crazy horse calm down so quickly?”

“This doesn’t even make sense!”

It wasn’t just the elves. The retainers watching from beside Ghislain stood with their mouths agape.

They had dismissed this as just another of their lord’s eccentricities, never truly believing it would work.

But here it was—these savage Northern horses, now as docile as pups.

Only Ghislain seemed unsurprised, watching the scene with a pleased smile.

“See? I told you, sincerity works.”

Despite his words, the elves still looked skeptical.

Perhaps Lumina had just gotten lucky with a calmer horse? That suspicion lingered in their minds.

But that couldn’t explain why every other horse had suddenly quieted down.

Ascon glanced at the horse in front of him with a mix of doubt and curiosity.

The horse stared back. Their gazes locked in a tense standoff.

Snort.

The horse’s eyes began to gleam with ferocity again. Ascon narrowed his eyes, recalling Ghislain’s advice.

‘Sincerity, huh? He said to speak with sincerity.’

Until now, he had only tried to overpower the horse with strength, never attempting to truly connect with it.

Cautiously, Ascon approached and placed his hands on either side of the horse’s face. Surprisingly, the horse didn’t resist his touch this time.

Encouraged, Ascon decided to convey his heartfelt thoughts.

“You little bastard.”

At that moment, Ascon felt his sincerity reach the horse.

The horse, too, responded with its own sincerity.

Hiiiiinnng!

Thud!

The horse’s hind legs struck Ascon square in the chest which sent him flying.