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“Since we’re here, shall we take a little stroll in the garden?” Aleksei suggested. Ekaterina was about to cheerfully reply “Of course!” when she hesitated.

“I’m delighted by the offer, but Onii-sama, aren’t you busy?”
“It’s fine. Thanks to you, I have time to spare.”
“Am I… of some use to you?”
“Of course.”

Taking his sister’s hand, Aleksei squeezed it gently.

“Seeing your beautiful form gives me strength. Hearing your kind words gives me peace of mind. I’ve never believed in God, but being with you has taught me that worshipping something brings joy.”
“Oh my… Onii-sama!”

Your Sisconism is strong from the morning again today!

.

As the siblings started walking, Regina, the leader of the hunting dogs, followed them.
She seemed to have fully understood Aleksei’s words, staying close beside Ekaterina and refusing to leave her side. Igor, the hunting dog keeper, also seemed to have deep trust in Regina. Seeing her eager to go, he ruffled her head and sent her off, saying, “Make sure you protect the young lady well.”

Aleksei narrowed his eyes at his sister, who happily stroked Regina’s fluffy coat.

“If you like animals, would you like to see the horses? Or if you prefer flowers, I can show you the garden.”
“I like horses too. They’re beautiful creatures.”

As long as I’m with you, Onii-sama, anything is fun.
But I do genuinely love horses, so seeing so many is delightful. Come to think of it, I’d wanted to take up riding to build my stamina. …Though I’ve been so busy since then, I haven’t managed it at all…
But I walk quite a bit every day, so maybe I’ve gained a little stamina. After all, both the Imperial Capital and here have ridiculously spacious residences. I walk far more than in my previous life. There are no elevators, so I climb stairs constantly too.

.

The stables at Jurnova Castle were large, housing many horses. It seemed they kept not only the duke’s horses but also those belonging to the knights staying there. There appeared to be quite a few grooms tending to them.

Aleksei knew the duke’s horses well. Not just their names, but their personalities, characteristics, and even their lineage.

“You really love horses, don’t you Onii-sama??”
“Yes, I’m quite fond of horsemanship.”

…I wonder if he ever feels like galloping far away.
It’s not surprising. In fact, it’s only natural to feel that way, given the overwhelming responsibility he bears.

Every horse had large, moist eyes and long lashes, making them large yet adorable creatures. But comparing them, the Duke’s horses still seemed to have the most beautifully proportioned forms.

In this world, horses are also a means of transportation, so this stable is like a giant garage in my past life. The Duke’s horses are akin to ultra-luxury cars—Ferraris or Lamborghinis. The knights’ horses are high-end cars, though not quite ultra—like Fairlady something-or-other or RX something-or-other.
And the sturdy, stocky draft horses occasionally seen along the journey—let’s call them minitrucks.
Incidentally, the duke’s domain also has a giant breed of horse, bred specifically to pull extremely heavy wagons laden with iron ingots. Ekaterina imagined the horses used in Hokkaido’s ban’ei racing (weighing twice as much as a thoroughbred; enormous), and that’s probably the idea.

However, horses were expensive animals, certainly not something common folk typically owned like cars in her previous life.
Perhaps knights were objects of admiration for the people precisely because they rode such costly horses. Especially in the Jurnova domain, knights could attain knighthood by passing entrance exams that recognized their aptitude, regardless of origins, and pledging their swords to the duke, the lord of the knightly order. Simultaneously, they were granted sufficient income to keep horses and hire grooms.
While not hereditary like a noble title, knighthood elevated them above commoners and dramatically improved their standard of living. It was nothing short of a dream come true.

Ekaterina happily spent time feeding the horse carrots brought by the groom, but suddenly noticed a small building visible through the stable window. It looked like a single stable, yet its construction seemed too grand for that purpose, and it didn’t appear meant for human habitation.

“Onii-sama, what is that?”
“That is…”

Seeing what Ekaterina pointed to, Aleksei hesitated, which was unusual for him. Ekaterina quickly added,

“It simply caught my eye. If it’s difficult to talk about, I won’t pry.”
“No, let’s talk about it now. Come.”

.

Escorted by Aleksei, they approached the small building. It was indeed a stable. With no partitions inside, it seemed designed for a single horse, yet it was spacious, impressive, and quite sturdy. However, it appeared long unused, empty and dusty.
And, as if to replace the missing horse, a single painting hung on the wall.

It depicted a horse and a rider atop it. The rider was Grandfather Sergei.
The horse was gray—or rather, roan, in horse terms—and possessed such a magnificent, imposing build that it made the tall grandfather seem almost small beside it. Silver horns sprouted from its forehead. And fangs peeked from its mouth.

A Krymov magical steed!

“That’s Grandfather and his beloved steed, Zephyrus. This stable was built for Zephyrus. There was a similar stable at the ducal estate in the imperial capital too.”
“My! So Grandfather’s beloved horse was a Krymov steed!”

My, my! Just like Grandfather!
If the Duke’s horses are Ferraris, owning a Demon Beast Horse is like owning a private jet? Private jets cost billions, right?

“The Krymov family serves as the Emperor’s equerry. Magical steeds are meant to be offered to the Imperial Household. No amount of money can buy one. However, the head of the Krymov family holds a special privilege. They are permitted to gift a magical steed to someone deemed worthy by the head. Supposedly, Grandfather was gifted Zephyrus by the previous head of Krymov.”
“I see…”

Sorry, I apologize for immediately converting it to monetary terms.
If we’re talking about something money can’t buy, maybe the F1? It doesn’t have a market price, but it’s a bundle of advanced technology and I think it has tremendous value. If I had to guess, the development cost was hundreds of billions of yen… Ahh, I’m thinking it in monetary values again.

Setting F1 aside, come to think of it, in this world, horses aren’t just a means of transportation. As warhorses, they also have an aspect akin to weaponry. If magical steeds are considered military secrets, then of course they can’t be bought or sold. But if they’re given to individuals beneficial to the country… it would be a far more effective boost to their self-defense than assigning some clumsy bodyguard. Yeah, that makes sense.
If that’s the case, wow, the Krymov family! In a way, they have a stronger bond of trust with the royal family than even the three great duke houses! Nikolai and Marina always cheer us up with their sibling comedy routine, but they’re actually from an incredibly powerful family!

Regina sniffs the floorings. The floor, which was once likely covered in straw, now has its wooden planks exposed. As if she’d found the scent she was seeking, Regina flopped down onto the floor.

“Zephyrus had a difficult temperament, but he got along well with Regina. Hounds with magical beast blood live far longer than ordinary dogs. Regina was a little older than me, and even back then, she was so wise and kind that Grandfather saw her as the future leader of the hounds.”
“Ah, so Regina is our elder, then.”

A little older than my brother… around twenty? A wise, gentle, beautiful twenty-year-old sister. And fluffy to top it off.
I wonder if Onii-sama, when he was still small, used to seek comfort from Regina, who was bigger than him. My little Onii-sama, wrapped in fluff… Oh my goodness! So adorable!

“Magical steeds also have long lifespans. While it varies by individual, they’re said to live about as long as humans. That’s why a gifted beast horse becomes your lifelong steed. Zephyrus and Grandfather were like lifelong friends from their youth. They understood each other with just a glance… Like Regina, Zephyrus was wise. And strong. When Grandfather went out to hunt magical beasts, if a target magical beast attacked him, Zephyrus would bite it to death.”

…So those fangs aren’t just for show.
Come to think of it, in my past life’s Tale of the Heike, I believe a legendary warhorse named Ikezuki appeared. It was named that because it was so ferocious it devoured living creatures. I thought, “A horse couldn’t possibly do that,” but for a magical beast horse, it’s not impossible. Truly, magical steeds are the finest warhorses.

“Zephyrus disliked children, so I wasn’t allowed to get very close. But if I was with Grandfather, he’d grudgingly let me ride him sometimes. If I reached out from the saddle to pet him, though, he’d glare at me. Grandfather would just laugh, and it was a happy moment. He had such dignity—every creature in the duke’s residence paid Zephyrus respect. At least, that’s how I saw it.”

I could hear the longing in his voice.
I mean, Onii-sama is the very person who bought the glass workshop outright. Materially speaking, he can have anything he wants. That’s precisely why he rarely desires anything.
Yet even Onii-sama yearned for something special he could never obtain. That something was Krymov’s Magical Steed.

“A man of Onii-sama’s stature will surely be gifted a magical steed someday.”

Nikolai is his close friend, and Onii-sama himself is a friend of the prince, favored by His Imperial Majesty himself. He will inevitably assume a position of national governance like our grandfather and be gifted a magical steed.

But Aleksei shook his head at Ekaterina’s words.

“I will never be gifted a magical steed. Jurnova committed a crime against Krymov, after all..”
“A crime… you say?”
“Yes.”

Aleksei’s voice grew heavy and somber.