Chapter 24 - Horse Trade

Andric woke up early the next morning and stepped outside the tavern to find several townspeople already waiting with their horses. The horses varied in size, and Andric felt a bit overwhelmed trying to figure out which one to pick.

Fortunately, Farvald and Isbrand were there too. They had been checking out the horses and approached Andric with their thoughts.

“You’re getting a horse to join the Radegart Riders, right? If we’re coming back to Radegart, you don’t need a young horse. You need one that’s at its peak and strong enough to carry supplies and loot,” Farvald said, standing beside Andric.

“I heard you’re trading a martial technique for one of these horses. That’s pretty wasteful, you know?” Isbrand added with a hint of hostility.

Andric glanced at the horses, then turned to Farvald. “Can you help me pick out the best one?”

“Sure,” Farvald said, pointing to one of the horses. “That one’s a nine-year-old speed breed. Speed breeds are rare here and will be useful when we raid villages. Don’t worry about it not being a distance breed; not everyone in the Radegart Riders has a horse good for traveling, so we’ll match their pace. You won’t be the slowest.”

Andric considered Farvald’s advice and examined the horse he pointed out. He knew horses lived around thirty years but wasn’t sure when they started declining physically. He didn’t plan on using the horse for long, so a few years in top condition would suffice.

“Hey, you’re not even going to look at our horses?” one townsperson complained, feeling envious of Farvald’s connection with Andric.

“Nope, I’m not,” Andric replied confidently. He walked over to the horse Farvald suggested, pressed his hand against its head, and felt no connection. He looked at the owner and said, “I’ll take this one.”

Andric exchanged the Severing Slash Technique for the horse. The other owners dispersed while the seller explained the basics, like what kind of vegetables the horse liked. Satisfied that Andric knew enough, the owner left, leaving him with Farvald and Isbrand.

The horse was large, needing more food and water than a human but able to graze and drink from rivers, so Andric wouldn’t need many extra supplies. A few days’ worth of stored water would suffice for barren stretches.

“That’s a fine horse, but it’s not worth a martial technique. You’ll be lucky to break even after this trade,” Isbrand remarked.

“I’m not worried about it,” Andric said, then suddenly jumped onto the horse’s back, easily clearing the height. Farvald and Isbrand, still in the Human realm, were impressed.

Andric’s motives were a mystery to both Farvald and Isbrand. Farvald had guessed Andric was on a journey to get stronger, but arriving in Radegart without a horse contradicted that. Although Andric practiced many martial techniques, he never used a weapon, despite swords being stronger. Joining a raider group wasn’t a good way to get stronger; it was more about gaining funds, yet Andric showed no lack of money.

Isbrand saw Andric as a rich young master sent to gather experience. However, if that were true, why didn’t Andric know how to choose a horse? Trading a martial technique like Severing Slash wouldn’t matter much to a rich family or sect, but Andric didn’t seem to belong to either. Where did his wealth come from?

These questions remained unanswered. Andric held the reins and said, “Forward,” expecting the horse to obey. It didn’t.

“Go!” Andric said, kicking the horse’s sides, making it move slowly.

‘What kind of idiot...’ Isbrand thought. He ran over and asked, “Do you not know how to ride a horse?”

“Unfortunately,” Andric replied, pulling the reins. Isbrand quickly stopped the horse.

“Get off and follow me. Farvald, get your horse, too. We’re having riding lessons,” Isbrand said disdainfully.

“Alright, senior brother,” Farvald bowed and ran home.

Andric dismounted and followed Isbrand to his farm. Along the way, Isbrand muttered, “What kind of young master...”

Like most townspeople, Isbrand lived on a farm. In winter, the fields looked empty. Near his home was a barn filled with pigs and horses. He left Andric outside with his horse and fetched his own from the barn, riding out.

Isbrand’s horse was similar to Andric’s, just younger and a different breed. To an expert, they’d look totally different, but Andric didn’t know that.

“We’ll wait for Farvald before starting. Get on your horse and get a feel for it. Moving it around will become more natural with time,” Isbrand said, stopping his horse in front of Andric.

Andric jumped onto his horse and tried to imitate Isbrand. He had seen people ride horses before, but getting the horse to move how he wanted was tricky.

Several minutes later, Farvald arrived on his horse, riding quickly and slowing down abruptly.

“Okay, Senior Brother Isbrand’s Horse Riding Class begins now. We’re leaving Radegart in a few days, so we don’t have much time. I’ll teach you how to accelerate and decelerate your horse. Got it?” Isbrand said.

“Yes, senior brother,” Andric nodded.

The first lesson began. With Isbrand on one side and Farvald on the other, Andric slowly learned to ride his horse.

The hardest part was getting the horse to move as he wanted. With his strength, Andric wouldn’t fall off, but he couldn’t just slap the horse until it obeyed. If he slapped, kicked, or pulled too hard, he could hurt the horse. Isbrand and Farvald, still in the Human realm, couldn’t do much damage, but Andric had to be careful about using his spirit energy.

A martialist could stop their spirit energy circulation, reverting their strength to the peak of the Human realm. However, when Andric felt he might be thrown off, he subconsciously activated his spirit energy for a better grip. It took a long time to learn to move with the horse instead of against it.

At night, Isbrand offered to take care of the horse for one silver coin, and Andric agreed. The next day, Andric walked to Isbrand’s farm for the second lesson. He rode faster than the day before, becoming more accustomed to the saddle.

That evening, Farvald brought news that the Radegart Riders were leaving the next morning. With little time left, Isbrand sped up the lessons, teaching Andric the essentials of horse riding. By nightfall, Andric could make his horse speed up and slow down. While he wouldn’t be able to lead the horse alone, it would follow the group.

The next morning, Andric took his carrying sack from his storage bag, wore it, equipped metal armor, and used the Silent Gallop Technique to reach Isbrand’s farm quickly.

Isbrand had already brought out the horses and was giving them water. Andric realized he didn’t have anything for his horse to drink from.

“Time to leave,” Isbrand said, mounting his horse.

“Yep,” Andric replied, jumping onto his own horse.

Their mounting methods differed, but the result was the same. Isbrand fetched his saddlebags from his house and led the way to the Radegart Riders’ meeting place. Along the way, Andric struggled to keep up with Isbrand’s pace.

At the meeting point, Farvald and the others were on their horses, facing north. The sun had just risen, and they had their backs to it. For many, it was their first time raiding. Theudobald and the two brothers had left Radegart before, but only Theudobald had killed someone.

Carlman and Hagano had spent their whole lives in Radegart, knowing the outside world only through traders. Farvald had martialist parents, explaining his dreams, but Andric couldn’t understand Isbrand’s ambition for the martial way.

Everyone had their own equipment. Besides Andric, everyone stored their provisions in saddlebags. Only he and Theudobald wore metal armor, while the others wore leather. The five oldest members had swords, but Isbrand, Andric, and Farvald were unarmed.

“Are we all ready?” Theudobald asked, ignoring his dislike for Andric.

“Ready!” the group replied, and they set off shortly after.