I Am Not the Heroine

Of course, I’m not going to spend the two days I’m staying here simply looking at horses.

‘I should do something to repay the Hero too.’

After all, if they’re taking their time for me, it wouldn’t be right to do nothing.

‘Let’s treat it as a school project.’

The better the horse I choose, the better the reward I’ll give.

Isn’t that the fairest way to do it?

“Hero.”

“Yeah?”

“Have you ridden any other horses besides the one you’re on right now?”

“The one? Oh, are you talking about Tempest?”

“Yes.”

So that white horse’s name was Tempest. Seeing it run like a storm, the name definitely suited it.

I never got around to asking for its name since I was always just hitching a ride.

“Aside from Tempest, who was gifted by the Emperor, I only rode a wandering knight’s horse when I was little. That one was quite intelligent.”

“I see.”

Hmm.

So there are two resources to refer to, including Tempest.

The number is small, but I wasn’t planning to go back just yet.

Even two could be a big help.

A little later, we arrived at the stable on the outskirts of Trasse.

It seemed to be some sort of street where related businesses gathered, given the presence of buildings like warehouses for various carriages and merchant guilds.

“Welcome!”

“I’m looking for a horse.”

“Oh, I see. Is there someone who will be riding…?”

“Me.”

“Ah, are you choosing a horse for the young lady?”

Young lady?

What does calling me young lady mean?

Is it because I look like a kid? Or maybe because I seem precious?

I really hope it’s the latter.

“Then… if you can follow me this way.”

The stable owner took a moment to look me up and down before leading me and the Hero somewhere.

The stable was so big that it seemed they had categorized the horses by breed or size.

And the place the owner took me to was…

“A… pony?”

“Umm… heh.”

It was a place where relatively small horses were gathered.

Yeah, they did look like ponies.

“Did you just laugh?”

“Oh, no. I just got choked up.”

I saw the Hero hastily turn their head.

But since I thought it wasn’t intentional, I let it slide.

“These horses are just bred small, so despite their appearance, they are all fully grown.”

“……”

“So, um, young lady, you’re more than capable of riding them without straining yourself…”

“Show me a proper horse right now.”

I glared at the owner and clenched my hands.

With the Hero shaking their head in a panic, the owner awkwardly smiled and led us to another area.

‘I would have caused quite a scene if I stayed there for 10 more seconds.’

Do they think I want to be small?

Fortunately, the next place was filled with normal-sized horses.

Most of them had brown fur, and I noticed a few in monochrome colors scattered about.

“Hero, come on, look. Please help me find a good horse.”

I tugged at his sleeve and looked up at him.

I figured he might as well be the first filter for this decision.

“I’ll do my best.”

Come on, Hero.

The Hero awkwardly started glancing around among the horses.

He didn’t project an expert vibe at all, and my trust in him plummeted instantly.

‘…I should take a look too.’

After all, it’s my horse.

So the owner can’t just sit back and watch.

I began examining each horse starting with the one nearest to me.

First was a brown one with a few white spots.

Slooosh.

“Sorry, I won’t look at you.”

The moment it saw me, it seemed to get feisty right away.

I smoothly moved on to the next area. Not that I was scared or anything.

After about thirty horses, two hours had passed.

“Rui, how about it? Have you found one you like?”

“Umm…”

To respond to the Hero’s question, I hadn’t found any.

There were many excellent horses, but none were suitable partners for the journey ahead.

‘Considering the battles the Hero’s party will go through, a regular horse wouldn’t suffice.’

The four horses the Emperor had gifted to the Hero’s party were all trained battle horses.

So looking for a horse in an ordinary stable in town might have been a misguided thought from the start.

“I guess there isn’t a horse you like.”

The owner seemed to have noticed that too.

“What about you, Hero?”

I whispered to him so the owner couldn’t hear.

“Umm… I haven’t felt anything like I did with Tempest either.”

“I see.”

I walked up to the owner and asked,

“Is there another area I can check besides this one?”

“Of course! Shall I show you right now?”

I glanced out the window.

The sun was starting to set. Keeping the Hero here for over two hours didn’t seem good.

“I’ll come back tomorrow.”

“Yes! Just come find any of our staff when you return!”

“Okay.”

After leaving the stable, I headed to a nearby vendor.

Snacks made of red bean-filled rice cakes were being grilled and smelled delicious.

“Two, please.”

I handed over the imperial currency and got a skewer of the rice cakes before turning back to the Hero, handing one over to him.

“Here, eat this.”

“Oh, thanks…”

Thanks indeed.

If I had found him a proper horse, I would have given him an even better gift.

But I’m not planning to settle this with just that. If I could imbue the shoes with my recently completed gravity-reducing spell, that should be plenty.

“Tasty.”

“If you sprinkle some peanut powder on top, it’s even better.”

“I’ll have to try that later, thanks.”

“Anytime. And I’ll come alone tomorrow.”

“Yeah?”

“The stable. You must be busy, Hero. Besides, I have to choose for myself anyway.”

Then the Hero showed a hint of disappointment.

But neither of us understood the true nature of that feeling, and the conversation ended.

*

The scent of kin. The scent that kin loves and follows well.

A black horse with a flowing mane stood atop a hill, looking down at the city.

Two dark wings were folded around the horse’s waist.

The winged horse turned its body toward the city with an intrigued expression.

Amidst the mundane life, an exhilarating event seemed to be on the horizon.

Of course, it didn’t hold as much interest as a horned kin, but a horse with that much mana was certainly enough to pique my interest.

And there was a hint of kin’s blood within it.

Slooosh.

The large wings spread wide, and the black figure soared into the sky.

The enormous black dot that appeared in the sky stained red by the setting sun was indeed strange, yet no one seemed to notice.

After all, there was a saying that only the chosen ones could see such things, so it made sense for ordinary folks not to see it.

As the horse ascended, it effortlessly crossed over the outer walls of the city that had been built to fend off invaders.

Then it entered a stable, following a certain trail.

The stable owner and staff were oblivious to the arrival of the new horse, but the existing horses were not.

Hee-haw~!

They adopted submissive postures to welcome their superior being.

Some horses, with weaker dispositions, even lay down in submission; the presence of the winged black horse was overwhelming.

The black horse folded its wings and concealed them using a mysterious power so as not to reveal them.

Now, the horse appeared to be nothing more than a slightly more handsome one than the others.

It chose a spot in a corner, not on a dew-soaked flower field, but on a damp stack of straw, and lay down.

Now, it only had to wait until tomorrow when she would come.

*

The next day, I headed to the stable alone as planned.

The Hero asked if I wanted to join again, but I sent him off thinking he should spend time with the heroine.

“Ah, Aswel! I’m planning to buy new gear to reinforce my bow; do you happen to…?”

Right on. You’re a step ahead, Rapirie.

Great attitude. You have to create a place for yourself when the other two haven’t left yet.

The other two watched the departing pair with a hint of disappointment.

I told them I was heading to the stable as I left the inn.

“What if I still can’t find one today?”

Then I’d have to hitch a ride on Tempest again until we reach the next city.

“That can’t happen.”

Even if it’s just for the time until the next city, it would be better to take a decent horse with me.

That way, the Hero’s party can head in the right direction.

And above all, I’m aiming to help one more person before or around when we reach the next city.

If that happens, I’ll start to need independence soon.

“Let’s try our best to find one.”

I decided to lower my expectations a bit and pick a decent horse.

Anything lacking compared to the four horses could be compensated with my gear.

“Excuse me, I want to see some horses today.”

“Oh, I heard. Please follow me this way.”

The owner seemed busy, so one of the staff took me and guided me.

The sizes of the horses seemed more irregular than yesterday.

“Um… hello?”

I greeted a nearby horse and gently petted one that was approaching.

“Such a gentle one.”

I scratched areas on its neck and lower neck that it would enjoy while checking its condition.

Compared to those I saw yesterday, it looked quite good.

If there were no major issues, it seemed reasonable to take this one with me…

Hee-haw?!

But suddenly, it got startled and ran away from me.

In that moment, I froze with my hand still in place.

“W-what the…?”

Could it be that I got rejected again? Me?!

To hide my panic, I tried to withdraw my hand.

But just then, something else touched me.

Unlike the rough fur from a moment ago, it felt much softer, like a well-groomed coat.

And what I faced was a black horse.

With its jet-black eyes, long mane, and a physique rivaling Tempest—

It appeared out of nowhere and buried its face in my hands.

Then it sat down on the ground and stared at me intently.

“….You want me to ride you?”

An unspoken gaze. I took it as a yes and cautiously moved closer to its side.

I’ve heard that horses tend to be wary of strangers, but this one felt different somehow.

Still, to be safe, I gently patted the black horse, then cautiously placed my feet to climb on it.

“Ah, whoa.”

Then, as it sprang up, I found myself much higher than I had been a moment ago.

The black horse smoothly took a lap around the stable, carrying me along.

“You’re quite intelligent.”

It was autonomous behavior without me giving any orders.

I was already completely smitten with the black horse.

There was no need to look at any other horses.

I doubted I’d find one better than this.

I quickly put on the hastily made reins for my pet horse from yesterday and headed toward the staff.

“Excuse me, how much for this one?”

“Um… Wait? Was this horse here…?”

“Huh?”

“Just a moment? As far as I know, this one wasn’t in our inventory…?”

Suddenly, the staff’s words became halting and their focus started to blur.

“The… horse… is one we were going to dispose of, so… you can just take it with you.”

“What? Really?”

They were going to dispose of such a great horse?

I inquired with confusion, but the staff nodded in affirmation.

Slooosh.

The black horse quietly tossed its head.

Its eyes glimmered with happiness, as if joyful tears were flowing from it.

“Then I’ll take it. Shall we go?”

“Please do come again~.”

With a grip tight on the black horse’s reins, I left the stable.

Could it be that this horse sensed its tragic fate and reached out for help?

Thinking that, a slight ache filled a corner of my heart.

‘I’ll treat it well.’

I resolved to pet the one nuzzling against my face.

---