LIGHTNOVELONLINE
Chapter 578
Xiaolei’s Keen Insight into Mia’s Proposal
Having caught sight of Xiaolei’s group, Tofu instinctively realised that it was the right moment to close the distance between them and accelerated at once. It seemed advantageous to follow closely behind the opponent.
On the other hand, Mia was just innocently happy to have caught up with Xiaolei and called out to her.
“I’ve finally caught up with you, Xiaolei-san.”
While Mia smiled happily, Xiaolei responded with a sulky expression.
“Princess Mia, you seem to be having fun, right? Come to think of it, even before we started, you did say something about having fun while riding the horse…”
“…having fun?”
‘Having fun… Having fun…!’
Upon hearing those words, Mia instinctively knew that it was an important moment, and her mind raced. She initiated the move to close the distance between her and Xiaolei. Using her opponent’s words skilfully to turn the situation to her advantage, Mia said,
“That’s exactly right, Xiaolei-san. I hope we can have fun during this horse match-up.”
Mia tried to appeal wholeheartedly. She wished to convey that there wasn’t any need for hostility, and that they ought to get along and be friendly.
‘At the end of the race, after the winner is decided, let’s show some sportsmanship and celebrate each other’s efforts with no hard feelings.’
That was what Mia wanted to say!
‘If we have that kind of mutual understanding then we can be at ease even in defeat.’
“The two of us can get along during the race until the middle, and then have a showdown at the very end. What do you think?”
Mia proposed.
‘There’s no need to have a tough fight for the entire two days, right? Only at the end, if we seriously race the horse for a while, isn’t that okay? It’s fine to have a friendly and fun ride up until halfway!’
Smiling warmly in a gesture of friendship, Mia made a strong appeal. Mia asserted that it was better to go at a leisurely pace, as racing a horse could be quite tiring and troublesome.
Incidentally, at that moment, the thought of riding the horse fast to get some good exercise had already fled her mind.
That’s right! Mia was of the assumption that she had already achieved her initial goal of getting some good exercise out of the event.
‘Tonight, in order to deepen our friendship, how about we enjoy lots of delicious food together?’
Mia found herself even thinking along those lines. ‘After all, sharing a meal is the first step towards understanding each other. You can understand someone only by breaking bread with them.’
That was one of Mia’s core beliefs.
“So, what do you think, Xiaolei-san?”
Mia asked with a slightly ingratiating smile.
“A final showdown at the very end…?”
Xiaolei examined and pondered over Mia’s words.
It was a proposal that rejected all the strategies and tactics that would be employed during the crucial moments of the competition. It was probably a reasonable suggestion to come from someone like Mia, who wasn’t used to riding horses.
‘The course selected for this horse match-up is quite simple to begin with. However, it doesn’t mean that there will be no challenges.The steep slope right before the goal post will of course be tough, but there are other challenging spots where our riding skills will be tested. Princess Mia probably thinks that it will be disadvantageous to challenge me there, which is why she is inviting me to ride together amicably through those tough spots.’
However, it was a proposal worth considering for Xiaolei as well, given that Rakuro was unmistakably a swift horse. If it came down to a speed match, especially over a short distance so close to the finish line, then Rakuro would never lose. Absolutely never.
From what Xiaolei had seen of Mia’s horse, she would describe it as more of a sturdy type meant for endurance rather than speed.
‘So in reality, Princess Mia needs to make her moves well before the final slope if she hopes to win. Despite that, she is challenging me to a high-speed contest in the final stage. What am I supposed to think of that? Is she exceedingly confident about her horse’s speed? No way! Is that why she let me take the lead initially at the start of the race? Did she intentionally make a slow start to hide her horse’s true speed so as to drag me into a high-speed race right at the end? That is some incredible confidence, right? Does she honestly believe that she can win against Rakuro?’
Xiaolei looked at Mia’s face and noticed that she had tilted her head mysteriously.
‘I cannot detect even the slightest hint of anxiety. She is underestimating me, right?She is totally looking down on me, thinking of making a fool out of me. I felt the anger bubble up from the depths of my gut, but at the same time, the calm side of my brain told me that my opponent is the Wisdom of the Empire and I must not let down my guard. I also heard that the matter of the revolution attempt in the Remno Kingdom was resolved by Princess Mia. So she would not challenge me to a speed race in the final showdown without some kind of basis for it. She probably has some kind of concrete evidence that she can win with certainty.
Hmm. If you look at it from another angle, it could also mean that she does not wish to be challenged along the route. Come to think of it, this position…’
Xiaolei suddenly realised something.
‘Princess Mia’s positioning—was she deliberately positioning herself slightly behind me? Was she allowing me to take the lead to observe how it goes?’
At that thought, a cold chill ran down Xiaolei’s spine.
‘To accept a speed race at the very end and forgo intermediate challenges means giving up my territorial advantage.’
If Xiaolei were to accept Mia’s suggestion, she would be giving up her home advantage of knowing the grassland and her advantage in the horse match-up itself.
Xiaolei was shocked to realise that she had been dangerously close to getting entwined in Mia’s thinking. At that moment, she looked around and found something—a decisive factor for victory.
“If you wish to come along with me, you’re welcome, okay. However, it all depends on if you can keep up with me!”
No sooner had she said that, Xiaolei swiftly turned Rakuro’s neck, urging it to gallop ahead.