The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations-Chapter 245: I Will Start a New Business (3)

“Empathy... ability? That thing our ancestors supposedly had?”

At Ascon’s question, Ghislain nodded.

“Exactly. If dwarves were blessed with the gift of crafting, then the true blessing bestowed upon elves is the ability to communicate with nature and animals. This is what allowed them to become such powerful spirit summoners.”

As Ghislain spoke seriously, the elves burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs.

“Pffft, what?”

“Lord, come on! You’re like a kid!”

“An empathy ability? That’s something out of a storybook!”

“If we had that kind of power, we wouldn’t get beaten up by you! It doesn’t exist!”

Without saying anything, Ghislain rolled up his sleeves. Instantly, the elves straightened up, wiping the smirks from their faces.

In that brief moment, it felt like they were all reading Ghislain’s intentions, as if they could feel his resolve. Even the retainers standing by Ghislain thought that maybe this “empathy” ability was real after all.

Ghislain slowly lowered his fist, looking around at the elves.

“You just read my intent, didn’t you? You can do it, right?”

“Ack!”

The elves shouted in response, and Ghislain nodded.

“Good. You can do it, so no worries. Hey, bring the horses over.”

Soon, soldiers led in horses equal to the number of elves. But these horses didn’t look ordinary.

*Whinny!*

“Whoa! Calm down!”

“What strength!”

“Please, just behave!”

The horses were restless, tugging and kicking as they resisted the soldiers’ attempts to control them. The soldiers themselves looked rough and worn out, as though they’d struggled mightily just to get them here.

These were horses that had lived their lives fighting and surviving in the harsh Northern environment, naturally making them wild and fierce.

Watching them, Ghislain rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Hmm, we need to tame them fast. Their tempers are only getting worse.”

Bringing them here hadn’t been easy either. It had taken hundreds of knights with mana control to forcibly tie the horses together and transport them.

The sudden change in environment had only made the horses more stressed and aggressive over time.

The elves gulped nervously as they watched these fierce beasts.

“They expect us to tame those?”

“I think we’re the ones who’ll end up getting tamed.”

“Look at those muscles on that horse! Must be running every day.”

They had no idea how to handle such untamed creatures. Having grown up in noble households, they’d only ever seen pets, and even then, they hadn’t paid them much mind. They’d heard stories of their ancestors possessing such abilities, but they’d dismissed them as myths.

Seeing the worried expressions on the elves' faces, Ghislain spoke up.

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

“How... do we do that?”

“Just ask sincerely. Say you want to be friends or ask for help. The horses will sense your feelings and respond as you wish. This is the elves’ blessing, no different from their affinity with spirits.”

“...”

The elves looked at him with pleading eyes and made a half-hearted attempt to resist.

“Do we really have to?”

“Get to it,” Ghislain replied nonchalantly, ignoring their complaints.

In truth, this method had already been proven effective in his past life. The elves simply hadn’t grasped it yet, but his elven allies during the calamities could all do this.

Thanks to them, they’d been able to rapidly train cavalry as long as they had horses. A few words with the elves, and the horses would soon follow commands and move naturally.

Unlike Ghislain, however, the elves weren’t yet convinced. With expressions of utter despair, they approached the horses.

And so, the battle between elves and horses began.

*Whinny!*

“Aaaaah!”

Following Ghislain’s advice to approach sincerely, the elves began an intense showdown with the horses.

“Stay still! You! Be my friend!”

With their overdeveloped upper bodies, the elves attempted to assert dominance, locking their biceps around the horses’ necks as if to subdue them by sheer strength.

But these horses had survived in the North, killing humans and monsters alike. Their ferocity and strength were on an entirely different level from ordinary horses.

*Snort!*

Their eyes glinted red with aggression, and a few elves were thrown off, unable to withstand the force.

*Thud!*

“Gyaaah!”

The horses, showing no mercy, either kicked the fallen elves or trampled over them. Fortunately, the elves’ trained muscles prevented any serious injuries.

“Arrogant for a mere horse!”

“You think you can look down on us?”

“We are the lords of nature and beasts!”

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

Frustrated, the elves even began throwing punches at their “animal friends,” turning the training ground into utter chaos.

Amid the pandemonium, one horse stood out. It was a black stallion, sturdier and with a more impressive mane than the others.

*Whinny!*

“Wow, what’s up with this horse?”

“It’s so strong!”

“And it looks so damn majestic!”

The black stallion, furious, lashed out multiple times, its powerful hooves kicking out. Its aggression was so fierce that none of the elves or soldiers dared approach it.

But that wasn’t enough for the horse. It began charging wildly, attacking anyone within reach.

This was clearly a horse with a nasty temper.

“Aaaah! Get out of the way! It’s loose!”

“That thing is insane!”

“Looks just like the lord!”

As people cursed and scattered, the black horse began searching for something to vent its fury on.

*Thud, thud, thud!*

Its eyes gleamed as it fixed its gaze in Ghislain’s direction, charging straight at him like a whirlwind.

The retainers nearby shouted in alarm.

“My lord!”

“Get out of the way!”

When Gillian and the knights moved to intervene, Ghislain raised a hand to stop them and stepped forward.

*Whinny!*

The black horse let out a fierce cry, lowering its head to charge without losing speed.

As the horse closed in, Ghislain calmly drew back his fist.

Just as they were about to collide—

*Pow!*

Ghislain’s punch connected with the horse’s face, spinning its head around as it collapsed to the ground.

Looking down at the trembling horse, frothing at the mouth, Ghislain spoke quietly.

“Sit. Move slowly, or you’ll die.”

The horse immediately stood up, bent its legs, and sat obediently as if nothing had happened, offering the perfect posture for someone to mount it.

As Ghislain climbed onto its back, the horse straightened up, lifting its head.

The proud demeanor of the horse seemed to mirror Ghislain’s own arrogance.

Despite a slightly swollen face, the horse’s sturdy build and magnificent mane masked any trace of the blow.

Surveying the surrounding crowd with his usual haughty gaze, Ghislain addressed them.

“See? When you show your sincerity, the other side will respond.”

“...”

A heavy silence fell over the training grounds.

The spectators, both humans and elves, stared at Ghislain in astonishment. Even the previously rampaging horses halted to watch.

“What? Why are you staring? That was my sincerity. Anyway, this one has a strong body and a fiery spirit—perfect for battle. I’ll ride it myself. What should I name it? It’s black, so... maybe Black Bean? Isn’t that cute?”

The more aggressive and resilient a horse, the more valuable it was on the battlefield. Pleased with his new steed, Ghislain smiled.

The retainers covered their faces with their hands, unable to believe his taste in names.

Claude approached him cautiously and suggested, “Maybe... could you just punch each of the horses once, my lord? I think that would speed things up.”

“No. Then only I’d be able to ride them. They need to be tame enough for everyone to handle so we can quickly train cavalry. Now, get to it! Convince those horses with sincerity!”

The battle between elves and horses resumed. Some of the elves tried to take Ghislain’s approach, aiming punches at the horses’ faces.

Of course, one elf who tried that received a solid kick to the chest and was sent flying.

They hadn’t yet grasped how to communicate with the horses, so they were left clinging to their necks and cursing.

“Please, just listen, you monstrous beasts!”

“Training muscles was better than this!”

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“How are we supposed to ‘communicate’ like this?”

Lumina, too, struggled. Clinging to the horse’s neck, she was drenched in sweat.

‘How exactly am I supposed to do this?’

Telling them to convey their “sincerity” was easy. But could animals really understand human speech?

Even now, the horse was bucking beneath her, and all she could do was cling on, trying not to fall.

‘Please...’

Giving up on overpowering it, she shut her eyes and silently pleaded.

‘Please, just calm down!’

‘This damn domain is exhausting!’

‘Can’t you just let me ride you?’

At first, her mind was filled with frustration and resentment. She’d grown up in comfort, but ever since coming here, everything had gone wrong.

Crazy lord, crazy retainers, and now even crazy horses. It was enough to drive her mad.

Gradually, however, her resentment turned into a more heartfelt plea.

She didn’t believe it would work. Honestly,

she thought the whole thing was ridiculous. But she didn’t have a choice, as the lord wouldn’t stop until he got results.

So all she could do was continue pleading with the horse.

‘Please, just stay calm...’

‘I don’t care if we’re friends or whatever. Just listen.’

‘I’m begging you.’

Despite the bucking, she kept stroking the horse’s mane, trying to soothe it.

Gradually, she felt the horse’s movements becoming less frightening. They began to feel natural, as if the two were moving as one.

‘It’s okay...’

A strange sensation flowed from her head down her spine, making her eyes snap open.

“Oh...”

She felt... something.

The rustling wind, the sturdy trees, the gentle grasses seemed to whisper around her.

Birds, insects—they were all speaking.

She couldn’t understand every word, but they all seemed to be trying to communicate with her.

“Oh...”

The world seemed to shift and sway as everything around her blurred, only to sharpen again in its proper place.

She could feel, if not fully comprehend, the emotions of all the animals and plants nearby.

They didn’t want to be hurt. They wanted to be loved, to be together.

That’s what they all seemed to be saying.

“Oh...”

In that moment, Lumina finally understood why elves were called the guardians of nature.

It wasn’t something they could ignore. They couldn’t look away.

Once they knew the beauty of nature, once they heard the whispers of life, once they sensed its emotions, they could no longer turn a blind eye.

These sensations filled her heart, becoming part of her.

“Oh... so that’s it...”

That’s why the elves—

That’s why they chose a life in harmony with nature.

“It’s okay...”

Lumina stroked the horse’s mane again.

The horse still bucked, but to her surprise, she felt no fear. It was as though they were moving together as one.

“I won’t hurt you.”

“I’ll protect you.”

“We’ll always be together.”

With each gentle word, the horse’s movements gradually slowed.

Lumina could sense its desires, its yearning to run freely in battle again.

“We’ll ride into battle again. You’ll run as much as you want. I don’t like it, but... the lord will make sure you do.”

Her heartfelt words reached the horse. It ceased its movements, snorting a few times, and finally calmed down.

Lumina slid off its back and gently stroked its cheek.

“You’ll stay with us, right?”

*Snort*

The horse responded by nuzzling her cheek, as if to say it would, before letting out a loud whinny.

*Whinny!*

At the sound, all the other horses stopped and looked at Lumina.

The other elves, either on the ground or clinging to their own horses, also turned to her.

“No way, really?”

“That wild horse calmed down so quickly?”

“Is this even possible?”

It wasn’t just the elves. The retainers watching from Ghislain’s side also gaped in astonishment.

They, too, had thought Ghislain was just on another one of his crazy missions. They hadn’t expected it to actually work.

To tame these fierce Northern horses like puppies!

Only Ghislain looked on with a satisfied smile.

“See? When you speak sincerely, they’ll listen.”

Despite his words, the elves still looked skeptical.

Maybe Lumina had just gotten lucky with a gentler horse? They couldn’t shake the doubt.

Then again, it didn’t make sense that all the horses had suddenly become calm just by chance.

Ascon glanced at the horse before him, eyes narrowing.

The horse glared back, and they ended up in a staring contest.

*Snort*

The horse’s eyes began to flare up again. Ascon glared back, deep in thought.

‘Sincerity... sincerity, right? I’m supposed to speak from the heart?’

He’d only tried to overpower the horse so far, without conveying any genuine intent.

Cautiously, Ascon approached, cupping the horse’s face in his hands. Surprisingly, the horse allowed it, remaining still.

Emboldened, Ascon expressed his true feelings.

“Dammit.”

At that moment, Ascon felt his true intentions reach the horse. The horse responded by conveying its feelings in return.

*Whinny!*

*Thud!*

Its powerful kick landed squarely on Ascon’s chest.