She took a deep breath of the chilly air and turned her head toward the sky. Above the gently sloping ridge, she could see the outline of a birch forest beginning to reveal its framework.
Barcas must be struggling somewhere over there. The first snow must have fallen there by now. Her heart ached at the thought of him suffering on the cold and desolate battlefields of the North.
Thalia climbed the hill at a pace slower than a turtle, gazing blankly at the windswept fields and the pale-glowing birch forest with eyes hazy as if covered in frost. As she stepped toward the edge of the forest, one of the soldiers following at a short distance approached and warned her.
"Please do not stray too far from the residential area."
He was the captain of the guard who had once been slapped by her for acting arrogantly. The man added curtly.
"There have been recent reports of ferocious beasts frequently appearing in the outskirts of Kalmor. We ask that you refrain from leaving the village entrance as much as possible."
Thalia furrowed her brows.
"What on earth is Kalmor's security force doing that they let wild beasts roam freely within their territory?"
"Did you forget that additional troops were recently dispatched to the northern border?"
The man responded in a dry tone.
"The available personnel of the security force are reduced compared to the past. There is no remaining capacity to patrol areas far removed from residential areas."
Thalia clamped her mouth shut at the pointed answer. In fact, with security forces already tight due to the civil war, having five or six able-bodied men mobilized every day to escort her was an enormous luxury to begin with.
Thalia, glaring at the man with a sulky expression, eventually turned her steps toward the bottom of the hill. Since things had turned out this way, it seemed better to stop by the ranch and investigate the quality and supply situation of the wool to be supplied next spring in advance.
She headed toward the ranch located on the outskirts of the village along the gently sloping road. Just then, loud cheers were heard from a distance.
Turning her head over her shoulder to see what was going on, Thalia’s eyes widened as she saw three or four horses galloping in a line along the edge of the pasture. As if a horse racing competition were taking place, young riders mounted without saddles were racing across the meadow, following red flags sparsely placed across the ground.
Thalia frowned as she recognized the face of one of them. The frontrunner, circling the pasture in a large circle, was none other than Raina.
“Whoa!”
As if she recognized her as well, she hurriedly stopped her horse and turned around. Then, she shouted in an angry voice.
"Are you out of your mind? What do you intend to do by bringing a wolf to the ranch?"
Thalia frowned. Although she was annoyed by her sister-in-law's arrogant attitude, she was at a loss for words to rebut since the point wasn't exactly wrong.
Since she had raised Khan with her own hands from when he was a cub, she would often forget, but no matter what anyone said, Khan was a direwolf. His mere presence was enough to scare the livestock into a frenzy. However, she did not want to honestly admit her mistake.
She deliberately lifted her chin high.
"I'm not going near the pasture. I plan to take a walk around here and then return to the castle, so mind your own business."
"This is where Kalmor's riders race or train! It's a nuisance to be wandering around here with a direwolf!"
Thalia, who was quietly pushing Khan back as he stood on end in anger, seemingly annoyed by Raina's loud screaming, glared at her sister-in-law with a cold look.
"Do you think you're the master of this meadow? How dare you lecture me?"
Raina's face contorted menacingly.
Thalia continued speaking clearly, paying no heed to the racing jockeys who had gathered around and were whispering.
"I am the Grand Duchess of the East. I have the right to take Khan wherever I want. Do I have to teach you all, one by one, that you are the ones who should be making way for me?"
"Are you saying that the jockeys have to give up training because of your fancy pet?"
Raina didn't back down and retaliated.
"The standard-bearers here now will later become cavalry for the Eastern Army. The horses we have trained will become excellent warhorses and play an active role. But what on earth is the use of your wolf?"
When she could not find an immediate rebuttal, the corners of her sister-in-law's mouth twisted spitefully.
"If you sincerely think we must step down because of such a food-wasting beast, you are not qualified to be the Grand Duchess!"
Thalia's face flushed red with anger.
She wanted to drag the ill-mannered brat off her horse and smack her on the head right then and there, but she had resolved to be of at least some help to Barcas. She could not hinder the standard-bearers who would become the future strength of the East. However, backing down and giving up now would also damage her authority as the Grand Duchess.
Thalia deliberately held her chin high.
"This meadow is wide enough for a hundred direwolves to run around in. Khan and I wandering around won't be of any trouble to you."
"The horses get on edge just from the mere presence of a wild animal nearby!"
Raina kept harping on.
Thalia snorted and rebutted.
"If it gets that scared and becomes uncontrollable, doesn't that mean it lacks the qualities of a warhorse? Why should I step aside to train such a coward?"
"Even if it's a timid horse, it's still useful as a means of transportation. But where on earth can you use that burden?"
Raina looked down at Khan with a look of disgust.
Thalia clenched her fist tightly. Usefulness didn't matter. Just having him by her side was enough. But she knew that saying so would only invite ridicule.
She blurted it out somewhat impulsively.
"Why is it useless? My wolf is much smarter, better, and more outstanding than your filthy, smelly, and stupid words!"
Then, she placed her hand firmly on Khan's waist, who was glaring at Raina with all his muscles taut.
Beneath her palm, she could feel the texture of a large, sturdy skeleton and muscles as hard as steel. Thalia, who had been feeling Khan's body as if to verify just how strong he was, soon sat down on his broad, solid back as if to show off.
"See this? Khan can carry as many people as you want. It can even run much faster than your horse!"
"Are you kidding me?"
Raina, who had been looking down at her with a dumbfounded expression, burst into a hollow laugh.
Thalia calmly retorted.
"Isn't the only use for that so-called horse that you can ride it? If it can carry people, what makes a Khan inferior to a horse?"
"Don't be unreasonable! There's no way you can really ride that beast around like a horse!"
"Can't you see I'm blatantly riding Khan right in front of your eyes?"
Thalia lifted her feet off the floor as if to show off, wrapped one arm around Khan's neck, and leaned her body completely on him. She knew very well that Khan could easily support her weight, as she often sat or lay on his back even when playing around in the bedroom.
Khan, being accustomed to her clinging on, carried her on his back without much resistance and took a few slow steps. Though inwardly surprised by the ride being more stable than expected, Talia looked up at Raina as if nothing had happened.
“Did you see it?”
Raina, who had been speechless for a while as if dumbfounded, twisted her lips and spoke.
"Alright. Then come out riding that wolf, and we'll fight."
She pointed to the red flags planted all over the wide meadow and said.
"The first person to cross the finish line after following that marker around once wins. How about it? If you can prove that the wolf is just as useful as a horse, I won't make an issue of you keeping it around here anymore."
Thalia hardened her face.
To begin with, this brat was not in a position to tell her what to do. However, bringing up her status and position now would only make it look like she was backing out.
"Why? Are you not confident?"
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