Reincarnated Princess Wishes To Avoid Death
chapter-560

Mia’s True Perspective on Horses: Princess Mia Enlightens the Ignorant

The Southern Capital of the Equestrian Kingdom was a simple yet fully-fledged town enclosed within castle walls.

The Equestrian Kingdom was a special country, established on the principle of equality among its twelve clans, with none considered superior or inferior. Therefore, while the city was not officially referred to as the ‘Royal Capital’, its scale was comparable to that of the capital of a small country.

Mia and her group were taking a break on the vast grasslands on the outskirts of the Southern Capital.

After a long ride on horseback, one might expect that Mia would be quite exhausted and completely drained of energy…

“Hmm. That was a good workout. It was somewhat refreshing.”

…That wasn’t the case!

On the contrary, she seemed satisfied and was checking the fat on both her arms.

“Oh? That’s odd. There doesn’t seem to be much change.”

Mia thought for a short while, then discarded the thought. Her instincts told her that not worrying about it would be good for the health of her mind.

“Anyway, that’s an incredible number of horses.”

A large number of horses were gathered in a herd on the grassland, grazing leisurely.

Mia folded her arms in an attempt to resist the urge to start counting from the edge.

“As expected of the Equestrian Kingdom. There are a lot of horses. I wonder if that herd is of wild horses. They are spectacular.”

As Mia was muttering something like that, there was a sudden outburst of laughter.

“Hahahaha. Those are mixed breeds.”

When Mia looked in the direction of the source, she saw a man in his prime walking towards her. And Malong was walking next to him.

‘Did that mean that he was a person of the Equestrian Kingdom? Hmm, his hair is black like Malong-senpai’s, and he has the features of the people of the Equestrian Kingdom… However, the clothes seem a little different. It’s almost as if he was wearing clothes just like us.’

In any case, it was the first time they were meeting. Mia was wondering if it would be a good idea to introduce herself…

“Hahaha. The reputation of the Wisdom of the Empire has reached even the ears of our clan, but this remark is a little ignorant. It seems like you’ve never seen a good horse.”

It was an abrupt display of belligerence!

“Lord Fuuma, that’s a bit..” began Malong with a scowl on his face, about to rebuke him.

However, without waiting for him to finish, Mia spoke up.

“Oh, that was offensive. I will have you know that I had the opportunity to ride a Mooonhare at the academy in the Principality of Belluga, okay?”

Mia had not forgotten the days she had spent with Kuolan, and the same went for Kayou as well. The man’s words were an insult to Kuolan and the other horses that Mia had ridden. As one might expect, it was something that Mia couldn’t stay silent about.

‘Which horse would help a rider who couldn’t get angry at a time like this? Which horse would help me run away from the guillotine? This was a problem that could affect a horse’s motivation!’

“You rode a Moonhare at the academy in Belluga? The princess who is not from the Equestrian Kingdom rode a Moonhare? Ah, speaking of, I heard that there was a clan that gifted a horse to the Principality of Belluga. Even though it is called a Moonhare, it is a mixed breed with several bloodlines. It can’t be compared to the purebred horses of my clan that have maintained their pure bloodlines.”

Mia was rather annoyed by that tone. However, she seemed to realise something right away and let out a small breath before shaking her head.

‘I can’t do this. There is no point in turning a blind eye to such disrespect caused by ignorance. The things that this man in front of me is saying are just because he lacks knowledge. That’s right, this man doesn’t know the truth about horses. Rather, in that case, it is the duty of the knowledgeable person to correct and admonish.’

Mia gazed at the man with an exceedingly composed smile on her face.

“Hehehe. Those are the words of someone with a very shallow understanding. They are the words of someone who doesn’t understand the truth.”

“What!?”

The man’s mouth dropped open, perhaps surprised by Mia’s words, but Mia continued in a calm tone.

“No matter the kind, a horse is a horse. It is a magnificent creature that can carry us to faraway places.”

That’s right. Mia understood. She knew very well that horses were really cool creatures.

‘If there was a horse, no matter the kind, it offered a means of escape. If there was no horse, in case of an emergency, you would have to run on your own two legs. Wouldn’t that be tiring!’

Furthermore, Mia knew that irrespective of the type of horse, it certainly was at least faster than her. If ever there was a horse that could lose to Mia in terms of speed, then it wasn’t a horse to begin with. It would be something else, like a jellyfish or something that had disguised itself as a horse. Therefore, Mia would never disrespect any horse irrespective of its kind.

Supposing there was a Royal Guard who had sworn unwavering loyalty to Mia, would it be possible for him to carry her on his back and walk to the neighbouring country?

The answer was so obvious that there was no need to even think about it. It was impossible.

Even if it were Dion Alaia, the Strongest Knight of the Empire, it would not be possible. He couldn’t do it.

‘Ah, come to think of it, there was that time while escaping from the forest when Dion-san carried me in his arms. If that’s the case, then perhaps it might be possible for him to carry me under one arm and cross the border. Actually, I am surprisingly light…’

Well, in any case, jokes aside, for Mia, no matter their personality, horses were beings that deserved to be respected. However, the only reason Mia was able to realise this was because of her experience in the previous timeline. That was the reason why Mia admonished the ignorant man named Fuuma, who was the Chief of the Mountain Clan.

“A horse is a horse. Horses have no ranks – high or low.”

“Hahaha, that was remarkable. Lord Fuuma, you’ve been outdone.”

A new person had appeared. When she looked in the direction of the voice, Mia saw an elderly person walking towards them. The old man, who had a serene smile on his face, bowed deeply once he came in front of Mia.

“Welcome, Your Highness, Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon. Thank you for coming from so far away. My name is Fuu Kouma. I am in charge of the Meeting of Chiefs this time.”

“Thank you for your courteous words. I am Mia Luna Tearmoon.”

The old man responded to Mia with a broad smile on his face as she lifted her riding pants a little and bowed.

“Hohoho. Indeed, I can see the reason why Your Highness is called the Wisdom of the Empire. You truly have deep insight and understanding. I am impressed. By any chance, is that Your Highness’s horse?”

In the direction that the old man pointed, stood East Wind, a.k.a. Tofu, the horse that Mia had ridden all the way there.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I see. It is a horse that truly befits the words you spoke earlier. How about it? If it is alright with you, would you grant this old man the honour to act as your escort to the Southern Capital? I will be extremely happy if we can line up our bridles with our beloved brethren and ride together.”

“Is that so? I don’t particularly mind.”

Mia tilted her head slightly to look at the kindly old man’s smile.

She did not notice that Malong had a displeased expression on his face as he observed the situation.