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Vol 02 Chapter 58: Cavalry II

The first envoy was sent to the Equus Tribe. The initial negotiations were successful, leading to the start of trade in wheat, rock salt, wine, wool, and horses.

King Rosais’ Country is prosperous in agriculture but not so much in livestock farming. On the other hand, being nomadic, the Equus Tribe relies on importing essentials like wheat, which they can’t produce themselves.

This arrangement quickly proved to be mutually beneficial. It seems the Equus Tribe was also eager to engage in trade.

The first step to friendship is talking to each other. The two countries, who had no prior relation to each other, became important trade partners.

Envoys were sent monthly thereafter: in December, January, February, March, and April.

The trade proceeded smoothly, generating significant profits. As the relationship between King Rosais’ Country and the Equus Tribe deepened, we received information from our spy in King Domorgal’s Country. Around June, King Domorgal’s Country is planning a large-scale military action. They plan to time their invasion with the wheat harvest, likely to use our wheat as provisions for their army.

In response, King Rosais’ Country started preparing its defenses. I also began conscription in the Aris territory.

In May, the seventh envoy was sent. This time, the mission was not only about trade, the envoy was expected to inquire about the possibility of hiring two hundred cavalrymen from the Equus Tribe as mercenaries, this was the envoy’s main objective. The Equus Tribe should be feeling the pressure from King Domorgal’s Country’s movements too, so it should be a good deal for them as well.

The terms of the contract offered to the Equus Tribe are:

-Payment of the mercenaries salaries.

-All the costs of transport and maintenance of the mercenaries, their horses and their weapons will be paid by King Rosais’ Country.

-Compensation would also be provided to the families of any mercenary who died in battle.

Pretty generous for a mercenary contract, I’d say.

However, understandably cautious about involving themselves in a war, the Equus Tribe asked for time to consider our proposal.

Then, an envoy from the Equus Tribe came to us with a request: they wanted a top-level discussion.

Essentially, they were seeking an alliance and wanted us to show our sincerity. However, King Rosais’ heath wouldn’t allow him to leave the country; the trip might lead him not to the Equus territory but to the afterlife, so a representative had to be chosen. The chosen representative was…

「Oh! It’s the summit. Beautiful view, don’t you think?」

「Yes, it is. But please don’t go too close to the edge. You could fall and die.」

I warned Julia, who was laughing joyfully.

Julia was selected as King Rosais’ representative. Initially, it was supposed to be Raymond, but the Equus Tribe specifically requested Julia.

They wanted her because they knew her fame as a great magician. It seems the Equus Tribe needed Julia’s medical skills to treat an important person who was sick.

Indeed, Julia’s medical skills are exceptional; she has forged them while working tirelessly to cure King Rosais’ illness. Ironically, despite her efforts, King Rosais’ illness remains the one she cannot cure. It seems it’s due to King Rosais’ rare constitution that resists magic and medicine.

Regardless…

King Rosais was strongly opposed. The idea of sending his beloved daughter to a foreign land was unthinkable.

Considering the possibility of a trap, his reaction is only natural. However, without the cavalry, our strategy will not hold. That’s why I volunteered to go with her as her escort.

I pride myself in being the strongest warrior of King Rosais’ Country. I assured the king that with me there, she would be safe.

Besides, I’m the next in line to be king of King Rosais’ Country (that’s a secret for nor now). Meeting the king of the Equus Tribe and getting to know him seems like a good idea, I plan to maintain good relations with the Equus Tribe from now on, after all.

So, with all that in mind, the two of us (along with thirty-two escorts, Roswald, Vilgar, and another ten brought by me, and twenty provided by King Rosais) were crossing the Alva Mountains.

Since we couldn’t use carriages, everyone was on horseback.

Surprisingly, Julia turned out to be quite skilled at riding a horse.

Perhaps it’s to be expected of a magician.

We are supposed to meet at the summit, but…

「Ah, looks like they’ve arrived,」

Julia pointed out in the distance. There was a group of about thirty riders, identifiable as the Equus Tribe by the mark on their flags.

「Hey!!」

Julia waved at the group from the Equus Tribe.

I wish she wouldn’t do that; it’s unbecoming and undermines our country’s dignity. But such concerns are likely lost on Julia.

The man leading the Equus Tribe’s group waved back.

It seems both sides are equally informal.

Around five minutes later, we finally met up with the Equus Tribe. The man at the front moved his horse a step forward.

「My name is Mutzio Equus Sulpicius, the second son of the chieftain of the Equus Tribe. You must be Princess Julia, correct?」

「Yes, I am Julia Rosais. I have come as the representative of King Rosais.」

After Julia introduced herself, Mutzio’s gaze shifted to me.

「And who might you be?」

「I am Almus Aris. I’m the lord of the Aris territory. I’m accompanying Julia-sama as her escort.」

「I see, I see. So you’re the famous son of the Griffon. May I call you Almus? You can call me Mutzio in return.」

「That’s fine, but…」

Quite the familiar one, aren’t you?

「Ha ha, no need for formal language! After all, I’m just the second son!!」

He clapped me on the back with a hearty laugh.

I’m not used to such an overly familiar personality…

「Alright, then. We’ll forego the formalities. But please stop hitting my back. It hurts.」

「Oops, sorry, my apologies.」

Mutzio ceased slapping my back.

I’ve never encountered someone so overly familiar in either my past or present life.

I found myself quickly pondering the dynamics of human relationships.

「By the way, you both seem quite skilled at riding. Is the secret to your proficiency in that unusual equipment?」

Mutzio quickly became interested in the saddles and stirrups.

Like Mutzio, all of the Equus Tribe were riding bareback. Our saddles and stirrups must be a novelty to them.

「You added a seat to make it easier to mount the horse and a foothold for the feet, I see. With those, you don’t need to use as much strength in your lower body, letting you focus on handling your weapons. I see, it seems much easier to ride with those devices on. Could you teach us how to make them?」

「Then, we’ll bring a few with us the next time we send an envoy. If we give them to you now, we won’t be able to make it back.」

Julia jokingly said.

The construction of stirrups and saddles is quite simple, so primitive versions could be made rather quickly.

If they are going to be copied in the near future, it’s better to provide the actual items and foster good relations.

「By the way, the wool we purchased from the Equus Tribe is exceptional. It’s incomparable to our nation’s wool.」

「Ha ha, that’s our main industry. Our secret is letting them exercise and feeding them plenty of quality grass to grow freely. But the wheat from King Rosais’ Country is also magnificent. We can’t produce wheat as delicious as that. Could you share your secret with us?」

King Rosais’ Country, located in the Adernian peninsula, enjoys a warm climate with relatively abundant rainfall and fertile land, ideal for harvesting high-quality wheat.

It’s unlikely we’d be outdone by those who have only recently taken up farming.

「I’m not very knowledgeable about agriculture, but Almus-dono should know a lot about it.」

Julia suddenly turned the conversation to me.

It’s true that compared to most Adernians I know a lot about agriculture, but…

「Almus, please share your knowledge with us!」

「Well… I don’t mind, but… I can’t say much without seeing your agricultural methods. But let’s start with some general advice. There are three essential elements needed to grow crops,」

I began explaining the basics of agriculture to Mutzio.

「Water, sunlight, and soil nutrients are crucial. A deficiency in any of these elements can hinder the growth of the crops. While water and sunlight depend on the weather, though water can be sourced from a river, soil nutrients are the only thing we humans can control easily.」

Mutzio looked puzzled at my words.

「Nutrients? What is that?」

「Think of them as food for the crops. Just like quality wool comes from feeding sheep plenty of grass, good crops need ample nutrients. These nutrients are mostly contained in the soil initially, so there isn’t a problem at first. However, the issue is that they get depleted over time.」

As I said this, Mutzio seemed to have an epiphany.

「I see. That explains why our harvests have been declining year by year, even though the weather hasn’t been bad. I thought it was strange. So, how do you replenish these nutrients?」

He catches on quickly. Now, to decide how much to explain.

「Firstly, a common method involves letting the field rest, or not planting anything for a year, to allow soil nutrients to somewhat replenish.」

「Mhm, mhm. But that means reducing the amount of land available for cultivation. And it doesn’t fully recover, does it?」

He was eager for more. I could see it in Mutzio’s eyes.

「You can compensate for the nutrient shortfall by manually adding them to the fields. For instance, spreading ash over the fields prior to planting the crops or mixing soil brought from the forest with the soil of the fields. Forest soil is packed with nutrients, as you can see from the large trees that thrive there.」

I said this while looking around at the trees. This forest, untouched by human hands, was a chaotic mass of competing giants.

I recall reading somewhere that the forests urbanites long for are forests modified by human hands, and are quite different from real virgin forests, which are much more dangerous places.

The Romalia Forest was similar to this one, though the species of trees there are somewhat different.

「I see, forest soil, huh? I’ll try that next time. Anything else?」

「There are other methods, but… let’s save that for after we’ve established an alliance.」

Sheep dung can be used as fertilizer, but I’ll keep quiet about that for now.

I also have no intention of discussing crop rotation until after forming an alliance, and that would depend on the negotiations.

「Ha ha, you’re playing it close to the chest. This just gives me another reason to convince my father.」

Mutzio seemed to be in favor of the alliance.

Well, he appears to be proactive about agriculture, so he is probably part of the more progressive faction.

「Why is King Equus opposed?」

「Well, my father is fundamentally conservative. He dislikes agriculture and finds the idea of tilling the soil distasteful. He was also reluctant about trade, fearing it would destroy our culture with luxury. His main concern with this alliance is getting involved in foreign affairs. He thinks it’s foolish to shed blood in unrelated wars.」

From what Mutzio said it seems the king isn’t stubborn for the sake of it. He dislikes agriculture but hasn’t forbidden it. He fears the consequences of trade with our country and dislikes trade in itself, but he tolerates it because it generates profit. As long as the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, he is willing to accept things he does not like.

The problem is, that his reasons to oppose the alliance are quite valid.

Convincing him will be a challenge. Our goal is to present a benefit to the Equus tribe large enough to outweigh the risks of the alliance.

Though Julia is the delegation representative, I’ve effectively been ordered by King Rosais to be in charge of the negotiations.

Julia’s experience and abilities as a negotiator are virtually nonexistent, so…

「Oops, we’re about to clear the mountain. Let’s set up camp as soon as we descend. Is that alright?」

「Yes, let’s do that. It’s getting dark already.」

It seems we’ll be camping after descending the mountain. Finally, a chance to rest. Riding for long periods is really exhausting.

Once we descended, a vast grassland spread before us.

With proper irrigation and fertilizer development, this place should be able to support agriculture without problems. It might become a major granary area… or maybe not, but it’s not hopelessly dry, at least.

「Let’s quickly set up the yurts.」

The Equus Tribe began erecting several large tents.

Are these their usual dwellings or do they only use them when camping?

「Are all Equus Tribe homes yurts?」

「Well, many commoners use yurts. But the king, the chiefs, the priests, and the wealthy have houses, palaces, and temples in the capital. We have summer and winter capitals and switch between them depending on the season.」

That must mean returning to a house covered in dust after all that time. Do they leave someone to maintain it?

So, they’re not purely nomadic but have a more semi-nomadic, semi-agricultural lifestyle. And though their language has some strange words, it’s still Adernian.

Just as they were finishing setting up the yurts, one of Mutzio’s subordinates came rushing in panic.

「It’s terrible!! A tyrant dragon is approaching!」

「Fool! How could you overlook such a huge creature? Why weren’t you keeping a proper watch!!」

Mutzio raised his voice in anger.

A dragon?

「I’m sorry… It’s a diurnal creature, and we assumed it would have returned to its nest by dusk…」

「Damn, there’s no helping it. Once that thing starts charging, we can’t stop it…」

Mutzio turned back to ask me.

「Sorry, this is our fault. We let a tyrant dragon approach us. We’ll hold it off, so could you please take Julia-sama and escape? …Though, if you’re confident in slaying dragons, I’d be happy if you could join us.」

What to do? I’ve never fought one before.

「I do have a dragon damascus sword with me.」

「Excellent. Let’s go dragon slaying together.」