Really? Tafel asked, her forehead wrinkled. Itll take a month to go to England?
Thats right, Frederick III said and dabbed at his forehead with his handkerchief. If a rider rushes on a horse, itll take them a month at the very least. Hell have to ride several horses to exhaustion and have the stations prepped in advance. There simply isnt a faster way.
Tafel frowned and rubbed her chin. The world had such an abundance of mana, yet no one knew how to use it. If this was back in her ho world, there wouldve been teleportation gates everywhere. They cost a lot to power, but with all the ambient mana floating around, perhaps even a regular citizen could use one. Unfortunately, it was quite difficult for her to set up a teleportation gate by herself. Soone would have to be at the location she wanted to create a portal to holding one of her beacons, but if the distance was too far, theyd need a lot more mana than weeds could supply them. She shook her head and dismissed the idea of setting up multiple gates. A ti mage couldnt only teleport through space, they could also manipulate ti in a local area. Ill ride there personally. I just need a guide.
Frederick III nodded. Are you sure you dont want us to send a rider with one of your necklaces? You could wait here and magic yourself over there when he arrives.
Its too slow, Tafel said and stood up. Is the rider ready?
Yes, Frederick III said. He was waiting for you to give the order.
Alright. Tafel draped a cloak over herself and gestured for Frederick III to lead the way. After exiting the castle, she arrived at a courtyard where the stables were. A man was waiting next to a horse. He kneeled upon seeing Tafel, and she nodded at him. Get up. Im going with you to England.
The mans expression didnt change as he rose. Yes, Your Majesty. Shall I prepare a carriage?
Tafel shook her head. A single horse is faster. She ignored the hand that the man offered her and leapt onto the horse with ease. She scooted back and patted the front of the saddle. Youre riding here.
The man glanced at Frederick III before climbing onto the horse. The journey is a long one, he said. Im not looking down on your ability, but are you sure you can handle this?
It wont take that long, Tafel said, her horns glowing silver. She patted the horses rump, and the face of a clock appeared on its skin. It was made of silver light, and the hands on the clock were rotating at blinding speeds until the naked eye could only see a circle of light. Go.
The man didnt comnt as he whipped the reins. The horse galloped forward, and it imdiately scread once its hoof left the ground. It whizzed forward, turning into a streak of brown light. The streak nearly crashed into a wall as it left the courtyard, and it ca to a stop fifty ters outside of the castle. The man panted for breath, as did the horse. I didnt know horses could scream, the man said and swallowed. Your Majesty, what happened?
I sped up the horse, Tafel said and frowned. You cant control it at that speed? Its only thirty tis faster than usual. Since its supposed to take a month, I sped it up by thirty tis to make it take only a day. Tafel licked her lips. Usually, she couldnt speed anything up that drastically, her limit being three tis the speed, but with the abundant amount of mana in the air, the impossible beca possible. Perhaps she could train her dynamic vision this way. Let drive. Just tell which direction to go and try your best to not fall off. You might get seriously injured if you fall off when were going that fast.
The mans face paled as he climbed off the horse. Tafel scooted forward, and the man hesitated to climb back on, his hand trembling as he grabbed the saddle. Is, isnt it inappropriate for you to ride in a mans arms? Perhaps you should swap with a woman rider instead. Theyre rarer than n, but if you search hard enough
Nonsense, Tafel said and patted the back of the saddle. Just hold onto the saddle. If you hug my waist, Ill throw you off.
The man looked like he was about to cry. Your Majesty, Im just a normal human. Can you bless with great strength or a sturdy body to ensure my safety?
My husband could do that, but hes not here, Tafel said and pursed her lips. How about this? Ill tie you to the horse, and if you fall off, Ill support your body with so wind magic. Have you ever flown a kite before?
Whats a kite?
Oh, youll see, Tafel said and nodded. She opened a portal, and a mob of peasants appeared on the other end. I need a rope.
The Herald of the Apocalypse needs a rope! Who has so rope!?
A few seconds later, a coil of rope appeared in front of Tafel, and she thanked the peasants before closing the portal. She passed the coil to the guide. Make sure you tie it on tight. Rember, if its loose, the only one that gets hurt is yourself.
Are you sure it wouldnt simply be easier to find a woman guide? the man asked. He gestured towards the castle with the coil of rope. Its only one second away, Your Majesty.
That may be so, but itll take a while to find a woman rider as you said, Tafel said. Weve wasted enough ti already, and were going to be riding for a whole day. Hurry up and tie the rope.
The guide sighed and went to the front of the horse, tying a loop around its chest, stomach, and back. Then he fastened the makeshift harness to himself. He made eye contact with the horse while doing so. It looked just as frightened as him.
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