Ghislain spoke with a reluctant expression.
"Well, I suppose that's true… Fine, go ahead…"
Yulian dismounted, and Alpoi approached the white horse.
Alpoi greatly coveted the magnificent horse. A great wizard like him deserved to ride such a steed.
Snort!
As Alpoi approached, the white horse shot him a fierce glare, brimming with anger and even a hint of killing intent, as if to say, "How dare someone like you come near me?"
The others looked on with expressions that seemed to say, "Of course." There was no way someone like Alpoi could tame such a legendary horse.
Alpoi gulped and stood in front of the white horse, opening his mouth.
"I am the man who defeated a goddess!"
Snort?
"That makes me, naturally, the greatest man in the world!"
Snort?
"You're the best horse, aren't you? So of course, you should carry the greatest man!"
Snort?
"After all, I'm the only one who has defeated a goddess!"
The white horse blinked, and Alpoi continued to brag about how incredible he was.
The onlookers burst out laughing, ridiculing him.
"Hahaha!"
"There he goes again, making ridiculous boasts!"
"I mean, does a horse even understand what he's saying?"
How much longer was he going to milk this story and boast about it? Say what you will, but his sheer arrogance and confidence, despite lacking self-awareness, were something to admire.
Ignoring the laughter around him, Alpoi enthusiastically tried to impress the white horse.
After all, he truly believed himself to be the greatest man who had defeated a god.
Snort…
But then, something strange happened with the white horse.
The fiery aura of hostility vanished. The white horse's eyes seemed to glisten, as if they were moist.
The horse could tell.
The man in front of it was utterly insignificant. Having roamed the battlefield alongside the invincible Idun, the horse could sense this even more acutely.
However, that arrogant energy and those unyielding eyes…
They resembled its former master more than anyone else.
This was a man who truly believed he was the best, living with unshakable confidence.
Snort…
The white horse slowly approached Alpoi and nuzzled its face against his chest. The unfamiliar man before it bore a scent that reminded the horse of its former master.
It wasn't surrender. It was an expression of nostalgia and delight.
Soon, the white horse knelt of its own accord, allowing Alpoi to mount it.
The crowd fell silent, their laughter replaced by stunned expressions and gaping mouths.
"Why… Why someone like him…?"
"Has the horse gone mad?"
"This makes no sense!"
This was the same horse that even knights and superhumans had failed to ride. Only Yulian had succeeded, and now Alpoi had managed it?
And it wasn't even like Yulian, who had subdued the horse. Instead, the horse behaved warmly, even affectionately, nuzzling its head against him.
And its eyes—oh, those eyes!—they dripped with honey and held a touch of longing.
From atop the white horse, Alpoi raised his head with an arrogant expression. The white horse mirrored his motion, lifting its head in kind.
Both man and horse exuded a sense of insufferable pride.
Alpoi declared grandly, "See? This horse knows just how amazing the man who defeated a goddess truly is! From now on, this horse is mine!"
Neighhh!
The white horse neighed as if echoing Alpoi's words.
Stroking the horse's neck, Alpoi continued, "Ah, how lovely. Indeed, the best horse belongs with the best man. From now on, your name is Koko."
Koko had been the name of a pet he had once raised, though it had escaped from its pen and was likely eaten by someone. Kane and Galbarik were the prime suspects.
Alpoi gave the white horse that name, rich with nostalgic memories.
Neighhh!
Whether it liked the name or not, the white horse responded to Alpoi's words.
The crowd was silent. All eyes turned to Ghislain.
"…"
Ghislain simply folded his arms and blinked. Who would have thought Alpoi could tame such a legendary horse?
And not just any horse—the horse of Idun, one of the continent's strongest.
'Come to think of it… his personality really is similar to Idun's.'
Both were utterly self-centered. If nothing else, their self-love and insane thirst for glory were identical.
No wonder the arrogant white horse had taken such a liking to Alpoi.
A promise was a promise. Since Alpoi had mounted the white horse, he was entitled to it.
"Uh, well… It's two people now. What should we do? A duel, maybe?"
Alpoi's face turned pale. If it came to a duel, Yulian could end him with a mere flick of his finger.
In a panic, he shouted, "Why have a duel? Let Koko decide!"
Alpoi was confident. For some reason, it seemed like Koko really liked him.
Everyone turned to Yulian.
Yulian shook his head and said, "Forget it. I'm not interested in horses."
After all, any horse he rode would become a top-class steed. Since someone wanted it so badly, he saw no need to take it for himself.
Thanks to Yulian's concession, the white horse truly became Alpoi's.
Ghislain, still blinking in disbelief, addressed the crowd.
"Uh… With Yulian's concession, Koko is now… Alpoi's."
"Yesss!"
Neighhh!
Alpoi raised his hand and let out a victorious shout. Koko neighed along in celebration.
The crowd watched in stunned silence. They didn't want to admit it, but they couldn't deny the outcome.
After the contest for the white horse(?) ended, Alpoi ran straight to Belinda and said, "Get me a new robe!"
The red robe Alpoi had been wearing was completely tattered and shabby.
Belinda, the head maid, had replaced it several times, but it quickly wore out from all his work in the field.
"Fine, I'll arrange a new one when we return to the estate."
"Make it white! Something elegant!"
"White? It'll get dirty quickly while working. Also, the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower robes aren't white."
"It's fine! I'll only wear it for important occasions! I want to match Koko!"
"Alright… if you insist."
Belinda nodded reluctantly. Alpoi was one of Fenris's loyal vassals. A luxurious white robe wasn't an unreasonable request.
Having secured the promise of a new robe, Alpoi mounted Koko and shouted, "From now on, I am the White Alpoi, who defeated a goddess!"
Neighhh!
Alpoi and Koko let out triumphant cries, while the others silently began their retreat.
Those who had failed to claim the horse glared enviously at Alpoi whenever they saw him.
Whether it was the dragon heart from before or now this, that lucky mage seemed to always scoop up the best things.
***
Back in the Kingdom of Sardina, Ghislain began a meeting to address post-war matters.
The first issue was dealing with the remaining rebels and remnants of the Salvation Church in several small nations.
The main priests and military forces had been annihilated in the recent war. The scattered remnants who hadn't been summoned to the frontlines would be easy to handle.
More pressing was the task of pursuing the missing Gartros.
"Let's form armies and send reinforcements across the regions."
The Allied Forces were reorganized into several new armies, specifically to hunt down the remnants. These forces were structured around strong individuals to wrap things up quickly.
No one opposed the plan. They all wanted to finish the cleanup and return to their kingdoms as soon as possible.
As Ghislain read the reports, he muttered, "Yulian, Gillian, Tennant, Marquis Gidion, Marquis Alperen…"
Proven leaders and nobles with demonstrated command abilities were appointed to lead. These figures would now spread across the land to eliminate the remnants of the Salvation Church.
Ghislain pouted.
"Why is everyone stopping me from going when I said I wanted to?"
Claude snapped in frustration.
"Oh, come on! If you leave, everything here will grind to a halt! Only the weaklings are left anyway, so why do you need to go?"
"Just to stretch my legs? I haven't fought in a few days, and I'm itching for action."
"You've got to be kidding me. If you need pain, just stay here and do push-ups!"
Ghislain was the commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces. In the urgent aftermath of the war, her absence would cause everything to stagnate. Everyone would be left waiting idly.
When Ghislain insisted on going, everyone clung to her legs to stop her. Even the great Ghislain couldn't push forward when the entire Allied Forces opposed her.
After all, she didn't really need to go—she simply wanted to fight.
Claude, well aware of this, threw a fit.
"We have mountains of work piled up! Entire kingdoms have collapsed! Supplies need to be sent everywhere! There are still unstable rifts! Expansion-prevention magic circles must be installed! Reconstruction efforts must begin! There's too much to do!"
"Can't you handle it?"
Ghislain asked with a look of genuine curiosity. When had he ever handled such matters? Claude always took care of them.
Wasn't his job just to provide direction?
Claude clutched his head and screamed.
"I can't! Do it! Alone!"
Within the Kingdom of Lutania, Claude could manage anything alone. He could simply push things through.
But this was the matter of the entire Allied Forces. It involved the interests of countless kingdoms and nobles.
All the notable figures from each kingdom had gathered here. No matter how much Claude carried Ghislain's authority on his back, it wouldn't be easy.
"Listen to me. I could do it if I had to. People would listen to me, if only because they're scared of you, my lord. But do you think there would be no complaints?"
"There will be complaints, of course. People's greed knows no bounds. Just like yours."
"Exactly! And that's the real problem! Just like me!"
The kingdoms, unable to challenge Lutania directly, would likely end up fighting each other instead.
This could lead to disputes all across the continent. With Gartros still alive, they couldn't let that happen.
Thus, Ghislain had to stay behind to mediate the conflicts and push things forward, ensuring no one dared act rashly despite their grievances.
Ghislain clicked his tongue, a look of regret crossing his face. Deep down, he knew he wasn't in a position to go off and fight right now.
"Ugh, it would've been so much easier if Amelia were here."
Countless kingdoms had fallen, leaving behind unclaimed lands and wealth in abundance. In many ways, the spoils of war were immense.
While Lutania had taken the lead, many other kingdoms had also cooperated and made sacrifices. Dividing the spoils had now become the most critical task.
If Amelia were here, she would have calculated the contributions coldly and divided things accordingly.
'Or maybe, she'd secretly kill off anyone likely to cause trouble and claim the largest share for herself.'
Chuckling to himself, Ghislain asked about Amelia's recent activities.
Claude shuffled through some reports before responding.
"She's contacted us. She's requesting the supplies we promised. She also says the relocation efforts will begin soon."
"Sounds like she succeeded."
"Yes. She eliminated the rebels and the Salvation Church in the Kingdom of Norvagen and took over the territory. She's planning to hold an official coronation soon."
"And the losses?"
"Virtually none, she says. Even the superhuman priests were lured into traps and beaten to death. While taking over the kingdom, she also wiped out remnants in neighboring countries. Honestly, it's impressive. She really managed to take the whole kingdom."
"Well, she's capable of that much. Send her the promised supplies and help with the relocation of her people. Thanks to her, we've already dealt with quite a few remnants."
As promised, Amelia had left Lutania and claimed a fallen kingdom.
Now, she was returning all her lands in Lutania, relocating her people and wealth to her new territory.
Once Ghislain supported her in stabilizing the new kingdom with necessary supplies, the agreement between them would be complete.
Other pending matters, like sending aid to struggling kingdoms, were quickly resolved. The remaining issue was how to divide the spoils.
Ghislain drafted an outline with Claude.
"The Kingdom of Seiron will go to Lutania. No objections, right?"
Claude had seized the kingdom under the justification of rebellion. No one raised objections to that.
But it didn't end there.
Even territories belonging to intact kingdoms that bordered Lutania were taken away.
"We've worked hard and provided much support. It's only fair that we take this much."
The neighboring kingdoms bordering Lutania were in an uproar. They had fought together, yet Lutania was taking their land?
This was madness!
"You're out of your mind—no, isn't that a bit excessive?"
"How can you take the land of an allied nation? This is creative tyranny!"
"We cannot accept this!"
Lutania is strong. Fighting them is futile, but they couldn't just sit idly while their lands were taken.
Nobles from the affected kingdoms fiercely opposed the decision. Some were even prepared to die for it.
As if expecting the backlash, Ghislain nodded a few times before speaking.
"Instead, we'll give you even larger territories."
"What do you mean?"
"There are fallen kingdoms near the ones I've named, aren't there? Why not divide those among you in proportion to what you've lost?"
"Uh… oh… hmm…"
The nobles swallowed nervously as they looked at the map. The territories Ghislain had marked were far larger than the lands they'd lost.
It was clearly a better deal. Moreover, the division was perfectly reasonable.
A noble cleared his throat and cautiously asked, "Hmm, it's not a bad proposal, but… for kingdoms far from Lutania, aren't the lands of nearby fallen kingdoms simply divided among themselves? Doesn't that seem a bit unequal?"
Ghislain dismissed the concern with ease.
"Take more from the nearby kingdoms. And for those who gain land, cede some from other areas to balance it out. Divide things among yourselves. No one wants distant territories anyway, do they?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
While distant territories could be claimed, they'd eventually become estranged after a few generations.
When royal authority and administration couldn't reach those lands, they essentially became independent kingdoms in all but name. Losing them would be almost inevitable.
Ghislain proposed reorganizing the territories of each kingdom in this manner. Since everyone gained more land overall, there was little opposition.
Borders were redrawn, and administrative tasks became slightly more complicated. However, no matter where the new lands came from, they'd still require management.
"Alright, let's proceed with this plan. What we've set here is just a rough outline, so let's fine-tune the details now."
Though the restructuring was significant, it wasn't entirely precise. Kingdoms with adjacent territories engaged in discussions, each trying to claim a little more.
"Come on, we fought more battles than you did!"
"But we provided more supplies!"
"This territory is closer to us, so we should take it!"
Ghislain simply watched with a smile, stepping in only when the disputes became too heated.
'I've already taken my share.'
Having already carved out his own boundaries, Ghislain had no more to claim. Lutania, which had seized the most land from neighboring kingdoms, now controlled an enormous territory. It had become nearly twice its original size.
Already a great power, Lutania had grown even larger.
But since everyone else had gained something as well, and Lutania was the strongest, there were no real complaints.
As the post-war settlement neared its conclusion, Ghislain once again had the dream.
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