Unchanged Samurai In Another World

Episode 53: The Samurai is Unimpressed by the Giant Lizard

“Whaaat the heeeeck!!!”

On their way back to Angila, one of the riders’ horses suddenly broke away from the formation, charging off toward an improbable direction. With its tail and mane trailing long behind it, the horse’s hooves sparkled as it galloped madly back down the path from whence they had come.

“Tyumen-sama!”

“Aureik, just let him go. That idiot will learn his lesson quicker through his own body than any words.”

Stopping the apprentice who was about to chase after him, Kurosu shook his head and watched with a sigh as the horse dwindled in size to the point it looked like a tiny dot on the horizon.

“Didn’t I tell you to keep that horse in check? Untrained and unruly beasts like that are never meant to be handled by novices.”

As they prepared to depart Navar, they realized they couldn’t have the giant Tyumen share a mount with anyone, so he needed to select one of the Borello family’s horses. Despite Kurosu’s attempts to offer advice, Tyumen paid no heed and stubbornly chose a white horse, clearly guided by some peculiar sensibilities that led him to select an ill-suited mount.

“Stop bad-mouthing Arche! This girl just wants to go back home! She’s just a little lonely!”

“……………”

Not only had Tyumen given it a name, but he was also doting on it, seemingly unaware that the white horse was, in fact, a fine stallion. Even Renald had done a double-take at the horse’s groin the moment he heard the name.

“Tyumen-sama… With all due respect, that would be a fatal flaw for a mount.”

“Shut up! She’s just shy for now! Once she acknowledges me as a proper master, she’ll absolutely give it her all!”

What on earth was this lizard man babbling about to a horse they had only just met today?

People may say “horses judge people,” but such talk is mere nonsense. Just as humans cannot discern a horse’s temperament by appearance alone, so do horses not judge the goodness or badness of people by how they look.

Horse riding is about the skill of communicating clearly with the horse by accurately transmitting the rider’s intentions and precisely feeling the horse’s emotions—a technique of mutual understanding.

Being living creatures, they are naturally free-spirited and will attempt to act as they please. To counter this tendency, one must recognize it at its source and communicate effectively through the reins, allowing the horse to correctly understand the rider’s will. Without this, the horse won’t even be able to maintain a steady trot. This is no skill attained overnight, which is why both man and horse must practice diligently day by day.

“Therefore, my love! If this passion of mine could just get through to her, Arche will surely surpass them all to become an extraordinary champion horse—”

As Tyumen, the large lizard, stroked the stallion’s mane with what appeared to be his best attempt at a comb, the other travelers looked on with pity, much like one would watch a pitiable creature.

“…Is this man rough on the outside but actually a delicate flower?”

“…Master, even a noble’s son is taught to ride.”

“…Perhaps he’s just been spoiled. The baron did seem quite fond of Tyumen-dono.”

As the apprentices muttered their thoughts like stones in a silent river, the trio huddled closely, whispering discretely.

The baron, who had escorted them under the guise of seeing Renald off, had his eyes fixed on his son from start to finish. Rather than urging him or demonstrating any earlier signs of bold leadership, he now appeared a shadow of worry, fussing over forgotten belongings and cautioning his son to take care of himself.

“To me, relationships like theirs seem incredibly enviable.”

“Is it, though…? I respect my father greatly, but I cannot envy that sort of relationship.”

On his departure day, his father had not even made an appearance. It wasn’t out of disdain but a sign of trust—believing all necessary lessons and words of wisdom had already been imparted.

Were his father to act like the baron, the Kurosu house might descend into chaos due to the lord’s disturbed state of mind.

“Well then, with another push, we’ll reach our previous camping site. Let’s get moving—”

“Captain! Something is coming from ahead!”

Right as Raoul was about to ready the horses for their next leg of the journey, Axel’s loud voice cut through the air.

Squinting in the direction he pointed, they could see a growing cloud of dust rising from the distant plains. Even from that great distance, it was obvious something was heading straight for them.

“What is that?”

“Could it be a horde of monsters?”

Though indistinct from afar, they could discern the black fur and flushed, reddish faces, along with long, tengu-like noses. Each creature was about the size of a small dog, but as a mass, with near twenty of them charging in unison, they created an impression like a dark sea wave rushing at them.

“That’s ‘Mad Apes.’ Individually, they’re F-rank fodder, but depending on the size of the group, they can escalate all the way up to C-rank horde monsters. Once they’ve locked onto prey, they chase until its death—a real nuisance.”

“Uh, without a doubt, they’ve targeted us already…”

Impressively, Tyumen was quite knowledgeable. It was understandable considering his past as a lone ranger, but he wasn’t just some uninformed oaf after all.

“Captain, what’s the plan?”

“…If it’s heading our way, there’s no choice but to repel it. Renald, please retreat to the carriage with Pina.”

“Understood. Be careful, everyone.”

“Alright, Aureik and Axel, guard the carriage at all costs. We’ll try to keep the enemy away, but if you must fight, work together effectively.”

““Yes, sir!””

Raoul furrowed his brows for a few seconds but quickly started issuing orders as if he was gaining confidence through his training—no longer the hesitance he used to have.

“Tyumen-dono, can I count on you as our vanguard”.

“Sure thing! Close combat is my specialty!”

“Cross-dono… Could you thin the numbers?”

Raoul turned to him with a sly smile, one filled with implications of the role he expected.

“Understood. I’ll be back shortly.”

With the mounted four left in place, Kurosu spurred his horse ferociously toward the oncoming horde. Why wait around uselessly when they had the means to dispatch the beasts quickly via mounted archery?

The apes, sensing his presence, hastened their approach. Like two objects drawn together by an invisible thread, the distance between them quickly closed.

“Chase shooting”

Kurosu fired rapidly as the enemies entered his twenty-chaku range, arrows cleaving the air with sharp, dry twangs. Three beasts fell like strings cut from puppets, dragging down several others in their wake.

“Side shooting”

Controlling the horse with his lower limbs, he released arrows as he passed the horde sideways, claiming two more before they fully passed each other.

“Horse standstill shooting”

Stopping his mount, Kurosu stood in the stirrups and dispatched another three in quick succession.

“Turning shot”

With the horde still heading toward him, Kurosu turned his horse back and fired backward while retreating.

“Good.”

The horde split—a portion advancing toward the carriage and another chasing Kurosu. Both groups appeared about six strong. He could trust the others to manage well enough on their own.

“…This reminds me of my childhood.”

The sight of apes scattering like spiderlings brought back fond memories of his younger days. The mounted archery training, known as the “three practices of horse archery” involving Kasuke, Yabusame, and Inouemon, had all seemed very practical to him at the time. But he had always particularly favored Inouemon, where one pursued a moving target in a team.

While others focused on solitary techniques in their own warrior’s training, Inouemon required cooperation as they chased the target dogs together. They used special arrows without blades to avoid killing the dogs, but hitting mere glances was not considered effective. He remembered laughing in joy as the judges praised skillful shots with “Bravo!” and the camaraderie felt whenever they would celebrate with light taps on each other’s knees. The sting of failure as they lay supine, looking up at the sky, was also a fond remembrance.

The voices of his brothers during those times remained crystal clear in the recesses of his ears.

Because of his status, Kurosu had scarce opportunities to enjoy such camaraderie, making those training sessions particularly precious and cherished times of genuine immersion.

Recalling those memories like a cow chewing cud, he maneuvered freely, quickly eliminating foes. The apes had no chance against the speed and agility of his horse, and there was little difficulty in wiping them out.

Not wanting to stray too far from the carriage, he turned hastily to retrieve arrows later and rushed back toward where he had planned to intervene if needed—but—

“Hahahahahaaaaaa!!!!!!”

There stood Tyumen, wreaking havoc in the center of the horde like a demon god.

Using his immense strength, he smashed them aside with brute force, grabbing others by the head and crushing them. Though the apes fought back with fierce claws and fangs, his impenetrable scales rendered their attacks futile.

“This finishes it, boy!”

Seizing the last one by the arm, he hurled it headfirst into the ground, the creature exploding as if its insides had popped like a balloon.

While not utilizing any magical arts, his combat style was undeniably ferocious and beastly. It was an awe-inspiring sight.

Raoul and the apprentices were also fighting their own foes valiantly, but judging by the situation, they didn’t need assistance.

“Hey, is that weapon just for show?”

On Tyumen’s back rested a colossal battleaxe, likely weighing around four kan—so large that a normal man wouldn’t even be able to lift it.

“This is for bigger prey! Sea monsters tend to be enormous, y’know? Against these, it’s quicker to punch!”

“……………”

Seeing Tyumen proudly flexing his muscles, a slight irritation surfaced within Kurosu. He decided to inform him of something he had forgotten to mention earlier.

“By the way, your beloved steed has run off somewhere.”

“Arche-chaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!!!!!!!”

As Kurosu watched the large lizard sprint away in a pitiable manner, he instead moved to ensure the safety of others.

“Raoul-dono, are you alright?”

“…………………”

“Raoul-dono?”

“…Uh? Oh, sorry. I’m fine here, everything’s under control.”

He stood there for a moment, dazed, as if opening and closing his palms in some sort of trance. Was combat still too much for him at this point?

With worry gnawing at him about Raoul’s state of mind, Kurosu headed towards the apprentices waiting by the carriage.

—

Thank you always for reading my humble story.

I apologize deeply for the delay in updates.

Though it might seem strange after writing about such brutal training as ‘Inouemon,’ it turns out I have a new companion at home—a puppy! Life has been a bit hectic lately.

Being an absolute novice when it comes to writing fiction, I am crafting these words night and day without any plot outlines or stockpiled content. As a result, future updates may also experience delays. Please excuse me, and kindly bear with me.

Continued support would be greatly appreciated.

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