As soon as Redbird stepped out of the tent, she spotted a puppy. It had originally been a guard dog in the Barbarian camp, but a Human child named Patch had adopted it a few days ago.
Patch had a very unusual teacher: Junior Knight Fang Dante. Fang was widely recognized as the lord's trusted aide, and every afternoon he went hunting with the lord.
Fang's family was also renowned for hunting. Fang and his father, Greyhound, had gathered all the guard dogs and hunting falcons the Barbarians had kept in the captured camps and were raising them together.
Gallop Plains produced more than just Black-Scaled Horses. The Black Mastiffs, Snow Mastiffs, Tiger-Headed Eagles, and Grey-Headed Falcons from the plains were also beloved by Human nobles.
The Black Mastiff was believed to have the Bloodline of the Wind Wolf, a Wind School magical beast, and had a keener sense of smell. The Snow Mastiff had the Bloodline of the Frost-Wolf, and could walk on snow and ice as easily as on level ground.
The Tiger-Headed Eagle had the Bloodlines of both Water School and Wind School magical beasts, while the Grey-Headed Falcon had the Bloodline of a Wind School magical beast. These breeds of falcons and hounds were more intelligent and stronger than ordinary ones. The Barbarians had a special ritual that allowed them to share the vision and other senses of a falcon or hound after forming a Bloodline pact with it.
Patch was very fond of these falcons and hounds. Whenever Fang went hunting, Patch often visited the area around Fang's tent to see them. He also knew just how to handle the animals.
Patch brought bits of meat and slowly approached the carnivores. He also volunteered to help Fang with his laundry. Every evening, Patch went to Fang's tent to collect the clothes Fang had changed out of that day. He made sure to get them in front of the animals, then put on Fang's shirt before approaching them, so they would think he was one of Fang's family.
At last, Fang realized Patch was trying to win over his pets. He liked the clever boy, so he gave Patch a Snow Mastiff puppy to raise. Patch became Fang's Apprentice, helping him feed the animals in camp and clean up after them every day.
Fang wasn't the only one who liked Patch. Neil did too, and taught him how to care for horses. He even entrusted him with Neil's favorite Black-Scaled Horse, a mare named Blaze.
The puppy at Redbird's feet whimpered and whined. Redbird saw Patch hurrying over. "Shouldn't your puppy be well-behaved? Why is it running around?"
"My puppy says you've got a piece of meat hidden on you."
At that, Redbird remembered that she did have a piece of sausage in her cloth bag. Lady Nila had given it to her two days ago, telling her to eat it so she would grow faster. She took it out. "It really said I had meat?"
"Of course. I can understand what she means now."
"Really? That's amazing! Can she tell you what's inside other people's tents, too?"
"She can't do that. She can only tell me where there's food and where there's danger. She can't tell me anything else."
"Then you could find out where there's Earth Potato, couldn't you?"
"Yeah—huh? I never thought of that. Snowy's never smelled Earth Potato before, but you're right. I can get her to look for it, so everyone won't have to dig for it anymore." Patch was delighted and left with the puppy.
Redbird felt that everyone she knew seemed to have found something they liked doing, but those were all things she wasn't good at. She wanted to find something she liked, too.
Redbird wandered around Left Camp and saw children learning to handle horses, weave, forge metal, make pottery, and weave reed baskets.
She wanted to try everything, but none of the skills made her want to learn more after she tried them.
"Isn't that Redbird?" The speaker was Lord Raul, a familiar Knight from the territory. Scholar Albert, Lord Landen's uncle, stood beside him.
"Greetings, Lord Raul. Greetings, Lord Albert."
"What are you doing, Redbird?" Albert asked. He held a sheet of paper covered in pencil notes listing the territory's pack animals, horses, Long-Haired Sheep, tents, and other things. Makoto had just finished taking the inventory. Ever since Landen had mocked him, Albert had been gradually learning about the territory's affairs in detail.
Though he still opposed teaching all the Mana-Less to read and write, he agreed that a lord ought to understand the territory's Wealth more thoroughly.
"Lord Albert, I want to learn arithmetic from Teacher Makoto."
"Oh, arithmetic?" Albert perked up. "Then, Redbird, see if you can read what's on this sheet." With that, he handed her the inventory of the territory's Wealth.
"Um... Left Camp property inventory... Black... horses, 101. Pack animals... 237 head. Long-Haired Sheep... 532. Gold Coins..." Redbird read haltingly, but considering her age and Albert's rather unclear handwriting, she was doing very well.
"All right, Redbird. You did well. Go study hard with Makoto."
"Yes, thank you, Lord Albert." Redbird went into Makoto's tent.
"What do you think?" Albert asked, looking at Raul with some concern.
"What do I think about what?" Raul asked, puzzled.
"Redbird is learning to read so quickly."
"Her grandfather used to be the territory's Butler. Her family has a good foundation." Raul already knew what Albert was getting at and deliberately played dumb.
"But now every child in our camp is learning to read. What will the other lords think if they find out?" Albert finally said.
Raul sighed. He knew that teaching everyone to read was a taboo for the other lords, and didn't want to discuss the matter with Albert. "Albert, we've known each other for so many years. Let me ask you something: how has our Gallop Territory developed over the years?"
"Of course it's grown quickly. Hark took people out trading, and that's how we got those dozen or so Black-Scaled Horses."
"What about compared to Rothe, or the Barbarians? Have we developed faster than they have?"
"Hmm... Just say what you mean."
"I'm a rough fellow. I don't know how many Gold Coins that list in your hand is worth, but I do know that the Barbarian invasion eight years ago wasn't as bad as this one. Gallop has grown stronger over those eight years, but we haven't caught up with anyone else. We've only fallen further behind."
"What does that have to do with Landen teaching the children to read?"
"I spent some time in Dragon Tooth City. I know how the great nobles deal with lesser nobles. If Gallop follows the great nobles' complicated schemes step by step, we'll never develop."
"But as things stand, we're only a Viscount's territory. Can we really avoid the great nobles' schemes?"
"If you ask me, we might as well stay right here on Gallop Plains," Raul said. "Your family keeps calling itself Gallop's royal house, but Landen is the only one who's actually dared to come make his way on Gallop Plains."
"You may be right. But have you ever wondered where Landen got all those methods of his, those songs, and the idea of winning over the Barbarians?"
"Where did he get them? Didn't Landen himself say? The God Emperor protects him!"
"What?" Albert froze.
"You're a scholar. How have you gotten more muddleheaded the more you study? If he were a follower of an evil god, how would he dare invoke the God Emperor's name so carelessly?"
Landen himself didn't know that the God Emperor truly could hear the prayers and recitations of his territory's residents. Back in Landen's hometown, no deity could truly answer a believer, so he naturally assumed Alivia's deities were simply more powerful beings.
Albert, on the other hand, was worried that the Tower of Purity in the Imperial Capital might take an interest in Landen. Landen was far too weak right now. If they really took an interest in him, he would only become a target for the powerful in the Dragon Kingdom.