My Magic Has No Upper Limit

The interior was spacious and bright, with sunlight streaming down from the gaps in the wooden framework of the roof.

A wide central aisle divided the stables. On either side were rows of individual stalls crafted from smooth oak.

"Come, pick one you like," Bev said, making an inviting gesture.

Zelir glanced from side to side.

A fine steed stood in every stall.

Some were as black as ink, with only a small white star on their foreheads, while others were like burning flames, their coats a vibrant chestnut-red.

Another steed sported a beautiful coat of pale gold, like the color of sand dunes.

Zelir didn’t know much about horses, but he could tell that the steeds in Bev’s stables were far taller than ordinary riding horses.

Every one of them stood over 1.7 meters at the shoulder. They were strong and solid, their muscles flowing with a sense of power.

Moreover, these prized horses all had a proud demeanor.

Hearing the sounds, they lifted their heads from the feeding troughs, craning their necks to curiously size up the stranger, Zelir.

They periodically snorted plumes of hot breath, hooves pawing impatiently at the ground, the very picture of eagerness and energy.

Zelir scanned the rows of tall horses, finally making a point to select one that looked rather docile.

Its coat was light brown. Unlike the other horses, it didn’t hold its head high, but simply chewed its fodder quietly, occasionally lifting its head to glance at Zelir.

"I’ll take this one."

"Very well. An excellent choice."

Hearing his choice, the groom, Elle, smiled and deftly led the brown horse from its stall.

She then found a soft leather saddle and placed it on the brown horse, carefully tightening the girth.

Next, she adjusted the stirrups to fit Zelir’s height before finally handing him the reins.

On a wide lawn, Bev stood with her hands on her hips, explaining things with an impressive air.

"The first step to riding a horse is, of course, learning how to mount."

"Alright then, Professor Bev, how do I mount?" Zelir asked, playing along as her student.

"First, remember one thing."

Bev pushed up a pair of imaginary glasses on the bridge of her nose, then walked to Juna’s left side.

"Always mount from the left. Since you’re right-handed, your Sword is on your left side. This makes it easier to draw and keeps the scabbard from getting in the way."

"Next, grab all the reins with your left hand. Wrap them once around your palm and shorten them a bit."

"This ensures you can keep the horse from wandering off. Otherwise, it’ll just walk in circles on you while you’re trying to mount."

"At the same time, grab the pommel at the front of the saddle. Left foot in the stirrup, engage your core, push off with your leg, and swing yourself up like you’re on a swing!"

After finishing her explanation, Bev gave a demonstration.

She took Juna’s reins, placed her left foot in the stirrup, and gave a light push with her right hand on the leather at the back of the saddle.

Her pale gold dress traced a graceful arc through the air as Bev settled steadily onto the horse’s back.

The sunlight shone down from behind Bev.

She sat tall atop the horse, back straight, a dashing and heroic figure—just like the silhouette of a Valkyrie.

"Go on, give it a try, Zelir," Bev said with a smile.

"Alright..."

Zelir imitated Bev’s movements.

He took the reins in his left hand, keeping the horse still, then put his left foot in the stirrup and placed his right hand on the saddle.

He pushed off with his left foot, engaged his core, and in one smooth motion—

Zelir swung himself over the horse’s back and landed steadily in the saddle. Though his movements lacked Bev’s elegance, they were clean and efficient.

With Zelir’s physique, completing this series of actions was quite simple.

When he’d ridden with Gray in Oak Village, Zelir hadn’t thought much of it.

But now, sitting on a horse for the first time by himself and being in complete control, the experience felt entirely new and different.

Zelir felt as though he had instantly grown taller. His field of view opened up, and beneath him was a massive, living creature that shifted restlessly from time to time.

This made Zelir a little nervous. He subconsciously tightened his grip on the reins, but this only made the horse more restless.

"Don’t hold them so tight. Relax. It’s not a tug-of-war."

Riding Juna, Bev came over to Zelir’s side and offered a timely reminder. "The tighter you pull the reins, the more uncomfortable the horse will be."

At her words, Zelir loosened his grip on the reins. The brown horse seemed to sense the gesture and finally settled down.

"Very good. Now that you’re on, it’s time to learn how to use the reins. This is the most important part."

Bev hefted the reins in her own hands. "Hold them in each hand, like this. Grip them lightly. Don’t pull, just let them hang naturally."

"To turn left, gently pull the left rein and lean slightly to the left with your body to give it a signal. The same goes for turning right. To make it stop, gently pull back on both reins at the same time."

"Remember, you’re guiding the horse, not forcing it."

Bev patted Juna’s neck again.

"Giving simple commands is easy, too. Give a gentle squeeze with your legs against its sides, and it’ll know to walk forward."

"Voice commands are important, too. Something like ’giddy-up’ for forward, and ’whoa’ for stop. Horses are smart; they’ll understand. Go on, try it."

"Okay."

Zelir gave the horse’s sides a gentle squeeze with his legs and made a ’giddy-up’ sound.

The brown horse actually began to walk forward at a slow pace, making a loop around the grassy field.

Zelir felt like he had just unlocked a new toy.

He tugged the left rein, and the brown horse obediently turned left. He tugged the right rein, and it smoothly turned right. The feeling of control was exhilarating.

It was like driving, only much more fun.

He could feel every breath of the creature beneath him, every ripple of its muscles. It was a truly marvelous experience.

Zelir was gradually growing to love the feeling of riding. After completing a loop and returning to Bev’s side, he pulled back on the reins and softly said, "Whoa."

Sure enough, the brown horse stopped.

"How does it feel?"

"It’s amazing," Zelir said with a grin.

Elle clapped lightly from the sidelines. "You’re a very fast learner."

Zelir and Bev rode side-by-side across the field, slowly completing two laps as his excitement continued to build.

"Bev, we’re going too slow. How do I make it go faster?"

"You’re certainly impatient, aren’t you."

Bev chuckled lightly.

"Getting it to trot is easy, too. Just kick its sides with the back of your legs, a little harder than when you gave the command to walk."

"Then give a short, sharp ’Hyah!’ with your voice! Like this!"

"Hyah!"

Juna understood the command instantly. Her leisurely stroll quickened, breaking from a walk into a trot.