Na-Isekai Ako
Chapter 51: The Great Chicken Conspiracy

Chapter 51: The Great Chicken Conspiracy

Katherine had expected a simple horseback riding lesson. She should have known better.

It started innocently enough—Florante maintaining his usual dignified air, Adolfo throwing out his usual cocky remarks, and Katherine just focusing on not falling off her horse.

Then, in what could only be described as a moment of sheer madness, Master Gerard had glanced between the two young noblemen and, with a gleam in his eye, declared, "A race. That’s what we need."

Katherine had opened her mouth to protest, but Florante, ever the gentleman, simply nodded. "I’m not entirely sure about this, Professor, but... I understand." He sighed, as though accepting whatever antics Gerard was about to throw at them.

Adolfo, on the other hand, was practically grinning with excitement. "Oh, this will be fun."

The course was simple—ride from the stable, weave through the training grounds, loop around the courtyard, and return. A straightforward test of skill, or at least, that was the plan.

"Now, remember, this is about technique and control," Master Gerard reminded them. "To all students, watch both of them closely."

"Of course," Florante replied, his posture immaculate and poised.

"Absolutely," Adolfo chimed in, cracking his knuckles with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Katherine, watching from the side, couldn’t help but grin. She’d hoped for a quiet lesson, but this was turning into something far more entertaining. There she was, in the front row seat to witness the full-blown rivalry of the hero and villain—how could she not enjoy the spectacle?

She chuckled and gave them both a playful look. "Alright, you two. May the best rider win. Just try not to break anything—especially each other."

Adolfo gasped in mock offense. "Lady Katherine, you’re encouraging this madness?"

Florante smiled, adjusting his gloves with a wink. "Shall we begin?"

Master Gerard sighed. "Very well. On my count—"

Before he could even finish, Adolfo spurred his horse forward with a sharp kick, launching ahead with an unapologetic laugh. "Oops! Did I go too soon? My mistake!"

Florante didn’t bother arguing. With a quick nudge, his own horse surged forward in a perfectly timed burst of speed. Unlike Adolfo’s reckless charge, his form was impeccable, his posture elegant as he maneuvered through the course with precision.

Katherine groaned. "Unbelievable."

Master Gerard merely crossed his arms. "I should have seen that coming."

The race quickly devolved into a spectacle. Adolfo took sharp, reckless turns, cutting corners and laughing wildly as he barely avoided collisions with startled stable hands. Florante, by contrast, rode with practiced discipline, his movements a lesson in efficiency, his horse responding to every subtle shift of his reins.

But technique wasn’t always enough when faced with pure, unrelenting chaos.

Halfway through the course, Adolfo, clearly enjoying himself too much, reached over as he passed Florante and smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "Having fun back there, my lord?"

Florante didn’t even flinch. Instead, he tilted his head in quiet amusement before urging his horse into a sharp acceleration, overtaking Adolfo in a single, calculated move.

Katherine watched with a mix of exasperation and reluctant admiration. Is this how Florante and Adolfo fight with each other in the novel? They seem silly.

By the time they neared the final stretch, it was impossible to tell who would win. Adolfo, determined and grinning like a devil, pushed his horse harder, while Florante remained the picture of control, measuring every stride.

And then—a disaster.

A loose chicken, of all things, darted onto the path.

Adolfo yelped, yanking his reins to avoid a feathery catastrophe. His horse, unimpressed with this sudden change in plans, reared slightly, throwing him off balance.

Florante, having spotted the chaos unfolding, smoothly adjusted his trajectory. With expert timing, he guided his horse past Adolfo, avoiding both him and the unfortunate chicken in one graceful motion.

With that final maneuver, Florante crossed the finish line first, pulling his horse to a neat stop.

Adolfo arrived moments later, his horse snorting indignantly as he glared at the offending chicken, which had waddled off without a care. "That was sabotage," he announced dramatically, sliding off his horse with as much dignity as he could muster.

Florante merely dismounted with quiet grace, patting his horse’s neck. "You did well."

Katherine, chuckling, walked over. "So, my lords, are we done being dramatic now?"

Adolfo pointed at her. "You saw it, Lady Katherine! The bird had it out for me."

"Yes, I’m sure it was a personal vendetta." She went with his antics. "Better luck next time, speed demon."

Master Gerard pinched the bridge of his nose. "That was not the lesson. But... I suppose it was entertaining."

Florante smiled. "Shall we call it a day?"

Adolfo, huffing, crossed his arms. "Rematch. Next time, no poultry interference."

Katherine sighed but couldn’t help the grin that tugged at her lips. Something about this madness was oddly enjoyable. She just might be looking forward to whatever nonsense they’d get up to next.

***

The afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the riding field as students began to scatter, their lively chatter buzzing about the race between Florante and Adolfo. Katherine, still amused by the antics, walked alongside Florante, savoring the peaceful aftermath of the competition.

"You rode well," Florante said, offering her a soft smile. His voice was light, carrying an ease that made the conversation feel natural. "You’ve got a good presence on horseback. With a little more practice, you’ll be a force to reckon with."

Katherine laughed, shaking her head. "You’re being way too kind. I was just trying to stay on the horse, honestly. I’m surprised I didn’t get tossed off halfway through."

Florante chuckled, his expression warm. "It’s all part of the experience. You’ll find your balance soon enough."

Katherine grinned. "Maybe. But I have to say, perseverance is just as important as skill, right?"

Before Florante could respond, Adolfo appeared beside them, sliding into the conversation with his usual flair.

"Perseverance is all well and good," he interrupted smoothly, "but too much of it can lead to exhaustion. And I think the lessons are done for today. Time for the lady to rest. "

Florante smiled, unfazed. "I was just giving Lady Katherine some tips for her next ride. She seemed to enjoy it."

Adolfo raised an eyebrow. "Very thoughtful, Lord Florante. You seem quite experienced in this matter."

Katherine shot him a look. "Oh, I’m sure we all saw Florante cross the finish line first. That’s proof enough, I think."

Adolfo placed a hand over his chest in mock offense. "Ah, Lady Katherine, how cruel. Not even a word about my valiant effort? The challenges I had to face? The—"

"The chicken?" Katherine teased, her grin widening.

Florante let out a soft laugh, while Adolfo shot her an exaggerated glare. "Yes, the treacherous, conniving chicken that robbed me of victory."

Katherine raised an eyebrow. "It truly is a tragic story. The bards should write a ballad about it."

Adolfo shot her a flat look before turning his attention back to Florante. "Surely, my lord, you don’t intend to monopolize Lady Katherine’s time after class?"

Florante raised an eyebrow, unbothered by Adolfo’s antics. "We were simply discussing horseback riding, my lord. Surely, that does not trouble you?"

Katherine could feel the tension in the air—not quite hostility, but something close. They weren’t really fighting. Yet at the same time, it felt like Adolfo had drawn an invisible line, a challenge that Florante met with nothing but quiet amusement.

Before either of them could say more, a firm voice called out from a distance.

"Florante."

The young noble turned at the sound of his name, immediately recognizing the voice of his mentor.

"Master Antennor," Florante greeted with a respectful nod, his usually composed expression becoming more serious.

Antennor, standing at the edge of the training field, gave a single, curt nod. "Come. We have matters to discuss."

His sharp gaze swept the area, then halted, locking onto Katherine.

It wasn’t a casual glance, nor was it a passing acknowledgment of a noble lady’s presence. No, this was different—a deliberate, almost assessing look, as though he was weighing something in his mind.

Master Antennor was a man of few words, his sharp features telling tales of years of discipline and experience. Unlike Master Gerard, whose relaxed confidence exuded warmth, Antennor’s stoic, unreadable presence commanded respect without any need to raise his voice.

Why was he looking at her like that?

Then, a memory flickered in Katherine’s mind—Professor Sophanes had once casually mentioned that Florante’s mentor had also mentored her brother.

Katherine blinked, realizing her hand was still slightly raised, and that she was still processing what had just happened between her and Florante.

"I’ll be waiting outside, Florante," Antennor added, his voice cutting through her thoughts.

"Yes, master," Florante responded, his expression returning to its usual calm.

He turned back to Katherine. "It seems I must take my leave."

Katherine nodded, smiling understandingly. "Of course."

But just as she expected him to walk away, Florante surprised everyone—including himself—by reaching for her hand. He took it gently, his fingers brushing against hers in a fleeting touch, before he bowed slightly, his lips almost grazing the back of her hand in a quick, graceful motion.

It was brief, proper—but the reaction was anything but subtle.

The nearby stable hands froze, staring in shock. A few students gasped. Even Master Gerard, who had been preparing to leave, did a double take.

Katherine, meanwhile, was frozen, utterly blank in the face of Florante’s unexpected display.

Florante released her hand with a composed smile, as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "Until next time, Lady Katherine."

Katherine’s heart skipped a beat. She had no idea what to say, so instead, she simply watched him leave, trying to sort out the mix of emotions that were suddenly flooding her.

Before Katherine could even recover from the shock of Florante’s dramatic exit, Adolfo’s voice slid into her thoughts, smooth and insufferably confident.

"Well, now that class is officially over," he said, sidling up to her with that annoyingly charming smirk, "would you do me the honor of accompanying me, Lady Katherine?"

Katherine froze, still mentally replaying Florante’s unexpected, borderline theatrical hand kiss, and now this? Adolfo, of all people, was looking at her like he’d already won some invisible game. She had a crush on him. A reluctant, deeply inconvenient crush. And now he was flashing that smug grin, as if he knew exactly what he was doing.

Florante had been her last line of defense, her one safeguard from the absolute chaos that was Adolfo. And now that he’d walked off with his mentor like some knight on a mission, she was left alone with the very disaster she’d been trying to avoid.

She tried to steady herself, but it wasn’t working. "This is how I die," she muttered under her breath, but of course, Adolfo heard her.

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "I’m sure it’ll be a very dramatic death, my lady."

She let out a strained chuckle, trying to mask her panic. "Yeah, probably involving a lot of eye rolls and sarcasm."

"Sounds like a fitting end," Adolfo replied, his smirk growing. "Shall we, then?"

Before Katherine could even form a response, a voice cut through the tension, smooth and perfectly timed.

"I do apologize, Master," Roiselin interjected, appearing at Adolfo’s side with the precision of someone who had rehearsed this exact moment, "but I believe you have pending duties to attend to first."

Adolfo’s jaw twitched. "...Roi."

Katherine raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained by the drama unfolding before her. "Pending duties?" she asked, leaning in as if this were all some kind of live performance.

Roiselin turned to her, a picture of politeness. "Indeed, my lady. My master still owes Master Uriel a visit for the workshop query he conveniently skipped last week. As you can imagine, accountability is crucial."

Adolfo shot Roiselin a look that could probably melt steel, but Roiselin, undeterred, merely gave him a faint, innocent smile.

Katherine, on the other hand, couldn’t help but laugh. "Oh, I thought you were free. Seems like you’re a busy man after all."

Adolfo exhaled dramatically, rubbing his temple as if trying to will the situation away. "I was."

"Until you remembered your oh-so-important responsibilities," Roiselin supplied with a grin that clearly said he was loving every second of this.

Katherine smirked. "Well, it’s good to be responsible, my lord."

Adolfo gave her a betrayed look as if she had personally stabbed him in the back.

Roiselin, clearly enjoying the spectacle, smoothly changed gears. "However, my lady, if you are interested in accompanying my master somewhere, there is an exciting event coming up."

Katherine perked up. "Oh? What kind of event?"

"The festival in the market this weekend," Roiselin said with a flourish. "To celebrate the Summer Symposium. There will be performances, stalls, and all sorts of delicacies. Quite the affair, really."

Katherine’s face lit up. "That sounds amazing!"

Roiselin nodded sagely. "It would be a perfect opportunity to experience the city’s culture outside the academy. And, of course..." He glanced at Adolfo with a smirk. "My master would certainly enjoy your company."

Katherine turned to Adolfo, who, despite his best effort to seem aloof, couldn’t quite hide the flash of surprise in his eyes.

She thought about it for a second, then flashed a grin. "I’d love to go."

For just a moment, Adolfo froze, clearly caught off guard by her quick agreement. But then, with a smooth recovery, he grinned back. "Good. Then it’s a date."

Katherine choked on air. "It’s not—"

Roiselin, ever the professional, cleared his throat loudly. "An outing, my lord," he corrected with a wink.

Adolfo’s grin only widened, clearly entertained by the whole situation.

Katherine sighed, realizing she had just signed up for yet another chaotic adventure.

But... for some reason, she couldn’t help but look forward to it.