"Hello there." Leonard greeted with a smile, pulling a warm piece of oat bread from his coat and offering it to the unicorn.
The unicorn tilted its head and sniffed the bread. The pleasant aroma caught its interest immediately, and without hesitation, it took a bite.
The sweet flavor won it over at once. It circled Leonard excitedly, trying to nuzzle into his arms.
"Stop that. It's a gift for your herd, not for you to sneak a taste." Leonard gently pushed the unicorn's head away. "Can you give me a ride to the botanical garden? You can call the rest of your herd there too."
Leonard wasn't sure if his request was too much. According to books about unicorns, only maidens of pure heart could approach them, or they were said to be creatures of such noble pride that they would never allow anyone to ride them.
Yet this unicorn showed no hesitation. It tilted its head as if inviting Leonard to climb on.
It turned out that magical creatures weren't as dignified as the stories claimed. When they refused to be ridden, it was less about pride and more about trust—or the lack of it.
Maybe all it took was a piece of oat bread to change their mind.
Centaurs, on the other hand, might actually care about "dignity." After all, they were more human than beast.
Leonard climbed onto the unicorn's back, holding onto its neck with a contented smile, enjoying the soft mane brushing against his face.
Once Leonard was settled, the unicorn gave a gentle whinny and dashed toward the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
Its stride was steady; Leonard barely felt a bump as they moved.
But the unicorn, clearly used to running wild, soon strayed into the territory of the Acromantula.
Huge, hungry spiders began to surround them, their eight eyes glinting in the dim light.
Leonard sensed trouble and was about to act when a soft, silvery glow spread across the unicorn's body.
He froze, then felt the sudden surge of speed as the unicorn became a streak of silver-white light racing forward.
The Acromantula they passed were blown into the air as though caught in a fierce storm.
Without slowing, the unicorn carried Leonard straight out of the spiders' domain with effortless grace.
As expected of a unicorn—its power was enough to face nearly any threat. Without wizards to hunt them, they had no natural enemies.
Before long, Leonard arrived at the botanical garden. The trip had been far smoother and faster than if he'd gone on foot.
He didn't even feel the cold, and the speed was incredible.
For days, the bitter weather had kept Leonard indoors, doing his morning exercises inside the castle.
The botanical garden's security was solid, and magical plants weren't nearly as fragile as ordinary ones, so Leonard had let himself slack off a bit.
It was only because of those few cold days away that he hadn't realized—the unicorn herd had temporarily settled near the botanical garden.
Watching the silver-white unicorns stroll leisurely through the botanical garden, Leonard thought the scene was quite beautiful.
It was just a pity that so few people were allowed to visit this place.
As he stepped inside, Leonard immediately felt the change in temperature.
The Bitter Buckwheat Peppers that had absorbed dragon scales quietly radiated heat, keeping the surroundings at a comfortable temperature of around ten degrees Celsius.
Thanks to the warmth from these Bitterthorns, the grass remained lush and green, and the nearby pond hadn't frozen over.
No wonder the unicorns chose to live here—compared to the freezing Forbidden Forest, this place was far more pleasant.
"Neigh!" A small unicorn with a shimmering golden coat bounded out from the Bitterthorn bushes and trotted up to Leonard, nuzzling him affectionately.
Before long, the sweet aroma wafting from Leonard's arms caught its attention. Whining softly, it tried to burrow its head into the folds of his robe.
"Easy there, easy." Leonard chuckled, gently pushing the little unicorn's soft head aside. He handed it the bag of maple-syrup-drizzled pancakes, then shared the large sack of oat bread among the rest of the unicorns.
Of course, his own unicorn deserved the best, so Leonard naturally reserved the finest treats for it.
The other unicorns didn't seem to mind. After enjoying their oat bread, they lay down nearby—some grooming their coats, others dozing peacefully...
The little unicorn stared wide-eyed at the strange, sweet-smelling treat before it, curious but uncertain.
It had never seen such a thing before. Though it smelled delicious, it hesitated to take a bite.
Seeing this, Leonard smiled, dipped his finger in maple syrup, and gently smeared a bit on the unicorn's nose.
The unfamiliar sticky sensation made the little unicorn instinctively lick its nose. The moment it tasted the sweetness, its curiosity turned to delight.
It licked Leonard's finger clean, then looked down at the pancake, opened its mouth, and took a cautious bite.
The soft pancake mixed with the sweet syrup created such a pleasant taste that the little unicorn began prancing happily in place, humming softly as it ate, pressing affectionately against Leonard's side.
Leonard wasn't idle either, wrapping his arms around the little unicorn and giving it a good rub.
A single pancake wasn't much for a unicorn's appetite. After finishing it, the young one still seemed unsatisfied. Catching the lingering sweetness on Leonard, it immediately started nudging him again.
"Alright, that's all for now. I'll bring more next time," Leonard said fondly, rubbing the little unicorn's head before standing up to check on the plants in the garden.
The first he examined were the Bitter Buckwheat Peppers growing outside.
There were two varieties. One was the highly poisonous type infused with Acromantula venom—the spider's toxin replaced the pepper's natural paralytic agent, leaving visible purple veins along the originally green stems.
The other was the Dragon Scale Buckwheat Pepper, which developed patterns resembling dragon scales. These peppers, having absorbed real dragon scales, possessed an exceptionally strong defense. Even without being Magic-Eaters or capable of absorbing magical energy, they could still resist most spell attacks.
Both varieties were thriving, especially the dragon-scale ones. During the cold winter, they grew even faster, and some already bore fruit close to ripening. In just a few more days, they would be fully mature and ready to produce seeds.
When that time came, Leonard would gain experience while also harvesting a batch of Bitter Buckwheat Peppers ready for battle.
...
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