How to Use the Lord’s Future Diary

Chapter 19

Regardless of my personal evaluation of Dr. Nickel, his reputation within the territory was quite good.

This was because he had been the leading contributor to the construction of the horned rabbit farm, which solved the territory’s food problem in one stroke.

I had no intention of denying that part.

Even if it was by coincidence, it was still true that Dr. Nickel had achieved merit.

‘So I should keep my promise.’

I had promised Dr. Nickel that once the horned rabbit farm was successfully built, I would help him with his research.

I had long erased any expectations regarding Otherworld Studies, but it wasn’t to the extent of breaking a promise I had already made, so I intended to comply with Dr. Nickel’s requests whenever possible.

‘Besides, he doesn’t ask for much.’

What he wanted were various beasts and plants that grew around the restricted areas, which I could easily prepare.

Especially since the Forest of Illusions was still a place where the Rabbit Tribe was scattered and living, it was a location that had to be cleared out to some extent for their safety.

I had permitted entry there under the guise of practical training for the knights and soldiers.

And with Dr. Nickel’s rising influence, there were now plenty of knights who would eagerly roll up their sleeves to get him whatever he wanted, so there was hardly a need for me to give any orders.

“The more I look, the more magnificent it is.”

–As expected, it’s a rabbit. Truly splendid.

Today as well, I watched the rabbits growing vigorously in the horned rabbit farm.

Seeing the horned rabbits noticeably increase in number day by day made my expression soften without realizing it.

With their meat to eat, and their fur and hides to make clothing, this winter promised to be warmer and more fulfilling than ever.

‘From now on, I won’t have to worry about food problems again.’

“My lord! A request for an audience!”

“What is it this time?”

Just as I had been watching the rabbits for a while and was about to return to my office, the knights came to me and led me toward the stables.

Apparently, Dr. Nickel had made a special request.

Lately, I hadn’t been paying much attention to whatever Dr. Nickel was up to, but it seemed he had started another project.

–Hihing\~\~

“And what did you bring this time?”

In the stables, Dr. Nickel, along with Rudick and a few other key figures of the territory, were waiting for me while conversing.

But what caught my eye even more was the large creature snorting in one corner of the stable.

It was a “Three-Horned Mountain Goat,” said to be occasionally found in this region’s mountain areas.

“I’ve heard that in the southern regions they use horned ostriches as mounts. Surely, we can do the same, can’t we?”

“So you’re saying we should tame the Three-Horned Mountain Goat and ride it?”

“It’s worth giving it a try.”

“Heh.”

The quintessential mount in a medieval fantasy was, of course, the horse.

And it was the same in this world.

Horses were humanity’s great companions.

‘But with the Great Cataclysm, their numbers dropped sharply. Especially in the southern regions, most horses were lost to monsters.’

These days, most of the horses raised in the southern territories were ones bought from the north.

Among the beastmen, the Horse Tribe was particularly skilled at raising horses, so they captured wild horses, tamed them, and sold them southward at a profit.

‘Horses are expensive strategic resources.’

The wild horses brought down from the north were strong and worked well, but their price was extremely high.

Many wanted them, but the number of horses was limited.

In our territory, we had only two draft horses.

When moving loads, we could only hitch carts to those draft horses—that was the limit of our territory’s capacity.

‘So he wants to use goats instead of horses?’

Now, Dr. Nickel was suggesting that instead of horses, we should use Three-Horned Mountain Goats.

He argued that since the Bison Territory in the south had managed to tame horned ostriches as mounts, we could do the same.

If there was a way to secure a mount to replace horses, there was no reason not to try.

‘But is this really right?’

The Three-Horned Mountain Goat was a beast living in the mountains and canyons, just like the horned rabbit, having crossed over from a Dimensional Rift.

Compared to the mountain goats of the Ribella Peninsula, its horns were larger, with an additional small horn in the center, hence the name “Three-Horned Mountain Goat.”

If explained that way, one might simply imagine a goat with an extra horn on its forehead, but reality was a bit different.

‘This thing’s physique is completely different from a normal goat.’

A goat’s body shape was fundamentally different from a horse’s.

They were stockier than horses, with shorter legs and lower stature.

But despite having a goat-like physique, the Three-Horned Mountain Goat stood at a height comparable to a horse.

‘If a thoroughbred is like a slim sports car, then this thing is more like… an SUV? Or maybe a tank?’

Its sheer size was overwhelming.

On top of that, despite being a herbivorous beast, it was so aggressive that weaker monsters didn’t even dare approach it.

Just looking at it, I couldn’t see how this would work, and the thought of taming and riding it was absurd.

“Wait—where exactly did you even catch this thing? Don’t tell me you went into the Monster Mountains?”

“Well, we found an interesting place in the Forest of Illusions. The terrain dips sharply down into the ground, forming a deep canyon. That’s where the goats were living.”

“And how did you even find such a place?”

“It was once used as a refuge by the Rabbit Tribe. And this little guy, Tito, was the one who told us about the goats.”

“Ah, the Rabbit Tribe.”

The Forest of Illusions was mostly flat woodland, hardly a place where a Three-Horned Mountain Goat could live, so I had wondered how they even managed to catch one. But it turned out there was a canyon formation that stretched deep underground.

The goats had made their home in that unusual place for survival, able to traverse cliffs as if they were flat ground. And since the Rabbit Tribe had once used that place as a hideout, their existence became known.

“Tito here was on good terms with the goats, so it was easy to catch one. We just approached carefully and gave it a couple of shots with paralytic darts. Quite the useful fellow, this one.”

“…Is that so?”

So, in the end, they had basically betrayed a goat they had known for some time and kidnapped it?

It wasn’t bad that the Rabbit Tribe was contributing as members of the territory, but seeing Tito grinning so innocently gave me a strange feeling.

He had seemed like a rather naïve and decent child.

–Well, that’s thanks to him adapting so splendidly to the Johnson Territory.

‘He’s adapted a little too well. A pure-hearted Rabbit Tribe child hanging around with those knights… not sure I like that.’

Sighing at the reality that it felt like we had corrupted a kind Rabbit Tribe child, I turned to Dr. Nickel.

At this point, I could only hope that something worthwhile might come of this Three-Horned Mountain Goat.

But it didn’t seem like he had any concrete plans either.

“Is it really possible to tame this thing? Do the prophets’ records say anything?”

“There are some similar records, but nothing certain. That’s why we brought you here, my lord. They say you’re the strongest in the territory, aren’t you?”

“Well, that’s not entirely wrong.”

That was a more reasonable response than I expected.

I thought for sure he’d shamelessly insist there was some ancient ancestral record.

So what he really meant was that they wanted to leave this experiment to the strongest and sturdiest person—me.

If an ordinary knight tried to ride a Three-Horned Mountain Goat and made a mistake, it would end in serious injury.

Seeing the group of knights gathered around with eyes sparkling eagerly, I couldn’t help but feel like a clown.

But the yearning for a mount seemed almost like an instinct for knights, so I couldn’t just flatly refuse them.

‘I’d rather just buy them a horse if I could…’

But with our circumstances, we couldn’t even dream of affording a warhorse. The only option was to make do with our bodies.

‘Still… a Three-Horned Mountain Goat does look pretty cool.’

The truth was, I also had a little dream about mounts.

Back in my old world, I had always liked large cars—SUVs and Jeeps.

Not those flashy sports cars, but something solid, with presence—that was my taste.

And in this world, the Three-Horned Mountain Goat gave off the same feeling as an SUV. So it was worth at least trying.

“Well, fine. It’s not that hard to give it a shot. What do I need to do?”

“According to the ancestors’ records, the most common method to tame a wild beast like this is to break its spirit.”

“Break its spirit?”

“Yes. You start with a staring contest and establish dominance.”

“That sounds… traditional, I guess…”

I tilted my head, wondering if this really meant anything, when Black Rabbit added a word.

–Indeed, when taming a beast, presence is crucial. No creature listens to someone weaker—that’s the rule of this world.

“Well then, let’s give it a try.”

With Black Rabbit chiming in, it actually sounded convincing.

So I decided I might as well give it a try and stepped into the stable.

The goat was so violent that they had chained it with thick iron links. Dragged into an unfamiliar place and bound, it was restless and agitated.

“But isn’t that one especially big for a Three-Horned Mountain Goat?”

“Kuh kuh, of course. I picked out the largest one for you. It suits a brute like you perfectly.”

“You really…”

No wonder it looked a bit larger—turns out it was the biggest of the herd.

The knights must have struggled to bring it in.

Even if they knocked it out with poison, just carrying that bulk here must have been a feat.

I could only think these knights were absurdly persistent, and I locked eyes with the goat, filling my gaze with killing intent.

‘Ho, as expected…’

–This one’s spirit is strong.

The Three-Horned Mountain Goat, bound tightly in chains, met my gaze head-on without flinching.

It was certainly no ordinary beast.

Perhaps it was the leader of its herd.

Just glaring wouldn’t be enough, so I pressed it further, lacing my aura into my presence.

But it only snorted heavily and growled back.

“What an arrogant beast… well, fine. It doesn’t seem like this method will work.”

Of course, there was no way a mere staring contest could tame a Three-Horned Mountain Goat.

I had only tried it because they insisted, but it left me feeling ridiculous.

It was probably best to stop this farce.

So I withdrew my presence—but then the beast shook its body and let out a derisive snort, as if mocking me.

‘Did it just laugh at me?’

It felt absurd to read mockery in a goat’s face, but anyone watching would have thought the same.

It was as if it was saying, *Pathetic, to bind me like this and try to intimidate me.*

I was dumbfounded.

“Hey, unchain it and let it out.”

“Huh? Are you sure that’s safe?”

“Right now, I think it’s the goat you should be worrying about, not me.”

“Well… that’s true. Alright then. Everyone, stand back.”

At my command, Rudick released the chains binding the beast.

The other knights pulled back, in case it went berserk.

As soon as the chains came off, the goat snorted and slowly approached me.

It didn’t even glance anywhere else—clearly, it was quite offended.

–Grrr…

Shaking itself and growling, it lowered its horns and charged straight at me.

The attack was entirely predictable. I seized its horns with both hands, and the contest of strength between man and beast began.

Its strength was immense.

But I was not someone who lost in contests of strength.

‘Well, more precisely, Iron’s body wasn’t.’

Iron Johnson’s nickname was “Grizzly Johnson.”

When you thought of Iron as a bear, the nickname fit perfectly.

And there was no way a bear would lose to a mere goat.

“Haaah!!”

Bracing my waist, I forced the beast sideways and toppled it to the ground.

And as it staggered back to its feet, I drove a straight punch right into its jaw.