After that absurd conversation at the horse stable, I was dragged—literally—by that guy to the training field.
There were already a dozen or so other soldiers there, all of them looking like they were born post-gym membership, super buff and intimidating.
And me?
Just a casualty of night shifts and instant coffee.
The commander arrived.
Heavy steps, and an aura of intimidation thicker than his armor.
Clearly, today was not my day.
And of course, he pointed right at me.
"You!"
Oh no, here we go again...
"Horseback training! Now!"
I stepped forward, body half-trembling—like a chicken accidentally wandering into a dragon's den.
A horse was brought out.
Big. Majestic. Eyes sharp as blades.
Its name was something like Zephyr... or maybe Spinebreaker the Destroyer.
I tried to approach.
The horse looked at me.
We locked eyes.
There was a silent exchange between us.
And I'm pretty sure it said:
"Weak human. I can smell your fear."
I gulped and attempted to mount.
But my body froze, and in one awkward move... THUD!
I fell.
Backwards.
Right into a pile of hay.
Which, oddly enough... saved me from deeper humiliation. Sort of.
All the soldiers laughed.
I wanted to evaporate.
But the commander just scoffed and said:
"If you can't ride it, then you'll run... while pushing it around the field!"
WHAT?!
PUSH A HORSE?!
Sir, that's a 400-kilogram animal, not a shopping cart!
But I gave in to my fate and started pushing the horse.
Each step was an insult to the dignity of modern humans.
I used to work with Excel. Now I push horses.
Degradation level: 200%
That night, I returned to my room like a zombie.
My whole body ached.
But somehow...
Behind all this suffering, there was a tiny spark of feeling alive.
Just a little.
Maybe because... at least I'm not alone in an office like before?
Or maybe... because I really want to kick that commander someday.
Who knows.