Securing those breeding pastures represented only the first step of Sofie's long-term vision. The land itself meant very little without the freedom to shape every aspect of the breeding program according to military needs. Unlike private ranches that focused primarily on producing healthy horses for the civilian market, the military required animals capable of surviving the horrors of war. Every decision, from bloodlines to feeding schedules, had to serve that single objective.
Control over the breeding program also provided another important advantage. If a superior breed of horse was discovered somewhere in the expanding wilderness, the military could immediately adjust its breeding strategy without renegotiating expensive long-term contracts. Private companies naturally disliked changing their production plans after investing years into a particular bloodline, whereas the military could adapt whenever necessary. In a rapidly changing world filled with magical creatures and newly discovered species, flexibility was almost as valuable as quality itself.
That possibility was far from theoretical.
Humanity had only explored a tiny fraction of the new wilderness created after Earth's expansion. Every month, adventurers discovered strange plants, unfamiliar animals, and entirely new ecosystems that had never existed before the System arrived. While most discoveries held little military value, all it would take was a single exceptional horse species to completely change the future of cavalry warfare.
Sofie refused to be caught unprepared if that happened.
For that reason, she designed the breeding program to remain flexible from the very beginning. New bloodlines could be introduced without disrupting the entire operation, while less successful breeds could gradually be phased out over several generations. Although the process required patience, it ensured that the military would always possess the best horses available instead of remaining tied to outdated choices.
There was another practical concern as well.
The military needed different horses for different purposes.
A lightly equipped scout required an agile and fast mount capable of traveling enormous distances with minimal fatigue. Heavy cavalry, on the other hand, demanded powerful animals that could carry armored riders while maintaining enough momentum to smash through enemy formations. Siege engineers required yet another breed altogether, one possessing immense strength and endurance to haul massive equipment across rough terrain.
No single horse could excel at every task.
Centuries of selective breeding had already demonstrated that different roles demanded different physical characteristics. Rather than attempting to create one perfect breed, Sofie established several specialized breeding lines that could each be refined toward a particular battlefield role. It required significantly more work, but the resulting flexibility justified every additional expense.
Naturally...
Such ambitions did not come cheaply.
The cavalry program quickly became one of the most expensive military projects undertaken since the First Guardian Trial. Constructing breeding facilities, purchasing breeding stock, hiring experienced handlers, importing veterinary specialists, and developing specialized equipment consumed staggering amounts of money before a single cavalry division became operational.
Even so...
Sofie insisted the investment would repay itself many times over.
The true cost of military weakness could never be measured only in silver coins. If superior horses prevented thousands of casualties during the next Trial, then no reasonable price could be considered excessive. She repeated that argument so often during budget meetings that several treasury officials could quote it from memory.
Still...
One problem continued troubling her.
They lacked exceptional breeding stock.
Ordinary horses were sufficient for establishing the foundation of the cavalry, but everyone understood they would eventually need something better. Magical beasts, enhanced bloodlines, or naturally evolved species almost certainly existed somewhere within the vast unexplored wilderness. Finding those animals had therefore become one of the military's highest priorities.
That realization eventually reached the Adventure Guild.
After lengthy discussions with Herman and several military planners, a permanent commission had been established. Any adventurer who discovered an unusual horse species meeting the military's requirements would receive an enormous financial reward. The commission quickly became one of the most lucrative quests available anywhere in Europe.
Its value continued growing every year.
When first announced, the reward already attracted enormous attention.
However, Sofie added another incentive to prevent adventurers from losing interest over time. Every year that passed without a suitable discovery increased the reward by an additional two thousand silver coins. The ever-growing bounty served as a constant reminder that the military remained desperately interested in finding superior horses.
By now...
The total reward had reached sixteen thousand silver coins.
Even experienced adventurers stared in disbelief when they saw the amount displayed on the guild's commission board. For comparison, many people could comfortably support an entire family for years with only a fraction of that money. The reward alone motivated countless expeditions into regions that had previously received little attention.
The commission, however, came with unusually strict conditions.
Anyone who intentionally concealed a qualifying horse after discovering it would face the harshest possible consequences. Herman himself had signed the legal directive declaring such actions an act of treason against Europe. If someone knowingly withheld a suitable breeding animal while waiting for a better offer, they would face a court-martial and, if convicted, the death penalty.
The severity of the punishment shocked many citizens.
Civil rights organizations immediately challenged the law.
They argued that applying military treason statutes to civilian adventurers represented an extraordinary abuse of governmental authority. Newspapers debated the issue for weeks, while legal scholars questioned whether such harsh penalties could truly be justified under European law.
Ultimately...
The courts upheld the legislation.
Military lawyers successfully demonstrated that strategic breeding stock represented an essential national defense resource under newly enacted emergency security laws. Because the next Guardian Trial threatened humanity's continued survival, intentionally withholding a strategically valuable discovery endangered not merely the military but the civilian population as well. Reluctantly, the judges concluded that the legal precedent supported the government's position.
Fortunately...
No one had yet been forced to test those laws.
Several unusual horses had already been reported through proper channels, proving that the commission itself functioned exactly as intended. Adventurers understood that honesty offered both financial rewards and legal protection. Most preferred earning generous payments over risking their lives by attempting to hide discoveries from the authorities.
Unfortunately...
None of the discoveries truly met the military's needs.
Two particularly promising horses reached the final evaluation stage after attracting enormous excitement among cavalry specialists. Both animals possessed uncommon rarity and displayed extraordinary physical characteristics that immediately caught the attention of breeders. For several weeks, hopes ran remarkably high throughout the entire cavalry program.
Those hopes eventually collapsed.
Detailed veterinary examinations revealed that both animals were infertile.
Without the ability to reproduce, neither horse could contribute to the long-term breeding program regardless of its individual quality. Although disappointing, the discovery prevented the military from wasting years attempting an impossible breeding project. Reality often proved less generous than initial appearances.
Even so...
The adventurers still received compensation.
Each finder earned one hundred silver coins as a discovery fee in recognition of their effort and honesty. Furthermore, the military offered to purchase the horses directly if no private buyer expressed interest. While the animals held no breeding value, they remained exceptional specimens worthy of careful study.
In the end...
Both horses were sold through public auctions.
Collectors and wealthy factions quickly drove the bidding far beyond the military's initial offer until each animal eventually sold for approximately three hundred silver coins. Although Sofie privately considered the prices somewhat excessive, she understood the fascination surrounding such rare creatures. Not every purchase needed to make practical sense.
Back in Europe...
Construction of the breeding facilities continued steadily.
The enormous pastures gradually filled with carefully selected bloodlines while new stables, veterinary clinics, training grounds, storage buildings, and living quarters appeared across the countryside. Every month brought visible progress, slowly transforming empty farmland into the foundation of Europe's future cavalry.
The military leadership remained cautiously optimistic.
Sofie's original arguments had ultimately convinced them that direct control over breeding would reduce long-term expenses despite requiring significant initial investment. Owning the entire supply chain eliminated dependence upon private contractors while allowing breeding priorities to evolve alongside humanity's changing understanding of magical animals.
Unfortunately...
Those long-term savings did little to comfort the treasury department.
When financial officers finally reviewed the complete cavalry modernization plan, several nearly suffered heart attacks. The horses alone represented only one portion of the overall expense. Saddles, barding, armor, weapons, breeding infrastructure, veterinary services, specialized training academies, transportation, logistics, reserve stock, replacement animals, and maintenance costs combined into figures so enormous that some accountants initially assumed calculation errors had occurred.
There had been no mistakes.
Equipping a single heavy cavalry division required staggering amounts of money before its soldiers ever entered combat. Every rider required custom equipment, every horse demanded years of care before reaching military readiness, and every replacement represented another significant investment. Looking at the final numbers, the treasury officials finally understood why so few modern armies had attempted to rebuild true cavalry forces.
As painful as those expenses appeared on paper, however, Sofie remained convinced they represented one of the wisest investments Europe could make. The next Guardian Trial would not resemble the wars of the previous century, and armies that relied solely upon old doctrines would pay for that mistake with countless lives. If humanity wished to survive an ever-changing world shaped by mana, monsters, and endless wilderness, then every silver coin spent preparing properly today would save far more than money tomorrow.