Volume 12 - CH 3

“O- ooh, Wow!”

Trip from the city of Premie to the royal capital, the third day.

There was a group of people different from those before.

“Mr Yuuji, calm down. I’m leading the horse by the reins, so you don’t have to panic”

Yuuji was experiencing horse riding for the first time.

Well, one of Kevin’s exclusive escorts, Aias was holding the reins, so the horse was led like in a tourist farm though.

Before the group departed, Yuuji was tossed a question by Kevin. “The distance to the third inn town is short, so we will arrive even when going slowly. If it’s okay with you, would you try riding one?”

Accepting Kevin’s words, Yuuji took on the challenge of horse riding.

Although it was difficult right after departure, now they were proceeding at a horse’s walking speed without problems. Well, it was just a horse led by a rope, so even a child could do it however.

Next to the horse who was giving Yuuji a ride, Kotarou was walking. It appears she had a keen interest in horse riding. Did she feel like riding one? Despite being a dog.

Hanging out of the covered wagon, Alice and Riese were watching over Yuuji’s gallant figure. No matter how one looked at it, those were eyes with expectations saying “Next will be me!”

Now Mr Yuuji, shall we raise the speed a little?”

By order of Kevin who was sitting on the coachman’s seat, the group gradually raised the speed. From a walking speed to a trot. *clop clop clop* The horse Yuuji was riding on too lightly raised its speed.

“O- ooh, I’m shaking a lot!”

“Mr Yuuji, bend your body backwards! Don’t let your butt off the saddle.

Instructions were sent out to Yuuji by Kevin’s exclusive escort. It appears that, instead of the riding style where one stands and sits depending on the vertical motion on the horse, they were teaching him the sitting posture first.

Regardless, this exclusive escort, he was running and maintaining the rope led horse. Moreover he did not raise his breathing and lightly matched the horse’s speed. It was abnormal. It was abnormal but Yuuji did not notice it.

Thus, Yuuji’s horse riding experience lasted until lunch break. 

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“Riding on a horse is quite tough, isn’t it…”

The lunch break that finally arrived as far as Yuuji was concerned. They put a break in between for the horses, but from the early morning until noon, Yuuji continued to ride a horse. 

His thighs and calves were wobbling and trembling, he rubbed his bottom that was pushed up by the saddle. It appeared elegant, but horse riding was a full body exercise.

“Well, it’ll be alright when you get used to it. I’ve selected a clever and healthy horse after all. That being the case, your butt took damage it seems though… Ideally you would’ve become able to go canter with two people without assistance, but that looks to be difficult”

Kevin took a glance towards Alice and Riese.

It appears that he taught Yuuji how to ride horses for when something were to occur. It was not that he offered Yuuji, who did not know what to do with his free time, with amusement.

“Eh? Isn’t that too high of a hurdle?”

“Yes, for your first time riding one, it wasn’t bad, but it seems unreasonable as expected”

It was natural. If one were able to do that much on their first time horse riding, horse riding lessons would not be as expensive. Well it may have been different in this world however.

“Alice, Alice wants to ride the horsey too!”

‘Yuuji-nii, Riese is a lady, so she would like to be able to ride horses. Please tell that to Mr Kevin for me’

With sparkling eyes the two girls were watching Yuuji’s horse riding experience in the morning. It seems they really did want to try riding on a horse. But why was even Kotarou’s eyes sparkling beside them? As expected it would be impossible to ride horses with four legs. That’s no longer horse riding, but acrobatics.

“Mr Kevin, it looks like the two of them want to ride it too, but…”

“Uhm, I didn’t bring with me supporting equipment for children, so… but no doubt that it’s better if the two of them could ride them”

“Lord Yuuji, lord Kevin. Shall I take them for a ride if they just go one by one? It should be better to have them get used to it”

Who threw a lifeboat to the pondering Yuuji and Kevin was the Premie city adventurer’s guild master Salomon.

To him, who accompanied them under the pretext of being the elven girl Riese’s guard, increasing their options at the critical moment is valuable. Well, seeing that the former first rank adventurer Salomon was there, they could bite and tear through most of the dangers though.

“Yay! Thanks mister Salomon!”

‘I can ride it! Riding doubles is surely lady… Right’

Alice raised both her hands in high spirits.

Hearing Yuuji’s translation, Riese revealed her joy a beat later. However, Riese dampened her spirits a little seeing the three horsemen.

The ones riding a horse were Kevin’s two exclusive escorts and Salomon. Riding double is sort of ladylike. However, whichever she chose, her fellow rider would be a middle-aged man. It would not be strange to think of it as a lady and her escort, but it was still plenty enough to crush Riese’s ideal, it seems. 

“Alice and Riese will be riding horses starting this afternoon then!

Yuuji patted and rubbed the heads of the two, without noticing the Riese with her complicated expression..

Yuuji also ignored Kotarou barking twice beside him.

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“Wow, woow! It’s high~! It’s fast!”

‘Amazing, it’s amazing!’

The afternoon, after finishing lunch break.

Alice rode double with Kevin’s exclusive escort Ianis, and Riese with Salomon.

The two girls who were riding on the horse while held, were enjoying themselves with faces full of smiles.

It seemed to differ from a lady’s ideals, but Riese too was in high spirits. She was still a child.

Perhaps caught up with the two frolicking girls, Salomon and Ianis too showed a smile.

On the other hand, Aias, who was teaching horse riding to Yuuji in the morning, and his horse looked lonely. If it could give the thirty four year old Yuuji a ride, then it may have wanted to let the happy looking girls ride it even if the weight increases. Is it a unicorn or something?

“Alice, Riese, be careful, okay!?”

Yuuji raised his voice twofold and told the two, both in local and elven language.

In Yuuji’s hands was a camera. He was filming Alice and Riese’s gallant figure. He was like a father on sports day.

“Kuku, Mr Yuuji is also a worrywart. You’ve completely become their guardian aren’t you?”

Seeing Yuuji like that, the former third rank adventurers party scout Enzo, who had been standing in the narrow space of the coach, called out to him. Enzo was in charge of being on guard of their surroundings together with Kotarou. It seems he has some leeway whenever Kotarou was outside and not on the wagon bed.

“Well of course I am, I mean I am the escort leader after all!”

Yuuji, it seems he did not forget his title. For the time being.

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“Riese-chan, today was fun, right!? Mister, thank you!”

“It was fun, everyone, thank you”

The third inn town, inn’s dining hall.

The happily smiling Alice and Riese conveyed their gratitude to the two who let them ride on the horse.

Riese spoke not with the elven language, but the local language she was taught by Alice.

“I see, I’m glad you two did!”

They rode double for just a little time from after lunch break to the next rest. Even so, the two girls properly enjoyed themselves it seems.

Perhaps inspired by seeing the figures of the two riding horses, seamster Yurshelle began to sketch a design on coarse paper that was made in this world. It looked to be the design of Alice and Riese’s horse riding clothes. This girl, she seemed to have been considerably influenced by the modern era.

“That’s right, Riese-chan! I give you this!”

What Alice took out was a handkerchief. It was the first work she sewed on her own after being taught by the seamster Yurshelle.

A handkerchief sewn by Alice while humming in a good mood after finishing their horse riding. Alice gifted it to Riese as a memento.

“Thank you Riese-chan! I, give this”

Although she was taught during winter, Riese’s speech was still broken. Not to mention she was told not to speak in the elven language where there were people during the travel, in order to avoid any risks. While showing a frustrated expression, Riese gave Alice the handkerchief she had sewn.

“Wow, Riese-chan made one too! Thank you! Alice will treasure it!”

Even so.

Her feelings were transmitted.

Alice showed a whole face of smiles, took Riese’s hands and told her her gratitude. 

The journey from Premie city to the royal capital, its third day had thus approached its end.

Leaving memories of the trip and precious gifts to the two girls.