Chapter 32 - The Fleeing Horse and the Mage on Its Back
The view from horseback was higher than I expected. Up here were Cecily, holding the reins, and me, clinging to her for dear life.
"Hold on tight!"
Cecily shouted. I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind and held on firmly. We were galloping down a small path in the forest, chasing after the horse that had run off. We were moving at a considerable speed. The approaching trees were terrifying; I felt like a branch was going to poke my eye out at any second.
"H-Hey, you're making it hard to move. You're stiff as a board. Relax a little and match my movements, but don't let go."
I understood what she was saying, but scary is scary. As we rounded a corner, I felt like centrifugal force was about to throw me off, and I hugged her even tighter.
"Honestly!"
"This is way too hard for a beginner!"
"It ran off because you kept thinking about how scary it is, and your feelings got through to it. …Anyway, could you loosen up a little? You know, this is usually when one of those 'accidents' happens where you end up grabbing my boobs."
Cecily glanced back at me with a provocative smile. Was she telling me to distract myself with lewd thoughts? I see. I lifted her robe and firmly grabbed her crotch. I expected to feel underwear, but she was wearing shorts.
"Gah! Where are you touching?! How am I supposed to concentrate?! My chest, I meant my chest!"
"Put some more passion into it! And how dare you trick an innocent boy! Wearing shorts under your robe is just plain dirty!"
"Huh? You're a dirty old man! You'd see my underwear if I didn't wear shorts to ride a horse! Now get your hand off me!"
Cecily yelled. I didn't want her to make a mistake steering, so I reluctantly gave up on her crotch and let my hand wander up to her chest.
"Hmm? Where are the boobs?"
I groped around, searching.
"This guy… But hey, you're not so tense anymore. Good. Don't forget this feeling for when you ride alone!"
The horse picked up even more speed. It looked like we were about to catch up to the runaway. It was still terrifying, but I endured it by focusing on Cecily's softness. While I was at it, I figured I should confirm the location of her nipples. If I could make them hard, I probably wouldn't forget. But before I could locate them, the horse ahead gave up its escape and came to a stop. And just like that, the erotic—I mean, terrifying—chase was over. As for how I ended up on a horse in the first place, we have to go back to breakfast this morning.
We were eating breakfast. Bread and sausage, grilled tomatoes, beans, and a wild salad made of torn-up vegetables tossed together. It was served on a single plate every morning. I had no idea what kind of beans they were. They were stewed in a ketchup-colored soup, but it tasted salty, not like ketchup at all. Seated around the table, going clockwise from me, were Fam, Maira, Aira, Cecily, and Mizuki. It was an ideal scene for me, but being surrounded by this many women still made me nervous.
"Are we going to the dungeon again today?" Fam asked.
"Let's see…"
"What about shopping?" Mizuki chimed in.
"Good point…"
"A day off?" Mizuki asked again.
"Right…"
"Are you not feeling well?" Maira looked at me with concern.
"The dungeon, huh… Well, I guess that's fine," Cecily said.
"Is there something you want to do?" Maira asked.
"We're going to be guarding a caravan, right? Do you all know how to ride a horse?"
I see. Since we'd be escorting wagons, we'd probably have to deal with horses. Maira shook her head. When she looked around, Fam shook her head too. So, Fam, Maira, and I were the beginners.
"Mizuki, you have experience?"
"Yeah, but I only rode a few times during a trial lesson in elementary school. You should count me as a beginner."
Was she some rich kid? I'd have to ask her to play the part of a pampered lady for me sometime.
"Actually, I had a chance to practice a little in my village. But I don't remember any of it now," Fam said.
"I'm not… very confident either," Aira added.
"Is there any point in practicing now?"
Mizuki asked.
"Probably not. But if we learn the basics, we can get used to it during the journey, don't you think?"
"Mash, what do you want to do?"
"Let's see…"
"…Hey, Mash!"
Mizuki was getting angry.
"Sorry. Including today, we only have four days left in this city. We need to confirm our six-person combat formation, go shopping, take a day off, and… horseback riding? Is there even a place that can teach us?"
"Let's visit a knight I know. It'll be faster if you come too, Mash," Maira said.
"Alright. If possible, we'll do horseback riding today. Shopping tomorrow, dungeon the day after, and then a day off."
Everyone nodded in agreement with my words.
We all went to visit Maira's acquaintance. He was a retired old knight, not an active one. He seemed to be a devout follower of Racshell, because as soon as he saw my face, he arranged for an instructor and horses for us. And so, we ended up practicing at a ranch just outside the city to the north. Renting horses and getting lessons for a whole day should have been expensive. I had Maira ask, but he said he wouldn't accept any money. Things like this make me feel incredibly uncomfortable. We were definitely imposing on him. As I was thinking that, I was told Cecily would be my instructor. I didn't like the idea of being looked down upon by her, but I couldn't say that to her face when she was so enthusiastic. I tried telling her I'd just have Fam teach me, but she shot me down with a simple, "Are you an idiot?" And so, while we were practicing, my horse leaped over the fence and ran off. It effortlessly cleared a fence as tall as a person. Seeing that up close only made me more afraid of horses. Someone had to ride it back, so it was decided that Cecily and I would chase after it on a single horse. Which brings us to now.
"I'm telling you, you're just too scared."
That was the line Cecily had been repeating all day. There's an old saying: "May those who interfere with love be kicked to death by a horse." I had interfered with Reed and Cecily's love, so maybe I was destined to be kicked to death.
"Besides, your profession is actually the most suited for horseback riding."
"Is that so?" I didn't understand what she meant.
"…You really don't know anything, do you? A Mage like me gets a large positive correction to my magic power. A Swordfighter like Mizuki gets a bonus to her swordsmanship. In exchange, other abilities get a negative correction. The higher your level, the stronger the effect becomes."
"I see. So there are 'corrections'."
So a profession was a system that applied corrections suited to that job on top of a person's natural abilities. In that case, one's base stats become crucial. Fam and Mizuki are young, so they'll grow, but wouldn't this system be tough on older people? If your base is no good, it doesn't matter how much of a correction you get. Or rather, the effect would be minimal.
"The Adventurer profession is pretty special; it gets a positive correction to all abilities. It's not a big one, though."
"So, what happens if your first profession is Mage and your second is Swordfighter?"
"The correction from the first profession is stronger. The second profession and below seem to grant a small positive bonus. The Adventurer's correction doesn't seem to apply in that case, though."
"…I see."
"This isn't an 'I see' moment! You're an Adventurer, so your riding ability is boosted, too!"
"Even if you say that…"
Scary is scary. And if your base skill is zero, it doesn't matter how high your level gets; it's still zero.
"Honestly… Just think of the horse as Mizuki."
"This thing is Mizuki?"
"Yep. She has a nice, pretty butt, right? Isn't she cute?"
Cecily patted the chestnut horse's body.
"I see… Mizuki!"
I am the man who tamed the wild horse Mizuki. If Mizuki is my opponent, I have confidence. Thinking that, the horse's round eyes started to look cute.
"Alright, try getting on."
"Yeah…"
I was able to mount much more smoothly than when we were practicing at the ranch.
"Great. Since we're out here, let's head to the pond up ahead. It shouldn't take long from here."
"Alright, let's go, Mizuki!" I called the horse's name.
"That's… a bit much…" Cecily, the one who suggested it, was completely taken aback.
I rode Mizuki—I mean, the horse—towards the pond. The forest path continued north. Now, I could make it trot lightly, walk slowly, and turn left or right as I pleased. The wind I felt at different speeds was pleasant. Cecily pulled up alongside me.
"I thought you were a lost cause, but I'm glad you're learning faster than I expected."
"It's thanks to your advice, Cecily. I was able to become friends with Mizuki—I mean, the horse."
"I can't believe advice like that actually worked… I heard you were a pervy old man from Mizuki, but still…"
Cecily muttered.
"Are you sure you want to go to Migul?"
"Yeah. I knew I'd have to part with Reed eventually, so I'm glad it happened now."
"Why's that?"
"You know, don't you? He's a noble. I'm just a commoner. He'll have to return to high society eventually. We can't be together. He hid the fact that he had a fiancée, but I already knew. Aira seriously thinks they can get married, but I'd already cooled off on him."
"You're a slave now, you know," I pointed out, just in case.
"Ugh…"
The walls between social classes in this world were high.
"I was the one who dated him first, you know."
"Really? Did you meet Aira later?"
Cecily shook her head.
"The opposite. Aira and I have always been friends. We met Reed while exploring a dungeon. At the time, Aira had another boyfriend. While he was dating me, he started making moves on her behind my back."
What a tangled web. The kind of thing only a handsome guy could pull off. A guy like that deserved to be locked up.
"I'm surprised he had the stamina…"
"Hm? You mean at night? He was taking stamina potions."
"Seriously?! Those exist?! Do they make you gush?!"
"…It only turns one round into two, at best. You can make it from monster drops on the 12th floor. Should I make some for you?"
"You have the concoction skill?"
"Yeah, my second profession is Apothecary, level 10. I used to help my parents all the time when I was a kid. So, you want some?"
"Are there any side effects?"
"I've never heard of any. But maybe he ended up like that because he took too much."
"Please!" I did a fist pump in my mind. With this, I'd be ready for Maira. I used to feel a little awkward around Cecily, but now I loved her. I felt incredibly guilty for saying she had no boobs. I am a man who cherishes small breasts.
"I can make aphrodisiacs for girls, too."
"…You've lived a sordid life."
"Wha—! I only made it because people asked me to, and it made good money! And for the record, I've only ever slept with one person!"
I hadn't wanted to know, but now I knew. So Reed had taken her first. What a shame.
"Is it the same for Aira?" I didn't want to ask, but I did. Just confirming, for the record.
"I don't know, but probably three… no, four people. And they were all guys I fell for…"
I would have thought Aira had less experience. I guess no one can resist the gravitational pull of big boobs.
"Do you two always fall for the same guy and fight over him?"
Were they constantly in a fierce rivalry over boyfriends? See, it is a sordid life.
"I'd fall for someone, tell Aira all about it, and before I knew it, she'd be dating him."
"And you let that happen?! How can you still be friends?!"
"Yeah, whatever. We fight about it at the time, but…"
Her saying "whatever" didn't make it any less weird.
"…Are you two really friends? Should I get you separate rooms at the inn?"
My approval rating for Cecily was on the rise.
"No, that's fine. I don't think it's a good idea to leave her alone right now."
Cecily shook her head. Maybe she was a naturally caring person. It seemed they had a bond that only the two of them could understand.
"So, you want the aphrodisiac?"
"I'll pass on that one." It was tempting, but I'm the type who prefers to enjoy a genuine reaction.
"Right. It can be addictive and seems to have side effects, anyway."
So it was like a drug. I wondered if it was illegal.
"Have you ever used it?"
"It's been used on me a few times. It's definitely habit-forming."
I see. Cecily was just as lewd as I thought.
"I want to go to Migul and properly re-learn magic."
"Can't you just level up in a dungeon instead of going to school?"
"Just because you can use magic doesn't mean you know the fundamental techniques, applications, and combinations. It makes a huge difference in effectiveness."
Come to think of it, that was true for the Adventurer's beginner magic too. At first, I thought it was garbage.
"You're right. Fire Magic is useless."
"Huh? Fire Magic is the supreme art. You can just barbecue all the monsters! Earth Magic is the useless one!"
"What did you say?! I'll launch a rock sphere at you!"
"Hey! We're on horseback! You're a beginner, so concentrate!"
She scolded me. She was right. I tightened my grip on the reins.
"Listen. During this caravan escort, you are absolutely forbidden from using magic, a bow, or a sword while on horseback. You're a beginner. You'll just fall off and be a nuisance to everyone."
"Got it. My bad." Cecily was right.
"Hmph. A prompt apology is a good thing."
Cecily struck a teacher-like pose and laughed.
"There's a big school in Migul. I'll be older than the other students, but they have a general division too."
I see, so there are institutions like that. I'd love to headhunt some sexy mages.
Thank you for reading. To everyone who has bookmarked and rated this story, I am truly grateful. It encourages me to keep going. Thank you also for pointing out typos. It's a great help, and I appreciate it.