Chapter 34 - Caravan Talk and the Remnants of a Duel
"Wh-What in the world is this?!"
That was Cecily's reaction after I gave her a full-body washdown with water magic.
"Honestly, this might feel even better than sex! So this is why Mizuki and the dog-ears girl are always so clean."
"Hey, don't be so honest! And don't say that after the fact. It hurts, you know."
"Hey, hey, how do you control it like that? Teach me, too!"
Of course. Cecily had taught me how to ride Mizuki—I mean, a horse. While teaching her, I had her wash my body as well. With her intermediate-level magic, she could expand a water sphere into the shape of a barrel and wash my entire body at once.
A considerable amount of time had passed. It was now past noon. I was worried about Fam. We’d never spent this much time apart since we met. I hoped she hadn't been tricked into getting on top of some instructor. I wondered if she was worried about me, too.
We started on our way back. We were on horseback again, riding side-by-side. My inner thighs were a little sore, either from muscle strain or chafing.
"Mash, there's something I need to say that's a bit difficult, but I feel like now's the only time I can say it," Cecily began.
"Is it about your period?"
"No! It's about the caravan escort! I just never thought you'd take a quest like that."
"Why not?"
"Mash, what do you think you'll be guarding the caravan from?"
"Monsters, right?"
Cecily shook her head.
"It's not monsters that attack caravans, it's people. You'll be fighting thieves."
"Is that so?"
Now that I thought about it, it made sense. Even monsters probably wouldn't go out of their way to attack a large group of people. Our opponents would be groups with enough strength to raid a caravan.
"You're taking this so lightly. Weren't you just arguing with the dog-ears girl? You have a problem with killing people, don't you? Mizuki and that girl are going to end up killing thieves."
I felt like it would be okay if the opponents were career criminals, but I shook my head. I was still resistant to the idea. I didn't know how my feelings might change when I actually came face-to-face with them. And I couldn't let Fam and Mizuki kill people again.
"Couldn't we just capture them, take them to the next town, and hand them over to the knights?"
"Don't tell me you're planning to transport captured thieves in a wagon. We have cargo. And don't say you'll just tie them up and make them walk. They'd need to be watched, the journey would take longer, and we'd have to think about food. You might think we should just be better prepared, but if we don't turn a profit, what's the point of the caravan?"
"Letting them go or just leaving them there is… out of the question, I guess."
Cecily nodded. Freed thieves would just attack the next caravan or traveler. My irresponsible selfishness couldn't be allowed.
"Besides, you already knew that the city on our route is about to go to war, right?"
I had thought it was just a warning to avoid getting caught up in a war. I needed to reconsider.
"...Mercenaries?"
Cecily nodded.
"They move for money. Of course, there are mercenary companies that don't engage in thievery, but depending on the situation, they can become soldiers or thieves."
She was right. Before I accepted the caravan escort job, Mateo had told me as much. He had been honest; it was me who hadn't understood a thing. He'd said it would be fine because of the Goddess's summons, which could be rephrased as meaning the power of the Goddess's summons would be necessary. The scent of war attracts mercenaries. I had naively thought we could just avoid that city.
"Well, against a mercenary company, it would mostly come down to negotiations in the form of intimidation."
If they attacked a caravan and got traced, they'd end up in a conflict with the trading company behind it. For them, a dispute with a trading company—a potential sponsor—was tantamount to cutting their own lifeline. It was more convenient for them to brandish their weapons, negotiate to take the bare minimum of supplies, and let the caravan swallow the loss.
"It's strange that for a wandering free-person, you know almost nothing about the world. Maira was the one who recommended this to you, wasn't she? She doesn't understand your feelings or how the world works. And that's even after seeing you argue with the dog-ears girl because you hate killing."
Did Mizuki not tell Cecily and the others that she's a transferee?
"...You're really twisting the knife, aren't you?"
"It means you should count me as an ally, someone you can talk to. If you don't want to do it, I'll deliver the final blow."
"Wait, that's the same thing... Let me think about it for a bit."
I said that, but nothing came to mind. It was too late to back out of the caravan guard quest now.
"Right. It's not like caravans are always attacked by thieves; it usually ends up being a needless worry. Just don't overthink it. And talk to me, okay?"
"Cecily, have you ever killed someone?"
"You... haven't, have you? I have. I took a quest to eliminate some thieves."
What did it feel like? The words almost escaped my lips, but I stopped myself.
We arrived back at the ranch. Mizuki and Fam came galloping toward us on horseback.
"You're late!" Mizuki called out.
"Master..."
Fam's expression hardened. It seemed her sense of smell had tipped her off. I was completely busted.
Cecily passed by us with an innocent look on her face and rode off toward Aira.
"We caught up to you right away, but we decided to ride out to the pond to the north and back for practice."
"We were worried!"
We had no way of contacting each other in situations like this. We'd probably get separated when we were far from town. We needed to figure out a way to rendezvous.
"Sorry. More importantly, have you gotten the hang of riding?"
"Yeah, Fam and I are fine, but Maira's struggling. Aira is keeping an eye on her," Mizuki answered. I wonder if her breasts are too heavy and it's tiring out the horse?
"...I see."
Fam wouldn't meet my eyes.
"So, when did you two start fighting?"
Mizuki, of course, noticed Fam's attitude.
"We're not. I'm going to check on my sister."
Fam galloped away.
"...Something happened with you and Cecily, didn't it? You should have told me beforehand."
Before I could stop her, Mizuki was gone, too.
As I was practicing my riding, feeling lonely and deserted, Mizuki returned.
"Fam and Cecily are going to have a race."
"Huh? Why? Weren't you all teaching Maira?"
"It turned into an argument about whose room you'll be sleeping in tonight—mine and Fam's, or Cecily and Aira's."
Somehow, I'd become incredibly popular. I had sown the seeds myself, I suppose, but I wasn't a fan of conflict.
"I'm not going anywhere without Fam! What if I look away for a second and she turns into a delinquent with a nose piercing, yelling 'Wassup!' at everyone?!"
"..."
While practicing myself, I watched the other members practice. It's nothing to brag about, but so far, I was the best rider. Mizuki was riding normally, too. Then came Fam, with Maira lagging far behind. There was no way Fam could beat Cecily, who was far more skilled and experienced than me. Besides, even when they tried to 'race,' they could only manage a canter at best. I've seen horse racing before. The riding style and form for going fast are completely different.
"There's a handicap, right?"
"Fam refused it."
I could picture the scene perfectly: Cecily continuing to provoke Fam until she got completely irritated.
"Mash, you need to understand Fam's feelings. She got angry because Cecily kept insulting you."
That's what I'd figured. I was glad I wasn't just being conceited.
"...Mizuki, you need to join in, too. Please, accept a handicap. I'm begging you."
"Alright. But there's no way we can win. I think the best option is for you to use the slave crest, Mash."
"I don't want to use it. I thought you, of all people, would understand that."
"W-well, yeah, I do, but... at the very least, make her stop calling Fam 'dog-ears.'"
I thought she only called her that in front of me, but she was saying it to her face? Was Aira doing it too?
"Got it. I'll take care of that part."
"Okay," Mizuki nodded.
"Have you ever seen a horse race?"
"I've seen one, but don't tell me you want me to ride like that based on a vague memory."
"I'll try it too. The saddle shape is different, so it might be difficult, but let's try raising the stirrups and see if we can stand in a kneeling position. We can practice in secret, and whoever gets better at it can join the race."
Is it a kneeling position? It's that riding style where you lift your hips and lean forward. I wondered if Mizuki understood what I meant.
"I feel like this is going to end with both of you getting injured and needing Maira's help..."
That seemed likely for me, but I had a feeling Mizuki would be fine.
"Mizuki, I couldn't ride at all at first. But I had an awakening after getting the advice to think of the horse as you. If I can master riding you, then a horse is no problem. I'm the man who mastered Mizuki, after all. I was scared of horses, but now I find them cute. Right now, I think of the horse as Mizuki, and Mizuki as a horse."
"...Stop with the advice that makes me lose my mind. Besides, that kind of advice is mental; it's meaningless unless you've been taught the technique first. We don't know the technique."
She had a very valid point.
Just then, Fam, Cecily, Aira, and Maira gathered around. Just as Mizuki had said, they were going to have a race. The course was two laps around the perimeter of this ranch. I didn't know the exact distance, but it was probably about 2,000 meters. The ranch was on gently rolling hills, so it wasn't flat. The area outside the fence, which served as the course, was smoothed out to detect approaching monsters, but it wasn't properly maintained like a racetrack. There were patches of dirt and short grass. It certainly wasn't turf. Riding like a jockey might be dangerous. However, I didn't know the breed of horse, but they looked tougher than thoroughbreds, so they might be able to handle the rough terrain.
"Mizuki is participating too. Is that okay?" I asked Cecily.
"Fine. Does Mizuki need a handicap?"
Mizuki nodded at Cecily.
"Then you can start half a lap ahead. If I win, Mash stays in my and Aira's room tonight, deal?"
"Not a deal. I want to be with Fam."
"Master, I will win. A promise like this is meaningless," Fam declared. I wished she'd tell me the basis for her confidence. Why was she being so combative?
"The race is in one hour."
A braided cord was lit. The race would begin when it burned out.
"Mizuki, Fam, we don't have time. Let's spend half the time training and half resting the horses."
"Wait."
Cecily stopped us as we were about to head off to practice.
"I know you like Mizuki and the dog-ears girl more than me, and I know they like you. But I spent today with you, Mash, and I've come to like you too. I want you to believe that the strength of our feelings is the same. So, for today's race, at least, I want you to be neutral."
Cecily had bad-mouthed Aira, told me to think of Mizuki as a horse, disparaged Fam as 'dog-ears,' and said Maira was inconsiderate. It was a strategy of whisper diplomacy to lower everyone else's standing so she'd be at the top in the end. Even I had figured that much out. But I wanted to believe her words just now were her true, honest feelings.
"Cecily, I can't stand hearing Fam being called 'dog-ears.'"
"...Fine. I'll stop."
Alright then, let's have them fight fair and square.
"Mizuki... that horse racing thing, can you do it?"
"I'll give it a try."
Mizuki took her feet out of the stirrups and assumed a kneeling position on the horse. Lifting her hips, she bent her body forward, shortened the reins, and sent the horse into a run. And at a considerable speed, too. There was no wavering; she was perfectly stable.
A murmur went through the trainers. Cecily was surprised, too. But I was the most shocked of all. What was with her lack of confidence in our conversation just now? Was it like those people who claim they didn't study or didn't sleep? I felt ashamed for thinking, even for a moment, that I was a better rider than Mizuki.
That wasn't something you could just 'give a try' and succeed at. It should require a significant amount of practice. And she did it without stirrups. She had pulled it off based solely on the image of how to ride in a horse race. Her forward-leaning posture somehow resembled a road racer's. She might have experience riding a motorcycle, too. But even so, could someone really do it that easily? She was an undeniable genius. I never wanted to make an enemy of her.
She made a U-turn and came back, looking dashing. Her hair, flowing in the wind, was beautiful. Still, I wished she would wear a helmet if there was one.
"Fam and I will win with this riding style. Cecily, do you still need a handicap?"
"Mizuki, you little...!"
Mizuki responded to Cecily's angry expression with a defiant smile. Then she shifted her gaze to Aira.
"Aira, are you just going to stand there? Don't you want to get your revenge on us?"
Her tone was taunting, almost mocking.
"...Fine. I'll do it too."
Mizuki had drawn Aira in as well. I pretty much understood what Mizuki was trying to do. She wanted them to vent their frustrations from the duel that had ended without a real fight. And, if possible, she wanted everyone to become friends before they started the caravan escort quest.
Mizuki turned to face Fam.
"Fam, let's go. We'll adjust the stirrups, then practice while checking the course."
Mizuki and Fam left.
"Cecily, I have something for you."
"Hm? What is it?"
I took her shorts and underwear out of my Storage.
"Wh-Wha?!"
"I could see them sometimes, you know. I was thinking of using it to threaten you during the race so you couldn't run, but here, take them back."
"Jeez! No wonder it felt so breezy down there. I just thought it was because I felt so refreshed after you washed me."
She snatched them from my hands.
"...Cheer for me a little, too! Okay?!"
Cecily took Aira and left as well.
"Um... I became your lover before Mizuki or Cecily, but when will my turn come?"
Maira, who had been left behind, asked me. Come to think of it, I was keeping Racshell waiting, too. I had more popularity than I knew what to do with.
Thank you for reading. To those who have bookmarked and rated this story, I am truly grateful. It encourages me. I'll do my best.