It Seems Like The Infamous Trash Can is Right Here! - Chapter 221
“That won’t do.”
About an hour on the first day, nearly two hours on the second, and this third day I had ridden all morning with Lionel behind me.
Surely that was enough proof of my riding ability, wasn’t it?
But even today, when I insisted that I would ride alone starting tomorrow, their response was firm.
“It is still too soon.”
Lionel sat quietly beside me, and the one refusing me with a decisive attitude was Halid.
“Belarua is accustomed to the weight of fully armed adult men. She likely doesn’t even realize she’s carrying the young lady.”
For reference, Belarua was the horse that had carried Lionel and me for these three days. Halid still couldn’t remember Mary’s name, the woman who came from Rex Ruina, yet he remembered the horse’s name perfectly.
“I’m not that light.”
Compared to when I had lived at the monastery, my weight had definitely gone up. I ate twice as much, and I exercised diligently.
I had even eaten a large piece of meat the size of Lionel’s palm by myself at lunch because I was building muscle.
“Isn’t that right, Lionel?”
When I looked up at Lionel, seeking his agreement, he smiled at me softly.
“As light as a feather.”
Y-y-you l-liars! Even a dragon’s feather would be heavier than me!
…If dragons even had feathers, anyway.
“We at least need assurance that a fall will not result in instant death. Otherwise, procuring a pony may be an option.”
How humiliating.
A pony…
Ponies were cute, but still… still…!
I looked at Halid, pressed my lips together and rose from my seat in a small sulk, and Lionel immediately stood to follow me.
“Thank you for the advice, Duke.”
“You’re welcome.”
I shot Halid a small glare, but of course, he didn’t change expression at all.
Then again, he wouldn’t care if I sulked. It would be my loss anyway.
I trudged toward the carriage, feeling my spirits drain.
“If falling is the concern, I can be of help.”
Ardin stepped in front of me, addressing Lionel and Halid.
“If I cast magic on the young lady, she should be safe even if she falls three times.”
Ardin was taking my side…!
The camaraderie we’d built fighting Felix’s magic for three days was paying off.
When I looked back, I saw a crack in Halid’s expression, something I had never seen before.
‘He wavered just now!’
Lionel must have seen it too. With a resigned sigh, he spoke.
“We should arrive in Cordeluc by this evening. There we can choose a gentle, smaller horse. As for the strength of Ardin’s spell, I will personally test it.”
Test it how?
Surely he wasn’t planning to deliberately throw himself off certain heights?
Given how many times I’d seen Lionel recklessly use his own body as a tool, I couldn’t help but worry again. I’d have to keep an eye on him.
Still, the news was good.
Camping was fun only for a day or two. I missed a soft bed dearly, and now we were headed to one of the most renowned cities on the continent.
‘Lionel studied at an academy in Cordeluc, didn’t he?’
Not only Lionel, but also Vaikal, Dantère, Ardin… most high-born nobles passed through Cordeluc. Even Crown Prince Axion was no exception.
Though Cordeluc lay within Lubarque’s territory, it followed its own autonomous laws, separate from Imperial Law. This had been decreed by the founding King of Lubarque, so even the Imperial Family couldn’t overturn it.
‘To think I’ll see a fantasy-world academy with my own eyes.’
I had regretted not being able to enroll because I had to hide my identity. But now, at least, I could see it.
If I was lucky, maybe Lionel would even show me his old dormitory.
Upon hearing we’d arrive by evening, Vivian’s tired face bloomed with a bright smile.
“Ah… thank goodness. We can finally sleep in a real bed.”
