"W-Wait... Please stop... My thighs and hips hurt so much!"
"Of course it hurts when you're so tense. Relax your body a bit. Keep your back straight."
Aileen's hands wrapped around my waist and hips.
"Don't strain yourself so much. Unless you want it to hurt even more?"
"Ugh... N-No..."
Her hands moved from my hips to my shoulders, guiding me.
"It's your first time, so let's take it easy."
"Easy..."
I could feel her breath tickling my ear.
"Now, try moving."
"L-Like this...?"
Her hands slid down my arms, covering my hands.
"Not too hard, just smoothly."
"Mmm..."
Aileen's chest pressed gently against my neck, sending a soft pressure.
"It's okay. Go ahead."
Even though we used the same soap, her scent somehow had a subtle difference, filling me with tingling sensations all over.
"O-Okay... Here I go?"
"Yes."
I carefully raised and lowered the reins.
Snort.
The horse let out a small sigh, starting to trot along.
"Oh... Ohhh..."
"Maintaining your balance is key. It's fine since I'm behind you, but when you ride alone, you'll need to be mindful not to fall."
"Got it...!"
Even though I'd ridden the horse yesterday and today, actually controlling it myself felt completely different.
Especially now that I wasn't holding my greatsword... I was completely blind!
It was scary, but with Aileen behind me, holding me, I felt a bit more secure.
After a while, I began to get more comfortable.
"Can we... go a little faster?"
I was already getting used to the pace.
At first, being unable to see made everything feel fast, but now... it felt too slow!
I could probably walk this fast myself!
"Then why don't I hop off and let you try going faster?"
"W-Wait, you're getting off? Why?!"
No way! Without you, I'd be doomed!
"If you fall, I'll heal you."
That's a bit too harsh... Sure, we've only known each other for a few days, but still!
"Alright, I'll try it..."
"Hehe, just kidding. Go ahead, I'll catch you if anything happens."
Aileen patted my head.
"Ugh... Fine. I'll do it...!"
"Okay. Remember what I told you earlier?"
I nodded, gripping the reins a bit tighter, and nudged the horse with my hips.
"Hup!"
Snort!
Clop-clop-clop-clop!
"Oh... Ohhh...!"
The movement became more pronounced, the wind brushing past me quicker.
The steady clop-clop of the hooves became a rapid clop-clop-clop, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
"How is it?"
"It's going well! I'll keep going like this!"
"Good! Keep it up."
I couldn't sense the surroundings or see any obstacles, but this horse seemed incredibly smart.
It avoided obstacles on its own, veering slightly to the left, then to the right, sometimes taking bigger steps to avoid something.
Is this what fantasy world horses are like? Maybe their intelligence is different from regular ones. After all, their size was different, too.
As I enjoyed the feeling of the wind against my face, I thought about Aileen. She was acting different today, compared to yesterday.
Yesterday, she'd been nagging all day, but today, she suddenly offered to help me wash. She even taught me how to cook and ride a horse.
Why the sudden change?
Was it because she saw how useful I could be during the hunt?
To be honest, I knew I hadn't been of much use before. Maybe now that I was showing some skills, she was being kinder?
It's a bit of a sad thought, but... that's just how the world works.
For now, I decided to enjoy the moment, setting aside any doubts.
The earthy scent of damp soil mixed with the soft fragrance of our soap, riding along with the breeze.
"Noah, let's stop here for now."
"Got it."
As the scent around us began to change, Aileen took the reins back.
"We're almost there, so I'll take over."
I nodded and grabbed the hilt of my sword.
A sharp pain jolted through me as I used my heightened senses to map the surroundings.
Stone walls. Stone barriers. Stone gates.
It was stone everywhere now, in contrast to the forest from earlier.
Just as Aileen said, we were nearing the eastern ruins.
"Let's slow down and proceed cautiously. We don't want to get surrounded by monsters."
Aileen's voice was soft, almost a whisper in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.
But... we didn't really need to do that.
"I-I can sense them..."
"Sense what?"
"The monsters... I think I can detect them within 30 meters..."
Aileen tilted her head in confusion.
"What do you mean, 30 meters?"
"... I mean, I can feel the surroundings... Remember?"
"...Yes?"
"So... like this much!" I gestured in a wide circle with my arms.
"You can... 'see' that much?"
"Yeah! Thirty meters!"
"How exactly...?"
Ugh, it's frustrating! Can't she just accept that I can do it?
"Anyway, it's fine. If any monsters get close, I'll take care of them."
Aileen still looked skeptical, tilting her head as she stared at me.
Oh, you're the type who won't believe it until you see it with your own eyes, huh?
Fine, I'll show you!
I focused my senses, extending them further.
More and more information flooded my mind.
I pushed even harder, my head spinning slightly from the strain.
That's the limit...
I sorted through the details in my mind, filtering out the unnecessary information.
There—on the left side.
"Left... We should go left."
"Got it."
The horse adjusted its path.
After ten more steps...
"Now to the right."
The horse shifted again.
"Now diagonal..."
"It's blocked there."
"Wait, hold on a sec."
I rechecked the terrain in my mind.
"Oh, not here. Turn left again."
Clop-clop.
"Okay... turn right now, and... there's a gnoll just up ahead."
Aileen tensed, holding her breath.
It's just a gnoll, no big deal.
We arrived at the end of the path, and beyond it—
Rrrr...
A gnoll stood there, walking on two legs and holding an axe, growling as it sniffed the air.
"Looks like it smelled us... Should I take care of it?"
I grabbed my greatsword, ready to dismount.
"We should avoid it if possible, but since it already caught our scent, I'll handle it."
Aileen stopped me, her hand gently resting on mine.
"..."
I really wanted to fight it, though...
"I can deal with it quietly."
Reluctantly, I nodded.
Aileen took a deep breath, extending her hand forward.
The same strange energy from before gathered in her palm, forming into a concentrated mass.
I almost gasped in awe but stopped myself, afraid I'd break her focus.
Magic really was the most fascinating thing in this world.
Sure, me being a tiny girl wielding a huge sword was cool, but... magic! It was just so... amazing.
"Watch carefully, Noah. We're in a party, so you should know what I can do."
I can't see...
I wanted to say, but I just nodded instead, not wanting to disturb her concentration.
A few more seconds passed.
The swirling energy took the shape of a spear and silently shot toward the gnoll.
Splurt!
In an instant, the gnoll's head exploded into pieces.
Whoa... that was amazing...!
Why didn't I choose to be a mage instead?!
"Wow... Wooooow!"
"Impressive, right? My skills aren't too shabby, are they?"
Even though I'd been playing games for eight years and could easily be considered a seasoned veteran, I held back from making any snarky comments.
I just nodded.
It was impressive. It was cool!
Though it took her 15 seconds to kill a single gnoll... but hey, who's counting?
I can be pretty strict when it comes to hunting. Hehe.
"Anyway, you were right about sensing things. I'm impressed."
Aileen guided the horse forward, stopping beside the gnoll's corpse.
"How about that, huh?"
I puffed out my chest proudly.
"See? I'm good at this stuff. Just trust me!"
I could feel a slight headache from extending my senses, but it was worth it to avoid triggering any bigger threats, like that red wolf from earlier.
"I'll trust you, Noah."
Aileen's hand patted my head again.
Something about today felt... different from yesterday.
Did I do something wrong?
Was she planning to betray me after all this time?
Could it be that she doesn't actually have the 15 gold to pay me?! Was she just trying to get close to me, to bond with me so I wouldn't notice?!
She's trying to trick me into trusting her because she can't pay!
I'm not that gullible!
If that's really the case... then... what should I do?!
Is there some kind of legal system in this world that can handle this?
"Why are you spacing out, Noah?"
Aileen's puzzled voice snapped me back to reality.
No, it can't be... right?
"Uh... nothing. Let's get moving..."
"Alright."
Aileen withdrew her hand and urged the horse forward.
Clop-clop.
We continued moving forward, but my thoughts remained behind, stuck in place.
Ugh... What if Aileen really betrays me?
At the very least, could she wait until we reach the village before she backstabs me?
No, I should just ask!
If I ask, her reaction will tell me everything.
If she's suspicious, I'll know.
"A-Aileen..."
"Yes?"
"Um... d-do you have... money?"
"... What?"
"Money..."
"... Why are you asking all of a sudden?"
"Uh... never mind..."
A long sigh escaped Aileen's lips.
"You're worried I won't pay you, huh?"
How does she know everything I'm thinking...?!
Is it connected to that strange energy of hers...?
"N-No, that's not it at all!"
"Uh-huh. Don't worry, I'll pay you. I'm not like those other people. Trust me."
Her warm hand patted my head again.
Wait...
Why isn't she mad?
I literally just questioned her.
Shouldn't she be angry?
Getting mad would at least make me feel less guilty.
Now I just feel like trash, like I'm the bad guy here.
I doubted her, jumped to conclusions, and even asked outright...
"So, what's your answer?"
"Y-yes... I'm sorry..."
"Shhh. What did I say about apologizing?"
"Mmmph- mmmph- ugh, thank you...!"
"That's better."
Clop-clop.
My thoughts, which had been stuck, finally caught up with my body as we moved forward.
A short while later, we arrived at the eastern ruins.