IQSBM 14

Chapter 14

Just past noon, one week later.

In front of the Hennes Mercenary Corps’ encampment, the expedition bound for the Droia territory stood lined up.
Each participant mounted their own horse. There were ten people departing in total, but only nine horses prepared—so I was the one left standing.

Boris noticed me alone and urgently raised his hand, shouting.

“Huh? Uh—there’s no horse for Sister Liana!”
“Ah, Liana is—”

The vice-captain was just about to explain when Calyx passed by me, vaulted lightly onto a black horse, and held out his hand.

“Grab on and get up.”

Can I climb up in one go?

As I hesitated for a moment, the vice-captain continued.

“Liana isn’t very skilled at riding, so she’ll be traveling together with the captain.”
“Then shouldn’t we just leave her behind?”

Oh, come on, you idiot!

Jude asked in an irritating tone, and the vice-captain, seeming to agree, cautiously addressed Calyx.

“That’s not a bad idea either… What do you think, Captain?”

Calyx jumped down from the horse and replied.

“On any expedition lasting more than a week, injuries or illness are inevitable. For emergencies, Liana must come along.”

Then he approached me and said,

“Get on. I’ll support you from behind.”
“Ah—yes! Thank you.”

I grabbed the reins, put my left foot in the stirrup, and pushed up. But the horse was so tall that I couldn’t mount in one motion.

At that moment—

“Excuse me.”

Calyx placed both hands on my waist and lifted me up. Thanks to that, I only had to put a little strength into my left foot in the stirrup to get onto the horse.

“Ah.”

The instant warmth spread from Calyx’s large hands on my waist, my heart strangely skipped a beat.

I couldn’t tell whether it was because I’d been lifted so suddenly with such force, or because of something else—but the spot where Calyx’s hands had been lingered on my mind far more than it should have.

As I unconsciously touched my still-warm waist, Calyx confirmed that I was seated and swiftly mounted behind me.

Holding the reins, Calyx looked over the expedition and spoke.

“We’ll be taking the mountain path, so follow behind me. We depart now!”
“Yes, sir!”

As Calyx spurred the horse, it galloped swiftly toward the mountain trail. Before long, the encampment grew small in the distance.

The higher we climbed, the scenery around us changed. The mountain path was fairly rough, likely a route seldom used by ordinary travelers.

There were dense thickets where nothing ahead was visible, and places where tree roots jutted out of the ground.

Each time, Calyx skillfully handled the reins and crossed them effortlessly—never forgetting to lightly steady my waist as he did.

This is so fun.

It was my first time riding at this speed on such a rugged path. Every time the horse leapt high, a ticklish feeling fluttered in my lower belly, and when the wind hit my face head-on, I felt a refreshing sensation I’d never experienced before.

“How is it? This must be your first time riding like this.”

Calyx asked after we’d been running for a while.

“It’s so much fun.”
“Fun?”

Maybe it was just my imagination, but I felt what seemed like a faint chuckle brush past my ear.

“Yes. It’s really my first time experiencing something like this. I love it.”

Maybe this kind of speed suited me after all.

Memories of being scolded at the temple for walking too briskly flashed through my mind. That slow-paced temple culture… I condemn it.

“Then that’s good to hear.”

At that moment, Calyx glanced up at the sky, slowed the horse slightly, and shouted to those following.

“There will be a downpour. We’ll increase speed until the midpoint!”
“Yes, sir!”

I looked up at the sky, but there were no dark clouds in sight.

Why does he say there’ll be heavy rain?

I was puzzled, but since it was Calyx, I decided to trust him.

And so the expedition members all gripped their reins and spurred their horses onward.

We arrived beneath a cliff halfway up the mountain.

Not long after reaching the campsite, rain began to pour—just as Calyx had predicted. Since we’d rushed here at full speed, none of us got wet. Once again, I was impressed by Calyx’s foresight.

The campsite was a clearing beneath a rock wall that acted like a roof, making it a decent place to spend the night.

Veteran members gathered at the center, lit a campfire, and began taking out the dinner they’d prepared in advance. Dried meat, cheese, and rye bread were set out, and everyone sat around the fire.

“Wow… camping! I’ve always wanted to try something like this! Wow…!”

Boris stared wide-eyed, exclaiming in awe. As I watched him with amusement, someone beside me lightly nudged my arm.

“So you’re Liana? We finally get to say hello. I’m Kate. Nice to meet you.”

I turned to see a woman pulling back her hood. She had shoulder-length red hair and luminous green eyes, and she held out her hand with a bright smile.

For a moment, a sense of déjà vu struck me. She looked familiar.

Ah, I remember.

She was the person I’d seen dragged out, battered and bloody, from the interrogation room just before I’d been thrown into prison in my previous life.

I’d gone in right after her. I hadn’t realized it then, but thinking back, she must have been captured along with Calyx—protecting him until the very end.

Just like Calyx, she too had once been someone who shone so brightly… before being ravaged by Valdier.

That bastard Valdier…

I barely suppressed the curse that almost slipped out and smiled instead.

“Nice to meet you. You’re really beautiful.”
“What?”
“It’s true. You’re beautiful enough to be unforgettable.”

I spoke to Kate with sincere respect. Her loyalty—having protected Calyx until her body was broken—was truly beautiful.

“Really? I think you’re just as pretty as I am.”
“I won’t deny that.”

At that moment, a man who’d been listening nearby clicked his tongue and cut in. He had wheat-colored hair sticking out messily.

“This is unbearable—listening to you two praising each other. Ah, I’m not saying you’re ugly, rookie, but—”

He stepped closer, looked at my face, and panicked, hurriedly stumbling over his words.

“Shut up, Marcus. You can’t even talk properly to a pretty woman.”
“N-no, I was just—damn it. Forget it. I’ll get out of your way.”

Marcus trailed off, walked to the other side, and smacked poor Boris on the back for no reason. He seemed extremely shy.

“I wasn’t praising—just stating facts.”

At my words, Kate burst out laughing.

“Haha. I really like you. Now I see why the captain favors you.”
“What? No, that’s not—”
“Oh, come on. The captain hates unnecessary trouble, yet he personally rode with you all the way here. I wondered if he’d eaten something wrong, but now I get it.”
“Ah! That’s just because I’m bad at riding.”
“My, pretty and cute. Here, eat this. And this too.”

Kate was bold and generous. She stuffed cheese, bread, and dried meat into my hands, then pulled out a bottle of wine from somewhere and took big gulps. Seeing that, my mouth watered unconsciously.

Noticing my gaze, Kate turned and asked,

“Hm? Want some too?”
“Is it okay?”
“Of course. Here, you drink this. I’ve got another bottle.”
“Thank you!”
“Now! A toast to our meeting!”
“Cheers!”

Kate and I clinked our small bottles and took long drinks of wine. When I lowered the bottle, my eyes met Calyx’s across the campfire.

He was chewing rye bread, looking oddly displeased as he alternated glances between Kate and me.

Does he want to drink too?

Thinking that might be the case, I raised the bottle toward him. Unexpectedly, Calyx stood up and walked over without protest.

“Looks like the captain wants a drink too.”

As I said this to Kate, she finished off the remaining wine and looked at Calyx.

“The captain? No way.”
“Look—he’s coming this way.”
“Ah, that’s not the look of someone who wants to drink.”
“Then what is it?”

At that moment, Calyx stopped right in front of us and took the bottle from my hand.

“Liana.”

I quickly responded.

“You came because you wanted to drink too, right? Go ahead. You can have it.”
“No, I—”
“I already drank about half, but I didn’t touch it with my lips, so it’s fine.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I’m really fine. I don’t mind at all. Really.”
“……”

Honestly, I wanted to drink more—but I perfectly hid my true feelings and yielded the wine to Calyx.

As I felt smug about my impressive acting, Kate suddenly snorted and spilled a little wine. What a waste.

“Wow, Captain, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen that expression. Things not going your way?”
“Don’t spout nonsense, Kate.”
“Oh, right. You were just so tempted by the wine that you snatched it from the rookie. That’s power for you.”
“You—seriously.”

Kate laughed loudly. Calyx set the bottle down beside her and started walking away.

Kate called out after him.

“Huh? Why aren’t you taking the wine you stole, Captain?”

Calyx glanced back briefly, staring at her with dry eyes, then turned away again.

I quietly watched him disappear into the darkness, then turned my gaze back—only to see the bottle he’d left behind.

Should I drink it? Or not? …It should be fine, right?

After a brief hesitation, I picked up the bottle again.

“Is it okay if I drink this? Looks like he abandoned it.”
“What? Hahaha! Of course. Now, a toast to the captain’s authority!”
“Cheers!”

The bottles clinked with a cheerful sound. A delightful night—unlike any I’d known before—was passing by.