Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: The Mage and the Race
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My head throbbed unbearably.
"Quiet down."
Juliet quietly spoke to the butterflies to calm them.
"...Is that man part of the caravan too?"
"Yeah, let me introduce you. Essel!"
When Helene called, the man named Essel hopped down from the wagon and slowly approached them.
"This is our mage, Esselrid. A hidden powerhouse."
As Helene introduced him, pale green eyes filled with curiosity turned toward Juliet.
He politely offered his hand to her.
"I'm Esselrid."
"I'm Juliet."
It wasn't unusual for a caravan to have a mage.
He looked unusually young for one, but this was the East, and the Mage Tower was at its very edge.
For a caravan traveling forest roads that could be ambushed at any moment, a mage was a huge asset.
She had heard that in the East, they sometimes hired mages instead of mercenaries to guard against bandit attacks during travel.
Of course, given that a mage's rarity was about a hundred times that of an ordinary swordsman, Juliet figured the cost of hiring him must be considerable.
She pretended to be nonchalant on the surface, but Juliet felt a slight tension as she lightly grasped Essel's outstretched hand.
All the mages she had met were court mages.
They fit the typical image of a "mage."
Court mages were usually elderly men who wore flashy robes, sported white beards, and stayed holed up in the palace basement.
The only work they did was show up once or twice a year for big events like the New Year's festival and put on a stern display of fireworks.
"Never stay alone with a mage. They're dangerous."
That was why, even after Lennox's warning, Juliet hadn't felt much sense of danger.
She had even thought, watching those court mages perform their fireworks from afar, "Is that the only magic they know?"
"Don't let a mage discover your familiars."
Lennox had added that to Juliet.
His explanation was straightforward.
The butterflies basically fed on human emotions, but human emotional energy was essentially the same in nature as mana.
Diluted mana, so to speak.
So, when they encountered mages, who had far more mana than ordinary people, her butterflies would go wild for it—like a blood festival.
But if that was the case, shouldn't she be the one mages feared, not the other way around?
When she asked that, Lennox had grinned.
"Those guys would throw their colleagues to you as bait just to dissect you."
In short, don't act rashly if you didn't want to end up as rare experimental material.
In fact, Lennox had made sure several times that mages couldn't even approach Juliet during estate business meetings.
However, contrary to her worries, Essel exchanged polite greetings with Juliet without showing any particular reaction.
He didn't seem to notice anything suspicious either.
He just showed appropriate courtesy upon hearing she was the caravan master's niece and then returned to his place.
"He's not like the image I had in mind."
She had pictured him holed up in the Mage Tower doing shady research.
But the mage before her eyes, Esselrid, seemed quite sociable too.
'...Good thing I wore gloves. Better safe than sorry.'
Having ridden here, Juliet had her hair tied up in a single ponytail and was dressed in riding clothes.
She was also wearing leather boots and gloves.
"Just in case, I shouldn't take them off.'
Juliet quietly heightened her vigilance.
* * *
The carriage journey was more fun than expected.
The caravan folk were always full of energy, and with such a large group moving together, there was no room for boredom.
It felt like going camping.
Being able to ride a horse to her heart's content after so long was enjoyable too.
"Race to that hill over there?"
Juliet had paused her horse and was retying her hair when Gray rode up close.
Juliet glanced at the large fir tree atop the hill and agreed.
"Sure."
Gray peeked over Juliet's shoulder and gave a meaningful smirk.
"Wanna bet? The one who arrives last has to grant the first one's wish. How about it?"
Three?
"Why three?"
Juliet asked, puzzled. Then Theo's voice came from behind her.
"I'm in! Ready, set, go!"
"Hey! That's cheating!"
Theo shot ahead with a quick reply, and Gray dashed off right after, not to be outdone.
Juliet, still tying her hair, had the slowest start.
But she didn't hurry, gripping the reins tightly.
The sturdy horses carrying the two brothers stretched their long legs and charged forward unimpeded.
"Watch out!"
The horse with Theo barely grazed past a rumbling wagon.
Gray's gray horse, chasing fiercely right behind, was blocked by a hair's breadth.
Catching it out of the corner of his eye, Theo flashed a triumphant smile.
'Too easy?'
Juliet had been lagging from the start, never even casting a shadow.
Gray, who had faltered, was the same.
'At this rate, victory's mine!'
The large fir tree, the goal, soon came into view.
Sensing victory, Theo grew cocky.
He was pondering whether to leisurely jump and glance back just as he rounded the goalpost.
Suddenly, a golden figure leaped into his view.
"Huh?"
He nearly collided.
"Whoa!"
Theo yanked the reins reflexively.
Not missing the opening, the suddenly appearing golden horse crossed in front of the fir tree first.
The rider of the golden horse, which had gone slightly past the finish line, slowed to a stop and turned back with a triumphant expression.
It was exactly the pose Theo had imagined—stolen by Juliet.
"No way."
"This can't be!"
Gray, arriving right after, looked shocked too.
Theo, flustered, crossed the finish line a split-second last.
"What cheat did you use?"
"You were definitely at the back!"
"...Rematch!"
Seeing the brothers' stunned faces, Juliet burst into laughter.
*
A little earlier.
As Juliet stroked the docile mare with sleek golden fur, Isaac approached.
"Her name's Apple."
The three-year-old young mare Apple was skittish but didn't seem to dislike Juliet from the first sight.
When Juliet offered the apple she held, she ate it obediently.
"Do you know how to ride?"
Her uncle Isaac asked worriedly. He had clearly picked the gentle Apple for her on purpose.
"Yes, don't worry."
Juliet smiled and gently stroked Apple's neck.
The packhorses of the Marygold Caravan were all large and sturdy.
The smaller ones seemed to be for occasionally carrying troupe members through narrow spots.
Juliet had recognized Apple at first glance.
'An Armas breed.'
Armas horses were docile and small but famous for their astonishing jumping ability.
They couldn't compete with larger horses in straight courses, but in narrow mountain paths or complex routes dodging wagons everywhere, the big horses were no match.
The North's Calon had the continent's largest racetrack.
And Juliet had seen many Armas horses repeatedly win obstacle races there.
She had simply used the advantageous path.
But Juliet never told them how she had won the bet.