Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Please
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Laura's horseback riding date ended successfully.
Well, truth be told, it was her first time even seeing a horse, let alone riding one, so all we did was have her sit behind me while I walked it slowly around...
Still, plenty of people saw us spending time together.
Teaching my fiancée how to ride probably looked pretty affectionate.
Or so I hoped.
And it wasn't like I was bored the whole time, either.
'Laura in her riding outfit... not bad at all.'
Laura in a dress is beautiful, of course.
But other outfits have their own charm.
Plus, doing something active seemed to energize her more than usual.
It was enough to make my heart race just watching her.
Observing her like that made for plenty of enjoyment.
And the next day.
I headed to the riding grounds alone.
Time with Laura had been fun, sure.
But just strolling the course left me wanting more.
'Horseback riding means galloping, right?'
Elcon must've been bored out of her mind just walking, too.
Sure enough, as if reading my thoughts, a familiar horse came galloping toward me from afar.
Neigh!
Elcon charging at me like the wind itself.
The stablehand tending her turned pale and ran after, but I caught her charge with practiced ease.
Not with my body—I grabbed the flying reins and vaulted straight onto her back.
A few onlookers screamed at the sight, but I just flashed a small smile.
'It's been a while since I did this.'
Back home, I'd start rides like this all the time.
The knights around me freaked out so much I haven't tried lately.
After a quick loop, I waved off the stablehand, who looked ready to wet himself.
"It's fine. Happens all the time."
"Y-Yes... sir..."
He bowed repeatedly, looking a decade older, and backed away.
I patted Elcon's neck and scolded her gently.
"Elcon, I told you not to do that in front of others."
Snort...
She whinnied in protest at my scolding.
It almost sounded like, "Why haven't you come to see me?!"
I stroked her mane soothingly.
This wild thing.
How'd she act so tame in front of Laura?
'Tame? She was full-on coquettish.'
First time Elcon's acted that way around anyone but me.
Is the protagonist just special like that?
As I pondered that and headed for the course,
someone called out to me.
"Impressive trick. She's well-trained."
"Rodwell Paella. What do you want?"
"What else comes to a riding ground for?"
He rode up beside me on a magnificent white horse that screamed top breed.
The white horse—Serio—seemed to like Elcon and nickered amiably, but Elcon turned her head away in disdain.
Rodwell chuckled at the sight.
"Ouch, shot down. Sorry, Serio."
Serio pawed the ground indignantly.
Rodwell grinned and made me an offer.
"Race? Serio's itching to show off."
"A race, huh."
I was genuinely surprised.
Rodwell had never seemed interested in getting chummy with me.
More like rivalry bordering on hostility.
That's the vibe he'd always given off.
But now? He was casual, like he bore no grudge. Maybe even wanted to be friends.
It had me tilting my head inwardly.
'What's his deal?'
Sudden attitude shift like that.
Nothing came to mind.
Shrugging off the question, I accepted and lined up at the course start.
As we took position, other riders gathered, murmuring.
"A-course to the turnaround. Clean race, no interference. Sound good?"
Questions aside, a race after so long piqued my interest. I nodded readily.
"Sure. Coin flip for the start signal."
"Agreed."
We lined up at the line.
I flipped a coin from my pocket.
The instant it hit the ground, we spurred forward.
"Let's go, Elcon!"
"Run, Serio!"
Neighhh!
The two steeds answered their masters' calls, kicking off and slicing through the wind.
And so the race began.
Surprisingly, the race ended in a draw.
With proper tools, it might've been decided one way or the other, but to the naked eye, that's how it looked.
We both felt the same.
I said, impressed,
"You're good."
Unlike sword class compliments, this was sincere.
Rodwell's riding skills were legit impressive.
A cut above mine, even.
Sure, it'd been ages since I raced seriously, and I was top-tier back at Dominica.
But the draw happened because Elcon edged out Serio just a bit.
Rodwell knew it too, gazing at Elcon admiringly.
"The Duke's house lives up to the hype. Paella's known for horse training, but I never thought Serio would lag."
Hm. Fair point.
No warrior house beats a ducal one in horse quality just by throwing money around.
Still, even if true, it rubbed me wrong.
I complimented his skill—shouldn't he return the favor?
Not like I credited the horse's specs.
If that was his intent, he might be sneakier than he looks.
But our chat revealed otherwise.
"Elcon's a mare, right?"
"Yeah."
"How about breeding her with Serio? Their foal would be incredible!"
He wasn't shading me.
Just purely wowed by Elcon.
That's exactly how he thought, plain and simple.
A type who blurts thoughts unfiltered.
Not very noble-like.
'So he really just wanted a race and approached me for that?'
As I wondered,
Rodwell abruptly switched topics, awkwardly.
"A house like Duke Dominica's that breeds steeds like this must know plenty of mages."
"Mages?"
Out of nowhere. What did horses have to do with mages?
Reading my face, he looked sheepish and got to the point.
"It's about the necklace."
Necklace?
Oh, that one from before.
His mother's heirloom.
Was that why he approached me first?
The sudden race invite, the uncharacteristic chit-chat after...
It made sense if it was to ask about the necklace.
Sense, but the topic pivot was still baffling.
'Communication skills lacking, maybe?'
His talking style suggested as much.
Last time he asked about it, I brushed him off and left.
So this time, build rapport first?
My guess hit home. Rodwell continued earnestly.
"We confirmed it's some kind of magic artifact, but no one knows what it does."
"No clue on function? Wasn't it your mother's?"
"Yes... but she never used magic in the family. We found out she was a mage sorting her belongings after she passed."
She hid being a mage?
Odd, but understandable.
A venerable warrior house's lady using magic? Bad for the image.
But with her gone, no need to hide it.
Rodwell probably wanted to know more about his mom.
He went on, frustrated.
"Even the Magic Tower couldn't help. Paella's a warrior house—no mage contacts."
"So you want me to look into what this necklace does?"
"Yes. Please."
He bowed deeply.
This prickly, aloof guy bowing...
Surprising. And intriguing.
'It only reacted to my right hand, right?'
I'd guessed it responded to the mana from Laura then.
If true, investigating might reveal her protagonist powers.
So I agreed to his request.
"Alright. I'll ask someone I know."
"...! Thank you! I swear on my sword to repay this."
He saluted and handed over the necklace.
I checked it briefly, then pocketed it.
'Nicholas should be able to look into it, right?'
Heard he was a big shot at the Magic Tower.
If even he didn't know...
Cross that bridge later.
With that, I headed to the salon.
Nicholas examined the necklace for a while, then said, baffled,
"Uh... this isn't a magic artifact."
What? Not a magic artifact?
Then what the hell is it?