The Road to the Ruins (End)
"W-wait... please stop...! My thighs and butt hurt so much...!"
"Of course they do if you sit like that. Loosen up a little. Keep your back straight."
Aileen's hands wrapped around my waist and hips.
"Don't tense up so hard. Do you want it to hurt again?"
"Nngh... n-no..."
Her hands slid from my hips and waist, climbing my back until they settled on my shoulders.
"It's your first time, so we'll take it slow."
"Slow..."
Aileen's breath brushed against my ear.
"Like this. Now try moving."
"L-like this...?"
Her hands glided down my arms and closed over mine.
"Not too hard. Softly."
"Mmm..."
Aileen's chest pressed gently against the back of my neck.
"It's all right. Go on."
Her scent. Even though we had used the same soap, something subtly different about it tickled every inch of my skin.
"Haa... o-okay, I'll try...?"
"Yes."
I gave the reins a light lift and drop.
Pruuh—
The horse let out a soft snort and began to walk, clip-clop, clip-clop.
"Oh... ohhh..."
"Keeping your balance is the important part. Got it? I'm right behind you for now, so you're fine, but when you're alone you could fall, so stay careful."
"Yes...!"
Yesterday and today we had already ridden, but now that I was the one steering, the whole feeling was different. On top of that I had set the greatsword aside, so I was completely blind. It was terrifying... yet Aileen holding me from behind made it just barely bearable.
We rode like that for quite a while.
"C-can we go a little faster...?"
I had already gotten used to the pace. At first, driving while seeing nothing had felt fast, but now it was far too slow! This was barely different from walking speed!
"Then I'll get down. Want to try it alone?"
"A-Aileen, you're getting off...? Why...?!"
No! Without you I'll die!
"If you get hurt, I'll heal you."
That was way too cold... Sure, we had only known each other a day, but still!
"All right, I'll get down... I'll try alone..."
"Pfft... I'm kidding. Go ahead. If anything happens, I'll catch you."
Aileen's hand ruffled my hair.
"Mmm... okay. Then I'll... try...!"
"Good. You remember what I told you earlier?"
I nodded. Give the reins a firmer tug and push the horse with your hips...!
"Hup!"
Prurrrr—
Clop-clop-clop-clop—
"Oh... ohhh...!"
The rocking of my body grew stronger; the wind rushed past faster. The soft clip-clop of hooves had turned into a sharp clop-clop-clop!
"H-how is it...?"
"Mm. You're doing it steadily. Let's keep going like this."
"Yes!"
I couldn't sense a single thing around us—what obstacles there might be, nothing. But this horse seemed pretty smart. It was dodging things on its own! A little left, a little right, sometimes a bigger step. Fantasy-world horses really were different, huh? Well, they were a lot bigger, so maybe their intelligence was different too.
I savored the wind brushing my cheeks and thought about the new Aileen, so different from yesterday. All day yesterday she had been scolding me, then this morning she suddenly offered to wash me, taught me knife work under the excuse of cooking lessons, and now she was even teaching me to ride. Why the sudden change...? Did she decide I was useful after watching me hunt? Honestly, even I thought I had been pretty useless before. Now that she had found a use for me, maybe she was being a little kinder... or something? It was a slightly painful thought, but I let it go. This world was that kind of world. Nothing I could do about it. For now I would just empty my head and enjoy the moment. The faintly damp scent of earth mingled with the soft soap fragrance of the two of us and drifted away on the wind.
"All right, Noah. Time to stop."
"Yes."
Just as the smells began to change, Aileen and I switched the reins.
"We're almost there, so I'll take over."
I nodded and gripped the hilt of my sword. A sharp jolt of pain, and the world around me painted itself inside my head. Stone walls. Stone ramparts. A stone gate. Until a moment ago everything had been trees; now it was all stone. Just as Aileen had said, we were nearly at the East Ruins.
"We'll slow down and go as quietly as we can. Getting surrounded by magic beasts would be a real headache."
Aileen whispered the words right against my ear. Ugh, that tickles. But... she didn't really need to do that.
"Um... I-I can detect them..."
"Hm? Detect what?"
"Magic beasts... um... roughly out to about thirty meters, I think...?"
Aileen tilted her head and asked again.
"What...? What reaches thirty meters...?"
"...D-detection. You... you know I can feel my surroundings, right...?"
"...Yes."
"So... that means I can see... this much...!"
I swept my arms in a wide circle.
"I can see it...!"
"This much...?"
Aileen copied the gesture, waving her own arms in a circle.
"Nooo, thirty meters...!"
"How on earth...?"
Ugh, so frustrating! If I can see it, I can see it!
"A-anyway. So it's fine. Um... if anything comes close, I'll catch it..."
Aileen still had her head cocked, staring at me. Sigh. You're the type who only believes what she sees with her own two eyes, huh. Fine. I'll show you!
I focused, pushing my Qi Sensing a little farther. The information painting itself in my mind multiplied. Don't stop—farther, farther, farther. A dizzying rush started at the crown of my head and flooded through my whole body. Ugh... this is the limit. I sorted through the images. Terrain... leave that out. Rocks, animal carcasses, and... panties? What the heck. No, no! Focus! Strip away everything useless... Ah, there.
"L-left."
"Mm... all right."
The horse gradually changed direction. Ten paces later—
"Now right."
Our bodies leaned left again.
"Now diagonally..."
"It's blocked."
"Ah... j-just a second."
I redrew the terrain in my mind.
"Ah... not here. Again... left."
Clip-clop, clip-clop—
"Um... if we turn right now, there's a puppy... no, one gnoll..."
Aileen sucked in a sharp breath, tense. You don't need to be tense over a gnoll.
We reached the end of the path. Beyond it—
Rrrr—
A dog walking on two legs. A gnoll gripping an axe was growling as it scanned the area.
"...I think it caught our scent... Should I go take it out?"
I half-drew the greatsword and prepared to dismount.
"I'd rather avoid it if possible, but since it already smelled us, no choice. I'll handle this one."
But Aileen's hand stopped me.
"Uh..."
I wanted to take it myself...
"I can finish it quietly, that's why."
I had no choice but to nod. Aileen steadied her breathing for a moment, then stretched a hand forward. The same strange energies as before flowed out of her body and gathered in front of her palm. I almost let out a gasp of wonder, but clamped both hands over my mouth so I wouldn't break her concentration. I always thought the most amazing thing in this world was magic. Sure, a tiny blind girl swinging a greatsword was pretty amazing too... but by my standards, magic like that was even more so...
"Watch carefully, Noah. We're a party now, so you should know my abilities too."
I wanted to answer, "I can't see," but again I only nodded so I wouldn't break her focus. She gathered power for maybe three more seconds. The swirling energy quickly shaped itself into a sharp spear and shot toward the gnoll without a sound—whoosh.
Puhak—
In the same instant the gnoll's head exploded into pieces.
Holy crap...! That was insanely cool... I should've made myself a mage...!
"W-wow..."
"Well? My skills aren't too shabby, right?"
To an eight-year veteran like me it was the kind of sexy newbie line that made me want to lick her boots, but I kept the thought to myself and simply nodded. It really was amazing. And cool! Taking fifteen whole seconds to kill one gnoll was a little iffy, though... I may not look it, but I'm pretty strict when it comes to hunting. Heh.
"Anyway, you really could do it. Detection..."
Aileen led the horse toward the gnoll's corpse as she spoke.
"W-well? How about that...!"
I puffed out my chest and declared proudly.
"Pfft—! Ahh... yes. You're finally starting to look like an adult."
"Right? I'm good at this kind of thing... Just trust me and follow!"
My head might throb a little... but it was better than poking around carelessly and waking Carpeng.
"All right. I'll trust only you, Noah."
Aileen's hand stroked my hair. The atmosphere really was completely different from yesterday. Did she do something wrong to me...? Wait—is she being nice on purpose because she's planning to betray me?! Don't tell me... she doesn't even have the fifteen gold?! She's just building friendship because she can't pay me! Trying to get me attached! I'm not that easy, you know? If she really does that... then... then... Uh, what do I do?! Does this world even have... legal recourse...?
"Why are you spacing out like that, Noah?"
Aileen tilted her head and looked at me.
Ah, no way...
"Uh... nothing... L-let's go...!"
"Mm... all right."
Aileen stopped stroking my hair and shook the reins.
Clip-clop, clip-clop—
Our bodies started moving, but my thoughts were still frozen in place. Ugh... what if Aileen betrays me...! M-maybe I should at least get her to take me as far as Alrba Village before she betrays me...? Ah, whatever! Just ask! If I ask and watch her reaction, I'll know! If she doesn't have the money she'll act weird!
"A-Aileen..."
"Yes?"
"Um... so... you know..."
"Yes."
When it came time to actually say it, the words wouldn't come out...
"Do you... have mon... money?"
"...What...?"
"Money..."
"...Why all of a sudden?"
"Uh... n-no..."
I heard Aileen let out a deep sigh.
"You're worried I won't pay you?"
How did she know... Why has she been reading my mind so well since last time?! Is it connected to that weird energy of hers...?
"N-no... it's not... like that!"
"It is. Haa... Don't worry. I'll definitely pay you. I'm not like those other people. Got it?"
Aileen's warm hand settled on top of my head. And then the gentle stroking began... Huh...? Why isn't she mad...? I suspected her! Get mad already! This is uncomfortable! Now I just feel like trash! No, I already am trash... Suspecting her alone, judging alone, worrying alone... and then actually saying it out loud...
"So? Your answer?"
"Y-yes... s-sorry..."
"Sss— I told you not to say that."
"Mmph— mmph— mmmph— ah— th-thank youuu...!"
"Good girl."
Clip-clop, clip-clop—
The thoughts that had been frozen in place finally caught up with our bodies after just a few words. A little while later, we arrived at the East Ruins.