Some time had passed since our day at the beach. It was now a holiday in August, and I was back in Abel’s study, leisurely leafing through a book.
I occasionally spent my days off wandering through the city, but reading in this room was quickly becoming my new routine. I wasn't in any particular hurry, but if I spent a few more holidays like this, I would likely finish every book in the collection.
"Ah, I thought I'd find you here."
Abel muttered with a friendly smile as he spotted me.
"Good morning, Abel-sama. Thank you for letting me use the room again today."
I closed my book and stood up to greet him.
"Yes, good morning, Orun-kun. I’m glad you’ve taken a liking to it. My apologies, though—I’ve disturbed your reading, haven't I?"
Since reading was my primary form of relaxation, it was technically a disturbance, but I obviously couldn't say that. Abel was a noble and closely tied to the lead sponsor of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky. He wasn't someone I could afford to be blunt with.
"Not at all. You were looking for me? Did you need something?"
"It’s nothing major, but tell me, Orun-kun—can you ride a horse?"
"Horse riding? No, I’ve never tried it."
A metaphorical question mark popped up over my head at the unexpected inquiry, but I did my best to keep my expression neutral.
"I see! In that case, would you like to give it a try? It’s my favorite hobby, second only to reading. I highly recommend it!"
Horse riding, huh...
I had intended to spend the entire day reading, but taking Abel up on his offer seemed like a pleasant change of pace. I was curious about it, anyway.
"Then, since you were kind enough to invite me, I’ll give it a try."
"Really?! Thank you! In that case, could you meet me at the main entrance at one o’clock?"
It was currently around ten in the morning. Two hours would be plenty of time to finish my current book, even if I took it slow.
"Understood. I’ll be at the main entrance at one o’clock."
"Great. I'll see you then!"
With that, Abel immediately left the room. I watched him go, then sat back down to resume my reading.
◇
When I arrived at the mansion’s main entrance, Abel was already waiting.
"Abel-sama, my apologies. Have I kept you waiting?"
"No, no, there’s still plenty of time before our appointment. Shall we?"
I followed behind Abel, the voices of the maids and butlers wishing us a safe trip trailing after us. We exited the front door and headed straight for the stables on the grounds.
I could sense nearly ten horses inside. After Abel told me to wait a moment, he and an elderly man appeared, each leading a horse by a lead rope.
The old man turned out to be a groom. He gave me a brief lecture on the basic mindset and safety protocols for interacting with horses. Following his instructions, I reached out and stroked the horse's neck. Its coat was glossy and felt remarkably smooth to the touch. It was immediately obvious that the animal was meticulously cared for.
After admiring the horse's coat for a while, I finally mounted it. My perspective shifted instantly, allowing me to see much further than usual. Perhaps because the horse was so well-trained, it didn't even flinch as an amateur like me climbed onto its back.
"Now, we’ll start with a slow walk. As I mentioned before, keep your posture straight and ensure your center of gravity remains in the middle."
At the groom’s command, the horse began to walk forward slowly.
"Oh..."
It was a sensation entirely different from walking on my own feet or riding in a carriage.
"How is it? Your first impressions of being in the saddle?" Abel asked, riding beside me and matching my pace.
"It’s a simple observation, but it's amazing. I’ve never felt anything like this before."
Over the next few dozen minutes, I continued at a walk while receiving advice from both the groom and Abel. Soon enough, I was able to handle the horse without the groom’s lead. I had heard that horses were intelligent, and that seemed to be the case.
I say I was "handling" it, but in reality, it felt more like the horse was reading my intentions and moving accordingly. While part of that was surely the groom's training, I felt a natural affinity for the animal—like we just clicked.
Eventually, I moved on to the rising trot and the regular trot. I received the groom’s seal of approval for both.
After that, Abel and I left the grounds. We enjoyed the scenery as we moved leisurely along the coastal road a short distance from the city.
"Still, to master it so quickly... you really are the genius the rumors say you are, Orun-kun. I thought it would be a long time before we could ride side-by-side like this."
"I’m flattered, but my only real merit is being quick at grasping the knack of things. Besides, I had a wonderful teacher to watch."
"Ahaha, I’m actually quite clumsy. But if I was able to be of help, I’m glad."
Abel was smiling quite happily. When he had first approached me this morning, a part of me had been annoyed at having to spend my reading time socialising with a noble, but this had turned out to be a great experience. I never would have had the chance to try horse riding otherwise.
"The wind feels wonderful," I murmured, the words slipping out as I felt the cool breeze blowing in from the sea. The salt air seemed to cut right through the heat of the blazing sun.
"It really does."
◇
After a few breaks to enjoy the natural scenery, I followed Abel up a gentle slope. At the top, we found ourselves on a hill overlooking the city of Roils.
"Orun-kun, it’s been over a month since you arrived here. How does the city look to you?"
Abel’s sudden question made me turn to him. He looked unusually serious.
"I think it’s a wonderful city. It’s lively with tourists, the locals are kind and have treated us well... I’m glad we came here."
I wasn't lying; those were my honest feelings. Other than Tsutrail, this was the only city I had stayed in for an extended period, so my points of comparison were few, but it was certainly a pleasant place to live. I was well aware that the townspeople's kindness was largely because we were treated as guests of the Count House, though.
"Thank you. I’m happy to hear that. I love this city. Even setting aside my title as the next head of the House, I want to do everything I can for its development."
I could sense a deep resolve in his words.
"That is a noble sentiment. With someone like you as the next head, I’m sure Roils—and the Regrif Territory—will be in safe hands."
"In safe hands, huh... Orun-kun, I want to ask you something."
"...What is it?"
"If you knew that something you wanted to protect might be destroyed in the near future, what would you do?"
He stared at me, his expression grave. Perhaps this was the real reason he had brought me out here.
"I would fight with everything I had to make sure it wasn't."
"Yes, of course. Then, what if you knew that even if you fought with everything you had, you wouldn't be able to save it all?"
"In that case... I would set priorities. I would decide which things were truly indispensable, and I would take whatever measures necessary to protect as many of them as possible, starting with those."
"Even if that choice caused trouble for others? Could you still make it?"
"If it meant protecting what truly mattered, then I believe I would have to bear the consequences of that choice."
"...I see. You're a strong person."
"Not at all. Those are just my ideals. I don't know if I could actually be that cold-blooded if the situation arose. Losing something precious is terrifying. I might lose my head, forget all about priorities, and just rush in recklessly."
I strove to remain calm at all times specifically so that wouldn't happen, but I didn't know if I could maintain my composure if something I loved was in danger. I had to keep that in mind so I wouldn't become a man who was all talk.
"Thank you. I understand how you feel now. Thank you for answering such a strange question. And... I’m sorry."
"Not at all. It’s an honor to be of service, Abel-sama."
"Well then, the sun is starting to set. Shall we head back?"
"Yes."
◇
September arrived.
Time had flown by; it had been nearly two months since we arrived in the Regrif Territory. The labyrinth investigation was going smoothly. We had completed roughly seventy percent of the task.
Wil and his party were at a similar stage. I had initially thought we might be spending the New Year here, but it looked like we would be able to return home before then.
Now that my disciples were more accustomed to the work, they had been operating separately from Twilight Moonbow for the past few days. This had allowed us to move even faster. Even without me, they had Luna with them, so their lives were never in any real danger.
While I was training my Ki in parallel with the investigation, I still felt a certain hesitation about using it in full-power combat. It was getting better bit by bit, but overall, Stacking was still the more powerful option. I wanted to make the full shift to Ki as soon as possible.
Lost in thought, I finished my work for the day and returned to the labyrinth entrance. It seemed Twilight Moonbow had finished before me; the four of them were already waiting near the carriage.
"Sorry. Did I keep you waiting?"
"Ah, Orun-san. Good work today."
"Yeah, you too."
Sophie was the first to react when I approached. Usually, Carol would call out to me before I even had a chance to speak, but she remained silent today.
When I looked over at Carol, she seemed... depressed? Or perhaps frightened. Log, too, was acting out of character. I could safely assume something had happened.
I had a vague idea of what it might be, but I needed to confirm the facts first. After greeting the group, the five of us climbed into the carriage and began the ride back to the mansion.