Chapter 14
Just after noon, one week later.
In front of the Hennes Mercenary Corps headquarters, the expedition party heading to the Droia Territory lined up.
Each participant mounted their own horse. The total number of people was ten—but there were only nine horses prepared.
Which meant I was the only one left standing on the ground.
Boris noticed me standing alone and hurriedly raised his hand, shouting,
“Huh? Riana noona doesn’t have a horse!”
“Ah, Riana is—”
The vice-captain was just about to explain when Calix, who had just leapt smoothly onto a black horse beside me, reached out his hand.
“Grab my hand and get on.”
‘Can I really get on in one go?’
I hesitated for a moment. Then the vice-captain spoke.
“Riana’s riding skill is low, so she’ll be traveling together with the captain.”
“Then shouldn’t we just leave her behind?”
‘You little—!’
Jude asked in an irritating tone, and the vice-captain, oddly enough, seemed to agree as he cautiously looked at Calix.
“That’s not a bad idea either… What do you think, Captain?”
Calix jumped down from the horse and replied calmly,
“On an expedition longer than a week, there will inevitably be injured or sick people. For emergencies, Riana 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 into the stirrup, and pushed up—but the horse was too tall, and I couldn’t get up in one try.
That was when—
“Excuse me.”
Calix placed both hands on my waist and lifted me up. Thanks to that, I only needed to put a little strength into my foot to get onto the horse.
“Ah.”
The warmth from his large hands holding my waist made my heart flutter slightly.
I wasn’t sure if it was because of being lifted so suddenly, or because of something else—but the place where his hands had been felt strangely noticeable.
While I was unconsciously touching my waist, Calix confirmed I was seated and swiftly mounted behind me.
Holding the reins, Calix looked over the expedition members and said,
“We’ll take the mountain path. Everyone, follow behind me. We depart!”
“Yes!”
As Calix urged the horse forward, it began galloping toward the mountain trail. Soon, the headquarters grew small in the distance.
The higher we climbed, the scenery changed. The mountain path was rough, clearly not a route often used by ordinary people.
Tall grass blocked the view, and exposed tree roots occasionally jutted out.
Each time, Calix skillfully handled the reins and cleared the obstacles easily—never forgetting to lightly hold my waist.
‘This is so fun.’
I had never ridden this fast on such a rough path before. Every time the horse jumped, my stomach tickled, and when the wind hit my face head-on, I felt an exhilarating freshness I had never known.
“How is it? This must be your first time riding like this.”
Calix asked after we had been riding for a while.
“It’s really fun.”
“Fun?”
I felt what seemed like a small laugh in his breath near my ear.
“Yes. I’ve really never experienced anything like this before. I love it.”
Maybe this kind of speed suits me better.
I suddenly remembered being scolded at the temple for walking too briskly. The temple’s obsession with slowness… I condemn it.
“That’s good to hear.”
Calix looked up at the sky, slowed the horse slightly, and shouted to those following,
“There will be heavy rain. We’ll increase speed to the midway point!”
“Yes!”
I looked up, but there were no dark clouds in sight.
‘How does he know it’ll rain?’
I was puzzled, but since it was Calix, I decided to trust him.
The expedition tightened their reins and sped up.
We arrived beneath a cliff halfway up the mountain.
Not long after setting up camp, heavy rain began pouring down—just as Calix had predicted. Thanks to increasing our speed earlier, none of us got soaked. I was impressed all over again by his foresight.
The campsite was beneath a rocky overhang that acted like a roof, with an open space underneath—perfectly fine for spending the night.
Veteran mercenaries lit a campfire in the center and took out dinner they had prepared: dried meat, cheese, and rye bread. Everyone gathered around the fire.
“Wow… camping! I’ve really wanted to do this! Wow…!”
Boris stared around with wide eyes, endlessly amazed. While I was amused by his expression, someone tapped my shoulder.
“So you’re Riana? We finally get to greet each other. I’m Kate. Nice to meet you.”
I turned and saw a woman pulling back her hood. She had shoulder-length red hair and brilliant green eyes—beautiful.
I felt a strange sense of familiarity.
‘Ah… I remember.’
She was the person I had seen dragged out, battered and bloody, from the torture room just before I was imprisoned in my previous life.
I must have sat in the very place she bled. Back then I hadn’t realized it, but now it was clear—she had been captured alongside Calix, protecting him to the very end.
Just like Calix, she had once been someone who shone so brightly—before Valdier destroyed her.
‘That insane bastard, Valdier…’
I barely held back a curse and smiled.
“Nice to meet you. You’re really beautiful.”
“What?”
“It’s true. Beautiful enough to be unforgettable.”
I spoke with sincere respect. Her loyalty—protecting Calix until her body broke—was truly beautiful.
“Really? I think you’re just as pretty as I am.”
“I won’t deny that.”
A man nearby clicked his tongue and interrupted. He had sandy hair sticking out messily.
“This is unbearable—listening to you praise each other. I mean, it’s not that you’re ugly or anything—”
He stepped closer, looked at my face, then panicked.
“Shut up, Marcus. You can’t even talk properly to pretty women.”
“N-no, I just—damn it. Forget it. I’ll move.”
Marcus retreated and slapped 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.”
“Huh? No, that’s not—”
“Oh, please. The captain hates extra trouble, yet he personally rode with you all the way here. I thought something was wrong, but now I get it.”
“Ah! That’s only because I’m bad at riding.”
“Oh my, pretty and cute. Here, eat this. And this too.”
Kate was bold and warm. She stuffed cheese, bread, and dried meat into my hands, then pulled out a bottle of wine and drank deeply. Seeing that, my mouth watered.
She noticed my gaze.
“Hm? Want some?”
“Is that okay?”
“Of course. You drink this—I’ve got another bottle.”
“Thank you!”
“To celebrate our meeting—cheers!”
“Cheers!”
Kate and I clinked bottles and took long drinks. When I lowered the bottle, I met Calix’s eyes across the campfire.
He was chewing rye bread, looking oddly displeased as he alternated glances between me and Kate.
‘Does he want some too?’
Thinking that, I lifted the bottle toward him. Surprisingly, Calix stood up and walked over.
“Looks like the captain wants a drink too.”
I said to Kate. She turned toward Calix while draining the last of her wine.
“The captain? No way.”
“Look, he’s coming this way.”
“Hmm. That doesn’t look like a ‘wanting wine’ expression.”
Right then, Calix stopped right in front of us and took the bottle from my hand.
“Riana.”
I responded quickly.
“You came because you wanted some too, right? Here, you can have it.”
“No, I—”
“I drank about half, but I didn’t touch the bottle with my lips. It’s fine.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I’m really okay. I don’t mind at all.”
“….”
Honestly, I wanted more, but I perfectly hid my true feelings and offered him the wine.
While I was feeling proud of my acting, Kate suddenly snorted with laughter and spilled a bit of wine.
“Wow, Captain, I haven’t seen that expression in ages. Something not going your way?”
“Stop talking nonsense, Kate.”
“Oh right. You can totally use your authority to steal wine from a rookie.”
“Seriously.”
Kate laughed loudly. Calix set the bottle down beside her and walked off into the darkness.
Kate called after him,
“Huh? Captain, why aren’t you taking the wine you stole?”
Calix glanced back briefly, gave Kate a dry look, then turned away again.
I watched him disappear into the dark, then looked down at the bottle he had left behind.
‘Drink it? I can, right? He left it.’
After a brief internal debate, I picked it up.
“Is it okay if I drink this? He kind of abandoned it.”
“What? Hahaha! Of course. Cheers to the captain’s authority!”
“Cheers!”
I clinked bottles with Kate again. A bright sound rang out as the pleasant night slowly passed.
