Chapter 173: Urgent
I decided to check on Kanum’s House. Everything seemed normal, and Daifuku was nowhere to be found in the attic. He usually hangs around on rainy days, but today was sunny.
I didn’t have any plans for a long ride with Ash, so I thought it might be nice to take Ruta out by myself for a change. With that in mind, I headed over to the Horse Rental Shop.
“Ruta, good morning.”
I greeted Ruta, who was still trying to escape as usual, and placed the saddle that the shopkeeper had prepared for me.
“By the way, do you have any horses that get along well with Ruta?”
I slipped the shopkeeper a tip while asking. It would be a bit lonely for one horse, so once the paddock is ready, it might be a good idea to adopt two.
“I recently took in one…”
Just as the shopkeeper began to speak, a loud crash interrupted him. A white horse came galloping toward Ruta.
“They’re often together.”
Oh, so they’re escape buddies?
I watched the two horses interact, unsure if they were playfully nipping at each other or just being friendly. Do horses have friendships like that? The shopkeeper’s face wore an expression of resignation, as if he had given up on trying to keep them in line. Sorry about that, Ruta.
“I can’t take out a horse that’s just being boarded, so what should I do?”
I had planned on going for a long ride, but leaving one behind felt wrong.
“Hello, you must be Ruta’s owner?”
…
The white horse nuzzled the person who had approached.
“Ah, hello.”
Of course! If someone is boarding a horse, they must be the owner who rode it here, and a horse with a similar build to well-groomed Ruta must be a warhorse.
He was handsome, but his genes from the jaw up were too strong! Clearly, he was Chris’s younger brother. So, this place was also a danger zone for encounters, not just the Adventurer’s Guild.
“Orpheble is my beloved steed, and he gets along well with Ruta.”
Oh no, he was a typical sparkly knight.
What was alarming was that I found Chris’s sparkly demeanor more relatable. I remembered being taken aback at first, but somehow, I had gotten used to it…!
So, why was I out on a long ride with Chris’s younger brother? It was the result of both of us succumbing to the pressure from our beloved steeds.
Thanks to Ruta and Orpheble competing with each other, the journey was mostly silent. It was better than being with Deer, but please stop increasing the speed just because you see I’m fine.
“You’re quite the rider.”
“No, I just let Ruta do the work.”
Why doesn’t he have a jawline? Is Chris’s jawline because of the Spirit?
“Are you an Adventurer?”
“I’m registered, but I don’t do much adventuring.”
When I glanced at the Spirit, I saw it was right there on his jawline!
“My brother is also an Adventurer, and while we’re in Kanum, he helps out a bit.”
“Let me guess, it’s Chris?”
Is he going to have a jawline too? Will his chin muscles develop?
“I get told we look alike, and my brother is quite the celebrity.”
“He’s relied upon a lot.”
Oh, this Spirit isn’t enjoying the jawline; it’s relishing the contour. Is that why he has such a well-defined face?
For now, we exchanged some harmless, pleasant conversation to pass the time. If I were out on a long ride with Ash, we would be having lunch here, but it was too early for that, and I couldn’t exactly whip out a bento. I finished off some honey wine from my bag.
Since the younger brother introduced himself as Reed Eez, I also introduced myself politely. We might run into each other again in town or at the Horse Rental Shop. It would be a shame not to see Ruta again.
“I thought about taking Orpheble since he seemed to get along well with Ruta, but it looks like that won’t be possible.”
It seemed he had the same idea.
Feeling a bit of camaraderie, I returned to the Horse Rental Shop to groom Ruta side by side with him. How did it come to this?
“Well, I’ll take my leave now. If we have the chance, let’s meet again.”
“If we have the chance.”
I parted ways with Reed at the Horse Rental Shop.
No matter how I looked at it, we were headed in the same direction, but I stopped by the Merchant Guild to drop off some healing potions. If I returned through the back entrance, I’d be in the clear.
What should I have for lunch today? Should I boil or grill some huge shrimp and dip them in mayonnaise for a big bite?
Just as I placed my hand on the back entrance, I was suddenly dragged next door.
“What’s going on?”
“A bit of an emergency.”
Dinoss looked relieved.
“I’m glad you’re here.”
Shiva was smiling awkwardly.
“Jean! Someone proposed to me!”
Tina hugged me tightly.
“Excuse me?”
A bulb? No, that doesn’t fit. Was there a soul-sucking demon beast around here?
“Sister, a knight proposed to her!”
“Chris’s brother!”
The twins piled on, hugging me tighter.
“Excuse me?”
“I made sure to tell him I like Jean!”
I instinctively glanced at Dinoss. Was that charming, handsome guy a pervert after all?
“That’s urgent too, but that’s not it. It’s about Ash.”
“Huh?”
No way, is he two-timing?!
“Ash has received a return order from the royal family and the duke’s household. The one who brought it is Chris’s brother.”
“Wait, what?!”
I couldn’t do anything about family troubles from this far away (here), and Ash hadn’t mentioned wanting to return, so I thought he’d be staying here for a while.
That charming pervert brought unnecessary news. —What will Ash do now?