Drizzle falls softly.
My heart also drizzles.
Pastel received the reins in a daze. The white horse looked at her blankly.
Ugh.
Did you wake up too? I just woke up. The warmth of my bed is still vivid. Where did that cozy softness go?
“This one is gentle, so it should be easy to ride.”
Melissa said this while remaining perfectly composed. Even in the barely risen dawn, she looked as elegant as usual.
Eew.
Didn’t we go for a walk together last night? We both barely slept for hours, so why this difference? Is this the legacy of being a born noble?
Pastel ran her fingers through her messy hair. Pressing down her frizzy pink locks, they puffed back up.
Wow, a magpie’s nest.
Someone built a magpie’s nest on the cherry blossom tree. The owner must surely be me, but what kind of magpie friend is residing here without permission?
It was too early to even take care of her hair.
Huh?
The white horse approached. Then it opened its mouth, trying to nibble at the pink magpie’s nest.
Ahhh!
Pastel flinched and dodged.
“I may often visit cherry blossom spots, but it doesn’t mean it’s a real cherry blossom tree. Just look at it for ornamental purposes.”
“I’m sorry.”
Melissa patted the white horse.
“Elizabeth, I’ll give you your feed soon, so please wait.”
Elizabeth?
Is the white horse’s name Elizabeth?
An even more noble name than Pastel, who had just woken up with messy hair.
This is so embarrassing!
Melissa brought dry feed and a special apple treat and fed Elizabeth while giving the other horse a different meal.
“Craft, do you normally wake up at this time?”
Nods.
“Lazy Pastel only wakes up when the morning sun welcomes her.”
She stretched out a long yawn.
“You really look that way…”
Melissa hesitated.
“I’m sorry, Craft. I thought someone like you, who schemes with various plots, would have the tradition of waking up early at dawn. It turns out your clan operates at night. I’ve learned something.”
Melissa, what did you learn? Pastel doesn’t plot evil deeds like that schemer Craft in the late hours.
While Pastel was in a dazed state and thought this way, she suddenly realized and gasped.
Pastel ← the one who stole from someone’s apple orchard in the middle of the night.
Gasp!
Is it that I am Craft itself?
That can’t be!
Pastel gripped her cheeks in despair.
Waaah!
This is a life of crime!
I didn’t scheme or betray anyone!
I just engaged in smuggling and stealing fair and square!
Melissa fed Elizabeth the special apple treat.
‘So you’re an early riser. That’s a good habit. You should learn this too. Developing the habit of waking up early and making your bed will make life easier for you.’
Ugh.
Suddenly it became a lecture time.
I feel rebellious growing.
“That’s right, Melissa! I’m cultivating the habit of going to bed late and waking up late. I will adhere to it for my entire life!”
‘What?’
The demon stopped her nagging in shock.
Melissa turned around.
“I see. There are suitable opportunities at night. It’s indeed Craft.”
Hmm.
Is this a compliment?
As someone who stole last night, my conscience is poking at me.
Pastel awkwardly whistled.
Though my conscience hurts, it’s a necessary sacrifice to save my underground friend from the ground.
Melissa smiled softly.
“Thank you, Craft. You woke up early to fit in with me, who was constantly pushing you away. If you’re tired, you can go back. Today isn’t the only day.”
Melissa’s caring beam~!
Magpie-nested Pastel gasped.
My conscience…!
Pastel flapped her arms.
“No, no! Waking up in the dawn makes the air clean, and my mind is clear! It’s very nice!”
She took a deep breath.
“Wow! The dawn air! It’s so good!”
‘That’s right, very good.’
Demon, don’t affirm at this moment.
She raised her arm.
“Let’s go hunt some wild boar together!”
Melissa smiled and nodded.
“Okay.”
Oh yeah.
We totally became friends!
Ugh.
I should have just returned nicely.
Pastel, riding the white horse while getting drizzled by the rain, held onto the reins.
Come to think of it, I had never ridden a horse before.
Regret.
Intense regret.
Though it’s a survival skill and culture that I should naturally have learned as the clan leader, no one would teach a fool like me how to ride a horse. It makes perfect sense.
‘Keep your gaze straight out, forcefully if needed. If you lower your gaze, your head will drop down, and your back will naturally curve. Until you develop the habit of keeping your back straight, you must pay attention to your line of sight.’
It was my first time learning to ride a horse in real-time.
‘Loosen your shoulders and waist appropriately. You must match your rhythm with the horse’s movements without resisting to avoid tiring out your muscles. That’s it. You’re good at physical activities. If the horse is good, you should pick up the basics in about an hour.’
“That’s not the important thing right now.”
As the horse pounded against the ground, Pastel felt like her body was being jolted. As the saddle and her thighs collided, she let out a pained groan.
“Ughh!”
Screaming with all her might so that Melissa, riding peacefully beside her, couldn’t hear.
“Is riding a horse always this painful?!”
‘Hmm.’
The demon thought for a moment, as if contemplating comforting words.
‘It’s normally like that. Try to give force to your thighs to absorb the shocks. It’ll hurt until you develop calluses.’
Calluses?
Pastel opened her hands. Her soft palms were visible, not very knightly.
Flabby and soft.
The human body doesn’t make calluses like that!
Ughh.
My pain!
My pain that will last forever!
“Could it be that I have to experience this pain every time I travel long distances without a carriage?!”
‘Hmm.’
The demon looked taken aback.
‘…It’d be better if your horse-riding skill reaches a high level. Although it’ll still hurt.’
What?!
“Demon, don’t give up on me! I promise I’ll obey from now on! I’ll be a good kid! Please don’t abandon me!”
The demon hesitated.
‘I’m sorry.’
Ahhh!
Heart-wrenching despair…!
The fear of being abandoned by my protector…!
Melissa glanced over and approached the horse.
“Craft? Are you hurt?”
My thighs hurt!
But having so many guilty feelings around Melissa, Pastel shook her head wildly.
“No! I was just amazed at how wonderful Elizabeth is!”
“That’s a relief.”
Melissa, who seemed unaffected by the pain of riding, smiled softly.
“Elizabeth is a smart lady, but since she’s too white, she easily stands out, so she wasn’t preferred as a partner. I thought she wouldn’t match well with someone noticeable like you, but I’m glad she fits so well.”
“That’s true!”
Though I don’t know for sure.
“However, I feel like Elizabeth wants to be around you more! Wouldn’t that be happier?”
With a vibe that suggests she might give Elizabeth as a gift, Pastel cut her off immediately.
After all, popular people must sometimes be cool to their friends.
“Ah, is that so.”
Melissa’s face fell. She looked like someone whose carefully prepared gift was rejected, filled with anticipation.
Sorry, Melissa.
I can’t handle this pain.
Elizabeth would probably prefer to be with you than just stay in the stable.
As for finding a means of long-distance travel, I’ll have to figure out other means than just horses later. Surely in a world with magic, I wouldn’t be limited to just riding horses?
Pastel bore the pain as she guided the horse. She continued moving past the gates protecting the Great Forest.
Outside the castle walls, there were several homes in some plains.
Originally, this place wouldn’t overlap with the habitat of the ferocious beasts of the Great Forest, so it was relatively livable, but things changed over the years. Occasionally, beasts would roam around the outskirts of the village. This time, it was wild boars.
Oh.
Do they not have to pay taxes outside the castle walls?
Tax rate 0%?
I can empathize with why they choose to live in a dangerous area.
Nod, nod.
Nod, nod, soup yum yum.
Pastel arrived at the small village and sat at a table in the inn, eating potato soup. With magic stone powder added.
Hmm, not a bad taste.
Disguised as a mercenary, Melissa was eating soup across the table, then laid down her spoon. It probably wasn’t to her taste as a noble lady.
“This is outside the castle walls, so we don’t have the obligation to protect it, but we occasionally visit and secretly hunt beasts.”
“Secretly?”
So that’s why the mercenary disguise?
“Yes. Since it’s a gray area, either leading a military force or a visit from the Camerotts would cause a huge stir.”
“Is that so?”
Pastel tilted her head and looked around.
The inn’s only restaurant had many tables. People were eating and glancing over at this table. Their eyes held tension.
Isn’t the mercenary disguise completely useless? They surely know that Melissa Camerott is here.
Well, whenever a beast appeared, a certain magical girl came to hunt it down, so it’s understandable to arouse suspicion. As a lord’s family, Melissa’s appearance and magical skills would certainly be well-known.
As they finished their simple meal, a girl around their age, presumably the inn’s daughter, approached their table. She collected the dishes with an extremely nervous demeanor.
“Wait a moment.”
Melissa rummaged through her clothing and pulled out some gold coins, then handed them to the girl as a tip.
The gold coins sparkled.
Gasp.
A self-proclaimed mercenary giving a tip of gold coins.
Anyone could tell she’s a noble.
The inn girl expressed her heartfelt gratitude vigorously and took the dishes away.
Pastel burst out laughing alone.
“Hahaha!”
Melissa is so four-dimensional.
I, an ordinary person, find it hard to understand~.
“Why are you laughing, Craft?”
“Nothing!”
Melissa looked puzzled but then stood up.
“Then please rest here in the inn for a moment. I’ll go out to check for signs of wild boars.”
“I’ll come too!”
“No, you stay here. I’m sorry for waking you at dawn.”
Huh.
Melissa left the inn.
Pastel was left alone.
Sitting in the chair, she wiggled her feet and then raised one arm high. With a bright face, she shouted toward the inn’s kitchen.
“More potato soup, please!”
I need to eat it all~.
Oh yeah.
The inn girl handed over the soup. Then she hesitated, peeking back without leaving.
“What’s up?”
Pastel tilted her head with a spoon in her mouth.
Maybe encouraged by her not-so-noble demeanor and pinkish appearance, the inn girl opened her mouth.
“You’re here to catch the wild boar, right?”
Whoa.
I knew it would get found out.
“That’s right!”
The inn girl’s eyes sparkled. She slid into the front seat with good rapport.
“How will you do it? The wild boars are as big as houses. How can you catch them?”
Pastel puffed up her chest.
“Of course……!”
Of course…….
She remembered the wild boar she saw while flying with the Scoff. The tough barbecued friend crashing against the castle wall even after being hit directly by a cannonball.
Uh.
How will I catch it?
A silence fell.
“I, I guess with a watery friend…?”
Pastel answered and then was surprised by her own words.
Ah! That’s right!
Watery friends are dead due to lack of gravity!
The inn girl’s eyes widened.
“You can’t catch it?”
“That’s impossible!”
Pastel’s head was spinning. She pulled a magic stone knife from her bosom. Waving her finger, the knife flew through the air.
“With this, chop, chop!”
This time I’m equipped differently from the sand!
I’m the demon lord Pastel!
The inn girl marveled. Then she tilted her head.
“They say the skin is thick. Is a knife enough?”
Oh?
Pastel hesitated.
She looked at the floating knife.
Hmmm.
Is it so?
Hormonal Friend, come up with an idea.
Something whispered.
Whisper, whisper.
Hormonal Friend: Throw away your ethical consciousness.
Gasp.
What kind of evil words are those?
What are you demanding from the pink Pastel?
Pastel groaned.
I have no idea at all.
Hehe.
Just then, the inn door swung open.
A person who seemed to be a militia rushed in.
“The fence has been breached! Everyone run!”
Chaos erupted.
Ahhh!
Hormonal Friend!
You can do it, right?!
You can do it, can’t you?!
I’ll trust only you…!
