The drizzle is falling persistently.
My heart is also fluttering.
Pastel, in a daze, received the reins. The white horse looked on blankly.
Ugh.
Did you wake up too? I just got up. The warmth of the bed is still vivid. Where did the cozy fluffiness go~?
“It’s a gentle one, so it should be easy to ride.”
Melissa said, looking perfectly fine all alone. Even in the early dawn, without proper sunlight, she maintained her usual elegant appearance.
Ugh.
Didn’t we go on a night stroll together? We both barely slept for a few hours, so why the difference? Is this what being a born noble feels like?
Pastel combed through her messy hair with her hands. When she pressed down her poofy pink hair, it just bounced back up.
Wow, a magpie’s nest.
Someone built a magpie’s nest on the cherry blossom tree. The owner is definitely me, but what kind of magpie friend is squatting here?
It was too early for even the demon to help with hair arrangements.
Heeeh.
The white horse approached. It opened its mouth and seemed like it was about to munch on the pink magpie’s nest.
Waaah.
Pastel panicked and dodged.
“I always say that it’s cherry blossom scenery, but it’s not real cherry blossoms. Just look at it for decorative purposes!”
“I’m sorry!”
Melissa rubbed the white horse.
“Elizaveta, I’ll give you your feed soon, so please wait.”
Elizaveta?
Is the name of the horse friend Elizaveta?
A name more noble than Pastel, who just woke up in a messy state.
I’m feeling deflated.
Melissa brought dried feed and a special apple treat and fed them to Elizaveta, not the other horse.
“Craft, do you usually get up at this time?”
Nod nod.
“Pastel, being lazy, wakes up when the morning sun greets me.”
I yawned long.
“You really look like that…”
Melissa mumbled.
“I’m sorry, Craft. I thought that someone who schemes all sorts of plots like you would have a tradition of waking up in the quiet dawn. It seems your family is one that concocts plans late at night. I’ve learned something.”
Melissa, what did you learn? Pastel doesn’t do naughty things like conspiring at night like that sneaky Craft.
In a semi-conscious state, Pastel suddenly realized and gasped.
Pastel ← the one who dug up someone else’s apple orchard at night.
Huh.
Am I, in fact, Craft itself?
No way.
Pastel grasped her cheeks in despair.
Waaaaah.
It’s a survival crime.
I haven’t plotted any betrayals.
I just traded and dug up safely.
Melissa fed Elizaveta the apple treat.
“Waking up early, huh? A good lifestyle habit. You should learn too. If you develop the habit of waking up early and making your bed, life will be easier.”
Ugh.
Suddenly, it’s nagging time.
I feel a rebellious spirit sprouting up.
“Right, Melissa! I’m developing the habit of sleeping late and waking up late. I’m going to keep it for life!”
“What?”
The demon gasped in shock and stopped nagging.
Melissa turned to look.
“Oh, I see. There would be suitable opportunities late at night. You really are Craft.”
Huh.
Is this a compliment?
As the one who dug up apples last night, my conscience is pricking.
Pastel awkwardly whistled.
My conscience is saying ouch, but it’s probably a necessary sacrifice to rescue my hidden funds friend from the ground.
Melissa smiled gently.
“Thank you, Craft. You woke up early to spend time with me, despite pushing me away before. If you’re tired, you can go back. Today is not the only day.”
Melissa’s consideration beam~!
Pastel, like a magpie, is waaaaaah.
My conscience…!
Pastel flapped her arms.
“No, no! Waking up early makes the air fresh and my mind clear, and it’s really great!”
Took a big breath.
“Wow! Morning air! So nice!”
“Right, very nice.”
Demon Lord, don’t affirm it now.
She raised her arm high.
“Let’s go hunt wild boars together!”
Melissa smiled and nodded.
“Sure.”
Oh yeah.
We’re totally friends now!
Waaah.
I should’ve just gone back properly.
Holding the reins while riding the white horse, Pastel braved the drizzle.
Come to think of it, I’ve never ridden a horse before.
Regret.
Vehement regret.
As the head of the family, it should be common knowledge and a survival skill, but nobody taught a dense head of the family dangerous horseback riding. It’s understandable though.
“Keep your gaze straight ahead even if you have to force it. If you look down, your head will lower, and your back will naturally bend. You need to pay attention to your gaze until you develop the habit of keeping your back straight.”
Learning how to ride in real-time on a horse for the first time.
“Relax your shoulders and waist properly. You need to match your rhythm with the horse’s movements without resisting; otherwise, your muscles will tire out. There you go. You’re good at using your body. If you keep riding for about an hour, you’ll quickly learn the basics.”
“That’s not what’s important right now.”
Pastel, feeling light every time the horse stepped, jolted. When the saddle hit against her thighs, she emitted a pain-filled groan.
“Ugh!”
She screamed at the top of her lungs, which was unheard by Melissa, who was calmly riding next to her.
“Is horseback riding always this painful?!”
“Hm.”
The demon thought for a moment, as if struggling to find comforting words.
“It’s usually like that. Try to put pressure on your thighs to absorb the impact. Until you get calluses, it can’t help but hurt.”
Calluses?
Pastel opened her hand. Her soft palm was on full display, not very knight-like.
Squishy and soft.
Her body not belonging to a person doesn’t make calluses like that.
Waaaaah.
My pain!
Pain that will last forever!
“Don’t tell me I have to go through this kind of experience every time we move long distances without a carriage?!”
“Hm.”
The demon looked bewildered.
“… It would be good to hope that your horseback riding skills reach a level of mastery. It will still hurt though.”
Whaaat?!
“Demon Lord, don’t give up on me! I’ll listen to the horse from now on! I’ll be a good girl! Don’t abandon me!”
The demon hesitated.
“I’m sorry.”
Waaaaah.
My heart is bursting with despair…!
The fear of being abandoned by my guardian…!
Melissa glanced over and approached.
“Craft? Are you hurt?”
My thighs hurt!
But saying that, I felt guilty toward Melissa in various ways, so Pastel shook her head vigorously.
“No! I was just fascinated by how wonderful Elizaveta is!”
“Glad to hear that.”
Melissa smiled gently, as if horseback riding weren’t painful at all.
“Elizaveta is a smart lady, but being too white makes it easy for her to stand out, so she hasn’t been favored as a partner. I thought she wouldn’t match you since you stand out anyway, but I’m glad it fits well.”
“That’s true!”
I have no clue about it myself.
“So, I think Elizaveta wants to be with you more! Wouldn’t that bring her more happiness?”
Feeling a vibe like I was going to gift Elizaveta made Pastel cut it off immediately.
A popular person must sometimes be indifferent to her friends.
“Ah, is that so?”
Melissa looked dejected. She seemed like she had prepared a gift only to be rejected.
I’m sorry, Melissa.
This kind of pain is unbearable.
Elizaveta would prefer to be with you rather than staying in the stable.
I should find some other method of transportation besides the horse for long-distance travel later on. I can’t believe I’d have to ride a horse in a world with magic?
Enduring the pain, Pastel guided the horse, passing through the gate protecting the vast forest.
Beyond the castle walls, several civilian homes.
Normally, it wouldn’t be overlapping with the habitats of the beasts of the vast forest, so it would be a relatively livable place, but situations changed over the years. Occasionally, beasts would wander around the village. This time, it’s a wild boar.
Heh.
Wouldn’t I get taxed outside the castle walls?
Tax rate 0%?
I can empathize with why they live in such dangerous places.
Nod nod.
Nod nod, soup yum yum.
Arriving in the small village, Pastel sat at the inn’s table eating potato soup. With gem powder added.
Yum, not bad.
Dressed as a mercenary, Melissa was sitting across, eating soup but then set her spoon down. Seems like it’s not to her noble taste.
“Since this is outside the castle walls, we’re not obligated to protect it, but we often visit to secretly hunt beasts.”
“Secretly?”
So that’s why she’s disguised as a mercenary?
“Yes. Since it’s a gray area, bringing forces or a visit from Camelot would cause a commotion.”
“Is that so?”
Pastel tilted her head, looking around.
The only inn and restaurant in the village had numerous tables. People were eating and casting tense glances at their table.
Isn’t the mercenary disguise useless? The atmosphere makes it clear they know she’s Melissa from Camelot.
I mean, every time a beast appeared, a magician girl came to hunt it, so I wouldn’t blame them for being wary. The lord’s family must be famous for Melissa’s looks and magical talent too.
After finishing a simple meal, a girl, presumably the inn’s daughter, approached with an incredibly tense demeanor to collect the dishes.
“Wait.”
Melissa rummaged through her pocket. Then she pulled out a gold coin and handed it to the girl as if it were a tip.
The gold coin sparkles.
Gasp.
A self-claimed mercenary giving a gold coin as a tip.
Anyone can see it’s noble.
The inn girl expressed her gratitude fervently and collected the dishes to leave.
Pastel burst into laughter.
“Hahaha!”
Melissa is totally in another dimension.
I’m too ordinary to wrap my head around this~.
“What’s so funny, Craft?”
“Nothing!”
Melissa looked at her oddly, then stood up.
“Then, please rest for a moment in the inn. I’ll step outside to look for traces of the wild boar.”
“I’ll go too!”
“No. Please stay here. I feel bad for waking you up early.”
Huh.
Melissa left the inn.
Pastel was left alone.
Sitting in the chair and swinging her legs, she raised an arm high. With a bright face, she shouted toward the inn kitchen.
“More potato soup, please!”
I need to eat it all alone~.
Oh yeah.
The inn girl handed over the soup, hesitating while glancing over before leaving.
“What’s up?”
Pastel tilted her head with a spoon in her mouth.
Feeling encouraged by Pastel’s refreshingly unsophisticated demeanor and her pink appearance, the inn girl opened her mouth.
“You came to hunt the wild boar, right?”
Aha.
I knew it.
“Correct!”
The inn girl’s eyes sparkled. She slid into a chair in front of Pastel.
“How are you planning to catch it? They’re as big as a house, right? How can you catch one?”
Pastel puffed out her chest.
“Well, that’s obvious…!”
That’s obvious…
The wild boar I saw while flying in the airship came to mind. A tough-looking one that clashed against the castle walls after being hit directly by a cannon.
Uh.
How to catch it?
An awkward silence ensued.
“Um, maybe… with a Mercury Friend?”
Pastel stammered her answer and was shocked by her own response.
Aah, that’s right!
The Mercury Friend is in a state of weightlessness!
The inn girl trembled slightly.
“Can’t you catch it?”
“There’s no way!”
Pastel’s eyes spun. She pulled out a gem knife from her pocket. With a flick of her finger, the knife flew.
“With this, chop chop chop!”
This time, I’m different from when I was at Baeksa!
I’m the Demon King Pastel!
The inn girl was amazed. Then she tilted her head.
“Is a knife enough? I’ve heard their skin is thick.”
Oops.
Pastel hesitated.
She looked at the floating knife.
Uh-oh.
Is that the case?
Hormone Friend, throw me an idea.
Something whispered in her mind.
Whisper whisper.
Hormone Friend: Throw away your morals.
Gasp.
What kind of wicked thing are you implying?
What are you asking from the pink Pastel?
Pastel groaned.
I have no idea.
Hehe.
Just then, the inn door burst open.
A person that looked like a town militia rushed in.
“The fence has been breached! Everyone run!”
Chaos erupted.
Waaaah.
Hormone Friend!
You can do it?!
I believe in you……!
