I thought Callius was joking and thought I should get angry at his rudeness.
But he really did strap me to his body like a bundle and get on his horse.
I gasped as I felt my body rise high.
Hanging on to Callius was already tall, but his horse was surprisingly tall, as if I had climbed up to the top of a two-story building.
The floor felt so far away that my eyes were spinning.
“Yes, just a moment!”
I tried to struggle, but my body, wrapped in cloth, was firmly fixed to him, and I couldn't move much.
He said calmly.
“Don’t move too much. It’s dangerous.”
“So this is how we start?”
"From now on, we must hike. We will quickly pass through a rough and steep path."
Every time he spoke, his pure white breath touched me and tickled the tip of my nose.
'It's so close...!'
Even though we were both wearing thick clothes, I was very concerned about our bodies being so close that I could feel his heartbeat.
“Can’t I just sit up straight and walk?”
“You will be bounced off.”
It was a very firm voice.
“But it feels like too much of a burden. It would be heavy to run like this...”
Even though my butt was touching the saddle, my shoulders would feel heavy with I was strapped to them.
But Callius stared at me without saying anything as I worried about my weight.
Judging by his eyes, he seemed to be asking if I was being sincere.
His face was so calm that it was pointless to make excuses about being worried about it being too heavy.
'Well, just one side of his arm looks like it's four times as thick as mine...'
With this much of a difference in size, my weight, as thin as a dry tree branch, might not seem like much.
“If you really want to help me, hold on to my body.”
"...Yes."
I silently hugged his body tightly.
“Is this really the best way...?”
"Yes."
“But I think there’s a sled over there...”
I pointed to the sled that Callius' men were tying to the saddles of their horses.
Callius shook his head firmly.
“Sleds often capsize when the rope snaps, and they often fall down deep cliffs, never to be found again.”
I imagined myself rolling around on the floor with the sled, and just put strength into my arms that hugged his body.
Then it suddenly occurred to me that I shouldn't let my precious teddy bear and cushion ride on such a dangerous sled.
"Wait a minute!"
“...”
Alex looked down at the round, black doll eyes shining under his chin.
He was carrying a teddy bear and a cushion on his back and front.
“These are things I cherish as much as my life itself. Please take good care of them.”
It was Chloe's special instruction.
She repeated two or three times, "Please take good care of the teddy bear and cushion," as if she were entrusting them to her own children.
'A teddy bear.'
His youngest brother, who had just turned ten, had also long since grown out of his teddy bear.
'My brother catches a bear in the mountains.'
In Ronheim, the age of ten was the age at which one could begin hunting.
But honestly, he found it a little funny and strange that an adult, even a Princess, could not let go of her childhood attachments and was trembling in fear.
"She has a pure side. But why is she entrusting this to me?"
Wouldn't it be more trustworthy to entrust the maids with the job than him, who is rough, tacky, and frankly lacks hygiene?
Chloe's maids sat two by two on saddles with handles.
The reins of the horses they rode were held by each of their companions.
The fellows holding the reins were terrifying the maids by telling them that if they let go of the handles on the saddle, they might fall off the horse and die.
Alex glanced at the maids, all of whom had pale faces, except for one named Lamia.
'Well, that doesn't look very trustworthy.'
Alex hugged the teddy bear tightly.
Then he heard a small rustling sound inside the doll. It was the sound of metal clashing.
'Is there a strange sound coming from the doll?'
Alex tilted his head and squeezed the teddy bear's head, then pulled his hand away in horror when he saw a stain on his leather glove.
'OMG!'
He tried blowing on the bear's head and carefully rubbing it with his sleeve, but it was no use.
'Damn it, I'm dead.'
Alex was so worried about the stain that he completely forgot about the sound of the gold.
Callius's warning that I might be thrown off his horse was true.
“Hey!”
Callius, who started to run in the lead, rode his horse very quickly.
As he had said, we were going on a mountain hike. Just past the Abene Castle walls, we came upon a snow-covered rocky mountain. The horse, as if accustomed to the rugged mountain path, ran quickly.
We jumped from rock to rock and traversed narrow, steep paths.
With each step the horse took, its body shook violently.
'If I hadn't tied myself to the Marquis, I would have been in big trouble.'
At first, I hugged him tightly, afraid that I might fall, but soon my strength left me.
If it weren't for Callius, I would have swayed without resistance as the horse moved and would have rolled down the steep cliff long ago.
I crouched down to avoid the strong wind and clung to Callius as close as I could, like a cicada.
One fortunate thing was that since I was close to him, my body temperature didn't drop much even when I was hit by the strong wind.
However, my feet and legs, which were relatively less attached, were as cold as ice, and my senses were dull.
I was relieved to be barely able to maintain my body temperature, but when I glanced up, I was startled to see that Callius' face was covered in sweat.
“Are you okay?”
Callius asked from time to time.
I couldn't speak because I felt like I would bite my tongue if I opened my mouth, so I just nodded.
Then, at the fourth question, he shook his head sharply.
Callius, who had been running for a while, slowed down.
“Where are you uncomfortable?”
“Oh, I feel motion sickness...”
The world was spinning.
Callius, who had observed my complexion, clicked his tongue slightly and made the horse walk slowly.
“Please understand that we have a long way to go and cannot stop.”
“I’m sorry. Because of me...”
“Don’t worry about it. You have to take a break every now and then to avoid falling behind.”
He looked back to see if his group was following along.
Only then did I lift my face from his chest and look around.
The path we were taking was a narrow path built into a cliff, and upon closer inspection, it was much narrower than I had imagined.
'How do I avoid someone coming from the opposite direction?'
It was a narrow stone path that was enough to cause such worries.
'The carriage will never come.'
Even the roads were covered in snow.
The ground was exposed in the sun-drenched areas, but there were many more shaded areas, most of which were covered in snow.
As I was looking at the road I had to take, I suddenly became scared and turned my gaze away.
'Ah...'
The view from near the moving magic circle in the north was beautiful, but the view from the mountainside was even more spectacular.
'There is a place where people live beyond these deep, deep mountains.'
I was really curious about what kind of place Ronheim was.
'Of course, I know the general story written in history books.'
In history books, Ronheim was recorded as a small kingdom built on barren land that was covered in snow for all but two months of the year, making it impossible to even farm.
A poor kingdom where more than half of the population are nomads who survive by hunting and herding.
The reason the Emperors of Arrental tried to conquer such a place was because of the legend.
There was a legend that the mountain range where the kingdom was located was overflowing with enormous treasures of gold and silver hidden by the gods, as well as mystical herbs that would grant immortality.
Among travelers who have actually been to Ronheim, there have been constant stories of experiencing many mysterious things, even if they are not aware of the gold and silver treasures.
According to the travelers' stories, most people in Ronheim were said to be resistant to disease and had long lifespans.
There were even old records that the terrible epidemics that occasionally broke out on the continent always avoided Ronheim.
That is why the Emperors of Arrental believed that the story of the herb of immortality was not just a legend.
'I think I can believe it just by looking at this mystical landscape.'
I was lost in the scenery.
But then Callius asked me, perhaps worried that I was just quietly looking into the distance.
“Are you having a hard time? Would you like to tell me a pleasant story?”
“Is it a good story?”
“For example, a story about a friend.”
“...!”
I looked up at Callius with a slightly wary gaze.
'Why do you keep asking about Karl?'
But he really did strap me to his body like a bundle and get on his horse.
I gasped as I felt my body rise high.
Hanging on to Callius was already tall, but his horse was surprisingly tall, as if I had climbed up to the top of a two-story building.
The floor felt so far away that my eyes were spinning.
“Yes, just a moment!”
I tried to struggle, but my body, wrapped in cloth, was firmly fixed to him, and I couldn't move much.
He said calmly.
“Don’t move too much. It’s dangerous.”
“So this is how we start?”
"From now on, we must hike. We will quickly pass through a rough and steep path."
Every time he spoke, his pure white breath touched me and tickled the tip of my nose.
'It's so close...!'
Even though we were both wearing thick clothes, I was very concerned about our bodies being so close that I could feel his heartbeat.
“Can’t I just sit up straight and walk?”
“You will be bounced off.”
It was a very firm voice.
“But it feels like too much of a burden. It would be heavy to run like this...”
Even though my butt was touching the saddle, my shoulders would feel heavy with I was strapped to them.
But Callius stared at me without saying anything as I worried about my weight.
Judging by his eyes, he seemed to be asking if I was being sincere.
His face was so calm that it was pointless to make excuses about being worried about it being too heavy.
'Well, just one side of his arm looks like it's four times as thick as mine...'
With this much of a difference in size, my weight, as thin as a dry tree branch, might not seem like much.
“If you really want to help me, hold on to my body.”
"...Yes."
I silently hugged his body tightly.
“Is this really the best way...?”
"Yes."
“But I think there’s a sled over there...”
I pointed to the sled that Callius' men were tying to the saddles of their horses.
Callius shook his head firmly.
“Sleds often capsize when the rope snaps, and they often fall down deep cliffs, never to be found again.”
I imagined myself rolling around on the floor with the sled, and just put strength into my arms that hugged his body.
Then it suddenly occurred to me that I shouldn't let my precious teddy bear and cushion ride on such a dangerous sled.
"Wait a minute!"
***
“...”
Alex looked down at the round, black doll eyes shining under his chin.
He was carrying a teddy bear and a cushion on his back and front.
“These are things I cherish as much as my life itself. Please take good care of them.”
It was Chloe's special instruction.
She repeated two or three times, "Please take good care of the teddy bear and cushion," as if she were entrusting them to her own children.
'A teddy bear.'
His youngest brother, who had just turned ten, had also long since grown out of his teddy bear.
'My brother catches a bear in the mountains.'
In Ronheim, the age of ten was the age at which one could begin hunting.
But honestly, he found it a little funny and strange that an adult, even a Princess, could not let go of her childhood attachments and was trembling in fear.
"She has a pure side. But why is she entrusting this to me?"
Wouldn't it be more trustworthy to entrust the maids with the job than him, who is rough, tacky, and frankly lacks hygiene?
Chloe's maids sat two by two on saddles with handles.
The reins of the horses they rode were held by each of their companions.
The fellows holding the reins were terrifying the maids by telling them that if they let go of the handles on the saddle, they might fall off the horse and die.
Alex glanced at the maids, all of whom had pale faces, except for one named Lamia.
'Well, that doesn't look very trustworthy.'
Alex hugged the teddy bear tightly.
Then he heard a small rustling sound inside the doll. It was the sound of metal clashing.
'Is there a strange sound coming from the doll?'
Alex tilted his head and squeezed the teddy bear's head, then pulled his hand away in horror when he saw a stain on his leather glove.
'OMG!'
He tried blowing on the bear's head and carefully rubbing it with his sleeve, but it was no use.
'Damn it, I'm dead.'
Alex was so worried about the stain that he completely forgot about the sound of the gold.
***
Callius's warning that I might be thrown off his horse was true.
“Hey!”
Callius, who started to run in the lead, rode his horse very quickly.
As he had said, we were going on a mountain hike. Just past the Abene Castle walls, we came upon a snow-covered rocky mountain. The horse, as if accustomed to the rugged mountain path, ran quickly.
We jumped from rock to rock and traversed narrow, steep paths.
With each step the horse took, its body shook violently.
'If I hadn't tied myself to the Marquis, I would have been in big trouble.'
At first, I hugged him tightly, afraid that I might fall, but soon my strength left me.
If it weren't for Callius, I would have swayed without resistance as the horse moved and would have rolled down the steep cliff long ago.
I crouched down to avoid the strong wind and clung to Callius as close as I could, like a cicada.
One fortunate thing was that since I was close to him, my body temperature didn't drop much even when I was hit by the strong wind.
However, my feet and legs, which were relatively less attached, were as cold as ice, and my senses were dull.
I was relieved to be barely able to maintain my body temperature, but when I glanced up, I was startled to see that Callius' face was covered in sweat.
“Are you okay?”
Callius asked from time to time.
I couldn't speak because I felt like I would bite my tongue if I opened my mouth, so I just nodded.
Then, at the fourth question, he shook his head sharply.
Callius, who had been running for a while, slowed down.
“Where are you uncomfortable?”
“Oh, I feel motion sickness...”
The world was spinning.
Callius, who had observed my complexion, clicked his tongue slightly and made the horse walk slowly.
“Please understand that we have a long way to go and cannot stop.”
“I’m sorry. Because of me...”
“Don’t worry about it. You have to take a break every now and then to avoid falling behind.”
He looked back to see if his group was following along.
Only then did I lift my face from his chest and look around.
The path we were taking was a narrow path built into a cliff, and upon closer inspection, it was much narrower than I had imagined.
'How do I avoid someone coming from the opposite direction?'
It was a narrow stone path that was enough to cause such worries.
'The carriage will never come.'
Even the roads were covered in snow.
The ground was exposed in the sun-drenched areas, but there were many more shaded areas, most of which were covered in snow.
As I was looking at the road I had to take, I suddenly became scared and turned my gaze away.
'Ah...'
The view from near the moving magic circle in the north was beautiful, but the view from the mountainside was even more spectacular.
'There is a place where people live beyond these deep, deep mountains.'
I was really curious about what kind of place Ronheim was.
'Of course, I know the general story written in history books.'
In history books, Ronheim was recorded as a small kingdom built on barren land that was covered in snow for all but two months of the year, making it impossible to even farm.
A poor kingdom where more than half of the population are nomads who survive by hunting and herding.
The reason the Emperors of Arrental tried to conquer such a place was because of the legend.
There was a legend that the mountain range where the kingdom was located was overflowing with enormous treasures of gold and silver hidden by the gods, as well as mystical herbs that would grant immortality.
Among travelers who have actually been to Ronheim, there have been constant stories of experiencing many mysterious things, even if they are not aware of the gold and silver treasures.
According to the travelers' stories, most people in Ronheim were said to be resistant to disease and had long lifespans.
There were even old records that the terrible epidemics that occasionally broke out on the continent always avoided Ronheim.
That is why the Emperors of Arrental believed that the story of the herb of immortality was not just a legend.
'I think I can believe it just by looking at this mystical landscape.'
I was lost in the scenery.
But then Callius asked me, perhaps worried that I was just quietly looking into the distance.
“Are you having a hard time? Would you like to tell me a pleasant story?”
“Is it a good story?”
“For example, a story about a friend.”
“...!”
I looked up at Callius with a slightly wary gaze.
'Why do you keep asking about Karl?'
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