chapter 151
Chapter 151 – Accept it!
Chapter 149
After following Chloe outside, I was finally able to see the streets of Ephesus properly.
The streets of Ephesus felt like the streets of medieval Europe. I’ve never been to Europe, but I feel that way anyway.
Except for the main street, the heights of the buildings that were closely attached to each other were not very high, and it was a street with a simple taste. It was the most simple and friendly city I had ever seen.
No matter how weak the kingdom of Diana is, it was awkward for the royal capital to give off such a simple feeling. I heard that the national power is about the same as that of the Apollo kingdom.
I asked Chloe why.
“As the kingdom of Apollo invaded in the past, everything except the downtown area was wiped out.”
“Uh…”
“That’s why we had to build a lot of new buildings quickly, so we couldn’t build tall buildings. Efficiency had to be emphasized. Only then can we give back to the people who have lost their place to live.”
There must have been a reason for that.
The buildings that were attached to each other were all similar in appearance. Although the color of the outer walls is clearly different, the shape of the buildings is similar. Maybe that’s why they purposely changed the color of the exterior walls.
While looking around the streets, I asked Chloe.
“So what are we going to do?”
Chloe wouldn’t waste this opportunity, but she hasn’t said anything yet. Didn’t you break my promise or something?
At my question, Chloe asked me a little cautiously.
“Hero, can I do as I please now?”
“Yes, what…”
As long as you don’t cross the line, everything is fine. Because this is a reward for her help.
“Then…”
Chloe wore a conical hat that was the symbol of a wizard. Then he closed the distance to me a little, and crossed his arms around my right arm.
“Is it okay to do this?”
“…Yes, whatever you want.”
It seems that the reason why he wore his hat tightly was because he was embarrassed to cross his arms.
…That’s kind of cute.
As if Chloe had a place she wanted to go, she crossed her arms and started leading me somewhere. I just followed her steps as she led.
Soon, the place where Chloe took me…
“…A stable?”
“It’s a riding field!”
“Ah.”
I thought it was just a stable because there were so many horses. Anyway, the place where Chloe brought me was a horse riding area with stables.
“What do you mean all of a sudden?”
“I want to ride with the hero!”
“…But I can’t ride well.”
“You know how to ride, right?”
“That is true.”
I’m at the level where I know how to ride, so I don’t have anything to show you. Chloe proudly declared to me like that.
“I can’t ride! I don’t even have much to ride in the first place.”
“Yes? Then why…”
“Of course, the hero has to ride it.”
…I see.
“Alright then.”
“hehehe.”
Chloe smiled pleasantly. What could she be so fond of riding like a horse? She feels like receiving undeserved affection.
“It can shake a lot.”
“I’ll hold on to the hero!”
At this point, I also need to practice riding a horse.
When Chloe and I entered the entrance of the riding arena, a warm-looking man came out and greeted us.
“Welcome. Are you two?”
“Yes.”
“Our riding center is operated on a part-time basis. Rates vary depending on the time schedule, so please check carefully before deciding.”
With that said, he showed us a template he had crafted quite a bit of work. A typical hourly rate was written, where the rate increases with each hour, but the increment gradually decreases.
On an hourly basis per person…40,000 Gold? 70,000 Gold for 2 hours… It’s a bit expensive because it’s a place where you can ride a horse.
“Two people, three hours, please!”
It seems that the time Chloe wanted was about three hours. When I handed over the fee to the owner of the stable, Chloe said,
“Hero, I was fine with it. If you use it too much, won’t you be nagging at the saintess?”
“I have some money now. I got a lot of bounty money.”
“Oh, really? Well, the performance of the hero was to the point that it was even heard at school… You must have received a lot!”
Not a lot, but I did get some. I’ve left most of it to Estelle, but I’m carrying enough that I can comfortably use. For example, I was able to pay for a date for today.
“Chloe helped me a lot, so I will pay for it today.”
“Yes? But I’m so sorry about that…”
“It’s okay. I brought enough of it with that in mind.”
As long as you don’t indulge in real extravagance, you can give it as much as you like.
“This is a horse for two people to ride.”
The owner of the stables brought two healthy-looking horses and showed them. One was a pure white horse, and I could see that it was a good horse even to me who didn’t know much about horses.
“Oh, that sounds good.”
“I see. All of the horses in our riding arena belong to the Trakener, a high-end breed. It has very strong legs and a graceful appearance.”
“Ah.”
I don’t know what a Trakener is, but I do know it’s a very good horse.
But when I thought about it, I didn’t need two pencils. Chloe can’t ride anyway…
“Umm, Chloe.”
“Yes?”
“Can I teach you how to ride a horse?”
“Yes, great! I wanted to learn.”
Okay, that’s fine. I took over the horse’s reins from the owner and headed into the riding arena. There were already several other guests besides us at the riding arena.
“Oh, honey. Don’t let go! I have to catch you!”
“Okay, okay.”
“Wow! Don’t let go!”
“Look at this, it’s okay. Because the horse listens to you.”
But why do you think they are all couples?
“…I think everyone except us is a couple, Chloe?”
“We are a couple too. A pair of men and women. Wouldn’t it look strange?”
If you think about it that way…You weren’t wrong.
“First of all, Chloe, I am not a good rider, so keep in mind that teaching may be immature.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“First of all… We have to make the horse feel like riding us.”
As I took over the horse from the master, I lifted the heavy sack that was handed over to me as well.
“I’ve been curious since a while ago, what is that?”
“The horses are crazy.”
“Yes?”
“Take it out.”
Chloe reached into the sack and pulled out something blunt and hard. Then the two horses on which I was holding the reins snorted.
They know what to eat.
The thing in Chloe’s hand was a scarlet, hard, blunt, stick-like vegetable.
“Is that a carrot?”
“It is famous that horses are obsessed with carrots.”
I asked Chloe.
“Chloe, which horse would you like to ride?”
“I am a boy!”
Chloe chose a horse with brown fur, not a white horse. It was unexpected. I thought I would choose a relatively pretty white horse.
“Isn’t the white horse good?”
“I want to see the former warrior on a white horse!”
“…Heh heh.”
Anyway, I asked Chloe to give the horse a carrot. It could be dangerous, so I still hold the reins.
Chloe held out the carrot to the horse with a slightly nervous look.
“Do you want to eat this?”
The horse purred and licked his lips, then opened his mouth and chewed half a carrot in one go. Chloe was taken aback and stepped back.
“Wow, wow… I ate.”
“I usually eat well. Give it a try and stroke the horse’s mane.”
“Yes.”
Chloe held out the remaining carrots and stroked the horse’s mane. Chloe put on a mysterious expression, as if the touch she felt as she stroked her mane was unfamiliar.
“Isn’t it particularly soft?”
“Rather tough.”
Chloe gave the horse two or three more carrots, and in time seemed to have succeeded in getting acquainted with the horse. As if the horse wanted to burn Chloe first, he rubbed her face.
“Hero, this is how we became close, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. So now let’s get in the saddle. If you put one foot in her stirrups, stand up, and turn over the other side…”
…Coming to think of it, it must be difficult because of your height. Estelle was bad, but there was no way she could be called Chloe. Reluctantly, I reached out her hand to her.
“Ah, hero? I’m still ready…”
“…I’m not trying to do anything weird. I can’t get past Chloe’s height. I will help you.”
“Ah…that’s too bad.”
…What do you regret?
I gently grabbed Chloe’s waist. Perhaps because of her small stature, her waist was also really thin. What kind of chopsticks It looks like it will break if you hit it.
“Oh no.”
“…Don’t make weird noises.”
“Go, what should I do with itchy things!”
Ah, that was it. I thought you were kidding me again.
“Be patient.”
I lifted Chloe up. Her Chloe’s light body was really easy to lift, and she only exclaimed as she levitated in her air.
“Huh…”
“It’s higher than I thought, right? Just put her left foot in her stirrups there.”
“Uh… Yes.”
Are you ashamed? Well, since she is already an adult considering her age, I can hear her, so maybe it’s embarrassing.
“I did.”
“Now take the reins. And if I push you up further, then cross your legs in reverse.”
“Yes.”
I lifted her up with all my might, and her legs crossed her legs so that she could land on the saddle. Chloe saw herself on her horse, and she looked at me with her amethyst eyes twinkling.
“I got on, I got on!!”
“Yes, you did well. Isn’t it scary?”
“Not at all. It’s refreshing to be in a high place, isn’t it?”
“That much?”
I didn’t climb any mountain. When she laughed at Chloe’s joke, she also smiled happily and refreshingly.
“Yes!”
…I’m glad you enjoyed it. I grabbed her by the reins behind her and slowly led her along. Because her horse was well trained, she followed it very calmly.
“How is it?”
“Fun! It’s amazing to look down at the warrior who always looked up.”
“Not that. Do you think you’ve gotten used to it?”
“Ah. Um…Yes, I’ll take a ride alone.”
Yes, it should be possible to walk moderately. I stopped her and said to Chloe.
“To stop the horse, pull hard on the reins. Okay? If you shake the reins hard, they will jump, so don’t do that.”
“Oh, I see!”
“I’ll let go, one, two, three…”
I gave the signal and slowly let go of the reins. The horse’s reins were now in full possession of Chloe. Chloe shook the reins very gently, and the horse began to walk slowly again.
…Pretty stable?
“You ride well.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
I was totally lost at first. Is this the difference in talent?
Chloe seemed to be in a good mood after hearing the compliment, and she showed a pleasant smile during the bash.
…Certainly, she has a pretty face and cute behavior.
“hehehe…”
“Then I’ll ride too.”
“Yes!”
I also got on the horse and rode alongside Chloe. It’s been a while since I rode a horse and walked around like this. It’s nice.
We talked while walking like that. How have you been, how was the school you went back to after a long time? And, by chance, there were other guys like Anais.
But Chloe, as if my worries were unfounded, told me that I had been doing really well.
“Of course it was awkward at first, but my friends who I was with originally helped me a lot. So now I’m doing well.”
“Really?”
“I’m pretty famous now? Because I won the top of the grade!”
“I guess so.”
It’s definitely not an ordinary thing to be ranked at the top of a grade in an educational institution that’s so outstanding that you go to study abroad, not just in the Kingdom of Minerva.
“Hero, I want to ride with you now.”
“Yes?”
You taught me how to ride a horse. When I looked at her with her puzzled eyes, she lowered her head a little shyly and said,
“…I want to ride with the hero.”
“…….”
…Yes, because I decided to rent it for the day. Nobody knows what would have happened had it not been for Chloe who was able to move there.
“Then stop for a moment.”
“Yes.”
Chloe pulled the reins quite skillfully for the first time and stopped her horse. Then I dismounted her horse first and reached out her hand to unload her Chloe. It’s hard to get on, but it won’t be hard to come down.
“Come down carefully.”
“…The hero is still kind.”
It’s just because of his height. If Chloe was of normal height, there would be no reason for this.
But Chloe didn’t think so, and she smiled happily and took my hand.
“Can you accept it?”
“Yes?”
…Wait, what the f*ck are you doing!
Chloe deliberately and dangerously jumped. I had no choice but to open her arms to rush her in, and her small, light body slipped into her arms.
“Ehehehe, thank you, hero.”
“No, dangerously…”
“Still, it’s nice to be hugged like this~.”
“…Don’t do this next time. It really crashes.”
“Yes.”
When I let her go, her Chloe lightly set her feet on her ground.
“Please give me a ride now!”
“…I see.”
After I helped her get on her horse like she did before, I lightly rode behind her. Chloe’s small size did not hinder her horse from riding in front of her.
“Because of this, they are like lovers.”
“…Do you really want to go out with me, Chloe?”
“Of course. No matter what anyone says, the hero is the one who saved me.”
“That wasn’t me, it was Estelle.”
“The saintess saved me, and so does the hero. Protect me from ogres too.”
“Um…”
Chloe glanced behind her. Purple eyes sparkling like jewels stared at me, and then her eyes curved like crescent moons.
“And you are cool. You are kind. Just looking at what you’re doing to me right now, it’s like that.”
“…I’m just acting normally.”
“There are many people in this world who can’t even do that normal thing.”
“Do you have any cool classmates at school?”
“No! They are all like children.”
Still, everyone should be of the same physical age as me… And the trap is that Chloe is the most child-like.
Chloe enjoyed her horseback riding with me.
#
“…They look good.”
“…Me, saintess. Can we stay like this?”
“We just happened to be out and witnessed this scene.”
A beautiful woman with her brown hair, Celine blinked her eyes slightly. It was because I was dumbfounded by the attitude of the person next to me who was so confident.
‘Isn’t this a crime after all…?’
While watching over Chloe and Abel, this very confident person was the only saintess, Estelle, who was directly occupied by Goddess Solaria.