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“Whoa!” Rafina exclaimed joyfully from atop the horse’s back. “I wasn’t expecting us to be so far off the ground! The view from up here… It’s similar to the view from Saint-Noel’s Stargazing Tower, but there’s something different about it. It’s difficult to put my finger on it!”

Rafina turned back toward Mia with a grin, who tilted her head in response. How strange… I wonder why she’s so composed. Mia wasn’t expecting her to be nearly so calm. She was so stunned that all she could do was stare questioningly at Rafina. But I used to get so panicked whenever I rode horses! Mia, with a smug grin plastered on her face, was supposed to assuage the fearful Rafina with a lecture on the wonders of horseback riding, relentlessly guiding Rafina into becoming a capable rider! Her horseback ride of abstinence was already falling apart.

Hmph. I wonder what’s gotten into her… I’ll have to rework my plan. This calls for…

“Hey, you two. I see things are going smoothly.”

Just then, Mia’s thoughts were interrupted by a gallant voice. It was Abel, standing beside them in the horse-riding gear he had just changed into. Seeing his charming figure, Mia couldn’t help but let out an enamored sigh.

If he came all the way out here, does that mean he wants to enjoy some horse riding with me? A horseback ride with Abel, huh…? Mia took one glance at Abel’s sharp appearance and decided… she couldn’t wait! Her horseback ride of abstinence was now nothing more than dust blown away with the wind.

“Were you planning on lending us a hand?”

“Well, yeah, I was. I thought you’d be fine by yourself, Mia, but I felt like I could use the exercise.” Abel turned toward Rafina, his head held in question. “My apologies, but is this your first time riding a horse, Miss Rafina?”

“Yes. I’ve only ever traveled by carriage before.”

“I see. In that case, would you allow me the honor of leading the horse carrying you two princesses?” Abel looked back at Mia. “How about it?”

“It almost feels presumptuous for me to ask that of you, Abel…”

“Ha ha ha! You needn’t worry about that. I just wanted to spend some time with you.” Seeing Abel’s dashing wink, another enamored sigh escaped Mia’s lips.

Thus, their relaxing horseback ride began. The horse walked along, a tranquil “clomp, clomp” accompanying each step. It was just as docile as the guard had promised—incredibly steady and never showing any signs of going out of control.

My! This horse really is gentle! I hope Miss Rafina isn’t afraid. I wonder how she’s enjoying this…

Just as that thought went through Mia’s mind, Rafina abruptly brought up a question.

“Hey, Mia? When you’re usually riding, how do you make the horse gallop?”

Rafina’s eyes sparkled with wonder. She seemed completely enchanted, as if she was a child who had just received her first toy.

You see, at her core, Mia is someone who gets easily carried away. The sight of someone’s pleasure at her actions is enough to drive her into high gear.

“Hm, well… Usually, I…” Mia turned toward the guard by her side who had the task of protecting the two of them. “Do you happen to know if these plains continue onward? We’re not going to suddenly come to a cliff or anything, are we?”

“The land will stay flat for quite a while. There are no cliffs or any sort of other dangerous terrain.”

“I see… Well then, Miss Rafina. How about I take you for a short gallop?”

“Huh? But…”

Mia addressed the hesitating Rafina with a smile. “The real pleasure of horse riding is when you’re running at full speed! One with the horse, you become the wind. It’s a sensation that can only be felt on a horse’s back, and I’d like for you to experience it too!”

Mia cast her gaze to Abel, and once again, he shrugged his shoulders.

“Got it. I’ll go get my own horse ready and follow after you two.”

“Well then, I guess that’s it! We’ll be heading out.”

“H-Hold on a second, Your Highness. You can’t just…”

Mia flashed her panicked guard a mischievous grin. “It’ll be perfectly fine! We won’t be going too far.” She turned to Rafina. “Shall we be on our way?”

Her words were spoken with incredible volume, as Mia… had gotten completely carried away! Her victory at the Horsemanship Tournament and her success at escaping the wolfmaster had inflated her ego. And so, Mia silently urged her horse forward, completely unaware of the pitfall that was lying right beneath her feet.

Following Mia’s orders, the horse dashed forward, the wind that blew past them getting stronger and stronger.

“Waaah!”

Rafina’s silken hair danced behind her as she let out a cry of joy—music to Mia’s ears!

“Oho ho! Don’t get satisfied quite yet, Miss Rafina! We’re nowhere near top speed. Forward, Silvermoon!” yelped Mia, unable to stop her high spirits from leaving her mouth.

To clarify, their horse’s name was not “Silvermoon.”

Moving on, just like that, they continued to dash through the grassland plains. When they had finally returned to their senses, they realized that they had come quite aways from their carriages, which were now just specks in the distance.

Hm, maybe it’s about time I turned back…

Mia stopped her horse and turned it the other way, back toward the direction they had just come from.

Right then, Rafina piped up in a whisper. “Huh…? Mia, do you know what that could be?”

“Over there? I have no clue…”

Following Rafina’s pointed finger, Mia took a moment to think… before her face turned a ghastly pale white! Kicking through the weeds and letting out cries of war was a group headed straight for their carriages. Plus, Mia had seen them before!

“My! Could they be that group of bandits?!”

The horseback brigands they had bumped into on their way to Sol Saliente were back for vengeance!

“Mia…”

She could hear the trepidation in Rafina’s voice. Mia gave a slow nod, hoping to allay her fears.

“W-We have nothing to worry about! Dion’s stayed with the carriages, and the Princess Guard are some of the most capable soldiers out there! They’ll have these thieves running for cover before you know it!

For just a moment, Mia had been on the brink of panic after seeing the band of brigands herself. However, she quickly regained her composure; Dion Alaia was with the rest of the group, after all.

We were fine on the way here! I’m sure things will be the same this time too!

Just as those comforting thoughts went through Mia’s head, she quickly realized her mistake. The brigands heading toward their party had suddenly stopped in their tracks… and were now heading straight toward Mia!

Ah! This is bad… They’ve found us!

Mia was certain that as long as they hadn’t done anything to provoke the group, she and Rafina would be fine. So, of course, this sent Mia into panic mode. Still half in her state of stupor, Mia turned her horse to face the opposite direction of the bandits… which was also the opposite direction of their carriages.

“Agh! Miss Rafina, make sure you hold on tight!”

Rafina was immediate with her reply. “Wait, Mia. Let’s trade places.”

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Rafina maneuvered herself to sit behind Mia.

“Huh? But, Miss Rafina…”

“Between us two, I’m taller, so it must be hard to see around me, right? The bandits are getting closer. We better hurry!”

“My… You have a point!”

Mia followed Rafina’s lead and sent their horse dashing forward.

We’ll be fine! We can outrun them!

Mia, you see, was confident. She had beaten Ruby at Saint-Noel’s Horsemanship Tournament and had even outrun the wolfmaster! This, of course, meant that she’d be able to shake the average bandit off their tail. But what really gave Mia comfort was…

I-If I keep on running, Dion will catch up to us eventually! A man like him will be able to drive back these bandits single-handedly! I mean, even if they’re chasing us down, they’re still so far away! Outrunning them will be a piece of cake!

Mia had complete certainty in these musings, but there was one thing that had slipped her mind: Kuolan was a much better horse than Mia had thought!

“Onwards! Shake off these enemies and let’s get back to our friends! Giddyup!”

Mia gallantly addressed her horse. When spoken to like that, her horse had never failed to meet her demands, turning her into the wind. Mia was certain that just as the violent tempest, they’d be able to shake off their enemies. However…

“Huh?” Mia found herself at a loss.

Why… haven’t we become the wind yet? This horse isn’t picking up speed at all! Th-This isn’t right! Why in the moons aren’t we getting any faster?!

Mia watched as the brigands drew closer and closer. Masks covered each of their faces, hiding their expressions and making them ever more ominous.

Wh-Why is this horse so slow?!

Mia peered into the horse’s eyes… and her jaw dropped to the ground!

This horse looks absolutely lifeless!

Not in its dazed eyes, nor in its drooping mouth, or even in its absentminded expression, could Mia find a single ounce of anxiety. It was the exact same face Mia would make when counting the leaves to kill the time!

That’s right, Mia’s ultimate riding technique of the Flotsam was reliant on having a first-rate horse. If the horse was going at one hundred, Mia would completely rid herself as not to add a minus fifty through her riding technique. That was the true nature of her method. However, this horse—this Mia ver. Horse—wasn’t even strong in the first place. Just as two unmotivated Mias would result in nothing, her Flotsam technique was absolutely useless.

Before Mia even had the chance to notice, she had been forced into a position where she’d have to actually try!

“Urgh! Agh! It appears there’s nothing else we can do.” Mia looked over her shoulder. “Miss Rafina…”

Rafina’s shoulders jumped.

“Hold on tightly. Make sure you won’t be able to fall off.”

Her voice was soft, but full of conviction.

I can’t let Rafina fall off! That’d reflect on me terribly!

Just imagining it had Mia shivering in fear. If she was the only one to be saved in a situation like this one, one wrong step would have people doubting if Mia had shoved Rafina from the horse in an attempt to save herself. A cold sweat dripped down Mia’s back.

Plus, Mia couldn’t get that Rafina’s earlier grin out of her mind. Every time she remembered it, Mia’s chicken heart fluttered.

Hmph! If only she’d give me the same look of disgust she used to! Then I wouldn’t have to hurt my sensitive conscience!

You see, Mia was completely lacking in the ability to cut down anyone and anything else to save oneself, a characteristic often associated with tyrants. Which meant… Mia had to do whatever it took to save Rafina as well. As a veteran, she needed to put all her effort into ensuring Rafina didn’t fall, but…

I don’t have that luxury right now! My hands are completely full as it is!

She had to find an escape route while also figuring out how to kick this horse into action. It was impossible for them to keep away from the bandits until help arrived. Now, she needed to get back to the carriages by herself. And so, she also needed Rafina to cling onto her for dear life. Mia softly placed one of her hands onto Rafina’s, which were wrapped around her waist.

“We’ll find our way back and ensure safety for the rest! I promise!”

“Mia…”

There was a slight tremor in Rafina’s voice.