Chapter 17
After stretching, Sue took the Cribon’s reins and mounted it. The saddle was properly fitted on the smooth scales, so it wasn’t uncomfortable.
“Good boy… good boy…”
As she had learned in class, she gently stroked the Cribon’s neck. The Cribon, which had been sitting quietly on the grass, stood up, rumbling.
“Yes, good boy. Let’s go over there.”
Sue tugged lightly on the reins. The Cribon, as if understanding her words, slowly started to move its legs.
Cribons had been bred over a long period to have a human-friendly personality, so they weren’t dangerous animals. If they had also had bad tempers, the Cribon Race wouldn’t have become such a popular sport in Atlantis.
“Whew… Just do it like I learned in class… Just like in class…”
Sue, clutching the reins tightly, unconsciously muttered to herself, recalling everything she knew about Cribons from her classes.
Even in her academy classes, Sue had never properly ridden a Cribon. And for Sue herself, who had possessed ‘Sue’s’ body, it was her first time ever. Honestly, she wasn’t confident.
‘Place your hand on the front of the saddle and slowly inject magic power. When you feel the magic power flowing in, pull the reins upwards lightly. When you reach the starting point, pause for a moment and then pull the reins down sharply. Control your magic power carefully so the Cribon doesn’t go berserk when it starts running…’
Okay, let’s do this.
Sue steeled herself and carefully injected magic power into the black scales in front of the saddle. Sensing Sue’s magic power, the Cribon rumbled and spread its wings wide.
‘I did it!’
Seeing the wings spread out on either side, Sue felt a surge of excitement. Without hesitation, she pulled the reins upwards.
“Fly!”
At her almost desperate plea, the Cribon flapped its wings and slowly lifted off the ground. Sue stared straight ahead at the approaching blue sky and the vast grasslands spreading out beneath her. She gripped the reins tightly, her body trembling. A strained smile appeared on her face.
This is more fun than I thought.
After safely reaching the starting point, she took a moment to catch her breath. The strong wind, which she couldn’t hear on the ground, whistled in her ears. Thanks to the wind barrier spell cast by the mage, she wasn’t being buffeted by the wind.
Sue took three deep breaths and adjusted her grip on the reins. She had managed to reach the starting point, but this was where the real challenge began.
Even now, the flow of magic power between her and the Cribon was unstable.
I’m going to fail, one hundred percent.
Knowing this, Sue pulled the reins down sharply.
“Run!”
The Cribon let out a loud cry, even louder than before, and shot forward. Sue lowered her posture. She had to maintain her own balance as well as control her magic power.
Her lips felt dry.
Sue desperately tried to control the magic power flowing into the Cribon.
Like carefully filling in the lines of a drawing, not too thick, not too smudged.
‘No…!’
Before she could go very far, Sue’s magic power backfired and flowed out of the Cribon.
“Ah, ahhh…!”
Sue, panicking, let go of the reins. She had intended to try and reinject the backfired magic power, but it was a mistake.
“Uwaaaah!”
Her first attempt ended in failure, and Sue, along with the Cribon, plummeted towards the ground.
Even with the protective barrier slowing their descent, she couldn’t avoid the feeling of falling from a great height.
There was nothing she could do to resist the fall, and the Cribon’s reins were all she had to hold onto.
This is terrifying.
But it was a surprisingly enjoyable thrill. The kind she would have paid to experience in her previous life.
As she lay sprawled on her back, counting the clouds passing by, her body gently landed on the ground. The Cribon, which had already calmed down, was sitting on the grass, grooming itself with its tongue.
“Good boy.”
Sue gently stroked the Cribon, which wasn’t angry. The Cribon, pleased, rumbled and lay down.
Sue tried several more times, but she kept falling for the same reason. Even when she remembered to hold onto the reins, her magic power backfired.
She was staring up at the sky, still painted blue, wondering what the problem was, when she heard Melaine call out her name.
“Lady Melaine.”
Sue sat up. She could see Melaine approaching, leaving her Cribon to rest nearby. Her golden hair seemed to sparkle even brighter in the sunlight.
“Are you alright? You keep falling.”
Melaine looked down at her with a worried expression, shielding her eyes from the sun with one hand.
“Is it the magic control that’s difficult?”
Melaine had been watching Sue. She knew that Sue was unskilled in magic control, so she had expected her to have trouble handling a Cribon.
“What’s difficult? Tell me.”
Melaine sat down next to Sue. Having been entrusted by Fritz with the task of leading the female team, she was determined to do well. Moreover, the Ribbon Race was a relay race, so if even one person couldn’t handle a Cribon properly, it would be a disaster.
“My magic power keeps backfiring when I start running. It’s also difficult to control my magic power while maintaining my balance… And I have to adjust the Cribon’s direction, so that’s a bit…”
Sue trailed off, chuckling wryly, feeling a sense of absurdity.
So everything is a problem.
Maybe she should have mustered up the courage to tell Fritz to choose someone else. Sue blamed her own lack of assertiveness, staring blankly into space.
“Hmm, it’s alright. Let’s take it one step at a time. It’s a good thing I can help you with everything except the magic control.”
Melaine patted Sue’s back encouragingly. Her uncharacteristic kindness only made Sue feel more guilty.
“Yes, I’m sorry, Lady Melaine.”
“Sue, you…”
Even in the novel, and in ‘Sue’s’ memories, Melaine wasn’t this kind. She was only putting so much effort into comforting Sue because of the task Fritz had given her.
“Sue.”
Just as Sue was thinking this, Melaine called her name again, her voice lower than before.
“Yes, Lady Melaine.”
Sue answered immediately, sensing a sudden shift in the atmosphere.
“You’ve been getting along well with Sir Noel lately, haven’t you?”
Then, a completely unrelated topic came out of Melaine’s mouth. Sue’s shoulders stiffened at the mention of a familiar name.
“Ah… yes, I guess so.”
Sue mumbled, her voice uncertain.
“I know Sir Noel because he’s in the First Knights. He’s also considered a prodigy.”
Melaine’s sister, Yuna Vava, was the Commander of the First Knights. So, it wasn’t strange for Melaine to know him.
So what?
Why was she suddenly bringing up Noel? Weren’t they just feeling dejected about the Cribon practice?
Melaine, reading Sue’s thoughts from her expression, pursed her lips and stared at her with an unreadable expression.
“Sue, how did you become friends with Sir Noel?”
“…Ah.”
She was serious. For a moment, Sue wondered if Melaine was interested in Noel, but that wasn’t it. She realized it when she saw the curiosity in Melaine’s sparkling eyes. Melaine was once again bringing up Sue’s recent change in behavior.
“…We just… became friends.”
Once again, her voice lacked conviction. Sue herself didn’t know why Noel wanted to be friends with her. She was just grateful that he had reached out to her.
Moreover, Sue knew that Melaine wasn’t really asking about the ‘how’ of their friendship.
“You, Sue, how?”
Melaine frowned even more.
She was questioning why Sue wasn’t acting like her ‘usual’ self.
Even in their earlier conversation, the original ‘Sue’ would have scoffed at Melaine’s offer to help, claiming she could handle it herself. Melaine had expected that reaction, but Sue had actually apologized. It was something that Melaine, who had known Sue Byron for almost ten years, couldn’t comprehend.
The same went for Sir Noel. Sue Byron wasn’t the type to be friends with anyone. Just a few months ago, the only people around Sue were the servants who feared her.
Is this some kind of act? But her eyes didn’t seem to be hiding anything. Melaine could tell.
“Hahaha. You don’t have to worry so much. I’ve just come to terms with my place.”
Sue hugged her knees.
“Is that so…?”
Melaine replied, lowering her gaze slightly. There was a sense of incongruity, as if the harmless smile didn’t belong to Sue. But it wasn’t a lie either.
“….”
Sue subtly dropped her smile and observed Melaine. It didn’t seem like she was going to press her further. But her sparkling eyes were still filled with curiosity.
But… it wouldn’t be impossible to tell her that I’ve been possessed by someone else, right?
The fleeting thought disappeared from her mind like a leaf scattering in the wind.
It wasn’t impossible to tell her what had happened to her. But there didn’t seem to be any benefit to doing so. She had never heard of such magic existing. If Sue Byron told her, she would probably be treated like a lunatic, or even worse, she might be taken to the Imperial Palace as a test subject.
“…Well, whatever.”
Melaine broke the long silence with a chuckle.
“It’s fine as long as you’ve come to terms with your place.”
Her radiant golden eyes were still filled with curiosity. But she was just a little surprised. It was understandable, considering that Sue Byron had suddenly become a toothless tiger overnight.
But come to think of it, there was no need to overthink it. If Sue had decided to act according to her station, then it didn’t matter to Melaine whether it was an act or not.
Sue Byron and Melaine were just strangers connected by the Lopetrefer family.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but you’re at least more pleasant to be around now.”
Melaine stood up, brushing off her skirt. A faint smile appeared on her face as she looked down at Sue.
“Shall we go back to practice?”
Her voice seemed to brush away all her previous doubts.
“…Thank you, Lady Melaine.”
It’s a good thing I didn’t tell her. The thought made her smile wryly.