Chapter 49

After sniffing Lord Nazel’s scent, Geni let out a friendly “Grrr.”

I had worried he might take the same aggressive stance he had toward Tony, but it turned out to be a needless concern.

“Geni, I want to fly.”

When I revealed the personal saddle I had prepared, Geni stood up happily. We set the saddle and led him out into the garden.

“All right, Agnes. Show me the results of your ground training.”

“Yes, Lord Nazel. I’ve become quite adept at getting on and off!”

Once I was mounted on Geni, Lord Nazel smiled and leaped onto the back behind me. We had Geni walk and run around the garden in that position.

“You’re a fast learner, Agnes. You’ve mastered ground movement perfectly in such a short time.”

“Geni is such a good boy. He seems to love people and listens to everything I say.”

Riding beasts are either captured from the wild or bred by humans. Since Geni is the latter, he is very attached to people.

“Then I’ll teach you how to take off. Pull the reins like this…”

Lord Nazel gripped my hands to show me how to handle the reins. In this position, we are even more closely pressed together than usual. Even though I know it’s for instruction, I can’t stop my heart from pounding.

When I pulled the reins as instructed, Geni flapped his wings and soared into the sky.

A wyvern’s harness has both reins and handles. The reins are used on the ground or during normal flight, while the short handles are for acrobatic maneuvers. Most people switch to the handles once they get used to it, and Lord Nazel apparently prefers them when riding alone.

Carrying both of us on the new saddle, Geni rapidly gained altitude. Thanks to the magical barrier generated by the beast, breathing isn’t difficult, and we aren’t affected by the temperature or the weather.

“Geni, you’re amazing-wun! Such a smart boy-wun!”

“Grrr…”

On a high-spirited Geni, we moved toward the fortress. It takes a long time by carriage, but on a wyvern, it’s instantaneous. However, you have to be careful about where you land. Throughout Sutrena, there are leveled “beast stops”—wide patches of ground where mounts can land freely. These are a unique feature of the countryside, where there is plenty of open space.

After flying for a while, Lord Nazel praised my technique.

“You’re doing well, Agnes.”

“Thank you very much.”

As Geni picked up speed, we headed toward the forest. Perhaps because of the season, the loud roars of great magical beasts echoed from the woods below. Even though they likely wouldn’t fly up into the sky, I couldn’t help but shiver with fear.

“The new moon is coming soon, isn’t it? They say the magical beasts attack humans more than ever then…”

“That’s right. I’ll have to be out on the front lines that day myself.”

Hearing Lord Nazel say that made me feel worried all over again.

I know that as the person responsible for the Sutrena frontier, he can’t just stay tucked away warmly inside the manor. As the Lord, he has duties that must be performed on-site, such as coordinating reports from across the territory and taking command.

Some have voiced the opinion that the Lord’s safety should be the top priority, but Lord Nazel is strong thanks to his experience in the Knight Order, and his ability to handle situations on the ground is incredibly precise. Above all, he doesn’t believe in staying cooped up while the residents of Sutrena are in danger.

“I’m worried about you, Lord Nazel.”

“I’ll be fine, Agnes. It’s dangerous, so make sure you stay at the manor. I think the town center will be safe enough.”

“I want to do something to help the people, too.”

“You’ve already helped me so much, Agnes. Only you can reinforce the fences and buildings like that.”

Even so, doing nothing makes me feel restless. While it’s impossible for me to face magical beasts head-on like Tony does, surely there’s something else I can do.

Ah, I know.

“Lord Nazel, the manor has several unnecessarily large halls, doesn’t it? Why don’t we use them as temporary shelters for the citizens? It’s impossible to reinforce every single person’s home, and I’m sure many people are feeling anxious.”

The Lord’s manor is located in the town center and is surrounded by high walls. Plus, I’ve applied my reinforcement magic to the entire building.

“I’m a bit concerned about inviting just anyone in, though.”

“Well, we have Torre here for that. We can lock the off-limits areas and reinforce the doors, too.”

“It’s not the house I’m worried about, it’s you, Agnes. If anything happened to you…”

“In that case, let me cast reinforcement magic on myself. And for you as well, Lord Nazel—think of it as a protective charm.”

As a joke, I cast my magic on myself, Lord Nazel, and Geni. I don’t think it actually changes the human body, but it’s the thought that counts.

“Thank you. I appreciate your kindness. Next, shall we try a barrel roll?”

“A roll already? Isn’t that a bit of a leap in difficulty?”

“You have a natural talent for this. It’s useful for escaping flying magical beasts or dodging arrows.”

I hope the day never comes where I actually have to do that.

“Besides, wyverns find rolling fun and exciting.”

“I’ll do it.”

I answered instantly for Geni’s sake.

During the roll training, we use the short handles, which means Lord Nazel essentially has to lean over me. I thought I could hear his heartbeat, and it seemed a little fast.

Then, a flash of inspiration hit me.

Could this be the perfect timing for my confession?

Having made up my mind, I immediately spoke to him.

“U-Um, Lord Nazel.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a while, but I kept missing the right moment. I… I really…”

At that exact moment, sensing that it was time for the roll training, Geni performed a swift 360-degree rotation. Wyverns are clever creatures that are sensitive to human emotions—though they clearly can’t read the room.

My vision spun, and even inside the barrier, I felt a slight shift in gravity. On top of that, there was the feeling of Lord Nazel pressed against me.

In the midst of that overwhelming situation, I squeezed out my voice.

“I wuv you!”

Please, let these feelings reach him—