Bicycle of youth.
As in when an adolescent boy and girl ride a bike together.
The boy busy pedaling with a girl riding behind.
Sitting side straddle on the back rack, gripping tightly to the boy's waist, while trying to subtly keep their distance.
Occasionally the roles are reversed too.
Eventually riding like that together, they arrive at a riverbed colored red by sunset.
The crimson sun concealing their flush cheeks.
Right now, my situation is something similar.
Even though the sun still hangs high.
But before my eyes I can see Sylphy's nape.
Just sticking my nose out a bit, I can enjoy to my heart's content of Sylphy's sweet scent.
I wrap my arm around Sylphy's waist, crossing near her tummy.
Keeping her upper half wrapped tight.
Sylphy's beating heart can be clearly heard from her bosom.
How wonderful.
By the way, I kept our lower halves subtly distant.
The reason should be obvious.
Even a wife deserves some propriety.
Also, harassing a busy driver is just begging for accidents to happen, so I have heard in my previous life.
"Matsukaze is such a good horse. Obedient, trustworthy, and strong too!"
A voice from Sylphy's front.
I look over her shoulder and see aqua covered head.
Roxy.
She sits in front of Sylphy.
"That's right. Such a great horse is truly rare."
Comfortably we're riding a single horse together.
Roxy in the front, Sylphy and I in the back.
The pet least cared for by the family, Matsukaze trots ahead, completely unhindered by the three it carries on its back.
"If I remember correctly, Ginger picked him out. That person really knows her horses."
"Does Sylphy know a lot about horses?"
"Ah, no, not really. But I have seen in Asura palace the one they claimed as the best horse of the land. The one ridden by Knight Captain-san."
"Then it must be really great."
As soon as I said that, Matsukaze neighs loudly.
"Ah, sorry. You're great too. Only to be expected of Greyrat House's horse."
Roxy busies herself to comfort Matsukaze.
Does this horse understand human speech?
Or rather, does Roxy know horse?
No, no matter what kind of pet, if you talk with it everyday, you can read them eventually.
Aisha seems to talk with Jirou often.
"But sitting in the front at my age is kind of embarrassing."
Roxy has a habit of hiding her blushing face during physical contact.
She probably feels like riding in a baby seat, for riding in front of the one holding the reins.
"Maybe I should ride Jirou instead."
"Not allowed. Saying that, are you trying to make a run for it again?"
"I'm not a little kid. I won't run."
While listening to my wives' friendly banter, I take in my surroundings.
We're on the outskirts.
On the right a pretty little creek, and on the left an expansive empty field and forest.
Even though we're so far up North, there is plenty of green this season.
Just now we can see fields of taro and wheat, but now there's only vast wilderness.
We didn't plan on how far we're going, just somewhere without many people.
Fish in the creek dancing under the sun.
A tributary of the major river next to Sharia.
Even though this isn't very far off, but fishing here on a nice day should feel quite nice.
Well, I actually never fished before.
"Now that it's decided, I plan to teach properly."
It has to be here.
After Roxy finally relented, she made that condition.
"The spell I'll teach is Water King Magic [Lightning]."
Roxy looks a little reluctant.
Sylphy and I nudge ourselves against her shoulders.
So Lightning, huh?
From the name alone, it sounds like the lightning magic we often think of.
Well, thinking about it, Lightning Magic doesn't seem to exist in this world.
And King Class too.
Must be some awe-inspiring magic.
"Okay, here should be fine."
Arrived at some point, Roxy jumps down off the horse.
She ties Matsukaze to a tree roughly the width of my thigh.
How nostalgic.
I learned Water Saint Magic in a place like this, with a horse tied like this.
"Sensei, do you still remember Kalajav?"
"Ah. Paul-san's horse. How nostalgic..."
Roxy says, her eyes off to a distance.
I was 5 back then.
12 years have passed already.
I learned many things since then, but it's finally time to reach King Rank.
Feels like I took a very long detour.
Ah.
That time our horse almost died by lightning.
It survived barely, but dying from that wouldn't be at all strange.
Roxy might have forgotten about it already, but just to be safe.
"It's safe this time, right?"
"It's safe. But you should cover Matsukaze up, so he won't catch a cold."
"Got it."