The same day I accompanied Mr. Rick on his request.
Me and Reefa were checking our luggage in front of the inn.
"Kite, Reefa, have you forgotten anything?"
"Of course."
"It's okay, I have it right"
Mr. Rick's request is not what we always receive, but leaves the kingdom every few days.
It just doesn't get far enough to leave the kingdom's territory, but it still takes some preparation.
"Hand wipes, knives, portable food, fire-fighting fixtures, bandages, haven't you forgotten?"
"Terrible, Schiff. I've checked so many times, it's okay."
"Me!?"
An excitedly eye-opening Schiff screams at the Doya facial reefa.
Yes, I have normally prepared my baggage, but Reefa has been checked by Schiff many times.
Instead, Schiff says Reefa's room looks pretty “bad”.
"Reefa, you're too messy!"
"... you don't have to say that, sour your mouth like your mother..."
"Stay, well, ready, let's head to the rendezvous place?"
"Mmm, right... ha, first is caring..."
The lightly sighed Schiff leaps forward to us shaking his tail.
With that, while checking the water bottle with the lime, I also put my travel luggage on my shoulder and proceeded to the rendezvous point where Rick and I were supposed to rendezvous.
Kingdom, off the castle town.
The meeting point designated by Rick was the place where many carriages, luggage, etc. handled by dealers, travellers, etc., were parked.
It's the first place I care about, so when I'm just blinded by the scenery around me, I find an eye-catching carriage in it.
A carriage marked with a mark of guild in something like paint.
It was connected with a horse that emitted a different presence of black fur.
The white tenderness that appeared in the furrows of the pitch black, the red eyes far from the normal horse - and the tough limbs that made me feel powerful, far from the horse I knew, accidentally breathing, Leafa pointed to the horse.
"Oh, Kite, that's the Devil's Horse."
"Oh, is that it?"
You won't be scared when you realize I exist.
I tried not to care, but the horses around me look frightened.
"Bull."
"Oh?"
"Mm-hmm. Looks like you're calling for a treat."
The demon horse who noticed me moves his head and urges him to come here. [M]
In fear, as I approach, the demon horse turns his head to me.
... Do you want me to stroke you?
Somehow he reaches out and strokes the black fur and he sounds his throat happily.
"Huh, the next demon is determined by the demon horse."
"I know how you feel, but you can't."
"I'll stroke you, too."
That's what Reefa follows from behind me, trying to reach out and stroke the demon horse.
But the demon horse, who made his eyes sharp as they were when I was, spit a pep at Reefa.
Becchan, and Reefa's cheeks are pounded with spit.
"Ri, leafa...?"
"... well, I got ripped off..."
"Well, apparently, this demon horse is a little bit of a hater..."
Wipe the cheeks of the teary-eyed reefa with a hand wipe removed from the bag.
In the meantime, the Demon Horse is turning its head on me, but I don't even look at Reefa.
"--- Be careful. That's what most guys do."
The voice of a third party, not me and Reefa.
Turning to that voice, there was a man there with something like a bandana wrapped around his head.
"Hold on, on the contrary. You've never seen a guy so nostalgic. Could you be Rick's rookie?"
"Yeah, yeah. Are you…?"
The Bandana man put his hand on the back of the demon horse as he laughed nicely and happily.
Without spitting like a reefa, he is stroked to be but remains.
"I'm Hughes. Guild rider. A transfer to the mission area and a haulier responsible for bringing back some of the crusaded demons. He asked me to take Rick to a habitat near Griffon this time."
"Oh, was I? … thank you for this time!"
"Say hello."
It's not just the legs of the journey, it's got a lot of roles.
Anyway, it's someone that Reefa and I will take care of, I have to say hello.
"Whoa. I'm listening to you guys over here and in the guild. Tamer fighting from himself, a combination of shadow manipulating beasts. I thought you'd be invited to accompany me on the request above one day... but I didn't think Rick's guy would. Ha-ha-ha."
Was it so rumored?
Well, I was getting a request or something, and maybe I can't help it.
"Is Rick here already?"
"Aren't you coming soon? He keeps his time, but he's the kind of guy who comes to the forefront."
Somehow, from Lyla's and Mai's stories, it's like Rick's image is turning into a shattered image...
"In the meantime, load up. Is this your first trip?"
"I've had a few..."
"I've never been on a journey before."
There are family trips, but I guess a trip like this here means something different.
Mr. Hughes smiles when he finds out I'm new to the journey.
"You may be anxious about your request with Rick, but you should pull your shoulder out."
"Ha?"
"Most importantly, traveling is fun. Rather than just thinking about the requests and always straining your shoulders, it means you can do your job better if you can afford the view."
... Enjoy your journey?
I couldn't afford that because I was only thinking about the request, but it's a request with a different “on the road”. Maybe you can keep that much leeway.
"Oh, looks like we're all here."
Convinced by Mr. Hughes' words, Mr. Rick, with his bag on his shoulder, appeared on the spot with an extension.
"Are you finally here? We're ready to go."
"Oh, every time, please, Hughes. And you, too."
Mr. Rick speaks to the demon horse in an effortless manner, but what he returns is spit.
"You're the same. But I'm not gonna hit you."
"Brrr...!"
Mr. Rick, who threw his luggage into the carriage while avoiding it with a quick gesture, shifts his gaze towards us.
"You've come together a lot. We're leaving now... are you ready?"
"" Yes ""
"Okay then.... Uh, well, can we talk about other things on the journey? All right, let's go."
Ho, that's a real mess.
Following Rick, who jumped straight into the carriage, me and Reefa, Schiff, get into the carriage as well.
The carriage is shaped like a light truck carrier with a roof, although there is a roof.
Sitting luxuriously in the closest position to the reins as he was accustomed to, Rick turned his gaze to Mr. Hughes, who held the reins of the demon horse, pointing his thumb in the direction of travel.
"All right, let's go. You can go."
"I've known you for a long time, but how many times have I wanted to punch you in that mess..."
"Bull."
"All right, all right, let's go."
If Mr. Hughes helps, he moves the Demon Horse forward.
With it, the carriage also moves, slowly, gradually accelerating the scenery in my eyes, and I leave myself to what a strange sensation.
"Unknown, huh?"
Unknown realm, not where I know it.
I was as excited about myself as I was about to go to that place, though I was anxious.