Two horses line up slowly through the hills illuminated by summer sunshine.
On the back of the horse, two boys and one girl.
To the temptation of summer grass stretched up to about the knee length of the boys, the horse is about to go off the road every little walk, but every time he's pulled his reins, he turns forward.
Occasionally, when a girl turns sideways and talks to the boys about something, the girl's hair shakes in the wind in conjunction with it.
Every time the boys talk about something while they hang around on the horse, the girl's laugh can be played.
That was a very tranquil scene.
Almark and Wendy are the ones holding the reins of two horses walking relaxed.
Morgen, who has never ridden a horse, is riding behind Almark.
The three of them had come for a picnic, up to a hill a short distance from the winter mansion.
"But it was a surprise that Almark could ride a horse."
Wendy smiles at Almark.
"Because I was going to have Ward come"
Originally, Wendy and Ward were going to manipulate the horses and have Almark and Morgen ride behind each other.
But as soon as he found out Almark could ride the horse, Ward suggested pulling himself out and going for the three of us.
Until before the raid, Wendy was more attentive to Wendy's one-by-one throw, and to Ward's sudden suggestion that he was strictly managing his actions, Wendy, can we go with the three of us? So much so that I asked.
Ward had a clear face,
"If you two are with us, Lord Almark and Lord Morgen, your daughter is safer than anywhere else in this mansion."
I answered and delighted Wendy.
"I used to ride a little once."
Almark replied.
The Black Wolf Cavalry, as its name suggests, is a cavalry-centered mercenary regiment. The horse was indispensable.
"Almark can do anything."
Raise the voice that Morgen impressed behind Almark.
"Cool"
Almark looks back at Morgen,
"That's not true."
and shake his head.
"What's amazing is you."
That is the untrue truth of Almark.
Morgen's personality to get along with anyone without giving in.
A talent that can soothe those around you just by being there.
Fast-switching thought circuit that can think of anything better.
And the courage that you don't usually show, but that you show when you have to, doesn't break.
On this journey, how many times has Almark admired Morgen's appearance?
"A horse can be ridden by anyone by practicing it. But I can't be like you."
"Huh?"
Morgen twists his neck at Almark's remarks.
"If you could take my place, I'd still like to be Almark."
Seeing those two, Wendy laughs furiously.
"We both have our own virtues. We just don't really know how good we are."
There are sparse trees growing in the hills, and only when you pass beneath them will the shade soothe the heat.
"I wish there were more trees growing"
and Morgen.
"If you do, you won't see anything."
and Almark laughs bitterly.
As I anticipated it, Wendy speaks to Morgen.
"Here."
When Wendy looked at those pointing fingers, the winter mansion looked far away.
"Ooh."
Morgen cheers.
"You're so small."
"You've come a long way."
Almark says, Wendy nods, yeah.
"I've been wondering if I could see it for a while now, but I don't look surprised because I have tree leaves in the summer"
"Oh well. It's a 'winter' mansion."
Morgen says.
"Yeah. It was always winter coming here, so it was just a view of dead grass"
Wendy says so, narrowing her eyes and looking at the winter mansion and surrounding hills.
"This is the first time I've been here in the summer. I didn't know you were so pretty."
Almark and Morgen also look at Wendy as she watches.
"Well, that's beautiful."
Morgen's stomach, I said, grunts.
"When you see something beautiful, your stomach rings."
Morgen made a hasty excuse, and the three laughed a little.
"There's a creek over there. So let's give the horses a break for lunch."
I say, as Wendy wipes away tears that spill from laughing too much.
"At the end of the creek, there's a place called Marubeni."
"Maru Hina?
To Morgen's question, Wendy answers with a bitter laugh.
"When it was tiny, I named it.... That's not a big deal. It's a little like an evergreen forest around the creek, and I don't get much sunlight, but it's always the only place in the sun."
"Heh."
"Oh, but..."
Wendy conceived.
"That's a winter story... maybe not now"
"Oh, maybe..."
As Almark nodded, Morgen waved behind it,
"Oh, I'm fine with lunch, so don't worry."
Say.
"Already. If you say that, I'll show you something beautiful again."
"Stop it, it's gonna make my stomach ring."
I make the horse walk slowly, laughing at me for saying that.
Get to the creek and get off the horse.
"I knew the shade was cool"
Morgen says as he wipes his sweat.
"Shade by the water, great"
Connect the horses to rest, and the three lower their hips on the appropriate stone in the shade.
Put the basket the cock length Sedal made me hold in the middle and make it lunch.
After enjoying the meal chatting without other love, the three lined up and dipped their feet in the creek to cool off.
"Wendy said, Maru... what the hell"
"Maru Hinata,"
Wendy answers Almark's question.
"Yeah, that. Where is it?
"Ahead... I don't know about summer"
Wendy twists her neck.
"Because of this, let's go"
Wendy also nodded at Almark's recommendation.
"Right."
"No stomach."
Morgen nods, too, and the three rise.
Walk along the creek for a while.
"I'm ahead of you..."
Wendy's words, too, are heartless or unsure.
"There... ah"
"Ah."
"Eh."
The three raised their voices at the same time and stopped.
The corner ahead of the creek, as Wendy said, was lit round and round with leaky days.
Paired with the darkness of the surrounding shade, only there, surrounded by light, appears to be a very mysterious space.
In the middle of that circle, a circle of flowers was blooming.
Bright blue enough to stain your eyes.
The three of them looked familiar.
"Natsumizutachia oi......"
Wendy squeaks.
"I can't believe it's blooming this far north."
Morgen shakes his head.
In the middle of a circle of light, only one stands upright, a blue flower that blossoms in Rin.
That looked like a gift someone had prepared for the three of us at the end of our vacation in Miletos, which was all hard.
"... Sounds magical"
Morgen says.
"Magic is equal to everyone."
That's what Illmis often calls dialogue in class.
Yeah, and Wendy nodded honestly.
The beauty of blue flowers will not change anyone who sees them.
Neither does the power of magic alter its effects in identity or circumstance.
Almark remembered what Wendy had said before.
"Before the power of magic, identity means nothing"
Can I say something grand someday? [M]
Staring at the blue flowers, Almark thought.
In front of Wendy.
Rin and straight, like that nutty tatian oil.
I am the son of a northern mercenary.
The three stared at the blue flowers, as if time had stopped.