Chapter 49 – Uncouth daughter, you have my thoughts and prayers
Jenni sniffed Lord Nazel's scent and made a friendly "grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" sound.
I wondered what I would do if he took a bullish attitude as he did versus Tony, but I was glad my fears were unfounded.
"Jenni, I need to fly."
Jenni stood up happily as I unveiled the saddle that I had prepared for him.
I set the saddle and took Jenni out into the yard.
"Well then, Agnes, show me the results of your training on the ground."
"Yes, Lord Nazel. I can climb up and down with ease now."
I looked at Lord Nazel while he was on top of Jeni, and he smiled and jumped on behind me.
In that position, I let Jenni walk and run around the garden.
"Agnes is a quick learner, I see. In a short time, you have mastered the movements on the ground perfectly."
"Jenni is a good boy. He seems to like people and listens to me very attentively."
There are two types of cavalry beasts: those captured from the wild and those bred by humans.
Jenni is the latter, so he is friendly to humans.
"I'll show you how to get him to take off. Pull the reins like this......"
Lord Nazel holds my hand and teaches me how to rein him in. In this position, I'm even closer to him than usual.
I know it's just coaching, but I can't stop my heart from pounding.
I pull the reins as I'm told, and Jenni flaps his wings and takes off into the sky.
The wyvern's bridle has reins and handles. The reins are used on the ground or in normal flight, and the short handles are used for acrobatic flight.
Many people use the handles as they get used to them, and Lord Nazel seems to prefer the handles when he rides alone.
With me and Lord Nazel straddling the new saddle, Jenni was gaining altitude rapidly.
Thanks to the magical barrier that the beast produces, it is not difficult to breathe, and we are not affected by the temperature or the weather.
"Jenni, you are amazing! You're so smart!"
"*growl*"
We rode Jenni, who was in a good mood, to the fort. It takes a long time by horse-drawn carriage, but by a wyvern, it only takes a moment. However, we had to choose where we would land.
At each of the Sutrena locations, there are flattened spots where the wyverns can be freely dismounted on a large area of ground.
This kind of place can only be found in the countryside, where there is a lot of open lands.
After flying for a while, Lord Nazel complimented me on my flying skills.
"You are very good, Agnes."
"Thank you"
With Jenni speeding up, we continued toward the forest.
Perhaps because of the time of year, a roar of a magical beast could be heard coming from the forest.
They won't jump out of the sky, but they are so scary that I involuntarily shudder.
"It's almost the new moon, isn't it? They say that the magical beasts are coming to attack humans even more than usual..."
"I guess so. I have to be in the field that day."
Hearing Lord Nazel's words, I once again became concerned.
He has a role as a lord that he has to fulfill on the field, such as compiling reports for the entire territory and directing it.
Some have said that the safety of the lord should be the top priority, but Lord Nazel is strong because of his experience in the Knight Corps, and he can respond accurately to the situation on the ground. Above all, he is not willing to put the residents of Sutrena in danger and stay indoors by himself.
"I am worried about Lord Nazel."
"Don't worry, Agnes. It's dangerous, so you should stay in the mansion. I think the city center is less dangerous."
"I want to do something to help you."
"Agnes has helped me a lot. You are the only one who can strengthen the fences and buildings."
Even so, doing nothing would be unsettling.
I can't face the magical beast head-on as Tony did, but is there anything else I can do?
Oh, that's right.
"Lord Nazel, there are several large halls in the lord's mansion, aren't there? How about using them as temporary shelters for the people of the territory? As you can imagine, it is impossible to strengthen the houses of all the residents, and I think many people would feel insecure!"
If it's the lord's mansion, it's in the center of town and surrounded by high walls. Also, the entire mansion is covered with my strengthening magic.
"I'm worried about inviting anyone into the house."
"Torre is there, too. We'll lock off the off-limits spaces and reinforce the doors."
"I'm worried about Agnes, not the house. If anything happens to you..."
"I'll put some reinforcing magic on me too, then. Lord Nazel, you can use it as a good luck charm."
Jokingly, I cast a spell on myself, Lord Nazel, and Jenni.
I don't think it will change the human body, but this is just a matter of feeling.
"Thank you, Agnes, that's very thoughtful of you. Next, let's try a spinning flight."
"Isn't it too much of a challenge to suddenly try spinning?"
"Agnes has a good instinct. It's useful when running away from flying monsters or dodging arrows."
I don't think the day will ever come when I can do that.
"Wyvern will be amused and pleased with the spinning."
"I'll do it."
I said immediately that I would do it for Jenni.
I was going to use the short handles for my spinning practice, so Lord Nazel would have to cover me up.
His heartbeat, which I could hear, seemed to be faster than my heartbeat.
Then I had an epiphany.
Could this be the perfect time to confess?
I immediately spoke to Lord Nazel.
"Oh, um, Lord Nazel."
"What's wrong?"
"I've been meaning to tell you this for a while and kept missing the timing. I have been thinking about Lord Nazel......"
A moment later, Jenni spins around to make sure this is a spinning training session.
Wyverns are intelligent creatures, sensitive to human feelings. They can't read the mood, though.
With my sight spinning around and the gravity that is subtly applied even within the barrier, Lord Nazel is even closer now.