Honk!

"..."

"...Yum."

"Looks delicious."

"Yeah, it is."

"..."

What a tough one.

If I had to put Journey's expression into words, I’d say that’s what she was thinking.

"I told you I wasn’t going to eat it."

"...Well, that was..."

"You also said you couldn’t eat it."

"...Ugh!"

So, I’m just not offering any. What’s the problem?

There’s an old saying: if you don’t work, you don’t eat. As I stared at her blankly, Journey squirmed in frustration.

Alright, maybe that’s enough teasing. I never intended to eat it all by myself, anyway. This much should be fine for a little joke.

"Mmm, it’s delicious!"

Journey’s face lit up as she devoured the meat. She looked very different from when she had been eating orc meat. Rain Buffalo and orcs are both monsters, after all.

After our satisfying meal, we left the sorrowful gazes of the Rain Buffalo herd behind and resumed our journey.

"Keep your seat in the saddle and straighten your back."

"Like this?"

"A bit more... Like that."

"Heh, Kana’s correcting my posture directly…!"

Journey let out a strange giggle.

Smack!

"Ouch!"

"...Focus."

After disciplining the unruly student, I continued the lesson.

"You’re too tense."

"But you told me to straighten my back earlier."

"I said to straighten it, not to tense up."

"...Isn’t that the same thing?"

"How is that the same?"

By the end of the lesson, Journey’s posture was much better than it had been at the start. The process hadn’t been entirely smooth, but as long as the results were good, that’s what matters.

The first graduate of Kana’s Riding School, Journey, had this to say:

"You taught me much more kindly than when you taught swordsmanship! Hehe, I knew Kana was kind."

"...It wasn’t on purpose."

"Oh, don’t be shy~"

Poke poke.

"Stop that."

I swatted away Journey’s finger as she persistently poked my cheek. Teaching horseback riding is different from teaching swordsmanship. Naturally, I had to adjust my approach.

But it’s not worth correcting her if she wants to think that.

 

"Huuuaaaahm..."

Journey yawned lazily.

Since learning proper riding posture from me, her muscle pain had lessened. Initially, she regretted not opting for a carriage, but eventually, her opinion shifted to appreciating horseback riding. It’s faster and more comfortable than a carriage...

It’d be even more comfortable on a magi-tech carriage. Why haven’t you bought one yet? Poor Kana suffers because of her stingy companion.

"You all just say whatever you want since it’s not your money, huh? If you want to talk like that, why don’t you give me some money?"

What, really? Encouraging real-world transactions?

"...Never mind, I’m done talking."

The chat reacted as expected, accusing her of everything from laziness to failing as a streamer. Journey shook her head and turned her attention back to Kana.

Despite riding for hours, Kana swayed with the horse’s movements, saying nothing, and barely moving. If not for her occasional responses to Journey, she could’ve been mistaken for a doll.

'Well, Kana is pretty cute, so I guess it’s not strange to think of her as a doll.'

Journey was tempted to see how Kana would react to such a thought, but she held back. With her pink eyes lost in thought and her hair softly blowing in the breeze, she looked like a painting. Interrupting would’ve been a shame.

"Cuteness is justice."

Journey mused to herself as she admired Kana’s profile. Normally, she thought staring at someone endlessly was just an overused cliche, but watching Kana now, it didn’t seem that way at all.

Maybe because she was staring too hard, Kana, who had been gazing ahead, turned her eyes toward Journey.

"...What?"

"...Huh? Did I say something?"

"You didn’t, but your stare is unsettling."

"..."

"It’s unsettling."

"...Alright, alright. I’ll stop."

Despite her innocent appearance, Kana had a sharp tongue, often dishing out blunt remarks with that sweet face of hers. Today was no exception, as she hit Journey square with a straightforward jab, leaving her sulking.

'Still, it’s better than before.'

Back when Kana ignored Journey completely, this is a huge improvement. Even if the words sting a little, Journey much preferred this livelier version of her.

After fixing her gaze on the road again, Kana resumed her steady focus—until Journey suddenly spoke up.

"Oh, Kana! Can I ask you something?"

"...What is it?"

"If you’re heading to the Sacred Nation, is there a reason why? I realized I never actually asked."

Kana looked at Journey as if she were seeing something bizarre, a rare display of emotion on her usually impassive face.

"Eh, hehe..."

Journey chuckled awkwardly. It was silly; she’d been traveling with Kana for days now and only just thought to ask. She hadn’t even considered it because she was so excited to be traveling with Kana.

Despite the odd timing, it wasn’t an unreasonable question, so Kana answered readily.

"I’m curious."

"Curious? About what?"

So curious that she’d cross half the continent? That doesn’t sound like something people usually do.

A new question forming in her mind, Journey asked again.

"So it’s something you can only find out about in the Sacred Nation, right?"

"Yeah."

"Can I ask what?"

"No."

"Figured."

She’s direct, at least. Journey withdrew with a shrug, unsurprised by Kana’s response.

She’d figured out by now that Kana’s refusals came in two types.

There were refusals where she might give in with enough pestering, and then there were refusals like this—firm and unyielding. Today’s answer was the latter, so Journey kept her questions to herself and let her imagination run wild.

'If she needs to go to the Sacred Nation, it must be something to do with Edel’s faith?'

But Kana didn’t seem particularly devout.

"Gasp, could it be she’s becoming a nun?"

Huh? Quite the imagination. More like a holy knight if anything...

"Wait, so Kana as a nun...? Actually, that might be nice."

Agreed; that’d be interesting.

Where can I get an application to join Edel’s faith if Kana’s going to be in it?

[‘Username’ donated 10,000 won! Thank you!]
FYI, those nun outfits you’re thinking of aren’t accurate. Real nuns wore concealing garments and covered their hair to avoid attention. So Edel’s clergy...

"Oh... Well, thanks for the info!"

That’s ‘legit’ knowledge
Wow, prices are steep these days.
Didn’t know I needed that information, but thanks!

Journey continued chatting with her viewers, occasionally glancing at Kana, who didn’t notice while she was absorbed in the stream chat. Meanwhile, their horses trotted along the path to the Sacred Nation.

"Let’s call it a day."

Who knows how much time had passed. With the sun dipping behind the hills, Kana finally spoke up, ending her silence. Journey, running low on conversation topics, welcomed her words.

"It’s been a while since I last camped out. Kana, have you camped out... Oh, right."

Recalling Kana’s previous occupation, she stopped mid-sentence. Kana probably had far more camping experience than she did.

"But... here?"

The ground wasn’t great, and the spot seemed less than ideal. Even with Journey’s camping experience, it didn’t look like a good place to stop.

"I’ll find a better spot."

Kana answered nonchalantly, patting the side of her horse, which responded by moving forward at a gentle pace.

"Oh, I think I see some lights!"

Journey, searching for a campsite, spotted a faint glow in the distance. Logs neatly stacked around a fire confirmed someone was already there.

"Wait—"

Journey, eager to get there first, urged her horse past Kana and toward the campfire.

"Hello~?"

Finding an open clearing in a place like this was a pleasant surprise. If whoever’s there doesn’t mind, maybe they could camp together. Journey craned her neck, looking for the person around the campfire.

Clip-clop.

"Journey."

"Oh, you’re here!"

"...Sigh."

Following behind, Kana let out a sigh.

"Huh? What’s wrong?"

"...Nothing."

Kana moved her lips, as if to say something, but stayed silent, instead looking toward a nearby rustling sound.

Rustle.

"Ah, are you travelers?"

"...A nun?"

The one who emerged from the bushes, with a small twig or leaf underfoot, was a young woman in a nun’s habit. Her figure drew Journey’s attention, recalling the donation message from earlier, and she quickly shook her head.

"Are you alright?"

"Oh, uh, yes! There was a bug."

"Oh dear. Most of the bugs around here aren’t poisonous, but some are, so you should be careful. Do you need me to check?"

"N-No, I’m fine...."

'A real nun...!'

The serene aura of the nun seemed to wash away Journey’s previously dark thoughts, leaving her feeling purified.

"Are you camping alone?"

"Yes. I parted ways with my group at the last town, so I’m on my own."

"If it’s not too much trouble, could we join you?"

"Of course. I don’t own this land, after all. I was worried about the coming night, so I’m glad to have some company."

The nun smiled and set down the branches and berries she’d gathered, scattering them across the ground.

"Kana, we got permission! We can stay here!"

"...Good grief."

At Journey’s cheerful call, Kana sighed once more.