The Childhood Friend of the Villainess in a Romance Fantasy

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

━━━━━━♡♥♡━━━━━━

Neither Amelia nor Prince Evan said a word.

In the end, the two reluctantly agreed to ride on the wolves’ backs. To say they agreed might be misleading; they didn’t have much choice but to comply.

Honestly, I couldn’t understand why they were so scared. Even if the wolf was as large as a dog, wouldn’t you just pet it once you realize it’s tame? Especially Amelia, who had even touched a pup last time.

The wolves didn’t show much resistance to carrying the two people who didn’t usually ride on their backs.

I’ve heard that a dog’s back is much weaker than that of a horse or ox, which are animals typically ridden. So, no matter how large the northern wolves appeared, the moment a Delkis person rode on one, their backs would take a heavy toll. That’s likely why other Delkis people never asked to ride them, even though they’d seen me do it before.

I wasn’t sure how things would change once I grew to be over two meters tall, but at least until then, it wouldn’t be a problem. As for Amelia, who was much smaller than me, and Prince Evan, who was about my size, I doubted their weight would even register to the wolves.

“Ha… haa…”

Amelia, who had clung desperately to the wolf’s back until we reached the middle of the forest, seemed utterly relieved to set foot on the ground again.

“Didn’t you say you learned horseback riding?”

Of course, given that she was only seven years old, it wouldn’t have been proper riding. It was probably on a small pony with someone leading it from the front. They must have chosen a particularly smart and gentle horse too.

Still, there’s a significant difference between having and not having experience riding an animal’s back. If she remembered the sensation of a horse moving up and down, riding a wolf shouldn’t have been that daunting, should it?

“Generally, before riding a horse, you place something called a ‘saddle’ on its back. Saddles also come with something called ‘stirrups.’ Are you unaware of the difference that makes?”

Hmm… Well, when you put it that way.

But it’s not like I could craft saddles for wolves. Unlike horses, wolves aren’t primarily meant for riding. It’s more important that they walk beside me, protecting and supporting each other.

Moreover, it wasn’t a good idea to strap anything cumbersome onto wolves, who might need to leap into battle and sink their teeth into the enemy’s throat.

Besides—

“Delkis people ride moose without saddles or stirrups,” I said.

“…Oh.”

“Hmm?”

Even the prince, who dismounted from the wolf slightly after Amelia, stared blankly at me for a moment.

“In Delkis, food is always prioritized for people. It feels wasteful to set aside food specifically for animals, so there aren’t many domesticated creatures. Especially not ones raised solely for riding. So when necessary, we catch moose in the forest and ride them. But you can’t exactly carry a saddle over your shoulder while hunting for a moose, can you?”

Since saddles are big and heavy enough to support a person’s weight, carrying them on your back or shoulder would only hinder the hunt. Leaving them on the ground isn’t practical either. After all, hunting requires you to roam the forest freely.

So from the beginning, we simply learned to ride without saddles, avoiding the inconvenience of lugging them around.

“Right… That’s how it was.”

“Was that the reason?”

Prince Evan didn’t seem familiar with our territory, but Amelia must have studied it. From the perspective of the Grand Ducal House, we were a crucial military force guarding the front lines.

But learning something through knowledge and experiencing it firsthand are completely different.

“What happens if you fall off the moose without a saddle or stirrups? Wouldn’t there be significant injuries or fatalities from falls? I heard Delkis doesn’t have many people to spare.”

“Why would someone get hurt from falling off?”

Even if you rolled with the moose, you’d come out unscathed, wouldn’t you?

I’d fallen off Gray’s back a few times myself. It hurt, sure, but it wasn’t life-threatening.

“…What?”

Prince Evan’s expression turned incredulous at my question.

“Lady Elsie, when ordinary people fall off horses, they usually sustain serious injuries. It’s not uncommon to die from it.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Come to think of it, Southerners aren’t as strong, so they might die. Just like how a playful nip from a wolf’s teeth could tear their flesh.

I’d assumed this was a fantasy world where people had different standards of physical strength. I didn’t think the difference between the people of Delkis and Southerners would be like entirely different species.

“…Did you really think we wouldn’t get hurt if we fell off a wolf?”

The prince asked, momentarily dropping his formal tone.

“…”

After a brief silence, I spoke.

“There’s a moose nearby. Let’s walk from here. Please make as little noise as possible.”

“Hey, answer me!”

*

“It’s huge…”

“Is it?”

At the prince’s murmur, I tilted my head in response.

The beasts of the North are generally large, so I couldn’t quite grasp how small the moose he referred to were supposed to be. Perhaps the size of the roe deer I’d seen in my previous life?

“If we approach it, it’ll likely charge at us. Herbivores tend to go on the offensive when they think they can’t escape.”

“Is that how herbivores usually react?”

Was this the prince’s first time hunting?

Or maybe it’s what I’d heard about the king’s hunts in the past—where the prey was cornered by others, and all he had to do was shoot an arrow. As a child, the prince might not have witnessed how animals truly behave.

“Yes. It’s unlikely they’d try to flee from this range. For a typical Delkis hunter, it wouldn’t matter much. Even a moose charging with its full might could be captured alive as long as you avoided the antlers.”

“…Are Delkis people really that strong?”

Yes, strong enough to choke a moose by the neck or strike its head with their fists.

“But that wouldn’t work for us, would it? If either Amelia or your Highness were trampled by a moose, you would likely suffer fatal injuries.”

“…And you’d be fine?”

“As I said earlier, as long as I avoid the antlers, it’d just hurt a bit.”

Amelia was at a loss for words at my response.

“You brought bows and arrows, right?”

“Yes.”

“I did too.”

Both the prince and Amelia answered my question.

The bows of Delkis are too strong for Southerners. Not only are they powerful, but the yew wood from Northern forests makes the bow frames incredibly sturdy—almost like clubs to Southerners. Even for Delkis people, it takes years of training to master.

It typically takes a year of diligent practice to become competent and two years to reach a professional level.

I’d been training for a little over two years.

Even the sinew strings made from moose tendons are too taut for Southerners. Naturally, they wouldn’t be able to use our bows even if we lent them, so everyone had to bring their own.

Whether kids like us could pierce a moose’s hide with these arrows was another matter.

So I also took out my bow.

Though smaller than my father’s, it was still crafted from Northern yew, making it just as sturdy. At this range, it should be enough to take down a moose.

“We’ll move in the direction of the wind to avoid being detected by scent. Wolves will form a large perimeter and close in gradually. By the time the moose catches their scent, it will already be surrounded.”

“With all these wolves, do we really need to participate in the hunt?”

“Your Highness doesn’t know much about wolves, does he?”

When I glanced at him with a reproachful look, the prince appeared slightly flustered.

“No matter how high-ranking an alpha, not participating in the hunt is unacceptable. To receive a share of the prey, you have to contribute.”

The wolves see me as their alpha.

That means I must act like one.

“Is that so?”

“That’s how it is.”

The prince nodded, looking somewhat dazed.

“Then, let’s approach. From now on, avoid speaking. Sounds like breaking branches or rustling leaves are normal in the forest, but human voices aren’t.”

At my words, both the prince and Amelia closed their mouths.

Their nervous expressions made them look so childlike that I had to suppress a smile threatening to break free.