Refuse Harem

Translator: Tsukii

Editor: Prius

Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!

Chapter 040 – Dear Tenma, I Was a Fool IV

The silence between the two girls was broken by Lana’s joyful exclamation.

“Oh my! What a lovely animal!”

After riding for a while, they arrived at a spot where some servants were waiting.

Sophie got off from Gale and hurried toward Lana and the others.

There was an animal being carried in a wagon.

“…A Nooga?”

Sophie never thought she would see an animal from a foreign nation here.

A Nooga was a deer-like creature with big eyes. It had a pair of large horns and a physique similar to a deer, but the difference lay in the strength of its legs. A Nooga was capable of carrying a large man on its own and was used in place of horses in that foreign nation. However, given that its personality was more stubborn than horses, it wasn’t an animal that would easily let others ride it.

“It was something that was presented to my father from a foreign nation. Since I found it cute, I asked my father to bring it here!”

It seemed the servants there were those from Lilina’s family. The Orlando Kingdom was more prosperous compared to other nations. Therefore, it wasn’t rare for other nations to present gifts to aristocrats to gain their favor. That Nooga seemed to be one of those presents.

“It seems it was used as a substitute for horses in foreign nations. I really wanted Christina-sama to ride it! I got the chance to ride it when it was first brought, and it was easier to ride because it was shorter than a horse. It seems it has strong leg power as well!”

To be honest, Sophie found it hard to understand why a Nooga was given as a present.

There must have been a person who instructed her how to ride it on the day it was given to her family. A Nooga wasn’t an animal that would let itself be ridden easily without an instructor.

Although it wasn’t considered a difficult creature to raise, it also wasn’t one that was easy to ride.

“Is it okay to ride it like a horse?”

“Yes, it should be okay!”

Lilina answered Christina’s question energetically.

Wait, the person who will ride it is Christina onee-sama?!

Although Sophie was a little hesitant to advise Christina after their previous exchange, she couldn’t just ignore the current situation.

“Please wait a moment! Although Noogas look cute and mild-mannered, they often rampage suddenly!”

Even in that foreign nation, the only people who rode Noogas were nomads who normally lived with them all the time. The physical abilities of the women who lived in the grasslands versus those of aristocratic women were way too different.

“Even if I get punished for my disrespectful action, I will stop Christina onee-sama from riding it!”

Christina was slightly surprised due to Sophie’s forceful tone, but her expression soon returned to her usual smile.

“Since Sophie insists, please let me refrain from riding it.”

Lilina’s expression changed after Christina’s refusal. Lilina narrowed her eyes as she flared up against Sophie.

“Noogas won’t suddenly rampage! Even when I rode it back then, it obediently followed my instructions!”

That was probably due to its exhaustion. Considering the distance between the location where Noogas lived and the Orlando Kingdom, they were probably too tired to even get angry.

“I will prove it to you now!”

As she declared that, Lilina proceeded to mount the Nooga’s back.

“Lilina-sama!”

Noogas were different from horses. The rider shouldn’t get on its back with such momentum. They were creatures that wouldn’t let others ride them unless the rider went on it slowly to not upset the Nooga.

“Eh… Kyaaa!”

Sure enough, the Nooga was surprised and proceeded to rampage. As its strong legs kicked up the soil, it gave a sidelong glance toward Sophie and the others, who were surprised by the sudden turn of events, and proceeded to carry Lilina away.

“Is that… really okay?”

Lana’s orange eyes, which were originally big, went even wider as she pointed in the Nooga’s direction in astonishment.

There was no way it was okay. The Nooga was totally rampaging.

“I’ll chase after them!”

“Sophie?!”

Christina raised her voice to stop Sophie, but Sophie proceeded to mount Gale and spurred it into a gallop without stopping.

The Nooga’s legs were fast. Unless she hurried, a horse wouldn’t be able to catch up with it.

“Gale! Show me the speed your name suggests!”

As if it understood Sophie’s words, Gale accelerated, seemingly cutting the wind. Its splendid gallop was different from all the other horses Sophie had ridden before, and exhibited its natural talent with its speed.

I can still make it at this speed! But I have to hurry since there’s a cliff around here…

Noogas were creatures who could easily climb up cliffs. Once it climbed up a cliff, a horse had no way to catch it. If Lilina were to release her hand from the Nooga’s reins out of fear when it began to climb, she would likely fall down and would unlikely come out unscathed.

Thanks to Gale’s speed, Sophie soon caught up to the Nooga, but the problem was here.

“Lilina-sama, please come over here!”

Even as Sophie extended her hand, Lilina was in a state where she was barely able to do anything but cling to the Nooga.

All Lilina could do was to reply, “I caaaaaan’t,” with a quivering voice.

Sophie might be able to pull her away somehow if Lilina took Sophie’s hand, but the Nooga was running wildly right now. Lilina was too scared to extend one of her hands in such a situation.

No good, the cliff is just ahead!

It was a few dozen meters away. If the Nooga jumped onto the cliff, Sophie wouldn’t be able to help Lilina anymore.

I want to avoid scaring Lilina-sama more than this, but it can’t be helped!

Sophie resolved herself and shouted,

“Lilina-sama, I will jump over there! Please hold onto the reins firmly and don’t move!”

“Eh?”

Without waiting for a reply, Sophie made Gale approach the Nooga as close as possible and jumped over. Although Sophie could feel the Nooga was angry due to the sudden impact on its back, she wasn’t in a state where she could care about that.

“EEEEEEEEHHHH?!”

As Sophie suddenly jumped and landed behind Lilina, the mixture of incomprehensible astonishment and amazement escaped from Lilina’s mouth in the form of scream.

Sophie took over the reins from Lilina’s hand and tried to control the angry Nooga but it wasn’t working.


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Rauna
Rauna
1 year ago

Thanks for the chapter!