Ria bent forward on one knee and stretched the other leg behind her.
In front of her, Hikari bent over and touched the ground with her palms.
The sound of knights drilling was coming from the courtyard.
"Don't faint."
Ria smiled in embarrassment.
"He. Don't worry. I won't."
Hikari gets ready at the starting line.
The sentries open the gate.
"I'm afraid I can't run with you out in the woods. Due to security and all. But you can. It's not like anything can touch you even without your armor on"
Hikari stamps her shoes.
Her lady will run from her chamber door to the gate and back.
Even that short distance, which would make a recruit laugh, was a challenge for her.
"Race?"
"Race? Oh, that would be quite the one-sided one, wouldn't it? Look at how long your legs are compared to me."
Hikari suppressed her giggle.
"Hills."
"Oh, that would be fair then. I'll run from here to the gate and back. While you run to your old cave and back."
"Yes."
"Alright then."
Ria twitched where she stood.
"I suppose that'll be a prize for when you win?"
"Yes."
"Alright, I'll have a think afterward about what that'll be."
Hikari took off, striding way ahead of Ria.
Thud. Thud. Her heavy steps slammed into the road.
The gravel road could hold her weight.
Near the estate, a town was being constructed.
She ran past makeshift buildings.
Blacksmiths, tanneries, and bakeries.
Fences to keep out the wildlife.
Wooden sentry posts for basic security.
She ran along the dirt path.
The outside was the same as every other morning.
The trees that had stood there even before she arrived at the RazenHeir estate.
Rodents scurried away at the sound of her footsteps thundering down the road.
Birds were flocking out of trees.
She reached her cave in about a minute, then turned around.
She reached the estate gate again, and Ria was sitting in front of it.
The maids were tending to her.
Ria reached only halfway before collapsing to the ground.
"My lady?"
Ria stood back up and dusted herself off.
"Yes… huff*"
Her breathing was uneven.
Suddenly, she turned to the side of the road and threw up.
Her maid gave her a cup of water, which she gurgled and spat out.
"Huff* Huff* I'm fine."
With the support of her maid. Ria managed to stand up, but she wobbled.
"My lady, you shouldn't try to keep pace with Hikari."
"No, huff* huff* It's fine. I didn't pass out, did I?"
The maid shakes her head in disapproval.
"Still, shall I fetch the healer?"
"No, huff* huff* I'm quite alright. huff* huff*."
"Slow"
Ria paused, still wobbling. One of her maids offered her support.
She took Hikari's advice and held her breath until she almost passed out.
Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out.
Her breathing stabilized.
"Thanks, Hikari. Shall we proceed to your chambers?"
Hikari nods.
Ria began walking.
Slowly. Her steps were still unstable.
But she could walk without her maids' support.
Hikari escorted her, shuffling her feet to keep pace.
"So, this is what it's like to properly train as a knight. That was intense. No wonder you are such a great knight."
Hikari's feet shuffled behind her.
"So how did I do so far? I feel like I've just climbed a mountain."
"Good."
"You flatter me. I know it's not that good. But thanks for the encouragement anyway."
Ria stumbled along the pavement.
"Ah!"
She lost her balance and fell backward.
"My lady!"
Her back hit the tip of Hikari's shoe as the giantess lifted the tip just a little to catch her lady's fall.
"I'm alright."
Ria stopped her maids from helping her.
She eventually had to do it herself.
"Thanks, Hikari."
She continued.
"While you were at the front, I did read all of your letters. They were fascinating. Especially the ancient mangrove tree standing taller than the city walls. It's such a prominent landmark that map writers draw it to mark the swamps surrounding Carla."
"Big Tree."
"I hope it's still there. Did the titan knock it over before you could slay it? Otherwise, a lot of people would be quite upset about the millions of maps that had to be redrawn. "
"Yes."
"That's good to hear. How was the view from above the mangrove tree? You and Lady Camilia managed to scale it, didn't you? There used to be a contest around scaling that tree. For normal people, that is, beastkin and knights with special abilities such as yourself, are not allowed, as that will somewhat ruin the competition."
"He."
"Too bad it was canceled. A mana surge in the area caused monsters to spawn. Swamp crocodiles that swallow a man whole. Trees that mysteriously swallow entire armies without a sound. I read in the reports that you slayed a bunch of them."
"Yep."
"Especially that giant crocodile. Oh, I have a surprise for you later."
They reached the front of Hikari's room.
Hikari stopped.
"Go in first."
Ria swallowed.
Her knees started shivering.
"Yes, Hikari."
Ria disappeared into the curtain door.
Hikari stood at the door.
She braced her palm against the wall to balance herself as she lifted one foot out of her flat.
She held the top and pulled, stretching her thigh.
The stench was stronger because she had sped up from her normal pace after her lady challenged her to a race.
She left them air outside her flat for a few seconds.
Thud. Thud.
Hikari's giant shoes landed at the doorstep as she emerged from the curtain door.
She looked down and saw her lady prostrate below her.
"Ah…"
She placed her hands gently on her breast and ran them down her sweaty abdominal muscles.
Her lady shivered as she felt each of
Thud. Thud. Hikari tapped her shoe twice.
Ria crawled in front of her.
She kissed the tip of the shoe.
"Good morning, my knight Hikari. How was your morning run?"
"Hmm… dirty"
"Oh? Are your shoes dirty from running? Here, let me clean them for you."
Ria licks the tip of the shoe.
The taste of the country dirt on her tongue.
Booming giggles from above.
"It's my duty as your lady to keep my knight's shoes clean. So she can wear clean shoes when she sets off for her morning run."
Hikari arched her foot.
A rush of steam came from inside her flats.
Ria turned her head away, coughing and choking.
Hikari playfully scrunched her toes, letting out more of the smell.
"Your feet smell wonderful!"
She was wincing and tearing.
The stench was so strong that she could barely breathe.
"Thank you, Hikari, for letting your undeserving lady smell your feet."
Ria licks the tip of the shoe.
"Back."
Ria crawls to the side and parks herself beside Hikari's boot, to the left of the doorway.
Thud. Thud.
Hikari strides forward.
She stops.
"Crawl."
"Yes, Hikari."
Ria's morning exercise wasn't done yet.
She crawled behind Hikari.
Her sweaty top was sticking to her muscular back.
Hikari stopped and waited for her lady to catch up.
Ria thought Hikari was giving her a break.
Then, Hikari lifted one foot out of the flat, releasing the trapped steam.
"Mmmmm!"
Ria winced and teared up.
The bottom of Hikari's sock filled her view.
"My lady?"
"I'm alright, Hikari. Your feet smell wonderful… your feet smell wonderful…"
Giggles from above.
Thud. Thud.
A pause as her lady recovers.
Hikari stops, waiting for her lady to catch up.
"Mmmmmm!"
She releases another surge of stink.
"My lady?"
Thud. Thud.
She steps forward.
Her lady stood rooted to the ground.
"My lady?"
"I'm alright, I'm alright! Cough! To be a good lady, I must stand the smell of my knight's feet."
Mid-pitched giggles from above.
Gathering her strength, her lady crawls forward.
"Mmmm!"
"My lady."
"Your feet smell wonderful… your feet smell wonderful…"
Giggles from above.
"Ah…"
Toying with her lady was turning Hikari on.
"Stay."
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Four strides.
Her lady stayed still on her hands and knees.
Giggles came from above as Hikari looked at her lady's teary face.
"Mmmmm!"
Hikari took off both her flats.
Giggles.
"My lady?"
"Your feet smell wonderful… your feet smell wonderful…"
Louder giggles.
"Race."
"Oh… I couldn't even finish the round I promised… I lost convincingly…"
Loud giggles.
The stench of Hikari's feet was strong even as she placed them a distance away from her lady.
"You ran harder because of the challenge, didn't you… Even though I was never going to win, you made your feet smell stronger just for me…"
Loud giggles. Toes wriggling excitedly.
Screech. Hikari's flats slid along the ground in front of her couch.
Thud. Thud.
Hikari steps aside.
The squishing sound of her soaked socks.
"Crawl."
Hikari points her flats at the end of the room.
It was quite the distance for her lady to crawl.
But her heart pounds.
Her reward waits at the end.
Her arms move.