"It's a nice morning for a run isn't it Hikari?"
Ria bent forward on one knee and stretched the other leg behind her.
She was in her full drill outfit, long sleeved shirt and pants as the weather was starting to get chilly.
"Yes, my lady."
"How do you like your new shoes? They just arrived. enchanted linen from the great elven tree. they can stretch to up to three times their original length without breaking. This way, your foot won't be so sore after a run."
Hikari taps her foot to test out her new flats.
It was thicker and more flexible than her previous pair.
When she pressed into the ground, the soles were able to absorb the pressure and give her a little push as she lifted her foot up.
When she flexed her foot, arching and turning it, it was able to bend itself to the shape of her foot with no signs of buckling.
"Nice."
"I'm glad you liked it. Oh, we have a new running track too. It's a paved road so your running flats don't get so dirty everyday. Hopefully the maids will stop complaining about having to clean your massive dirty shoes."
"Would I bump into people?"
"Hopefully not. The guards will cordon it off now when you run. For the rest of the day, it'll be used to transport stuff around."
"Shall we begin?"
"Of course."
"Don't pass out this time."
"He. Don't worry. I won't."
The guards standing at intervals along the road raised a red flag.
Hikari began her run, striding way ahead of Ria, her foot steps made less noise than before due to the better cushioning of her shoes, making it sound like a low rumbling thunder storm after the rain.
Along the route, she ran past a set of makeshift buildings. Blacksmiths, tanneries and bakeries just to list a few.
The RazenHeir estate stood on her right behind a stone wall. On her right, another wall was under construction behind a wood palisade.
Soon, she passed Ria, who was keeping to the right side of the road to avoid blocking her.
The gust of wind from her passing momentarily knocked Ria off balance. The route was not as long as the mountain road.
The estate was peaceful. It was as though the battle with the cultists never happened. The camps that appeared were just seasonal tourists. The buildings that appeared are here because the RazenHeir territory lies right on a trade route directly from Herdial to Moradale. Port Carla is perhaps still standing. They just shut down temporarily for maintenance.
The chilly wind brushed against her face, through her shirt, drying up some of the sweat. The running route changes occasionally. But it felt the same every year.
It was peaceful. Like a dream.
After passing Ria more than two and a half dozen rounds, Hikari reached the starting point. Ria was sitting on the ground.
"Are you alright, my Lady."
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, I'm fine." Ria was able to stand up, but she was wobbling left and right. She managed to walk to Hikari, one hand pushing onto her sock for support.
"My lady, you shouldn't try to keep pace with Hikari.
And no offence to Hikari, but wouldn't the strong sweat smell make you feel even more sick?"
"No, huff* huff* It's fine. I didn't pass out today did I?"
"You're quite right. Impressive improvement my lady. Shall I fetch the cleric or the physician?"
"No, huff* huff* I'm quite alright. huff* huff*. This is quite normal. I should try to improve naturally."
"Stand still"
Ria paused, still wobbling.
"Breath slowly"
Ria did. Breath in. Hold. Breath out. Breath in. Hold. Breath out. A simple technique that every fitness instructor teaches to regulate breathing. It stuck to her only when Hikari taught her.
Her breathing eventually stabilized.
"Thanks Hikari. Shall we proceed to your chambers?"
"After you."
Ria began walking, still wobbling a bit but was able to make distance. Hikari escorted her, walking behind her, taking baby steps to match her pace.
"Peace again. I never thought my first major act would be to run a war. There is just so much to organize. Especially the correspondence with those Herdial officers. They keep changing for some reason. And whenever they promise supplies, it doesn't show up. Whenever we ship them supplies, they tell us that it disappeared."
"You did good."
"Thanks for the compliment. But it's nothing compared to what the frontline troops like you have to go through. You did stellar work out there. I heard from my friend Camilia that you fought really well. As for Zark, well he usually doesn't speak much."
"They fought well."
"In the end, what mattered most is that you came home. Though we did lose many good men. I'll train my hardest from now on, maybe I can one day join you guys. I hope I can make a difference on the frontlines as well."
Hikari did not reply.
They walked past a group of cultists unloading sacks of grain and carrying them into the granary, under the supervision of guards.
"Ah, at least we don't lack hands to bring in the harvest. I just wished the harvest was bigger. We'll just about get to the next harvest on rationing. Food prices had tripled. The convoys from Herdial carrying food to us are getting mobbed."
"I see."
"Oh it's not your fault. Don't worry, I'm never going to cut your rations. Neither would the Lord RazenHeir. I'm ashamed at the thought of letting the soldiers come home to rationing."
"It's not your fault."
"Thanks for trying to make me feel better. And you shall not be disappointed. I promised you a feast. It will be here today. I look forward to it. But I guess I should say this too. I've placed orders for ivory berries. It will replace some of the rations for the knights and you too. And, I learnt from the maids how much you hated them."
"I'll eat."
"Really? That means a lot to me. I'm only doing this because there really is nowhere else to source food."
"We ate flesh monsters. This is nothing."
Ria laughed.
"Oh yeah, Camilia told me about it. That must have made your stomachs hurt. Does make me feel guilty about not making sure the supplies arrive in time. I didn't think the Rotbenmore house could do something like that. I thought all they do is harvest mana from the dead."
"Oh?"
They reached the estate grounds, walking past Hikari's boot washing bay. The cultists were scrubbing the side of the boot. After each rinse, they would all bow their heads before the boot. Ria turned her head, her face blushing at the sight.
"Those guys still give me the creeps. Slavery is illegal here in the territories. Like really really illegal. We can keep them for now as prisoners of war. Not that I'm complaining since we really need the labor. Plus, they can live on ivory berries just fine."
"Oh?"
"I heard what happened to the abbot. The war council decided that he was too dangerous. It was a stretch for them to even let us keep the cultists as prisoners. Still, did you learn anything useful from him?"
"Nope, the same gibberish."
"As expected. He was from what the report suggests, just a mid level officer equivalent. Focusing only on his area of responsibility. He was really cooperative with you though. He was convincing the captured cultists to follow your orders while under our supervision while you were away at the front. "
"I scared him, I guess."
"He. That sounds about right. That glare of yours is really scary when you make that serious face. I'm a bit worried though, now that the abbot is gone, would the cultists still follow you?"
"Looks like it."
"Oh my. You really are a goddess in the eyes of men. Well, I trust your judgment. There is much to do and so few healthy hands remaining. Bridges, Roads, Farmland, Fortifications and more. It helps a ton that my Knight Hikari has a cult of worshippers to aid me."
Hikari stopped. They have arrived at the door to her home chamber. Ria turned around and looked up at Hikari's face.
"Go in first."
Ria swallowed. Her knees started shivering.
"Yes, Hikari." Ria disappeared into the curtain door.
After standing outside for a minute, Hikari walked through the curtain door. She paused at the doorway, doing some breathing exercises. She grabbed the towel hanging by the doorway, wiping off the sweat from her hair. Despite the chilly weather, her shirt was drenched in sweat.
Then, she tapped her foot.
Ria crawled in front of her, wiped the tip of her running shoe with a handkerchief and kissed it.
"Good morning, my knight Hikari. How was your morning run?"
"Hmmm"
Hikari undid the strap on her left shoe, arched her foot , pulled out her damp sock foot, placed the heel on the ground, lifting the bore of the foot in front of Ria's face.
"My lady should smell it for herself."
Ria took a breath and turned her head away coughing and choking. Then she forced her head back towards Hikari's sock, inhaling slowly so that she doesn't immediately choke.
"What's wrong? My lady still can't appreciate my foot smell? Did my lady forget my foot smell just because I was away for a month?"
"No! Hikari! Your feet smell wonderful! Sniff* I missed the smell of your feet! Sniff*"
Ria bowed her head and then raised it , giving the bore of Hikari's foot a kiss. She stuck out her tongue, giving the damp cotton a lick.
"Thank you Hikari for letting your undeserving lady smell your feet. Sniff* They just smell so good. Sniff* chokes*"
She gave the sock another lick. "They taste so good too. Thank you Hikari! Your feet are wonderful!"
Hikari withdrew her left foot, undid the straps on the right shoe, and pressed the toes into Ria's face.
"My lady says she likes the smell. But I see my lady is having trouble keeping her face on my feet. Maybe I should help her."
Ria squirmed, but she forcefully kept her face in place for as long as she could until she had to snap back, turning her face to the side and taking a deep breath.
"My running feet are fresh out of the shoes. My lady wouldn't want to waste a single whiff of it wouldn't she?"
"No Hikari. Every whiff of your feet smell is wonderful. Smooch* Smooch* Sniff* Thank you for letting me smell and worship your running feet. Sniff* I am so lucky to have such a powerful knight let me smell her powerful feet. Sniff* Sniff* I don't deserve it. Smooch* Smooch* Thank you. Smooch* Smooch*."
"That's enough. Follow."
"Yes, Hikari."
Hikari picked up her shoes with her fingers and took a step towards the cauldron. She paused.
Ria crawled forward to where her foot was a moment ago and kissed the sweat print on the ground.
The area of Hikari's foot was larger than the area she occupies on her hands and knees.
"Follow."
Hikari takes a step with her other foot and snaps her fingers. She waited for Ria to crawl to the sweat print, position herself on the arch area, and kissed the imprint made by the bore.
On hearing the plucker of her lips, Hikari took another step. Her heel landed right in front of the toe of her other foot. Smooch.
Step. Ria crawls. Smooch.
Step. Ria crawls. Smooch.
Slowly, Hikari made her way to her cauldron. Her lady Ria kissed every one of her footsteps along the way.
"Stay."
Ria bowed her head. The sweat on the ground left by Hikari's last step sticking to her face. She kept her head there as she heard the sound of Hikari removing the lid of her cauldron.
The sound of grain flowing into the cauldron, along with the other ingredients.
The sound of her sock feet making a squishing sound as the sweat was squeezed onto the ground with each foot step.
The flushing sound of water filling the cauldron, and finally the crackling sound of flames.
"Follow."
Ria crawled to Hikari's ankles and kissed the ground behind them.
Step. Ria crawls. Smooch.
Step. Ria crawls. Smooch.
Hikari makes her way to her couch. Her lady kissed each sweat print behind her.
She sat down on the couch, dropped her flats by the base of the couch and propped her sock feet up on the foot stool for them to air.
Ria crawled before the foot stool and looked up. The soles of Hikari's socks had soaked up some dust from her walking bare sock around her chambers.
"Thank you for letting me worship the ground you walk on. bows* How may your lady continue pleasing you?"
"Mmm.. just worship me while I meditate."
"Yes, Hikari." Ria bows her head before Hikari's foot stool.