Chapter 52: A Talk at Night

As the party moved on, the warmth of Nolan’s body seeped through the layers of clothing and pressed clearly against Vivi’s back. 

Too close. 

The realization made every muscle in her body tense. Even her breathing grew careful and restrained. 

“Relax your shoulders. Chest up, head high.” 

Nolan’s voice sounded right by her ear. His warm breath brushed against the sensitive base of her animal ears, sending a shiver through her. Heat spread from their roots, and in an instant her cheeks burned red. 

“Don’t lean back. Shifting your center of gravity too far will make you lose balance.” 

“O-okay…” she answered stiffly, trying to follow his instructions. 

“When moving at a slow pace, keep your calves naturally bent. Don’t let your knees turn outward.” Nolan didn’t notice anything unusual about the girl in his arms. He simply assumed she was struggling because it was her first time riding, and continued to guide her with professional patience. “Only use your calves to lightly press the horse’s belly when you want to speed up.” 

To help her understand, he reached out and gave the outside of her thigh a light pat as a reminder. 

The sudden contact startled Vivi. Her body jerked, and her already tense legs instinctively clamped down hard. 

Neigh! 

Taking it as a command, the warhorse reared up with a loud whinny before launching forward at full force. 

“Ahh!” The sudden change made Vivi scream. 

Little Donnie, riding nearby, couldn’t help bursting into laughter. “Hahaha!” 

Hank, a cigar clenched between his teeth, shook his head helplessly as the slanted wind scattered the smoke rings he exhaled. 

The wind roared past her ears. The sensation of weightlessness made Vivi’s heart nearly stop. Yet the fall she expected never came. Nolan’s arms locked her firmly in place. His core tightened, his legs steady as stone, his whole body moving as one with the horse. With a sharp pull of the reins and a series of quick, commanding whistles, he brought the charging animal under control. Its wild sprint was curbed, its speed gradually slowing to a trot, and finally settling back into a steady walk. The entire sequence was smooth and effortless, lasting no more than a dozen seconds. 

But those few seconds of violent jolting were more than enough to leave Vivi shaken. Her face had gone pale. She gasped for breath, her heart pounding like a drum. 

Seeing her still in shock, Nolan teased, “Well, at least now you know how to make it speed up.” 

It took her a while to recover before she spoke, her voice trembling. “Do… do all horses feel this bumpy when they run? I feel like my bones are falling apart.” 

“That’s because you’re not using your strength properly.” Nolan took her hands and placed the reins back into her palms. “When the horse runs fast, you need to grip its sides, lean your center of gravity forward, and use your legs and core to rise and sit in rhythm with it. Push down on the stirrups with your legs. Yes, like doing squats. Match the up-and-down motion of your body with the horse’s rhythm to stay stable. Think of it as a partner, not just a mount.” 

Vivi only half understood. Feeling the rhythm of the horse’s movement, she cautiously straightened her back, tightened her legs, and tried rising and sitting in time with the motion. “L-like this?” 

As she moved, her hips inevitably brushed again and again against the inside of his thighs.

Nolan’s breath caught. Only then did he belatedly realize just how intimate their current position was. Without drawing attention to it, he subtly shifted his body back, putting a bit of distance between them. His tone grew slightly unnatural. “Ah, yes… that’s about right. You can… practice more when you’re riding on your own. And also…” He hesitated, stopping mid-sentence. 

“Hm?” Vivi turned her head curiously. “Is there anything else I should watch out for, sir? I’m listening.” 

Nolan’s expression turned a little odd. He lifted a hand and pointed to his cheek. “Actually… since just now, your tail has been brushing against my face.” 

“Ah!” 

Vivi’s face flushed instantly. Only then did she realize that, out of nervousness, her tail had been swaying unconsciously, its fluffy tip repeatedly flicking against Nolan’s cheek. 

“S-sorry! I didn’t mean to!” 

She panicked, wishing she could tie the troublesome tail into a knot. 

***

Vivi was quick to learn. Once the fluster passed, she improved rapidly. By evening, when the group set up camp on an open stretch of grassland, her competitive streak drove her to keep practicing no matter what. 

By the time everything was prepared, the campfire lit, and the smell of roasting meat filled the air, she finally rode back at a light trot. This time, her posture looked quite decent. 

“Look, Lord Nolan!”

Her face lit up with a bright smile, tinged with a bit of pride as she sought his approval. 

“How is it?” 

Nolan smiled and gave her a thumbs-up. 

Anna was handing out food. When she saw Vivi return, she called out gently, “Come eat, Vivi. You’ve worked hard.” 

Vivi answered with a smile and swung down from the horse in one smooth motion.

But the moment her feet touched the ground, she knew something was off. 

Hank noticed immediately. Even her walking had turned a little awkward. “When you ride, you’re supposed to move with the horse. Remember, it’s about control, not fighting it. You’re using too much force in your legs. You’ll need more practice.” 

“Ssh—hey, it’s okay, Vivi!” Little Donnie, who had just bitten into a piece of freshly roasted meat and burned himself, sucked in a breath as he spoke, his words coming out half-muffled. “You already did great! When I rode for the first time, I nearly knocked my front teeth out!” 

His remark drew a burst of laughter from the group. Though the insides of Vivi’s thighs burned with pain, a warmth she had never felt before filled her chest. 

***

Night deepened. 

The campfire crackled softly, while the men’s snores rose and fell in uneven chorus.

Nolan, assigned to the first watch, sat leaning against a large tree. His eyes were fixed ahead, unfocused. In truth, he was studying his interface, carefully planning how to allocate his experience and what path to take next. 

The undead tide at Rosenberg had only been an appetizer. If they wanted to gain a foothold in Demont Province, they would soon face the entrenched forces of the old nobility. And once their position stabilized, the winter offensive of the Shiva undead would follow. Challenges would come one after another. There was no time to waste in growing stronger. 

【Total Level: 30 (Glory Guardian Lv.15/25, EXP 0/50000); Paladin Lv.15/25, EXP 0/50000】 

【Power Tier: Silver (Level 25–50), Physical】 

Unlike the natives, players needed both advanced classes to reach max level before they could step into the Gold tier. Simply stacking more secondary classes to inflate total level was useless. 

These two hidden classes already required a massive fifty thousand experience points at level fifteen. It meant he urgently needed high-intensity battles to level up. 

At the same time, although warrior-type classes had better synergy, perhaps it was worth trying a magic-oriented class he had never explored before, to make up for the shortcomings in his attack methods. 

As he pondered, a set of extremely light footsteps approached from afar. The steps weren’t deliberately concealed, yet they still carried the natural lightness and sharpness of a nightingale, producing almost no unnecessary sound. 

Nolan closed his interface and turned his head. “What is it? Can’t sleep?” 

Under the moonlight, the visitor was Vivi. She had changed out of her daytime riding outfit into a set of loose, comfortable clothes. Her tiger ears twitched slightly in the night breeze. 

She pointed to the empty spot beside him. “May I sit here, Lord Nolan?”