The Savior Who Arrived on a White Horse (2)
Aiden, however, realized upon reflection that it wasn't a bad idea at all—in fact, it struck him as a rather decent business opportunity.
“I need an investment proposal.”
That was why he taught this capitalist talent one specific method.
“An investment proposal? If I have that, will you lend me the money?”
“If you’re looking for investors to fund the initial capital for a horse ranch, you’d be better off using the Northern Credit Union. But for that, you need your proposal to be approved. Once it’s approved, you can immediately get a low-interest loan. Or, if you prefer, you can recruit investors directly within the union.”
“And what’s a credit union again?”
“It would be better to discuss the details with our administrators. Since it involves numbers, it’s best to be precise, isn’t it?”
“That’s true. Uhehehe. So, I just need to get this ‘investment proposal’ thing approved, right?”
It wouldn't be that easy, but the dwarf’s head seemed to be filled with visions of sugarplums already.
“Have you ever written an investment proposal before?”
“I don’t know how to read or write.”
“...Ah.”
“Humans never even taught us how to read...! Uwaaaaaaah!”
...Now that he saw it, that repertoire seemed to be a habit.
That didn't mean he disliked the creature.
Even though the crying was habitual, there was no sign of the shallow scheming one might use to gain something through it.
It was simply a sublimation of a miserable past into humor, half-joking and half-sincere.
Aiden concluded that these stout dwarves were, at their core, inherently optimistic beings.
‘If they actually hated me, it would be less of a burden.’
That was why he felt even more concerned for them.
Because he realized they were the type of people who couldn't truly hate others, even after suffering injustices and grievances.
The dwarves had told him not to apologize for wrongs he hadn't committed, but Aiden believed that as a human, one should at least carry a minimum sense of debt. That was why he had decided to help these naive non-humans.
“If you submit an investment proposal to the credit union, the investment amount will be determined after a thorough review. Naturally, the more attractive and realistic your proposal is, the wider the scope of investment will be.”
“Hey, don’t be like that. Can’t you, the high-and-mighty lord, just approve it?”
“I cannot.”
“Why? You’re a high-and-mighty lord.”
“If I make exceptions from the very beginning, the principles will crumble.”
The dwarf blinked his eyes.
He wore an expression as if he hadn't realized Aiden could be so firm.
“However, I can give you a hint.”
“A hint?”
“No matter how well you write an investment proposal, there is nothing as certain as evidence that can be seen with one’s own eyes.”
“Hmm?”
“Can you tame a few wild horses?”
If they actually caught and tamed wild horses running through the northern plains, it would be far more helpful to the evaluation than hundreds of pages of investment proposals.
“That’s obvious. I told you. I’m good at raising animals. Hehe.”
“If you can actually show that you’ve tamed wild horses, you might not even need the complicated process of an investment proposal.”
“Is that for real, high-and-mighty lord?”
“Yes. The credit union’s agricultural division requires that when investigating business feasibility, the stakeholders of the business must be selected as special examiners to provide advice. If we’re talking about stakeholders for a horse ranch, then naturally—”
“Me?”
“Haha. The ranch owner cannot be the examiner themselves.”
“Then who?”
“Knights.”
Who would be closer to horses than knights? Since a knight’s performance varied depending on how well they communicated with their mount, they didn't view horses as mere transportation.
There were many knights who treated their horses like their own children, even though the beasts couldn't speak.
‘They say a proper knight should own at least three horses.’
But in the vast North, it wasn't just knights who rode horses.
“The postal service will also come in as examiners.”
“Ah, the kitties? I like the kitties.”
“It’s not just the Cat-folk delivery knights, though.”
“Are they knights there, too?”
“Does it work like that?”
The postal delivery knights, now numbering in the dozens, led by the Cat-folk, were also inseparable from their horses.
‘I didn't realize horses were used this much.’
When he thought about it, the administrative office staff also kept a dozen horses for efficient administration. The trading post was the same, as were the inns. Each village also raised horses, centered around their autonomous councils and vigilante groups.
It was only Aiden, who lived in his office buried in paperwork every day, who had kept his distance from horses simply because he didn't know how to ride.
“Both the barracks and the postal service prefer tangible evidence over neat paperwork. No matter how well you dress up a document, it can’t compare to seeing the horse’s health, stamina, and speed in person.”
“Of course! You really know how to see the core of things, high-and-mighty lord! That nasty lord who locked us up and beat us only ever cared about numbers.”
“...If you show that catching wild horses is truly possible, the barracks and the postal service might rush to provide all the investment capital. Then you’ll be able to hire as many workers as you want. However, the problem is—”
“Uoooooh!”
Before Aiden could add anything more, the dwarf, already excited by the thought of running a ranch with plenty of humans at his beck and call, snorted, waved his short arms wildly in the air, and shouted,
“Hiiiiiing, let’s go catch them, hiiiiiing!”
“W-wait, wait...!”
The dwarf nimbly gathered his ropes and tools, then immediately mounted a giant ox and galloped away.
“......”
Aiden was left alone, blankly staring at the dust-covered farm in the distance.
“...The priority is for the wild horses to actually be evaluated as useful, though.”
The words he couldn't bring himself to say scattered across the field, unheard by anyone.
Bang-!
“Administrator!”
“...You broke the door again, didn't you.”
“...Hehe.”
Aiden considered just tearing the office door off entirely. Since it was broken every single day, he wondered if it made any difference whether it was there or not.
“What is it this time?”
“A Groblin just appeared at the credit union!”
“Ah, the one who wanted to start a horse ranch?”
“Yes!”
“Did he really catch a wild horse?”
“I just came from seeing it. They say there will be a verification soon.”
“Sounds interesting.”
“Would you like to go and see?”
“Of course.”
It goes without saying, but horses are expensive. They are far more expensive than pigs, sheep, or even cows. Horses that pull carts are expensive, but horses used as warhorses are eye-wateringly expensive, and among them, those called fine steeds are worth whatever price is named.
‘I’m not even hoping for a fine steed, but a warhorse... even if it’s hard to use as one, a cart horse—yes, if they can manage that much, it’ll be worth it.’
That alone would be a huge help to the North. The barracks might be a bit disappointed, but the postal service and the trading post would welcome it with open arms.
Aiden hurried to the credit union with Jamie. They were in a carriage, as usual.
‘I really do need to learn how to ride.’
It was truly a miserable experience to have to use a carriage every time he needed to go somewhere in a hurry.
Hiiiiiiing-.
As he stepped out of the bone-jarring carriage and patted his aching lower back, he saw the familiar dwarf running toward him as hard as he could.
“High-and-mighty lord, high-and-mighty lord!”
The Groblin ran toward him with both arms wide open, looking as if he had just seen a savior.
“Help me out! Huh? Huh?”
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s something only you can do, high-and-mighty lord!”
“Only me?”
“Yes!”
The dwarf smiled brightly and blinked his large eyes. Aiden, unable to help but chuckle at the sight, nodded.
“......”
Where am I? Who am I?
“Wowwwwwww!”
“It’s really the Lord!”
“Administrator! Look over here too!”
“He looks like a prince, doesn't he?”
“He really does.”
Behind the stunned Aiden, the onlookers who had gathered before he knew it were shouting in excitement, each throwing in their own comments.
“Hehe. Hold on tight here, yes, yes. That’s it!”
“H-here?”
“Tighten your thighs! Keep your back straight! That’s it! Ehehehe! You’ve got quite the posture!”
The Groblin smiled with satisfaction, convinced he was a good judge of character, and stroked the wild horse’s body.
“High-and-mighty lord, you have to ride him well. You have to listen to the horse, or else hiiiiing, I’ll be mad at you!”
Hiiiiiiing-.
In other words, Aiden was currently mounted on a wild horse.
There were five wild horses the Groblin had captured. There were four mares and one stallion, and this stallion didn't lose out in size even when compared to a typical warhorse. Considering that wild horses were usually smaller than average horses, this stallion was likely the leader of the wild herd.
“He’s not just big, he’s super smart, too. So, high-and-mighty lord, you don’t need to be nervous at all!”
“Yes.”
The Groblin’s request. It was to help demonstrate how smart this horse was to the credit union’s examiners.
- Why me, of all people?
- You said you can’t ride, right?
- That is true.
- If you can take a beginner for a nice ride and come back, won't everyone know how smart this Hiiiiing is?
When he thought about it, it made sense, and before he knew it, he had been mounted on the white stallion’s back.
“Oh my, Administrator! This won’t do. Get down!”
“Do you know how dangerous falling off a horse is!”
“We’ll make someone else do it, so please get down, quickly!”
However, Jamie and the administrators following him, who had belatedly grasped the situation, came running over, wailing in protest.
“I will ride instead. I cannot entrust the Administrator’s safety to a horse that hasn't even been trained yet!”
“Not trained! I trained him myself!”
“Are you asking us to believe that a wild horse was trained enough to carry a person in just a few days?”
“Humans might not be able to do it, but I can!”
Jamie growled at the dwarf, who looked less than half his size, but the dwarf didn't back down one bit.
“It’s fine. I’ll ride.”
“Administrator!”
“Is there anyone else here right now who can’t ride? So, I have to be the one to ride it to verify whether this wild horse has any value or not.”
“But...!”
Jamie insisted it was absolutely forbidden and said he would bring someone from the gathered crowd who had no riding experience.
“Stop talking nonsense, will you? Like you said, it’s a dangerous task, and you want to use a resident who knows nothing? Are you out of your mind?”
It wasn't as if Aiden didn't know what his adjutant was worried about. However,
‘I cannot become the kind of human who acts superior while forcing all the difficult, hard, and dangerous tasks onto my subordinates.’
This was a matter of pride. It was his conviction not to become the same kind of human as the incompetent boss he had criticized so much.
“I’m counting on you.”
Aiden whispered quietly to the horse and pulled the reins.
In truth, he didn't even know if pulling them like this was the right way or not. However, just as the dwarf had said, this snow-white wild horse was truly smart; it let out a long Hiiiiing to focus everyone’s attention, then slowly took a step forward.
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
The white horse slowly circled in front of the onlookers at a steady pace.
Hiiiiiiing-.
After confirming that the rider on its back had relaxed, it began to pick up speed.
“Administrator!”
Jamie called out to Aiden in surprise, but,
“Wow-.”
“...Is it really true that our Lord can’t ride?”
“He’s a real prince!”
Aiden was riding the horse, looking like a picture-perfect image.