Chapter 262: Miro's Hesitation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 262: Miro's Hesitation
“Trainer~”
“Yes.”
“Trainer?”
“Yes?”
“Trainer!”
“Yes!”
“How many times are you going to make me call you that? I’ve said it enough, you know!”
Finally, unable to take it anymore, Miro burst out in frustration.
Karami had suddenly told her to call him ‘Trainer’ instead of ‘Master,’ and now he was asking her to keep saying it, as if he’d never get tired of hearing it.
Did he die in a past life without ever being called ‘Trainer’? At this rate, he’ll probably ask me to call him ‘Teacher’ next.
“Besides, isn’t a trainer someone who teaches you something? So why are you making me call you that?”
“Because I’m going to be training you, Miro.”
“What kind of training?”
“For a horse beastkin, what other training is there besides running?”
It was a fair point, but Karami’s claim that he’d bought a slave just to teach her how to run was completely out of the blue. Miro was a horse beastkin, and Karami was a human.
“I’m probably a better runner than you, though.”
“There’s a clear difference in experience, of course, but that doesn’t mean you can’t teach someone else.”
“I guess there’s no rule against it.”
She nodded without thinking.
“So, what’s the point of this training?”
“Good question. You’re probably also wondering why I saved you, so I’ll explain that as well. I’m going to make you a symbol of harmony between humans and beastkin.”
“Hmm~? That’s… a lot grander than I expected.”
At most, she thought he’d make her pull a carriage. Horse beastkin were also useful in war, but a mere slave trader wouldn't be starting one.
Harmony between humans and beastkin… For Miro, who had been beaten by humans until just recently, it was unimaginable.
If her relationship with elves was simply bad, humans were beings to be avoided at all costs.
She was intensely curious how he planned to foster good relations. Especially coming from a slave trader, the most dangerous kind of human a beastkin could avoid.
“Conflicts between people are nothing in the face of an overwhelming dopamine rush.”
Another world.
A pretty horse beastkin.
A lack of entertainment.
There was only one thing for Karami to do.
“I’m going to start a horse race with horse beastkin.”
Horse racing. A sport where horses compete to see who reaches the finish line first.
In modern times, horse racing's image has been tarnished by its association with gambling, but surprisingly, it's a time-honored sport with a history stretching from ancient Greece to the present day.
Of course, the horse racing Karami was planning would maximize the gambling aspect.
You know the type. Beautifully dressed horse beastkin competing and then dancing for their fans.
And since this place had plenty of different horse beastkin, he could use them to do business, resolve conflicts, satisfy desires, and save Miro.
A crazy four-birds-with-one-stone plan.
Damn, Karami, you bastard. This son of a bitch is a real genius.
Karami was already wearing a satisfied expression, but Miro was just confused.
“I get the horse racing part, but dancing...? That's a really weird combination. You think people will actually like that?”
“Of course.”
How could anyone not go wild watching the ‘daughter’ they raised take first place and dance front and center?
If it worked in the modern world, which was full of entertainment, it was guaranteed to work here.
It wouldn't just work.
It would be a revolution.
“Well, I don’t really get it, but you must have your reasons for being so confident. But out of all the horses, why me? You seem to have a lot of money. There are plenty of much better horse beastkin out there, you know?”
“I'm a trainer, not a scout. I like to build things up from the beginning, step by step. And more than anything, people love an underdog story.”
“What you're saying is too difficult, Trainer~”
“You just have to trust me and follow my lead, Miro.”
Whatever it was, it had to be better than the living hell of being beaten while pulling a carriage. Still, seeing Karami's gaze filled with boundless expectation, she felt a pang of guilt.
“I don't know why a slave trader would want to do something like this, but I'm sorry. I won't be able to live up to your expectations.”
“Why is that?”
Miro touched her back with a bitter smile.
“I have an incurable disease. I don't even know what it's called. When I run, my back hurts so much that I can't run like I used to.”
She had tried to hide it, not wanting to return to that hellish place, but she knew the truth would come out soon enough, so she revealed her secret herself.
Miro remembered the day she was diagnosed with the incurable disease and could no longer run, branded a failure at the academy.
She remembered how the humans, too, had treated her like trash for not being able to pull a carriage properly.
A horse that cannot run has no value.
Karami would probably abandon her too once he learned the truth. Convinced of this, Miro gave a bitter smile that bordered on resignation.
“That's not something you need to worry about, Miro. It's my job as the master to lead my slaves.”
“…It is?”
“As it happens, we have a few horse beastkin in our merchant group, and many other slaves who are confident in their running. Let's take our time with your rehabilitation.”
“…Okay.”
It was a relief that he wasn't going to abandon her, but… Miro couldn't shake her doubts and gave a noncommittal answer.
*
The first morning after the new slave joined the Merchants of Death.
Karami, his six slaves, and now Miro, all gathered in the garden. The plan was to get some light exercise before breakfast to wake themselves up.
Everyone had changed out of their usual clothes and into comfortable activewear.
Among the outfits were clothes that didn't exist in this world. At Karami's strong recommendation, Mirabelle had created them based on his memories.
Tank tops, leggings, sneakers—all filled to the brim with Karami's personal tastes.
Alfia stretched her arms and legs, warming up before the run.
“Want to make a bet on who finishes first? One lap around the city. The winner gets a favor from everyone else.”
“Hmph~? Challenging me? A beastkin? To a running race? Are you an idiot?”
“Don't underestimate me. Elves are famous hunters, you know. We're trained on treacherous forest paths. A flat road with no obstacles is nothing.”
“A race. That sounds interesting. I'll participate as well.”
“Yeah. Me too.”
Alfia, Rin, Narsha, and Azyeth were fired up. The four of them lined up at the starting line, waiting for the signal.
Mirabelle, acting as the referee, raised her broom.
“Ready~ Go!”
At the signal, the four of them shot forward in an instant.
Alfia, riding the wind.
Rin, folding space with her magic.
Narsha, pushing ahead with overwhelming speed.
And Azyeth, skillfully sliding on ice.
They vanished from sight in a huge cloud of dust the moment the race began. Mirabelle flew into the sky to watch over them and make sure no one cheated.
Watching their monstrous speed, Miro couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.
“That's not even running anymore.”
“You don't need to worry about them. Let's just go at our own pace.”
Miro, Karami, and Elize started to run slowly, as if jogging.
“It feels nice, running together like this.”
“You're right, Master. Regular exercise is essential for staying healthy and making even more delicious blood.”
“Stop treating your master like livestock.”
While Karami and Elize bantered back and forth, Miro checked her physical condition.
Her condition was perfect. Her wounds were all healed, she'd eaten her fill of the plentiful food they'd given her, and she was well-rested.
But despite her good physical condition, her steps were somehow stiff. Her inner hesitation dripped from every footfall.
Miro had already tasted failure. She still remembered the cold stares she received when her performance plummeted and she could no longer run.
Those icy glares that felt like they were scraping her skin.
The pressure that drove a person to the edge of a cliff.
As that feeling crept back up, Miro's running pace slowed until she finally came to a stop.
Even Miro's barely-walking pace was like a full-on sprint for Karami, so a considerable distance had opened up between them. Karami came up beside her, panting.
“What's wrong?”
“…I don't really feel like running.”
“Is that so?”
“……”
“Then let's rest.”
Miro blinked, not expecting that answer at all.
“It's okay if I don't run?”
“Forcing yourself to run will only make you feel worse. You should rest when you want to rest.”
She had expected him to tell her to run. After all, every human Miro had ever met had done just that.
They wouldn't hesitate to crack the whip, and it was common for them to deny her food if she couldn't run properly.
She had to run to survive.
Reading the complex emotions on Miro's face, Karami spoke to ease her worries.
“Let's make a promise. I will never force you to run, Miro. I'll make it so you want to run on your own.”
At his confident declaration, Miro pressed her lips together.
Just then, Mirabelle approached from a distance, carrying a towel and some water.
“Master, here's some water. You should wipe your sweat, too.”
“Thank you.”
After downing the water and wiping his sweat with the towel, Karami handed them to Mirabelle.
“By the way, Mirabelle, weren't you refereeing the race? Is it over?”
“Hmm? I left partway through. It wasn't very interesting.”
“Is it okay for the referee to just leave because they're bored?”
“They'll manage. Well then, Master, I have other things to do, so I'll be going.”
Placing the items in her basket, Mirabelle went into the mansion.
Not long after, a storm-like cloud of dust rose in the distance. A red flash streaked across, and Narsha appeared with a zip!
Behind her, Mirabelle flew in on her broom and shouted.
“First place! Narsha is the winner!”
Alfia and Azyeth arrived one after another.
“Hah, hah…”
“Hoo… That's just ridiculous. Is that really a body enhanced with just mana?”
“I've trained so I can rush to your side in a single bound whenever you call, Master.”
Because they had all run at full power without holding back, they were drenched in sweat. The clothes Karami had given them had darkened in color.
Their skin glistened with sweat.
This was the exact scene he'd hoped for when he gave them the clothes, but Karami couldn't watch with a peaceful heart.
“Mirabelle, why are you coming from over there?”
“Huh?”
“You just gave me water and went into the mansion.”
“I've been refereeing the whole time, though?”
A discrepancy arose between the two.
Karami scanned the members.
“…Where's Rin?”
“She veered off course at some point and just disappeared.”
Only then did he understand the truth of the matter.
Rin's room inside the mansion.
Mirabelle's appearance.
Behind the maid's skirt, nine pink tails swayed gently.
She had her face buried in the towel Karami had used to wipe his sweat.
“Master's sweat… Master's scent… The water Master's lips touched… Eheehee.”