Chapter 263: Time for the Heroic Horse Girls to Bring in the Big Bucks
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 263: Time for the Heroic Horse Girls to Bring in the Big Bucks
What’s the most important thing in gambling?
The essence of gambling is the breathtaking thrill of teetering on the edge of defeat, where victory is never guaranteed.
And what adds to the fun is the stake.
Even a simple game of rock-paper-scissors ceases to be mere child's play the moment money is on the line. The bigger the sum, the bigger the dopamine rush, and even a monotonous game of rock-paper-scissors can make spectators go wild.
Just think about it.
If one person died from a game of rock-paper-scissors, wouldn't that be the most thrilling game of rock-paper-scissors ever?
Of course, you couldn't just raise the stakes all at once. You had to build the atmosphere slowly so both the audience and the participants could get invested.
To do that, we needed to build from the ground up.
“First, let's install the main track. The environment must allow the horse beastkin to perform at their peak efficiency.”
“I will bring in experts from Vestia for consultation.”
“This is a rough sketch of what I have in mind.”
I used Mirabelle's magic to draw the racetrack's layout on a piece of paper and handed it to Narsha. She would consult with the dwarves and plan the construction.
If there's a track, there must be horses to run on it. What would be the point if Miro ran all by herself?
“Work with the Celestial Pavilion to get the word out in Vestia. Announce that there will be a huge cash prize for those who participate and achieve good results.”
Horse racing has different classes, and even races of the same class have different levels of prestige depending on the tournament.
Of course, since we were just starting this business, it would be hard to establish prestige, but it was obviously better to have preliminary rounds than to just randomly gather good runners for a race.
But we couldn't just pick anyone, so we would recruit horse beastkin who had some renown in Vestia.
‘Prize money, gambling… I need to keep raising the stakes.’
As the races progressed, narratives would form around the participants, and fanbases would emerge based on personal preference. The bigger the scale, the more the excitement would exceed all imagination.
Only when all these elements built up and combined would true horse racing be born. My goal was to make it an indispensable form of entertainment for the people of this world.
“If we pick all the racers from one place, they'll lack individuality and stories. Let's expand the scope to the entire continent.”
“The entire continent, you say?”
“Anyone is fine. Even criminals are okay. That just adds another element of fun. If you frame it as a chance to build a good relationship with the Merchants of Death, everyone will be interested. However.”
“However?”
“Make sure to specify these two conditions: if they have a master, the racer must participate voluntarily, and they must not have been abused.”
This wasn't just about creating entertainment. It would play a pivotal role in bridging the deep emotional divide between beastkin and humans.
If people started abusing horse beastkin even more for personal gain, it would be worse than not doing it at all.
“Oh, and for your information.”
“Please, go on.”
“Only fillies can participate. No exceptions.”
“…”
Narsha stared at me with a cold gaze, as if she'd expected as much.
I don't want to see a bunch of sweaty guys running!
I don't want to see guys doing the Umapyoi dance!
*
Recently, a certain story had the whole continent buzzing.
A large city in the Traul Kingdom.
Men were chattering loudly in a tavern.
“Hey, did you hear? The Merchants of Death are recruiting horse beastkin for a race.”
“Horse beastkin? Why would they use beasts in human skin for racing instead of actual horses?”
The pastime of horse racing was already a part of people's daily lives. Of course, unlike card games that could be played anywhere, the venues for watching it were limited.
People knew the tension and excitement that came from watching massive horses sprint at full speed.
Horse beastkin, on the other hand?
It was bound to be less exciting than watching real horses race.
“The Slave Reaper is the leader of that merchant group, right? What an eccentric. You can never predict what's going on in his head.”
“That unpredictability is probably how he got to where he is.”
“But this time, he's just digging his own grave. Don't believe me? I'll bet a silver coin that he fails!”
The misfortune of others is my happiness.
And it's even more savory when the target is one of the elites.
The men cackled, washing down their jokes with gulps of ale.
At a table behind them, a woman in a deep hood who had been nursing a drink drained her cup and left the tavern.
*
The beastkin nation of Vestia.
Beastialis Academy.
The announcement from the Merchants of Death had reached this place as well.
As the nation of beastkin and the place with the most talented horse beastkin in the world, the excitement at Beastialis Academy was palpable.
Just like in any world, employment was a matter of inseparable concern for students.
Who would refuse the chance to get a job doing what they loved most and were best at?
That wasn't all.
“Hey, I got scouted.”
“Scouted?”
“Some human offered me their full support if I'd run as their representative for the merchant group's race.”
“Are you going to do it?”
“I think it's much better to have support than to go it alone. Besides, I needed the money, so it worked out perfectly, right?”
“Can you trust a human? What if you get scammed?”
“The Celestial Pavilion said they'd help with the contract to make sure that doesn't happen.”
This race, co-hosted by the Merchants of Death and the Celestial Pavilion, was not only a major event for the horse beastkin, but also a topic that humans—especially merchants—could not simply ignore.
The Merchants of Death was one of the most renowned merchant groups, and the Celestial Pavilion likewise held immense influence across the continent.
It was obvious that building a friendly relationship with the Merchants of Death would guarantee a prosperous future. The profit a single beastkin could generate was astronomical.
For that reason, a horse beastkin slave craze had recently swept through the merchant community.
Since the participation rules forbade abuse, the slaves weren't beaten. And since they needed stamina to run well, they weren't starved either.
They were assigned trainers with expertise in running to help them achieve good results, and they were fed well to enhance their abilities.
As they diligently raised them, a new sentiment began to take root in the masters' minds.
‘Beastkin… might actually be kind of cute?’
When you give them a carrot, they wag their horsetails, fervently showing their happiness. When they fall while running, they might laugh and say they're fine, but seeing their drooping ears makes them look both pitiful and adorable.
The joy of raising them was exquisite.
How did humans compare?
You could never let your guard down without a subjugation contract, always wondering if the son of a bitch would stab you in the back, or if their gratitude was genuine, all because of their dark, hidden intentions.
So if you show them affection, the slaves give affection back!
They were only now beginning to grasp this simple truth, and so, even outside of the horse racing context, the number of people who cherished beastkin began to grow.
Of course, there were also many who, since they were doing it anyway, were aiming for victory. That meant people would be searching for the fastest runners.
It was inevitable that the attention of the entire world would turn to Beastialis Academy.
Karami, anticipating that people would approach students offering personal sponsorships, had already spoken to the Celestial Pavilion.
He'd asked them to assist the still-naive students to prevent any unfortunate incidents. There were already several agents dispatched from the Celestial Pavilion at the academy.
Thanks to this, some of the more outstanding students had already signed contracts.
The reason things were going so smoothly was largely due to the advantages the Merchants of Death could offer, but it was also because Karami had seen through to the true nature of beastkin.
‘How is their entire racial trait ‘pet’?’
I still remember being thrown in a cold prison for "abandonment" after liberating beastkin slaves. I guess it's similar to recklessly releasing zoo animals into the wild.
Anyway. Beastkin like living with someone, so as long as you treat them well, you can get along with them.
And people hated them without even knowing that.
‘Fucking humans, I'm sorry.’
And there was one place paying its karmic debt more dearly than any other: the Mecurius Wheel of Beltrek, the hub of transportation.
While not on the same scale as Vestia, they possessed many horse beastkin. Among them were some exceptionally talented individuals who could have achieved great results if they participated.
However, they failed to meet the entry requirements. Because they whipped their slaves for taking even the slightest break.
They could only suck their thumbs, unable to participate in the flow of this turbulent new era.
*
Narsha had her servants bring in a massive pile of documents.
A quick glance revealed they were applications to participate in the races. They came from a wide variety of sources: merchant groups, ordinary merchants, and even individuals.
“It seems we're getting a lot of attention.”
“Yes, given who the hosts are, everyone is bound to be interested.”
A joint venture between the continent's top merchant groups, the Merchants of Death and the Celestial Pavilion. Of course they'd want to get a piece of the action.
“But it's impossible for all these people to stand on the same stage. Please sort through the list, hold preliminary rounds in each region, and select only the top racers.”
“Understood.”
“As you know, I have no intention of letting this end as a momentary amusement. Please be more thorough than usual.”
“I will deliver the best possible results.”
If I left it to Narsha, I was sure things would go well.
“Ah, but Master. A petition has been submitted.”
The word "petition" suddenly made me tense.
Did something go wrong before we've even properly started?
“A petition…? What's it about?”
“The male horse beastkin are demanding a chance to participate as well…”
“Aha, and here I was worried it was something serious.”
Horse beastkin spouting horseshit.
There are two things I hate in this world: one is discrimination, and the other is men.
How dare those brutes try to butt into a place where pretty, cute girls are running around. The moment they join, the business is ruined.
“If they have a problem with it, tell them to get a sex change and come back. If they show that much sincerity, I'll consider it.”
A sex change would make them worth looking at.