Chapter 264: A Day at the Races
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 264: A Day at the Races
While mages cast their spells and dwarves applied their masterful skills to rapidly construct a racetrack, horse beastkin from all across the continent competed, their hearts burning with passion.
But as everyone else galloped toward their goals, Miro remained frozen in place.
She couldn’t run. The moment she tried, a pain would unconsciously grip her, and her legs would stop on their own.
Whether the pain was real or just in her head no longer mattered.
Consulting with the Saint, receiving treatment from the elf, having the princess read her fairy tales, and getting assistance from the maid—none of it had made a significant difference.
Rin was displeased with the current situation, where everyone was doting on a single slave.
“Do we really have to go this far? If you just need someone to run, I can shapeshift and do it. I don’t like the idea of turning into some horse, but if it’s what you want, Master, I can endure it.”
“It’s fine.”
“If it absolutely has to be her, should I change fate so she wins no matter what?”
“No. Absolutely not. If you touch it, you’ll have me to deal with.”
“Fiiine~”
Of course, Karami was well aware of the problem. As her master, he could set the stage, but it was up to the actor to perform on it.
If Miro didn’t run, all his efforts would only benefit others. He couldn’t let that happen. He had no intention of it.
Karami stepped outside and walked toward the garden bench where Miro was sitting. She had her head tilted back over the bench’s backrest, idly staring at the sky as if she had all the time in the world.
Oh, clouds. I’m still here, but if you leave me too, how am I supposed to live all alone?
She was lost in such silly thoughts when she heard it.
Rustle-
The sound of someone stepping on the grass made Miro’s ears perk up. Without getting up, she tilted her head back even further and saw Karami walking toward her, upside down from her perspective.
His gait was reminiscent of the legendary Pegasus, the celestial horse said to be able to fly. It was a truly majestic stride.
“It’s the trainer~”
“What are you up to?”
“Sky-gazing.”
“Is it fun?”
“Of course not~”
It was still awkward for her to hang out with the other slaves, and her legs wouldn’t move when she tried to run. All she could do was blankly kill time.
“So you have nothing to do. Then let’s go watch something for a bit.”
“Watch something? What?”
“A horse race, of course.”
*
At a racetrack where the regional qualifiers were being held.
The stands were filled with people who had come to see this new form of horse racing, or simply to cure their boredom. Their expressions were skeptical, not expecting much excitement.
Karami sat down in a suitable spot with Miro.
“There are more people than I thought.”
“They have nothing better to do, so they come to kill time.”
Miro figured it was just a temporary phenomenon. Trends, after all, tended to flare up and die down quickly.
Soon, the racers appeared on the track. They each wore clothes with numbers on them, from 1 to 16.
“About a thousand people from all over the country are participating in this race.”
“A thousand? That’s a lot.”
“Sixteen racers compete in each heat, and only the top four get the chance to advance to the next race. Through this process, sixty-four racers will advance to the main event.”
“Only sixty-four…”
“And of those, only sixteen will earn the right to run in the final race. The winner of that race will be crowned the greatest racehorse in the world.”
“The greatest…”
Miro quietly mulled over Karami’s words. She wondered what it would feel like to be the world’s best racehorse. Her tail swished softly.
“Looks like they’re about to start.”
The racers entered the gates, which were made of wooden planks. A moment later, a whistle blew, and the racers shot out all at once.
The racehorses thundered down the unkempt dirt track. A horse’s full sprint could easily exceed fifty kilometers per hour, and the same was true for horse beastkin.
They tore down the track at a speed so great you could see the wind being pushed aside.
In an instant, they passed the straightaway and entered the corner. The scattered racers lined up as if on cue and rounded the turn.
Coming out of the corner, the racers jostled for position, their rankings shifting again and again. Clouds of dust billowed up in their wake.
Their heated passion reached all the way to the stands.
“This is more intense than I thought.”
“Yeah. I thought it’d be boring, but this fierce competition is fun. The sense of speed is incredible.”
“Who do you think will win?”
“Probably number 3 in the front, right? He hasn’t given up the lead once.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
The voices of people who had initially shown little interest were now engaged in serious conversation.
“Miro, who do you think will win?”
“Huh? Me?”
Miro, who had been completely engrossed, jumped in surprise.
“Since you’re the same kind, I thought you might have a different perspective.”
“Hmm, well…”
Miro quietly observed the state of the race.
She watched for a long moment.
“The one in the back, wearing the robe.”
“You mean number 12?”
“Yeah.”
The men chattering nearby must have overheard Miro, as they scoffed.
“Miss, you don’t have an eye for this, do you? Look at the front-runner. He hasn’t lost first place once, and there’s a considerable distance between him and second place. He’s going to win easily.”
“That’s because he’s been sprinting at full power from the start. He’ll get tired soon, and once he passes the halfway point, he’ll lose his pace and collapse. If you’re going to aim for a wire-to-wire victory, you need to be at least three times that distance ahead. See? You can already see his legs slowing down.”
Now on a topic she knew well, Miro spoke excitedly.
Just as she predicted, the speed of number 3, who had led the entire race, began to drop sharply until he was overtaken by the second-place runner.
He tried to fight back, but having lost his pace, he couldn’t catch up. Not only was he pushed back to second, but he was also swallowed by the following pack, and his rank plummeted in an instant.
The men were flustered, but Miro continued speaking calmly, as if it were nothing special.
“It seems he has a talent for running, but he’s never been properly taught about track racing. It’s a common rookie mistake.”
“Even so, the distance between the guy at the very back and the leader is more than ten horse lengths. They’re about to hit the final stretch, so it’s too late to catch up.”
“It’s not too late,” Miro declared.
At that very moment, a collective gasp erupted from the crowd.
It was the final corner of the race. Number 12, who had been at the very back the entire time, pulled out to the right. On the outside, with no obstacles, he began to pick up his pace.
His worn-out, ochre-colored robe whipped violently behind him, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. His sprinting form was like a lone horse galloping across the plains of the west.
His feet pounded the ground, leaving clear hoofprints in the dirt.
As if being sucked toward the finish line, he shot forward with brutal speed, overtaking all fifteen racers before crossing the line in first place.
Silence, born of disbelief, filled the stands, followed by a tremendous roar.
“Ahem.”
The men who had confidently proclaimed he could never win cleared their throats and quietly slipped away.
“You were right, Miro. How did you know number 12 would win?”
“His form was stable, and even though he was at the very back, he wasn’t anxious. He was calm. He was there on purpose.”
Slipstreaming.
He had hidden behind the front-runners, using the reduced air resistance to conserve his stamina.
It was a basic track strategy.
Of course, given the skill gap between the racers, he could have easily won by running at full power from the start without resorting to such tricks.
“You have a good eye. As expected from someone with experience.”
“Trainer, even if you flatter me like that, I’m not happy at all, you know? This is the most basic of basics.”
Though she grumbled as if it were no big deal, her tail was swishing back and forth, a clear sign that she didn’t mind the praise.
What an honest tail.
Karami swallowed a bitter smile.
“How is it, seeing it in person?”
“It’s alright, I guess.”
“For someone who thinks it’s just ‘alright,’ you looked like you desperately wanted to run.”
“Huh?”
Karami glanced down. Throughout the race, Miro had been clenching her fists and moving her legs vigorously while seated, as if she were the one running.
Miro hadn’t even realized it until Karami pointed it out.
“Th-This is… It’s because those guys are so bad at running, it made me angry. I could have done so much better. That’s not how you’re supposed to run.”
“If you were out there, Miro, would you have gotten first place?”
“Of course! If it were me, I would’ve won by a whole lap! You know, back when I was at the academy, I even got a scholarship just for my running!”
“Really?”
“Of course it’s true! You’d be shocked if you saw me run, Trainer. Ahh, my legs are itching to show you.”
“I see.”
Karami smiled and nodded.
“That’s why I’ve made some preparations.”
“Huh? Preparations? For what?”
“Your qualifying match, Miro. It’s next week. The venue is the track at Beastialis Academy.”
Eh.
A qualifier?
At the academy, no less?
“Why didn’t you consult me! You said I didn’t have to run if I didn’t want to, Trainer!”
“But weren’t you the one who just said you wanted to show me you running?”
“Ugh, that’s…”
Miro clamped her mouth shut.
She’d spoken too soon.
“I can look forward to your race, can’t I, Miro?”
“Uh, o-of course! I’ll show you what it looks like to finish in first place!”
Swept up in the moment, Miro had given a confident reply, but she was already starting to worry.
Running itself was a concern, but worse, her competitors would be academy students.