I closed my eyes, then opened them again. It’s dawn. Day two of sword training… My whole body aches from yesterday’s first early morning session.
Uuugh…
How much did I use muscles I never used in my entire life to end up this sore? It feels like my muscle fibers are torn and my fascia is burning.
Still, I have to get up. After all, the training fee was paid upfront…
Dragging my heavy body outside, the dawn air is chilly. Up ahead, Slot is holding his sword at perfect attention and swinging it.
Shhhwik!
As the sword cuts through the air, a sharp, quick sound rings out. A swift and precise slash.
Whoom!
When Slot brings the sword down with all his might, the combination of the blade’s vibration and the wind pressure makes an even more powerful sound. A heavy longsword.
Even someone like me, who knows nothing about swordsmanship, can see it’s a textbook, forceful downward cut.
“How long do you have to train to be that skilled…?”
Slot repeated his swings with flawless posture.
“Captain, you’re here.”
Slot greeted me with a fresh smile. A talented, polite, wonderful comrade.
***
Damn it.
That devil bastard… Forget what I said about him being good-natured. He’s definitely a devil.
Meeting the demon instructor first thing in the morning, I couldn’t help but curse under my breath as he drove me into another hellish physical training session.
Yesterday was just a warm-up. Today’s training was even more intense.
‘If I’d prepared this much on Earth, I could have become a national athlete…’
And when on earth are you going to teach me swordsmanship? All you do is force physical training disguised as sword lessons, you bastard.
After that brutal morning workout, all the points Slot earned in my mind were gone. As the session ended, Meat showed up.
“Merchant, good morning.”
“What’s good about it… It feels like my insides are burning this morning.”
He must have really liked being called Merchant yesterday, because now he calls me that every time. Power really is scary.
“Meat, you’re looking sturdy again today… Instead of that, why don’t you train with me?”
Meat, who’d watched me get battered, waved his hands in protest.
“I’m really fine. I already work out regularly…”
Tsk… Not buying it, huh…
“Today, I’ll go and try to convince the stablehands.”
Just as we’d talked about yesterday, Meat left to persuade the stablehands.
“Do your best, man. Depending on how well you do, the future craftsman of this group might change.”
It’s already my third day in Grunvalt. In two days, we need to get a carriage and set off for Nero.
Of course, we’ll be back, but there’s a mountain of things to take care of before then.
“Hmmm… So, there are three ranches Meat introduced.”
Emerald Grand Mane Ranch, Majestic Alliance, Royal Brush Creek.
Just by the names, they sound fancy.
***
After breakfast, Slot and I headed to the ranches. We arrived at the first one.
On the wide, green pastures, horses wandered gracefully. What a beautiful scene.
“The breeds we handle at our ranch total sixteen. We only deal in excellent stock.
Makwin Bred is a favored breed for riding.
Quarter Halo is known for stamina and endurance, making it popular among merchants.
Goldship Andalusian is a breed beloved by the heroes of the warring eras. They have a fiery temperament and low obedience, but if you can tame them, they become the best warhorses.
Frisian Flower is a large and elegant breed beloved by noble ladies.
We strictly manage and select only the finest, most dignified horses for you.”
Visiting the ranch, I learned a lot about the various breeds from the horse master.
All the recommended horses gave off a good impression. I wanted to buy one… if only I had the money.
“If you’re looking for the cheapest horse, it’s about 10 gold. Even at that price, we guarantee the breed and bloodline.”
Because of their good bloodlines, the prices were as high as a carriage. Even the horses that seemed least impressive to me were 10 gold, and for riding horses, the average was 20 gold, with some over 100 gold.
It didn’t seem this expensive on Earth, but in this world, where transportation is scarce, horses are pricey.
At least, horses specially bred for carriages were the cheapest, but they still cost around 10 gold.
That’s about the price of a mid-sized car by Earth standards.
Even the cheapest horse was far too expensive for me, so we left the ranch.
We visited the second ranch, but the prices were similar there.
With the money we had, we could only buy two horses, but there are currently fifty carriages waiting.
Slot and I headed to the third ranch.
As always, we play rock-paper-scissors three times, and get three tries.
So the third visit is always something to look forward to. But though the breeds were different, there were no cheaper horses here either.
I said to Slot,
“Slot. Good work. Should we call it a day?”
“Captain, there were really good horses, but didn’t you think so?”
All three ranches had one thing in common: every horse had good breed and bloodline.
The horses were well managed.
“We can’t buy them because they’re too good…”
If I had money, I’d love to buy a fine Goldship Andalusian!
But I don’t have the money for a horse like that.
“Isn’t there anywhere we can get a cheap, good horse…”
“Um… Excuse me. I know where you can get cheap, good horses. Would you like to hear about it?”
“Whoa, that startled me.”
A sudden voice made me jump.
Turning around, there stood a bespectacled young woman. She looked a few years older than us.
“She kind of has that nerd vibe…”
“Wh… who are you?”
“Haha… Captain, didn’t you notice she’s been following us since the second ranch?”
Looks like Slot already sensed her presence.
Only because you told me! I’m not as sensitive as you…
But the reason Slot didn’t say anything was probably because he’s used to being followed by older female fans.
Guess he thought this woman was one of them…
“Don’t laugh… I’m not jealous or anything…”
“That’s not it. I just thought I could offer you some decent horses, so I followed you from the ranch. You look like a merchant group just starting your journey, but you haven’t found horses yet, right? If you follow me, I can get you good, cheap horses that’ll suit your caravan.”
She looked a bit suspicious, but the offer was intriguing. Sometimes, you strike it big with these chance encounters.
“I’m William Steven. But how do you know what kind of horses we’re looking for?”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Juli Taylor, owner of Sena Horse Ranch. You’re looking for strong and affordable horses, right?”
“Yes, strong and cheap horses would be perfect.”
“How far have you looked? Let me be honest—at my ranch, all horses are only 5 gold each.”
‘5 gold!’
That’s the cheapest I’ve seen so far. But surely there’s a catch.
If it’s that cheap, why is she approaching us so secretly…?
“Can we see the horses right now?”
Juli looked a little flustered but quickly regained her composure.
“Hmm? It’s not really time to show them yet… but if you insist, I can let you see.”
Something about her tone felt off… Juli led us to a somewhat secluded spot.
There, about ten horses stood in the empty lot.
“These aren’t actually for sale right now.”
Oh, so there are horses, but… something’s off about them.
One horse was just circling the same spot, another kept pawing at the ground.
One was lying down. Another kept drooling as it looked at us.
One thing’s for sure—they’re all a bit off.
“Um, that horse looks strange… huh? So does that one…”
At that moment, Juli bristled.
“They do look a bit strange now, but they’ll be fine soon. Give them fresh air and love, and they’ll recover. It’s a bit far, but if you come with me to my ranch, you can see the ones that are ready to be bought. It’s just that it was too far to bring them, so I showed you these first.”
Slot, after checking out a few horses, looked at Juli and spoke.
“Lady, it’s not right to deceive people by selling defective horses.”
Juli looked ready to snap, but after looking at Slot’s face, she just let out a small sigh.
“It might look that way now. These horses have only recently come to me, so both their bodies and spirits are still hurt. But if you give me some time, I can nurse them back to health.”
“Even so, buying defective horses is a bit…”
“From the way you were talking earlier, it sounded like you’re short on money, right? Then I’ll make a special offer—4 gold per horse. And of course, I’ll only show you the ones that are healthy.”
“It’s definitely cheap, but… I’m still uneasy about buying horses with issues.”
“They’re not defective! I guarantee it!”
She sighs at Slot, but shouts at me?
Even at a glance, none of these horses look normal, but Juli insisted they weren’t defective.
“That’s right. They’re all injured right now. Abandoned by people because they became useless. I’m both the owner and trainer at Sena Horse Ranch. I take in abandoned horses, rehabilitate them, and help them return to the world. These are horses I’ve recently accepted from various ranches because they were sick. People abandon horses for all sorts of reasons. Some get abandoned when they fall ill, others when they lie down too much.”
“Sometimes, they even abandon foals because the breed pairing ‘failed’. The horses you saw at the ranches earlier are the ones that passed strict inspections and have no issues. It’s like dividing nobles and commoners—horses’ fates are decided by their breed at birth. That’s why horses are expensive. Even among the best breeds, if a horse has issues, it’s discarded or sent to the slaughterhouse.”
Suddenly, I thought of Refurbished Models. Of course, it’s not appropriate to call living beings ‘Refurbished Models’… but still…
It helps me understand Juli’s business model.
A refurbished, or ‘refurb’, is a product that was returned or has minor issues, sold at a lower price.
It’s different from secondhand or defective goods. These are repaired to be usable again before being sold.
Juli buys abandoned horses cheap, treats them, and resells them.
They’re not products, so maybe call it a rehabilitation and resale business.
“As I said before, I’m a horse trainer. I can care for them properly. If you come with me a little farther, I can show you the healthy ones.”
Juli spoke firmly.
“But if you care about breed or bloodline, there’s no point. If you’re looking for healthy and affordable horses, you’ve come to the right place.”
Whether the horse is black or white, as long as it does its job well, that’s enough.
“Then, let’s go check it out. I don’t care about breed or bloodline—as long as it’s cheap and sturdy, it’s fine.”
“Great. You won’t regret it.”
Juli walked ahead, beckoning us to follow.
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