When they heard the carriage was broken, Meat asked urgently, “Why did the carriage break down all of a sudden?”
“That’s because… I couldn’t find a coachman, so in a hurry, I told a butler to drive it, and then… the carriage fell into a ditch. The horse ran off, and the wheels are all broken. It’s impossible to fix it within the day… But then I heard about that Maber service you all are running. Can I use a carriage today?”
Listening to him, it was clear this was a case of reaping what he sowed. He had been so used to firing coachmen easily and abusing his power that when it finally became difficult to hire one, he had forced a butler to drive.
Sir Hailey turned to me and asked, “Champion William, what will you do?”
In fact, the trial runs for today had all concluded. Once evening hit, the roads could become dangerous.
However, wasn’t this exactly why we created Maber?
One thing weighed on my mind, though. Who was Laval? He was the very person who had beaten Meat and kicked him out.
Among the coachmen, many likely harbored resentment toward Laval as well.
“I think that answer should come from Mr. Meat, the Vice Merchant Leader and the person in charge of the Maber business, rather than me.”
Everyone’s gaze turned toward Meat. Without even 1 second of hesitation, Meat spoke.
“No, what are you talking about? Why even worry about whether to go or not? Of course we have to go. Even if you told me not to, I would. I was just thinking about the fastest route to Nars Village right now. I’ll definitely get the medicine and be back before dawn. And I know Master Laval’s mansion the best. I’ll personally take the lead on this run.”
Meat naturally chose to go.
‘You’re cool, Meat.’
‘A real man.’
While I was thinking this, the Maber employees moved quickly to bring out Fort Rick T, and Julie Taylor also prepared the horses needed for the trip.
Meat quickly climbed onto the carriage.
“These horses just finished a short trip, so there won’t be any problems with the run.”
“Master Laval. Miss Serin will be fine. Do not worry.”
Even a coachman who had been kicked out by Master Laval showed goodwill.
“Thank you, everyone.”
But I couldn’t leave this part out. I spoke to Master Laval.
“That will be 10 silver coins.”
“Hmm?”
There’s no such thing as a free lunch. It was an 8-hour round trip to Nars Village, and with the night surcharge added, I called for the maximum amount we could receive in a day.
“Of course.”
Master Laval pulled 10 silver coins out of his leather pouch and handed them over. He was our first paid customer.
“Then, we’ll be off.”
Master Laval went back to Miss Serin. Slot and I boarded the carriage as escorts.
Sir Hailey watched the carriage as it moved away.
It felt as if Tiara was standing there right beside him. Sir Hailey muttered softly, “Please protect them… Did you see today? I kept my promise, so you’d better be ready to give me a proper hug later.”
***
The carriage raced forward, cutting through the night air.
Nars Village was a place famous for its beautiful sea, but we headed straight for the apothecary without sparing a single second to look around.
Fortunately, the shop owner was there. We hurriedly purchased the Rune Fox Medicine made from Bafsteria flowers and headed back toward Master Laval’s house.
“It only took 7 hours…”
We arrived 1 hour earlier than our initial estimation.
“Champion. It was so fast my legs were nearly trembling.”
“To be honest, I almost pissed myself…”
Master Laval was incredibly shocked to see us arrive at the mansion.
Meat bypassed Laval and headed straight for Miss Serin.
Even at a glance, Miss Serin was in a dangerous state.
As soon as Meat fed her the Bafsteria medicine, we could feel her breathing stabilizing.
“Thank you. I will surely remember this favor.”
Laval spoke while looking at us, but his gaze was fixed on Meat.
“And I sincerely apologize for how poorly I’ve treated you. It’s been a trend among nobles to mistreat coachmen lately, and I think I was temporarily out of my mind. If there is anyone else like that, I intend to be the first to step forward and not forgive them.”
“It’s alright, Master. It’s all in the past now.”
It had only been one day, but Meat felt a bit more like an adult.
We left Master Laval’s mansion. As soon as we stepped out, Meat’s legs gave way.
Thud!
“Phew. Now I can finally breathe.”
“Meat, do you realize you haven’t said a single word to us until now?”
“Champion, that’s the first time I’ve ever seen a carriage faster than the horse I was riding. It’s like an arrow-like carriage.”
‘An arrow-like carriage… Is it like the bullet taxis on Earth?’
Meat looked at the two of us and said, “Thank you, both of you. You two… saved my… no, you saved Miss Serin.”
He couldn’t bring himself to say ‘my future wife,’ but his sincere gratitude was clearly conveyed.
“Meat, there will be many people who need common carriages like this in the future. I hope we can keep building Maber for people like that.”
Slot and I smiled awkwardly. You did all the driving, so why are you thanking us?
The journey back was already past the night and into the dark dawn. It was an incredibly beautiful night with stars pouring down.
And it was our last night in Grunvalt.
***
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The fourth day of training. After three days of physical conditioning, I was finally able to learn proper swordsmanship from Slot. Even though it was nothing more than a Downward Slash, a surge of emotion hit me as I swung the sword.
‘Am I being tamed right now?’
“Champion. Pay attention. This technique is called ‘Downward Slash.’ Is that understood?”
“Sir!”
I don’t know where he found it, but Slot was wearing a red drill instructor shirt. You’re starting to enjoy this a bit too much…
“This technique called Downward Slash may look simple, but it is the foundation of combat and a very important skill. It doesn’t just require slamming down with simple strength; it requires a harmony of technique, timing, and internal focus. First, we will observe a demonstration by the skilled instructor.”
Despite being alone, he switched from instructor to assistant in an instant.
Slot stood with his left foot forward. Then, stepping forward with his right foot, he slashed his sword down in a straight line.
Whoosh!
The sword cut through the air with a heavy sound. To anyone watching, it was a perfectly clean movement with no wasted effort.
“Did you see that clearly?”
“Sir!”
“Good, then I will explain only once. For the stance, maintaining a balance of movement on a stable foundation is most important. One hand grips the handle near the guard, while the other hand grips the end of the handle to distribute power. Raising the sword is the motion of pulling it up above your head. At this time, the tip of the sword points toward the sky, and the blade is held vertically. It is important to relax the body and breathe during this. Is that understood?”
“Sir!”
What is he talking about… He’s basically just saying to lift the sword to strike down.
“Next, I will explain the posture when striking down. It is also called a Strike. The Downward Slash must be performed with a powerful and accurate motion. Use the power of your wrists, arms, shoulders, and torso in harmony to strike powerfully. Create your own rhythm through breathing and cadence. Is that understood?”
“Sir!”
“Lastly, there is internal focus. The ultimate achievement of a Downward Slash goes beyond simple physical force. It is a moment that requires mental strength and will. We call the act of infusing the sword with the energy that flows through nature ‘Sword Qi.’ The Champion cannot use Sword Qi yet. However, if the Champion can gain enlightenment through this internal focus, you too may become a User capable of wielding Sword Qi. One day, you might even reach the ultimate level of a swordsman who has carved his own path—a Sword Master. You would reach the strongest level in the world, wielding an Aura Blade.”
Sword Master! It was the level that every swordsman dreamed of.
They said that if one could add emotional will to strength and technique in swordsmanship, one could use an Aura Blade.
There were only a few in this Kingdom, and across the entire Yuras Continent, there were likely fewer than 100 Sword Masters.
‘It seems like Slot hasn’t reached the level of a Sword Master yet either…’
They say that when one becomes a Sword Master, they reach a level where they can cut through iron like tofu and split mountains with a sword.
Furthermore, there is no powerhouse who can match them in close combat or one-on-one duels.
I wanted to become a Sword Master as well, but that was such a high level… My goal was to learn magic as well and become a Swordmage.
“Champion, don’t get distracted. Strike down.”
“Sir!”
Becoming a Sword Master was a story for the distant future. I focused and struck down with my sword.
***
“You worked hard, Champion.”
As always, once training was over, Slot returned to his mode as a kind younger brother.
‘He’s smiling innocently again. That little devil… I shouldn’t be fooled by that innocent face.’
I said a word to the girls who were watching him from a distance today as well.
“We’re leaving today. We won’t be back for a while.”
I could see the girls collapsing one by one. Go home now, everyone…
‘Slot doesn’t seem to care at all, though…’
Today was the opening day. And it was also the day we were leaving Grunvalt.
“Thanks to you, Master, we’ve had a good few days. I’ll surely be in your debt again when I return.”
I gave a polite farewell to the old man at the lodging. And thank you for advising the coachmen to run away last time.
We headed toward the official Maber business site, which used to be a temporary post. The carriages were lined up.
A small maple building had appeared next to the ranch.
Perhaps because the structure was simple, skilled carpenters had whipped it up in just one day.
This would be used as an office for dispatching and receiving requests.
***
Whoosh! Wham!
At Julie Taylor’s house. A man was lying on a bed. He looked withered, perhaps because he hadn’t received enough nutrition for a long time.
A boy was moving busily in front of him. A green aura ebbed and flowed around the boy’s body.
Elaborate sounds, as if the house were being torn down, filled the air. After performing his finishing moves one after another until he was drenched in sweat, Hyde Taylor looked at his father.
His father still didn’t move. He performed movements imbued with Divine Power as if conducting a sacred ritual.
“Father, I’ll be back.”
Hyde Taylor decided to head out for training again today.
His older sister, Julie Taylor, had asked him to stay and run the ranch together, but he refused.
It was partly for his father’s revenge, but he was a Monk with a duty. It was his mission to purge the remnants of the Demon race.
After he left the house and silence returned, the finger of his father, Robert Taylor, twitched slightly.
***
The Maber Startup was largely divided into three parts.
The office that received requests, the carriage depot, and the ranch where the horses stayed. The office was where requests and dispatches were organized.
Mainly, Meat and two employees received requests at the office.
Once a request was completed, they would dispatch from the fifty carriages and prepare a set consisting of a coachman, a horse, and a carriage.
Next was the carriage depot. Sir Hailey was in charge of carriage management.
While he couldn’t come every day, he promised to manage the carriages periodically. He also planned to assign dedicated staff.
Since the carriages were leased from Sir Hailey under a Rent-to-Own model, 25 gold—amounting to 0.5 gold per carriage for fifty carriages—would be paid at the end of the month.
This amount included maintenance costs, while the cost of replacing parts other than routine maintenance was separate.
Lastly, there was the ranch. Julie Taylor was in charge of horse management at the ranch.
Since the horses were purchased in a lump sum, the horse management costs were to be paid weekly.
She planned to hire more staff with that money and would manage the horses by traveling between the Sena Horse Ranch on the mountainside and this place, which had now become the Maber Ranch.
It was a Startup business site completed in a short amount of time. From now on, we would spend a long time refining it here, overcoming difficulties and growing bit by bit.
Today was the first day of official operation. I arrived at the Maber site feeling nervous. Then, I saw an unbelievable sight.
“Champion. There are so many people waiting.”
“Slot. It looks like all those people are standing in line, doesn’t it?”
Then I suddenly snapped back to my senses. I looked at Meat and said, “What are you doing, Meat! Hurry up and get ready to take requests.”
There was a long line in front of the office where requests were taken.
And rather than the line shortening, it was getting longer and longer as time passed.
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