Kays Translations

Chapter 22: Local Horse Racing

Somehow, the conversation had ended with me in charge of organising a horse race. That left me spending my days thinking through the event while continuing to make magic potions.

The unveiling of the Starry Sky magic tool before bedtime also became a topic of conversation for quite a while.

Mother and the female servants had loved it the moment they saw it, and before long requests for more began arriving. I had no intention of becoming a professional magic-tool maker, so I drew up proper blueprints and sold them to the magic-tool craftsman employed by House Heine.

His workshop was now mass-producing and selling the device. Demand was apparently much higher than expected, and I received a share of every sale. Somehow, without meaning to, I’d acquired a new source of income.

“It’s amazing. I’m earning more than I spent.”

“Are you certain you don’t need to recover the money spent on drinks that day?”

“I don’t mind. I merely watched from the sidelines, so I ought to contribute at least a little.”

At the moment, I was inspecting the racecourse while carrying sweets I’d bought in the territorial capital. The site lay just outside the city, where an untouched stretch of land was being cleared for the track.

At first the project had sounded rather reckless, but I taught the knights who could use magic how to level the ground and shatter troublesome rocks and stumps. A broad, flat clearing quickly began to take shape.

The felled trees were reused for benches and fences. The track itself was a long oval, and even now knights were diligently driving stakes into the ground. I’d originally planned to hire labourers, but the knights had insisted so passionately on helping that I’d given in.

With magic speeding up the heavy work, construction was progressing far faster than I’d expected.

“Lord Julius, at this pace, the racecourse will be finished by the middle of next week.”

“That’s much faster than I expected. I thought it would take more than a month, but you’ll have completed it in a little over two weeks. That’s remarkable.”

“Not at all. It’s thanks to the useful spells you taught us, Lord Julius.”

“Everyone was so cooperative that it made the work easy.”

The knights’ loyalty to me seemed alarmingly high. I suspected the real reason was that I controlled the supply of their improved magic potions. If they made an enemy of me, they might have to go back to drinking those ghastly old concoctions.

After leaving food for the knights working on the racecourse, I headed into the territorial capital. Lately, inspecting the track and then strolling through town had become something of a routine.

It was around three in the afternoon, yet the streets were still busy. People told me the royal capital was far more crowded, but this suited me perfectly: lively without being overwhelming.

“Well, well. If it isn’t Mr. Abel.”

I’d been choosing fruit to take home to Rosalia when Abel, the A-rank adventurer, approached. If he was in town at this hour, perhaps he wasn’t working today.

Gyre and Christopher greeted him too, their eyes practically shining. An A-rank adventurer was clearly someone they admired.

“I heard that you’ve started something interesting.”

“Something interesting? Do you mean the horse races? Who told you about them?”

“The other day, while I was completing a commission in the monster forest, I spoke with a knight who had come to gather materials. Apparently, you plan to race horses and take bets.”

“That isn’t exactly wrong. I simply wanted to provide a little entertainment for the knight order, which has always looked after me.”

Abel’s eyes lit up. So he was interested. The problem was that I still had no idea whether the whole thing would actually work.

“Would it be impossible for members of the public to participate?”

I’d expected that question sooner or later. If we opened the races to everyone, they could become a huge event. Trying that without any experience sounded like an excellent way to create a huge failure.

On the other hand, I wanted opinions from people outside the knight order. More data would help us judge whether the idea had any future.

“It might be possible if participation were limited to adventurers. Even then, I would have to ask Father first.”

“Really? I’m glad I asked. We adventurers are starved for entertainment too. We have cards and other gambling games, but playing the same things all the time becomes boring.”

“Hm. It seems the territorial capital still lacks entertainment. Perhaps it would be better if we had plays and concerts like the royal capital…”

“I don’t think plays and concerts would appeal to most adventurers…”

Abel gave me a doubtful look. Apparently those were still regarded as amusements for nobles. In that case, perhaps we needed forms of recreation ordinary people could enjoy more easily.

Teaching everyone the rules of chess or shogi would be troublesome. Darts might be easier, and it could even double as useful practice for adventurers. That was an idea for another day.

Having settled on my next course of action, I parted with Abel and returned home in a rather good mood.

The day of the first race arrived. After discussing it with Father, we allowed adventurers to attend, though the general public was still excluded. The event had originally been intended for the knight order alone, but the servants of House Heine also joined at the last minute. Apparently they were just as hungry for entertainment.

Admission was free for the trial event. The important thing was to learn whether we could collect wagers and distribute the winnings properly. If that system failed, there would be no point trying to run horse races at all.

The knight order’s horse enthusiasts had compiled information on every participating horse in advance. To balance the field, the faster horses would carry knights wearing armour as a handicap.

People made their predictions based on the horse’s ability, the rider’s skill, and the weight of the armour.

“Now then, how do you think the race will go?”

“The winning jockey receives a reward. Everyone will take it seriously.”

Lionel looked delighted. He wasn’t the only one. The whole place had taken on the air of a festival. We’d invited food stalls as well, and every shop that came seemed to be doing brisk business.

“Then let the first Heine Margraviate Horse Race begin!”

A magically amplified voice rang across the course. The announcer was an enthusiastic horse lover who had volunteered to serve as master of ceremonies.

The horses were led through the paddock so everyone could judge their condition. Some spectators watched with grave concentration, while others had already bought their tickets based on nothing more than instinct. Each ticket cost one small silver coin.

Before the race, the projected payouts were announced. The No. 3 horse, which we’d simply named White Horse, seemed to be the favourite. Naming the horses had been my suggestion; it made the whole thing more fun.

White Horse finished first, just as expected. Each winning ticket paid out two small silver coins and six copper coins. Cheers, laughter, and disappointed cries erupted all around the course.

But even the people who had lost were smiling. For a first attempt, I thought we could call this a success.

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