Kays Translations

Chapter 41: A Disturbance

The horse in lane four won the first race, just as I had predicted. A great cheer rose from the crowd. Judging by His Majesty the King’s delight, he had placed the winning bet as well.

Although horse races had been held many times since the first event, we still offered only simple win bets. There were two reasons: calculating more complicated payouts would be troublesome, and determining the exact finishing order was difficult whenever the horses crossed the line together.

Photo finishes would have solved the problem, but we had nothing like that. A disputed judgement could easily lead to serious trouble, so any race in which first place couldn’t be determined with certainty was declared void.

“It’s a shame I can’t buy a ticket when my prediction was right,” Chloe said with a deep sigh.

Did she really want to gamble that badly? Apparently, she had inherited His Majesty’s fondness for it. Having won the first race, the King was already buying another ticket for the next one.

The horses paraded past us one after another. This time, number two appeared to be in the best condition.

“Julius, which horse do you think will win the next race?” Chloe asked with a smile.

Rosalia and Caro were watching me too. Since none of us could place a bet, there was no harm in answering.

“The horse in lane two looks to be in excellent condition. That’s the one I would choose.”

“What a coincidence. I think number two will win as well.”

A coincidence? Perhaps Chloe possessed the Appraisal skill. Or could she see the future?

“Then number two must be a very promising choice.”

I smiled as I answered, but this might actually be a serious problem. Anyone with an appropriate skill would have an overwhelming advantage and might be able to win race after race.

We would need a countermeasure. Perhaps the horses should no longer be paraded before the betting windows closed.

While I was considering that, the second race began. Just as Chloe and I had predicted, number two crossed the finish line first. His Majesty appeared to have won again.

Could the King see something as well?

“That’s amazing, Big brother! You got it right again,” Rosalia said.

“Thank you. Its coat had a healthy shine, so I thought it was in good condition.”

“Oh. I thought it was because…”

Everyone turned towards Chloe. She suddenly looked uncomfortable.

“N-Never mind!”

She puffed out her cheeks and looked away. She was definitely seeing something the rest of us couldn’t.

The races continued despite Chloe’s suspicious behaviour. Whenever the horses passed, Father explained their strengths to His Majesty. The King repeatedly nodded, and Marquis Mulan did the same beside him.

Father was making good use of the opportunity to promote the horses bred in our territory. If His Majesty publicly approved of their quality, demand would rise even further. Perhaps the Heine Margraviate would one day be known as the birthplace of the finest horses in the Kingdom of Spencer.

The sun had nearly reached its highest point, and I was beginning to think about lunch, when a disturbance broke out. No one panicked at first; arguments weren’t unusual at the racetrack. Father gave an order, and several guards saluted before hurrying away.

“What’s happening?” Caro asked anxiously, pinching my sleeve.

Most of her earlier nervousness had disappeared, but trouble brought her timid nature straight back. She needed reassurance.

“It’s probably nothing serious. People sometimes become angry when they lose their bets.”

“Will it be all right?”

“Yes. That’s why we have guards, and they train regularly for situations like this.”

“Then can we go and watch?” Chloe asked, her eyes sparkling.

She had probably never witnessed a real brawl and was excited by the possibility of seeing something she had only read about.

“I’d rather nothing happened to you. We should stay here.”

“I agree. It sounds dangerous,” Caro said.

Rosalia agreed as well and wrapped herself around my arm like an octopus, perhaps remembering the wyvern attack.

However, the commotion that should have ended quickly only grew louder.

“Lionel, what’s happening?” Father asked.

Realising that something was wrong, he began moving His Majesty and the others to safety while requesting another report. Curious, I looked towards the disturbance.

It wasn’t a single unruly spectator. Several men were behaving violently, and they appeared to be nobles. The guards were hesitant to lay hands on them.

The grips on both my arms tightened. Rosalia and Caro had gone pale. Chloe, by contrast, stared with wide eyes as though she wanted a closer look.

I needed to end this before anyone was hurt.

I could secretly use Hold to immobilise the most violent noble. If I cast it without chanting, no one should notice. Once he stopped moving, the guards could deal with the others.

I watched the guards and waited for the right moment.

Now!

“Julius…?” Caro whispered.

Hold seized the noble perfectly. The guards immediately took advantage of the opening and restrained the troublemakers one after another.

Unfortunately, Caro seemed to have noticed me using magic.

Could she sense the flow of magical power? The scout skill set in the game had included an ability called Magic Detection, which allowed players to follow traces of magic and locate an area boss.

I might have exposed myself. I needed Caro to remain quiet, or this would become a much bigger affair.

I placed a finger against my lips and met her gaze. Caro silently nodded.

That should be enough…probably.

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