Chapter 36 – So Apparently They’ll Make an Effort. Good Luck with That.
The three of us returned to Custard.
“Oh, kid. You’re back.”
The moment he saw us, his eyes lit up with anticipation.
…Don’t look at me like that.
“Yeah, I’m back.”
“So!? How’d it go!?”
“Wow, you’re eager.”
“Of course I am! This is a matter that affects the rest of my life!”
“The rest of your life,” huh?
Well… for a stallion, I suppose it really was.
I cleared my throat once before relaying the message as faithfully as possible.
“They said, ‘Thirty percent is impossible… but we’ll do our best.’“
A few seconds of silence.
“…………”
“…………”
Somehow, I found myself waiting too.
Custard tilted his head thoughtfully.
“Well… reality isn’t that generous.”
It was kind of annoying when he suddenly became realistic.
“But they said they’ll make an effort, right?”
“That’s what they said.”
“Then that’s good enough.”
He accepted it surprisingly easily.
…Wait, that was it?
“You’re okay with that?”
“What choice do I have? Even I knew I was asking for a bit much.”
“Then why ask?”
“Because a man has to dream!”
Custard shoved his face toward mine.
“You’re a guy too, aren’t you!? You’ve got dreams, don’t you!?”
Easy! Easy! You’re breathing all over me!
“Well… sure, I do…”
“See!?”
…Yeah, but your dream is a little…
specific.
Beside us, Kanemochi couldn’t understand a word, but he looked relieved that things seemed to have settled down.
“S-So? Has he calmed down?”
I cleared my throat before answering.
“Yeah. I think he’s mostly satisfied.”
“Really!?”
“Yeah. He says he appreciates the effort.”
That wasn’t an exact translation…but it captured the general idea.
“I see!”
Kanemochi’s face brightened instantly.
Beside him, the butler—I’m just calling him the butler now—let out a quiet sigh of relief.
“That’s wonderful, Young Master.”
“Indeed! Sincerity truly does get through to others!”
Well… it was less sincerity and more a compromise with his preferences.
But I decided to keep that to myself.
Custard glanced at the relieved Gold Farm staff before turning back to me.
“Kid.”
“Hm?”
“Thanks for your help.”
Oh.
That actually sounded pretty cool.
“Yeah… well, hang in there.”
My job was finished now, right?
Custard gave an exaggerated snort, as if he was clearing his throat.
“I’ll repay the favor.”
“You’re suddenly acting awfully honorable.”
“I am honorable.”
Come to think of it… he did seem that way.
Maybe the horses at the very top of the sport were often like that.
“When I cover one of your mares…I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”
…
“…There’s such a thing as giving it your all?”
“There is!”
Custard answered with deadly seriousness.
“I’ll be completely serious.”
Oh.
…Wow.
That actually sounded pretty cool.
“Oh…”
I was just starting to feel impressed when—
“You know…my hips will really be giving it everything they’ve got!“
“How can you say that!!”
And just like that… the moment was completely ruined.
◇
Kanemochi adjusted the stack of papers in his arms.
“Now then.”
“Hm?”
“Our policy has been decided. From here, we’ll work out the schedule and the necessary arrangements.”
“Sounds good.”
“Of course, the condition about prioritizing cute gray mares doesn’t officially exist at all.”
“…Officially?”
“However…”
“However?”
“We’ll do our best to arrange things in a way that keeps Custard motivated.”
“So you’re actually going to do it?”
“The results are what matter!”
He declared it proudly.
Don’t sound so proud.
Kanemochi still looked a little tired as he turned toward me.
“Now then…You’re absolutely sure you want Custard?”
“Yeah.”
“Even after… everything?”
“Even after everything.”
I thought about it for a moment before answering.
“The breeding itself isn’t a bad match, right?”
Kanemochi’s expression grew serious again as he remembered the pedigree chart.
“Well…that’s true.”
“Besides, Custard said he’ll really give it his all.”
Kanemochi looked very conflicted.
“You know…”
Sometimes you really show some nerve in strange situations.”
“Am I?”
“You are!”
Maybe.
Or maybe, after everything that had happened, there simply wasn’t any other choice.
Eventually, Kanemochi let out a resigned sigh.
“Very well. We’ll do everything we reasonably can to help.”
“Thanks.”
“But there’s one thing you should remember.”
“What?”
“Just because a foal is born…doesn’t mean it’ll become a successful racehorse.”
“I know.”
That was absolutely true.
Even so, I wanted to try.
That was why I’d come this far.
“But…”
Kanemochi grinned.
“That’s part of what makes it fun.”
“Yeah.”
That’s the romance of it.
For some reason, the two of us found ourselves laughing a little when the butler stepped forward gracefully.
“Young Master.”
“Yes?”
“First, let’s see your friend off at the entrance.”
“R-Right.”
Somehow, the way he said “friend” was always kind of funny.
◇
Naturally, when I got home, the ranch was as it always was: noisy.
“Sakuuu! You’re back!”
“Where’d you go!?”
“Did you bring souvenirs!?”
“You smell like horses from another ranch!”
“Yayoi-chaaaan! Saku’s home!”
And yet…having someone make a fuss when you got home wasn’t a bad feeling.
When I headed toward the stable, Yayoi happened to be bundling up hay.
“Oh, welcome back.”
“I’m home. Thanks again for today.”
“It was nothing. So… did you decide on the stallion for Stone?”
The fact that she immediately asked that made her seem like a real member of the ranch now.
Well… she was one.
“Yeah. After a lot of twists and turns, we settled on one.”
Yayoi’s face brightened a little.
Just then, Crown barged into the conversation.
“Is he an expensive stallion!?”
“That’s your first question?”
“Of course it is! Is he a Grade 1 winner!? Is he super expensive!?”
Since he had the spring off before starting work at the riding center, Crown had way too much energy.
Apparently, even after beginning his new job, he’d still be allowed to come back to the ranch every now and then for a change of pace. Pretty generous working conditions, honestly.
“Hmm…”
I pretended to think for a moment.
“If everything goes horribly wrong, we probably won’t go bankrupt… but we might have to pay Yayoi-chan’s wages in carrots.”
“You picked that expensive a stallion!?”
Yayoi’s eyes went wide.
Oh, what a good reaction.
“I’m kidding.”
“…Kidding!?”
“Saku, you’re mean!”
“You scared Yayoi-chan!”
“That’s why you’ll never get a girlfriend!”
The yearlings who adored Yayoi all started booing me at once.
Hey. Don’t go saying I can’t get a girlfriend.
This job doesn’t exactly come with many opportunities to meet people.
Stone let out an exasperated snort.
“Boy.”
“Hm?”
“So…
What kind of horse is he, in the end?”
Yeah. That was a fair question.
But…How was I supposed to explain?
“Hmmm…”
If I told them exactly what had happened at Gold Farm…I’d have to explain Custard’s preferences too.
That was a little awkward.
No, very awkward.
“What’s with that reaction?”
“It’s just hard to explain. He’s an incredible horse who’s won a whole bunch of Grade 1 races.”
Technically…
I wasn’t lying.
“I see.”
Then Crown started making noise again.
“Wait, wait, wait! A horse that’s won a bunch of Grade 1 races!? Does that mean his foal could win a lot of G1s too!?”
“Well…That’s kind of the whole point of breeding.”
“WOOOOOO! DOES THAT MEAN MY JUNIOR COULD BECOME THE STRONGEST HORSE IN THE WORLD!?”
“The foal hasn’t even been conceived yet.”
“I’ve gotta start acting like a cool senior while I still can!”
…Yeah. Even after he starts working at the riding center…he’s definitely going to be just as noisy.
Though…I bet the kids who come to ride there will absolutely love him.
…Oh, right. Later, I’d better tell him that Golden Wing said, “Let’s all hang out together someday.”Let’s all hang out together someday.”