episode_0088

The large livestock market was crowded with all kinds of livestock and people buying and selling them.

The cries of animals and the cries of people could be heard everywhere, and an unpleasant smell like a mixture of excrement and rice straw hung in the air.

No matter how much you increase the cleanliness options, the filth of the animals locked in cages is inevitable.

In the market, there were many familiar livestock such as cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens, as well as rare livestock such as ostriches and alpacas.

As soon as the livestock were sold, they were handed over to the buyer, transported in an appropriate manner, and sometimes taken to a slaughterhouse right next to the livestock market.

It was a bit pitiful to see him throw it away because he didn’t want to die, but I don’t think there’s anything we can do about it since we don’t have cultured meat technology like in the old world and it’s more delicious than anything else.

“Rebecca, they say they sell horses over there.”

While I was busy looking at the livestock, Laura volunteered to ask the market person for directions.

The map window contains a lot of information and shows the layout of the market, but it does not tell you exactly what livestock are sold where and so I had to ask someone who knew.

The place Laura was pointing to was the widest place on the layout of the map window.

“It takes up the most space?”

“I heard that it is because, unlike other livestock, they need to be shown running.”

“After hearing it, it makes sense. Let’s go quickly.”

I took Laura and Iris to a place that sold horses.

As we got closer to our destination, we could hear the neighing of horses and the sound of them walking or running.

First of all, I came to a place that sells horses, but I don’t know what kind of horse is a good horse.

Should I just ask for the most expensive one?

At that moment, a middle-aged man who looked like a merchant was approaching me without notice, so I had to ask him a question.

“Welcome. Is there something you are looking for?”

“I’m looking to buy a horse to ride on a trip around the world. Can you recommend one?”

“Of course. Please come this way.”

I followed the elf merchant, the most common race in Rizerka, into the largest stable in the vicinity.

There were quite a few horses in the stable, and the breeds ranged from small ponies that even children could ride to large pack horses whose shoulders were as high as my height.

“Rebecca, Rebecca! Isn’t this saying really cute? Aaaah, so cute!”

When Iris saw the fluffy horse, which was similar in size to a large dog, she didn’t know what to do, but smiled happily as she stroked and hugged it.

I felt good because Iris’ actions seemed much cuter than those little words.

“It’s cute, but it’s useless to us.”

“Laura, can’t we take this child? huh? Rebecca also gave me pocket money.”

“No. You know very well that we can’t afford to raise such a big pet.”

“Hey, I’m sorry. Shari.”

I never thought they’d already come up with a name.

I felt sorry for Iris’s disappointment, but I had no choice but to support Laura.

I don’t know about real dogs, but dog-sized horses are useless, and I don’t like the idea of a pet taking Iris’s attention away from me.

It’s a shameless thing to say from someone who drank alcohol last night and almost got into an irreversible accident, but what could I do when I feel like that?

“Do you sell warhorses here?”

“Sorry, but private trade in warhorses is illegal. So, even though we are a company that supplies warhorses to the Knights Templar and the Imperial Army, we cannot sell them to our customers. Please understand.”

“There is nothing we can do about it since that is the law. Still, I think that a company that is good enough to supply war horses will definitely sell good horses. Am I right?”

“Of course. We are confident that all of our stallions are from famous warhorses and are comparable to the famous horses delivered to the imperial family.”

“It’s really amazing. I’m also looking forward to the things you recommend to me.”

“I confidently guarantee that it will definitely meet your expectations. First, I’ll introduce you to some of the horses in the stable, and if there’s one you like, I’ll even show you how it runs.”

I followed the proud dealer to see the horse he recommended.

The place where the merchant stopped was an area with standard-sized horses.

The sheen of their fur and flowing mane was comparable to that of my own fine hair.

Not only did it have a good pedigree, but it also showed signs of being diligently cared for by horse lovers.

“They all look good, so which horse should I choose?”

“Traveling horses must have excellent overall physical abilities. Even if you are fast, if your endurance is weak, you will get tired quickly, and even if you are strong, if you are not agile, you will not be able to respond quickly to an emergency. Therefore, you need a horse that has all abilities, even if it doesn’t look like it has anything outstanding on the outside.”

The merchant showed me the horses one by one and explained the horses we needed.

I just went to buy a horse without thinking, and was fortunate to meet a friendly merchant.

“In fact, horses are timid animals, so it is easy for them to run away if they encounter a dangerous situation while traveling. However, our company’s traveling horses are truly brave because they have warhorse blood. There are many customers whose lives were saved thanks to you.”

“That is truly comforting. What is the price?”

“To be honest, our company’s prices are a bit higher than other companies. But I can confidently say that it is worth the price. For the travel horses sold by our company, we charge a minimum of 300,000 lagirs and a maximum of 500,000 lagirs.”

500,000 Lagir is the price to buy 5 useful slaves.

I vaguely knew that horses were expensive, but I find it ironic that a horse is being sold for much more than a human.

“What is the difference in price?”

“To put it simply, it is a difference in lineage. The value of a horse varies greatly depending on which stallion it is the offspring of. Not only does your physical ability change, but your habits and personality also change. However, I dare say that even the items sold at the minimum price are sufficiently excellent.”

“I see. Still, it would be better to have a horse with a good pedigree even if it is more expensive. I’m planning to buy 3 of them for 500,000 Ragir, so please choose good ones and show me how they run.”

“I understand. Please wait a moment.”

The merchant must have smelled a lot of money and approached me from the beginning.

However, he looked a little embarrassed when I showed an attitude of lightly spending a large amount of money as if I were buying snacks.

The merchant, who was always full of enthusiasm, worked together with his subordinates to take nearly 20 horses out of their stalls and into an open space surrounded by a fence.

Then, one by one, they showed themselves running slowly without overdoing it.

To be honest, I’m not sure which is better because they all look great, but I was impressed by the efforts of the people who did their best to accommodate my requests.

“Guys, what do you like?”

“I’m a white guy like you.”

Laura said, pointing with her finger at the white horse that appeared for the third time.

Since the fur is white, it feels more luxurious and somehow mysterious, which suits Laura well.

“Iris, what about you?”

“I’m… um… the brown kid right behind the white kid.”

The horse Iris chose has a common coat color, but the way it runs elegantly seems to resemble her, who is accustomed to the etiquette of nobles.

I liked seeing the horses that Laura and Iris chose get along so well because it felt like I was seeing their relationship.

“Really? I chose the black one that comes out now. I like black because it makes me feel like a captain.”

We all chose the horses we liked, but I didn’t judge too quickly and watched all the remaining horses run before approaching the vendor.

There was a mixture of anticipation and worry in the merchant’s eyes, and I decided to meet his expectations.

“Is there an object you like?”

“I liked them all, but there were some words that I especially liked. First, I’ll live with the black horse over there and the white and maroon over there.”

“This is an excellent choice. We will take care of your child one last time before taking him out. And even after purchasing, you can visit our company at any time and receive various services free of charge.”

“I really like that. If I ever need to buy a horse in the future, I will have to come here.”

“For us, we consider the return of our customers as a reward in life. This is truly the moment when our hard work is recognized.”

I learned a kind of professionalism from the merchant.

It is clear that he does not work simply to make money, but because he wants to improve the company’s reputation by providing the best possible advice to customers.

“That’s a really cool posture.”

“Thank you for the compliment. By the way, excuse me, but do you have any experience managing horses or do you have any professional personnel under your command who can manage horses?”

“That’s…”

I looked at Laura quite naturally, but contrary to my expectations, she shook her head.

I thought that if I could teach horseback riding, I would be able to take care of horses professionally, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

‘Rebecca, I only know the basics, I’m not an expert.’

Laura communicated to me telepathically, not verbally.

I feel ashamed that others know that I cannot live up to their expectations.

“I’m embarrassed, but I have no experience and I’m not an expert.”

“Then, I would like to introduce you to a slave, and if you like it, I would like to hand it over to you without any conditions. Since you seem to prefer beautiful slaves, I am sure you will like the slaves I am talking about.”

“I like beautiful women. But he seems to be very good with words.”

When I referred to slaves as just people, the merchant’s eyes widened.

Rather than being surprised, he seemed like someone who had confirmed that his thoughts were right.

“Yes. Because they come from northern nomads, there are times when they are better than our employees who have completed specialized training. They are similar in age to your slaves, so I think they will get along well.”

“They are nomads… Are they perhaps a vampire family?”

“That’s right. Contrary to rumors, it does not suck blood, so you can rest assured.”

“Oh, I know about that race well. Don’t worry.”

Vampires are a completely different race that has almost the same name as the commonly known setting because I touched on it a lot.

Actually, I was thinking of creating a separate oni race, not a vampire, but referring to my favorite oni character.

However, no matter how you think about it, the introduction of Japanese-style monsters into the Western fantasy world would be awkward, and the ogres commonly used as replacements had already been set as demons.

So, I ended up using the option of mixing it with the vampire settings that I had made but discarded.

The Arcadian vampires I created are a race with large differences in physique depending on gender.

Men are taller and larger than other races and are stronger, but women are shorter than average and have a smaller physique, so they are weaker.

In such a situation, because they live a difficult nomadic life and often come into conflict with demons, roles are clearly divided according to gender and they help each other in their work, but do not interfere.

On the other hand, there is no difference in physical characteristics between men and women.

A pair of pointed horns covered with smooth skin like an oni grow from its forehead, it has pale skin like a vampire, and its upper fangs are elongated.

The hair is blue and the eyes are purple.

Vampires like alcohol, meat, and eat dairy products and blood.

They also have a tradition of boiling the blood of the livestock they slaughter and mixing it with alcohol to drink.

The problem is that the setting of drinking the blood of these livestock seems to have led other races to misunderstand them as vampires.

Although it is a united human empire in which all races live within the single fence of humanity, there is no guarantee that there will be no concept of racial discrimination.

“This is the first time I have heard of someone who is not prejudiced against the vampire race.”

“I am a person who has no prejudice against any race. So, can you show me your slave’s face in peace?”

“I understand. Erica! Erica! Come here right now!”

The merchant anxiously called for a vampire slave named Erica.

Immediately afterwards, a small woman who appeared to be approximately 150cm tall ran towards the merchant.

She retained the physical characteristics of a vampire woman that I had established.

Also, his health seemed to be good, there were no cuts or bruises, and his gaze towards the merchant was favorable, so it seemed like he was being treated well.

And the most important thing is that Erica is beautiful.

Her short blue hair, as black as the deep sea, was well-groomed, and the overall vibe was closer to maturity or sexiness than cuteness.

Her breasts were so small that she could fit in one hand, but her pelvis and hips were moderately large, and even though she was short, her slim body with near-perfect proportions was very attractive.

As expected, you use analysis skills? He was 20 years old and his level was only 8, making him weaker than an average person.

“Is there something I can do, temporary owner?”

“That title is still awkward. I called you here not for anything else but to show you to the person who could become your new master. Please introduce yourself.”

The merchant removed the straw from Erica’s head and gently pushed her back.

Erica had no timid demeanor and looked up at me with curious violet eyes.

“Hello? My name is Erica. As you can see, he is a vampire and is in charge of managing the horses here.”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Rebecca. I heard you are good with horses.”

“This is the field I am most confident in. Although he has little combat experience, he can defend himself and is no problem with household chores in general. And you can hug her with peace of mind because she is healthy and virgin, without any disease.”

I liked Erica’s proactive attitude.

No, but it’s okay if you don’t say you’re a virgin… To be honest, it feels good.

“Laura, what do you think?”

“I don’t know anything else, but I think it’s good for someone to take care of our horses. I looked at it earlier and the horses followed this friend the best.”

“What about Iris?”

“I like it because it’s small and cute.”

“Iris, are you serious about that? That’s all?”

“Yes, Laura didn’t let us take Shari earlier, so let’s at least take this friend. Yes?”

Iris was already hugging Erica with great anticipation.

Erica, who was actually being held, didn’t seem to be in a very good mood.

“Iris and Erica are not pets. Still, I’m glad you guys like it. Erica, do you want to come with us?”

“Good as long as it is not treated as a pet.”

“Don’t worry. Because it’s just a joke. And I have to say something for you. What do you like? I have enough money, so don’t feel pressured and say it.”

Erica looked surprised at my suggestion.

My suggestion that they choose whichever horse they want seems to have been much more shocking than the sudden decision to come with us.

“I have been best friends with this friend for a long time. It may be shameless to ask, but please.”

Erica said as she stroked the neck of the dark gray traveling horse.

The price of the horse she chose was 500,000 lagir, but spending 500,000 lagir more will not cause problems with my wealth, so let’s gladly buy it for her.

I took two gold bars out of my bag, handed them to the merchant, and finished the simple calculation.

The merchant provided reins and saddles, as well as the necessary supplies for horse care, and personally gave Erica some pocket money.

“Customer, please take care of Erica.”

“Don’t worry, we will take good care of you so you don’t have any regrets.”

The merchant made a request to me in an earnest manner, almost as if he were my parent, and without realizing it, I bowed my head and promised to actively listen to his request.

“Thank you. Erica, you are a waste of time to spend your life here. You are a person who treats slaves like people, so travel the world with this person with confidence and find your roots.”

“Thank you for taking care of me all these years.”

The merchant and Erica comforted each other by hugging and patting each other on the back.

I think the merchant decided to hand Erica over to me after seeing that I was traveling the world and that I treated slaves like human beings.

No matter what happens, I will make sure not to disappoint him.

After I finished paying and Erica said goodbye to the other employees, we took the horses and headed out of the livestock market.

I accidentally found a potential harem member, but I like Erica because she’s pretty.

And if you listen to his attitude and words, his personality seems to be pretty good.

I hope we can get along well with Laura and Iris in the future.

“Master, are there any behavioral guidelines that must be followed?”

“First of all, call me by my name, not master. And since I’m not the type of person to basically restrain a slave, I can usually be free and do my own thing. However, you must never betray me.”

“I will keep this in mind, Rebecca.”

“And there is no need to answer so rigidly. Speak comfortably like other kids. Also, if you need anything, please let me know anytime because I can buy it for you.”

“Yes, Rebecca. Please take care of me in the future.”

“Okay, let’s have fun together.”

I said, stroking Erica’s head like I did with Laura and Iris.

Erica felt a little reluctant at first, but soon accepted my touch without hesitation.

And I headed to the slave market to engrave a new bondage stamp on Erica.