The carriage itself was fine. The real question was which horses we should get to pull it.
“How many horses does this carriage require?”
“Two. A single horse would be enough if you used one of the larger breeds, but I’d recommend going with two. It’s the safer choice.”
While paying, I asked one of the craftsmen at the workshop about the horses.
As far as I remembered, the carriages I’d seen online back in my old world had usually been pulled by two horses as well. Carriages in this world seemed to follow the same principle.
There’s a horse ranch they recommended, so I had the craftsman write me a letter of introduction.
“By the way, how are you planning to transport this carriage?”
“I have an Item Box, so I’ll just store it in there.”
Whoosh.
“Oh! You can store something this huge? You’re not just some ordinary cook, are you, kid?”
The craftsman cheerfully slapped me on the back several times.
Uh… So he really did think of me as a cook rather than an adventurer…
I couldn’t help but slump in disappointment.
Sue and Toria-san watched me, barely managing to hold back their laughter as their shoulders trembled.
And so, we boarded a horse-drawn carriage service and headed toward the outskirts of the city. As it turned out, there was a ranch located just outside the city.
“““Hi-hiiin!”””
“““Horses!”””
When we arrived at the ranch we were looking for, we were greeted by a whole herd of horses.
For Shiro and the others, this was their first time seeing horses anywhere other than pulling a carriage, and they were absolutely thrilled.
“First, let’s go to the office.”
“““Okay!”””
We had quite a few things we needed to ask about, so we headed to the ranch office first.
“Oh, you’re that young man, huh? I’ve heard a little about you. Come on in.”
As soon as we arrived at the office, the ranch manager came out to greet us. Apparently, the Margrave’s household had informed him in advance that we would be visiting the ranch.
I handed the ranch manager the letter we’d received from the carriage workshop.
“Let’s see… Two horses, the harness equipment, and instructions on how to care for them.”
“If we were going to the royal capital, we could keep them in our family’s stables, but…”
“I see. So you need someone to look after them during the journey to the capital. All right, come this way.”
We followed the ranch manager toward the stables. Inside were countless horses, each one being carefully looked after.
The ranch manager brought one of them out for us.
“For feed, you’ll want to give them hay or pellets made specifically for horses. They also love carrots, as well as sweet things like apples. However, don’t give them vegetables such as cabbage or broccoli.”
He paused before continuing.
“And they can’t eat a large amount all at once, so make sure to divide their food into several smaller meals throughout the day.”
I always assumed horses could eat pretty much any kind of leafy vegetable, but apparently there were some things they shouldn’t eat.
I’d have to be careful about that.
“Taking care of their hooves is important, too. Dirt and small stones can get stuck in them, so if possible, you should check and clean their hooves whenever you stop to rest. You should also wipe away their sweat and brush them regularly to keep their skin healthy.”
Just like humans needed to bathe, horses needed regular grooming and care as well. I had a feeling Shiro and the others would be more than happy to take care of that part.
“At this ranch, we raise horses that aren’t particularly tall, but have strong legs and sturdy builds. This one can be used for riding, too.”
“““Ooh!”””
Besides Shiro and the others, it looked like Ao would be able to ride as well. So, to get some practice handling horses, we decided to go horseback riding right away.
Standing in front of us were two horses, one chestnut and the other bay.
“Whoa! It’s so high up! We’re moving!”
“This is fun!”
“This is interesting!”
Perhaps it was because they were demi-humans, but Shiro and the others took to horseback riding almost immediately. According to them, they were able to ride because they could talk to the horses while doing so.
“I never thought I’d see a slime riding horses. As expected of the champion.”
Ao was no different. She held the reins with her tentacles and skillfully controlled the horse.
The ranch manager was visibly impressed by how effortlessly Ao handled the horse.
“Sue, you’re really good with horses.”
“I’ve ridden before, but only for the riding itself. The staff always took care of the horses for me.”
Sue is handling her horse with ease, and I’m managing to ride mine quite well, too. The horse is incredibly docile and even I was able to ride it without any trouble.
Since we’re all riding the same two horses, we’ll likely end up buying them.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
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