Chapter 16: Someone Gets Stabbed in the Back Part 2

The horse merchant's explanation was quite straightforward.

Someone had appeared who was willing to pay double the price unlike me who had greatly reduced the price.

And this person was a knight.

I knew that competition for good horses was fierce…

But I never expected to lose out in this manner.

Not drafting a contract because I was soon to leave the city turned out to be a big mistake on my part.

If only I had known, I would have paid on the spot. Unfortunately, staying at the temple meant I had no place to keep the horse, which led me to delay the purchase.

Realizing my expression was growing stern, the merchant began to stammer and started making excuses again.

"If it were anyone else, I would never have sold the horse! But how could I resist when a fearsome knight demanded it?"

"So, he wasn't from around here."

"It seems he was just passing through. He looked in a hurry, probably why he left the city through the storm."

"Are you certain he was a knight?"

"Of course! He was definitely a knight!"

"Haah…"

I sighed deeply.

What rotten luck to get entangled with a knight of all people!

Under normal circumstances, those kinds would never venture into border areas like Galopic… is something happening in the vicinity?

A fleeting sense of unease passed through my mind, but it was quickly diverted by an unexpected noise.

– Neiiiigh!

– Thud!

As I turned towards the source of the sound, I saw a magnificent wild horse in a frenzy.

Glossy black coat, fluttering black mane, and muscles as perfect as a sculpture. It was like a wild horse that came from a painting.

"That is…"

"Don't even look that way. That creature is so wild, it's simply untamable."

True to the merchant's words, the wild horse was kicking around as if to break down the stables.

"Just yesterday, Smith got kicked by that beast and broke his ribs. It was chaos."

The merchant shook his head in dismay and let out a deep sigh.

"How did that knight manage to ride such a creature… If it's so strong, it should be tamed and ridden, not dumped here and ruin my business!"

"How much is it?"

"Huh?"

"For that horse."

The merchant looked at me with a bewildered look on his face for a long time, as if he couldn't believe what I said.

"Are you serious about that one?"

"Let's hear the price first."

Like most merchants, his expression changed at the prospect of selling the wild horse he had been tsk-tsking over.

"Well…"

The Shire horse I had originally intended to buy was priced at 9 gold coins.

So how much would he ask for an untamed wild horse?

"7 gold coins?"

"You're saying you'll sell an untamed beast for 7 gold coins?"

"But look at it. Such strength… If properly tamed, it'll surely become a fine horse, worth even 100 gold!"

"That's if it gets tamed."

"....."

"Aren't you practically getting it for nothing? In fact, it's the opposite. Look, it's happily smashing up the stable as we speak… Keeping it is more of a loss than a gain, isn't it?"

"Well, that's…"

"2 gold and 50 silver coins. That should more than cover the repairs for your stable."

"No, but still, that price is…"

"Didn't you say you sold my choice for twice its value? That should be enough, shouldn't it?"

"....."

The merchant became silent and his eyes started darting around anxiously. Well, there's such a thing as business ethics in this world, so I guess there's nothing more to say.

"Please also include some feed and equipment for it. If you do, I'll remain silent about the deal being called off."

"Ah, understood..."

The merchant, visibly deflated, accepted the coins I handed over and began to gather the feed and equipment.

Meanwhile, I approached the wild horse that was snorting and pacing inside the isolated fence.

…Beautiful.

The horse radiated the vibrant life force of nature.

– Neighhhhh!!!

Even after hearing the excited neighing of the creature, I slowly reached out my hand. Being bitten by a horse without a bridle might cost a hand, but such risks seemed trivial to me. The reason I dared to take the risk was that I had something I trusted.

The basic skill of a Druid, [Affinity].

It's a skill that helps gain favor with beasts, including wild animals.

The effectiveness increases with each level, and given my current high level, it should be quite potent.

Besides the skill, I also had a knack for calming horses. Especially during escort missions, when I often had to soothe horses spooked by the scent of monsters or wild animals.

– Purrrrrrrrr…

The wild horse had calmed down and was sniffing the palm of my hand.

"There you go, good boy."

Up close, I could feel just how magnificent the horse was. Its black fur had a hint of blue, and it had a stylish mane and tail, along with a majestic stature.

Indeed, as the merchant had said, this creature was a "fine horse".

If only it could be tamed that is.

Of course, for me, this was an easy task.

I carefully stroked the bridge of the horse's nose, which was touching my palm.

"My goodness…"

The merchant, who had come back with the equipment, watched in amazement with his mouth agape. I took a brush from the equipment he had brought and slowly combed the horse's mane, giving it a sense of calm.

"So it's true that druids can dominate animals!"

"It's not about domination, it's about communication."

The horse, now sufficiently calmed, began to follow me soon after. Thanks to this, we were able to leave the stable without breaking the fence. While I was feeding the horse a few sugar cubes, El asked me a question.

"Master, what is this one's name?"

"Name?"

"Yes, a name. You gave me the name El and the wolf the name Ayla. So, shouldn't you give this one a name too?"

His words made sense. I found myself deep in thought for a moment.

"I guess since it braved a storm, I'll call it Storm."

"…That's a splendid name."

"You think I just came up with it on a whim, don't you?"

"Not at all; how could I? Let's get along well, Storm."

"Getting cheeky lately, aren't you? Go get the gear and provisions ready."

"Yes!"

Thanks to acquiring the horse and carriage quite cheaply, we had some extra funds. Since the purification ritual was more like volunteering and didn't pay much no matter how many times it was done, this was a stroke of good luck.

We left Galopic with the wild horse and the cursed carriage. According to what I'd heard at the inn, a large merchant caravan nearby was recruiting mercenaries for an escort request, so we decided to head back in that direction. Having the carriage cut down significantly on our return journey. The road wasn't rough, so during the half-day trip back, I taught El how to drive the carriage, and El picked it up quickly.

The job we landed was an escort mission for a large merchant guild affiliated with the Echaits Union. This group was recruiting mercenaries to protect them while they transported minerals, gems, and weapons obtained from the dwarf nation of Ergin to the port city of Roshan. The group had as many as eight of their own carriages, so in addition to their own escort troops, they needed a substantial number of mercenaries. There appeared to be at least a hundred other mercenaries like us, so it was a gigantic caravan.

A large escort mission like this is actually safer. Only those with real guts would dare attack it.

Thanks to having a carriage, we were able to move more easily than the other mercenaries. While El drove the carriage, I kept watch from atop, and Ayla frequently scouted ahead and behind, ensuring there were no monsters or other threats. It was a perfect combination. At night, it was safer and more comfortable to sleep inside the carriage rather than camping out.

"Master, where are you going?"

When I started to get ready to leave, El who was preparing our sleeping arrangements looked up at me with wide eyes.

"I'm going to gather some herbs. There are many good plants nearby tonight."

"It's quite late, though."

"We have to travel during the day, so I have no choice but to do it now."

"Should I help too?"

"Rest. You'll need to drive the carriage tomorrow."

"Alright…"

"Ayla, come with me."

At my call, Ayla wagged her tail and followed me. Being a shadow wolf, Ayla's night vision was sharp and sensitive, so she was an ideal companion to protect me from unforeseen dangers.

"It's unlikely, but if something happens, blow the whistle like I taught you."

"Understood."

I closed the carriage door and entered the dark forest.

Aside from the fact that it was late at night, most people were feeling tired as they had been moving for a week already. Furthermore, with only two days left of our journey, there was an undeniable sense of tension in the air. The guards on watch were struggling to stay awake, while those who were awake busied themselves with trivial chatter.

I can't believe they're letting our guard down with just two days to go…

With a light click of my tongue, I began collecting seeds as originally planned. I dug up the useful ones, roots and all, for propagation purposes. As I gathered various fruits and leaves, I found myself quite a distance from the carriage.

"Maybe it's time to head back."

My pockets were reasonably full, so I decided to return. I whistled softly to call Ayla. She returned, her silver fur shining brighter under the moonlight, with a limp hare dangling from her mouth.

"A snack, is it?"

Ayla purred happily and started to run ahead, and I followed behind her, wondering what I could make from the hare's skin.

– …..

Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks at the sound of an unexpected noise.

This is…

I hid behind the shadows of the trees and listened intently. Beyond the trees, two mercenaries were talking not in the imperial tongue but in "Gronn".

– Next hill! It's the next hill!

– Hey, keep your voice down."

– What does it matter? Who else here knows Gronn tongue besides us!

– Well, you have a point."

…Right here, you fools. Right here.

Thanks to my [Polyglot] trait, I could understand their conversation perfectly.

Gronn was a small nation lying between the western borders of Roshan and the lands of the barbarians. To call it a nation was a stretch; it was more akin to a collection of tribes. It was a barren land where a minority of barbarians who had surrendered to Roshan lived. I had heard of people from there fleeing to Roshan to become mercenaries in a bid for a better life. However, encounters with Gronnian speakers were rare, as they were few in number and most concealed their origins, making it difficult to recognize the language, let alone understand it.

Of course, I was a different story.

I held my breath and listened intently to their conversation.

– Next hill. Not this one, not the one after, but the very next hill, right?

– How many times do I have to tell you? It's the next hill. The trap is set perfectly. Touch even a single twig and it's all over.

– Hahaha! Right, right! With the wizard on board, we've got nothing to worry about!

– Do it right. If we mess this up, it won't be the damn caravan that's in trouble but our own necks.

– Kuku, once we hit it big this time, I'll be surrounded by women, not one or two, but three! Three at least!

The burly man laughed heartily as he guzzled down the drink from his cup, while the thin bald man looked at the man with disdain.

Do these fools really think no one else understands Gronnian?

Aren't they being too careless? I internally clicked my tongue in disapproval before I further vanished into the shadows.