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Chapter 271 – The Great Demon King’s Partner
“The final race, the Imperial Derby… with a trifecta of No. 5 Fuka Impact, No. 8 Auto Trimi, and No. 11 Seventh Sense…”
“Ai, the trifecta it is.”
I managed to buy it. I’ve never bought a horse race ticket in my life.
I thought it would require an ID, but it went smoothly, didn’t it?
「Sure enough, horse racing… even though one of the Six Supremacy is on the offensive, so laid back…」
『Horse racing… let alone the Derby, is one of the long-standing cultures. Canceling such an event on the grounds of war would stir up anxiety and a sense of crisis among the populace. If nothing else, these forms of entertainment are a respite for the masses, so they cannot be canceled unless there is a serious problem.』
「Heh…」
I don’t know much about horse racing. But even I know about the annual Imperial Derby.
A venerable race held near the Imperial Capital to determine the most feared horse of the generation.
The race is broadcast throughout the Empire and, depending on the location, to other countries as well.
In the large city of Weinz in the southern part of the Empire where we are now, there are places where you can buy betting tickets, and places where the race is broadcast through magic crystals, albeit “audio only”.
“Big brother, what are you doing?”
“You don’t need to know, Espie. Grow up pure and innocent.”
“Are you betting on horses?”
“No, you don’t need to know… understand?”
“I’ve heard that Kojirou likes that kind of thing…”
“I-I see, well, never mind. I’ll buy you some juice later. Also…… maybe I should buy some clothes for you too.”
“Huh!?”
But, I never thought I would come to a place like this with a little kid who was not even ten years old.
If Sadiz and my mother were to find out about this, I think they would be very furious…
“Hey, buddy, what is this~ Fuka Impact? Ah, the horse that debuted in the middle and won a couple of races the other day… but I dare say you’re going for a long shot to win a triple with a horse like that.”
“I mean, don’t take a little lady like that to a place like this~”
“This is a fire pit. A place where men play, so to speak!”
Even so, the fishermen at the fishing port were pretty lively guys, but the guys here … the smell of alcohol in the middle of the day… isn’t this too relaxed even though they’re in the middle of a war?
“…… Big brother, these people are making fun of you… Big brother, who is strong and kind… hey, can I beat them up?”
“Stop! You don’t have to get involved…”
Anyway, I came to such a bad place for children’s education just for money.
Earning travel money by gambling may seem like the beginnings of low-life, but I had a reason to gamble.
That’s because we know from the beginning that we can win for sure, so this is no longer a gamble.
「Then~ again~, no matter how much of a hobby it is, don’t come to the Surface World just for the race horses. If it exists in the Demon Realm, just bear with it.」
『On the contrary, after learning that my horse was the fastest in history, I could not bear the world to remain ignorant. Moreover, if there was a race on the Surface called the Derby, I wanted the people of the Surface to be aware of it.』
「Is that so?」
『Uh huh, tis harder to be a Derby horse owner than it is to be a Demon King or a Hero… there has been such a saying in horse racing since time immemorial. Much less the fastest horse I have personally bred. I wanted to give him the crown… no matter if it was on the Surface or in the Demon Realm.』
At that moment, Tre’ainar narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance, a slightly nostalgic expression from the past.
I guess he’s thinking of his comrades-in-arms.
Yes, Tre’ainar, who is currently alive in this era, hides his identity and participates in the Imperial Derby with his beloved horse.
And Tre’ainar already knows the outcome. Because he has experienced it in the past.
Therefore, he knows which ticket to buy.
[Now, the Imperial Derby. The 18-horse race begins at the full gate. Which horse will stand at the head of the thoroughbreds? All the horses have now started! Auto Trimi is off to a good start! Oops, one horse is late. Fuka Impact, has failed to start. The unidentified duo with a pacifier and masked jockey Taketoyo, failed to start and fell far behind.]
Oh, no? A late start? But Tre’ainar next to me is smiling with his nose. Ah, maybe this is… on purpose… this is a leeway…
“Hey, big brother, the horse you paid for is late…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Anyway, juice and… hey, why don’t we have some cake?”
“Huh? But money…”
“Like~ I said~, don’t worry about that.”
I can’t see the spectacle of the race, I can only hear the commentators, but everyone here who bought tickets was frenzied with joy and sorrow.
Some of them probably bet a lot of money, so they must be very excited.
Even I bet all the money I have right now, even though it’s not much.
If this were really a gamble based on luck, even I wouldn’t be so relaxed.
I already knew the outcome from the beginning.
I mean, rather…
「Beyond this magic crystal… is you while you were alive…」
『Hmm? Hmm…』
「I wish I could have met you…」
During Tre’ainar’s lifetime. Unless something like this happens, I will never see him again.
When I thought about it, I felt a little disappointed… but……
『Hmph. Bear with the me after death.』
「…… Phuh…」
『Wh, what are you laughing at!』
Tre’ainar with a slightly stuffy expression… what? Are you jealous? Of yourself? It was kind of funny.
『Hmph, no need to worry about that, now listen to the success of my former beloved horse that I raised with great care.』
「Oh, I know… you’re late… but that’s on purpose, isn’t it?」
『Fufufu, just running and winning would be boring. I knew it just by looking at the other horses in the paddock. They were no match for Fuka Impact. So I wanted to shock the Surface world with the way we win.』
He had a lot of confidence in his horse, and he must have been even more attached to it.
I mean, a horse that Tre’ainar trained himself… huh? If so……
「That Fuka Impact might be my sibling disciple in a way…」
『Nu? Hmm…』
It’s a joke, but it might not be wrong.
But Tre’ainar thought about my joke for a moment and then…
『No, Fuka Impact was indeed raised by me, but… tis not my disciple. Together we ran through as the wind… my comrade in arms…… my partner. And the other horses too, of course.』
Partner. It was the first time Tre’ainar had ever said such a thing.
It was a word that made one feel special, different from when he spoke of his former subordinates, the Six Supremacy, and different from me… special……
『You are my only disciple.』
「Oh, oh… I see…」
『Mm hmm, tis so.』
Bebe, don’t be jealous of a horse! I, I’ve been with Tre’ainar for a long time~, what am I thinking?
[In first place is still Auto Trimi, followed by Seventh Sense! Here comes the straight! The crowd is going wild! The final stretch, and the whips are coming down hard! But the duel for first place is between Auto Trimi and Seventh Sense!]
Was it already that far before I realized it?
It seems that even a single race doesn’t last that long.
It’s only been a few minutes since it started, but it’s already the last stretch.
[Ooooh, what’s that jet-black wind coming from behind? No, what is that? The one steadily catching up from the tail end is … more like flying than running!]
He’s here.
I can’t see him, but I can feel his presence.
Beyond this magic crystal, Tre’ainar of this world is running through with his partner.
『Yes, a legend condensed into a mere few minutes… engrave!! Impact, roar through to posterity!』
I stood up for this moment and watched in silence.
[That black wind that flew in … its Fuka Impact! Now, overtaking the group… the two leading horses… ah, the jockey on the saddle, Taketoyo, is not cracking the whip! But the stretch, the stretch!]
The old men who were listening to the race around the ticket office began to roar.
What the hell is going on in the race?
“Ah, hey, Big brother! The horse you bought, hey, big brother!”
“Yeah.”
“Are you going to win? Are you going to win? Are you going to win!?”
“Espie… choose the juice and cake.”
I just bought a ticket for Fuka Impact, and they laughed at me.
A horse that was so unknown took humanity by surprise in the historic Imperial Derby.
[And the crowds are off their feet! Such speed, such strength, such wind! What a horse! Fuka Impact, now in first place, crosses the finish line! A Derby victory by a foreign-bred horse, not an Imperial-bred horse! And he sets a race record, breaking all previous records! As the name suggests, it made a tremendous impact on our hearts! The jockey on the saddle, Taketoyo, now strikes a small guts pose.]
The impact was overwhelming.
The old men around me also had their mouths agape, and a lot of lottery tickets had fallen to the ground.
“Y, you did it! Big brother, it’s amazing! Big brother is amazing!”
“Ah.”
The 2nd and 3rd places are perfect.
Espie hugged me excitedly.
When this happens, I feel good too.
「Your partner, so awesome.」
『Hmm…』
Even though Tre’ainar already knew the result, he crossed his arms and made a satisfied, smug face.
I heard there was such an amazing horse.
On that note, what’s the current status of this record? Has it been broken yet? I’ll look it up when I get back.
And this horse, then…
『…… I know not what happened afterward.』
「Tre’ainar…」
『What happened after my death? Was it disposed of? Even if not, considering the lifespan of a horse … at least…… if only it left behind any offspring…』
I suddenly asked, ‘What’s going to happen to this horse now?’ and Tre’ainar mumbled to himself.
Tre’ainar looked a little sad, and I was also heartbroken…
『Hmph, quickly claim your winnings, go shopping, and take care of Espie’s mood. However, in the interest of the survival life, I will not allow the luxury inn to be used for the time being.』
「Oh, I know! I’m going to have curry again today!」
『Hmm!』
We laughed, covering up the slightly sad atmosphere.
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