Chapter 131 Black Socks And The Legendary Sword
"By the way, I was supposed to go out with Grandfather today, but I wonder if my body can handle it?"
Today, Sara had planned to visit the Grandchester ranch with Blaze and her Grandfather to see the horses, but she was a bit worried about him because of the leftover liquor from last night's party.
'Grandfather was drinking until morning, so isn't that drunk driving? I wonder if even on horses someone can get drunk driving?'
The Marquis Grandchester, who loves hunting, is also very passionate about horse breeding. In particular, the current Marquis is a huge horse enthusiast, and since he became the Marquis, the scale of the ranch has been expanding rapidly. He not only enjoys hunting but also horse riding competitions, horse racing, and even polo. When he was younger, he was an active competitor himself.
The Grandchester ranch is the Marquis's personal asset, and all the income from selling horses, breeding fees, and so on goes directly to the Marquis's personal account. Lately, the ranch has been producing many horses that have achieved great results in horse racing, and the prize money has been quite substantial.
To be honest, when Robert reported that the territory's debt had exceeded its budget, the Marquis was not too worried because he knew that he could cover the amount with his personal assets. In fact, he was relieved that it was only that much.
Sara knew that the Marquis owned the ranch personally and was a major horse owner, but since it was outside the territory's budget, she didn't know exactly how much income it generated. If she had known that the payment from selling the horse born last year would be enough to cover the deficit with some change left over, she wouldn't have made such a big fuss about it.
However, managing a ranch isn't that easy of a business. There have been times when horses which were bought at a high price died from illness or injury, or were even taken away during wars. And in years of famine, people and horses alike went hungry, and there were even cases where horses were slaughtered for food. Despite all this, the Marquis Grandchester family has continued to breed horses without giving up, showing just how much they love horses.
"It's okay. I haven't drunk that much. Jeffrey's kids will be coming soon too."
"That's great, Grandfather."
"Ms. Sara has learned the basics of horseback riding from her mother, so if we get a child-sized saddle from Mr. Scott, you can try riding horses at the ranch, Ms. Sara."
"If it's a child-sized saddle, I'm sure we have some at the ranch too."
Just as the Marquis said, Scott and Blaze arrived soon. Today, it seems they came with just the two of them, with Blaze riding on Scott's horse. Thomas can handle a horse-drawn carriage, but can't ride a horse himself, so he took the day off.
'I bet he's going to the Maiden's Tower.'
As it turned out, Sara's guess was correct. On this day, Thomas not only prepared his own meal but also considerately brought snacks and tea to the maidens and servants, earning him a favorable impression and an invitation to the library. Once inside, Thomas checked out the rooms that could be used for studying, then quietly read books and occasionally wrote something. As long as there wasn't too much commotion around him, Thomas was a kind and handsome gentleman.
That's all for now.
The Grandchester family's ranch is located about halfway between the city and the hunting grounds. There are many horses grazing in the fields. Most of the horses are bred for racing, but they are not suitable for everyday riding.
Marquis and Rebecca's horses are of the Hestia breed, which was developed by the Grandchester family through selective breeding. They are known for their speed, stamina, and intelligence, making them excellent military horses. Sara thinks that the Hestia horses look similar to the Trakehner horses from her past life.
However, there is another breed of horse called Aval, which is traditionally used by the palace guard. The Aval horses are often white, which makes them suitable for the palace guard. There are also other types of horses used by different knight orders, such as the First Knight Order and the Magic Knight Order.
"Sara, since you're a beginner, you can choose a smaller horse breed if you want. But I think you might be able to ride a Hestia horse too. What do you think, Blaze?"
""Hestia!""
Marquis asks a question while on horseback, and Sara and Blaze answer quickly, their eyes fixed on the beautiful Hestia mare and her adorable foal.
"They're so cute!"
"They seem to get along well."
Scott interrupts their admiration.
"But soon, these foals will be separated from their mothers."
"What, why?"
"Early autumn, before the harvest begins in earnest, is the time of year when horses are weaned.
"Why? They're still so small..."
"Well, it looks that way, doesn't it? But it's time to start training them separately from their mothers, little by little."
"Yeah, I guess they can still be with their moms for now."
"That's true."
The adults watching these children talk knew that all 3 of them didn't have mothers, and it pained their hearts. Rebecca was going to become Sara's foster mother soon, but they knew it wouldn't be the same as having a real mother. And Marquis had decided to stay with the children until they could protect themselves.
"A lot of people choose calm horses for their first horse, but it's also okay to choose a young horse that you can grow with for a long time. Let's find a horse that gets along well with us first."
Marquis turned to the enclosure where the horses that had finished their military training were, and the person in charge of the ranch came riding up.
"Your Excellency the Marquis, you've arrived earlier than scheduled."
"Ah, I ate breakfast and came out right away."
Sara bowed her head slightly and spoke to the person in charge of the ranch.
"I'm sorry, I got impatient and hurried my grandfather. If I've disrupted your plans, I apologize."
"No, it's not a problem at all."
"Ronnie, this is my grandchild, Sara. She's the daughter of Arthur."
"I apologize for not dismounting. I'm Sara Grandchester."
"No need to be so polite. I'm Ronnie, the person in charge of this ranch."
"Today, my cousins Scott and Blaze are also with me. We came to choose horses for me and Blaze."
Scott moved his horse, Marquis, next to Blaze so that Blaze could greet Ronnie.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Blaze Grandchester."
"This is Jeffrey's adopted son and also the new magician of Grandchester."
Ronnie looked at Blaze with a smile.
"Wow, a new magician has appeared in Grandchester! That's amazing."
"Thank you. I'm still inexperienced and need more training, but I'll do my best to be of service to Grandchester."
Blaze bowed his head politely, but thought to himself, "Sara's magic is way more amazing than mine, though." However, since he had promised Sara, he didn't say anything about her magic.
"As I mentioned to Grandfather earlier, both Blaze and I want to ride Hestia."
"Ah, you're truly Grandchester material! Let's go to the Hestia enclosure right away. I hope you both find a horse that suits your taste."
As they followed Ronnie, they came to an even larger enclosure than before, with many Hestia horses inside.
"Blaze said he's never ridden a horse before, right?"
"Yeah... But I've taken care of horses before, though."
"Oh, I see. I've never taken care of a horse before, but I think it would be great to brush my own horse's mane myself."
"That's a wonderful attitude! Many noble ladies leave the horse care to the stable hands, but taking care of them yourself deepens the bond between you and the horse."
"Really?!"
As they arrived at the stable adjacent to the enclosure, Ronnie got off the horse, and Sara and the others followed suit. Then, when Ronnie whistled, all the horses in the enclosure came running towards him at once. There were probably around 50 of them.
"You've got a lot! Are they all done with their training?"
"Yes. We're grazing horses from 2 to 4 years old here, and they've all finished their training as warhorses. Even if you use magic on them, they won't get spooked."
"Even with big flames from fire magic?"
"Of course. If they can't handle that, they can't be used as warhorses. There are some horses that aren't suitable for war, but they're often calm and gentle, so they're used for noble families' horseback riding. But for the Grandchester family's horseback riding, we choose horses that have finished their training as warhorses, considering they'll be used for hunting."
Sara and Blaze slowly walked around to take a look at the horses. Then, one horse with a deer-like coat caught Sara's attention, with fairies flying around it. The fairies were playing with the horse's mane and tail, and the horse seemed to be enjoying the company.
Sara approached the horse surrounded by fairies. The horse seemed to notice the many fairies around Sara.
"This one is really beautiful."
Then, Ronnie started explaining about the horse.
"This is a 2-year-old colt. It's fast, has a lot of stamina, and is smart, but it's a bit hot-headed. How about this one for your horseback riding, milady..."
'You, do you want to ride me?'
Sara was shocked. The horse's neigh was converted into language in her brain. Sara leaned down and whispered into the horse's ear.
"Can you understand my words?"
'I can understand. If I've been with humans for this long, I'd learn eventually. But, I've never met a human who can understand our language before. Since you're the one who can understand what I'm saying...'
However, the neighs of the other horses didn't get converted, so it seemed like only this horse's words could be understood.
"It seems like only your words can be understood."
'Yeah, it seems like they're taking care of my words.'
When the horse looked at the fairies, whispers like "Yeah, right!" and "What's with that?" could be heard.
"I want to make you my horse for Horseback Riding, but is that okay?"
'There's no problem with that, but aren't you a bit too small?'
"I'll grow bigger from now on, so it's fine. Are you not interested in a human who can communicate with you?"
'I don't really get it, but if you can understand what I'm saying, you'll notice when I'm in pain, right? That's not bad at all.'
"By the way, what's your name?"
'That's for you to decide. I do have a nickname, but I don't really like it.'
"What's your nickname?"
'Black Socks.'
"Phew."
Indeed, all 4 of his legs had black fur, like he was wearing black socks.
'Just like my mom, we have similar legs, and we're a bit weird, aren't we?'
"That's not weird at all. Your facial features are pretty good too. I think you're beautiful."
'Oh, really? Then give me a nice name, please!'
Sara walked up to Marquis and Ronnie, trying not to startle the other horses with a loud voice. Black Socks followed closely behind.
"I'll take this one."
"It looks like you're really talking to him!"
"I think this child understands what I'm saying. It's smart and beautiful, isn't he?"
"Then, Sara, why don't you give it a name?"
"Hmm... I'll name him Durandal."
Sara decided to name the horse after a famous sword because of the sword-shaped marking on his forehead.
"Not bad, Durandal. It's a nice name."
'Whoa, I've got a cool name now!'
"Durandal, do you like your new name?"
'Yeah, I like it! Nice to meet you!'
Durandal seemed to reply, nuzzling Sara's cheek. Sara stroked its head, hugging it gently.
"It really seems like this horse understands what we're saying. The horse such a smart horse."
"Yes. I'm totally in love with this child now."
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