Chapter 60

A new heroine appears.

The king of the Equus tribe has three wives.

They are called the First Consort, Second Consort, and Third Consort.

The Second Consort gave birth to Mutio.

The Third Consort gave birth to the eldest son.

The First Consort gave birth to the third son.

Generally, the lower the number, the more prestigious the family background and the higher the status of the person.

This time, the Third Consort, who gave birth to the eldest son, has fallen ill.

"Hmm..."

Yuria examines the Third Consort.

She then checks her throat and confirms the heartbeat of her heart.

Finally, she checks the soul with her eyes.

"Can you cure her?"

King Equus watches Yuria's diagnosis with concern.

Yuria nods.

"Yes. I can. I will start the treatment. ...Please leave the room first. It's a secret ritual."

After hearing Yuria's words, the group, including Almus and King Equus, leaves the room.

Once everyone has left, Yuria addresses the Third Consort.

"You are not ill. This is a curse. A very clever one. It doesn't have an immediate effect, but it gradually erodes the body. Do you have anything that could serve as a medium for the curse?"

"A curse...? A medium...?"

The Third Consort tries to remember.

But she can't think of anything that could serve as a medium for the curse.

"Before the illness started... About two or three months ago, did you receive anything that you still keep? Something you use regularly?"

"I don't know..."

"Then what about something from the First Consort or the Second Consort?"

Yuria presses the Third Consort.

"This pendant is from the Second Consort. It was a New Year's gift. It's said to be made of garnet from King Domorgal's country."

The Third Consort shows a pendant with a green gemstone.

Yuria takes it, sniffs it, and checks it.

"This isn't it. What else? What about a gift from the First Consort?"

"Maybe this pillow?"

Yuria takes the pillow and sniffs it.

She frowns.

"It smells."

"I'm sorry..."

"No, I mean the curse. Can I tear this open? I'll sew it back up later."

It's a fairly expensive item.

Once torn, it can't be restored.

"It's fine."

"Understood."

Yuria takes out a knife and tears open the pillow.

Wool is revealed inside.

Yuria reaches into the wool and pulls out the source of the smell.

It turns out to be a dead centipede.

"A charm... A typical curse. But it seems to be controlled by multiple drugs. The smell is also cleverly hidden. I'll counter the curse. The one who cast it will die, not the one who commissioned it."

Yuria puts the centipede in her pocket.

She then takes out several herbs from her medicine box and makes a potion.

She rolls the potion into a ball and wraps it in a preserving herb.

"Thirty pills. Take one a day. It has a purifying effect. I think this will help you recover. After that, eat well, get enough sleep, and build up your strength. That's all. As for the curse... I'll leave it to you."

The succession issue is a quagmire for both of us.

Getting involved would be troublesome. It's best to leave it to the Third Consort.

Yuria made this judgment.

"That's what happened."

"Ah, the succession struggle is tough in any country."

"True. It's a problem if there are none, like in our country, but it's also a problem if there are too many, like with the Equus tribe."

Yuria and I talk while drinking wine.

We've dismissed the others because we have important matters to discuss, so there's no need to use formal language.

It's not that the number of successors in the Equus tribe is a problem.

Rather, the personalities of the consorts are the issue.

I wonder if Yuria and Tera are okay.

It doesn't sound like it's just a matter of concern for others.

"But, wouldn't the eldest son, Methyl, be the target? He would be easier to target while he's still a baby."

"I think that would be difficult. The security is tight."

I see. A desperate measure, then.

Also, it might be premature to think the curse is only on the Third Consort.

It could be part of a plan to curse or plan to curse relatives.

"Also, the status of women in the Equus tribe is higher than in King Rosais' country. The mother's influence is significant. That's why, right? It would be easier if the support is gone."

"Indeed. Low risk, low return is safer than high risk, high return."

I'm a cautious person, so I understand the sentiment.

But isn't it too long-term?

Ah, if the curse is too strong, it might be noticed. Curses are tricky.

They're not very suitable for assassination.

"What about him? Mutio."

"Yeah, the one who spent the night with Almus yesterday?"

"That's a poor way to put it, but you're not wrong."

We did stay up all night.

"By the way, you're getting a new horse tomorrow, right? Then negotiations after that."

"Yeah. The distribution of the tyrannosaurus scales and teeth is also tomorrow."

I want to finish the negotiations as soon as possible.

According to the reports from King Rosais' falcon messenger, there's no significant movement yet.

"I think a white horse would be good."

"White... Hmm, I prefer black or red. They look cooler."

Besides, I'm not a prince.

I'm a noble. White doesn't suit me.

"Well, I'm going to go to bed now."

"You can stay if you want."

"Idiot, it would cause a big problem. We'll deal with the succession issue later."

I pull Yuria close and press my lips to hers.

"See you tomorrow."

"Okay."

---

"Let's start with the distribution of the tyrannosaurus. Well, splitting it in half should be fine, right?"

"Yeah. The problem is the heart metal and the reverse scale. How do we split them? They can't be split."

Heart metal is a special metal found in the heart of a dragon.

When mixed with special processing methods and Damascus steel, Dragon Damascus steel is created.

But only the desert people can forge it. It's useless to have it.

The reverse scale is a single scale on the dragon that grows in the opposite direction.

It's softer than other scales and is considered a weakness.

It's also valuable as a decorative item due to its beautiful color.

"Actually, I'm getting married soon. I want the reverse scale. Is that okay?" Mutio points to the reverse scale.

I'm also getting married, but I haven't sent anything to Tera.

It wouldn't be good to send something to Yuria.

Sure, it's fine.

"Alright. I'll take the heart metal."

Einz would either cash it in or process it.

Honestly, I don't care about the tyrannosaurus.

Its teeth, claws, and scales are as hard as iron, but they're difficult to process.

They'd be good for armor, but it's not practical as a weapon.

What I really want is a horse.

A horse to replace that nag.

"Don't be so greedy. Follow me. I'll let you choose."

"Sorry. The payment is..."

"I won't take it. It's our fault for being late in discovering it."

Mutio leads me to the stables.

"By the way, do you have any preferences?"

"Well, I prefer red or black. I want a brave one. The previous one was too tame and ran away."

Also, given my use of black powder, a horse that runs away is out of the question.

"Brave... They're usually temperamental. Is that okay?"

"I'll decide after I see them. If it doesn't work out, I'll choose another."

We arrive at the stables.

"I've gathered the best horses. The four on the left are uncastrated stallions. The seven on the right are castrated. Choose freely."

I look at the horses on the left first.

The uncastrated ones.

They seem temperamental, but they don't seem like they'd run away.

But...

"I'll pass. I don't think I can ride them."

They don't look like they'd let me ride them.

I'm not a bad rider, but I'm not great either.

I don't want to fall off and die.

Next, I look at the seven on the right.

They seem tame and fast.

Not bad, but...

"Hmm, they're not impressive. Are there any others?"

"The stables across the way. I've prepared some there as well."

I head to the stables Mutio points to.

"These are mares. But they're inferior to the ones we saw earlier."

Indeed, they seem several levels lower than the ones we saw earlier.

But what I need is not a fast horse, but one that won't run away in an emergency.

"Can I make a loud noise?"

"Sure, go ahead."

I take out a flashbang.

I was planning to use it if I was attacked by wolves.

I slam it on the ground.

A loud noise rings out, and Mutio nearly falls over.

At the same time, the horses neigh and start to panic.

It takes a few minutes for them to calm down.

"Hey, you should have warned me about the loud noise. Did it work?"

"Yeah, I'll take this one. It didn't flinch."

I point to a red horse.

The color is to my liking.

"That one... You might want to reconsider. It has black spots on its face. According to legend, horses with black spots bring evil spirits. Its mother died right after giving birth to it. Recently, there was a fire in the stables, and it was the only one to survive."

"Why did you even put it in there? Did you gather them for me to choose from?"

"No, it's a joke. Get it?"

I don't get it. Are you a high school student?

Well, you're about the same age as me, so you'd be in high school in Japan.

"Well, what's done is done. It's just a superstition, right? Besides, it shows a strong will to survive."

It's a bit unfair to judge a horse by its face.

But why did they keep it if it's considered unlucky?

"Because its parents were famous horses. It has high abilities too. They were raising it for breeding. If you want it, you can have it. Don't complain if it dies."

It won't die, but I get your point.

"By the way, do you want to test ride it?"

"Sure. It would be a problem if we don't get along."

"Good idea. You can't tell with women or horses until you try. Besides, it's a mare."

You're being smug, but you're not saying anything smart.

"Not bad. Yeah."

The horse I chose, the unlucky one, ran well.

It didn't panic even with the unfamiliar saddle and stirrups.

It has a strong will.

"What should I name you? I'll think about it later. For now, let's call you 'Nameless.' Unlucky horses are bad. Why did you stop?"

Suddenly, Nameless stopped.

It refused to move.

Looking ahead, I see a black mass moving in the tall grass.

It's...

a wolf.

Why did I encounter a wolf on my first ride? In broad daylight, near the capital of the Equus tribe.

You must have really bad luck.

"Well, it's fine. I have a flashbang."

I take out the flashbang from my pocket while keeping an eye on the wolves closing in.

"Go away."

I throw the flashbang, and the wolves run away in fear.

Some of them cower and can't move.

They look cute when they're scared.

"Let's get out of here quickly. Don't worry. It might be my bad luck."

We safely returned to the capital of the Equus tribe.

Next, it's time for diplomatic negotiations.

Humanization is not an option.

Just to be clear, Almus does not have a bestiality fetish.

Since we're at it, I'll open a naming contest for 'Nameless.'

If there's a good name, I'll use it. If not, I'll come up with one myself.