Chapter 278: I Save the Captive Horse Girls. And I Learn That Even If an Acquaintance Man Gets Injured, I Won’t Have to Give Him Elixir

There seemed to be four horse girls captured in the wagon’s lattice cage.

"Are they acquaintances?"

"Pii!"

"I see! That’s right. Sorry for asking something weird. Even if they weren’t acquaintances, if the same race as yourself is captured you can’t just leave them. Go!"

We approached the wagon.

"Hey, you wagon over there, wait!"

Whether they were ignoring us or my voice couldn’t be heard over the sound of the wheels turning, the wagon did not stop.

When the captive horse girls noticed us they grabbed the lattice and cried "Pii" as if asking for help.

I ran alongside the right side of the wagon and spoke to the man on the driver’s seat.

I lined up on the right so as not to put him on guard.

If I were a malicious attacker I would approach from the other party’s left in order to slash with the sword in my right hand. To not make him think that, even though I was fully naked under the long robe I intentionally approached from the right.

"Hey."

"Hm? What is it?"

"What happened to these horse girls. Where are you taking them?"

"Ah. I’m going to dispose of them."

"Dispose? What do you mean?"

"Lots of knights participating in the Christmas Tournament have come, right?"

"Ah."

"Knights wearing heavy armor ride them and do mounted-combat practice and such, so they get crushed. Their legs broke and they can’t run anymore, so they’re no longer needed."

"No longer needed? Why don’t you treat them?"

"It’s not a breakdown from yesterday or today. They’ve been used as practice horses for a long time and their legs have gradually gone bad."

"That’s..."

"No need to worry. These ones were originally raised to be crushed in practice. For the real thing they’ll enter on fine horses, so the knight-samas can properly participate in the Christmas Tournament."

I’m not worried about that at all, but whatever for now.

"Dispose—what will you do? Let them go?"

"Ah, that’s right."

"I see. That’s goo—"

"Well, horse girls that can’t run anymore are only good as monster feed. If we dump them in the forest during winter, beasts and monsters can stave off hunger, so even if the knight-samas can’t do security work during the tournament the city stays safe. I get money from the knight-samas, so it’s all good things."

"...!"

Feed for beasts and monsters?!

What a cruel thing!

Kuh...

While suppressing my anger I continued the conversation.

"...Which forest will you dump them in?"

"The forest west from here."

"Dispose means you don’t need them, right? Won’t you give those horse girls to me?"

"Haa? What are you going to do with horse girls whose legs are broken and who’ve become useless?"

"I’ll give them to a dragon I know."

"D-Dragon?! Are you raising a dragon?"

"I’m not raising one, but there’s a dragon-like guy, and he’ll be happy if I give them to him."

"I-I see. Could it be that the master you serve is a knight-sama of the Black Dragon Order?"

"No, that’s not it, but well, I’m raising a dragon bigger than their dragons, so I want lots of beast girls."

"Eeh! A dragon bigger than those dragons...!"

"You’ve already received disposal fees from the knights, so it doesn’t matter what happens to these horse girls from now, right?"

"A-Ah."

"So I’ll take them. I’ll also give thanks. I’ll treat you to a cup of the finest wine you’ve never drunk even once until now."

"Hoh. Finest wine. What, is that the high-class stuff nobles drink?"

"No, even more delicious stuff. Either way you’re going to the western forest. Dump them at the place I designate. Then I’ll give you wine."

"I see. I don’t lose anything. But is there such a convenient story? Aren’t you trying to trick me? When we get near the forest won’t your companions come out and strip me of everything?"

"I won’t do that."

"Even if you say so, you can’t prove it."

Perhaps on guard, the man put his hand around his waist on the left side that was in my blind spot. Did he think he would be attacked and grip a weapon.

Certainly like Charlotte being attacked by bandits the other day, dangerous things can happen even near the royal capital. It’s no wonder the man suspects me on first meeting.

Ah, that’s it!

Charlotte.

I took the purple scarf out of the arm cover.

"I swear by Princess Charlotte du Roi and this scarf that I am not tricking you. Just unload the horse girls at the designated place."

"Th-That’s! Purple field with white rose embroidery! Were you a knight of such standing that you received a scarf from Princess Charlotte?!"

"Ah, that’s right."

"Even though I didn’t know, this was rude of me."

Alright. The scarf I received from Charlotte was useful. As expected of an item received from royalty.

Having gained the trust of the horse-girl disposal contractor like this, I returned to the bus carriage together with his wagon.

I thought the man would be surprised seeing the capybara-designed bus carriage, but that wasn’t the case.

"Is this place fine?"

From that way of speaking I guessed that to his eyes it only looked like an ordinary forest.

He also showed no sign of noticing the dog girls watching our situation on alert.

I had Rafilia-san pour a cup of wine and treated the man as promised.

The man was moved by the taste of the wine, his face flushed, and he seemed in a dreamy mood.

"It was more delicious than anything you’ve ever drunk, right?"

"Ah, something this delicious, it’s the first time I’ve put it in my mouth... I can nod that you said it was finer than what nobles drink..."

"Not limited to horse girls, if you need to dispose of other beast girls too, bring them here."

"U-Understood. I’ll definitely come again. In exchange, give me wine again!"

"Ah. It’s an extremely rare wine, but I’ll prepare it for you."

The man got on the wagon and went home.

Now then. The four injured horse girls had been carried by everyone while the man was drinking wine, but...

"Hm?"

The four were sitting by the pond sandwiched between Iferaski and Ranjou, soaking their legs in the water.

Are they cooling them.

At their feet Capybara-sama and Capybara-chan were swimming.

’I’ll heal these girls’ legs.’

’Eh?! That’s a good thing and I’m happy, but eh?!’

’Geez... Masaharu only thinks about putting his cock in...’

’No, I don’t intend to put my cock in their anuses. Horse girls have long tongues so I was thinking of having them suck.’

’Masaharu’s elixir can heal injuries, but it can’t heal old wounds. These girls’ legs are broken from accumulated fatigue.’

...!

Certainly the man earlier said something like that. These girls were overworked for many years as practice horses and broke.

’So I’ll heal them little by little with the divine juice dissolved in the pond.’

’Divine juice!’

’Is capybara juice better?’

’No, that’s no good. Like tonjiru, the ingredient feeling comes out... Anyway, because Lucia is swimming this pond has been granted a recovery effect. Will those girls become able to walk?’

’Unn. Running is still impossible, but I think they’ve already become able to walk. If they soak in the water a few times I think they’ll become able to run.’

’Thank goodness... Hey, does this pond heal any illness or injury?’

’Unn. Like a thin elixir.’

I see.

Thank goodness.

From now on, if an acquaintance man gets injured, I’ll sink him in this pond.