Chapter 16
“Do you need something?”
The stable owner approached, wiping his wet hands roughly on his pants.
Jaei, still locking eyes with the black horse staring straight at him, asked,
“Is this one for sale too?”
“Well, if you’re buying, I’ll sell. But aren’t you the bounty hunter who took down the Void and Woodburn?”
“That’s right.”
“Ahh, I knew it. There was a particularly young one among them, so it left an impression. Looking for a horse? The good ones are kept separately at the farm. Want to take a look?”
“How far is the farm?”
“Not far at all. About an hour round trip by wagon.”
“Hmm······.”
Jaei hesitated for a moment and examined the black horse.
Horses were animals that required bonding with humans.
No matter how fast or tireless they were, if they couldn’t carry a human, they were useless.
Jaei carefully reached out and stroked the bridge of the horse’s nose.
Snort—
The horse exhaled as if pleased.
The stable owner crossed his arms, watching in surprise.
This wasn’t the kind of horse that would catch the eye of experienced bounty hunters.
“You like that one?”
“It seems like this one likes me.”
Was he crazy?
The stable owner had spent his entire life with horses, but to him, they were nothing more than livestock.
As long as they were fed and their hooves were maintained, what more was there?
He shrugged and made an offer.
“Then take it. I’ll give you a good price.”
“How much?”
“150 dollars.”
It was common knowledge in modern times that horses were expensive, but was it the same in the Wild West?
150 dollars was equivalent to an ordinary person’s annual salary.
Jaei briefly regretted not asking the owner or bounty hunters about the going rate.
“As you can see, it’s a clean black horse without blemishes, only three years old, still in its prime, and its front and hind leg balance is good. Honestly, 150 is practically giving it away. Consider it my goodwill for taking care of Void and Woodburn.”
The stable owner was shameless, and Jaei didn’t believe him.
If anything, anyone with ears could hear that quite a few townsfolk actually had issues with Jaei’s ‘job.’
And news of bounty hunters receiving rewards ranging from hundreds to thousands must have spread quickly.
Jaei continued stroking the horse’s forehead, thinking.
‘If he started at 150, then under 70 would be reasonable.’
The problem was, he didn’t know enough about horses to bargain effectively.
At that moment—
“Hey, that’s too much. You’re asking 150 for a horse that’s been sitting here unsold for weeks?”
Libero suddenly appeared behind them and cut in.
He knew Mollibay better than anyone and had a knack for talking his way through things.
The stable owner frowned deeply and waved his hand.
“What nonsense are you spouting? That one sold long ago. This is a different horse.”
“Really? Funny how all the black horses here have their whiskers trimmed. Tsk tsk. Take better care of them.”
“Whiskers?”
Now that he looked, its whiskers were noticeably shorter than the others.
“Horses use their whiskers as sensory organs. This one reacts slower than others—”
If it couldn’t perceive properly, all its other senses would be heightened.
That meant it would be difficult to handle.
Though, as it stuck out its tongue under Jaei’s touch, it was hard to believe.
“It’s so sensitive that even trimming its hind hooves is a problem. Its horseshoes are poorly maintained. What would you even use it for?”
“A-any horse can be used for something. Why are you saying it like that?”
“No, I’m asking what it was used for. Why are you acting like someone caught trying to scam us?”
Riding, racing, cargo, livestock—
Depending on how they used their legs, their gait differed.
They were trained for efficiency, and buyers benefited from choosing accordingly.
Buying the wrong kind could be a loss.
“······Riding.”
“Oh really? Then why are the horseshoes like this? Is it a mare?”
“Haah. Fine, yes. It’s a mare.”
The stable owner sighed deeply, as if giving up.
If Jaei had been alone, it would’ve been different, but with Libero there, he had no choice but to reveal some truth.
After hesitating for a while, he spoke carefully.
“······It’s a bit picky.”
“Picky?”
“You get that it’s sensitive because it was born without whiskers, right? But this one goes beyond that. If something doesn’t suit it, it won’t eat for days. Once, the farrier coughed while working on its shoes, and ever since, it resisted so badly we had to give up. There’s only one farrier in Mollibay—what am I supposed to do?”
He vented his frustration, practically spitting.
Judging by his flushed ears and neck, he had suffered quite a bit because of this horse.
Unbothered, the black horse bared its square teeth as if grinning.
“The farm’s full, and keeping this one around is a hassle. That’s why I put it up for sale. But I’m not selling it dirt cheap. So… about 120 dollars?”
It didn’t have any major flaws, but it also wasn’t something he could confidently recommend.
Libero looked at Jaei.
What would he do? Bargain?
“Could you lower the price a bit? I’d like to buy it, but it’s expensive.”
“Do you think I’m running a charity? If it doesn’t sell, I’ll just sell it to another trader. 120 dollars. I won’t go lower.”
“Seriously, the usual price is around 80, and you’re still acting like this?”
“Do you have a horse? Find me someone in this town who bought one for 80!”
Neigh!
The moment the stable owner drew the line, the black horse suddenly reared up wildly.
It was so sudden that Jaei instinctively stepped back.
The other horses nearby also shook nervously.
“This bastard! He’s doing it again! Someone inside, help!”
The stable workers rushed in and skillfully grabbed the reins.
Watching this, Libero spoke calmly.
“Even I can tell it’s got a terrible temperament. Even if another trader takes it, it’s only good for meat. So wouldn’t selling it to us for 80 be better? He may not have a horse, but he’s good with numbers. Me.”
Considering the cost of keeping it, even more so.
The stable owner frowned at the drooling black horse.
“Fine, fine! Take it then!”
“I’d like to put it on credit instead.”
“What? Credit?”
This guy was insane.
It wasn’t a bar—who asked for credit when buying a horse?
“The bank doesn’t have enough cash, so I couldn’t exchange my bill. If you allow it, I’ll pay 90 dollars.”
Jaei showed the bill from his pocket.
One digit, two, three, four······
“2, 2400 dollars?”
“This is my ID. I’ll be staying at Libero’s place for now. If you need collateral, I’ll even put up my gun.”
“No, I don’t need a gun right now······.”
The stable owner muttered, unable to take his eyes off ‘2400 dollars.’
“Then can I ask one favor?”
“What kind of favor?”
“There’ve been a lot of wolves near the farm lately. You’re a gunman, so you should be good at hunting.”
“Ah.”
He had never hunted before, but it wouldn’t be much different from what he had done so far.
As Jaei put the bill back into his pocket, the owner snapped back and added,
“If you deal with them roughly, they’ll avoid the place afterward. Help me out, and I’ll give you credit. 90 dollars, no collateral.”
Jaei and Libero exchanged glances.
For nearly 90 dollars on credit, this was a very good deal.
Libero winked, signaling it was worth it.
“I’ll do it. Where’s the farm?”
“Not far. Nine miles west of here, at <Happymaypy> Farm. Just follow the road straight.”
Maybe because the land was vast, he described quite a distance as if it were right next door.
Instead, there was a road, and if it got dark, they’d provide lodging at the farm.
“You’ll need to provide bullets too. I don’t have much left.”
“That’s like hearing a kitchen run out of salt. A gunman without bullets?”
“More like a man without money.”
“Fine, I’ll lend you arrows too. Wolf pelts sell well, so if possible, take them down with those.”
“Understood. I’ll leave once I’m ready.”
“Alright, see you at the farm. I’ll wrap things up here and head there too.”
He handed over the reins.
As Jaei took the worn reins, the black horse nudged him, snorting.
It looked quite satisfied.
“That’s funny.”
Was this some kind of selection?
He hadn’t expected this at all.
Jaei picked up some hay from the ground and fed it to the horse.
“By the way, what’s its name?”
“A name? It’s just an animal. Just Black Number 5.”
······He should give it a new name.
“Malsoon?”
“I’ll kill you, seriously.”
Libero glared at him in disbelief, but the horse itself didn’t seem to care.
“Why? You don’t like it?”
“Not at all. Just like your name.”
“Where I’m from, names like this are common.”
“Onyx, something like that is good. Please.”
“I’ll think about it. Anyway, thanks. Did you just happen to pass by?”
“No. I went to the inn looking for you, heard from the hunters you came to see horses, so I checked around. I’ll move your belongings to my place. Since you’ll probably stay at the farm tonight, I’ll tell my sisters you’ll come tomorrow.”
Jaei thanked him again and mounted the black horse.
“······?!”
“What’s wrong?”
“······This is strange.”
Just like there were guns that fit one’s hand, there must be horses that suited a person.
It felt completely different from riding the owner’s horse.
It was stable, the height was just right, and above all, comfortable.
Neigh!
Even when the horse stamped its front legs, he felt a strong certainty that he wouldn’t fall.
This was the power of connection with a horse.
The owner’s horses had been gentle, but this was on another level, strengthened by clear favor.
“Why on earth······.”
Why was it following him so blindly?
Even though it had tormented its previous owner.
‘If I had to compare… is it like auto-aim?’
Like the default mount given at the start of a game.
Convenient, yet natural.
Jaei stroked the smooth black fur and pulled the reins.
Before leaving Mollibay, it would be better to grab some water and food.
“Malsoon, let’s go.”
“Onyx!”
Neigh!
Clop clop!
As Libero ran alongside shouting, the black horse sprinted powerfully.
More explosive and stronger than any other horse.