WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS
Translator: Abood
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Saviour Embarks on a Nameless Journey
Chapter 26: Deer Roast
“So, you made sure to tell Lily before coming here?”
Lily White. My daughter, queen, and Alina’s mother.
“Yes. I told Mother. She gave me her words and her blessing to return with a fine sword in hand, along with some equipment.”
“She gave me the same. To face this with unwavering resolve,” Io added.
“Lily is quite the gallant one.”
“She’s the fiercest among my children.”
Outwardly, she’s delicate and refined. The kind of grace that looks as though it might snap at a touch. But inside, she’s bold and decisive. When she was sought as a bride, her time for sword training was cut short, and now she likely couldn’t best her brother. Still, she had the finest natural talent with a blade of all my children.
We entered the town of Hadi and handed the magic horse over to be kept.
“Can you have two magic horses ready by tomorrow morning?”
While I was arranging to stable my own mount, Marius was already making arrangements for magic horses for himself and the children.
Alina and Io’s feet couldn’t reach the stirrups, but magic horses obey mages well. I was more than happy to let Alina ride with me, but even so, carrying one adult and two children on a single horse over a long journey, magic beast or not, was hardly ideal.
Besides, Marius disliked having people cling to him, so even though Io was kin, I doubted he had any intention of letting her ride with him.
“If it’s one, I can have it right away. For two, you’ll have to wait until midday tomorrow. The ones in the stalls are for hire. The ones for sale are kept at a paddock a bit out of town. If you want to choose, you’ll have to go there yourself.”
“No need to rush, better to take a look and choose for ourselves.”
“So we leave the day after tomorrow? Well, if they’re going to be looking, it’ll be along the main road, so there’s plenty of time.”
So they’d be chasing us again? If there was some deal with Elaine, I supposed that was to be expected… still a nuisance, though.
“Where can I find this inn called the Stag’s Rest?”
“From the square, head east, take the third left, and it’s just before the next corner. If you’re planning to stay, best book your room before you head to the paddock.”
I asked the stablehand about the location of the good inn the mercenary had mentioned, and he answered with a smile. It seemed I could keep my hopes up for this place.
I booked a room and dinner at the Stag’s Rest, then went to see the paddock I’d been told about.
“Sister, did you find a horse you liked?”
“To me, they all look the same… Did you find one you liked, Alina?”
“Yes. That lively one over there.”
Marius had quickly chosen his own mount, leaving only Alina and Io wandering around the paddock. It seemed they had made their decision. I gave the man in charge of the horses a nod and walked over with him to where the two were.
“Pyaa.”
Maybe it was the presence of so many magic horses, but Pya chirped from behind, not crying, but giving off a cheeky, warning sort of tone.
“Grandfather, I want this one!”
Alina had noticed me approaching and spoke in an excited voice, though she kept it in check.
She was being careful not to startle the animals by shouting near them. A kind child she was growing into, though magic horses probably wouldn’t mind it much.
“Pyaa.”
Pyaa, take a lesson from Alina and behave yourself. …Or is it that no one around, magic horses included, can actually hear you?
Does that warning of yours even mean anything? …In any case, I’ll ignore Pya for now. The stablehand was following just behind me anyway.
“Ohh. A fine, healthy-looking horse.”
The magic horses here in the paddock were all for sale. Any that were in poor condition or not yet fully trained were kept in a separate enclosure.
This stable seemed honest. Every horse had a fine coat, well-groomed, with excellent muscle tone. Whichever one you chose would be decent, but it looked like she’d picked an especially good one.
Hmm… the horse kept stealing glances at Alina, so they seemed to get along well. My granddaughter had a good eye for horses too.
“Pya.”
You’re noisy, Pya.
“Then we’ll have this one brought to the shop tomorrow. What about tack?”
“A full set for both horses. And for this magic horse, adjust the tack so Io there can reach the stirrups. I don’t mind paying extra.”
Before I could answer, Marius, who had come up behind me, spoke.
When we told the stablehand that one of the horses would be carrying two children, he tilted his head. Well, with two adults and two children asking for just two mounts, most people would assume the pairs would be adult-and-child.
Wait… don’t tell me he thinks Marius and I will be riding together…?
“Let’s hope it gets along well with my magic horse.”
I made sure to hint that I already had one of my own.
“These two are familiar with each other, but magic horses do have a wild streak. Still, if they’ve been properly trained, they shouldn’t get into any fights that would cause injury,” the stablehand replied.
Good, I’d managed to get the point across naturally.
The contracts and payment would be handled at the shop in town. Both the horses and their tack would be delivered there by then.
We went to the inn and had our meal.
“As the name of the inn suggests, venison.”
“I’m not sure if it’s stag, but this roast is delicious. The sweetness in this balsamic sauce, could it be from brown sugar?”
Just from the sound of his voice, he might have seemed refined, but this was an inn recommended by a mercenary. No knives were provided. The meat, bone and all, was meant to be held in one’s hands. Even so, this man somehow still managed to look elegant.
When I picked up the venison roast, Pya stretched over my shoulder and took a bite. Oi, it’s a bit much to have you eat first every single time, you know? Show a little restraint.
Confident that this company wouldn’t mind, I reached out with my other hand to secure my own piece and took a hearty bite. Hm. Good stuff.
“A beautiful shade of red that whets the appetite. As a lady, I do find the manners here a touch lacking… but I suppose this is the proper etiquette in a place like this.”
“It’s delicious.”
Even for an adult like me, the meat was thick and hearty, yet Io and Alina were happily biting into even thicker cuts, laughing together.
I couldn’t tell you all the finer points of flavor, but this roasted red meat paired wonderfully with a deep, dry red wine.
I felt like drinking to my heart’s content, but with my granddaughter here, I restrained myself.
Footnotes:
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