60 - Fourth Episode: Fortitude Does Not Give Up (2) ~The Case of Later and Kazuha~
It's getting so long I can't even call it a short story anymore lol
After leaving their luggage at the inn, the Serious Breakers party disbanded.
After all, Berture is a city in name and nature, and it is vast. Since the city itself has been turned into a tourist resource, the whole place is essentially an entertainment district. Everyone has different interests, so it was only natural that they decided to split up for a while.
In the midst of this, Later and Kazuha, who decided to follow him, headed toward the southern side of the city.
"Mmm...! Man, it's been a while since I've acted separately from Sensei and the Princess."
Freed from driving, Later walked while stretching his body and cracking his neck, his frame showing a fair amount of fatigue.
He was used to driving and good at it, but the vibrations of the carriages in this world were cruel beyond a joke. To begin with, the roads were hardly paved, and while air suspension would be a luxury, in carriages that didn't even have leaf springs, vibrations no less intense than a direct-hit earthquake constantly assaulted the riders.
Naturally, he couldn't go very fast considering the shaking, and since he couldn't go fast, the arrival was delayed, which in turn increased the driving time.
As a result, it chronically took a toll on his lower back.
"You three are very close, aren't you..."
While Later reaffirmed his resolve to ask Sensei and the Princess to help spread leaf springs to the world for the sake of everyone involved in driving duties, Kazuha, walking beside him, murmured enviously.
"Well, we're like soul brothers. It's not so much that hanging out is fun, but more that it's effortless. If it's just about fun, human relationships get exhausting."
There were several reasons why Later had chosen transport work as his livelihood in his previous life, and one of them was his dislike for troublesome human relationships.
Basically, it was a solo job, and while the hours were long, there was a relative amount of freedom. Of course, since the distance traveled directly reflected his work, he couldn't slack off, and there were many disadvantages, such as a twelve hour standard shift and low pay.
However, the appeal was that he could avoid interacting with people more than necessary, far outweighing the downsides. At least, for the him of his previous life.
"I've been wondering for a while, but have you known each other for a very long time?"
"Hmm... we've been through a lot, and the circumstances around that are a bit complicated. I think I'll explain it eventually... but probably after the three of us have fully steeled ourselves."
The circumstances of reincarnation, memories of previous lives, and traumas from those lives.
Basically, the Three Idiots acted as they pleased based on regrets from their previous lives, but regarding that specific point, they were uniformly hesitant. The memories and experiences of their previous lives were their weapons, but at the same time, they were the soft parts of their hearts, making them a double edged sword.
They had already reincarnated and decided to bury their bones in this world, but... there were things they couldn't help but drag along.
They weren't so naive about life that they could live purely for the moment, thinking it's fine as long as it's fun now, nor were they honest enough to face it head on with total sincerity.
As a result, they ended up pushing their problems forward and living hedonistically. These Three Idiots didn't underestimate life, but they primarily lived a materialistic existence. One could also call them thoroughbred philistines.
"Right, it should be coming into view soon...!"
"By the way, Later-sama, where are we heading?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Not wanting to continue this topic, Later blatantly changed the subject and told Kazuha, who was tilting her head, with a thumb up.
"Off to the racecourse...!!"
As expected, this furry fan lived quite hedonistically.
●
Speaking of Berture's Makayana Racecourse, it is the holy land of horse racing in this world.
Originally, in this world, horses were perceived merely as labor or one of the military supplies.
While they were made to work, the idea of making them compete to generate profit had not occurred to anyone. On Earth, the previous life of the Three Idiots, it started as a pastime for royalty and nobility, but in this world, it began as popular entertainment from the start.
As a result of Geoglyph, the founder, spreading it based on Japanese horse racing, it was greatly received by the common people due to its excitement.
No, to be precise, it was too well received.
It was an era where popular entertainment was scarce. While there were simple board games or card games like playing cards, the only entertainment that could wrap the masses in a whirlwind of enthusiasm was the arena. Even then, those often resulted in bloodshed, and the managers were often the bookmakers of the underworld even if the state was involved, so while they became local attractions, they rarely became the mainstream of gambling.
In the midst of that, public horse racing began.
It was simple, just running horses and predicting who would come in first, but there were various dramas leading up to that.
How the horse was born and raised, how it met its jockey, and how it had run. Pedigree, aptitude, running style, personality... there were many materials for judgment to make a prediction, and because Geoglyph focused on the backstories, people continued to fall into the swamp, or rather, get hooked.
To put it simply, the concept of a favorite horse was created.
As a result, the popularity was spreading across the continent, not just staying in Berture.
And in Berture, the birthplace, the Makayana Racecourse was bustling with many horse racing fans today as well.
"It's huge, and there are so many people... do they do this every day?"
"Isn't it tough for a beastman? The noise and all?"
"I'm fine. See, I take breaks like this occasionally."
"Oh, her ears...!"
Later showed concern for Kazuha, who was overwhelmed by the vitality of the spectators crowding the racecourse today, but she flattened her fox ears to ensure sound insulation. The furry fan became excited by that movement, but since it was a public place, he practiced restraint.
Now, after paying a small entrance fee and entering the racecourse, the schedule for this month's races was posted at the entrance. Later gazed at it and nodded while analyzing.
"Looking at this schedule, open and graded races are on weekends. Weekdays are just ordinary races... ah, steeplechase and ban'ei are on weekdays too. Hmm... it's like a combination of central and local racing? Ah, I see. By concentrating the main races on holidays, they intend to keep the guests who arrived at the inn on weekdays from leaving. That makes sense. Traveling to the next city usually takes several days."
In modern Japan, there are off track betting and live broadcasts, and in the past, buying betting tickets via telephone lines was common, while recently online purchases via smartphones or PCs have become the mainstream. If one doesn't want to experience the heat of the venue, everything can be handled from home.
But in this medieval specification world, there is naturally no television, nor radio. Furthermore, the basic means of getting to the venue is by foot or carriage, so one cannot simply take a car for a short trip to the racecourse on a day off.
Ultimately, because there was no ease of access, meticulous preparation was required to make a profit.
Therefore, first, they covered races where horse racing could be experienced on weekdays to let merchants and travelers passing through play lightly. Since it's a world where time specifications or deadlines are weak, they encourage long stays by making them think "a few more days is fine," leading to attracting crowds for the main races on the weekend.
"There's a crowd forming, what is that? It doesn't smell like food for a stall."
At the entrance, curtained stalls like shops lined the wall. Wooden plaques with something written on them were being hung or removed from boards, and the people who seemed to be shop owners were busily calling out to the crowd.
"Ah, those are probably tipsters... prediction experts. They get a small fee, like pocket money, in exchange for predicting the races."
"Do they actually hit?"
"It's best to use them as a reference. Following them blindly is dangerous. If they could predict everything perfectly, they wouldn't be in that business in the first place."
The individuality of each shop is actually pretty interesting, Later nodded with an expression as if seeing something nostalgic, and shifted his gaze to the information board at the entrance. As expected, since Geoglyph, who possessed previous life knowledge, was involved in the basic design, the layout of the facilities was similar.
If it were the Later of his previous life, he would wait for the race he was targeting while holding a hot snack on some random bench or in a corner, predicting with a racing newspaper and a smartphone, but that's not something to do with a member of the opposite sex. That's fun when the companion is a same sex friend with the same hobby, or otherwise when doing it as a carefree loner.
"It's a bit early for food... well then, for now, let's try going to the paddock."
"Paddock?"
Checking his own hunger, Later walked through the service entrance with Kazuha. Then, they came out to a place where horses were being led by grooms, like a small sports field or an outdoor stage. The customers watching the horses circling in a line from their seats were selecting them with serious gazes.
The paddock... a facility called the viewing area.
"Sensei said he gathered a wide variety of horses, and it's true...!"
There, breeds used as military horses, breeds intended for long distance travel, and even farm horses were lined up in various colors. The furry fan was greatly excited by the paddock, which looked like a horse exposition.
On Earth in his previous life, racehorses meant Thoroughbreds and Thoroughbred derivatives, but those also started in the 18th century from the crossing of different breeds. Since only ten years had passed since horse racing started, strict breed improvement for horses suited for competition probably hadn't been carried out yet.
Since the original goal was to raise military horses, Thoroughbreds, described as running works of art or having glass legs, might not be born until horse racing penetrates further and a framework for racehorses is established.
"I can't tell which is which..."
However, those who could make such judgments were only people who lived lives involving horses, original horse maniacs, or furry fans. To an ordinary person, every single one looked like the same horse, and Kazuha's confusion was just like that of a girlfriend toward a boyfriend boasting about a hobby she couldn't understand.
"Ah, my bad, my bad. Well, to put it simply, you look at this place and the warm up laps, and buy the horse that looks in good condition. Then, if the ticket you bought hits, there's a payout according to the dividend table, and if it's more than the stake, you win."
"Eh? Is it possible to lose even if you hit?"
"Yeah, it's called a trigami. It happens easily when you buy many tickets as insurance because you don't want to lose. You hit it, but the dividend is low, so it's lower than the total purchase amount, and as a result, you're in the red."
You can't understand this until you try it, Later gave a wry smile and took his wallet from his pocket. Unfortunately, the small change he had was two large copper coins. The rest were silver coins. He had deposited large sums with the guild. That said, two large copper coins were two thousand yen in Japanese yen conversion. It was a good amount for playing.
Flicking a copper coin with his thumb,
"Since we're here, want to try with some small change?"
Later invited Kazuha while catching the coin as it fell.
By the way, not limited to gambling, this "starting with a small amount" is a malicious trap. Since it's the first step into a bottomless swamp that continues infinitely, wise people should be careful.
●
When predicting horse racing, pedigree and previous race data are certainly important.
However, horses are living creatures, not machines. Just as it is with humans, no matter how much of a professional athlete they are, their performance is influenced by the condition and mood of the day. Of course, humans prepare their condition, including their mental state, for the coming day, but for a horse, there is no way they could understand such a day, and to begin with, they couldn't care less about human convenience.
Inevitably, no matter how strong a horse is, there are times when they don't exert their full specs and lose a victory due to various factors, such as being in poor physical condition, not being in the mood, or deciding to slack off today. A horse's intelligence is roughly equivalent to a two to three year old human. Since humans of that age fall into the so called terrible twos, one can surmise that it's inevitable for them to drop their record like that.
However, from the perspective of those who have money on the line or are betting, it's unbearable.
The viewing area, the paddock, exists to see through the condition just before the start.
"According to the predictions, that horse is the favorite, but isn't it sweating a bit too much...?"
While looking at the odds table for the next race, which changed as wooden pieces were replaced, and the condition of the horses, Later cast a skeptical gaze.
As the term sweating horse suggests, horses sweat. And in large quantities. There are various factors for this, so I'll omit them here, but if replaced with humans, it's a state of being exhausted and sweating.
If it's like this before the race, they'll probably tire out halfway.
"The heartbeat is fast. That number 7 child is the most calm."
Hearing that, Kazuha raised her flattened ears and gave advice, focusing on the heartbeats of the circling horses.
"Previous race data is second place... 3 furlong time is... ah, horse racing has just started, so they haven't measured it yet. But the distance, weather, and track are the same as the previous race, and it's an inside gate. Yet it's a mid range long shot? Why?"
Following Kazuha's advice, Later looked at the data for each horse written on the bulletin board, analyzed, and decided.
"This is probably a case where the favorite is overvalued. Then, there might be a chance. Shall we try buying?"
The two, who purchased betting tickets at the ticket booth, watched the race.
The result was.
"Later-sama! That child won!!"
"Oh, win 14 times. 28 large copper coins... exchanged, that's 2 silver coins and 8 large copper coins."
Since he bet two large copper coins without splitting them to let her experience it, the payout upon hitting was twenty eight thousand yen in Japanese yen conversion. The net profit was twenty six thousand yen.
For now, let's play a bit more until lunch, and they returned to the paddock.
"This time, the favorite child is the most calm."
"Just as the predictions said. Then, even if I dump everything into a win bet, I won't get much back. Ah, the odds are 1.1 times. This is a lock."
"Shall we stop?"
"No, Kazuha. Which horse is the next most calm?"
"The 7th favorite child and the 9th favorite child. They're about the same."
"Wide quinella, place bets, and trifectas aren't available yet. Other than win bets, there's only exacta and quinella. Then, a one axis exacta formation. Reverse or not... let's not. Just two points for the forward."
Next, he purchased two patterns of exacta with one silver coin each.
"Later-sama! We won again!!"
"Exacta 35 times. 35 silver coins."
Three hundred and fifty thousand yen in Japanese yen conversion. The net profit was three hundred and thirty thousand yen.
"This time it's difficult. There are three horses of interest. Every child is calm."
"The data is similar too. They've run quite a bit, and their abilities are neck and neck. There's a valley from the third favorite onwards in the odds. Rather than buying broadly and risking it, it might be better to pass."
"But..."
"Hmm?"
"No, I just feel like all three of them lack motivation."
"Heh... Then, how about this one? This 13th favorite horse."
"It's about as calm as the top tier. However, its eyes are the eyes of a warrior just before a duel."
"A front runner on the inside, no worries about distance. The jockey has been riding it since debut and understands the horse's quirks. As long as it doesn't get buried in the pack right after the start, it could be the one. Alright, it's just easy money anyway. I'll buy a win bet."
The purchase amount was one silver coin. The odds were 107 times.
The result was...
"Later-sama! We won! That child! It ran away with the lead!!"
"I got it, a ten thousand yen win ticket...!"
●
"Two large copper coins became one gold coin, 39 silver coins, and 6 large copper coins in three races over one hour... I feel a bit dizzy..."
Since it was almost lunchtime, Later was about to leave the racecourse for a while with Kazuha. He thought about using the racecourse cafeteria since they were there, but it was because they earned more than expected. She was blinking in disbelief at the amount that had ballooned in her hand. While betting, she had been focused on the races, but looking back calmly, she realized this earning was abnormal.
In Japanese yen conversion, two thousand yen became one million three hundred and ninety six thousand yen. It was a payout result possible only because it was a dividend style gamble.
"Man, I made a killing. But, Kazuha. You shouldn't think that rolling it over will go this well normally. Thanks to Sensei, match fixing is a serious crime, so it probably won't happen often, but those who do it will do it, and even without that, accidents happen. There's no such thing as an absolute in horse racing."
Also, the horse racing in this world was still immature.
No matter how much it was a mixed race, you couldn't pick up a win by mixing in horses the size of draft horses. Horses that were clearly not suited for the task or the place were mixed in.
In this world, magic exists in horses as well, and they perform things like body reinforcement without knowing it, so good looks do not necessarily equal a fast horse, but a human skilled in handling magic can make some guesses based on the horse's magic capacity.
As a result, for a furry fan, it was a gamble that wasn't that difficult.
That said.
"This is easy money, so it's best to spend it quickly. Since we're here, let's all go eat some expensive food tonight... but before that, let's indulge a bit just the two of us."
Later knew.
The difficulty of making a living by hitting these kinds of gambles. And how one could end up unable to make ends meet by getting too invested and touching their living expenses. He believed it was better to bet only with surplus funds, and when winning, to treat it as easy money and use it all up on things or food to avoid ruining one's lifestyle.
He was different from some lady who was actually a man inside and a gambling addict.
And as they left the racecourse to enjoy a slightly expensive lunch.
"Please, Datt! Wait!"
A woman's voice echoed from the service entrance for officials.
When the two looked back to see what was happening, there was a pair of a man and a woman. The man was wearing blue racing silks, likely a jockey, and the woman was in coveralls, clinging to the man.
Later was exasperated, thinking it was just some trivial lovers' quarrel, but the situation seemed different.
"I understand how you feel. I'm just as frustrated. But Fortitude is already a finished horse. I have a life too, and I can't keep riding only Fortitude forever."
"I know that! Just one more race! This weekend's Arima Kinen! That's Fortitude's retirement race!!"
"...And for that Arima, I received a riding request for another horse. A horse faster than Fortitude... Ascand."
"No way!"
"The once a year Arima Kinen. And this year is the ten year milestone of Bertfore racing. It's the perfect opportunity to carve my name into racing history. But to 'absolutely' win, Fortitude isn't enough. I feel bad for the jockey who was originally riding Ascand and fell during training, but this is a chance for me too."
The jockey, Datt, hardened his heart and shook off the clinging woman's hand.
"I'll defeat the 'absolute' and add prestige to my career. Then, better horses will come to me, and I'll become famous. If I become famous, the name of the Barkley Stable that raised me will spread and make money. 'The stable that raised Datt, who won that Arima,' they'll say."
"But, but..."
"I also have a debt of gratitude to Barkley for picking me up and raising me as a jockey. Until now, I thought I'd win with Barkley's horses, but I realized there are other ways. I don't want to destroy the stable Rag left behind... no, your stable. I will definitely return and rebuild it someday. For that, right now..."
The man didn't choose this path based on calculation alone. Even if it became a detour, he decided to turn his back in order to repay his gratitude. The woman wasn't someone who didn't understand that, and from their long relationship, she understood that Datt wasn't such an ungrateful person.
"So I'm going, Misora. I'll definitely win the next Arima. Please cheer for me."
"Wait... wait..."
Still, the woman, Misora, reached out, but this time she hesitated to grab him and collapsed in tears.
"Hmm... this kind of serious scene..."
Meanwhile, Later, who had seen the whole thing, looked up at the sky.
If the man were unilaterally in the wrong, he might have gone to kick some sense into him, but it didn't seem to be that kind of situation. At least, the expression of the departing man was one of firm resolve, and he felt it would be boorish for someone who didn't know the circumstances to interfere.
Now, what to do, he wondered, when Kazuha crossed her arms and pulled him away.
"Later-sama. Come on, let's go."
"H-hey..."
Toward the woman who had collapsed in tears.
"I believe it's typical of you three not to leave someone alone at a time like this."
"...Well, I guess it can't be helped. But I'll follow the rules. Whether we help or not depends on the story."
Later's... no, the Three Idiots' hands weren't wide enough to save everything and everyone. They weren't philanthropists who would pull up those who didn't want to be saved, nor were they hypocrites, and above all, they weren't bored.
Life is short. After all, he died in his late thirties in his previous life. If he kept sticking his nose into everything for others, he might eventually put himself last and, in the worst case, die again without having touched his own life.
He didn't want that kind of regret, so in order to live laughing loudly this time... they asked.
"Yo, sister. Got any unfair seriousness you want to break?"
Later, reaching out a hand to the collapsed woman, had that usual mischievous boy's smile on his face.
Next time is next week.