Chapter 10

As I stepped out of the store with the basket containing the Hisiku grass in hand, the sun had already completely set. It was night. However, there were bonfires being lit on the main street, and it was strange to see people still walking around. It didn’t seem like a festival or anything.

I walked around the building. There were no bonfires, but the moon was bright enough that I didn’t have any trouble. I could hear laughter from inside the building through the walls, which made it easier to walk without being afraid of the darkness.

The stable was, as I had been told, behind the store. There was a warehouse next to it with hay stacked up, and farming tools like hoes and forks were placed there, so I recognized it immediately.

"Excuse me..."

I entered hesitantly. The old wooden stable had all its wooden windows open, but with only the moonlight shining in, I couldn’t see much inside.

However, I thought it didn’t smell as much like animals as I had expected.

I closed my eyes for a moment. When you can’t see in the dark, it’s good to close your eyes once. It might just be a trick of the mind, but it feels like your eyes adjust a bit faster.

After waiting for a while, I opened my eyes. I could make out the inside a little better.

The stable had a central aisle, and the wooden walls, about my height, divided it into several stalls. It seemed that each horse was kept in one stall for care. ...I thought it was quite luxurious to have one stall per horse. It was a big difference from the village cows.

From the aisle side, the stalls were enclosed with fences instead of wooden walls, making it easy to check on the horses. There was nothing in the stalls. No hay was laid down, just bare earth.

I cautiously entered and found the second stall was also empty. ...I remembered being told I could use any empty space. So it was natural that there were empty stalls. It would be mean if there weren’t any.

...But I could see the wall at the end.

It seemed there were only four stalls. Feeling a bit disappointed, I continued forward.

And then, in the next stall...

"Wow, it’s big."

Even lying down, I could tell it was big. It wasn’t fat but muscular and imposing. It was hard to see in the dark, but I think it was a gray horse.

I had never seen a horse like this before. It probably wasn’t the kind used for plowing fields or pulling carts. It looked strong, like a horse a hero in a story would ride.

But...

"It’s not moving..."

I think it noticed me, but it didn’t move at all. It didn’t even try to look at me, just kept its head toward the wall and slept.

Maybe it was dead. The thought made me scared. Maybe this stall wasn’t being used anymore, and the body was just left there... I shivered.

...But when I looked closely, I could see its chest rising and falling, and I could hear its quiet snoring. It was just a sturdy horse.

I felt a bit guilty about waking it up, so I went to check the next stall without making any noise. It was empty. This stable only had one horse.

"...I’ll use it without hesitation."

Since it was so empty, it should be fine. I had permission, and it made me feel a bit more relaxed. It was a bit lonely, but...

After thinking for a moment, I decided to use the stall at the back.

I felt reassured hearing the snoring from the stall, and I thought if I was in the back, I would be safe if anything scary came in.

I pulled the latch on the wooden stall door. The door was surprisingly sturdy and heavy. I had to use both hands to pull it open. Horses are strong, so it had to be this solid to prevent them from breaking it.

I put the basket with the Hisiku grass inside and went back outside. I hesitated for a moment but borrowed some hay from the warehouse without a door. ...I didn’t want to sleep directly on the dirt.

After carrying the hay a few times and securing a place to sleep, I finally sat down. The area next to the stall, where I could hear the horse’s snoring, was the most comforting spot. I laid the hay thinly but it was much better than the dirt, and I was very happy to have a bed.

I stretched out and sighed deeply. I realized I was very tired, and all my strength seemed to drain away.

I thought about going to sleep, but I couldn’t fall asleep. Looking up at the window, I saw a half-moon.

Today, I became an adventurer.

I registered at the store, went outside the town, and picked herbs. Even though I made some mistakes, I got paid and bought bread with the money.

Reflecting on it, I felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest.

It wasn’t a bad feeling, but thoughts of the scary man with the scar, Wayne, the pretty lady, the two-story house, the gate soldiers, and other things from today kept coming to mind. I was very, very tired, but I couldn’t fall asleep.

Feeling a bit troubled, I decided to stay awake a little longer.

"Right. The Hisiku grass."

I sat up and pulled the basket closer. It wasn’t cold tonight, so I didn’t need the jacket, but if I was going to use the basket tomorrow, I needed to do something with the Hisiku grass.

...I remember the priest hanging it in the shade to dry. That should help preserve it.

It’s a good herb that can treat injuries, can be boiled and drunk, and even made into a bitter tea. No matter what I do from now on, it would be useful to have it.

I pulled a few strands of hay from the bed and tied them in pairs, connecting them by tying the ends. It was a bit thin and crooked, but it formed a kind of rope... no, a string.

It felt like it might break easily, but it should be fine for hanging herbs. I made two more strings.

Since there was a lot of Hisiku grass, I bundled it in groups of three. The priest tied each one individually, but I didn’t have enough string for that. Making more strings would make my bed less comfortable, and I didn’t have the energy to get more hay.

So if it went bad, I would think of something else. I compromised on this.

Under the moonlight, I worked slowly and tied all the Hisiku grass. By the time I finished, I was very sleepy.

With sleepy eyes, I hung the bundles on the top of the wooden fence on the aisle side. I didn’t want to move much, so I hung all three near my bed. I was a bit worried, but the strings didn’t break, and the bundles didn’t touch the ground.

This is good. I rubbed my sleepy eyes and checked again, feeling satisfied. I lay down on the hay bed, feeling exhausted.

And I immediately fell into a deep sleep.

---

The next morning.

I woke up to a strange sound, and there was a large gray horse’s neck right in front of me.

I was so startled that I couldn’t move. My mind was awake, but I didn’t understand what was happening. I was used to seeing large animals like the village cows, but I had never woken up with one so close.

I moved my eyes to look around. It seemed the horse had stretched its neck over the partition from the neighboring stall. Following the well-groomed, thick neck, I could see its chin and the movement of its mouth. Wondering what it was doing, I moved my head to look further.

"Ah, no, that’s bad!"

Two of the strings I had hung last night were gone, and it was just about to open its mouth to eat the third one.

I shouted out of reflex, but the sturdy horse, which had been sleeping all night, didn’t care and chewed it up with a satisfying crunch.