#386 Ryouma ga Yuku

Thus, the horse-train was officially implemented thanks to Gigantirock.

His power allows him to pull two full carriages, making it a very convenient means of transportation.

He could probably run at least as fast as a man in terms of speed, but that’s not a problem.

The venue and the capital aren’t that far away from each other. The problem is the danger of letting ordinary citizens roam in the outfields.

If Sensei casts a spell on the attendees to keep monsters at bay and Orkubo chaperones them, things should be more secure.

Still...

“It’ll be hard with just Gigantirock doing all the work.”

He may be a homunculus horse, but a living creature will always get tired and feel hungry eventually.

It’s too absurd to constantly travel back and forth between the expo site and the capital to transport visitors all day long.

“But considering the speed at which Gigantirock is moving, I doubt he’d get a breather...”

As I said before, his speed is, at best, that of a human running.

If we were to do this with breaks in between, we would only be able to make a few trips a day.

That would fall short of the original goal of efficiently transporting a large number of people.

“If we had at least one more animal, they could take turns transporting the attendees...” 

Orkubo makes a good point, but it’s not very practical.

Gigantirock is an unparalleled horse in terms of power.

It’s not like there’s any other horse that can do something as unorthodox as pulling a full carriage.

“I doubt Mimicoctopus can either...”

Mimicoctopus is Gobukichi’s beloved horse, and he is unmatched in speed and agility, not power.

“Isn’t there any other...?”

Oh.

Wait.

There is.

* * *

The dragon-horse Sakamoto, my horse.

He’s a homunculus horse that helps me move around the farm with far superior abilities to Gigantirock and Mimicoctopus.

He’s currently grazing on his own on our farm’s vacant lot.

“Come here, boy!”

I called out to him, but he didn’t respond.

I know he heard me because I saw his ears move.

He just deliberately ignored me.

Why?

“Maybe he’s sulking because he hasn’t felt needed in so long, My Lord,” says Orkubo.

Come to think of it, Orkubo and Gobukichi often interact with their horses and have appeared astride them.

But I don’t recall having ridden mine recently...!

“Wait, I got my hands full after Junior was born, plus we had to go on a lot of trips too.” 

“I don’t think you were riding him much even before that, either, My Lord.”

Crap, now that you mention it...

So Sakamoto is feeling like an abandoned puppy?!

“I’m sorry! Sorry for ignoring you!!!”

Let me explain, I am a farmer at heart, and I was afraid to go horseback riding.

But I still must’ve hurt you nonetheless, didn’t I?!

“Don’t worry, I have a job for you today, a special job only you can do!”

He raises his head and looks at me.

Good.

Maybe he was desperate for attention, after all.

To respond to his desires, I start explaining the mission to him. But...

“HNEEEEEEIGHHHH!!!”

He sounds pissed off.

If I were to translate that neigh into intelligible language, it would probably be, “How dare you make Sakamoto, who has the blood of a dragon, be a charioteer?”

What a prideful horse.

As expected of a homunculus horse created using dragon genes. Prideful and a handful.

“But you know, I think you’re the only one who can do this...”

He reacts with a twitch.

“We started this project with Gigantirock in mind. Maybe he’s the one fit for the task after all?”

“Neighhh!!!”

Sakamoto neighs angrily.

A rough translation would be, “Don’t be silly! There’s nothing that other horses can do that I can’t!”

I think it’s because he inherited dragon genes that he’s so prideful and easily provoked. 

“Fine, I’ll do it! I’m going to prove no other horse is above me!” is probably what he’s saying right now.

I wonder why I feel like we understand each other well?

***

It was then that Sakamoto decided to actually pull the carriage.

It was a prototype carriage that had not yet been loaded with passengers, but Sakamoto pulled it and...

Flew.

“What?!”

He flew!!!

No, I knew he was a dragon-horse and could fly, but...

I didn’t expect the carriage to fly with him!

The carriage is floating behind Sakamoto! How is this possible?!

“Dragon power,” explains Veil just when I need it. “When we dragons fly, we use dragon magic to get rid of the weight. It’s only natural that Sakamoto, half my blood, can do the same.”

She’s the one who provided the genetic material for Sakamoto, you see!

“Sakamoto must have worked his magic all the way to his cargo to make the weight disappear. That’s why he can fly with it. Then again, it’s only a matter of course since he inherited my powers!”

After saying all that she has to say, she leaves the scene.

Probably back to where Junior is.

That’s a dragon-horse for you, all right. The result was beyond my imagination.

If the whole carriage floats, we don’t have to put on wheels anymore.

This is just like a maglev train!

We went from a regular train to a maglev carriage!

It may seem like too much, but...

This should solve our problems!

If we can get Sakamoto to pull it, we can transport the people safely, comfortably, and as fast as we can!

No matter how heavy the load is, Sakamoto can eliminate the weight and travel without any speed loss.

The distance between the capital and the expo venue can be traversed in seconds.

The faster we could move, the more rest we could take.

This should settle things!

***

...And so, the following day, Sakamoto’s otherworldly maglev carriage was immediately put into operation, transporting many visitors from the capital.

Because of its peculiarity, this mode of transportation became a hot topic as part of the expo.

There were even people who came to the expo just to experience the ride.

Sakamoto himself was not happy about imitating a coach, as it seemed to affect his pride, but he was soon in a good mood when he saw the passengers impressed.

He and Veil are pretty alike in this regard.

It’s been a long time since he has played a major role, which consoled the emptiness he feels and solved our problems, so everything turned out okay.

On the other hand...

“I don’t blame you, boy. Sakamoto is My Lord’s favorite horse; we’re no match for him. Remember, you also have your good points.”

Orkubo is comforting Gigantirock, devastated to be left out.

He’s kind and considerate enough to notice his horse’s feelings.

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Ryouma ga Yuku is a historical novel that chronicles the life of Sakamoto Ryoma, a pre-revolutionary who helped shape the face of modern Japan.
Ryouma is comprised of the characters 竜馬, literally meaning dragon-horse