I spoke directly with the Chieftain at the Kinnara settlement
Riana and I were led around the settlement by the girl. Chickens strutted nonchalantly at our feet. I carefully lifted my feet to avoid stepping on them and walked past. Pigs and horses were also roaming everywhere.
“It’s quite lively here, don’t they run away?”
“Ah, they tend to wander off. Pigs and chickens especially go out to find food.”
It probably wouldn’t be a problem if one or two chickens out of many disappeared, but it would be a disaster if horses or cows went missing. Cows were gathered and lying down in the shade of the tents. It might be rude to say, but it smelled just like a zoo. No, it was worse. They defecated everywhere, so there were a lot of flies. If I had been born here, I probably wouldn’t have noticed.
Philiana was also walking carefully behind me, looking at her feet.
“It’s lively, but I think it could be a little tidier…”
“We’ll tidy it up! The droppings are used as fertilizer. The land here is infertile. Besides, everyone is well-trained. Are you a Beast Tamer?”
Beast Tamer… I’d heard of it. It was a profession often featured in games, where one fought using fierce beasts. Half in fear, my heart fluttered a little.
“I’d really like to see it, is that okay?”
She replied “Yes, it’s fine” without any particular reaction to my request.
We were taken to a staked-off circular area. Inside, there was a youth with a healthy tan and a horse. It wasn’t frightening, but it wasn’t particularly novel either. Well, reality was probably like this.
The youth swung the whip he held and yelled loudly, making the horse run. When it started to slow down, he made a sound again, and the horse ran around in circles. Many painful whip marks adorned the horse’s back.
Wasn’t this a bit too much? This was practically abuse. After a while, the youth stopped. The horse also stopped, looking at the youth’s situation. Then, for some reason, the youth turned his back and walked away in the opposite direction. Even stranger, the horse began to walk as if following him.
Philiana, watching beside me, also tilted her head.
“It makes me feel sorry for them. But why do they follow him?”
“Right? If it were me, I’d think he’d shown an opening and kick him.”
The youth came out of the fence, his task seemingly finished.
“Ah, are you people from the new town? Did you come to buy a horse?”
We told him we were travelers who came with a request. Upon closer inspection, I saw that what he was holding was not a whip, but a string tied to a tree branch.
“I see. Well, there’s nothing here, but please stay a while.”
With that, he went somewhere.
