Chapter: 789
In the western part of Yuben lies a grassy plain resembling a savanna. It’s a kingdom of animals filled with unique and various creatures, distinct from the northern grasslands.
If most of a country’s territory were savanna, you’d assume that country was doomed, but luckily, this savanna region merely stands out as an ‘interesting area’ within the entire United Kingdom of Yuben. Plus, thanks to Yuben’s stature, they could utilize the savanna’s uniqueness to their advantage.
– Mooooo—
Take this buffalo, for example.
“Wow, surprisingly docile!”
“Right? It looks like it could toss a few people with those horns.”
Even with me and Lynn nearby, the buffalo blinked lazily. When I carefully stretched out my hand to pet it, its tail gently swayed in response.
Despite having horns that seemed like they came straight from hell, its behavior was no different from an ordinary cow. If you were to cut off those horns, it wouldn’t stand out among the typical black cattle in a village barn.
Yet, this gentle buffalo was said to have been a fierce beast before the formation of the United Kingdom of Yuben. By my guess, many had ended up with new holes in their faces from being gored by this creature’s horns.
After a lot of sincere effort by Yuben, this buffalo was domesticated. Once a creature that crushed people with its horns, it now offered its horns to make bows—
‘In the end, it’s still killing people the same way.’
The buffalo’s horns were destined for slaughter.
“What do you think? It has a different charm compared to regular cows, doesn’t it?”
As I continued to explore the buffalo’s body, the caretaker of the buffalo pen approached.
“It’s hard to put into words, but it definitely has a unique charm!”
“It’s not just about charm; it brings a lot of benefits to humans. They’re used in farming, their strength helps chase away predators, and occasionally, people ride them for races too. They play a role in providing food, safety, and even entertainment.”
As I responded, the caretaker’s excitement only seemed to grow.
He might have been a bit too enthusiastic, but it just showed his pride in his job and affection for the buffalo. As someone responsible for importing buffaloes, this was great news. If this was the kind of buffalo he cared for, it must be healthy.
– Moooo.
“And they recognize humans really well!”
“Looks that way.”
The buffalo being petted by me and Lynn turned to the caretaker and let out a sound, clearly recognizing its owner.
Seeing that made my desire to import buffaloes even stronger. With their horns, they could create bows, just like ordinary cows help in farming. They possess weapons for battling predators, and on occasions, they could race as if they were in a competition. If you add loyalty into the mix, it truly becomes the perfect beast.
Though I couldn’t say much about the taste of its meat yet, even if it were subpar, it wouldn’t matter. Expecting top-quality meat would be asking too much.
“Speaking of the caretaker.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Please, go ahead.”
“That one over there is particularly large, isn’t it?”
“Oh.”
I pointed to a gigantic buffalo chewing grass all by itself in a massive enclosure that lacked a roof, and the caretaker sighed softly.
“That one is also a buffalo, but it’s a different species from these.”
“A different species?”
“Yes. If I had to categorize it, I’d call it a wild buffalo. They’ve been unruly for hundreds of years and have never been domesticated.”
Seeing the caretaker sigh like he was about to lose his cool reminded me of the world before my rebirth.
Both buffaloes and wild buffaloes existed there as well. While they succeeded in domesticating the buffalo, they failed with the wild ones due to their erratic nature.
‘No wonder the fence is so large.’
I thought maybe the enclosure was unreasonably long, but it turned out to be a desperate plea of “please, don’t cross this line.” At this width, it far exceeded the living range of those wild buffaloes.
“Can I get close?”
“Well, the wild one is really aggressive, and if a person gets too close, it will—”
The caretaker hesitated for a moment, then quickly scanned me up and down.
“If it’s Your Highness, it should be fine!”
Convinced of his own reasoning, he guided us to the wild buffalo.
Having the title of the continent’s strongest sword certainly comes in handy. People usually don’t doubt my strength, so it’s rare for anyone to warn me about danger. After all, when would the continent’s strongest sword ever find itself in a dangerous situation? The worst that could happen is a marital spat with Trixie.
Or if I made a huge blunder with Mar, leading to a visit from my father-in-law back in his prime.
– Grooooor!
‘What the?!’
As I neared the wild buffalo, it recognized me and immediately began to rear up in a furious display.
Is this beast infected with mad cow disease or something? I’m not sure why it’d jump into a combat stance the moment it saw me.
“Looks like it’s acting just as it looks.”
Lynn’s comment made an involuntary chuckle escape me.
She was right. While the buffalo was surprisingly gentle, this wild buffalo was acting true to its fierce appearance. Bigger and more robust, it had a temperament to match.
– Hooonk, Hooonk.
‘Hmm?’
I pondered if a light slap would quiet it down as its ruckus lessened.
Then, suddenly, it knelt down, plopping onto the grass as its previously wild gaze softened to a calm state.
– Moooorrrrr.
“…Seems like it’s submitted to you.”
The caretaker’s bewildered voice led me to pat the wild buffalo’s head.
More accurately, I was about to strike it.
– Ugh, Moooorrr.
‘Is it a survival instinct?’
Seeing the trembling wild buffalo evoked admiration. The instincts of beasts are sharper than expected.
Or perhaps it was that I carried some scent of the Behemoth. After all, I had been responsible for awakening it from its two-thousand-year slumber—and often took the kids around to play with it. It wouldn’t be too odd if a trace of the Behemoth’s essence lingered on me.
‘Nice.’
Honestly, it didn’t matter what the reason was. If a beast larger than the buffalo, which none could tame in Yuben, knew to submit to me, there couldn’t be a better situation.
I should take this one back to the Empire. We could make bows from the buffalo’s horns, and with the wild buffalos, we could produce a sturdier, exclusive model.
‘Looks like we’ve got a new local delicacy!’
In several decades, specialized bows crafted in the Empire would spread across the continent.
While the buffalo was technically imported as a domesticated one, it would be fair for me to claim royalties for my contribution here.
After this unexpected harvest, I leisurely explored the savanna region.
“Let’s head left.”
– Moooorrr.
And proudly riding on that loyal wild buffalo decorated with obedience.
It felt a lot more like enjoying a tourist trip while riding a buffalo than just sightseeing. I wonder if this is the feeling one gets when riding an elephant across Africa.
This wild buffalo’s reputation for having a problematic temperament seemed to hold true in the ecosystem too, seeing as nearby animals would sneak off the moment they caught sight of it.
‘Big bodies really do come with the bully title.’
With its massive frame and intimidating horns, fittingly wicked temperament—no matter how much it was labeled a cow, it was more than suitable for predator status.
“Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“I think it’d be great to raise this in the northern lands of Wyridia. What do you think?”
I nodded absentmindedly at Lynn’s remark.
It would indeed be a stroke of luck to raise such a creature within my domain and influence. After all, they’re striving to breed high-quality horses over in Wyridia.
“It’d be awesome if it were possible. But that seems unlikely.”
Unfortunately, raising buffaloes or wild buffaloes in my territory was impossible.
“That’s true. That’d be tough,” she murmured, sounding disappointed.
Importing only the buffalo regularly found in Yuben was feasible only thanks to the Behemoth’s power backing me. If raised outside the Behemoth’s land, those buffaloes would likely drop dead en masse.
However, moving the Behemoth to the northern lands of Wyridia wasn’t an option. The Behemoth had a fondness for Kroita and would refuse any request to relocate without a second thought.
“Hey, then, Oppa.”
Lynn turned to me, carefully glancing around, and whispered.
“Kroita and the surrounding area are royal direct territories, right? Why not rent or purchase a little of the Behemoth’s land?”
“What?!”
Her shocking suggestion made me grip the wild buffalo’s horns tighter.
– Ugh, Moooorrr!
“Ah, sorry!”
Fortunately, I released my grip before breaking anything, but the mental shock remained.
Renting or purchasing royal direct land. The reason she was scanning her surroundings suddenly made sense. Having such discussions carelessly could be a little risky…
‘Is it really dangerous?’
Thinking it over, it didn’t seem like that big of a deal, did it?
I wasn’t trying to steal land for free; I was offering fair compensation just to use a bit of land for a while. The only difference would be whether it was a temporary or permanent arrangement.
Besides, the land where the Behemoth stayed was hardly of great importance. Requesting some land as compensation for bringing in the buffalo and wild buffalo would be a request the emperor wouldn’t have cause to refuse.
“A size that can hold five or six farms should be enough, right?”
“Any smaller, and the animals will be too cramped; larger would be a waste of space.”
Her immediate and firm response boosted my confidence.
As a husband, I’m meant to trust my wife’s opinions, but the daughter of Count Yuris radiated trustworthiness that made her words all the more convincing.
When it comes to securing land, one must strike while the iron is hot. Since an opportunity had arisen to import these creatures, I immediately sent a letter to the emperor.
I planned to bring in both buffaloes and wild buffaloes, asking if they’d consider selling off a part of the royal territory.
The response I received was pitiful.
[I hereby appoint Isilonan Baron to Carl Krasius of Tailglehen. This is an inheritance that can be passed down to one’s children and is located near Kroita.]
‘What the hell?!’
I squashed the curse that instinctively wanted to pour out in a hurry.
Seriously? I only asked for a few farms’ worth of land, and you handed me a whole territory?
‘I don’t need this kind of shackles.’
Receiving a whole territory in exchange for a few though requests isn’t a fair deal. That means I’d have to follow a few more of the emperor’s orders.
‘Damn it.’
This guy must be doing this on purpose.
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