STABLE BOY ; Trash of the Count's Family

06. DEPARTURE

"Steedphanie, I'm glad you're okay now, but why is my life like this?"

"I'm sorry, did you name Count Deruth's prized horse Steedphanie?"

South ignored the Coachman. They were getting ready to leave, which for him included more things for the horses than for himself. He just packed clothes that had less mud on them than others, dry food for himself, and a weapon for self defense.

For South, it was a dagger, and a long needle from the maids that was for knitting, but nowadays he's sharpened it to carve day counters on the stables.

"Since it was so sudden, I couldn't prepare any clothes for you," the Coachman said. "When we get to the capital, let's go buy something nice. Okay, Sou?"

"Not necessary."

"When I'm not available to drive the carriage, you're not allowed to go out into the capital in those muddy stable boy clothes, son," the Coachman began, tiredly. "Why do you think I'm wearing something so fancy today?"

South looked him up and down. He's in a full suit, with a hat and everything.

"But Seonbae," South insisted, "I don't like all that stuffy clothing."

He sighed.

"Look, the Coachman's identity is not important but we are still the first thing people see when the carriage arrives somewhere," he lectured, "as long as we are driving the carriage with the Henituse symbol on it, we cannot be dressed so slovenly."

South grimaced. "Then just don't let me drive," he said. Draping himself over the horse by his side, "Steedphanie, you don't want me to hold the reins, right? I can never drive in the capital. Say you don't trust me."

She grunted in response.

"Steedphanie is not coming with us," the Coachman reminded him, annoyed. "She is staying here as Count Deruth's outing horse."

South made a show of crying, "I'm going to miss you, Steedphanie!"

"You're not leaving forever, don't be spoiled, Sou!"

-

While South was gone, the other stablehands would take care of the remaining horses. Most of them will be coming with the entourage to the capitol— two for Cale's carriage, two for luggage, and then the knights are riding by the side...

"You'll be riding on the back, beside the luggage compartment," the Head Coachman reminded him.

"Yes, yes, I know," it's the most uncomfortable seat usually for apprentices, but he's not trusted to ride a horse on his own and he wasn't about to ride double with anyone. He's used to it, anyways.

"Don't fall off," Cale said at him.

"GYAh! You're boarding already, Young Master?"

Cale wasn't even going to criticize him for being startled anymore. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we get there... wait, why are the cats' seats better than mine?"

"Because they're precious little kitties that deserve the world!" Hans exclaimed from inside the carriage.

South settled down on his spot tucked snugly beside the luggage, facing backwards. He noticed Choi Han headed to the back of the group on a borrowed horse, and Choi Han nodded in greeting.

South nodded back.

And then he blinked and he was out.

-

When he blinked again, they were already in motion along the road, and as he stretched he noticed someone just tied his waist and hand to the side of the carriage and called it a day.

South had no idea how he hadn't fallen off at the first rock on the road, but he supposed his body's ability to keep its balance pulled through.

"Well, since we're just travelling today, I might as well go the whole journey like this..." he had his medicine to stay awake, but no need to waste it.

Ah, what lousy luck he has. He didn't know anything past the first season, but he does know there's a war in the future. He wished he could just hide in the stables the whole day, but now he's on the way to the capital.

At least he gets to play with the horses the whole time.

But if trouble comes in the future, he doesn't think he'll be able to survive in this world. Even in his previous world, he was incapable of protecting or rescuing himself when he was buried under rubble— he was just a weak person, in the end.

"But why did this have to come with me into this world?" he wondered, looking at his arms. He looked through them every day— "ah, I got a new one. What is this?"

It's a simple dusty blue line scribbled along the side of one of the big horse tattoos. It reminded him of the Coachman's hair colour.

"I'm just a stable boy. I don't need this," he said. "If I ever get fired from the Henituse, this is going to make it so hard to find work..."

The carriage suddenly jerked, and he clutched the side to avoid getting thrown off.

"What the—"

"Bandits!" the knights around him yelled, and South groaned to himself.